Actinic Led

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Schgred

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
148
I have the Marineland Reef Capable led light (yes I know this is not a popular light). The white look to this washes out the pop of the corals so I'm trying to figure out a cheap and easy way to add extra actinic lighting. While buying a stunner strip of some kind would be nice I just don't think it makes a lot of sense financially. I'm not trying to get any extra growth from the supplemented lights, just color.

What are your thoughts on these leds on eBay. http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=280905564366&index=10&nav=SEARCH&nid=88068201393

I'm skeptical but if I go by lumens (which might not be the way to measure) 6ft of these LEDs would get me 1500 lumens of actinic while the mland light gets 1670 lumens. If lumens is the way to compare, I can buy 6ft of these and get way more lumens compared to a 24" stunner strip.

What do you think? Is this just an eBay gimmick or does this look like a good bet?
 
Out of 27 LEDs on the mland fixture only 4 of them are actinic. That's why I am wanting more actinic lighting. Shouldn't there be close to an even balance of white and blue for reef tanks?
 
I have a glass top that I can use. If I purchased these strips from eBay I would stick them to one section of the glass top. I've had ph issues with the glass top so I plan to make that top smaller to allow for the gas exchange.
 
It's not really a good idea to do that. The LED will just be obscured by salt water residue in no time. I have similar fixture but I removed the top glass and made a DIY canopy made of white wood from Home Depot and hang it 8 inches above water. I then added 4 T5HO and I can make any combination of colors I want with $5 timers.
 
I'm using my mland light above the water with no glass right now and it's working with no salt problems. A t5ho would be great but that would basically defeat the idea of saving money.

Anybody else know anything about these eBay lights?

How about the lumens question?
 
I'm pretty sure I said I was wanting to save money and not spend much more. Given my budget right now I'm fine with my current light. I just want more actinic.

Even if no one has used those eBay strips, any speculations at least?
 
I have the reef capable also and I know what your talking about. It would be nice to see those lights in person but I would probably try it definitely wouldn't spend more that fifty on it at that point you can take some time and sock away money and go for an upgrade on Chinese LEDs or something along those lines? I'm having real good luck with mine so I got used to the more white look.
 
You must remember that the 1500 lumen is not coming from 1 source but being distributed throughout the 4.6 sq. ft. area of your tank. That means your 1500 lumen will become 326 lumens (1500/4.6) which is only about 800 LUX at 12 inches below the LED.
 
Thanks Godfrey and JeffAquarius.

Help me understand lux, lumens, with respect to tank lights. Can you equally compare lumens in this way? Literally one lights lumens is 1500 whereas another lights lumens is 1670 which means with respect to brightness they are almost identical. If that is the case then doesn't it seem to be a no brainer to add the 6ft of strip lights for $23?
 
The LED has individual lumen rating while the lighting fixture manufacturer has already included the total lumen rating at 1 foot below the fixture and not just for 1 LED. The LED has a deceiving approach to sell their product. To over simply, yes you can get that 1500 lumen if you bundle up all those LEDs at one spot.

1 Lumen = 1 candle per sq ft
1 Lux= 1 Lumen per sq meter
 
Ok ok I think I've got it now. The lumens per led is the crucial number. 16 lumens per led is not close to 61. Are there any other led strips like that that are used that have 16 lumen leds?
 
Cheapest thing you can do at this point is to add a T5 HO dual actinic light in front of the LED unit.

I can understand that you want to keep the cost down, but aside from that, go with your gut and try adding the ebay strip that you are considering. The Marine Land fixtures were an attempt for them to try and jump on the LED bandwagon and lure people in to buying at a lower price point. The lighting effect is not pleasing to the eye, has no control of color temperature, nor the ability to create a dusk-dawn effect as all the bulbs run on one circuit.

Taotronics
 
If you add a weaker LED strip that's blue, the stronger whites are just gonna wash them out anyway. Maybe look for a strip of 1 watt blues.
 
Alright here is an update. I ended up buying a used led strip light. I bought the innovative marine skkyelight 24"actinic light. I think this accomplished exactly what I was hoping for. So this is the marineland reef capable light and the strip light. You can see the pictures.
 

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