nwsharksfan
Aquarium Advice Activist
I was shopping around for a light to replace the dual bulb power compact (22") bulb fixture that I was using on my 92 gal freshwater fish only tank. The old fixture was a carry over from my old 30 gal reef tank. This unit is relatively new to the market and I couldn't find any reviews while I was shopping so I thought I'd share my thoughts on it.
I bought the 36" strip which has 102 led lights at 7500k 25 Watt 1950 Lumen.
My first concern with LED was that I would have "spot lights" in my tank and dark corners - especially since I have a 92 gal corner tank. This light has remarkable spread and there are no dark corners here.
My second concern was whether it would be bright enough. This light is brighter than the compact fluorescent bulbs I had before - granted the 22" bulbs were probably undersized for my tank. The light is plenty bright and brings out the color in my fish better. I would not recommend this light for a reef tank or a heavily planted tank - but for fish only this light is more than adequate.
My third concern - which time will only tell - is how long the led's will last. They're supposed to have a 20,000 hr lifespan. We'll see.
Pros: 1) Surprising amount of light from a low budget LED fixture
2) Very low profile (3/4 of an inch tall)
3) Completely silent. The fan on my PC fixture was imposing.
4) Far less power consumption.
5) No coughing up $50 for bulbs that are getting harder and harder to
find - especially the square pins.
Cons: 1) Light escapes from the sides/reflects off the glass top which is not
a great feature if you don't have a canopy.
2) The "moon light" looks more like a purplish/blue black light. Not
terribly natural looking - but cool looking nonetheless.
3) Again - not for the reef aquarium, but and excellent and remarkably
cheap option for the fish only tank.
4) Once the bulbs are out you're SOL. But if this $140 light lasts 3-5
years I'll consider it worth it. In 3-5 years I'll be moving on to my
3000 gal shark tank anyway.
I bought the 36" strip which has 102 led lights at 7500k 25 Watt 1950 Lumen.
My first concern with LED was that I would have "spot lights" in my tank and dark corners - especially since I have a 92 gal corner tank. This light has remarkable spread and there are no dark corners here.
My second concern was whether it would be bright enough. This light is brighter than the compact fluorescent bulbs I had before - granted the 22" bulbs were probably undersized for my tank. The light is plenty bright and brings out the color in my fish better. I would not recommend this light for a reef tank or a heavily planted tank - but for fish only this light is more than adequate.
My third concern - which time will only tell - is how long the led's will last. They're supposed to have a 20,000 hr lifespan. We'll see.
Pros: 1) Surprising amount of light from a low budget LED fixture
2) Very low profile (3/4 of an inch tall)
3) Completely silent. The fan on my PC fixture was imposing.
4) Far less power consumption.
5) No coughing up $50 for bulbs that are getting harder and harder to
find - especially the square pins.
Cons: 1) Light escapes from the sides/reflects off the glass top which is not
a great feature if you don't have a canopy.
2) The "moon light" looks more like a purplish/blue black light. Not
terribly natural looking - but cool looking nonetheless.
3) Again - not for the reef aquarium, but and excellent and remarkably
cheap option for the fish only tank.
4) Once the bulbs are out you're SOL. But if this $140 light lasts 3-5
years I'll consider it worth it. In 3-5 years I'll be moving on to my
3000 gal shark tank anyway.
