Advice on Lighting needed LED/Flourescent

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Phazeshyft

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Feb 15, 2010
Messages
58
Location
New Jersey
:confused:
A little background on me. I am rather new to the aquarium hobby but it suits my nature. I am ADD, OCD, and a little IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and not officially on any of them.
My Aquariums.
I have a 55gal and a 20 Gal tall. Love them both but got them used and didnt come with lights. I want to build my own simply because I am also building my own canopy.
I was thinking of using all LED lighting. Like the High Intensity LED light bars you see at Home Depot. I have already built a LED moonlight with 6 LEDs one resistor and a power supply of an old cell phone.
My question is this.
What are to main benefits for using the full length Fluorescent lights?
As I can tell they use a lot of power the ballast goes out you might as well chunk it and get a whole new one for the price of the ballast.
LED lighting will use a fraction of the power and create almost no heat compared to incandescent. I can build the LED setup in any shape and size to fit my budget and use MANY color including UV.

Thanks for any comments, advice, or anything else. :puppydogeyes:
 
I tend to believe that LEDs are the future of aquarium lighting. There are a few LED aquarium fixtures available and I've seen some DIY LED fixtures. The biggest drawback is the initial cost. There are also doubts about LEDs having the intensity to light deeper tanks properly. As LED technology improves (cost comes down), I think you'll see a lot more LEDs being used. Not having to replace bulbs for 10 years is a very attractive feature.
 
The tanks are both Freshwater and going to be fish only. i dont really care for plants too much. I can build some pretty bright LED arrays. It could even compete to a halogen if I put some high powered ones in, but they start getting up there in energy consumption and heat. My concern is there any health benefits to the fish with certain lighting? because if there isnt then LED is the way to go, I can create all the ambiance that fluorescent lights create.
 
if you arent going to have plants, then it wont matter what you have. fish dont need light to grow, and unless you've got some super serious lighting, youre not going to give them too much as long as you dont run them all the time. i dont see a problem in using leds and making it how you want it since there will be no need for them other than to see the fish
 
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