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Cheap LED solution???
- Thread starter TomStav
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
didysis
Aquarium Advice Freak
Looks sweet, I am looking into a larger tank and if I get one and it does not having lighting you can bet I will be getting a good amount of these.
Travis55
Aquarium Advice FINatic
How would one do on a 10 gal? Lol whats the dimensions of one of the lights? Id like to mount one in my hood.
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TomStav
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Travis55 said:
As far as the dimensions, they come in different sizes depending on the wattage. I would say if it's for a nano reef get one 25w, if it's FOLR or FW get one 10w.
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TomStav
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I have just ordered two 10w Red (625-650nm) LED flood lights that I plan on running my algae turf scrubber that I'm building, I'll post the results once I get them.
MartinBlank
Aquarium Advice Freak
75 gallon planted (currently medium light with lower light plants). Would you recommend 10W or 20W lights to replicate a "medium" light in a 75 gallon?
I am trying to avoid making the jump to high light and the algae / CO2 needs that can create.
Thanks.. great thread!
I am trying to avoid making the jump to high light and the algae / CO2 needs that can create.
Thanks.. great thread!
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TomStav
Aquarium Advice FINatic
MartinBlank said:
Just from experience I would get two 20w and raise them a little bit until you get the desired amount of "brightness". Four 10w might do the job too.
MartinBlank
Aquarium Advice Freak
One more idiotic question:
It appears that most of the lights (that I am seeing at least) are configured to be wired directly, i.e. not with a plug for a wall socket... is that correct?
How difficult is it to convert them to use a plug?
It appears that most of the lights (that I am seeing at least) are configured to be wired directly, i.e. not with a plug for a wall socket... is that correct?
How difficult is it to convert them to use a plug?
didysis
Aquarium Advice Freak
you just wire a plug onto it, Its easy
Buffy
Aquarium Advice Addict
I was out looking at those and was wondering since you ordered from Hong Kong, what did you have to do as far as custom's and all that?
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TomStav
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Buffy said:
Don't worry about it, thats the shipping companies business, you just order & receive it... 90% of what you own likely came through customs at some point!
Buffy
Aquarium Advice Addict
Okay, thanks, was just that the website said it was our responsibility to make sure it clears customs.
MartinBlank
Aquarium Advice Freak
So I am going back and forth on this one. It appears that four 10w fixtures might actually be cheaper than two 20w fixtures. But a bit concerned that a 10w will penetrate all the way to the bottom of my tank.
The other option is trying to figure out a good way to mount the lamps above my tank (the 10w's I would probably rest directly on my glass toppers)...
The other option is trying to figure out a good way to mount the lamps above my tank (the 10w's I would probably rest directly on my glass toppers)...
KlcoKN
Aquarium Advice Activist
This is probably a silly question, but I thought you needed at least 2 wats per gallon to grow freshwater plants? How are LEDs different? How many led watts would I need in a 55 gallon with medium light plants and no co2?
So is it not the watts but the lumens or something that really matter? Or the color of the light?
Sorry for the question overload, I'm just a bit confused by all this lol.
So is it not the watts but the lumens or something that really matter? Or the color of the light?
Sorry for the question overload, I'm just a bit confused by all this lol.
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TomStav
Aquarium Advice FINatic
MartinBlank said:
What size tank do you have? I'll put a 10w on my 72g tomorrow and post a pic just so you can have an idea of the spread/ depth etc.
I currently have the two 20w just sitting on eggcrate on top of my tank, easy mounting solution but I'm going to put them in my canopy on my new tank once it's set up.
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TomStav
Aquarium Advice FINatic
KlcoKN said:
The watts per gallon rule doesn't really apply to LEDs, at least not in the same way as regular bulbs. A 20w LED fixture is much brighter than a 20w bulb. For a 55 medium light I would suggest getting four 10w 6500k, just my opinion. As I said above, I'll post a pic of a 10w on my 72g tomorrow so you can get an idea of how bright it is.
MartinBlank
Aquarium Advice Freak
It's a 75 gallon tank. So that is around 21-22 inches deep I think?
I don't want to mount the lights to the canopy itself. I don't have the canopy on a raise / lower system (and don't want to install one
). I actually take it off and lay it on the floor when I clean and do water changes. But I will think of something.I wouldn't be opposed to just setting them on the glass lids / toppers (probably add some little self-stick bumpers to the corners of the lights), just more worried about making the jump to high light and suddenly having an algae outbreak
Just a challenge of creativity if you ask me
didysis
Aquarium Advice Freak
Attatching them to the canopy and then just unplugging them to remove the top is easy, thats what I do.
MartinBlank
Aquarium Advice Freak
I think what I will do is have them sit right on the glass toppers at first, and if that is to much light (i.e. Algae Mania) I can either attach them to the canopy (or other solution to raise them a bit) or make the jump to CO2 / high light.
The more I think about this, the more I am wondering if I am worrying about the wrong thing. Perhaps I should be more worried about not enough light than to much huh?
The more I think about this, the more I am wondering if I am worrying about the wrong thing. Perhaps I should be more worried about not enough light than to much huh?
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TomStav
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Here is a pic of one 10w 6500k on my 72g bowfront, I believe it's about 21" deep. The second pic is of the 10w 6500k next to the 20w 12000k for comparison. The spread obviously is bigger if you raise them slightly. With a 55g or bigger I think 4 10w would be sufficient for a FW or FOWLR tank. But for corals I definitely think you need 20w.
