LED light: Finnex vs. Marineland

[mattcham]

I'm looking into LED plant lighting for 18" deep tank (distance from light to substrate) and high light hi tech with pressurized CO2.

I read in planted tank forum FAQ that finnex plant led is only 35 PAR compared to marineland plant led which is 83 PAR at 24" depth directly beneath the light. Is this accurate? I understand that high light requires about 100 PAR.

Also is it true that planted led wattage is about the same as T5 HO wattage given the same PAR? So zero energy savings?

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

If you're looking for high light, I'd get the BML (buildmyLED.com) XB light with optional dimmer. Also check out Ecoxotic's E-Series.. But with the E-Series you get 60 PAR at 18".. You can supplement this light with a Current Satellite LED+ to get you in the high light range of 80+ PAR.

Finnex is doable.. But you'd have to get dual fixtures.. No dimming capability on these so you'd have to fine tune the photoperiod by staggering light times and reduced duration overall if it's too much. I like their Planted+ model from their line.

I'm not too crazy about marineland fixtures. I just avoid them.


For cost comparisons in energy savings, well that's always up for debate. I just like LED more, even if there's a larger upfront investment. Less impact on the environment.. for flexibility.. and sleeker aesthetics.

Check out page 3 to 4.. we ran some numbers
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/showthread.php?t=311734

 

[mattcham]

Why do you dislike Marineland LED? They seem to have the best PAR rating of all vendors.

Thanks for that link Brian. I will continue discussions in that other thread.

 

[Old Scales]

As a Marineland owner, I can tell you they are a dependable fixture but there PAR figures are highly exaggerated and they are way over priced compared to what other brand models available now. My Marineland planted LED is supposed to be the lower end of high light for my tank but is really on the lower end of medium light. OS.

 

[dcutl002]

Old Scales please clarify something for me. I too have looked into Marineland LEDs but I hear that they are unreliable and also that they run hot.

You have already stated that the unit is reliable, but how hot does it run?

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

I should have been more specific, my comment was mainly for the single and double bright marineland LEDs. I think the
Marineland Aquatic Plant LED Lighting System w/Timer is decent if you can get a good price for it. I like that it does have RGB chips. But with all the new LEDs coming out now, there might be other variables, features, etc. to consider.

 

[Old Scales]

It's pretty hot.

Old Scales please clarify something for me. I too have looked into Marineland LEDs but I hear that they are unreliable and also that they run hot.

You have already stated that the unit is reliable, but how hot does it run?

Yes it gets pretty hot. I put my hand on top of it and have to move it off in about 7-8 seconds. As Brian says, it has decent Par but others have more Par per dollar. I have the one that fits a 16g Bowfront and it was $249.00 at Dr. Foster & Smith about 18 months ago. I could now buy a BML XB Dutch LED for less than that now and have 2.5 times the Par capability. OS.

 

[mattcham]

Thanks all for the BML discussion. Never heard of them before but I am impressed by their products and web site. Best of all their warranty is 3x that of Marineland.

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[Sk3lly]

I have the dutch 6700k bml xb fixture and i think its great. Get great PAR readings from it also. Highly recommend


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[Brian_Nano12g]

There's a BMLClub in TPT.. their lights look awesome

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=481026

 

[Sk3lly]

There's a BMLClub in TPT.. their lights look awesome

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=481026

I joined that forum but havnt spent too much time on it tbh


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[Brian_Nano12g]

I use a combination of both. It has its perks, and specialized info at times.

 

[Sk3lly]

I use a combination of both. It has its perks, and specialized info at times.

I'll be sure to check it out more when i get time


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[Brian_Nano12g]

Just download tapatalk.. makes the forum so much easier to use.

 

[schoeplein]

Another BML user. Definitely punches through my 18" of water depth with ease. Very, very satisfied with it. I spent $315 on a custom fixture (picked my own led colors), including the black fixture, tank mounts, and their analog dimmer. I also have 4 dome lamps with 23w CFL's to blast the tank with light, since I got the 75° BML fixture. I imagine the 90° fixture would have much better coverage while losing very little PAR.

A lot of other branded fixtures use 90-120° fixtures, and their PAR really suffers.

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[Brian_Nano12g]

Yeah but in some cases spread might be a very important factor to your application. This might make the difference of needing 1 vs. 2 fixtures to get coverage. A LOT can still be accomplished with moderate lighting if that's what's needed to sacrifice for even coverage... highest PAR doesn't always correlate to highest results. Instead can result in an algae farm if not careful.

Before my 60p tanked, I thought I reached a pretty good point in its development with an estimated 72 PAR (which is right below the 80 mark of what's considered the start of high light). Sometimes the overvalue we place on PAR reminds me of the mega pixels race in cameras... In terms of cameras, for example, a 16MP DSLR might outperform a 24MP camera. There are other factors which dictate how well a camera can produce an image, not just MP.

You just have to find what's best for your needs.
72'ish PAR w/ dual Sat+ (2 months from initial planting):

 

[mattcham]

That's a really nice carpet using just 72 par. Dwarf hairgrass? How did it look like on day 1?

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[Brian_Nano12g]

That's not DHG.. it's UG.

Here's the before and after.

 

[mattcham]

Omg that's spectacular! What does UG stand for? Is that easier or harder to keep alive than DHG?

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[Brian_Nano12g]

It stands for Utricularia graminifolia. It's considered to have a higher degree of difficulty than DHG. It's probably on par with HC (dwarf baby tears) in terms of difficulty. It has a tendency to melt or stall in growth upon initial planting. But if conditions are right with lights, ferts, and CO2, it will take off once acclimated. Read up on it. It's a very interesting carnivorous plant