What is a Great Light For Growing Medium to High Plants?

[Delapool]

Yes, especially for deeper tanks you have to spend more. Here I've spent $600 (skipping failures ) and could easily spend a grand. Having said all that, I have a soft spot for the t5ho's. Apart from bulb cost I think I get less algae from them.

 

[Bert2oo1]

Yes, especially for deeper tanks you have to spend more. Here I've spent $600 (skipping failures ) and could easily spend a grand. Having said all that, I have a soft spot for the t5ho's. Apart from bulb cost I think I get less algae from them.

This interest me a lot. I have read that people have had more algae issues with LED's. How often do u need to replace your t5ho's? I've got a 55g I plan on planting at some stage and the hood holds 3 fluros so I was considering going ho's

 

[Delapool]

That's interesting! I'm not sure if it's the intensity or wavelength of LEDs but just something I've noticed.

Unfortunately replace bulbs every 9 months here I think I worked out. Without the LED second light I think it would be every 6 months. But that's ok cost as get a local member discount.

I must test on the PAR meter again and see what the decay has been.

 

[bullyboy]

I going to make my own i think, its much cheaper

 

[Delapool]

I going to make my own i think, its much cheaper

PAR Meter?

 

[bullyboy]

Haha i wish, but i did just get one off ebay real cheap.

Na im going to make an LED set up for my 20tall cuz its hard to get high light at that depth

 

[HookedOnFishh]

My 29 gal is LEDS and never have I've seen algae maybe on occasion on a plant leaf or on the glass

 

[HookedOnFishh]

I feel like I might go with finnex but if there's a good enough reason to go to t5s I probably will then. There about the same price maybe t5s a little more when buying bulbs every 9 months. But is it worth to get t5s instead of leds?

 

[bullyboy]

I honestly like Halogen my self as you get the look of led but the ease of a bulb.
The initial set up can be tricky and about the same as an LED pricewise. (marijuana is legal here so finding grow set ups with Hals are cheap)

If you go florescent and want med to high light. You could do a hood and get T5s which should do the trick depending on yer tank size.
Plus you could use the old "watts/gal" measure vs having to perform rocket surgery to PAR/PUR, etc.

Ive had 2 finnex go out on me because of some issue with the relay box in the power cord.

It also depends on yer set up though too.
Glass top, open top, hood, etc

 

[Delapool]

I've cooked a few LEDs (one quite expensive), got fed up and went back to bulbs. I think LEDs are the way forward, I'm just not quite convinced on the selection and price in Australia for planted tanks.

Then I found the bulbs just didn't have the penetration at depth when I finally tested with a PAR meter. So added a cheaper LED light as well.

Mainly I like the LEDs as you can dim the intensity.

I think this setup cost me say $400 for the t5ho plus bulbs every 9 months. Dimmable LED with bank of white lights and bank of blue'ish lights (so not really best for planted) was say $250.

Could of spent $1500 on really nice LEDs but was thinking if it only lasts three years....

 

[Brookster123]

PAR Meter?

Australia is wayyyy behind you can get a pretty decent rig in the states for under $200.

I've cooked a few LEDs (one quite expensive), got fed up and went back to bulbs. I think LEDs are the way forward, I'm just not quite convinced on the selection and price in Australia for planted tanks.

Then I found the bulbs just didn't have the penetration at depth when I finally tested with a PAR meter. So added a cheaper LED light as well.

Mainly I like the LEDs as you can dim the intensity.

I think this setup cost me say $400 for the t5ho plus bulbs every 9 months. Dimmable LED with bank of white lights and bank of blue'ish lights (so not really best for planted) was say $250.

Could of spent $1500 on really nice LEDs but was thinking if it only lasts three years....

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Delapool]

Australia is wayyyy behind you can get a pretty decent rig in the states for under $200.



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Sadly all true imo. Slowly getting stuff in.

If I knew LEDs would last for 5years they would win me over completely.

 

[Brookster123]

They are supposed to last longer, 50k hours at 7hrs a day is.... it's early but 19 years??
If I remember, yours had some huge fans built in??
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Caliban07]

I haven't used LED lights yet but I have ordered one of these for my new aquaopti 85 litres.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chihiros-Aquatic-Aquarium-Output-20-60cm/dp/B00ZZGTI2U

No PAR values just lumens. They are used all over the UK aquatic plant society forum and I found out Rastaman uses them for his builds too.

I was concerned about the light not being enough but was assured that it will grow HC and 50cm with good co2 and ferts.

As for availability over the pond I'm not sure. Are they well known in US or AUS?

The price is fantastic too.

 

[Brookster123]

Seems as though it uses 1 watt diodes? Should produce just fine, they pack a decent punch. Those risers are adjustable?

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[Caliban07]

Seems as though it uses 1 watt diodes? Should produce just fine, they pack a decent punch. Those risers are adjustable?

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I don't know. I don't think so. You can enlighten me on LEDs if the OP doesn't mind as I know nothing really. Is 1W considered beefy?

Are they obtainable over yonder?

 

[Fresh2o]

I don't know. I don't think so. You can enlighten me on LEDs if the OP doesn't mind as I know nothing really. Is 1W considered beefy?

Are they obtainable over yonder?

The topic of watts per diode should be helpful to the OP in case it becomes a DIY LED fixture.
A 30" Finnex 24/7 has 56 7000k LEDs and 28 red LEDs. I am assuming LED and diode are used interchangeably here. Adding the two together (although probably not accurate treating the reds the same way) comes to 84. The reported wattage is 29. So that's less than 0.33 watts per diode.

 

[Delapool]

They are supposed to last longer, 50k hours at 7hrs a day is.... it's early but 19 years??
If I remember, yours had some huge fans built in??
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Wow - 19 years! Would be great if they did.

Yes, hopefully I'm not going too far off track for the OP but these had 2 or 3 computer fans on each box. I do wonder if they got too hot still though. Sounded like the tank was about to fly away.

Just for interest, these were one lot I looked at with the idea that if one failed I don't have to throw out an entire light. They sit on a mounting arm. I think I'm glad I didn't get these as I suspect the reflection glare off the tank glass and perspex covers would of been immense.

https://www.aquaristiconline.com.au/collections/kessil/products/kessila160wetunasun

Even just dropping the lights I do have onto the tank rim instead of mounted several inches higher I have noticed a large drop in glare and decent PAR increase.

Then I also looked at these but hard to justify (although would love to!).

Illumagic Blaze P Series - Freshwater

I'd be curious what others think. I've found that making sure my CO2 system is really good has helped the most. I have cheap dry ferts, pretty good injected CO2 setup and only OK lights. Just saying maybe it is tempting to chase lights for the bling factor (er, I know I do anyways) but spending money on CO2 might be better value for the OP.

 

[Caliban07]

Seems as though it uses 1 watt diodes? Should produce just fine, they pack a decent punch. Those risers are adjustable?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Where did you see the 1W diodes out of curiosity?

 

[Caliban07]

The 60cm chihiros fixture I have ordered used 117 LEDs with a power consumption of 39W which equals 0.33W diodes if that's how it is done.

Good to know fixture is on the same plane as the finnex in that respect at least.