LED Lighting Ideas

[bassgenie]

When I only had 2 tanks the energy consumption wasn't really much of an issue. Now that I'm running a few more tanks, im trying to consider ways to lower my energy costs. With winter coming and Ill have to start using heaters again, Ive been thinking about it more. LED Lighting seems to be the next step to save a few bucks. I looked at some of the factory made designs such as the Marineland LED. As I would need the Doublebright and at least the 36-48 inch size for just my 72, but I needed a new fixture anyway so I figured this was the perfect chance to test LED Tech out. I started looking around for different LED options and figured maybe I could just make something simple to test out the lighting from home improvement stuff like Under Cabinet LED. I bought a couple of different sets off amazon and a clearance site and used plastic eggcrate just to mount a couple of sets and test out the light. I made one set with 4 12 inch strips and another really crude one with 2 12 inch strips of this brand:

http://www.amazon.com/AmerTac-USL30HBAMCC-Ultra-Cabinet-Lighting/dp/B003INDKZI/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1313969057&sr=8-9


Its just not as bright as Id like it to be, although the shimmer that LED creates is pretty cool. What Im asking is, has anyone else experimented with this type of lighting? I could have just bought the doublebright from Kens on Sale for $120. I just spent $60 on those 2 sets and its really not as bright as I expected, although these are perfect for smaller tanks. 2 of these 12 inch strips is perfect for a 40 breeder for nice shimmery gentle light. You can link up to 6 of them. I hate to admit I may have to just spend the cash on the fixture. Any Ideas would be appreciated.:beerchug:

[atorres]

Josh
Stay away from LED fixtures. I purchased a 36" Marineland double bright for a 65 gallon and I was extremely disappointed.
Angel

[fischfan13]

One of my many jobs at the ACA Convention was to set up the display tanks. These tanks were anywhere from 20-300 gallons.
All of these tanks were furnished with Marineland LED's. Personally I liked the lights and would use these lights in a heartbeat on my tanks.

[bassgenie]

I saw the doublebright on my Friends tank and I thought it was pretty nice and 40% the energy consumption of a comparable Florescent. Thats enough energy to run a heater. The Regular Marineland LED was Sub Par. The night lights are really nice too. Angel, You interested in parting with the Doublebright? LOL! The complaint im hearing is that the 36 inch fixture on a 48 inch tanks has dark spots on the edges. Did you find this? What was disappointing to you?
Bill, do you know the ratio of light to water? I know its a weird question, but what ive noticed is they dont work as well on deep tanks. I seriously considering taking the plunge while its on sale.

[fischfan13]

I actually like it when tanks are not fully covered in light. Having a 36" strip on a 4' tank, IMO, is the way I would rather go.
Josh, don't know the ratio but I did notice that the tanks that were in darker areas of the hotel looked even better. Also having the option of moonlighting at night is really cool.

[atorres]

Josh
My 65 gallon is 25 inches tall.The lighting wasn't bright enough and it looked artificial. I returned it.
Angel

[1badradboy]

I am currently running a 120 (5 footer) malawain tank with two Marineland double bright strips. One is 36-48" (actual fixture is 35 3/4") and one is 24-36" (actual fixture is 22 3/4"). I removed the legs and they sit flush on a glass canopy butted against each other. They were on sale at Dr F&S at the time for $118 and 93.50 respectively w free shipping.
I think they are outstanding and would switch my other tanks over also but I moved the compact fluorescent off the 120 to my 125. The only thing I would do differently, is purchase two of the 36-48" fixtures and overlap them. The reason being the spacing between the bright LEDs on the bigger fixture is different than the smaller one. They are 4" and 5 1/2" c to c respectively. I have two large Anubias Nana plants in this tank and they are thriving.
It would be nice if you could activate the lunar lighting by a timer but it has to be done via the switch. Bright + lunar, lunar only, or off.
I'll try to send pics.

[bassgenie]

I already use small LED moonlight simulators at night that have been discontinued, so combining the 2 types of light into 1 fixture is a great thing in my opinion. I feel dim lighting at night helps the fish stay active if they want. The reviews Ive read are mostly good, but several people had the same complaints and were dissatisfied as Angel was. But more reviews are positive. Marineland also has a "Reef" version but its way too expensive, around double the price of the Doublebright. This is where Lighting is headed and Im almost sure LED is only going to get more popular. Kens has one of the lowest prices to begin with and the added sale value is making it almost irresistible as I need some food anyway.

[louiscoolboy]

I have the 48"-60" version on my 55g, and i like it, the shimmer effect is really cool.
But one big let down is that the bulbs can't be replace once went out.....

[mrkillie]

One of my many jobs at the ACA Convention was to set up the display tanks. These tanks were anywhere from 20-300 gallons.
All of these tanks were furnished with Marineland LED's. Personally I liked the lights and would use these lights in a heartbeat on my tanks.

I really liked the way the tanks at the convention looked. But I was turned off a bit by the price (but it will eventually come down I think) and the fact that you could not replace the bulbs.

[joe_jaskot]

I'm still not sold on LED lighting. Yes, the lighting looks good, and yes, the lights use less electricity. But, unless you buy the higher priced model, the Marineland LED fixtures only have a 17,000 hour life rating. Using the light for 10-12 hours per day, the fixture will have to be replaced every 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 years. Also, over that period of time, the bulbs will lose some of their intensity. I'll stick with old school lighting for now.

[joe_jaskot]

One of my many jobs at the ACA Convention was to set up the display tanks. These tanks were anywhere from 20-300 gallons.
All of these tanks were furnished with Marineland LED's. Personally I liked the lights and would use these lights in a heartbeat on my tanks.

Didn't you just buy a used double bulb fluorescent light? LOL!

[bassgenie]

I have another 2 sets of the under cabinet sets coming. I'm going to make another crude set to see if maybe these are better as the lumens on this set is slightly higher then the "Ameritech" set. But I'm strongly leaning towards the marineland. The one thing these would be perfect for is in a rack for 30 or 40 breeders as they come with a mounting kit to attach under cabinets.

[bassgenie]

After a few designs, I have to throw in the towel. The lights are not bright enough for most people and these type of LEDs only penetrate the water well around 16 inches deep, so they are pretty good for say a 40 breeder, but not a 55 if you like bright light. Its very tough to fabricate them with a nice fit and finish.

If I was to do it again, Id just buy some Marineland double bright sets and call it a day. These are relegated to the Pleco tanks.