Aquarium Plant Lighting

sthn75 · December 2008

Here goes nothing <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt=":?" title="Confused" /> <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt=":?" title="Confused" /> (Tis a topic that i've struggled with so far, so if anyone's got any further info please feel free to add it <!-- s

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As many of us are learning there are plants available which fall into the following category's:

Easy to grow / Low Light = roughly 1.0 -1.5 watts per gallon
Moderate to grow / Medium Light = roughly 1.5 - 2.5 watts per gallon
Difficult to grow / High Light (and usually CO2 addition required) = roughly 2.5 - 4.0 watts per gallon

So... here is how you work out you watts per gallon:

** Tank Volume: Length x depth x height / 1000 (ie 91 x 44 x 48 cm / 1000 = 192L)

** Change Litres into gallons (1L = 0.26 gallons) = 192L x 0.26 = 52 gallons

** Wattage of Lighting ie 2 globes at 39 Watts each = 78 Watts total

** Total Watts per Gallon = 78 Watts divided by 52 gallons = 1.5 watts per gallon

or you can use one of the many online conversion calculators ... such as this one ... <a class="postlink" href="http://www.day-tripper.net/infoconversions.html">http://www.day-tripper.net/infoconversions.html</a>

<img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /> <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" />

Jamess · January 2009

Also consider the height of the tank. A tall 3ft tank and a standard 4ft tank might hold similar amounts of water, but the 3ft tank would need more light as the light has to travel through more water to reach the plants.

jp21 · January 2009

This is a great calculator that I found useful.Jen

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/Calc.htm">http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/Calc.htm</a>

Jamess · February 2009

Another thing to consider is light spectrum. Colour temperature is nowhere near as important as many would have us believe. Basically, if you get tri-phosphor tubes you'll cover yourself well. Blue spectrum lighting is good for penetration into the water, red spectrum is what the plants love the most, and "white" is good for us when we look at it all. Green spectrum doesn't help plants - they're green (mostly), so obviously it's the light that they reflect.

ekul · February 2009

Hi Sthn

What if your light goes over 4 w / g?

I just bought a triple T5 54 w HO reflector for my 50 g tank, which, when added to the existing lighting, brings the watts up to 270, or just over 5 w / g.

Do the plants still benefit from this excess light, or does the algae just have a feast?

Thanks

Ekul

sthn75 · February 2009

From what i've heard.... to much lighting and the algae just goes nuts so if you get alot of algae starting to appear i'd drop back the lighting or have it on in small time periods (eg 3-4hrs on, 2hrs off then 3-4hrs on & then off for the rest of the night)

Jamess · March 2009

The plants will benefit from more light, such as that, but make sure you keep the plants well fed with fertilisers. If one nutrient becomes depleted, the plants will slow down the nutrient uptake and algae will take hold.

Queenserpentine · April 2009

Generally, I'm not sure about others I use a t5 with 6 globes, plant tubing, gro lux tubes. they work fine for me

TheRAPY · April 2009

Lighting and plants

Hello everyone, I just thought I might try to help some people understand what effect lighting has on plants.
First of all plants absorb light mostly at 430nm (Blue) and 662nm (Red), this is why "Gro Lights" were invented,
however using such lighting in an aquarium does not give a satisfactory or "Pleasant" apearance. so some
addittional light is required to enhance the "Look" of an aquarium. The most efficient lighting for an aquarium
would therfore utilise a combination of "Grolights" and "Full spectrum" globes or any globe with a reasonable
amount of green output. For instance if you were to use 3 Fluorescent T8 or T5 tubes you would use 2 "Grolights"
and 1 "Daylight".
You can still grow plants with 3 "Daylight" (6500k) or "Warm White" (3000k) globes, however the lighting
will apear a little too bright, in particular when using T5 HO Fluorescent globes, this is because the human eye is
more sensitive to green light in the middle of the spectrum than red or blue at the oposite ends of the spectrum.
For example lets say a "Daylight" globe is divided into typically
45% green, 30%blue and 25% red; then a T5 HO 4 foot tube of 54 watts is-
24.3 watts green, 16.2 watts blue and 13.5 watts red.
X 3 globes = 72.9 watts green, 48.6 watts blue and 40.5 watts red
The 24.3 watts green is not used by the plants and is wasted when an aquarium is more brightly lit than nescesary,
"Grolights" are typicaly divided into 58% red, 4% green and 38% blue. (vice versa in some cases for red and blue)
so using 2 "Grolights" and 1 "Daylight" in a 3 globe configuration would be more efficient for growing plants.
For example:
2 x 54 watt "grolights" = 62.64 watts red, 4.32 watts green and 41.04 wats blue plus
1 x 54 watts "Daylight" = 13.5 wats red, 24.3 watts green and 16.2 watts blue,
totaling: 76.14 watts red, 28.62 watts green and 57.24 watts blue (162 watts), this configuration would suit the plants
and the owner in most cases, if the aquarium does not apear bright enough then just add another daylight globe
or exchange 1 "Grolight" for a "Daylight"
I hope this is helpfull to forum users, I have generalised the % of light from globes for simplicity, as they vary from one
manufacturer to another and most manufacturers will supply a spectral analysis graph on thier websites.
In respect to fluorescent tubes the term "Warm White" is generaly 2700k t0 3500k,
"Cool White" is generaly 4000k to 5000k and "Daylight" is generaly around 6500k.
"Grolights" basicaly come in 2 varieties, those that apear red to pink and those that apear blue to purple.
If anyone has any questions feel free to ask as I have only touched on the subject here and I can go into much greater
detail where the subject of photosynthesis is concerned. It is a wonder of nature how plants can use sunlight to convert
6 molecules of water (6H20) plus 6 molecules of carbon dioxide (6CO2) ino 1 molecule of sugar (C6H12O6) and
6 molecules of oxygen (6O2)

Have fun, <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" />

ekul · April 2009

An interesting read, thank you. What do you know about the amount of light plants use during the different stages of their photoperiod? Is it true that they will not utilise all the light at first, and that maximum light use is only attained after a few hours? I wonder because I just bought a metal halide fitting with 2 x 150W 6500K MH bulbs, and 4 x 54W T5 HO 6500 and 10,000K tubes. Perhaps the halides should only come on a few hours after the fluoros?

Also, any more info you feel like volunteering on usable spectrum, photosynthesis, or anything else illumuniated, please do!

Cheers

Melon · April 2009

Ekul,
If you use a timer and have the lights come on at the same time everyday, plants can actually predict when "sunrise" is and start getting ready for photosynthesis. Id prob say for the fishes sake dont turn tha halides on right away or it could scare or shock them too much.

TheRAPY · April 2009

by ekul on Fri May 01, 2009 10:32 am
......Is it true that they will not utilise all the light at first, and that maximum light use is only attained after a few hours? I wonder because I just bought a metal halide fitting with 2 x 150W 6500K MH bulbs, and 4 x 54W T5 HO 6500 and 10,000K tubes. Perhaps the halides should only come on a few hours after the fluoros?

I'm glad you found my info useful.
As a general rule of thumb, simulating sunrise/sunset is an advantage. Most plants will adapt over time to make the most of whatever light is available but will always do best when the light provided is of a type they can use most efficiently. Most of us will have Tropical plants which come from areas close to the Equator where day and night a split roughly 50/50 all year round but still has less intensity in the mornings and evenings. So 2 hours low intensity 8 hours high intensity and 2 low intensity will aproximate a normal 12 hour Tropical day.

by Melon on Fri May 01, 2009 12:10 pm
.......If you use a timer and have the lights come on at the same time everyday, plants can actually predict when "sunrise" is and start getting ready for photosynthesis. I'd prob say for the fishes sake dont turn tha halides on right away or it could scare or shock them too much.

I would have to agree with you Melon, I know I don't like it when the kids turn a bright light on to wake me up at 5 in the morning, it's quite a shock to the eyes and would no doubt startle the fish,
especialy Discus who startle easily.
I would recomend putting your lights on 2 timers so that the T5's come on for 12 hours and 2 hours later the Halides for 8 hours.

I hope this has helped.

ekul · May 2009

Great, thanks, it is useful and interesting information, we're all here because we enjoy the hobby, so any thoughts you can add are appreciated.

While you are discussing the photoperiod, I must ask you why you and other enthusiasts generally choose a 12 hour period as the upper limit for lighting. Are there metabolic activities that occur only outside the photoperiod? Is the '12 hour day' we create within the aquarium a product of our own cycles (i.e, light comes on 7am as we stumble out of bed, goes off 7pm when it starts to become glary and distracting, detracting from the enjoyment of the Simpsons at 7)?

If I want to attain maximum growth, and am prepared to withstand the furious onslaught of my T5-addled girlfriend/cat, can I leave the light on for longer, say 16 hours? Is there a limit? Why can't I use 24 hours and max out the growth rate?

For instance, I subsidise my expensive hobby by propagating rare plants, an example being that by maximising fertilisation routines, I have been able to sell $1200 worth of moss in the last couple of weeks, which has paid for a large portion of the cost of my tank. Maximising the photoperiod could further subsidise this expensive hobby. What are the limitations?

Thanks!

Luke

TheRAPY · May 2009

"ekul&quot wrote:

Great, thanks, it is useful and interesting information, we're all here because we enjoy the hobby, so any thoughts you can add are appreciated.

While you are discussing the photoperiod, I must ask you why you and other enthusiasts generally choose a 12 hour period as the upper limit for lighting. Are there metabolic activities that occur only outside the photoperiod?

Yes.

Is the '12 hour day' we create within the aquarium a product of our own cycles (i.e, light comes on 7am as we stumble out of bed, goes off 7pm when it starts to become glary and distracting, detracting from the enjoyment of the Simpsons at 7)?

LOL partly

If I want to attain maximum growth, and am prepared to withstand the furious onslaught of my T5-addled girlfriend/cat, can I leave the light on for longer, say 16 hours? Is there a limit? Why can't I use 24 hours and max out the growth rate?

For most plants there is a limit.

For instance, I subsidise my expensive hobby by propagating rare plants, an example being that by maximising fertilisation routines, I have been able to sell $1200 worth of moss in the last couple of weeks, which has paid for a large portion of the cost of my tank. Maximising the photoperiod could further subsidise this expensive hobby. What are the limitations?

Thanks!

Luke

There are some plants that will grow with continuous light, but not many. The amount of dark required by plants varies from species to species. Knowing where your plants come from will help in determining
the length of the photoperiod they would get in their natural habitat. As I mentioned previously, most of us grow mainly tropical plants which naturaly get roughly 12 hours day/night year round.
Some tropical plants may benefit from longer dark periods if in nature they are only prolific in river gorges where the high walls cause a late sunrise and early sunset. Some plants will only flower when the
photoperiod is lengthened or shortened. Simulating Sunrise/Sunset is also agood idea, morning and evening sun is stronger in the red spectum and blue ligh grows in intensity as the sun gets higher.
I suspect that it is possible some plants will benefit from Moonlight in a 4 week cycle varying from zero to full intensity and back to zero, however I doubt it will be a major factor and I suspect it will mostly
affect the flowering of some lillys. This is just a theory of mine that I plan to do some research on in the near future.
I don't know enough about each specific plant to tell you how to maximise the photo period of your plants, but I do know that too much light can prevent some plants from maturing, you may find
that some of your plants will grow well for a while with 14 or 16 hours of light but will then need the photoperiod reduced in order to mature.
I would sugest you keep a detailed diary recording as many variables (P.H.,Temp, Fert, Photperiod, etc..) as possible and experimenting a little to see what changes have the greatest effect.
And then hopefuly share your results with us <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" />
If you were to create a Biotope where all plants and fish originated in the same locality, then whatever water parameters and light conditions the fish need will aply to the plants as well,
this is one of the main reasons for creating a Biotope.
One fact I can share with you is that plants will utilise Amonia as a source of Nitrogen before Nitrates and compete with nitrifying bacteria for Amonia. If you want to grow large amounts of plants then limit the amount of suface area in your filtration as the plants themselves already provide plenty of surface area for nitrifying bacteria, most plants also prefer to absorb amonia and most other nutrients through their leaves and aonly a small part through the roots. Converting Nitrates back into Amonia is a proccess that requires energy and so plants will continue to absorb Amonia in the dark wheras the uptake of Nitrates basically ceases when the lights go out.
To summarise:
-Generaly plants will only utilise Nitrates in the absence of Amonia.
-Plants will generaly absorb Amonia 7 times faster than Nitrates.
-Amonia absorption continues round the clock, Nitrate absorption does not.
So, as Amonia is the main source for creating protiens to build cells, Amonia is a much better source of food for rapid plant growth.
There are many other factors involved such as trace elements and so on, some of which are required for the osmotic proccesses in plants and fish.
CAUTION
I would not recomend emptying all your ceraminc noodles into a bin and then dosing a heap of Amonia in your tank as it will certainly KILL your fish.
As the plants grow they will use more Amonia, much of which can be sourced from decomposing fish waste. Gradually reduce the amount of suface area as the plants get bigger and feed your fish more liberally.
Please consider everything I have said carefully and if in doubt about anything feel free to ask and I will atempt to explain in more detail.
Also I would like to make sure you understand that I am not a Biologist or a Scientist of any sort, I left School at 16. I just read alot.
I hope this helps you and others.

Astro78 · June 2009

Hi sytnth75, therapy and others,

Can you please advise which tubes I should buy for replacement? I've got a 3Ft planted tank that is slightly taller than most, but not by much. I'm currently using two T8's (90cm). One is a power glo, the other is a aqua glo. Both are around 2.5 years old and looking a bit black at the ends. Figure it's about time to replace but also want to keep the cost down.

any advice would be great

Astro

TheRAPY · June 2009

G'day Astro78,
Both the globes you are replacing were ideal for growing plants but are pricey to replace although I did manage to get an Aquaglo at bunnings once for $8.00 so it would pay to check there.
A place I would recommend trying is Ideal Electrical but they only seem to have one store in NSW at Tweed Heads http://www.idealelectrical.com/(store locator)
Try a few other hardware stores and electrical suppliers as they will be more likely to have them globes at a reasonable price, I find LFS's are a little over the top price wise.
If you want a really cheap option get any triphosphate globe with a 6500k or 2700k~3000k colour temp or a combination of them, they will generally be $3 to $5 and
will probably be an improvement on the 2.5 year old globes you have.

I hope this helps <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" />

Astro78 · June 2009

thanks therapy, i love excuse to hit bunnings! Fingers crossed. Trying to avoid the $30-$40 globes, for a 3ft it's a bit rich

Roboat · June 2009

One thing to remember as well 14w T5 = 18w T8 2ft , 21w T5 = 30w T8 3ft, 28w T5 = 36w T8 4ft. It seems the general idea about selecting tubes best for plant growth is Red grow light, Blue grow light and 2 10000k so a 4 tube fitting seems best. The coloured tubes are for the plants and the 10000k tubes are for our eyes.

kirab · June 2010

Hi All
All of the above is very interesting reading, i am fairly new in this hobby however i enjoy the plants as much as the fish and am in the process of setting up a new 4 foot tank with my parter. We have purchased a twin light housing and have yet to choose the globe to put in it as for some one starting out the whole lighting subject can get confusing. Am i understanding rightly in thinking one daylight globe and one which has more red or blue light would be the right place to start? if not please can you direct me to two good globes to start with. As i said i really enjoy the growing of the plants and have a great outdoor garden would like to follow the same trend inside.
Thanks

aus_bass · June 2010

This was certainly worth reading, a few members on here really know their stuff!

I have a pair of T8s currently running in my tank ATM while I save for a quad setup (hoping to have a 2 'gro-lights' and two visibility lights).

Is it worth getting a quad setup (I have a 4ft tank) with moonlights? What are moonlights anyway?

Doug · June 2010

Plants need a whole bunch of spectrums, and the fish need some of them too. It all depends on what you are wanting to do and what light unit you have avaliable.

if you have one tube only then i would go with general freshwater tube. these are slightly on the blue end of the spectrum and provide all the light needed for low light plants as well as the UV light for the fish.

If you have 2 tubes then the options become more varied. When i had 2 tubes i used to use Glo tubes. these are tubes designed for plants but still maintain the UV for fish. The issue is that If you want a heavily planted aquarium then the two blub lights wont cut it.

I recently bought a quad t5 unit and its amazing!!! I run two of the blue spectrum light and two of the pink/red spectrum lights in it. This covers all the plants as well as the fish.

Im no expert on the names of the bulbs or anything but as far as i can tell, unless you are really going to be going crazy with plants (like i recently have) then general freshwater lights will do. I run CO2, plant substrate and the big lights as i really want to have the greenest aquarium out there so i put in the $$$ to get there.

Moon lights are the greatest thing ever if you ask me. No longer is night time a time without fish <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" />

Check this thread out for a pic

<a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.livefish.com.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4992">viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4992</a>

They are generally blue lights (quite weak) that simulate the moon. They have no effect on the plants or the fish, they are purely for show. and i love them!!! adds a whole new dimention to the tank <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" />

Kadi11 · July 2010

Hi,

I am in the planning process of setting up my Aqua One Regency 120 4ft 300lt aquarium. 120x45x56 (I had to empty it 18 months ago for house renovations). I have just discovered that the lighting no longer works, my husband tells me I need a new ballast. The ballast is a Luna T8 twin 30w and I was never convinced that the lighting was good enough, especially since the aquarium is quite deep. So I have to purchase a new ballast to fit my hood, do I go for T5 or T8? Every aquarium store on the net seems to only have T5, which tells me they must be better?? I also looked into if I would be able to fit the T8 54w system, but it simply wont fit in my hood. <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_pale.gif" alt=":pale:" title="pale" /> My LFS only sell Aqua One T8 globes, and they tell me that these are fairly new to the market and best quality (so they say). They also told me that Aqua One tanks are sold with the correct lighting needed for planting. I am really confused with all these different opinions. I would love to have a planted aquarium so I want to get everything right, I would love opinions and recommendations from anyone who actually use these systems, rather than the LFS trying to sell their products. I feel that I am restricted with fitting lights into the hood.

This is my tank, it's no longer available in Australia, but this is it in the UK, only their lighting now comes with the T5 54w lighting. <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" /> http://www.aquaone.co.uk/Regency_aquarium.php

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Kadi.

Doug · July 2010

T8s are the old style lights.T5 are smaller, use less power and are brighter. Ballasts are annoying when they go and sometimes it can just be easier to replace the whole light setup. As far as replacing ypour particular lights go. 2x T8s is perfectly fine for most aquariums. its only when you start looking into growing some of the more demanding plants that you need to look into more advanced lighting. I used 2x T8s for ages on my planted tank with no issues.

Kadi11 · July 2010

Thank you, Doug. I will have to do some hunting and figure out what will work with my hood.
Cheers

FruitSalad · July 2010

Go the T5's. Especially if the aquarium is quite deep.

Kadi11 · July 2010

Thanks FruitSalad...I am looking into a T5 setup as we speak <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" />

Kadi11 · July 2010

Hi all,

OK this lighting research is doing my head in...I've spent hours searching the net and I'm only getting more confused!!

I was wondering if anyone has used the Aqualina Double Compact reflector unit, I am looking at a 48inch setup to sit on my hood, it has 4x55w tubes. ARRGGGGG I hate shopping when I can't see the product for myself. Otherwise I am looking at a Hagen ballast 2x 34w T5HO. <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_scratch.gif" alt=":scratch:" title="scratch" />

Thanks in advance,
Kadi.

Doug · July 2010

Aqualina 4x55w T5 unit with built in moonlight...if that is the one that you are talking about then DO IT!!!!! That is the light unit i have and it is a absolute gem! The light from it is amazing and it is powerful enough to keep even the most light hungry plants happy, I have got green lotus, HC, winderlov etc and they are all going really well, the pearling on the lotus is something to be seen!! It is quite warm tho, as all quad lights are, so over the summer you may need to open up the hood to let the heat out. I will ask though, are you planning on getting some light hungry plants? if not then i would suggest getting the 2x 55w model. that will provide more than enough light for the tank, will be cooler, cheeper and your tank will be less prone to algae outbreaks. The moonlight is a really nice touch and I love it!!!

oh, and i will mention, the downside to aqualina lights is that you need to use aqualinia tubes. standard T5s are 54w, aqualina ones are 55w and the twoare not interchangable <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" />

Kadi11 · July 2010

Thanks Doug, it's great to ask someone that is using it! It is the Aqualina 4x55w, only minus the moon light. It's an extra $80 for moonlight, do you think it is worth the money? I didn't realise the globes were different, I have seen the unit on Age of Aquariums, but they don't sell Aqualina globes, strange! Where do you buy yours? I sent the store an email yesterday asking a million questions lol, including what globes to use, so I'll see what they say. The unit will have to sit on top of my tanks hood, which means I wont be able to use the lid, my heater is struggling with no lid on although if we get this unit, my hubby will design a lid to fit (hopefully). As for plants, yes, I hope to have some light hungry plants, so far the only one I have chosen is Lilaeopsis. I have no where local to buy plants, so I will be buying online. I am worried about algae outbreaks, but I think I'm lucky I have found a great forum, with extremely helpful people <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/yahoo.gif" alt=":dance1:" title="dance1" />

Kadi11 · July 2010

Me again! <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/hysterical.gif" alt=":laugh4:" title="laugh4" />
Doug, I found another wedsite, it's cheaper too <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/WoohooSmiley.gif" alt=":dance4:" title="dance4" /> , plus they also sell the tubes. http://www.wonderfish.com.au What light combo would you recommend? And do you still think I should get double instead of quad? My tank is 22" deep. Thanks again for your help <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_thumright.gif" alt=":thumbright:" title="thumbright" />

Doug · July 2010

If you are going for a planted tank then get the quad for sure. My plants are going mental with it.

In temrs of plants online...only one place to go.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.aquagreen.com.au">www.aquagreen.com.au</a>

Dave's plants are great so i hear and his fertiliser range is the best i have used, cheepest too <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /> and he has a great range of shrimp too <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" />

Kadi11 · July 2010

Thanks Doug, I got the quad setup and love, love, love it!

Thanks for the website too!

Cheers,
Kadi

cheryblk · January 2011

The plant will benefit from more light, such as that, but make sure to maintain good plant fertilizer feeding. If one becomes depleted of nutrients, plants will slow down the absorption of nutrients and algae to take hold.

Fishful thninkin · May 2011

Hi all just reading all this great info and i started to wonder if led light bars work in a Planted aquarium
Thinking it might be a bit cheaper to run <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_nemo.gif" alt=":nemo:" title="nemo" />

samtheman · May 2011

LED's are a great choice, just gotta get the specs right i guess.. dont know much about them as ive never used em, but someone else might!

Doug · May 2011

There are lots of options when it comes to LED lights.

There are the cheap ones and there are the good ones. The cheap ones are cheap and nasty and will only work for the really low light plants or hardy ones like java moss and java fern. You can see lots of there type on eBay where a 4 LED light costs under $20. there are also ones which have lots of LEDs and claim to be fluro replacements. For lighting a tank they are ok, for plant growth they are next to useless unless its for those plants that need really low light. they are often also the wrong spectrum.

The good ones are expensive. Some of the cheapest units i have found are over $600 for a 4ft light unit. These use much higher powered LEDs and better electronics are are excellent for almost anything in the aquarium trade. they can simply light a tank or they can make your plants go nuts. Becasue the are controlled electronically you can vary the spectrum, brightness and even overall colour. Some of the best units I know of actually have a small computer onboard and they will mimic the spectrum of sunrise and sunset, instead of just flicking on and off as set times, much cooler and better for your fish and plants. Tho, a 4ft unit with this kind of technology is over $1500. very pricy.

That said they are cheap as to run. A good quality 4ft unit can supply the same amount of light as a quad T5 unit while only using 1/5th the power. So it depends of you have the initial funds to outlay. Personally if i did then I would def be getting the LED option over the T5s i currently run. However, i am poor and the initial cost is too high for me. While it would save a few dollars in the long run its not worth it on that front alone.

321clayt · May 2011

I have converted my tanks over to LED lighting. I got 2 different kinds one LED light for the 2ft tank which I got locally and the other I got imported from Hong Kong but using Cree 3w LED's.

The one I got locally was made to the correct light spectrum and has a lot of small LED's on it (a lot not going to count them) and is basically crap has ok ligting but my anubis plant is actually dying under this light. <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/lol-1.gif" alt=":laugh2:" title="laugh2" /> The lights cost me $100 locally and I wouldnt bother with them as I am going back to T5 again.

The other light I got is for the 3ft tank it has 36 LED's in total but I only use 24 of them as its to bright with 36 plus its meant to be used on a marine tank <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/lol-1.gif" alt=":laugh2:" title="laugh2" />

I run 20 white LED's and 4 blues (as they are wired into the white line). The LED's are 3w each and I am using the light on a planted tank and basically its brilliant. My light now runs 70w and is equivalent to a 250w metal halide light. The LED light has now replaced my 3ft T5 lighting set up which had 3 bulbs running and ran at 120w and was no where near as bright the LED lighting.

I got my light from this place. The actual light I got has since been replaced by a newer model. The model I have is the K2-36 Wide
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.fish-street.com/key_aquarium_led_lighting_europe_version?category_id=118">http://www.fish-street.com/key_aquarium ... ory_id=118</a>

I've noticed the price has also gone up now <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/lol-1.gif" alt=":laugh2:" title="laugh2" /> <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/lol-1.gif" alt=":laugh2:" title="laugh2" />

ryohll · June 2011

Why are your Anubias dying under them? is it too bright or not bright enough for them? Anubias are low lights to my understanding.

I'm on a project myself to replace my two foot tank with LEDs they are currently fitted with flourescent types which are just too power demanding for the amount they put out and with the price of electricity here about to double or tripple on our bills.

The watts per gallon rule wouldn't apply in the case for LED lighting as LEDs use only a fraction of the watts compared to other light technology.

Anyone else experimented with LEDs?

321clayt · June 2011

With the cheap LED lights they dont seem to have the right light spectrum even though they claim to.

More then likely it's to do with how far the light can penetrate the water and the 1w leds dont seem capable of that even though there are more of them.

On my 3ft tank I am using 3w LED's and the plants are thriving. The tank is 2ft deep and the LED's even though there are only 24 of them are heaps brighter then the 2ft cheap LED lights.

I have now ordered a kit for the 2ft tank which will take the same LED lights as my 3ft tank. The there will be 12 X 3w LED's which I have a feeling will be to many but I can always take some off later.

Just waiting for delivery hopefully today with any luck <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/dancingdog.gif" alt=":dance2:" title="dance2" />

ryohll · June 2011

since we both share 2 ft tanks I can relate to your experiments here on what works..

I'm also housing low light plants anubias nana , Java fern and eventually some Fissidens Fontalis moss.

Where are you ordering your 3W leds from? and is it practical to set up? since i currently have a Aquastyle 620 which may need some modifications done to the hood housing the lighting for it.

321clayt · June 2011

I ordered my LED lights from here <a class="postlink" href="http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/StoreFront">http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/StoreFront</a>

As for tanks mine is a normal one so its just a case of mounting it on top of the tank. With yours it might be a bit harder. You just need to basically be able to mount the heat sink into your hood but they have different sized heat sinks. Just be aware they charge more on freight if you get the heat sink from them but I couldn't seem to find a big heat sink in Australia. If you find a place feel free to put that link up <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/lol-1.gif" alt=":laugh2:" title="laugh2" /> <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/lol-1.gif" alt=":laugh2:" title="laugh2" />

ryohll · July 2011

As a update regarding lighting i ended up forking out the cash and bout TMC's Grobeam 500 LEDs

The current plants in the tank are Brasillian microsword , anubias nana , and a water sprite and water wisteria i will report to see how well the plants do under these lights they are on for 9 hours a day.
I'll check out the growth of the plants good or bad after a trial of two weeks.

Aquarium Plant Lighting

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