New LED lights

[architect1]

Yeah your a great help Ill know in a couple days how well the sword likes the led light. Thank you again happy holidays and have a merry Christmas.

[ghurlag]

Merry Christmas to you, too!

[Kalyx]

I bought an LED light setup not long ago, and was very disappointed. I took it back and went back to florescents..

[Doug Mendlik]

I am a reefer and I use Apollo LED's........AWESOME!!!!

I have colors I have only dreamed about

[AngryBird]

Do you have a picture of your freshwater tank and the led light you have on it?

architect1, I got your PM, and here I am

Strictly speaking, if the spectrum is above 5,000K, and below 7,000K, it will grow most plants really well. Anything above or below those ranges, will be less effective, depending on how far out of that range it is. For instance, on my refugium, I used to have a 6,500K CFL spotlight. It did its job really well. I replaced it with a PAR30 LED (similar form factor to the PAR38, just a little smaller). The LED light has a spectrum of 2,700K, if I remember correctly. Although not ideal, the chaetomorpha (a macro algae) I have in there hasn't seemed to mind a bit.

Other considerations are the lumens, which you said are around 900, and the focus of the beam. It sounds like you have the bulb up high enough to give the tank good coverage. Keep in mind that low-tech freshwater setups (no CO2 or massive amounts of fertilizers) will not need anywhere near the light intensity that corals from closer to the equator require.

Now, here's the fun part. The right lighting depends on the depth of your tank, the type of plants you keep, the clarity of the water, the length of the photo period (how long you keep the lights on), and an untold number of "magical" factors that we humans still don't quite get. Whether CFLs, T5s, MHs, or LEDs, you, as the aquarist, have to find out what works best with your tank and your "style". LEDs are still fairly new to the market, but I have heard a lot more good than bad, especially on the reef side of things. Only time will tell if all the claims of lower energy consumption coupled with longevity of life translate into a long-term success.

Basically, with the purchase of the LED bulb, you have just agreed to be an experiment. The best you can do is observe the changes in the tank, and only slowly tweak things, unless there is an obvious system-wide reaction that jeopardizes the whole tank. I think you'll find the LED to be just another light source (albeit a good one in my opinion). It's not voodoo. Keep us posted!

[architect1]

I tired to take the pics with both bulbs, the florescent and the led. But the camera doesn't do a good picture.

Now I have had the bulb in for a week, and the swords new leafs growth is about half a inch a day. but from what i see the plant is about 7 inch in total were it use to be 23 inches tall. Now is the light doing its job with the growth I've been seeing?

about 6-7 weeks ago, I had a huge algae brake out so I reduced the amount of light that was going to the tank. so instead of 8-9 hours I went to 6-7 hours. The sword, was growing a lot like it is now, and was about 23 inches tall. then once the algae died, I had to deal with the leaves turning yellow. I put the lights on for 8 hours and got a couple of algae eaters. My other concern now is will the sword start growing like it was, and the leaves not turn yellow. Now they live in +3" of potting soil, and real course stone, I also added 2 fert tabs about 2.5" away from it. My question is how do i maximize my swords growth again and maintain its health.

Hey i found this light would this be better for use of plant growth? seems it has everything and decent pricing http://www.amazon.com/Dimmable-Power...=5336653614-20
or this one
http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/the-...D-PAR38/Detail

[Orange Crush]

I know you want LED lights but I am still not convinced that they are appropriate for freshwater plants. Also stay away from the ones meant for corals as your primary light source. I have the http://www.amazon.com/Coralife-08607...5535093&sr=8-9. It is meant for corals but I took out the actinic bulbs and replaced them with plant bulbs. The other 2 bulbs that come with the light are 10,000K and are really pretty white light but on the days that I use those I get very little plant growth, the days I use the plant bulbs my plants grow. It has 4 bulbs but you can have one of the sets of 2 bulbs on or all 4 at once.
There is a reason that they make different types of bulbs, it is because some work best for plants, some for corals and others to show the colors of your fish. Stick with plant bulbs.
I too wanted LED lights but I knew that they may not work for plants which is why I bought the light that I did. At night I run the LED and it creates a moonlight effect in my tank that is very pretty without creating a light/CO2/nutrient imbalance in my tank.
Actinic lights are very good at growing blue/green algae not plants.
You can run your light longer but you have to make sure that everything else is in balance. I run my lights for 12 hours a day but I have no algae.

[architect1]

Thank you orange and I totally agree and understand what your saying, only problem is im in school and dont have the 600$ for the lighting I would need, also i do want CO2 in my tank so Im waiting till I have the money.
I wanted the lights you sent me to but id need 2 of them because I have a 6' long tank. I was at big als fish supplies today to ask the same very questions you had also answered. The reason I put them 2 links up is because there a real great price and I also wanted the blue aspect to act as a moon light. Now, when I was also at the fish store the guy said LED wasn't up to the job because there arn't 1 watt light bulbs yet. LOL well I shocked him when I told him that mine are 1 watt.

Now I have changed my lights from being on from 8 hours to 10 hours. So I will tell you shortly if i got a algae problem.

[ghurlag]

I agree that you don't want to purchase designed-for-reef lights to put over your tank. A. They are WAY too bright, and B. They are the wrong color spectrum (as I discussed at length a couple weeks ago). I think, however, that the right LED fixture emitting the right color spectrum would perform well. T5 fluorescent fixtures are a much better understood lighting solution at this point, so will be easier to tune to your needs.

In the reefing world, LEDs work fairly well as a direct placement for Metal Halides (although you will STILL find people arguing this point, even though I have personally used both, and seen spectacular results). Metal Halides are typically used in high-tech planted setups, are they not? If that's the case, you will need to be cautious.

I think I discussed previously that watts per gallon isn't a 100% fail safe method in determine the right LED combination. A lumen meter might work fairly well for you, or even a PAR meter; but again, we're getting away from what I know about the needs of freshwater plants...

Orange Crush, do you have any thoughts on what light intensity is desired?

[architect1]

Yeah i wanted the florescent in the coral life. I remember my 55 gallon tank I had the regular hood that came with the tank and I had 3 swords in the tank and they grew really well. I think 10000k lighting not sure if it was that or 12000k not sure 100% Its been a long time. Now that was just 2 bulbs so with what you said with watt per gallon rule is kinda like a horse to a car in today's lighting.

I don't get why people use the Metal halides light seem kinda extreme and very deadly to the power bill. also doesn't the Halides have a short life? I also seen a planted tank on planted tank forums doing a fresh water tank and he also used the Halides for his 260g tank i think it was.

I seen a few reef tanks, with the Par lights that I previously showed. And they used a few. I have only 3 screw in bulb spots above my tank. SO its not going to be an extreme amount of lights. My reasoning is if my florescent energy savers can grow plants, why cant the led. Now with you talking about the desired intensity, I know the light I have is an intensity direct light. But I remember looking on a form, they were rating the led lights by pars. which flew totally over my head and didn't really understand.

[architect1]

finally heres a pic of the contrast between the 2 lights.

floresent energy saver on the left
LED par 38 On the right

[Orange Crush]

The intensity really depends on what type of plants you have in your tank. Some require more light than others. One of my tanks has java moss, java fern, anubas and I use one of those cheap strip lights with a 6,500K bulb and the plants are doing great. Intensity is actually a rather complicated question if you want to get really technical if you do here are 3 links that can help with that.... http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/li...ore-watts.html
http://www.plantedtank.net/articles/...lanted-Tank/4/
http://rexgrigg.com/mlt.html
The simple answer is 1-2 watts per gal is low, 2-3 w/g is med, 3+ w/g is high

architect1 - it is very easy to make your own CO2. You just need a disposable water bottle, airline tubing, silicone sealant, white sugar, activated yeast and baking powder.

[Darrell Ward]

Yeah i wanted the florescent in the coral life. I remember my 55 gallon tank I had the regular hood that came with the tank and I had 3 swords in the tank and they grew really well. I think 10000k lighting not sure if it was that or 12000k not sure 100% Its been a long time. Now that was just 2 bulbs so with what you said with watt per gallon rule is kinda like a horse to a car in today's lighting.

I don't get why people use the Metal halides light seem kinda extreme and very deadly to the power bill. also doesn't the Halides have a short life? I also seen a planted tank on planted tank forums doing a fresh water tank and he also used the Halides for his 260g tank i think it was.

I seen a few reef tanks, with the Par lights that I previously showed. And they used a few. I have only 3 screw in bulb spots above my tank. SO its not going to be an extreme amount of lights. My reasoning is if my florescent energy savers can grow plants, why cant the led. Now with you talking about the desired intensity, I know the light I have is an intensity direct light. But I remember looking on a form, they were rating the led lights by pars. which flew totally over my head and didn't really understand.

So why do you think 70 watts of MH is extreme, but a regular double bulb hood (80 watts total, with 2, 40 watt, four ft. bulbs) is not, and why would it use more electric? This makes no sense. No, they do not have a short life, at least not the lower powered ones anyway. I have never used the high powered ones.

[architect1]

Wow i need to read a lot. it be nice to have friends close by that are interested in the same hobbies and also to bounce ideas around. I do remember the watts per tanks rule because way back when when i had my first tank. But wow 3+ ill need to read them forums u posted.

Ahhh i see what you mean I have low level of light plants, just some vals, and the amazon sword. Id love a havy planted tank but in time, Im just trying to get the easy plants flourishing on a poor mans budget.

The co2 I've seen and read on here or on a planted tank forum and was really intrigued by it, so if i did the co 2 how do u regulate it? also would you just put the pipe in the water? or run it into a air pump pipe or even through ur canister?

[architect1]

So why do you think 70 watts of MH is extreme, but a regular double bulb hood (80 watts total, with 2, 40 watt, four ft. bulbs) is not, and why would it use more electric? This makes no sense. No, they do not have a short life, at least not the lower powered ones anyway. I have never used the high powered ones.

Only reason I said mh was a lot is I see the bulbs are like 300 watt bulbs verses a 40 watt bulb, And yeah if what you said it would be totally comparable. I just never thought mh would be that low. AT the store there all 100w and up so thats why i said what i said but, your right good point. How much is a mh with bulb? what is the area they cover?