LED lights for discus tanks?

[korbi_doc]

Does anyone use these? they are said to be for freshwater as well as salt....I want to hang lights over my tanks instead of on them, & find a better top than these manufactured ones with the small openings...can't get my arm down deep in the tank without "hurt"....so I'm tossin'm....these LED lights are supposed to put out more light & are nice & thin, but would they work for low tech plants?? or maybe just for BB without plants....any ideas guys'n gals??

TIA, Dottie

[stephcps]

I use them and like them on my smaller planted tanks. My 55 and my discus tank are just too deep and they don't do enough for the plants. But, I use them as supplemental lighting.


Steph

[jeff@zina.com]

They work fine, but you need to look at the lighting you're getting from them if you're working in a planted tank. You can find a bunch of information over at plantedtank.net.

Jeff

[Ed13]

Dottie, there many different LED lights some very powerful some not so much. I've yet to use them for planted tanks but I'm guessing that even the low power(under 1w for example) ones should still be good for low light plants or maybe more. It'll all depends on the type/power and quantity of them.
If you get high power ones with the right optics you could even hang them as high as your ceiling and still get enough light for high light plants.

Also they are a point of source light, so they'll produce shimmer lines. Take this into consideration if your discus are skittish.

[Frankr409]

I use them. They are part of an integrated light system and have a seperate control. They are the last light to go off in my timer sequence, and the first to go on in the morning. It is a nice transition for the fish.

[korbi_doc]

Thanks all, my plan has been to upgrade my 2 55s to custom tanks 54x22x20" (~102g) for better footprint & easier working area...but the lights from AH kits would be so expensive to do, & I've found I can't do it myself, lol...had a friend do my 125g & the light is definitely high, but too tough for me, so gotta pay, lol.....

If I could light up these 102g tanks with LED, sure would be easier, but I didn't realize so many variables with them....Fosters has 1 watt pcs on sale, the lg 36-48" puts out 1200 lumens & I don't know if this would be effective enough for this size tank.....

Dottie

[korbi_doc]

Well, guess this is now a moot point...just called Marineland & they advise against using LEDs with timers & I have all my lighting on timers...so guess AH will be the next in line, lol....thanks all..

Dottie

[Frankr409]

Well, guess this is now a moot point...just called Marineland & they advise against using LEDs with timers & I have all my lighting on timers...so guess AH will be the next in line, lol....thanks all..

Dottie

Did they explain why? A timer is no more than an on/off switch. Mine have been on timers, and I assure you there is no issue.

[roclement]

Dottie go for T-5's, they are cheaper, can be hung with no issues, and there are many attractive fixtures available off the shelf.

Rodrigo

[korbi_doc]

Did they explain why? A timer is no more than an on/off switch. Mine have been on timers, and I assure you there is no issue.

Frank, I read your post 'bout using the timer & wondered why she said that, but there was no explanation 'cept "for we don't advise that".....I'd need to use timers for all the tanks, no way am I going 'round twice a day, lazy I guess, lol....so I do believe you....
NOTE: just reading more in Fosters, Marineland Pro Lighting states use of a timer to control all the "HQI, T 5s,& LEDs independently" (p 133)...guess we can only use theirs????????


Dottie go for T-5's, they are cheaper, can be hung with no issues, and there are many attractive fixtures available off the shelf.

Rodrigo

Maybe I'll try that Rodrigo...those bulbs won't fit into the ordinary
hoods, will they??

Dottie

[Frankr409]

Frank, I read your post 'bout using the timer & wondered why she said that, but there was no explanation 'cept "for we don't advise that".....I'd need to use timers for all the tanks, no way am I going 'round twice a day, lazy I guess, lol....so I do believe you....
NOTE: just reading more in Fosters, Marineland Pro Lighting states use of a timer to control all the "HQI, T 5s,& LEDs independently" (p 133)...guess we can only use theirs????????



Maybe I'll try that Rodrigo...those bulbs won't fit into the ordinary
hoods, will they??

Dottie

Dottie, I'm not an electrical engineer, but I have been using light timers for quite a long time with my Halids, T5's and Leds and there is not going to be an issue.

[nc0gnet0]

I have the marineland LED lighting on one of my tanks. I love the spectrum it gives off, really brings out the colors of my discus. That being said, it is not the brightest of lights, so I could not nor would not recomend it for a planted tank. It is deigned to sit just inchess from the surface of the tank, so I am not quite sure if you could hang it.

And the girl that said that about timers has absoutely no clue, unless she thought you were refering to a timer with a dimmer.

[jeff@zina.com]

Did they explain why? A timer is no more than an on/off switch. Mine have been on timers, and I assure you there is no issue.

I've also had LED's o9n timers for two years. The marine guys are all into LED's now and all on timers.

Jeff

[3dees]

I have a Catalina greenlight hanging 6" above the water. two 54 watt t8ho and 144 led's (2 rows of 72). I run the led's for 12 hours but I did'nt have very good growth on my floating plants so now I run one of the t8's for six hours and the plants are great. great for the shimmering effect and my discus don't mind. the nice thing is I can light my tank for 12 hours and I have no algae.

[korbi_doc]

Thanks Steph, Frank, Ed, Jeff, Rodrigo, Ncogneto, & 3dees, you've all settled many questions....funny how ppl working in that industry don't have a clue, huh?..even if at a desk, osmosis should've run thru, lol.....

Ok, for my future 110g tanks (54x24x20") with discus & at least potted & dw plants, I'd need 2 54w T 5s, (maybe a combo with LEDs would be fun to watch)....lookin' as we speak....

3 dees, T5s, T8s, just a diameter difference, yes? The tanks will be only 20" deep, T5s should suffice, I think....'course they will be hanging above, prob only 4-5".....

Dottie

[discussmith]

The only possible issue concerning timers would be the electronic timer circuit and relay type as opposed to the mechanical, magnetic relay type. I can see the electronic drivers required for leds giving the electronic timer circuits and associated electronic relays problems operating properly. The mechanical type plug in timers most of us are using will give no problems to any light fixtures. Any one using computerized aquarium controls ie. digital aquatics etc. would be advised to contact the manufacturers before investing in led lighting. It will most likely be that each lighting manufacturer will have to confirm their product for such use as the drivers are like anything electronic; subject to good, better, best component use and design.

[korbi_doc]

Thanks for the excellent explanation discussmith, I'll be ordering lights whenever I decide which ones will work for me & put'm on timers...still on the fence between the T5s & LEDs.....lol....

Dottie




The only possible issue concerning timers would be the electronic timer circuit and relay type as opposed to the mechanical, magnetic relay type. I can see the electronic drivers required for leds giving the electronic timer circuits and associated electronic relays problems operating properly. The mechanical type plug in timers most of us are using will give no problems to any light fixtures. Any one using computerized aquarium controls ie. digital aquatics etc. would be advised to contact the manufacturers before investing in led lighting. It will most likely be that each lighting manufacturer will have to confirm their product for such use as the drivers are like anything electronic; subject to good, better, best component use and design.

[grantbudd74]

Hi there

I only use small strip LED's to light my bare bottom tanks and they do give a great shimmer like halides do but from a lighting point of view I have no idea in terms of are the good for plant growth

For plants I have always used HAGEN Power Glo units. These are twin T5 units and throw out plenty of light even in my 2 foot deep aqaurium. Just be aware that the red spectrum or plant specific globes are V-Expensive but they make your discus POP! not literally but the colours do! Given red is the first colour to go at any depth range.

The diff between T5 and T8 is T5 is slimmer thus giving you slimline units. They can boost out high wattage. T8 is old technology and you can get tubes from a hardware store in different spectrum's. They are cheaper to run and the tubes cost less. You dont get high output unless you double up on the amount of tubes.

Go low tech planted if you are going to go with T8's and don't have many tubes.

Would like to hear form anyone who has good results growing plants under LED's. Maybe they work better in marine tanks given the higher K rating of tubes/led's

Hope that helps a bit?

Grant

[CajunAg]

I know this is an old thread, but I have been doing some research on lights and found that Marineland has recently come out with a new LED system: their Reef Capable LED Lighting System (http://www.marineland.com/sites/Marineland/products/productdetail.aspx?id=2054&cid=5512&mid=5528). It's primarily aimed at coral enthusiasts, but does anyone think it could have a place in a planted discus aquarium?

I still have to criticize it though, b/c you aren't able to switch between lighting types (lunar+white, lunar only, off) w/o physically flipping the switch on the unit. And for everyone with timers, that's just annoying.

[captainandy]

I do primarily reef keeping and LED is gaining tremendous growth. The marine land reef capable aren't well received by the saltwater die hards. Also, the spectrum is not good for plants.

There are two great lights made in china, key and maxspect that build for freshwater ( spectrum and k value. I have one over my 150and I love it. I have blue from dawn to 8am, low to moderate light from 8am to 8 pm with 4 hours of more intense light focused on half the tank. Colors pop and you get a grat shimmer. Fixtures run from 300 up. Bulbs are good for five years

[jcardona1]

I know this is an old thread, but I have been doing some research on lights and found that Marineland has recently come out with a new LED system: their Reef Capable LED Lighting System (http://www.marineland.com/sites/Marineland/products/productdetail.aspx?id=2054&cid=5512&mid=5528). It's primarily aimed at coral enthusiasts, but does anyone think it could have a place in a planted discus aquarium?

I still have to criticize it though, b/c you aren't able to switch between lighting types (lunar+white, lunar only, off) w/o physically flipping the switch on the unit. And for everyone with timers, that's just annoying.

I highly doubt you'll find a serious reefer running these Marineland lights. If that was the case, they wouldn't be buying LED fixtures that cost $1-2k or building a DIY version that cost $600+. These new marineland put out a max of 3k lumens. A typical 54w T5HO bulb gives you 5000 lumens. Run 2-4 bulbs, you now have 20,000 lumens.

These are nice, but a joke for anybody trying to grow corals or a high-light plants.

[angel eyes]

Just in case your interested in the Individual (not preinstalled into a fixture LEDs)
I use the 1w coralife Led Blue Moon Lunars over my tanks, it's a nice blue than some of those gawdy led strips people are selling.
I do one over a 20L, and do 2 over my 90g and probably could get away with a 3rd to light the whole tank up at night (but I like them to have a "dark" spot or two).

Ones I have tried:
A) I tried the R2 Solutions moonlight- hated! Such a gawdy blue that you could barely make out the fish through.
B)Also tried the current USA linking lunar lights- highly disappointed! Too dim, remind me of the ones that come preinstalled in many of the light fixtures on the market. Total waste imo, but maybe for a small tank like a 5g or 10g?
C) LED Blue Rice Lights (the ones you see at holiday times with either the plug/battery option)...they were okay for a SMALL tank..I just draped them across the glass canopy near the back.

[jcardona1]

These are the ones my LFS sells. They are stupid BRIGHT! They have these on all their reef tanks, and some of their planted tanks. THESE are the fixtures that you want if you need to grow stuff. But they aren't cheap. A typical 4ft fixture will run you well in excess of $1k. Each bulb is $300+. But man are they gorgeous! When LED prices come back down to Earth, I'll definitely be switching. You can't beat the shimmering effect from LEDs (or metal halides).

http://www.exotic-aquarium.com/led.html

[discussmith]

The LED technology with the new 1watt and higher LEDs is still just getting started. I have heard talk of as high as 100watt LEDs in developement. The problem is still how to deal with the heat not destroying the connections. Normal LEDs should last up to 100K hours not the measly 5 years they are throwing around with these fixtures. Once they get that figured out it is just a matter of time before you will be saying "Hey remember when we used those skinny t5 flurorescent things and got a fraction of the light with 4 times the electricity?" Who knows maybe we'll even have cheap photo voltaics on the roof to power them by then.

[Justice]

I have the marineland LED lighting on one of my tanks. I love the spectrum it gives off, really brings out the colors of my discus. That being said, it is not the brightest of lights, so I could not nor would not recomend it for a planted tank. It is deigned to sit just inchess from the surface of the tank, so I am not quite sure if you could hang it.

And the girl that said that about timers has absoutely no clue, unless she thought you were refering to a timer with a dimmer.I think you are right, the last Marineland LED Fixture i bought came with a free timer.