Leds - Enough Light?

[Blue Ram]

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/110845073151?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

This brand of lights is quite popular in the US. Just not sure it is enough light to grow plants in. The good thing is at least the white lights are a good spectrum for plants but not sure if there is enough watts and the LEDs tend to not spread the light as well as normal T5 bulbs. I think its a very good price even with the shipping.

Looking for some comments on how you think plants would grow.

[euripides]

If you are ever in Edmonton, or anyone you know that is headed here, I 90% sure I'm saw Aquagiant selling LED setups for the same price or less of what you would be paying for, including the shipping from ebay. But to make sure give them a shout I could be wrong about the price. And I forgot the name of the brand, I thought it was Beamswork or something

Edited April 12, 2012 by euripides

[geleen]

After a lot of research I have decided not to buy these types of LED. They are not ready yet for our purposes.

(reefs are better supplied) This light only uses 11 watts and the induvidual LED 0.6 W I have found that anything less than 3 w per bulb is unlikely to supply enough PAR at 20 or more inches down.

Also the Kelvin rating of 6500 K is difficult to make as I have been told.

J

[jeremoose]

I had this same light setup, swapped it out for T5 HO within a month. Saw no significant greening or growth of any kind. Check out the T5 HO setups from aquatraders.com.

Edited April 12, 2012 by jeremoose

[Sprucegruve]

i know indoor gardening is different than aquatic gardening,but my experience,is the same as geleens....just with non aquatic gardening

if the led is not 3-5 watts each you dont have enough power to grow anything other than very low light plants......

if your using the ballast mentioned(11 watts and the induvidual LED 0.6 W) then you would need it like 1-2 inches away from the plant to get any good effects.

i have seen some really nice reef LED setups but they are usually 3W LED's,and like geleen said 6500k is very hard to make into a led,so most leds use 5500k which still works,but i have heard people raise a stink about it....in my experience 5500k or 6500k work fine....and if you mix 5500k and 6500k then you get some awasome results.(with house plants)

you can get really awasome led fixtures that are great for growing plants but you need to be willing to spend $300-$2700 per fixture.

none of the freshwater LED fixtures i have seen for sale YET have more than 1W LED's in them.(might work on a 10-15 gallon tank)

it seems people have focused on reef LED's because i found a reef fixtures with 3-5W LED's(3-5W would work on a 20-24inch deep tank no proplems)

i dont think LED's will be ready for freshwater aquariums for a couple years.

hope this helps make a decision

-edit- blueram, i have that same brand of fixture your looking at,but the small version for a 10 gallon tank........if you pay the shipping its yours free

Edited April 12, 2012 by Sprucegruve

[Blue Ram]

Thanks everyone - information helps a lot. I do have a $1500 LED fixture on my marine tank and it is fantastic. Guess we have to stick to T5 bulbs for now.

[RevolutionBoas]

You guys are right and wrong.

LEDs need to have optics to really punch through water. At 20" you might want to consider the marineland reef bright LED.

As for the 6500k start on rapidLED i know cree makes a 6500K

[blink]

Sprucegruve, if no one else is interested in that light I'd like to pick it up, I've got a plan to retrofit 3 watt leds and if i can get a housing cheap it'd make it a lot easier to justify nodding.

Pm me a price or perhaps a trade?

[RevolutionBoas]

Hey blink I have a 36" tek housing with tek legs I want to get rid of.

[blink]

Thanks for mentioning it Revolution, but my tank is only 18x20" footprint so a 36" would overhang by a couple inches

[RevolutionBoas]

Thats my problem too

I cant seem to give this thing away.