LED Lighting question
- Thread starter apastuszak
- Start date
I've seen the prices of some of these LED fixtures.
Just remove your tubes, and go buy some LED strip lighting on a reel from an electronics parts supplier. The rolls are usually like $20-$30 for the waterproof ones, and the controllers/remotes are roughly the same price depending on which ones you buy.
The strips have adhesive on the back so you can just stick them to your existing hood.
Get a controller and lights that can change colour and you'll have an adjustable colour LED setup for around $60.
Just remove your tubes, and go buy some LED strip lighting on a reel from an electronics parts supplier. The rolls are usually like $20-$30 for the waterproof ones, and the controllers/remotes are roughly the same price depending on which ones you buy.
The strips have adhesive on the back so you can just stick them to your existing hood.
Get a controller and lights that can change colour and you'll have an adjustable colour LED setup for around $60.
I don't believe that there is enough light to grow plants etc, without a considerable number of strips.... they should be find for viewing fish though
Ahh yeah I kind of missed that.
That aside I found the ebay seller "2012topdeal" has AMAZING prices on high powered LEDs. Like 100x 3W LEDs on PCBs for $40. or 20 for $7!!
At any rate, there are a lot of options for high powered LEDs, I have a 10W that I made into a desk lamp..... It more or less lights the entire room up lol. It cost me $10 for the LED at a local shop, I believe another $10 or $20 for a dimmable driver for it and my time to assemble it.
LEDs are pretty easy to DIY into stuff too, so there's no need to spend $400 on an LED fixture.
When I finish my stand and get to the lighting I think that's what I'm going to do, spend $400 on DIY'ing a far brighter setup for a planted tank, using either 3 or 5W LEDs.
I don't think it was ever stated, one way or another
I was just saying as another data point is all
LEDs won't save you a lot in terms of electric consumption compared to fluorescents with electronic ballasts. (the old transformer ballasts waste a fair amount of energy).
However, for an aquarium they are significantly more efficient than fluorescents; all the light goes down, rather than rattling around in the reflector, which loses maybe 30% of the light, mostly to having it hit the fluorescent tube again.
LEDs are also smaller than a fluorescent system with the equivalent output, are very easy to adjust your color spectrum / PAR rating, and relatively easy to dim (fluorescents can't do that)
However, for an aquarium they are significantly more efficient than fluorescents; all the light goes down, rather than rattling around in the reflector, which loses maybe 30% of the light, mostly to having it hit the fluorescent tube again.
LEDs are also smaller than a fluorescent system with the equivalent output, are very easy to adjust your color spectrum / PAR rating, and relatively easy to dim (fluorescents can't do that)
