# LED Upgrade Advice



## awbowden (Mar 8, 2007)

Hey,

I am looking for some advice on an LED system. I currently run a 150W halide w/ 2 x 24W T5HO actinics on my 39G - (L)24" x (W)20" x (H)20". I was thinking about swapping this out with some LED's and hoping to get something suitable for about 600$ or less. I was checking these out, they seem pretty good though it is only 16", but was wondering if anybody recommends something else.

Thanks!


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

It's a nice unit w/ basic on/off for the three LED strings.

If you are looking for more variability in adjusting of LED intensity, AquaIllumination is the LED unit to choose and is compatible with multifunction controller modules, ie GHL, ReefKeeper, etc. Also, if you upgrade to a larger aquarium, you can link/daisy chain the modules together.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Forgot to mention Orphek...PAR numbers look really good @48" depth...wish I knew about these a few months ago. Getting more info on them and I'll report back 

Another thing, optics play an important role and AFAIK, MaxSpect do not use optics on their LEDs. Something to consider if you are thinking of upgrading in the next year. Beyond than that, hopefully aquarium LEDs will have made improvements and of course lower price/accessibility for the consumer.


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

wtac said:


> Forgot to mention Orphek...PAR numbers look really good @48" depth...wish I knew about these a few months ago. Getting more info on them and I'll report back
> 
> Another thing, optics play an important role and AFAIK, MaxSpect do not use optics on their LEDs. Something to consider if you are thinking of upgrading in the next year. Beyond than that, hopefully aquarium LEDs will have made improvements and of course lower price/accessibility for the consumer.


LEDs are still in their infancy. I've been doing some reading on LEDs and to be honest, if you are even a little bit handy, you can make your own. The controllers are a different story though. That, may be a little more challenging. Which is why a pre-built unit may warrant their higher costs.

If you're on a budget, Maxspect is definitely a good option. There is a lens kit that is soon to be released which supposidly serves as optics but I'm not sure if they work the same as optics.

Like wtac mentioned, there's Orphek is still rather new. They say they developed the LEDs themselves. They are still very new but the numbers they show are impressive.

To be honest, all of these LED fixtures are very new and will continue to be tweaked. You can either jump on the bandwagon now or wait for a more complete unit to be developed.

I do feel that optics are very important unless you have a very shallow tank so I would keep that in mind. I do that is one of the main complaints with Maxspect owners.

Can I ask you why you are looking to switch to LEDs? Bulb replacement costs, hydro savings, heat, all of the above?


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