# Leds



## macKRAZY (Feb 15, 2012)

so i been doing some research and going through many threads online... i have yet to find an answer and im hoping maybe you guys can enlighten me!

i know its new to the aquarium world but are there any LEDs that are good enough for growing plants?


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## default (May 28, 2011)

macKRAZY said:


> so i been doing some research and going through many threads online... i have yet to find an answer and im hoping maybe you guys can enlighten me!
> 
> i know its new to the aquarium world but are there any LEDs that are good enough for growing plants?


most power LEDs. and some come with full spectrums.
i've personally grown hard plants under the fluval spec LEDs but im trying out the eheim power LEDs now from the aquastyle, but i heard good things about them when it comes to plants.
however most of them capable for plants are really expensive, i;ve came across grow-up fixtures when i was searching for metal hallides and they went for around $900, i guess the power consumption will be worth it, but much harder to replace a dead LED than switching out a bulb.


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## altum (Apr 24, 2012)

*LED lights*

Hi there;
For some really good information check out http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/LEDLights.html#1500 The problem, from my limited understanding, is that most LED lights produce most of their light in the 500 - 620 nm range, the green- yellow portion of the visible light spectrum. This produces the lux required for deep tanks but this is not in the chlorophyll a or b activation range nor in the peridinin or carotenoid activation range meaning simply that it is useless for aquatic plants. If photosynthesis is not activated, the plant can't produce food for itself. For photosynthetic activation the light must be in the 400-550nm and 620-740nm.
Jim


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## macKRAZY (Feb 15, 2012)

thanks for the link, ill be sure to check it out!

lol how convenient the LEDs are within the range photsynthesis does NOT get activated
after more research, not many ppl have tried it and the ppl that have seem to fail dead plants after a month.... not looking good right now lol


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## default (May 28, 2011)

my LEDs are 1200 lumens... is that bad? not really familiar with the more technical aspects of the lighting. but i've personally had great luck with just simple LEDs, i've had rotalas and hairgrass grow in a spec without any additional lighting except the horrible little LED it came with.


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## jmb (Mar 20, 2012)

Check out AquaRay LEDs, here is a link:
http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/ld-ar1515/GroBeam+1000+ND+LED+Light+Tile+%28Natural+Daylight%29.html


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## altum (Apr 24, 2012)

default said:


> my LEDs are 1200 lumens... is that bad? not really familiar with the more technical aspects of the lighting. but i've personally had great luck with just simple LEDs, i've had rotalas and hairgrass grow in a spec without any additional lighting except the horrible little LED it came with.


Hi again
Again, from my limited knowledge, a LUX Reading ONLY reports light intensity to which the human eye is most sensitive (green light) and as previously noted falls within that area of the visible light spectrum which little affects plant growth. The quality of the light is far more important than Lux (blue & red being critical here)
Having said that, if it works for you, go with it. I have grown, flowered and reproduced from seed many types of aquatic plants using only cool white fluorescent bulbs. Go with what works for you.
Jim


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

altum said:


> ... The problem, from my limited understanding, is that most LED lights produce most of their light in the 500 - 620 nm range, the green- yellow portion of the visible light spectrum. This produces the lux required for deep tanks but this is not in the chlorophyll a or b activation range nor in the peridinin or carotenoid activation range meaning simply that it is useless for aquatic plants. ...


Hmm ... not sure where you pick that up from. But it's actually the oposite. Most LED can grow plants. It only issue is, was there enough of LED being used. I've known some high tech agriculture companies that been using LED lights to grow plants more than 10 years back.

Although, I have to admit that many of the LED fixtures out there for the aquarium trade are really crappy. But that is not because of it's inability provide plants with the correct light. It's because they are insufficiently designed for planted tanks. Ie., not enough LED being used.

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## altum (Apr 24, 2012)

*LED lights*



Zebrapl3co said:


> Hmm ... not sure where you pick that up from. But it's actually the oposite. Most LED can grow plants. It only issue is, was there enough of LED being used. I've known some high tech agriculture companies that been using LED lights to grow plants more than 10 years back.


Hi again;
Quite right, but the LED's being used for plant growth are not the same as the ones you find on the shelf in Home Depot. For proper plant grow the LED has to emit light at specific wavelengths. This was initially the big problem. Now they put chemicals into the emitters. The Infrared emitter uses Gallium arsenide (GaAs) or Aluminium gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) for its semiconductor material while Blue uses Zinc selenide (ZnSe), Indium gallium nitride (InGaN), Silicon carbide (SiC), and/or Silicon (Si). I'm not sure that I really understand the entire process completely but to my understanding comparing the regular LED's to the ones specifically designed for plant growth is a fruitless endeavor. Experiments conducted with the new type LEDs show as good, if not better growth than the traditional metal halide lights used in hydroponic agriculture. Some "experts" say that this is the new direction for hydroponics. I'm not an expert ... I don't know.
If you have more info on the specific wavelength of the light produced by 'off the shelf' LEDs, I would be most interested. They would be a whole lot cheaper to use and the poor old retired folks like me need to save all the pennies we can. (oops, I guess that's nickels now ... no more pennies.)
Jim


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## Anoobias (Feb 16, 2012)

My HC and riccia that are currently pearling seem to think that LEDs can work. 

(cree xm-l LEDs cool white)


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## altum (Apr 24, 2012)

*LED lights*



Anoobias said:


> My HC and riccia that are currently pearling seem to think that LEDs can work.
> 
> (cree xm-l LEDs cool white)


Hi again;
As I have always said, If it works, go with it. That will save a lot of $$ over the cost of the Grow Beam 500. Thanks for the info.
Jim


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Anyone know if the Marineland LED fixtures will work with plants ? I have a small one over a 5 G tank. It LOOKS ok.. but as has been said, what we can see is vastly limited, and not at all what plants need. It's a nice looking little item, but I don't want the plants in that tank to croak on me. Only been using it a few weeks.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

altum said:


> Hi again;
> Quite right, but the LED's being used for plant growth are not the same as the ones you find on the shelf in Home Depot. For proper plant grow the LED has to emit light at specific wavelengths. This was initially the big problem. Now they put chemicals into the emitters. The Infrared emitter uses Gallium arsenide (GaAs) or Aluminium gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) for its semiconductor material while Blue uses Zinc selenide (ZnSe), Indium gallium nitride (InGaN), Silicon carbide (SiC), and/or Silicon (Si)....


Owe, my head hurts from reading that. While I do understand how they are manufactured. But you're reading too much into the details. Unless you have some kind of weird specialize plants that require a very narrow light range to survive. Just keep it simple. Standard LED will require a massive amount of them to grow plants. While they migh work, they are all crap if you're serious about a planted tank.
Stick with the new Cree type LED. These are better.
http://www.rapidled.com/24-led-plug-n-play-retrofit-kit-dimmable/



Fishfur said:


> Anyone know if the Marineland LED fixtures will work with plants ? I have a small one over a 5 G tank. It LOOKS ok.. but as has been said, what we can see is vastly limited, and not at all what plants need. It's a nice looking little item, but I don't want the plants in that tank to croak on me. Only been using it a few weeks.


No, Marineland is a good fish tank light. It's kind of OK if you have a tank with a few stems of plants. But it's not a planted tank light. And I am talking about the double. The single is just a fish tank light.

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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I just checked to see how many LEDs are in the Marineland fixture. Two rows with 18 white LEDs, and a centre row where 3 of the LEDS are blue instead. So if that's not enough for a 5 G planted tank, I'll have to replace it. The folks at the store where I got it said it would be fine for plants.. clearly they don't really know.

My other 5 G has an 8" aluminum reflector clamp lamp I got at Home Depot over it. Came with a switch and cord, & I put a spiral 6700 K, 26 watt [ I think], bulb in it. It seems to work very well. Tank is brightly lit right to the gravel. I use 6700 K tubes over my light garden, they work super there. I know the spiral bulbs have some restrike, but I don't think it matters in such a small tank. Cost about $15., plus bulb. I got those in a four pack, cheaper that way. Not gorgeous, but it works.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Fishfur said:


> I just checked to see how many LEDs are in the Marineland fixture. Two rows with 18 white LEDs, and a centre row where 3 of the LEDS are blue instead. So if that's not enough for a 5 G planted tank, I'll have to replace it. The folks at the store where I got it said it would be fine for plants.. clearly they don't really know.
> 
> My other 5 G has an 8" aluminum reflector clamp lamp I got at Home Depot over it. Came with a switch and cord, & I put a spiral 6700 K, 26 watt [ I think], bulb in it. It seems to work very well. Tank is brightly lit right to the gravel. I use 6700 K tubes over my light garden, they work super there. I know the spiral bulbs have some restrike, but I don't think it matters in such a small tank. Cost about $15., plus bulb. I got those in a four pack, cheaper that way. Not gorgeous, but it works.


You know, for a 5G it'll work. It's a matter of how many. But if you put that fixture in a 15G or a 20G, you won't get the blooming effect.

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