# LED lighting fixtures in the market



## conix67

Those who are considering DIY LED lighting fixtures, think twice. Have a look at the following list (taken from post at canreef.ca).

Although they are still expensive, something like Inwatter Stingray stands out. There's not much difference between that and DIY cost for that number of LEDs.

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*The Contenders (In no particular order)*

*Pacific Sun* - Incredible lights that will do just about anything you want them to. They are completely programmable and they are even developing an app for smart phones/iPhones, etc. that will allow you to make adjustments and changes to the light with them, currently they hook up to PC's and Mac's via blue tooth, and the entire systems is updatable. In my opinion probably the most advanced light out there right now. They also have several configurations available so your really can design a fixture for any aquariums size. They are also releasing a new version of the Metis fixture that uses the new CREE XM led's, (The only ones that I know of that use these) These guys satisfy every point in my wish list. They also use 4 different colors of LED, so you get a great balance of color. They have been around for a while but there is still not a lot of info on the net, but from what I have found it is very positive. Great Support in talking with the suppliers.

More Info http://www.progressivereef.com/pacificsun.php (Canadian Supplier)

http://www.pacific-sun.eu/ (Manufacturer)

Estimated Cost to setup over a 75 Gallon system

Python LED's $2700 Total Wattage (220) - 2 Fixtures Modular
Python LED's $3000 Total Wattage (320) - 2 Fixtures Modular
METIS CRP3 LED's $2600 Total Wattage (300)
METIS CRP2 LED's $1900 Total Wattage (200)
METIS CRP2XM LED's $2500 Total Wattage (200 - May be more but they are the BEST)

*Vertex Illumina - *Again incredible lights that will do just about anything you want them to. They are completely programmable as well, and have a USB option for wireless hookup to your PC/Notebook/MAC that will allow you to make adjustments and changes to the light with them, and the entire system is updatable. Again a very advanced light. They have pretty much all the standard aquarium sizes available, and even make smaller strip lights available to accent existing lighting, but they don't have all the features of the illumina. These guys once again satisfy every point in my wish list. They have only been around for a little bit and you're starting to find a lot of info on the net, most of which is very positive. I believe they use 2 colors of LED by default, but they do state that UV, RED and GREEN can be added. Have really heard anything for the manufacturer (No reply's to email so not sure how they would be for support but others say they are good).

More Info- http://vertexaquaristik.com/ (Manufacturer)
Illumina 200 $2600 ( 200 watts)
Illumina 260 $3150 ( 260 watts)
I believe you have to buy the USB stick Extra for another $55 or so as well

*Aqua Illuminations SOL* - Again incredible lights that will do just about anything you want them to. They are completely programmable as well. They are also modular similar to the pythons so you can position them over the bracing of the aquarium with little light blockage. System is updatable (not 100% sure about the controller. They will work with pretty much any setup. These guys once again satisfy every point in my wish list. They have been around for a while and a lot of info can be found on the net, most of which is very positive. Default LED's for these guys is two different colors, but I think they can be changed (at a cost).Another neat feature of these is that can be controller with many of the popular aquarium controllers (Digital Aquatics, Neptune, etc) Support seems to be good and quick replies with supplier.

More info http://www.thereefshoppe.ca/index.p...id=860&zenid=5e3b260116994775e49f12bb96df923b

http://www.aquaillumination.com/ (Manufacturer)
4x Modules with Controller $2800 (288 Watts)
(Do Not Need Controller with Certain aquarium controllers - saves about $70)

*Illumagic Blaze ALC *- Looks like a promising light with most of the options I'm after, they come with a controller for timing, dimming, sunrise/sunset, also has a lightning mode and cloudy mode. They lights come in your standard fixture lengths. Unsure how easy components are to replace, But they do used the favored CREE LED's, so I'm pretty sure they are replaceable. The light is a real newcomer to the market, hard to find a lot of info them, but from what I have dug up on the net they look pretty good. Another unique feature of these is that the default bulb configuration comes with four diffierent color spectrums from the LED's . Support also seems good quick replace back and forth.

More Info http://www.illumagic.com.tw/photos.html (Manufacturer)

http://www.reefconcept.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=27_244&products_id=2587 (Canadian Supplier)
48" Fixture $1800.00 (180 watts)

*Inwatter Stingray -* Another Promising looking light that has most of the options I'm after. Has a controller for timing and dimming the lights, sunrise/sunset. (No lightning or cloudy settings that I can tell) Come in 2, 3 and 4 foot lengths. Again uses the favored CREE LED's with replaceable led's and customization down the road. They also use four different spectrums for the lights as well for balance. Lights are really new to the market so there is virtually no info about them, I have found a little after a lot of searching and everything I have found has been positive, communication with the manufacturer has also been very good.

More Info http://inwatter.com/stingray.htm (Manufacturer)

No Canadian Supplier as of yet
48" Fixture $1600 (240 watts)

*MaxSpec -* Seems to be a pretty decent light and easy to find many reviews of them, they also have individual replaceable LED's so you can color balance until your hearts content, You can also choose to use CREE led's or SEMI Chips. They are modular so for a 75 Gallon I would have to look at doing two pods. They also have a built in timer but do not have the dimming function built into them. They also have new lens kits available to intensify and focus the light. Reliability seems to be somewhat of an issue, but it also appears that the newer G2 versions of the unit are more reliable, and the support has been great when there are issues. That being said they do have a newer G3 version coming that includes built in dimming and timer, not sure what else it will entail but time will tell.

More Info http://maxspect.com/auarium_index.html (Manufacturer)

http://www.thereefshoppe.ca/index.p...id=854&zenid=6cc0f2bcb2e4bb6993ae88fface4398a (Canadian Supplier)

2 160 Watt units $1230 (320 watts)(Semi Chips + $320 for CREE))
or 2 110 Watt units $920 (220 watts)(Semi Chips + $300 for CREE)

*KEY Aquarium -* Another newcomer to the seen, looks like the have actually been around for a while, but they haven't been very prevalent in North America. They have some pretty interesting lights, and the new K3 model is dimmable and comes with built in timer. They do use CREE lights in the system , and have a bit of a unique item called the "SPS Power bar" added to some of the models that allows you to add different color highlights to the tank (red, green, blue, etc.) There are quite a few pictures and video available on their site, but I'm unclear on the manufacture of them at this point, could be the company fish-street, but may not. There is limited information available on the net on these guys. Communication with the reps or manufacturer was good and they seem to be pushing these more as he sells the Maxspec lighting as well but claims these will be better and more reliable. Downside is that with two lights you have to use the two controllers.

More Info - http://www.fish-street.com/key_aquarium_led_lighting_us_version?category_id=118

2 x K3 24" Wide Dimmable $1040 (230 Watts)
or 1 K3 36" Wide Dimmable $700 (But I don't think it would be enough 165 watts)

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So this person purchased Inwatter Stingray from Hong Kong. His reviews so far is very positive.

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=615790&posted=1#post615790


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## Chromey

Your missed Reef brites, Alot cheaper then all of these, ANd just as good.

Proven on Reef central to grow SPS.


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## conix67

Chromey said:


> Your missed Reef brites, Alot cheaper then all of these, ANd just as good.
> 
> Proven on Reef central to grow SPS.


Reef brites are a little less complete than other solutions. It takes at least 4 48" modules to replace those mentioned above, like Inwatter Stingray which includes 96 3W LEDs, where as 4 x 48" reef brites will give 1/2 or 2/3 of that.

The worst part is reef brites are NOT dimmable. One big advantage of LED is true simulation of dusk/dawn, by gradually increasing intensity, or deacreasing it.


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## Zebrapl3co

I am just curious if they truely are a saving ... I used to be a big fan of LED, but over the years, I've become more and more disappointed. More interestingly, I want to know how long they last? Is the saving in energy worth it?
Most LED ususally last only 2 to 5 years (depending on the quality they are made). By the time they reach 5 years, it's LED are at it's half life. So while it still produces light, it's only 1/2 of it's output, it's like a 2 years old flourescent bulb. They no longer give you an optimal return for the wattage.
I think the bigger question is, can you readily replay the LED bulb? Are they cheap or expensive. Units that does not allow you to change the bulb are pretty usless, it just means you have to throw the entire thing into the trash.

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## conix67

Zebrapl3co said:


> I am just curious if they truely are a saving ... I used to be a big fan of LED, but over the years, I've become more and more disappointed. More interestingly, I want to know how long they last? Is the saving in energy worth it?
> Most LED ususally last only 2 to 5 years (depending on the quality they are made). By the time they reach 5 years, it's LED are at it's half life. So while it still produces light, it's only 1/2 of it's output, it's like a 2 years old flourescent bulb. They no longer give you an optimal return for the wattage.
> I think the bigger question is, can you readily replay the LED bulb? Are they cheap or expensive. Units that does not allow you to change the bulb are pretty usless, it just means you have to throw the entire thing into the trash.


The Cree's are rated for 50,000 hours at normal load. At the end of its life, it's supposed to retain 70+% of its original light intensity. This means from lifespan perspective the LED bulb will last 11 years based on 12 hour usage daily, and for the 11 years it will output usable light spectrum.

They are expensive up front. Its efficiency in lights produced per watt is just one side of the story. Generally the high powered LEDs are considered twice as efficient as CFLs or other florescents.

However, there are other benefits

 Doesn't add as much heat to the aquarium as other lightings systems, potentially cutting down on needs for chillers or fans, further reducing energy consumed in the system.
 For above reasons, the cost savings added for not requiring chillers, etc.
 Dimming. LED systems are easily controllable, which makes it much easier to acclimate corals to new lighting system. You can do a lot of cool things with digital controller and dimmable lights.
 Shimmer. Everyone loves T5HO, but we're all missing out on shimmer. It is undeniably so cool to have, and the only option so far have been MH lights.
 Color. I've been skeptical of florescence LED lighting systems would bring out from corals, like 20000K MH or T5HOs. However, all the new systems appear to have good balance in light spectrum, and coral colors look just as good, if not better than, as T5HOs or MHs.
So all these add up to a simple answer - LED lighting system can be the best thing that happened to Reef aquarium hobby in many years.

I'm actually surprised to see a lot of new vendors popping up everywhere producing reef aquarium lights, and for larger units the gap between professionally made units vs DIY LED systems is getting smaller and smaller.


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## talon

I agree with Conix, I guess DIY save about 1/3 cost only.
Maxspect can replace or modify led very easy.


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## Chromey

I agree that Not being able to Dim is Big, But at 250$ for a 48", You can buy alot of reef brites compared to the cheapest unit here.

4 48" Reef brites on a 72" tank.


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## conix67

Chromey said:


> I agree that Not being able to Dim is Big, But at 250$ for a 48", You can buy alot of reef brites compared to the cheapest unit here.
> 
> 4 48" Reef brites on a 72" tank.


The problem is reefbrites do not clearly state details. Their spec says

37 Watt 48″ 24 LED Strip

but also goes on and says they use 3W LEDs only. For 24 LED strip of 3W, it would consume at least 72W, but 37W? It sounds like 12 of 24 LED are 3W, and the remaining 12 are low power LED for moonlights or such.

In order to fill up your tank with the same number of 3W LEDs as Inwatt Stringray, which has 96 3W LEDs, it would require 8 x 48" 24 LED strip. That's $2000 without dimming control, so there's really no price/watt advantage with reefbrites.


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## sig

I am waiting reply from Explorer. Hopefully he has somting to say 

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## Will

Why is being able to dim the lights such a big desire now? 
Few/None other type of lighting until LED had that option.
Supposedly the Dusk/Dawn effect has no benefits to coral.

I think PAR30/PAR38 and Marineland series LEDs should be in your list despite them being cheaper or less intense. Not every reef tank requires the power intensity of a Metal Halide.


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## conix67

Will Hayward said:


> Why is being able to dim the lights such a big desire now?
> Few/None other type of lighting until LED had that option.
> Supposedly the Dusk/Dawn effect has no benefits to coral.
> 
> I think PAR30/PAR38 and Marineland series LEDs should be in your list despite them being cheaper or less intense. Not every reef tank requires the power intensity of a Metal Halide.


Because dimming of MH lights and such is not technically possible.

high power LED lights are powerful (or MH). When you switch lighting system you need to light acclimate the corals.

Unfortunately, in an established reef tank, you can' move things around. One way people get around this is by having the lighting system hung much higher, and gradually lowering in over few week period. You'll need to hang your fixture, and many of us do not have that setup available.

The dimming provides a lot of flexibility in its use, and this ligh acclimiation process is probably the best reason. You can also maintain more steady light intensity over its lifespan, by adjusting output level according to its age.

You don't have such option in MH or T5HO (some are dimmable), so for those corals go through shock when you're simply replacing bulbs in existing fixture.

All in all, dimmable light is a main recipe for a successful reef tank.

Marineland lights (the ones I'm aware of) aren't really suitable for SPS or mixed reef. 48" units produce 38W output which is equivalent to two T5HO bulbs. It can be used together with existing T5HO, but not as a replacement.

PAR30 and PAR38 are bulbs that can be used with regular bulb sockets (forget its name), but for what you get they are very pricey! Of course, for a small setup they are very convenient, just like Explorer's nano. Since they come with narrow angle lenses, you want to have them placed high up.


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## sig

conix67 said:


> The Cree's are rated for 50,000 hours at normal load. At the end of its life, it's supposed to retain 70+% of its original light intensity. *This means from lifespan perspective the LED bulb will last 11 years based on 12 hour usage daily, and for the 11 years it will output usable light spectrum.*They are expensive up front. Its efficiency in lights produced per watt is just one side of the story. Generally the high powered LEDs are considered twice as efficient as CFLs or other florescents.
> 
> but please dod not forget, that I should change my six T5s every year
> ~ $150 x 11 years = $1650 and I am not sure also that ballast will be good for so long
> 
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## conix67

sig said:


> but please dod not forget, that I should change my six T5s every year
> ~ $150 x 11 years = $1650 and I am not sure also that ballast will be good for so long


Yes, that is the reason LED lighting can be a good investment, *only if you will be keeping your reef tank for 11 years*.

These fixtures will become more affordable gradually, but their price today isn't unreasonable compared to raw material cost.

Regardless, they are expensive....


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## Chromey

The Reef brites are 3W LEDS Running at 1.5W for longer life, Better cooling.


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## J-P

I recently had this discussion on converting my T12 NO lights to T5 HO using the same ballast. As it worked out, the conversion costs were equal to purchasing new LED's for savings. The sales rep mentioned that you will not get nearly the lumens with LED that you would with T5HO bulbs. His statement was "not even close".

I understand PAR has to do with this, but how is that number comparable / converted? We're talking about apples to apples here but the nomenclature is different. One is talking PAR and another is talking lumen. Talk about confusing.


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## conix67

Chromey said:


> The Reef brites are 3W LEDS Running at 1.5W for longer life, Better cooling.


That's interesting. Where do you get all the details? Their website doesn't explain anything in detail.

Reef brites certainly have a good place, and it seems to be designed for it - replacing existing T5HO, especially retrofit setups (like mine). Each module can fit perfectly in postion for each T5HO bulb.

Something that I would consider for my 75G setup, if I decide to run along with existing T5HO bulbs.


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## conix67

J-P said:


> I recently had this discussion on converting my T12 NO lights to T5 HO using the same ballast. As it worked out, the conversion costs were equal to purchasing new LED's for savings. The sales rep mentioned that you will not get nearly the lumens with LED that you would with T5HO bulbs. His statement was "not even close".
> 
> I understand PAR has to do with this, but how is that number comparable / converted? We're talking about apples to apples here but the nomenclature is different. One is talking PAR and another is talking lumen. Talk about confusing.


Lumens pretty much means degree of brightness to human eyes, where as PAR means amount of light energy for photosynthesis. Generally, lighting system with high lumens also produce high PAR, but there are large variations depending on type of lights.

I guess the salesman is saying LEDs give out much more PAR than T5HO for the same power.


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## J-P

actually it was the opposite. That LEDs will not produce the lumens required compared with T5HO. I went with a sample LED set anyway. It was cheap and I'm tired of paying $$$$$ for massive tanks (thus the inquiry about T12 to T5 conversions)


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## conix67

J-P said:


> actually it was the opposite. That LEDs will not produce the lumens required compared with T5HO. I went with a sample LED set anyway. It was cheap and I'm tired of paying $$$$$ for massive tanks (thus the inquiry about T12 to T5 conversions)


Well, your least concerns are lumens for lights anyway. If LEDs have better PAR, but lower Lumens than T5HO, it is what you're looking for.


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## explor3r

I have the SOL AI and my personal experience they are all worth every single penny.
To start with as Conix mention before energy saving is one of the best factors that LEDs give.....With all my systems running - lights, pumps, etc my hydro bill is only 50 dollars more per month and Im sure if I had all T5s or MH would be way more than that. For that reason next year I will change my reef T5s for LEDs.

Also the options LEDs come with are incredible helping simulate better nature and therefore better coral growth.

The way corals look with LEDs is just fantastic.

This and more reasons you guys already read make LEDs great for the hobby.

LEDs rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## talon

I have 2x160W Maxspect Led fixture on my 30" depth tank.
They did excellent job. The color temp not bad, but I want more blue.
I'm going to replace some Cree XPG Royal Blue and red to get more blue.
The way I choose Maxspect is save money replace T5 blub every six month and no heat issue on my tank.
Honestly, it's not save a lot of hydro bill (2x160w=320w), but I can modify any color led bulb as I like.


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## Chris S

I've also seen what LED's can do and am a big fan. Most of what I would add to the conversation has already been said, so I'm just chiming in to look special and be cool 

My experience with the LED's is with the Vertex units, (strips and full unit) - not only do they "work", but I think you can get some cooler colours out of certain corals with them. Also, on a three foot deep tank, the Illumina gets great growth out of SPS on the bottom and is only running at approx. 60% intensity. So my point here to add is that for those with deep tanks, the LED's are great.


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