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Full Spectrum/Low Profile/High Output LEDs in UK ?

tubamanandy

Member
Joined
28 Feb 2013
Messages
362
Location
Thornton, Lancashire
I live in UK but totally out of touch with decent quality commercial made LED lights available in uk.

Can someone bring me upto speed with what makes/models to look at ?

Full high-tech tank (CO2/EI/Substrate etc), I'm looking for a low profile/good PAR/Full spectrum LED unit for a 3-4ft tank.

Any thoughts ?
 
Any light that we perceive as White Light contains the complete bandwidth of the spectrum a plant can and will use.

Thus bottom line as long as it is white light and strong enough you are good to go to grow plants. It is Full Spectrum from the plant side.

The thing is what do you personally like to see, this cannot be determined with a number. In general, in the trade it is offered in Degree Kelvin - #K.

2700K = warm white we generally see as a Yellowish white.
6500K = Natural (neutral) white. Generally seen as the most natural colour.
8000K + = Cold White we generally see as Blueish white.

Nowadays in the LED industry CRI is often used (Colour Rendition Index) a higher number up to CRI 10 stands for more truthfully colour display. Whatever that may be. It still remains something strictly personal.

Pick something in between that is aesthetically pleasing to your eyes. Plants will grow under it anyway.

Regarding low profile builds you probably have to go with what it is made from. In most cases 6500K that you cannot adjust. Then it is what it is after purchase if you're content or not. Lights adjustable in colour are more expensive High Profile lights.

What i read here on the forum is most people using the more or less affordable Chihiros series aquarium lights above their tanks, most seem to be very content with it. :) Reviews given on their products are generally positive.

But there is no absolute need to go with lights designed for aquarium. Lots of people including me are using garden LED floodlights or some different LED lights.

Good PAR is difficult to determine upfront, lights generally come in LUMEN and also this doesn't say everything. How much useful light reaches the plants, in the end, is depended on several factors and not only the initial power of the light. But if you experience good plant growth, PAR is obviously enough.
 
Thanks guys - same names appearing as when I was last looking a few years back - Twinstar & Chirios (had the Chirios) - I guess the eg, Fluval 3.0 plant wouldnt be well regarded ?
 
Had a chihiros rgb before, done the job and is a pretty decent light for the money. Great colour rendition and can grow most plants. However it isn’t the nicest of things to look at, you get what you pay for I suppose. Recently upgraded to a twinstar s series, great light, very powerful and also pretty nice to look at. The colour rendition is good especially if you have red plants and fish. When I first switched over it felt very pink compared to the chihiros however now I don’t even notice it.

As Ian mentioned the Ada solar rgb is the ultimate light if you can afford it. Colour rendition is amazing, some of the journals on here show them in use and the colours really pop.

cheers

Conor
 
Fluval are not great for a high energy system. Very controllable if you want to change colours etc though.

Twinstar S or E (adjustable version in your case?) gives you best bang for buck. Get the optional controller to set by percentage and ramp up/down.


As Iain said, ADA Solar RGB or Maxlite is really the only real step up but comes at a premium.
 
Thanks for all of your help - I'm really leaning towards to Twinstar LED Aquarium Light 600SA Adjustable so I can basically grow anything.....with the correct eveyrthing else in place :)
 
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