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LED Lighting For 24” High Tec Tank

peter50blue

Seedling
Joined
7 Jan 2012
Messages
9
I’m looking at all the available LED lighting options for a 24”x15”x12” high tech tank.
The two units that appear to have have good ratings are the Fluval Fresh & Plant and the Dennerle Trocal.
Does anyone have any experience of these lights or alternative options?

Kindest Regards Peter French
 
Dependant on your budget Zetlight do a range of full spectrum plant lighting, some that can be controlled by your phone
 
Dependant on your budget Zetlight do a range of full spectrum plant lighting, some that can be controlled by your phone

Any idea where to buy them other than Amazon or AllPondSolutions?

I've currently got the 28W freshwater model but no where seems to stock them, Kind of need another one as I feel like one alone isn't enough. Though then I need to start thinking about a controlller etc and then I could just buy a twinstar instead.
 
The colour rendition is awesome

I love that type of colour rendition. I recently got Aqua Medic Qube 50 LEDs. They all come with goosenecks, similar to Kessil a lot and that's the colour rendition they have, slightly violet look....I love them as the fish's colour really pops unlike some other lights that wash them out...like the Kessil....
 
I've seen Dave's scape in the flesh and the video gives a fairly accurate rendition of the colour, and you're right the colours of critters and plants really pop.
Most LED lights I've seen give a rather harsh white light...this is the first I've seen with a colour rendition I actually like.
It reminds me of the Arcadia T5 luminaire I use to have; I guess I've been looking for something similar in LED ever since.
Apparently, the ADA Solar RGB is another LED light with a similar colour rendition, but it's way more expensive.
 
I can't show a better picture of mine because mine is not a glass tank and the lights illuminate mostly the emersed plants rather than the pond plus there's a net over and no plants underwater....but anyway...

20180428_190813.jpg


20180428_200100.jpg
 
+1 on the Twinstar S - whether they're worth the extra money over the 600 E I guess that's down to you; you're wallet and what you want to grow.
I have the S and I think it's great, I wanted controllability for the money but I couldn't find a light that ticked the boxes for me.
You can buy a simple inline controller for it and use a timer or as Tim says go down the TC420 route and give yourself more control - can be a bit temperamental to connect to when you set up but you don't have to do that too often.
I would avoid the suspended versions as the hanging is just unstable.
 
I was thinking of getting the suspended version. Do you have any more info on it Andy?
As Tim says +1

I think the photo says it all..............don't get me wrong - you can get them sat much better by jiggling the hanging wire about and fiddling with the power cable but the moment you knock it; it's off level again and when you pay £259 for a 600 light fitting I don't expect this. If they were only to divide the bottom portion of the wire in 2 I think it would solve the problem.

twisted twinstar.jpg
pac sun level.jpg
 
I did notice the one wire each side arrangement and wondered how that would work; not very well by the looks of it.
It's obviously the power flex that's throwing the balance off. My thought would be to attached the flex to the bottom of the suspension wire with a cable tie and see if that helps.
 
I did notice the one wire each side arrangement and wondered how that would work; not very well by the looks of it.
It's obviously the power flex that's throwing the balance off. My thought would be to attached the flex to the bottom of the suspension wire with a cable tie and see if that helps.

Think it would still be unstable with that Tim
 
Although, you could conceivably use the wire anchor to attach a small bar either end of the unit across its width and use that to attach two wires like on the Pacific Sun above.
But like you mention for the price you'd expect it to work without modification.
Bad design like that really bugs me, I'm a firm believer in function first aesthetics second.
 
It's obviously the power flex that's throwing the balance off. My thought would be to attached the flex to the bottom of the suspension wire with a cable tie and see if that helps.
The power flex does indeed throw it off - I went to the extreme of taking the cable right up the suspension wire and through a hole in the ceiling; cable tied all the way and although it helps it far from solves the problem.
The slightest nudge and it's off balance again.
 
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