# sat+ vs. Fugeray planted+.....and....go!



## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

it's really going to depend on price, needs, etc


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## Fajita (Feb 3, 2014)

Veritas said:


> it's really going to depend on price, needs, etc


That is true but lets leave price out since they are about the same, so i guess i'm interested more in which peforms better with plants, and lets assume it's the only fixture on your tank..(in case you couldn't tell i want to know becuase i can't decide...lol)


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## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

what's the depth of the tank? Overall, Finnex has higher PAR ratings. Current comes with a remote and the timer function seems pretty neat though


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## Fajita (Feb 3, 2014)

well my tank is 55 gallon and with the substrate it's about 18-19 inches top to bottom...i too like all of the features sattelite has but most of it is extras i could do without, so PAR reading is more important to me personally...the timer function on the sattelite is pretty cool as well because while the planted plus has the moonlight which is neat..you can't exactly put the fixture on a timer becuase it will shut the whole unit off during "night" hours...so you have to switch back and forth manually...again not a huge deal but just a few things i'm considering


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## Chipoi84 (Jun 17, 2012)

I have the satellite, the only extra function that I like from the remote is the sunrise/sunset mode, and the rest I can live without. It's pretty bright on my 20 gallon with 12" in height. Sorry if I hijack your thread a little bit, but maybe this will help you decide too. Anybody knows if one current satellite plus is good enough to grow red plant like ludwigia red? If not, can the finnex planted plus do it?


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## Fajita (Feb 3, 2014)

Chipoi84 said:


> I have the satellite, the only extra function that I like from the remote is the sunrise/sunset mode, and the rest I can live without. It's pretty bright on my 20 gallon with 12" in height. Sorry if I hijack your thread a little bit, but maybe this will help you decide too. Anybody knows if one current satellite plus is good enough to grow red plant like ludwigia red? If not, can the finnex planted plus do it?


not at all, hijacking is encouraged the more information i can get the better..especially since i was thinking of purchasing luwigia red myself and currently have rotala indica and would like to get more red out of them.. so when i comes to the sat+ can you set the sunrise/sunset and lunar features for a certain time and just let it go?...or do you still have to change them yourself with the remote?


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## Chipoi84 (Jun 17, 2012)

Fajita said:


> not at all, hijacking is encouraged the more information i can get the better..especially since i was thinking of purchasing luwigia red myself and currently have rotala indica and would like to get more red out of them.. so when i comes to the sat+ can you set the sunrise/sunset and lunar features for a certain time and just let it go?...or do you still have to change them yourself with the remote?


You have to change them yourself, or you can get the ramp timer from current for 25 dollars on amazon. It's like a timer, but it switches slowly from sunrise>full spectrum> sunset. I know for sure that I can grow red plant if I get another one, since I saw people grow red plants with two before. The thing is I can only afford one. I'm growing red plants right now, so I'll see if it is possible to get them to stay red. If not, I think I'll return it, and get the finnex planted.


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## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

Fajita said:


> well my tank is 55 gallon and with the substrate it's about 18-19 inches top to bottom...i too like all of the features sattelite has but most of it is extras i could do without, so PAR reading is more important to me personally...the timer function on the sattelite is pretty cool as well because while the planted plus has the moonlight which is neat..you can't exactly put the fixture on a timer becuase it will shut the whole unit off during "night" hours...so you have to switch back and forth manually...again not a huge deal but just a few things i'm considering


for a 55 gallon, I would go with a Finnex Ray2.


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## Fajita (Feb 3, 2014)

Chipoi84 said:


> You have to change them yourself, or you can get the ramp timer from current for 25 dollars on amazon. It's like a timer, but it switches slowly from sunrise>full spectrum> sunset. I know for sure that I can grow red plant if I get another one, since I saw people grow red plants with two before. The thing is I can only afford one. I'm growing red plants right now, so I'll see if it is possible to get them to stay red. If not, I think I'll return it, and get the finnex planted.


same here, i can only afford one so i want to take the time to research all my options before i buy, thats why i was hoping to get a side-by-side comparison from someone who owned both but thats easier said than done, i'm leaning towards planted+ but i just wish i could have it switch from "day" to "night" automatically...i realize the moonlight setting is really just asthetic but i really like that option


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## Chipoi84 (Jun 17, 2012)

Veritas said:


> for a 55 gallon, I would go with a Finnex Ray2.


I second that. My tank is at 12" high, there is only 36 par with the current. And I read somewhere that the ray2 can't grow red plants, or rather make them red, since it lacks the red spectrum.


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## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

Chipoi84 said:


> I second that. My tank is at 12" high, there is only 36 par with the current. And I read somewhere that the ray2 can't grow red plants, or rather make them red, since it lacks the red spectrum.



mine makes my ludwigia red


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## Kermie (Mar 4, 2014)

Chipoi84 said:


> I second that. My tank is at 12" high, there is only 36 par with the current. And I read somewhere that the ray2 can't grow red plants, or rather make them red, since it lacks the red spectrum.


I've seen a lot of youtube videos with heavily planted tanks and a lot of happy healthy looking red plants included. The finnex website has the light spectrum graph of the ray2, and although it doesn't have a huge red spike like a colourmax or something, it's still got more than enough to show red in both plants and fish imho!

http://finnex.ca/shop/led-aquarium-lighting/finnex-ray-ii-ds-dual-7000k/


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## paaco1981 (Feb 27, 2014)

I'm trying to choose between these 2 lights in my 55 gallon as well. I don't have any super demanding plants to go in right now but you never know later on down the road.


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## Chipoi84 (Jun 17, 2012)

I stand corrected then. For those of you have have red, do you guys use co2?


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Chipoi84 said:


> You have to change them yourself, or you can get the ramp timer from current for 25 dollars on amazon. It's like a timer, but it switches slowly from sunrise>full spectrum> sunset. I know for sure that I can grow red plant if I get another one, since I saw people grow red plants with two before. The thing is I can only afford one. I'm growing red plants right now, so I'll see if it is possible to get them to stay red. If not, I think I'll return it, and get the finnex planted.


The Current USA ramp timer (the simple single channel one, $25) only takes the light from on to off (over 15 min, nice fade). It doesn't change modes on the light, just powers it up in whatever mode you had it one last. I sure wish it did, as that's my biggest wish, but no, slow on and off is all it does, no mode changes.

There's an arduino thread that does all you could want, I believe, for those inclined to tinker. But the current (ha!) batch of controllers from current don't do much with the Sat+.


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## Chipoi84 (Jun 17, 2012)

kman said:


> The Current USA ramp timer (the simple single channel one, $25) only takes the light from on to off (over 15 min, nice fade). It doesn't change modes on the light, just powers it up in whatever mode you had it one last. I sure wish it did, as that's my biggest wish, but no, slow on and off is all it does, no mode changes.
> 
> There's an arduino thread that does all you could want, I believe, for those inclined to tinker. But the current (ha!) batch of controllers from current don't do much with the Sat+.


Yeah, I meant to put it that way.


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## Fajita (Feb 3, 2014)

Veritas said:


> for a 55 gallon, I would go with a Finnex Ray2.


ok so your saying that if i'm going with just one fixture the ray 2 is a better option than planted+?....my tank is low tech and has rotala indica that i would like to have at least moderately red tones....the ray 2 doesn't have the lunar lights but if its a better option than the planted + for my tank i can just add small blue led strips later.


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## wdgiles (Jul 2, 2013)

Current Sat+ 48" owner here with a 55 gallon tank running pressurized CO2 with good results and a handful of red leafed plants. My Planted+ is on order, arriving tomorrow for a second tank, so I can't really compare the two yet. I have a 12" planted+ on an Aqueon Evolve 4 gallon and I've been very happy with it. carpeting plants have done very well with it.


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## Fajita (Feb 3, 2014)

wdgiles said:


> Current Sat+ 48" owner here with a 55 gallon tank running pressurized CO2 with good results and a handful of red leafed plants. My Planted+ is on order, arriving tomorrow for a second tank, so I can't really compare the two yet. I have a 12" planted+ on an Aqueon Evolve 4 gallon and I've been very happy with it. carpeting plants have done very well with it.


good to know:red_mouth....please update on any comparisons when you get a chance..possibly even pics?


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## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

Fajita said:


> ok so your saying that if i'm going with just one fixture the ray 2 is a better option than planted+?....my tank is low tech and has rotala indica that i would like to have at least moderately red tones....the ray 2 doesn't have the lunar lights but if its a better option than the planted + for my tank i can just add small blue led strips later.



I'm sorry actually - I didn't realize you wanted low-tech. This thread http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=189944 has all of the PAR data for the Finnex Ray 2 and the Finnex FugeRay. The official numbers for the Planted+ haven't been released - but it is believed to fall somewhere in between the two. 

If you want high light + co2 - go with the Ray2.

If you want medium light - go with the Planted+

all of this is assuming you will go with the 48" fixture. 

I have a 92g Corner tank, so I have two different fixtures. Both the Ray2 and the Planted+ turn my Ludwigia a deep crimson red.


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## Chipoi84 (Jun 17, 2012)

Veritas said:


> I'm sorry actually - I didn't realize you wanted low-tech. This thread http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=189944 has all of the PAR data for the Finnex Ray 2 and the Finnex FugeRay. The official numbers for the Planted+ haven't been released - but it is believed to fall somewhere in between the two.
> 
> If you want high light + co2 - go with the Ray2.
> 
> ...


They already par numbers for them. It's right here. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=338114
For low-tech at 18", any the the finnex led is fine: Fugeray, planted+, ray2. They would all land you into the low-medium light, so I don't think you really need co2. The current is fine too, but the par would be really low.


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## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

Chipoi84 said:


> They already par numbers for them. It's right here. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=338114
> For low-tech at 18", any the the finnex led is fine: Fugeray, planted+, ray2. They would all land you into the low-medium light, so I don't think you really need co2. The current is fine too, but the par would be really low.


from what I remember, those numbers were recalled, but Lowe would have to chime in on that.


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## Fajita (Feb 3, 2014)

Veritas said:


> I'm sorry actually - I didn't realize you wanted low-tech. This thread http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=189944 has all of the PAR data for the Finnex Ray 2 and the Finnex FugeRay. The official numbers for the Planted+ haven't been released - but it is believed to fall somewhere in between the two.
> 
> If you want high light + co2 - go with the Ray2.
> 
> ...


thanks alot:red_mouth...i did high tech in the past with high light, high ferts, and high co2 with AMAZING results...the problem (besides the cost and time consumption) is that all it takes is a slight imbalance in one of those categories to wreck it...so i'm going back to low tech...thanks for the input everyone that pretty much solidifies it for me...planted plus here i come :icon_mrgr


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## Fajita (Feb 3, 2014)

can anyone with planted+ experience tell me if having the blues on with the reds and whites makes much of a difference in tones/growth compared to just reds and whites?


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## Fajita (Feb 3, 2014)

anyone?


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## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

I can't really tell a difference with the blue "moon lights" on.


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## Fajita (Feb 3, 2014)

thats kind of what i figured but thought i'd ask...thanks


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## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

no problem. I think it is mostly just for night viewing. I hardly use it to be honest...as by the time the lights go off - i'm asleep (8 hour timer, goes on at 4 pm)


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## Fajita (Feb 3, 2014)

ya i knew it was just an asthetic but was just curious if the blue spectrum (however small) made a difference...i probably wont use them either being that i get home from work 2:30 a.m. -_-


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## Chipoi84 (Jun 17, 2012)

Fajita said:


> ya i knew it was just an asthetic but was just curious if the blue spectrum (however small) made a difference...i probably wont use them either being that i get home from work 2:30 a.m. -_-


It doesn't hurt to use them either. Why don't you just turn all of them on at the same time with the red, white and blue? I read that blue is good for plants. I just got the finnex planted. I'll see if it make a different in growth in the next couple of days.


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## Fajita (Feb 3, 2014)

awesome, if you notice anything i'd love to know


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## chibikaie (Aug 2, 2012)

I have the Fugeray and tried turning on all the lights (blue as well as regular). I had some bout with algae that coincided with that experiment - not conclusive but I didn't see any improvement with the plants.


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## Fajita (Feb 3, 2014)

chibikaie said:


> I have the Fugeray and tried turning on all the lights (blue as well as regular). I had some bout with algae that coincided with that experiment - not conclusive but I didn't see any improvement with the plants.


interesting......i will being ordering the 48 inch planted+ next week, i think i'll do that as well, try a few weeks with the blue then a few without just to see what comes of it


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Current USA light have sunrise/sunset fonction. Can I put it automatically? 

Is possible to use planted+ over 18H 29g tank without co2 and major algae problem?


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## the_Chad (Mar 11, 2014)

Chipoi84 said:


> Anybody knows if one current satellite plus is good enough to grow red plant like ludwigia red? If not, can the finnex planted plus do it?


 Yes, the Finnex planted plus will get reds out of any plant that has the capability of becoming red. 



Fajita said:


> can anyone with planted+ experience tell me if having the blues on with the reds and whites makes much of a difference in tones/growth compared to just reds and whites?


 no difference in growth from my perspective. I now leave them off because to me it dulls the HD aspect of the aquascape. 



EvilFish said:


> Is possible to use planted+ over 18H 29g tank without co2 and major algae problem?


 With enough plants in the tank it is possible. From my experience you may have to limit the time the light is on, and over time increase lighting time.


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## Hjgpoole (Feb 6, 2014)

My Fluval aqualife works better at keeping my red plants red then my Sat plus. Not sure about the Finnex .... I have been trying to find info on the Fluval compared to the Finnex.

The Sat plus does keep them red though just not as red as my Fluval. I run no ferts and no CO2. I do not use the options on the remote. It is on a simple timer for morning and night.


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## Sierra255 (Sep 13, 2007)

I'll throw in my two cents. I have a 55 gallon aquarium and I have been battling lights for several years. First, I started with single tube fluorescents, then twin tube fixtures. I hated those. Then I found out about LED fixtures. I started with the Marineland Single Brights (two 18" fixtures). Stupid impulse purchase, but I am still using them on other smaller aquariums. My next purchase was a Marineland Double Bright, but this time I actually researched things and bought the 48" one. Perfect. After that, I got rid of the glass lids and went topless. 

Finally, I ran across the Current Satellite LED+ and had to have one. My original plan was to replace the Double Bright. But I quickly realized the LED+ isn't really all that bright. So I just added it to the Double Bright so now I'm running both. This has been a great decision on my part. I'm getting great growth on everything. And I'm not really adding ferts other than some root tabs and the occasional dose of dry ferts. No CO2 either. Eventually I do want to get a second LED+ so I can replace the Marineland, but it just seems like wasting money so I've been hesitant. The LED+ is a cool fixture, though. The ability to change it to your liking is really neat. And so are the weather settings. My favorite is the cloud function. I leave that one running all the time.

So, in my experience, one Satellite LED+ is really not bright enough for a 55 gallon aquarium. That is unless you want really low light. I've had more success moving into the low end of medium light personally. I did get some dust algae on the glass shortly after adding the LED+, but I took care of that problem by adding a few otos. I'm now running the lights for 12 hours with no algae to speak of, but I think my cleanup crew is doing a good job of handling that problem. My otos and BN pleco are always fat.


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## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

I now have both. I will post comparison pictures of a 24 inch Planted+ and a 24 inch Sat+ this evening over an empty 29 gallon. (Petco $1/gallon sale!!!)


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## BillV (Aug 27, 2011)

I have a Current Satellite on a 55 gallon and I agree it is not enough to grow anything but low light plants. I have one on a Fluval Spec V and its growing S Repens and Downoi, but the downoi is not growing fast and is a little leggy. 

I have a Fugeray on a 20 long and it grows Downoi as a short compact bushy plant. I actually am also running a FugeRay Planted plus on that tank too as I doesn't provide a wide enough band of light .


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## Fajita (Feb 3, 2014)

i have to say the 48' planted plus has blown me away...now granted i have no high light plants i have mostly low light and a few mediums, but even the mediums i expected to stretch towards the surface for more light and they aren't, (at least not more than they should)...they are filling out at the bottom and the reds are spectacular....i'm certainly not saying one fixture is good enough for high light becuase it's not...but low? deff. medium?...absolutely and with no CO2 and root tab only fertilizer you can't hardly beat the results i've gotten in just 3 weeks...this is my first jump into LED lighting from a dual bulb florescent and i'll NEVER go back


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## Aurie (Jun 3, 2013)

I bought a planted+ on release weekend for the 15 percent off and it's been sitting in it's box ever since. Now don't read that and think I don't like it. .. .. ..

Right after buying it my husband and I decided on buying a house so why would I set up a whole 55 gallon (That I bought last July in the petco DPG sale) just to tear it down 1-5 months later? So, here we are in our new house and we decided to start tearing down wallpaper in the dining room and now that we're at the painting stage that'll become the living room while we do the same to the living room. Once the living room is set up I can have my 55. I have a 46 setup now with all my fishies in it. (I combined my 29 and my 46 livestock) ..

Now tomorrow I have a planted+ 16" arriving for my mini-M I bought used from a forum member and I hope to get that setup within the next 2 weeks. 

If I didn't have faith in the fixture, I certainly wouldn't have forked out $65 more for another fixture when I work part time delivering pizzas.

Here's hoping my faith pans out. Sounds like it will.

let us (me) know how your 55 does, because I'm gonna be trolling your tank :red_mouth


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## Ashok (Dec 11, 2006)

I recently got the Current Satellite +. While it has great features like the color adjustment and other modes it is not bright enough for my 29g tank.

So I returned it and got the Finnex Planted Plus instead. It is much brighter than the Satellite +. For my needs, the Finnex is better.


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## Proteus55 (Feb 17, 2014)

I have the 48: Satellite on my 55 and I have seen some nice growth on my hornwort, some ferns and an Amazon Sword--the latter is doing quite well. Thinking of adding some anacharis. I leave it at full spectrum about seven hours per day.


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Can I mix Sat + and Planted + on my 18H? Putting on timer like a 8h Sat+ and 5-6h Planted +.

I'll will have medium or high light?

Right now I have Sat+ and it small (24 inch for 30 inch tank), so some corner are dark.


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## the_Chad (Mar 11, 2014)

EvilFish said:


> Can I mix Sat + and Planted + on my 18H? Putting on timer like a 8h Sat+ and 5-6h Planted +.
> 
> I'll will have medium or high light?
> 
> Right now I have Sat+ and it small (24 inch for 30 inch tank), so some corner are dark.


 Do it! You'll have a nice medium/high light tank. Mixing spectrums is a + if you ask me.


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## FwoGiZ (Apr 16, 2014)

Sierra255 said:


> I'll throw in my two cents. I have a 55 gallon aquarium and I have been battling lights for several years. First, I started with single tube fluorescents, then twin tube fixtures. I hated those. Then I found out about LED fixtures. I started with the Marineland Single Brights (two 18" fixtures). Stupid impulse purchase, but I am still using them on other smaller aquariums. My next purchase was a Marineland Double Bright, but this time I actually researched things and bought the 48" one. Perfect. After that, I got rid of the glass lids and went topless.
> 
> Finally, I ran across the Current Satellite LED+ and had to have one. My original plan was to replace the Double Bright. But I quickly realized the LED+ isn't really all that bright. So I just added it to the Double Bright so now I'm running both. This has been a great decision on my part. I'm getting great growth on everything. And I'm not really adding ferts other than some root tabs and the occasional dose of dry ferts. No CO2 either. Eventually I do want to get a second LED+ so I can replace the Marineland, but it just seems like wasting money so I've been hesitant. The LED+ is a cool fixture, though. The ability to change it to your liking is really neat. And so are the weather settings. My favorite is the cloud function. I leave that one running all the time.
> 
> So, in my experience, one Satellite LED+ is really not bright enough for a 55 gallon aquarium. That is unless you want really low light. I've had more success moving into the low end of medium light personally. I did get some dust algae on the glass shortly after adding the LED+, but I took care of that problem by adding a few otos. I'm now running the lights for 12 hours with no algae to speak of, but I think my cleanup crew is doing a good job of handling that problem. My otos and BN pleco are always fat.


I am considering getting 2x sat+ along with a beamworks for a 4x3x2 vivarium projects and I was wondering if the cloud effect would still look good altho I'd have a 7000lumens beamworks spitting light right inbetween both Sat+

Have you tried the cloud effect along with that other fixture on at the same time?


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

the_Chad said:


> Do it! You'll have a nice medium/high light tank. Mixing spectrums is a + if you ask me.


Thanks

The problem is, that I don't want high light  Medium max 

What if I'll add Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED (not +)? 
Satellite Freshwater LED + and Satellite Freshwater LED will provide me medium light level?


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