# Finnex FugeRay Planted+ LED Fixture for 29 gallon?



## Hardstuff (Oct 13, 2012)

I run the 48 inch planted plus on my 55 gallon. My plants are growing like weeds except plants that are still in shock or adjusting to being in a bucket for 4 weeks hardly getting any light. Plus my crypts are slowing the melt they usually get from new tank adjustment. They were all growing well when my tank was dirted but the tank seams broke so I had to start over. 

I have been running just excel only but I am currently switching to gas now. I can tell you unless you are trying to grow true high par plants that the Finnex planted plus will grow almost anything. I am very pleased. But if your tank is deep & very congested than 2 fixtures may be nec. However yor 29 gallon is not that deep so you should be good to go with just one fixture.

Is this a step up on T-5? Well that is debatable. It will save you some money on electricity & you will not have to replace expensive bulbs anymore. Adjusting the reds & blues are another nice option. But most T-5's will be brighter for sure. Especially double bulbs fixtures. 

I will not use T-5'S or T-8's again unless for utility purposes. Thats just my opinion. I really like the LED's . The blue lights I thought were over kill , but I often find myself enjoying the tank at night when the main light is off with the blues only. 

My only concern is how long the LED fixtures will last & are they repairable or fixable? With Finnex the blue only can be activated when you switch them manually which is a drag to a point. I am also reading about Fugeray failures , not the planted plus that the company has been going through. They supposedly fixed the issue. Hope this helps.


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## Sparklescale (Nov 22, 2013)

I really wanted to go with a BML unit for my 37g (30x12x22), but, ended up cheaping out with an Aqualife 4x24w T5HO. The problem with the 30" flourescents fixtures, is that they use 24" lamps, not 30". (Coralife has 30" lamps for theirs, but, only in actinic and 7000K). The problem I found was that the manufactures either put all the lamps in the middle (leaving both ends dark), or, all lamps on one end only (leaving the far end dark), or, like mine, one set of two on one end, and, the other set of two on the other end. The last does light the tank evenly, but, if you can only use one set at a time due to excessive light, as is my case, then you still end up with one dark end. 

A big plus for some of the LEDs, as I see it now that I know what the t5ho setups are like, is that they will light from edge to edge...not counting the Marineland and Current sat+ units as they expect you use a 24" light for a 30" tank, but, BML (and Finnex? among a few others) do make them to light a 30" from side to side. 

As for longevity and repairability, who knows yet? I think many of the LEDs made now are being made as cheaply as possible, and, not with any real concern for the future longevity of the unit, and, most have not been around as long as their claims of future indestructibility, anyway. Repairs if any will be dependent on warranty and returning to the manufacturer, I'm sure. Unless you are handy with electronics yourself, and, willing to attempt your own fixes, I really don't think repairs are a real option outside of warranty work.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Sparklescale said:


> As for longevity and repairability, who knows yet? I think many of the LEDs made now are being made as cheaply as possible, and, not with any real concern for the future longevity of the unit, and, most have not been around as long as their claims of future indestructibility, anyway. Repairs if any will be dependent on warranty and returning to the manufacturer, I'm sure. Unless you are handy with electronics yourself, and, willing to attempt your own fixes, I really don't think repairs are a real option outside of warranty work.


Much depends on design.. As w/ fluorescents, your weakest link is the " driver/power supply" (ballast in the flour. world). Getting a fixture w/ an external power supply is really a "must" if you are looking at longetivity.
constant voltage lights (most of the .5W and under LED lights) are nothing but a circuit board (al based hopefully) diodes and a few solid state components like resistors.. There is little to fail there...The most likely failure point would be bad solder joints. After that you have a constant voltage (switching power suppy) which will fail in proportion to manuf. quality.. Think computer power supplies as an example.

The LED's themselves have certain failure characteristics that are mostly current/heat related but are relatively indestructible (certainly in comparison to a glass tube) w/ even the simplest of manuf. understanding and system design.. 

Remember when compact flour. were "sold" as bulbs that would last years, only to fail in months.. mostly due to design flaws and heat??

LED lights could easily last decades.. can't say the same for the supporting circuitry (power supply or drivers, though even the drivers are mostly solid state and "should" have a high lifespan when designed correctly (heat)))

Get the ps external and 70% of your longevity and serviceability problems are solved,,


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## nick30 (Jan 24, 2011)

Can anyone tell me what kind of light the 30" planted + fixture would give me over the 29 gallon high with about 3" of substrate. High, medium, low? Thanks so much. I truly appreciate it.


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## Entomologist210 (Nov 16, 2013)

I have a 29 gallon tank and that exact light fixture. It's medium light, and I use a 24'' T5HO light with it to knock it up into high light. Still looks good and the plants do pearl with it alone.


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## nick30 (Jan 24, 2011)

Thanks everyone. I am still deciding on what I want to do. I really want the light to be on the higer end and hopefully be able to use just one fixture to do so. The rayII sounds pretty good. 

Ray II 30" DS
30 Inches	7000k/ 7000k	192	3014	20w

Would this give more higher light then the planted + Fixture?

Sorry for all the questions. I have always been clueless at lighting, even when I try to read up and understand it. I would much rather put my thinking cap on for something other then the lighting aspect of aquariums. 

Anyway, hopefuly I am getting closer to a nice LED fixture that has medium high to high light for the 29. Please let me know what kind of light the Ray II gives off if possible.


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## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

The Ray2 is more powerful,yes


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