# Licah aquarium plants led growing light ldp-1800 {UPDATE}



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Fun light..


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

Apparently drunk me thought I should try one of these crazy hong kong specials... instead of getting like a warranty, ul listing, any real known quantity of performance, or what have you. It's possible I have a gambling problem, but I can give some par data for the 1200 (mm) on a 75g this weekend maybe.

However, as it turns out there's now a v2 which they sent me, so if yours has the 2x7 rows of white then 2x7 of individual blue/red leds mine won't be quite the same. Now they're single rows of 7 white then 7 pink leds... I ordered from the same amazon listing as you. They've now removed all the sizes that ship out of HK. Probably because I was all wtf mate my light is all pink... but apparently they're not pink, they're an smd with separate blue and red diodes in one package. A few days later they have updated their aliexpress listings...

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/pr...826.html?spm=2114.12010612.0.0.7dd957efMRmyQk

You have to remove a jumper for it to default to on for use with a timer... so that's cool. Also not quite sure what I want to do about it having a bit of a pink horticulture light thing going on. Would adding green/yellow or something make it look more normal?


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

$170? What's wrong with Current or Finnex?


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

Nothing really, but where is the fun in that. I actually paid about the same as a fluval 2.0 48" in early January, but the price went up. 171$ was how much a 1000mm one cost.


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## DonoBBD (Jan 23, 2018)

What would be interesting is if you can control each channel separate. I mean your pink is on then your white is off. If your plants are black in colour the correct light nano meters are being used. Plants that still show green will not grow as well under the pink or to their full potential.

My personal opinion on having the blue and red in the same LED is a poor design. To get the right NM for each your nanocrystallite has to be perfect and I find it hard to believe it can be shared. I would ask if they manufacture their own LEDs. If they are buying them in they do not have full control of the correct milliamps each can draw with out failure. If they come from another province in China I would never buy one. They compete over there between provinces and it is not uncommon to give miss information on LED draw to a company building in another province. This is very very common and why most people are worried to buy from China.

They look like a 4014 chip. One should see 75-85 colour rendering index and in the 110 to 160 lm per watt. In 24 volt I expect to see 120-130lm per watt. Ask them if they use a upper heat limit circuit. This will pull voltage or dim the light if the heat sink gets to hot for any given reason. Over time your heat sink will get dust on it and loose is efficiency. If you can get the heat sink un coated just natural aluminum finish it would be much better for the light.


Meanwell drivers are top of the line off shore, and are really good at dimming. Personally I like magnitude lighting out of California but that is me.

Cheers Don.


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

There's kind of a lot of tannins right now but

Both channels on... sorry for the focus.









Just 6500k...









Just red/blue?

















I don't really know if I'd call that black but I'll try to use a seneye on it... maybe this weekend, but that's a lot of work. The color has kind of grown on me, or I got more used to it, or it looks better now that there's tannins and brown algae everywhere? Who knows.

Also... they sent me this.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Wobblebonk said:


> . but apparently they're not pink, they're an smd with separate blue and red diodes in one package.


Err.. Looks more like they had a royal blue diode and use a broad spectrum red phosphor..Technically "better" than a pure red diode..
Usually listed as "full spectrum" diodes COB's..


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

jeffkrol said:


> Err.. Looks more like they had a royal blue diode and use a broad spectrum red phosphor..Technically "better" than a pure red diode..
> Usually listed as "full spectrum" diodes COB's..


I honestly have no idea so you're probably right...


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Wobblebonk said:


> I honestly have no idea so you're probably right...


Well dual core or not, they def have a red phosphor content.
There are a few questionable stats and things but overall it is what they sell..

Interestingly they offer customization of the diodes for $10....(note: and up.. )

A for effort..


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

*PAR/LUX/Kelvin/PUR as per seneye reef...*

Okay so the thing I was gonna do today fell through... I only did one measurement location because I need to make a mount of some kind it's a huge pita trying to keep the seneye sensor somewhere on it's own for this kind of thing. So I just got it kind of wedged under some petrified wood at the front of the tank... so "centered" meant the light was over the center of the tank, through the glass lids and roughly 18-19" of water, and "overhead" had no glass lids with the light directly over the sensor at the front of the tank. Even directly "overhead" some of the leds are getting blocked by the center brace on both lights.










Excuse all the other tank reflections... the sensor is super directional, the window or other lights didn't get picked up at all, and the ceiling lights were off. I can't guarantee it didn't get bumped at all between moving lights and whatnot but I tried. This is kind of why I didn't do readings from very many positions, I need to make something to position the sensor and hold it in place better than my rocks.










So... 
licah 1200, both channels, over center of tank, 22"









licah 1200, 6500k, over center of tank, 22"









licah 1200, pink, over center of tank, 22"










licah 1200, both channels, over center of tank, 19"









licah 1200, 6500k, over center of tank, 19"









licah 1200, pink, over center of tank, 19"










licah 1200, both channels, over sensor, 22"









licah 1200, 6500k, over sensor 22"









licah 1200, pink, over sensor, 22"










licah 1200, both channels, over sensor, 19"









licah 1200, 6500k, over sensor, 19"









licah 1200, pink, over sensor, 19"










and a beamswork 1w DHL for comparison... I can try a fluval plant 3.0 next week maybe but I'll probably have to redo all readings for comparable sensor position? That's all I have for 48" lights...

beamswork dhl, both channels, over center of tank, 19"









beamswork dhl, blue, over center of tank, 19"










beamswork dhl, both channels, over sensor, 19"









beamswork dhl, blue, over sensor, 19"


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

I dont know how I missed this post @Wobblebonk. Thanks for the information you provided.
How are you liking the plant growth you are getting from this light?

With the 72 inch version, I can grow low/low-medium light plants well: valisneria, swords, anubias, java-fern, but thinking one strip is not enough on my 180 gallon. Im not sure I want to go with this same light again for a second strip, but not many programmable/dimmable options at 72 inch for someone that is unable to do a "do it yourself version." ---
Which I do not have the capacity to do.


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

It's very difficult to light a 24" wide tank with just 1 bar led... I am getting pretty good growth out of it but I am using it with a fluval 3.0 on a 18" wide tank that is not as deep as a 180...

Maybe 2 30 or 36" programmable lights?


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

Yeah, I was thinking maybe 2- 36 " Finnex Ray2's. 
Or, maybe will just get 1 more 72 " of the Licah's. Have to think about it.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Depending how much PAR loss you can handle.. 7"...
That would be roughly the height off the water line to the light center to cover 24" at the surface..

7 + 25.5 - say 3" substrate..

say PAR @ 30" would be the crucial factor..
I believe it is possible to hit 25-30PAR at that distance (full power)..at least the math points in that direction..
think that may be a bit conservative too..

may not appear "bright" to your eyes due to the heavy red/blue component but the plants are different..


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

If you're growing mostly low light stuff it might be okay with jeff's suggestion. With stems they start shading things a lot with just 1 bar unless you are meticulous in your maintenance... there's an awful lot of stems I have in the tank it is on currently and crinum/some larger crypts that block a lot of sight lines in the tank.


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

@jeffkrol Im sorry for seeming dense, but this is the Par for the Licah 72 inch light? 

I do have a very deep sand-bed in this tank because i have several eartheater fish species: 3 inches in front to 5 inches in back.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

I was looking at this light also
is it the only fixture on the tank? If so I think a second dimmable fixture would be a good idea


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

> but this is the Par for the Licah 72 inch light?


Yes based on the lumen output (13000 plus just for whites??) and sq meters at the bed..also slightly cross checked w/ wobbles Seneye measurements...

but it is only an estimate..basically for a sort of go/no go type decision..

Need more real measurements but looks pretty "potent"...

Certainly a "go" to try..


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

@jeffkrol-- Thanks for your help with this and being patient with my confusion. Much appreciated. 
@TheDude1 It has been a great light growing low light/low-medium plants: Valisneria, Crypt. spiralis, anubias, Java Fern, Swords. Alot of other plants ( stem plants) have not made it because of all my eartheaters- they have eliminated many plants I wanted to grow. :/

Someone on here, I dont remember who, said that it looked too dim and it made me begin to think I needed to add another strip-- I hadn't thought it was, but i cant judge my assessment as correct- I dont know. 

Here is a recent picture I took of the tank. You can see the light intensity and plant growth.


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

That doesn't look so terrible to me, got a full tank shot at all?

Hah anybody got any idea when they will release the seneye spectra? I feel like the "plant" co2 detector things gonna require slides heh


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

I agree! That looks REALLY good! Perhaps you dont need another fixture. I sometimes forget that I inject ALOT of C02 into my tanks. I believe that much of the disparity in growth between my T5HO tanks vs my LED tanks is the lack of red spectrum. It is far more important than the blue all of these lights are packed with. I was strongly considering adding "Emerson" bars which are pretty much just red spectrum, but I'm worried it may make the tanks look funny without dimming.. yours looks great and if you are getting good growth with minimal algae I wouldn't add light without C02. Look like you've got a good balance


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

Thanks you guys  

I have been battling BBA, but it has now pretty much contained itself to patches on driftwood and the heaters. It was on my plants as well, primarily the swords and c. spirialis, but about a month ago I cut all the BBA off of plants or tossed the bad ones, took all the wood and rock out and sprayed with hydrogen peroxide, scrubbed, and put all back. Two day job. :/
It returned, but at a much slower rate.

The only plants that I wish would grow better in this tank are my swords, really slow. I have root tabs around them. Figured I needed to get serious on my liquid dosing.
I have just started dosing the Seachem weekly schedule EI dosing, had been dosing NPK and FE and Excel sporadically at best. --- I made it 5 days and freaked at my nitrate level at 30ppm! I just changed 70% of the water... 
I dont know if I can do this  I figured maybe 20 ppm of nitrates by weekend, but 30 ppm in 5 days!?
I am a discus person, raised them for many years, and have been basically changing the water in this tank &0% every five days.-- my nitrates stay under 10 ppm.

Anyways, a full tank shot_


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

I personally wouldn't go full on EI in a low tech tank, maybe dial it back a lot and work your way up slowly? I'm not any kind of dosing expert though...


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

Im going to scale back @Wobblebonk- I have to , too stressful for me with the fish I have.


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## mbkemp (Dec 15, 2016)

I completely agree. I’ve read much about no3 and what it will and won’t do to fish, inorganic vs organic, etc. I don’t know what is right but I know what feels right! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

Update:


I looked at Amazon to see how much this light was running 2 years after I purchased it and I was shocked! It has gone from 170.00 to 321.63, Hopefully this is because it has gone through an extensive upgrade. Wow!

Its been a great light- still going strong after 2 years, but I wouldn't pay 321.63+ tax to buy it again.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075T9PGHS?tag=plantedtankconvert-20


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## Econde (Oct 13, 2015)

Discusluv said:


> Update:
> 
> 
> I looked at Amazon to see how much this light was running 2 years after I purchased it and I was shocked! It has gone from 170.00 to 321.63, Hopefully this is because it has gone through an extensive upgrade. Wow!
> ...


I'd bet its probably updated a bit, but not enough to warrant the price tag. I'd assume it would be the tariffs on raw materials that has bumped the price up significantly. Here at work we had these industrial glue guns that were about $120 ish. Late last year it went past double. $280 for the same gun, nothing updated, no extra metal to it.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Think it's funny they use a TC-421 as a "sunset" controller..
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32608343826.html?spm=2114.12010615.8148356.1.12265116bJkRRy


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