# How many of you use LEDs for freshwater?



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Welcome to the forum.

Thousands of us use LED fixtures.

Have you checked out some of the tank journals here on the site?


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

somewhatshocked said:


> Welcome to the forum.
> 
> Thousands of us use LED fixtures.
> 
> Have you checked out some of the tank journals here on the site?


Ive noticed that most heavily planted tanks use t5 s or very expensive led fixtures.


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## water hyacinth (Mar 3, 2013)

not me that's for sure, have you seen the price lol. If i had the money though i would defently get some LED lighting, loads better than fluorescent tubes. Last ALOT longer, brighter and "better looking" in my opion too (a few friends of mine use LED). Iv'e heard nothing but good about LED, they my cost a packed but the last longer and in the long run cost less.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

water hyacinth said:


> not me that's for sure, have you seen the price lol. If i had the money though i would defently get some LED lighting, loads better than fluorescent tubes. Last ALOT longer, brighter and "better looking" in my opion too (a few friends of mine use LED). Iv'e heard nothing but good about LED, they my cost a packed but the last longer and in the long run cost less.


What kind of led lights?I've also heard good things about them ,and a lot of people say they've heard good things.It's the word "heard" that confuses me ,also the huge gap between prices.....my tank is only 25 cm high and 80 cm long ....but I hesitate to pay money even on a cheap one that doesn't go to deep...


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## Eeyore (Apr 10, 2013)

I just switched my old T8 flo's for a 48" Finnex Fugeray LED and it looks awesome! I've only had it going for a couple of days but I already notice a difference in how perky my plants are. As far as expense, I looked at T5HO and almost everything else available and this LED made the most sense. The completed LED system was only about $10 more than a T5HO system that did NOT include the tubes. When I considered the cost of the fixture, tubes, replacement tubes every 6 months, power usage, etc. LED was definitely the way to go.


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## Jahn (Apr 26, 2013)

I went LED for a silly reason - my kids would have more fun with the tank if I got this one with a remote to control the RGB - pretend there is a lightning storm, moonlight with clouds, all of that.

However, during school hours the LED doubles as a serious plant grower light via full spectrum stuff, so that's good for a high tech but low light tank.


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## jbrady33 (Jun 7, 2012)

LEDs on both myu tanks, finnex Fugerays. 

$80 or so for a 30" fixture with super low electric usage and great growth - works for me. (see links in my sig)


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## syzygy9 (Aug 9, 2010)

I had a Finnex Ray2 running for several months on my 36G Bow and had great growth, but I think that one might be a bit much for your tank height.

The Finnex Fugeray or the new Current Freshwater+ may be better candidates, thought the Fugeray might still require CO2.

LED fixtures can cost more up front, but changing bulbs every 9-12 months is a hassle, is not environmentally friendly, and is an ongoing expense that has to be considered.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

syzygy9 said:


> I had a Finnex Ray2 running for several months on my 36G Bow and had great growth, but I think that one might be a bit much for your tank height.
> 
> The Finnex Fugeray or the new Current Freshwater+ may be better candidates, thought the Fugeray might still require CO2.
> 
> LED fixtures can cost more up front, but changing bulbs every 9-12 months is a hassle, is not environmentally friendly, and is an ongoing expense that has to be considered.


I will also use a glass or plexiglass cover for the tank to prevent fish from jumping and snails go for a walk.It will cut some of the lightntensity maybe.I cannot have much space between lights and tank as there is a painting hanging on the wall above the tank.Maybe I ll look for a classic t8 canopy


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## Gomer (Aug 14, 2003)

I use LEDs because I wanted a tiny fixture over a big open top. I've also used MH, T5 and PC and they all work just fine and dandy. LEDs are a bit trendy and more expensive up front (and cheaper after a couple bulb changes with other systems), but they grow plants perfectly fine.


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## JoeGREEEN (Jun 28, 2011)

IME with shallow tanks ( <12" ) even the "single bright" type of LED give more than enuff light for low tech plants such as dwarf Sag., moss, java fern ,jungle vals etc.

It's great to see growth in my 15G using less than 8watts


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## Oxl (Oct 21, 2011)

I recently made the switch from a 36" Odyssey dual T5HO to a 36" Finnex Ray2 - the LED fixture may be more expensive initially but I'll save hundreds by not having to replace T5HO bulbs every 8 months not to mention the great decrease in power consumption. My impression so far is that the Ray2 is as bright or brighter than new t5ho bulbs but the growing power is more like 4-5 month old t5ho bulbs - which is fine as long as it remains constant. My tank temp has dropped about 7 degrees as well without that hot t5ho fixture on my glass topped 40b.


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## samee (Oct 14, 2011)

And here I am moving back from t5ho to t8s and still getting lush growth


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## sumer (Feb 6, 2010)

I use LEDs too.
And they do wonders I swear.


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## PunknDestroy (May 9, 2013)

I had a DIY fixture using 10 of the cree 3watt LEDs on a dimmable mean well driver. I haven't had much luck with them as of yet. Been slowly eliminating variables as to what the problem is. I'm changing substrate. The lights will be the last change. As of now I only have the lights at 50% and its hanging from 12" from the tank. Problem with smaller tanks is the whole watt per gallon rule seems to change from what I've been reading, but watts aren't really useful. I've used LEDs on reefs, aquaponically, hydroponically, and aeroponically with great results. This isn't my first planted tank, but its the first one I used with LEDs on and its not going to well. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. Who knows. Though I can tell you LEDs aren't the newest thing on the market, they are still underused fixtures.


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## shift (Jan 7, 2013)

All my small tanks are led.
Fluval chi - finnex
Fluval edge. Stock LEDs
Workshop tanks. Diy led strips


Also just orders 2x 18w led strips to try a new diy Setup.

One day ill do my big tank but I have a bunch of new t5hos so no rush there for a while


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## Dx3Bash (Jan 9, 2013)

I have t5's on my planted 75, but on my 120XH Discus tank i have Finnex Ray 2 LED's combined with a Finnex Moster Ray Color Enhancing LED. Love them!


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## shift (Jan 7, 2013)

Do u have a pic of your monster ray and finnex ray 2 pics. I'm curious to see them and the effect of the mix


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## aquagarden (May 23, 2013)

I have a 48" led going across two 20 gallons. It replaced a compact fluorescent. The electric bill dropped by about $10 that month, too. I also like them because they are a bit cooler that other lights I've had. I used to have a 150 gal planted discus tank, and the light for that had a fan. The noise of the fan bothered me.

LEDs are crazy expensive sometimes. I got a deal on two 48" on eBay for about 30% of retail ... Got the two of them for $240 with shipping. They're bright enough to grow anacharis and swords.

It's definitely worth shopping around or waiting for a sale. Or, even better: trolling Craig's list for somebody getting rid of theirs.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

I'd say that's not the case here on The Planted Tank. There's a good mix of people who use bulbs and those who use LEDs.

Many LED fixtures on the market today for planted tanks are affordable. As long as your tank isn't three feet deep, you can get a nice fixture to grow any plant you can keep. LED fixtures for most of my tanks have all cost less than $150.

If you're in the United States or the EU, you should be able to get a nice fixture that's comparable in price to nice T5 units.



sleepswithdafishez said:


> Ive noticed that most heavily planted tanks use t5 s or very expensive led fixtures.


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

I primarily use Finnex Ray2's on my planted tanks.

There is my main tank where i supplemented a MonsterRay to supplement the RGB colors. The plants have reacted quite nicely to the additional light strip though i am noticing some algae starting to develop on the glass but not on the plants themselves.

I have 1 tank using the Current USA Satellite LED+ and another tank running a CADlight T5 dual fixture. Most have transitioned away from fluorescent onto LED and the heatwave of the past week made me grateful for the move in this direction.


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## BeastMaster (Dec 17, 2012)

Nothing but LEDs. Well, except for natural sunlight on my 5G outdoor tank.
Finnex Ray2 on my ADA 60P, Finnex Fugeray on my Mr Aqua 12G long, (2) Ehiem PowerLEDs on my DoAqua 30cm cube, Archaea 17cm on my DoAqua 20cm cube and finally Archaea 25cm and Up Aqua pendant on my DBP 5B. All good products, all showing good plant growth and great for displaying the aquascapes.


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## jfynyson (Apr 15, 2013)

Got tired of replacing CFL bulbs for my 2 36" Coralife fixtures (384 watts). In April I got (4) 30" Freshwater planted tank LEDs by BuildmyLED.com and love them ! They also custom built me a pair of their prototype "nano" strip lights for the center of my tank (I should've bought 36" lights). Awesome products & customer service there for sure.

See my growth example video. Searchlights (forum member) sent me 2 huge amazon swords. I split them off into 3 plants, trimmed the older leaves. The beginning of this video you'll see the mother plant and the new shoot with about 8-10 new baby plants growing off of it. The new shoot grew from nothing to 3" out of my tank in one week !

These LEDs were too bright for my current plant load so I raised them about 5" above the tank. You will not be dissappointed with these lights.


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## jfynyson (Apr 15, 2013)

The video didn't attached so here's the link...enjoy. This tank has been completely overhauled since April. I'll do a tank journal when I get time.


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

I use LEDs, and if you search around you'll see my tank journal. It's been about two years since I did my build and I can say the following:

1. Plants grow like mad for me. Fortunately, I can dim things down so they grow slower. But it's hard to find the line between "trim weekly" and "wasting away."

2. The LEDs just keep on truckin'. Never a problem. 

3. If you go with dimmable strings of different colors...it's cool.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

should I look for those dimmable led fixtures?can anyone point me some good brands that are not too expensive?at roughly 10 inches depth of my tank ,I m starting to think that anything led will do.Problem is ,if they're too strong ,I won't be able to adjust their height more than couple of inches since there is a painting above my tank ,so I was thinking something I could dim and place on top of the tank.


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## Steve001 (Feb 26, 2011)

jfynyson said:


> The video didn't attached so here's the link...enjoy. This tank has been completely overhauled since April. I'll do a tank journal when I get time.
> 
> 135gal Planted Aquarium - YouTube


Just watched your vid. You could have and still can avoid algae by adding a lot more plants to this sparsely planted tank. There's always a battle between vascular plants and single cell algae. Algae will win the battle in a sparsely planted tank because all algae has to do to grow is produce another cell. Vascular plants have to produce specialized cells to do different tasks.


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## jfynyson (Apr 15, 2013)

Thanks for the low plant load comments. I understand that but it's been very costly for this overhaul and to get a 135gal more heavily planted can get a little costly as well. I've been fortunate that a couple folks on this forum have donated most of what you see in the video. I just ordered some HC to cover the front & center of the tank. I'm thinking about taking a walk around my 2 acre pond and pulling some dwarf hair grass & L. repens since it's native to NC !

I cannot get over how well the sword has grown it's new plantlets under these LEDs.


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## triscene (Apr 7, 2012)

I am using Blau Lumina LED 62-1 for my 110 litres and i love it. Dimming, effects and efficiency in growing plants.

Odoslané z môjho R800i


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## Aquaticz (Dec 26, 2009)

I have both Ray II & T5HO on on three tanks (75,55,&40) 
Makes for an awesome look. I did have to find the right photo period for each tank & have increased itover tme. Each tank is different. I also have two of the fuge rays on smaller tanks with no issues.


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## BarbH (Feb 27, 2013)

I have been using leds on my 72 gallon and have been very pleased with them so far. Within the 6 weeks of first planting this tank I have what I feel is good growth on my plants, tank is low tech with dosing of excel 5ml less than recommended dosage) every other day. I am also using a good amount of floating plants to diffuse the light into the tank. So far I have had no issues with algae. The fixture that I am using us a finnex fugeray.

Here is a picture from when the tank was first planted








Here is a picture I took this morning 








Sent from my SCH-R720 using Tapatalk 2


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## rbtmccord (May 15, 2013)

*But all the plants in these tanks appear green*

I don't see any red plants the high light plants. I am still suspicious if the lighting from these is of proper spectrum and high enough par.


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

rbtmccord said:


> I don't see any red plants the high light plants. I am still suspicious if the lighting from these is of proper spectrum and high enough par.


Par? Oh Yea some of these fixtures now a days can output some ridiculous par.

That being said the spectrum argument has some value

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## Fishmommy (Feb 16, 2013)

My red plants are staying really red so far with LEDs


Sent from my gadget using Trippytalk HD


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## wheeling (May 6, 2013)

Every LED is different. Many of them are weak on the red frequency, the plant may suffer in the long term.


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## pwolfe (Mar 2, 2011)

How's this for red?



At the time of this picture there was no iron dosing what so ever, just clearing that up first.

That is hygro kompakt, an typically emerald green plant. I now get the same results with hygro araguaia as well.

I find that if you want red's to come out, you want to be sure to use neutral whites in your build. Cool whites are great for green plants, but typically just don't bring out the reds well. As soon as I ramped up the intensity from my neutral whites, the reds just burst out.


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## posmlady (May 24, 2013)

What about the led string lights for planted tank


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## micheljq (Oct 24, 2012)

posmlady said:


> What about the led string lights for planted tank


It is feasible but a lot of them are not very powerful one may have to put 5-6 strips of those to have decent lighting, depending on what strips are used.

But I saw that some have made diy with these.

Michel.


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## shift (Jan 7, 2013)

If you have enough of them the strips will work. I made a diy led light using strips for my 5g


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## posmlady (May 24, 2013)

So this is on ebay for sale and says they are for planted or reef tanks???

These LED strips come with a peel off back with 3M adhesive so you can apply to any surface. You may want to silicone along edges for extra security.

- Power supply included so you just stick to tank and plug it in. - Strip can be cut at every 3 inches (on cut lines) to fit any aquarium. - If you need more than 16 Feet you can simply wire 2 strips together. - Strip is completely WaterProof - LEDs put off about 5.5 lumens each and there is about 19 LEDs per Foot.


Thoughts?


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## flight50 (Apr 17, 2012)

I haven't jumped over to led myself yet but I am looking forward to it. I have been holding back for more positive results. More and more planted tankers are wanting to go led so the manufacturers are now making them for plant environment. Everyone here speaks highly of the Finnex Ray 2, the choice I was looking into for my builds. The positives here assure me that its a good investment. The price is fairly reasonable compared to majority of the leds on the market. I am sold. 

Not looking at the price, led's seem like the way to go. They are slowly taking over lighting needs for much of the industries we deal with today. Considering the disadvantages of other lighting, you pretty much have. In the case of my intended builds, I will only have so many watts available between the two circuits my tanks will be on. Between 7 tanks I will need 10 light fixtures. It would be impossible to run my build using T5's, T8's or PC. I would have to decrease the number of tanks I can run, not cool. I think in 3-5 years led's will really take over in this hobby. They give great return for the money. Low heat, lower energy consumption and extended life, I can't complain.


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## Dx3Bash (Jan 9, 2013)

shift said:


> Do u have a pic of your monster ray and finnex ray 2 pics. I'm curious to see them and the effect of the mix



Yes. I did a review and posted on YouTube.


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## londonloco (Aug 25, 2005)

BarbH said:


> I have been using leds on my 72 gallon and have been very pleased with them so far. Within the 6 weeks of first planting this tank I have what I feel is good growth on my plants, tank is low tech with dosing of excel 5ml less than recommended dosage) every other day. I am also using a good amount of floating plants to diffuse the light into the tank. So far I have had no issues with algae. The fixture that I am using us a finnex fugeray.
> 
> Here is a picture from when the tank was first planted
> View attachment 151394
> ...


What LED fixture are you using?


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## BarbH (Feb 27, 2013)

Londonloco I am using a finnex fugeray 48" fixture on my tank. They are one if the sponsors for the forum. Here is a link to their site http://www.finnex.net/index.php?pag...category_id=4&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=61 

Sent from my SCH-R720 using Tapatalk 2


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