# CITII LEDs



## Mork (Dec 23, 2014)

I'm just about to pull the pin on a new 90-P ADA tank and was looking at LED lighting options.

One unit that caught my eye was the CITII range on Aliexpress - in particular, this unit:

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...s-Version-Free-Shpping/200203_1642361427.html










From the brief bit of googling I did on the unit, the boys down under seem to like it:

http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showthread.php/58084-CITI-aqua-aquatic-plants-LED-light-review

I was wondering if anyone else here could offer an opinion. They seem like a hell of a lot of light for the price. I'm actually wondering if they would be a little too much. I am planning on handing them pendent style, so I can raise them up if it proves to be too much. 

Any reviews or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers. Mork.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Mork said:


> I'm just about to pull the pin on a new 90-P ADA tank and was looking at LED lighting options.
> 
> One unit that caught my eye was the CITII range on Aliexpress - in particular, this unit:
> 
> ...


Yes it is a lot of light.. As to hanging, you must consider the more than likely 120 degree beam spread.. Your light will diminish rapidly w/ a lot of side spill as you raise it..


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## Steve001 (Feb 26, 2011)

Seems deficient in red wavelengths.


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## Mork (Dec 23, 2014)

The seller will customize the colour ratio free of charge - what combinations would you suggest?




Steve001 said:


> Seems deficient in red wavelengths.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Mork said:


> The seller will customize the colour ratio free of charge - what combinations would you suggest?


well that opens up a whole slew of possibilities.. 

but much would depend on your personal taste.. since you only have 2 channel "control"

first off do you want blue "moonlight"???

Ther are simple things like sub. all 660nm red for the blue.. sub. 3500k white for the blue.. 
keep blue add 1 row of ww for 2 of the 6500k.. changing the 6500k to 7000k as well..

IF you want that moonlight the simplest thing is changing the 6500k to say 8000k adding 3500k every other row..
8000+8000=3500 =19500/3 = effectively a 6500K CCT w/ out the blue..


list goes on...

What overall tone do you like.. ?? Warmer tank or cooler tank?


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Given that the dealer will build the light with whatever mix of blue, white and red LEDs you want I would definitely ask for reds in the mix. Figuring what the ratio of red to blue to white should be is beyond my abilities:confused1: Also, the light will be obnoxious to anyone near by if you have to raise it more than a couple of inches, so you need to do more research to be sure not to have way too much light.


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## micheljq (Oct 24, 2012)

I did look at this light myself. I find it hard to believe it puts 9650-10700 lumens. The fact that they can customize it is really great.

I will definitely look at any feedbacks from users.

Why not just change the blue leds for warm white (3500K or near), to have some reds and keep the rest at it is? I am not a light specialist by any means.

Now they have those ones as well :

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...-LDP-900-Free-Shpping/200203_32214337290.html

Michel.


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## Mork (Dec 23, 2014)

jeffkrol said:


> What overall tone do you like.. ?? Warmer tank or cooler tank?


I like a nice 'clean' light, around the 7000k range - I really don't like the light getting too yellow. 

The one that Michel posted:

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...-LDP-900-Free-Shpping/200203_32214337290.html

May have the right combination of colours. I would have both channels on at the same time though, as I believe there's only one power supply and this would be on a timer. 

I do take both your points about raising the light too much, will both dissipate the light and maybe cause too much spill. I think I'd have to play around with this to get the right balance. 

To add a new twist, a buddy of mine said I could have his 150watt Metal Halide with three bulbs for $30. This is very tempting - but my concerns are

a) Would this have enough spread on a 90cm (3ft) tank?
b) Would this be considered excesive lighting? I am going to have Co2 and EI dosing
c) How long do you think it would take before the power savings from the LED trumped the savings I would make on the fixture? 3 years?


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Mork said:


> I like a nice 'clean' light, around the 7000k range - I really don't like the light getting too yellow.
> 
> The one that Michel posted:
> 
> http://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...-LDP-900-Free-Shpping/200203_32214337290.html


That combination (assuming 6500k-ish whites) will never be "yellow".. If anything it will be a crisp white.. 
Most yellow comes from using low k whites... not colors.. 
W/ the blue channel off you'd probably get a mild pink tone at worst.. BUT this is only an estimate..
Red's are a bit easy to perceive..
As to MH.. ehhh.. There are good reasons MH are getting cheap on the secondary market.. BTW: what color MH's?. If reefer centric they may be too blue to begin with..

Power savings are based on your electrical rates..A guesstimate is actual power usage of that fixture is 60w (few LED's are driven at their max spec.) so your power consumption is 1/2 approx..
so 60x say 8 x 365=175kwh per year vs 350... 7.52cents x175 = $13/year..  *ROUGHLY..*
https://www.bchydro.com/accounts-billing/customer-service-residential/residential-rates.html
$148-$30/13= 9 years.... Unless you have to replace bulbs.. which should be done every 6 months..
Replacing a ballast and a bulb and a fan your "break even" point could be in a year or 2.. 

As a side note: that thing should come w/ a dimmer..
second side note: It would take 2 (at least) 150W MH's to equal the output of that LED...
IMPORTANT NOTE: That was based on a larger fixture than you are probably considering... sorry.. 
Just adjust the math to the output of the one you are considering..
wx8x365/1000 = kwh x rate


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## Mork (Dec 23, 2014)

Thanks for the quick reply Jeff. 

I'll ask about the dimmer. It doesn't mention that it comes with one. That would be bloody handy.





jeffkrol said:


> That combination (assuming 6500k-ish whites) will never be "yellow".. If anything it will be a crisp white..
> Most yellow comes from using low k whites... not colors..
> W/ the blue channel off you'd probably get a mild pink tone at worst.. BUT this is only an estimate..
> Red's are a bit easy to perceive..
> ...


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Mork said:


> Thanks for the quick reply Jeff.
> 
> I'll ask about the dimmer. It doesn't mention that it comes with one. That would be bloody handy.


Ask if the LED's are driven in constant current or constant voltage mode..

Pretty well looks like constant voltage w/ 7 in series (plus current limiting resistor) rest in parallel..


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## Jimsp (Sep 29, 2014)

The math doesn't seem to add up.
You have 105W's of LED's with an 84W output claimed but only a 72W power adapter included.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Jimsp said:


> The math doesn't seem to add up.
> You have 105W's of LED's with an 84W output claimed but only a 72W power adapter included.


opps...
That is probably theoretical watts.. as I mentioned... most fixtures would be lucky to really drive them at .2-.3W.. There is not a lot of problem w/ lesser ps in the constant voltage range..
I've driven 5M of 5050smd's w/ a 1A ps (recommended:*12V 5A Power Supply)*

.. LED's don't "draw" current per se..they will just be dimmer, as long as the V(f) is met..


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## Mork (Dec 23, 2014)

To play devils advocate for the metal halide, what is it about that form of lighting that you (or anyone for that matter) object to?

I still see the majority of ADA tanks lit with the 150watt Solar Halide.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Mork said:


> To play devils advocate for the metal halide, what is it about that form of lighting that you (or anyone for that matter) object to?
> 
> I still see the majority of ADA tanks lit with the 150watt Solar Halide.


well spectrum, heat, inefficiency, the fact that they start to rapidly decay as soon as you turn them on, non-controllable/dimmable, high maintenance high TCO AND I really can't have a lot of fun building them... 










Oh and ballasts and fans...both of which I am not fond of...
optimistic replacement schedule.


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## Mork (Dec 23, 2014)

Thanks for posting this. I had no idea that MH had such a harsh drop-off in spectrum. If you were using the ridiculously priced ADA bulbs, that would be quite expensive.


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## TRETOUT MICHEL (Sep 22, 2015)

Bonjour je vi


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## TRETOUT MICHEL (Sep 22, 2015)

bonjour je viens d'acheter cette rampe led et je desires savoir si cette rampe led est elle faite pour l'eau douce ? ON me dit quelle est pour eau de mer ?
si une personne connais l'entreprise qui fabrique ce produit qu'il m'en informe ce serait sympa 

Je l'ai reçu sans documents ni notices


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