# Led lighting suggestion for 24" deep tank



## filipem (May 1, 2008)

I'm looking to possibly move away from my t5HO unit with an LED fixture. I want to light my 90 gallon 48 x 18 x 24. I'm a bit of a noob with LEDs I've tried some in the past but with mixed results. I've found myself always going back to my T5HO fixture for one reason or another



Here is what I've tried and my impressions of them


- finnex ray 2 - super bright but I found the color too harsh and no features


- finnex planted 24-7 some nice features but light intensity was not very stong


- Ecoxotic e90 great features but light spread not RGB's not very present fixture got really hot.



What I'm really looking for is a light that doesn't get very hot, has a decent spread. It's going to sit on the tank and I use lids. Also a ramp up feature would be nice. I also want a good color rendition. 



Needs to be able to adequately light medium demanding plants 24" deep. Spending under $400 is ideal. I'll spend more if I have too.


Any suggestions?


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## greenthings (Aug 29, 2019)

*Led*

If you must have lights that sit on the tank, two Fluval Plant Spectrum 3.0 would be a good choice. Very nice spectrum control with your smart phone.

If it was my tank, I would suspend two Waveform PhotonPanel 4000k grow lights with dimmers over it. I have one on a 36" wide tank 18" deep with the dimmer output at about 75%. Astonishingly powerful in a pleasing spectrum. Waveform also makes LED bulbs in T5 and T8 shapes 48" long.

https://store.waveformlighting.com/products/photonpanel-100w-grow-light-panel


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## filipem (May 1, 2008)

greenthings said:


> If you must have lights that sit on the tank, two Fluval Plant Spectrum 3.0 would be a good choice. Very nice spectrum control with your smart phone.
> 
> If it was my tank, I would suspend two Waveform PhotonPanel 4000k grow lights with dimmers over it. I have one on a 36" wide tank 18" deep with the dimmer output at about 75%. Astonishingly powerful in a pleasing spectrum. Waveform also makes LED bulbs in T5 and T8 shapes 48" long.
> 
> https://store.waveformlighting.com/products/photonpanel-100w-grow-light-panel



Thanks for the recommendations. The light needs to sit on the tank It's in the family room. When we sit on the couch we get blinded by the light if it's hanging .


You think I would need 2 fluval fixtures Is not the par or spread not enough with one unit?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi @filipem,

If you are looking for just medium to medium-low light a single fixture may do the job. I tested my Fluval 2.0 (previous version) on my 75 gallon tank (48"X18.5"X21.25H) with 2" - 3" of substrate and reported the results in this post. Obviously the extra 3" in the height of your tank will cause lower readings. Hope this helps!


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## greenthings (Aug 29, 2019)

*Led*

One Fluval may be enough. I have one on a 24" long tank and it has a pretty wide spread.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

filipem said:


> Thanks for the recommendations. The light needs to sit on the tank It's in the family room. When we sit on the couch we get blinded by the light if it's hanging .
> 
> 
> You think I would need 2 fluval fixtures Is not the par or spread not enough with one unit?



Well.. Depends on what you are growing and what power your old lights were.. i.e how many tubes and do you want the new one equivalent?


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## filipem (May 1, 2008)

I've been using a Hagen glo 2 x 54w light over this tank the bulbs both giesemann one tropic the other flora something and I'm getting ok growth I'd like something a little stronger

Bump:


Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi @filipem,
> 
> If you are looking for just medium to medium-low light a single fixture may do the job. I tested my Fluval 2.0 (previous version) on my 75 gallon tank (48"X18.5"X21.25H) with 2" - 3" of substrate and reported the results in this post. Obviously the extra 3" in the height of your tank will cause lower readings. Hope this helps!


I read your thread. Very helpful thank you. For my current setup according to your measurements one fixture should be sufficient. To bad it doesn't have a little more power. Down the road of I keep.more demanding plants in this tank I'm afraid the one fixture wont be enough.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

filipem said:


> I've been using a Hagen glo 2 x 54w light over this tank the bulbs both giesemann one tropic the other flora something and I'm getting ok growth I'd like something a little stronger
> 
> Bump:
> 
> I read your thread. Very helpful thank you. For my current setup according to your measurements one fixture should be sufficient. To bad it doesn't have a little more power. Down the road of I keep.more demanding plants in this tank I'm afraid the one fixture wont be enough.


 3.0's is like $420 so in the ballpark..


Close.. 
https://sbreeflights.com/sbox-reef-lights/83-45-sbox-freshwater-pro-timer.html


no worries about what you can grow..


Bells and whistles but shorter..
https://sbreeflights.com/sbox-freshwater-plant-lights/41-sbox-pro-16-timer.html


both are considerably stronger than your 2 tubes..


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## filipem (May 1, 2008)

jeffkrol said:


> 3.0's is like $420 so in the ballpark..
> 
> 
> Close..
> ...



I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving hose on my glass lids. Those are nice though thanks for the suggestion


Looks like 1 or possible 2 fluval 3.0 fixtures may be the one for me. Do the 3.0's get really hot? They are going to be sitting on the glass on top of the tank.


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## mboley (Jan 26, 2018)

I had a 24 deep tank and mounted 2 CurrentUSA planted pro plus on the brackets they have for their lights. The brackets can be mounted on the tank or on the wall behind the tank.They proved more than enough light and have the ramping feature. I had a 4" wood rim around the tank top which blocked all glare, which I dont like either.

I've never understood the point of covering a tank with a glass lid; having lights sitting on top of them is a less than ideal set up.


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## filipem (May 1, 2008)

mboley said:


> I had a 24 deep tank and mounted 2 CurrentUSA planted pro plus on the brackets they have for their lights. The brackets can be mounted on the tank or on the wall behind the tank.They proved more than enough light and have the ramping feature. I had a 4" wood rim around the tank top which blocked all glare, which I dont like either.
> 
> I've never understood the point of covering a tank with a glass lid; having lights sitting on top of them is a less than ideal set up.



The lids are more practical in my situation. I have a cat that has attempted to jump on the tank when it was open in the past. The family room where the tank sits is close to the kitchen. Sometimes when frying food the area can get a little smokey. The lids help (a lot) keeping the smoke out of the water. I've also lost zero fish or shrimp from jumping out of the tank,


Years ago my wife saw an amano shrimp walking on the floor about 2 feet from the tank and lost her mind. She thought it was a centipede at first glance. She hates those those things. 



That and the fact that we blinded from the light when we are watching TV really leaves me little choice I really need to keep the lights on the top again another good reason to use lids. 



I could use mesh but I've been using lids with lights on them and I've never had a problem. I'm not really interested in changing what works for me. Using a fixture that doesn't run hot on the glass lids work for me.


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## DaveKS (Apr 2, 2019)

filipem said:


> I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving hose on my glass lids. Those are nice though thanks for the suggestion
> 
> 
> Looks like 1 or possible 2 fluval 3.0 fixtures may be the one for me. Do the 3.0's get really hot? They are going to be sitting on the glass on top of the tank.


You really need to use brackets they come with or install some 3/4” rubber feet so there is airgap under light. LED in general run cooler than t5 but heat dissipation is not like Fluor fixtures which have venting. If you make your led strip run hot you can expect it to probably ruin your light by over heating it.

It’s really not hard to build a light dam or even a box to keep light spill over out of your eyes.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

I utilized a cheap beamswork pent 0.5w LED light on a previous tank, nearly 30" to substrate, with great success. Closer will net increased light. The coloring is nothing fancy and there is no ramp feature unfortunately. If you are quite the DIYer, you can make the perfect light yourself! 

Obviously there are options more closely matching your wants, but I did want to throw out the cheapest option for consideration!


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

filipem said:


> I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving hose on my glass lids. Those are nice though thanks for the suggestion
> 
> 
> Looks like 1 or possible 2 fluval 3.0 fixtures may be the one for me. Do the 3.0's get really hot? They are going to be sitting on the glass on top of the tank.


Hi @filpem,

No the 3.0's do not get hot, warm yes but I can rest my hand on them without getting burned. Ken's Fish has the Fluval 3.0 48"-60" on sale for $178.58. The reduced price shows up once the item is in the cart.....the product page shows $209.99. Ground shipping is free but sales tax does apply. *CORRECTION:* I just ordered a 36" Fluval 3.0 today (11/14/19) it was still on sale and sales tax was not added to the order!


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## filipem (May 1, 2008)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi @filpem,
> 
> No the 3.0's do not get hot, warm yes but I can rest my hand on them without getting burned. Ken's Fish has the Fluval 3.0 48"-60" on sale for $178.58. The reduced price shows up once the item is in the cart.....the product page shows $209.99. Ground shipping is free but sales tax does apply.



Man you are awesome. I was just literally ordering this fixture online here in Canada. I just happened to check the forum and boom I found your post. 



I wasn't taxed for some reason and the shipping was free to NY. I use a crossboarder service from there. MUCH cheaper then direct ship. I ended up saving about $70 USD not inc customs charges usually around $10 for something of this value 



I just ordered it thanks again I'm looking forward to trying this light out

Bump:


DaveKS said:


> You really need to use brackets they come with or install some 3/4” rubber feet so there is airgap under light. LED in general run cooler than t5 but heat dissipation is not like Fluor fixtures which have venting. If you make your led strip run hot you can expect it to probably ruin your light by over heating it.
> 
> It’s really not hard to build a light dam or even a box to keep light spill over out of your eyes.



The ends on the fixture actually sit on the black frame and center brace of the aquarium the light fixure does not physically touch the glass the space from the bottom of the fixture to the glass is about 3/8" 



I like the idea of feet seems simpler than building a box. 3/4" high should not present a problem in my situation.


Thanks


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## filipem (May 1, 2008)

Where are these fluval lights made? China?


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## Streetwise (May 24, 2019)

My Plant 3.0 Nano box says made in China.


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## Blue Ridge Reef (Feb 10, 2008)

They are made in China, but are pretty darn well-made. I just got two 3.0 units for a 24" deep tank myself and had the 2.0's before that. I wouldn't worry too much about the origin of manufacture, you will find few LED fixtures that aren't Chinese made.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

filipem said:


> Where are these fluval lights made? China?



Hi @filpem,

+1 in that almost all LED fixtures are made in China. That is why a three (3) year warranty on the Fluval 3.0 and *saving your receipt* is so important. Also, many credit cards (VISA does) will increase the warranty period by 1 year if used for a purchase so actually a four (4) year warranty.


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## filipem (May 1, 2008)

Thanks everyone, I normally like to buy Canadian/American made goods when it makes sense to do so. I already bought the unit I was just curious.


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## filipem (May 1, 2008)

Hi Everyone, I'm trying to find a suspension kit for this unit. I've decided to hang the fixture after all to get a better spread. Apparently it exists but I can't seem to find it. Anyone know where I can buy one?


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## silasvirus82 (Aug 12, 2019)

It would appear that Fluval has dropped their LED line for now. Might be hard to find parts moving forward.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

silasvirus82 said:


> It would appear that Fluval has dropped their LED line for now. Might be hard to find parts moving forward.


not sure that is correct.
Besides what "parts"?
Basically a power supply and a light unit..
PS's can be easily replaced w/out going OEM..
Rest isn't exactly fixable..at least not easily..
as to "old parts".. always crapshoot anyways..regardless of Manuf.



Fluval has been rolling up support centers I believe but not support..


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## silasvirus82 (Aug 12, 2019)

jeffkrol said:


> not sure that is correct.


I'm basing that solely on the fact they were dropped from their website. The only thing I see listed under lighting now is T5 fixtures.


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## filipem (May 1, 2008)

silasvirus82 said:


> I'm basing that solely on the fact they were dropped from their website. The only thing I see listed under lighting now is T5 fixtures.


Not sure where your looking but all of their led units are on their site.

https://fluvalaquatics.com/ca/product-category/lighting/lighting-freshwater-led/

Any how the search continues. I've contacted several stores and the ones that responded to me told me that they were not able to order that specific part. Its frustrating really.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

IF I remeber correctly.. Available in the UK but of course shipping is high..

That said I needed to get gaskets for an Eheim canister filter from the UK.......Only place that had them

Point is you can get them but how much??

Went down this road before yea 2 different brackets, one easy to find the other not.. 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fluval-Reef-Plant-3-0-Suspension/dp/B07F3BXN74

Can't remember the model though.. 
Maybe??
https://www.marineandreef.com/Fluva...MI8u7196y75gIVElYMCh3uHQ5OEAkYASABEgKKM_D_BwE

Old style under cabinet mount..
https://aquariumplants.com/products/fluval-cabinet-mounting-kit-for-led-fixtures


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## filipem (May 1, 2008)

jeffkrol said:


> IF I remeber correctly.. Available in the UK but of course shipping is high..
> 
> That said I needed to get gaskets for an Eheim canister filter from the UK.......Only place that had them
> 
> ...


Thanks I'll look into those


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## RainforestConcepts (Nov 20, 2019)

filipem said:


> Not sure where your looking but all of their led units are on their site.
> 
> https://fluvalaquatics.com/ca/product-category/lighting/lighting-freshwater-led/
> 
> Any how the search continues. I've contacted several stores and the ones that responded to me told me that they were not able to order that specific part. Its frustrating really.


I'm actually seeing the LED lighting removed from their main navigation as well. You can access the products directly, but not via the main nav. Hopefully it's a hiccup. Screenshot: https://cloudup.com/cfrhwu7ZSPO


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

RainforestConcepts said:


> I'm actually seeing the LED lighting removed from their main navigation as well. You can access the products directly, but not via the main nav. Hopefully it's a hiccup. Screenshot: https://cloudup.com/cfrhwu7ZSPO


Yea, pretty weird...
Not that it really has any meaning but Radion xr15fw web page was MIA for awhile after the website upgrade.


Not sure when Fluval re-designed theirs but it's def a new format to me..


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## filipem (May 1, 2008)

jeffkrol said:


> Yea, pretty weird...
> Not that it really has any meaning but Radion xr15fw web page was MIA for awhile after the website upgrade.
> 
> 
> Not sure when Fluval re-designed theirs but it's def a new format to me..


Looks like ita just on the USA site. The Canadian site is fine

Bump: Well I happened to actually find a kit in Canada. It should arrive tomorrow


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## Streetwise (May 24, 2019)

Many English-language Fluval links lead to Canadian web addresses, but I don't see a change in availability in Vermont. I had the same worry a few months ago. I think it is more about how a European company is managing their NA market.

The Plant 3.0 series must be a success, and their AquaClear filters are everywhere.


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## filipem (May 1, 2008)

The kit arrived yesterday and was installed. It looks pretty good
Lucky for me I have 8ft high ceilings they really don't give you much wire. I paid $15 CND which is not a bad price at all.


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