# Sean's LED growlights



## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

Follow up to posts made in this thread:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/24164-led-grow-lights.html

This is a 14 gallon bow front tank.

Both sets of lights on.

Again,

Shot of the LEDs

LED lighting the tank alone,

PC lighting the tank alone.

I'm going to be remounting the LED's and directing them more towards the back of the tank.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Where did you get the LED grow lights and how much $ were they? Do you think you can grow any aquarium plant with LED's alone?


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## medicineman (Sep 28, 2005)

I'd say they are good for watching nightlife creatures when the main lights are out. Do they *really* benefits in growing plants in a way?


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

Darkcobra whistles the five notes from "Close Encounters".... THEY'RE HERE!


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

These LED's are designed to grow terrestrial plants, the light spectrum is only in the range that plants use for photosynthesis. These lights are TERRIBLE for viewing the aquarium but they are GREAT for growing the plants. That's why I have both the PC and the LED's on that tank. If I were smart I'd get a second set that I would have running instead of the PC when I'm not home. Then I could turn on the PC when I wanted to view the tank. 

medicineman, your biggest problem is heat, I've read your threads. These generate almost no heat. You can put your hand right on them and not care when they've been on for hours. Unfortunately they need to be within 2 feet of the plants, your tanks are too deep. They haven't developed the technology to make them useful for deeper tanks yet. The original design covers an area 1 foot by 3 foot, I had them cut the bar down and light a smaller area.

The cost was about the same as for a PC fixture with bulbs. The LED bulbs could last 10 years or more and they use much less electricity. Like a pressurized CO2 system, pay up front and save money over time vs. a DIY CO2 generator.


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

What do the fish think about the LEDs? Any difference in activity levels between that and the PC? Anotherwards, do they think it's night or day when only the LEDs are running?


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

I don't leave only the LED's running and the endlers haven't seemed to change their ways.


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

Weekly picture to stay in step with the main LED discussion thread.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

How do you figure how much of the plant growth is due to the LEDs vs due to the PC? This experiment would be really useful if you would not use the PC light...


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

I understand what you are talking about Wasser, an experiment to see what light plants grew better under could be helpful. Since I didn't set up a control or number of trial this doesn't really qualify as an experiment. It is only a qualitative assessment of the fixture. ( Luckily I never claimed experimental status. :icon_wink )

I was using 3x36 watt PC lights over this tank and getting ok growth, now I'm using one 36 watt bulb with the LED bar and getting good if not better growth. Imagine, if you can replace 2 PC lamps at a total of 72 watts with one 6 watt LED bar and see the same (if not better) results.....? Would you like to see the results of someone trying to do that? That's really about all this report is, a 'does it work if used' thread.

Since the LEDs are horrible for viewing the tank, no one will be running them alone unless, like I mention someplace, they are run alone when no one is around. Given that, I think this meets a qualitative review of a real world use.

Besides, I can't afford the number of lights and tanks necessary to do a real experiment. I don't even have the space.

Edited 2/28/2006: I found out that the LEDs use 2 watts per cluster, so the bar uses 6 watts not 2 like I previously thought.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

It looks promising. Hopefully later, they will develop more tasteful whiter colors without having to sacrifice too much of the low amount of energy to get that good efficiency for plant growth.

I do entirely expect LED's to be used a great deal more in our tanks in the future.

If 3x 36w of PC did poorer than 1x36 LED's, then it might be the PAR light driving the system. Watts do not = PAR.

I'm curious enough though, I have a PAR meters that I can send you if you are interested in getting a comparison. PM me and I'll send it. It's recently calibrated for both sun and electronic sources of light.

Then you/we can get a better idea.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

Yes Tom, you are right, it is PAR light driving the system. If you saved my address from the box when I sent you the downoi, you can send me your meter to borrow for a bit to get the readings for you.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

I did not save the address or box, it was recycled immediately.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## 66 north (Oct 28, 2004)

Glad to hear and see that these lights are probably doing as well for you Sean. Having two threads/tryouts should tell us all alot more. I want to test some more but so far I agree and think these lights are great as lighting for growing plants is concerned but not viewing. Supplemental light is probably the best use for them for now but that's great, they save so much power. 

I'm interested to see what the PAR meter can tell us, for now I can just re-post a link that shows their output spectrum according to the manufacturer. 

http://www.pricenetwork.ca/gallery/albums/userpics/16226/light output.jpg

Finally, judging by the interest generated by these lights perhaps SolarOasis will design some lights intended for us aquarists. I don't think they had us in mind when they built these things.


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

plantbrain said:


> I did not save the address or box, it was recycled immediately.
> 
> Regards,
> Tom Barr


That's not going to help since I can't PM you because you have a exceeded your message storage capacity.


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

You know what 66, I'm just maintaining this thread to compliment your's. The discussion belongs there since you were the one to initiate contact with the company. Speaking of which, Larry is a very nice guy, and he is enthusiastic about our trials, if we can keep his attention on our application we'll be getting some great lights out of that company.


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

This week required a trim so we have a before and after shot.


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

Weekly update, it's almost fun to flip through the pictures to see the changes over time.


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## 66 north (Oct 28, 2004)

Looks like things are still growing pretty well after dropping all that wattage. Is the CF light over the middle of the tank now, and if so do you notice any 'reaching' by the plants for any particular type of light?


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

The LED light is over the front angled at the back. I'm not seeing 'reaching' as much as I'm seeing really nice growth. I emailed Larry and told him how happy I am. They are designing brackets with suction cups to stick the bars to the tops of glass covers. To keep them from sliding around. Should be interesting.

The PC light is pushed all the way to the back of the tank and overhangs the back. I'm only getting a portion of the PC light into the tank.


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## fedge (Mar 4, 2004)

I need these things... I have air conditioning problems and electricity concerns.. if a good system could be made (bright view lights) and high power LED's I would invest in them... the electricity savings and lower airconditioning bills in summer would be auesome


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

I didn't get a picture this week yet, I was going to, but the tank needs yet another trim and I didn't have time for that. The nice part is I always have time for stuff on Fridays so moving the weekly pics back a few days will mean more consistancey. Pics will be posted later tonight, including a side shot showing the locations of the two lights.

I don't know how people put up with stem plants, I really don't, all this trimming.... :redface:


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

OK this weeks pics, the lights on top from the side, pre trim tank and post trim tank.


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## fedge (Mar 4, 2004)

I think for this to be TRUE scientific test you need to black out the tank(cover it on all sides--so no extra light gets into it) remove the PC light and just run teh LED's. Give it two weeks ...no peeks.. just feed and fert like normal and then take a shot!!!


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

Not trying to do 'science', trying to do 'hobby'. Not trying to find out if only the LEDs will grow plants, trying to find out if a combination of the two and reducing the PC lighting does the job. 66 North is running the experiment of only the LEDs. If you notice, my PC light is about to fall off the back of the tank I have it pushed back so far. It's not doing much of anything for the front of this aquarium. I'll say it again, the LEDs are lousy for viewing the tank, if you want to see anything, you have to have a white light source with the LED's. No one would *want* to have just the LED's, why is a real world application so hard to get? These are stem plants and forground plants under inadequate light if you just figure the PC lighting, they look pretty good to me.

To that point, I'm not sure the Limnophilia aromatica in the back right of the tank is getting enough light having only the partial PC directly above it, it is outside of the LED light cone. It hasn't required a trim since I reduced the PC light and put the LEDs over the front of the tank. The same for the bacopa red next to it towards the center. *Everything* under the LEDs is growing.


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

This week's shot.


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

For a concise description of the 'cost' of buying and using the LED's see the thread referenced at the top of this one.


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## bbroush (Sep 13, 2012)

Whatever happened here? I work for an electronics company and I was going to source some LED grow lights for our website and take some home to try on my riparium tank.


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## JL15219 (Nov 10, 2008)

Wow you really brought this one back from the graveyard. :biggrin:


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

Tank is still lit by these lights and growing plants. LED's are coming down in price quickly and the options are vast. I plan on converting to LED's on all my tanks once my kids are out college.


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## bbroush (Sep 13, 2012)

JL15219 said:


> Wow you really brought this one back from the graveyard. :biggrin:


Hahaha, i've been really interested in these lights! This was one of the only threads I've found anywhere on these lights.



SCMurphy said:


> Tank is still lit by these lights and growing plants. LED's are coming down in price quickly and the options are vast. I plan on converting to LED's on all my tanks once my kids are out college.


Could you post some pictures? I'm hoping to do this soon. Hopefully I can get some bulbs from China for cheap


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