# Tetra / Marineland crescent aquariums 3g and 5g



## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

Anyone have any experience with these aquariums? The 3 and 5 gallon crescent tanks come with a 16 LED clip on light. I'm guessing they're low power ~0.1w LEDs (so that'd be around 2w total) but would that be enough for low light plants in a tank that small? I used 4x1w LEDs over my 2.5 gallon tank that was a ridiculous amount of light. 

I ask because they're both on clearance for about $45 at Petsmart. Funny that they're in Marineland packaging, yet everything online has them in Tetra packaging. Overall, they look nice being seamless and coming with a clear top. Just wondering if the light would be *completely* useless. The fixture looks decent enough, maybe a mod to put two 1w LEDs in there would work nicely.

*edit links didn't work. Just search "tetra crescent system"

I love how they basically give no information on the kits..


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## Shinosuke (May 20, 2004)

Bump!
I saw one of these today and thought it would be great for a little bumblebee goby tank on my desk but am very unsure on the lights.
NO information on the kits, you're right!


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

as per my wholesaler description:

Vendor: Tetra
Desktop aquarium kits featuring a seamless, contemporary look and LED lighting technology.

Curved front adds additional depth and beauty to the aquarium. Environmentally-friendly 16-LED light creates a soft shimmer in the water and is durable and easy to use . Whisper® filtration keeps water crystal clear and healthy. Crescent 5 is designed with angled sides to fit easily into corners.

Components:

5 gal aquarium
Tetra Whisper Internal Filter & Medium Filter Cartridge
Aquarium base & clear cover
TetraCare® usage and registration information
Complete aquarium set-up guide


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## Shinosuke (May 20, 2004)

Ah, ok, so maybe i was exaggerating... I actually saw one of these in a local pet supermarket but couldn't find any info on the lights / wattage. I've scoured google to no avail.. anyone know if the lights on these things will support any plant life?


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## prighello (Aug 19, 2007)

Bump, curious as well about the lighting. The manual doesn't mention the wattage, but the model number on the light is Tetra-16W. Could it really be 16 watts?


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## Katie92 (Jun 29, 2011)

There's no way in hell this thing is 16 watts. I set up one last night with some plants, and it's not bright at all. Are there any other LED fixtures that would support plants like dwarf hairgrass, rotala, and hygro?


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## WingoAgency (Jan 10, 2006)

I think your talking about the straw hat type LEDs, they usually runs from 0.1-0.2W. The light on the Hagan Spec is ~2W total.

For a Spec tank, 2W of LED is OK for low light FW plants-I can keep very easy corals under them surviving too. 4 watts can let you grow almost anything within and 3x2W with 60degree lens actually CAN burn plants half tank up slowly, depending on what species.


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## Rainer (Jan 30, 2011)

Here's the light in question. I'm using one on a 10g halfmoon. It seems dark compared to my high tech tank but grows myrio and lysimachia well enough without overpowering the various mosses and fern. 

For a shorter tank like the 3-5g crescents, Excel might not be enough.


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## Adrand (Feb 13, 2012)

Extreme bump of an old thread but didnt want to start a whole new one for mostly the same topic. 

I was given one of these tetra 5 gallon tanks with the LED lamp and am wondering if anyone has had any success with plants in this setup. The LED has 16 bulbs but i cant find any definitive info on wattage or specs. I am not sure it is enough or of the right spectrum to support any plants. So far I have put down a layer of miracle grow organic capped with pfs. Ive started it with some rotala trimmings, xmas moss, and small swords. Its only been a week or 2 but I think im seeing a little growth on the rotalas. Might be the placebo effect though. Anyone have any experience or info on these LEDs? Any educated guesses if I have any chance of growth here? Thank you.


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## Jvidi (Dec 9, 2014)

Extreme Bump. Any info. on this light or tank yet? Everything seems like a good value for the price. I just want to be able to grow anubias nana, petites and maybe s repens.


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## plantetra (May 17, 2014)

Jvidi said:


> Extreme Bump. Any info. on this light or tank yet? Everything seems like a good value for the price. I just want to be able to grow anubias nana, petites and maybe s repens.


Another Extreme Bump : Were you able to grow these plants with this light?


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## ermpickle (Dec 29, 2016)

Another extreme bump . Did anyone figure out if lowlight plants can be grown with this light? I found the whole kit on CL for $15!


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