Purchasing LED lighting PLEASE HELP~

ryanpfaffer

New Member
I have a 29 gallon reef. Been up and running for about 3 years now. Running great with the t5HO I have on it now but I am ready to take on the challenges of the most difficult to keep corals

What lighting should I get that will have NO problems keeping clams and such? Thanks in advance.
 

reefer gladness

Well-Known Member
Try posting it again, I think you need a minimum number of posts (around 5) before you can put in hyperlinks and add photos.
 

StirCrayzy

Well-Known Member
30x12x24h = 38g or more affectionately known as a 40 tall. 29g is 6" shorter.
Ive had both of these tanks.

My research leads me to believe, If you want high light animals under LED, get 5w, and no worries.
24"of water needs strong lights and lenses .
 

reefer gladness

Well-Known Member
To OP, we were asking about your tank type because the biocube variety of 29g tanks with a plastic canopy are usually better off with a DIY retrofit kit like BladeYamaha posted. The complete LED fixtures are mostly intended to be mounted several inches above the water, more than a 29g biocube canopy would allow.

That said, nearly all of the most reputable LED lights are being made with 5-watt and 3-watt LED's manufactured by CREE with some of the colored (i.e red, green, etc.) coming from Osram. Some of the better lights are the Ecotech Radion's, the AI Sol's, Maxspect and GHL just came out with one, if you look at what type of LED's they use you'll see they're all 5-watt or 3-watt CREE's with maybe a few Osram or Phillips color accent LED's. So with that knowledge find one that best matches your particular desires. They're all good and mostly using the same components, some have more features than others like having a built in controller.

I do recommend you stick with a well-known brand with a good warranty and buy from a reputable retailer with good customer service. The ultra cheap LED lights you may see on eBay or Amazon all cut corners that reduce the efficiency and lifespan of the light. When you find one you're interested in post a link and we'll give you some more feedback.
 

ryanpfaffer

New Member
To OP, we were asking about your tank type because the biocube variety of 29g tanks with a plastic canopy are usually better off with a DIY retrofit kit like BladeYamaha posted. The complete LED fixtures are mostly intended to be mounted several inches above the water, more than a 29g biocube canopy would allow.

That said, nearly all of the most reputable LED lights are being made with 5-watt and 3-watt LED's manufactured by CREE with some of the colored (i.e red, green, etc.) coming from Osram. Some of the better lights are the Ecotech Radion's, the AI Sol's, Maxspect and GHL just came out with one, if you look at what type of LED's they use you'll see they're all 5-watt or 3-watt CREE's with maybe a few Osram or Phillips color accent LED's. So with that knowledge find one that best matches your particular desires. They're all good and mostly using the same components, some have more features than others like having a built in controller.

I do recommend you stick with a well-known brand with a good warranty and buy from a reputable retailer with good customer service. The ultra cheap LED lights you may see on eBay or Amazon all cut corners that reduce the efficiency and lifespan of the light. When you find one you're interested in post a link and we'll give you some more feedback.


141W LED Aquarium Coral Reef Tank White Blue 1 1 LED Grow Light | eBay
 

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
Honestly more often than not when it comes to LED fixtures you get what you pay for. Cheap IN = Cheap out

Granted that's not always the case but it's the true case more often than not for sure.

The GHL Mitras is an amazing light but it's price tag can be shocking especially if you're just looking for a simple On/Off LED fixture. It has all the bells and whistles that you could even desire and some you don't even know you desire yet LOL but as mentioned it has some degree of "Sticker Shock" associated with it.

I would HIGHLY suggest staying FAR away from ebay lights and any of those other "random" websites.... go with a KNOWN and reputable company and with a light that has a warranty of more than just a few weeks. When/If you have problems you want to know that company is still going to be there and not "Fly By Night".
 
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