OMG!!! THE LED's!! wowwwwwwwwwwwww

[tom619]

update 4/23/09: this is by far, the strongest LED in the market i've used from my experiments (link below). i would dare to say stronger then Current Powerbrite. it reaches the bottom of of my 30g tank without losing brightness.
i tried 1 and it blue me away. get it? hahaha, sorry lame joke. anyways, i asked the seller for a groupbuy and he knocked down the price to $11.50 each for 20+. someone should do a groupbuy, not me! i just got my first career job so now i can barely keep up the tank.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BLUE-Household-LED-Light-Bulb-110V-AC-3-Watt-E27_W0QQitemZ350058396875QQihZ022QQcategoryZ20706Q QtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262
if link doenst work, type in search: 350058396875

This is the company website: http://www.plasmaled.com/household_led_light_bulb.htm

http://i11.ebayimg.com/05/i/000/ef/a3/17b2_1.JPG

power usage: 3w
life of bulb: 10 years
made in Minnesota, USA. NOT HongKong!




......................

old post:

Ed! remember when you came over with your PowerBrites and said you're looking for cheaper alternatives..? and how i told you i bought some of these on ebay to test them out...
well they came today and i plugged them in..

OMGGGGG... it was blinding me! comparable to the PowerBrite (http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~category~Current_USA_PowerBrite_LED_Li ghting_System__4x1W_460nm_Blue_Linkable_LEDs~vendo r~Current_USA~SearchStr~powerbrite~action~view~idP roduct~CU01647~idCategory~FILTFILDLK.html) you brought over, if not stronger. it makes EVERYTHING pop, even with the strong MH light on.
this specific one is 24 led, but i also bought 18's to try, which should come in a couple days.

definitely a cheaper alternative.
ED! you GOTTA see this in person!

power use: 2w
cost: $9
socket: medium; regular household
life: 100,000 hours. (10 years)

PowerBrite: $59 (http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~category~Current_USA_PowerBrite_LED_Li ghting_System__4x1W_460nm_Blue_Linkable_LEDs~vendo r~Current_USA~SearchStr~powerbrite~action~view~idP roduct~CU01647~idCategory~FILTFILDLK.html)


http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww308/Tom619/LED.png


WARNING WARNING!
this light is wayy too strong to be used as a moonlight; the fish and corals will not get a chance to rest.
but definitely could be used as an actinic supplement in the daytime.:lol:





just use a 99cent socket with extension cord or something.
http://www.electronicplus.com/images/products/738W-BOX.jpg

+ this. $1
http://www.lakewoodconferences.com/direct/dbimage/50218411/Indoor_Extension_Cord.jpg


.

[Yolo]

And the ebay link is.....

[tom619]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=400028959954

[rudy]

Hey Tom. How wide do you think the beam is at 36" ?
Great find BTW.

[tom619]

it's pretty concentrated. it's designed as a spotlight.
at 36" from the ground, light diameter on the ground is about 12-15", with probably diminished lighting power.
i'm thinking of linking a row of these to use as actinics. that way, i could angle at each coral.

[JoeJ]

Find some white LEDs, make an array with these blues plus a dimmer switch (?) and you've got yourself some serious lighting. I wonder who's going to attempt this DIY?

[SDguy]

I'm thinking of linking a row of these to use as actinics. that way, i could angle at each coral.

I've seen Japanese tanks with various corals "spotlighted" using different colors, to accentuate their natural colors. Very neat!

[Haeun]

lol find me some crees for cheap.

[Techknowledgy]

Kool........ I have LEDs all over the house now..... more coming! They rock.

[jaysonsd]

how about this (http://cgi.ebay.com/48-Watt-WHITE-BLUE-LED-Aquarium-and-Grow-Light-Panel_W0QQitemZ390030467479QQihZ026QQcategoryZ4631 4QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713.m153.l126 2)?

[marineman1978]

Nice find Tom. Got me thinkin.......

[barometer]

w00t! I told you I thought they'd be the way to go for actinics Tom. Just like the Japanese tanks, but with LED spots instead :). I will definitely find a way to get over there, now you've got me excited about my cube plans :bounce: Are you seeing the same coloring as the powerbrites? And what's the resulting light cone shape like (wide or narrow)?

[ManTis]

I guess the only thing now to do is get a group buy together...:D

Let us know Tom...:D

[tom619]

Are you seeing the same coloring as the powerbrites? And what's the resulting light cone shape like (wide or narrow)?

remember how i threw the PowerBrite on the tank 1 last time b4 you left so i could remember what they look like...? well i dont remember any difference..
but i could be wrong... i say you bring em over again.


I guess the only thing now to do is get a group buy together...:D
Let us know Tom...:D

Michael just volunteered!

[sevlar]

I'm thinking of ordering some of these for actinic supplementation on my 34g.

Do you have any pics of these lights in use?

It would be awesome to see a comparison of a) leds alone b) leds + halides c) halides alone. Thanks! :D

[jrlafrance]

No doubt, where are the pics!

[swissfish]

Pics?????????????

[tom619]

sure. pictures later when i have time. not my priority at the moment.

[Technoviking]

Thinking about getting a pair (or so) of these to add shimmer to my new cube which will be running T-5s. Should be interesting.

[Sam Maghsoodloo]

If the beam is to concentrated, i'm sure you could do a trick that works with all led's. Just use some sandpaper, and rough up the surface of all the led's. It'll cast a much more diffused beam.

[tom619]

hmm. maybe i should try it, thanks sam.
on the other hand, i kinda like them the way they are

[MadMax]

Just wait and see the LED stuff being showcased at the Marine Aquarium Expo coming up in a few weeks in Orange County. (April 4-5, 2009)
Quite a few companies will be debuting thier latest innovations for the first time at our show,.....not to mention a $12,000 aquarium system in the raffle :)

http://www.marineaquariumexpo.com/attendee/attandeemain.html

[vicfish]

hey
can these be used as a lighting system for a nano??
:]
like no other lights?

[tom619]

no. they're not strong enough. just a supplement.
u'd need a million of em

[dnraiders]

i saw on anther reefing website, someone did a DIY on a nanocube(cant remember if it was 12 or 24gl) with high wattage leds. he only had like 3 leds i think. it was amazing he even had sps surviving in there. cant remember but if i find it ill send you the link,

[vicfish]

ohh nice!

[sonnybihis]

i think i'll try these red ones for my fuge...

http://cgi.ebay.com/RED-24-LED-Lightbulb-110-V-Globe-Screw-Base-Light-bulb_W0QQitemZ110297107772QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_De faultDomain_0?hash=item110297107772&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1240|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 18|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

ron at og raves on and on about red leds used to grow seaweed in japan...

[tom619]

let us know how it goes, sonny.

[dnraiders]

i think i'll try these red ones for my fuge...

http://cgi.ebay.com/RED-24-LED-Lightbulb-110-V-Globe-Screw-Base-Light-bulb_W0QQitemZ110297107772QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_De faultDomain_0?hash=item110297107772&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1240|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 18|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

ron at og raves on and on about red leds used to grow seaweed in japan...

interesting since red in the least intense color of light

[sonnybihis]

interesting since red in the least intense color of light

it's all about wavelength, not intensity...

[SolRo]

hey
can these be used as a lighting system for a nano??
:]
like no other lights?

I doubt it.

While some LEDs look bright just focused down in a tight beam (or blue/red lights especialy, our eyes are sensitive), they aren't intense enough for most coral without major amounts of them very close together covering the top of your tank.

you could grow mushrooms and some other ultra low light coral, maybe...but then again you could also probably do it with ambient light in a room.

[SolRo]

for those curious

white+actinic t5
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b259/Gonodil/IMG_4223.jpg


actinic t5
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b259/Gonodil/IMG_4224.jpg


LEDs
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b259/Gonodil/IMG_4221.jpg


LEDs + white t5 +actinic t5
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b259/Gonodil/IMG_4222.jpg

[Trickman2]

Nice, I am planning on setting up a new fuge soon, but want to do leds for sure

[j1gregor]

I've been wanting to use LED"s on my fuge as well. My par38 light doesn't use that much energy, but since it runs like 18hrs a day it would be nice to switch to something more efficient. It would be great to use one of these to grow chaeto.. let us know how it works.

[mj1333]

for those curious

white+actinic t5
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b259/Gonodil/IMG_4223.jpg


actinic t5
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b259/Gonodil/IMG_4224.jpg


LEDs
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b259/Gonodil/IMG_4221.jpg


LEDs + white t5 +actinic t5
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b259/Gonodil/IMG_4222.jpg

How many led's were you using and how big is the tank?

[tom619]

has anybody tried Cold Cathodes?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/4-BLUE-Neon-Tube-12-PLASMA-12V-Neons-Tubes-Cathode_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742Q2em153Q2el 1262QQcategoryZ33714QQihZ022QQitemZ350058862746QQt cZphoto




.

[SolRo]

How many led's were you using and how big is the tank?

24g, err. about 150

[Haeun]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8pnGmulVoI&feature=channel_page

[ChouDawg]

tom619: have you tried these as actinic supplement? Does it work well?

[tom619]

tom619: have you tried these as actinic supplement? Does it work well?

yup. big difference. that's my main use: too strong for moonlights in my 30g, but not enough par to be lit alone for coral growth, so theyre best as supplements. makes everything pop. spotlight effect, so you get to be selective on where to shine and give the tank a 3D look of depth.

when the last few people came for the fishfood groupbuy, i showed them the tank with the led's both on and off, while the mh stays on, and the typical reaction was "oh whoa..". you know who you are! if so, lets hear your feedback.


Thread update: this is by far, the strongest LED i've used from my experiments (link below). i would dare to say stronger then Current Powerbrite. it reaches the bottom of the tank easily.
i tried 1 and it blue me away. get it? hahaha, sorry lame joke. anyways, i asked the seller for a groupbuy and he knocked down the price to $11.50 each for 20+. someone should do a groupbuy, not me! i just accepted my first career job so now i can barely keep up the tank.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BLUE-Household-LED-Light-Bulb-110V-AC-3-Watt-E27_W0QQitemZ350058396875QQihZ022QQcategoryZ20706Q QtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262
if link doenst work, type in search: 350058396875


.

[Haeun]

I use the old bulb that Tom originally recommended.
I use the dimmer at Ikea ($8). During the day, I turn it up to the highest for actinic supplementation, and turn it down during the night for moonlights. And if I need to do something in the tank after lights out, I jut turn up the LEDs to the brightest.

Here's a write up of how I put mine together and used mine:
http://reefbydesign.blogspot.com/2009/03/led-spotlight.html
http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv148/antigeron/DIY/ingredients.jpg
http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv148/antigeron/DIY/on-arm.jpg
http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv148/antigeron/DIY/on-tank.jpg

Once my current bulbs from centralpointsecurity die though, I'll try the new ones Tom updated with. I was not impressed with the build quality of the old ones.

[tom619]

awesome! thanks Diana

some bulb specify that you can't use it with a dimmer or not suggested, so just be careful. i'm not sure the science behind it, but im just throwing out what was written on the box.

be careful with shipped-from-China cheap immitations. i've used both and noticed a big difference in quality and brightness... not to mention lead poisoning.
yeah, you cant go wrong with the new bulbs (made in USA) that i recommended today. it looks really solid and unbreakable. i also bought an exact imitation from china to check it out. the difference was night and day.


.

[Sam Maghsoodloo]

congrats on starting your career :)

[ChouDawg]

Tom619: So with the two pack running on your 30g it is a good actinic supplement? Do you have any pictures by any chance? How'd you wire them? Water proof? Thanks, I think I'm going to do this, much cheaper method for actinic supplement with my Sunpod

[tom619]

congrats on starting your career :)

lol THANKS Sam! you caught that. yeah i buried that in there on purpose; didnt want to make a scene out of it or anything cuz i know it's a really hard time for most of us and i want to show respect, but of course, i'm grateful and feel relieved, especially in this economy. btw, i still have your pc set up for my frag tank and love it! thanks!


Tom619: So with the two pack running on your 30g it is a good actinic supplement? Do you have any pictures by any chance? How'd you wire them? Water proof? Thanks, I think I'm going to do this, much cheaper method for actinic supplement with my Sunpod

hmm. pictures wouldn't do this justice cuz the difference is obvious to the eye, but still too subtle for the camera.
the set-up is exactly like how i describe on page1, first post. it's not waterproof and i care less cuz i have glass lid over my tank (like freshwater), so the canopy is dry to the bone. but again that's particular to my set-up so i didnt bother water-proofing it, feel free to play around with alternatives.

yes it's a good actinic suppliment in my opinion. thanks to several fellow reefers, i was able to borrow actinic pc's, vho's, and T'5s, but somehow they're not exactly what i had in mind. this is what i'm settling with. personal choice (not to mention cheaper cost, energy use, bulb life). especially when u put this over regular xenia's, they turn bright electric blue, which is really cool and you dont have to buy the rarer blue xenia type (which is kinda purplish anyways). =]



.

[ChouDawg]

Cool, I'll have to get a pair and try it out then.

[Haeun]

Tom, have you tried any of the ones on dealextreme?
http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/search.120-Lumen%20Blue%20LED%20Light%20Bulb

I found some that are interesting:
1. http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12737 - 455 lumens
2. http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12962 - 75 lumens

There's more but i haven't look through them all yet

[tom619]

Thanks Diana

this one sucks. my friend tried it and the light spreads out evenly, but it's pretty dim everywhere. so: great for a moonlight, but won't be able to break thru MH as supplement.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12962

This one, i'm not sure. looks like it would work, but it looks like you're sacrificing reflection area vs # of bulbs with the LED i recommended. give and take. besides, it's 1w/LED, vs the one i recommended which was 3w/LED, so definitely a weaker LED, but more in #. i wish i could try it, but it's obviously $$$ and i dont have that luxury. The whole point was to find a cheaper alternative but with great looks, liability, and energy cost.

this is the company website of the one i newly recommended earlier:
http://www.plasmaled.com/household_led_light_bulb.htm


on the side note, i know these are BLINDING (the one with yellow inner), cuz i tried them for my car. beats all other designs by a mile. looks deceiving, but that's what i thought too.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13043

to all: I think LED designs are endless and forever-improving at this rate. hopefully i helped to open our eyes for opportunities. let us know what you can find!

Thanks Diana!


.

[Haeun]

Ah, ok. I was a little leery of the new one, cause the auction didn't list how many lumens it was. But the website says 95 for the 3 watt one, 195 for the 5 watt.
I think I'll try a 5 watt one.

[tom619]

NICE! let me know how it does. we can get together to compare since i already have the other one.

[clira13]

Tom,
I tried the ones you suggested on pg. 1 on my 180. I have a 400w mh 20k. The led's dont cut through the mh as much as yours do. Maybe 20k is too much. Im going to try the new ones you recommended with a 14k bulb. Right now I have 4 bulbs on a 6' tank, Im going to add 2 more of the plasma leds and see what it does. With MH off they do make colors pop, zoos stay open with these lights alone.
Thanks
BTW. my tank buddies love the food and congrats on the new career. Good luck.

Carlos

[tom619]

carlos, try the new plasma bulbs. disregard the old bulbs at this point. it's an improvement over time. i guarantee you will see the difference.
you should even consider the 5w version for you whopping 180. Thanks Carlos

general note: if you buy the wrong voltage 110v vs 220v (only reason this would happen is if you buy from overseas, ~China), the 220v will still work on our 110v, but it will be very dim. i know this cuz they sent me the wrong one and admitted it.

[jaysonsd]

Tom, have you tried the 5watters yet? Trying to power through some strong t5s to create shimmer...

[ChouDawg]

Tom619: Are these the best so far now?

http://cgi.ebay.com/BLUE-Household-LED-Light-Bulb-110V-AC-3-Watt-E27_W0QQitemZ350058396875QQihZ022QQcategoryZ20706Q QtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

Is it the Plasma LED you are referring to? How's the wavelength, fluorescence and such?

I just thought of a pretty good idea in terms of light distribution, could take one of those acrylic "light diffuser" pieces that they put over fluorescent strips in office buildings to disperse the light. If you cut a circle to go in front of the LED should double as a splash guard as well?

Is this the same single Plasma LED as well?

http://www.sdreefs.com/forums/showthread.php?p=464659#post464659

If its THAT bright I'd be amazed

[clira13]

Just ordered the 5 watters, a little pricey but still cheaper in the long run. Ill keep you posted.

Carlos

[tom619]

Tom, have you tried the 5watters yet? Trying to power through some strong t5s to create shimmer...

no not yet. my tank is only 24" keep, so i felt like i dont need the 5w. but i wish i had the extra $ to try it.



Tom619: Are these the best so far now?

http://cgi.ebay.com/BLUE-Household-LED-Light-Bulb-110V-AC-3-Watt-E27_W0QQitemZ350058396875QQihZ022QQcategoryZ20706Q QtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

Is it the Plasma LED you are referring to? How's the wavelength, fluorescence and such?

I just thought of a pretty good idea in terms of light distribution, could take one of those acrylic "light diffuser" pieces that they put over fluorescent strips in office buildings to disperse the light. If you cut a circle to go in front of the LED should double as a splash guard as well?

Is this the same single Plasma LED as well?

http://www.sdreefs.com/forums/showthread.php?p=464659#post464659

If its THAT bright I'd be amazed

yes, that's still my favorite bulb, but also consider the fact that i havent been searching lately cuz ive been so tired from work. im still open for new opportunities. in terms of wavelength, par, etc, you know as much as i do from the manufacturer's website. there is a PAR-meter available to test if you're interested.
http://www.melevsreef.com/par_readings.html

no, it's not that Aqua Illuminations bulb. different.

good lookin' on the light diffuser "egg crate". however, i dont think it would work since the bulb is too small. moreover,i think a diffuser would block the light of this tiny LED significantly.

Carlos, let us know how it is..




.

[clira13]

(Carlos, let us know how it is..)

Will do. Has anybody purchased the bulbs from pg.1? I bought 4, and 2 of them dont work anymore. I contacted the guy from ebay after the 1st one went out and he replaced it, but now I lost a 2nd one. He addmitted that this batch of lights have been a problem for him. I should have better luck with the plasme LEDs.

[ChouDawg]

With the plasma LED you only have 1-LED that can possibly go out. With the multiple LED ones from page 1 you have a higher risk of bad bulbs. Hopefully the seller warranties them properly. I really want to try the Plasma one Tom619 linked to. Anyone used it yet? Thoughts?

Also for the light diffusing idea I wasn't thinking of eggcrate but instead the plastic "bumpy" sheets of acrylic like that they put over Flourescents, its not holey like eggcrate, might block too much though depending on how thick it is.

http://www.made-in-china.com/image/2f0j00QvktOfNDbPbMM/Fluorescent-Light-Diffuser.jpg

Something like that which is similar to the idea of roughing the LED w/ sand paper. Obviously not curved like that.

[clira13]

Ok, heres the deal,
I got my 5 watters today, and they are b@da$$. Way better than the ones one pg. 1. It has 3 bulbs but not as smooth as the other ones. They have a rough face almost like a matte finish. This helps dispurse the beam of light and creates a way better shimmer. I have a closed loop system with a 1" SQWD(bcuz I cant afford an oceans motion)and when the water comes out of the side w/the 5w you can definatley see the difference. To create the shimmer, make sure you have some surface water aggitation.
Tom,Lmk if you want to check out a bulb. I could bring one by and compare them with some fellow reefers. LMK. Just to clarify, This beam of light still doesnt cut through my 400w 20k MH as much as I would like them to. I plan on buying a 14k bulb and see how they do then.I understand 14k is better for coral growth anyway. For now, when the main lights shut down for the day, I still have an hour to enjoy these new lights. Thanks Tom.
Later

Carlos

[tom619]

woo hoo! i had no doubt the 5w would be badass! next time im available is this tomorrow from 7-9 after work. lmk. thanks Carlos!



.

[ChouDawg]

where'd you find the 5w?

[clira13]

where'd you find the 5w?

Plasma LED. http://www.plasmaled.com/household_led_light_bulb.htm
Awesome lights

[clira13]

woo hoo! i had no doubt the 5w would be badass! next time im available is this tomorrow from 7-9 after work. lmk. thanks Carlos!



.

Ill contact you later. I have a big concrete pour today, I may be physically and mentally beat down.

Carlos

[jaysonsd]

When ur feeling more up to it, any chance you or Tom could snap some photos? I'm right on the edge of buying a blue 5watter as a single source for shimmer.

[clira13]

When ur feeling more up to it, any chance you or Tom could snap some photos? I'm right on the edge of buying a blue 5watter as a single source for shimmer.

Im cool with that. Tom, hows your Saturday looking?

[tom619]

Im cool with that. Tom, hows your Saturday looking?

i'm good on Saturday, Carlos. 6-9pm is best
lmk thanks
619 808 1195

[clira13]

i'm good on Saturday, Carlos. 6-9pm is best
lmk thanks
619 808 1195

Ill give you a call about that time.

[ChouDawg]

Cant wait to see some pics

[diegoluv]

Tom brought a 3 watt led over to my house tonight and you wouldnt believe how mice these look on my 100 gallon. The moonlight shimmers and makes the coral pop like crazy. I wasn't too excited to see them until we turned them on my tank and BAM! I am sold...

[ChouDawg]

Ah no pics? did he bring the plasma LEDs? Hows dispersion

[diegoluv]

yeah he brought both the "plasma" and the 14 LED one I think. The 14 was cool and subtle but the plasma one is unbelievable. I am so glad I didnt buy the strip lights after I saw this. It is only 15 bucks for the LED too and then 1 dollar each for extension cord and receptacle at Walmart. I only need two on my 5 foot tank and thats WAY MORE THEN ENOUGH.

[ChouDawg]

Wow only two over your 150g? The beam pattern must be pretty damn good then? Got me sold, I'm definitely ordering one next week. Can't wait for some pix :bounce:

[diegoluv]

It's not that the pattern is wide, it's actually pretty concentrated. The trick is to set it up the LED to shine from the top corner of the tank to the opposite bottom corner of the tank. That way the light casts a subtle yet defining moonlight shimmer across the tank. You have to see it to believe it. It is truly the most remarkable lighting effect I have ever seen on a tank.

[sevlar]

Do you think 2 of the 5 watters would be bright enough for actinic supplementation on a 34 g tank? The other lighting would be 4 x 24w t5. I'd worry that the blue would get washed out if you're only using it as moonlights.

[diegoluv]

Well Tom uses one of them on his 30 gallon with a 175 watt metal HQI and you can tell a BIG difference when he turns off the LED. And that's only the 3 watter. I think you should have no problem. The biggest effect you will get though I think is the actual shimmer effect you don't get from T-5's or PC's. That alone is worth the investment IMO.

[jaysonsd]

I'm wondering the same thing over my 34g, but there are 5watters and they come in blue and white.

[ChouDawg]

DiegoLuv: Thats a good point on the angling it from a corner to cover the whole tank, does it really make the colors fluorescent? Sort of like how moonlights make stuff look amazingly fluorescent but just during the day too?

Jaysonsd: From DiegoLuv's response I think one for your Solana would be enough, especially if its a 5w

I think for my AP24 I'm gonna go with a single 3w Plasma. Screw multiple Cree supplement. Price is such a huge diff

[bsmith219]

anyone try these on a fuge??

[clira13]

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXGBqxnbKhU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXGBqxnbKhU
Ok guys I didnt make it over to Toms (sorry for any inconvienience) but I taped a little bit of the glimmer the 5 watt bulb creates. Hope it loaded ok.

Carlos

[ChouDawg]

Thx for the vid, any chance you can get one LEDs off, daylights on vs LEDs on, daylights on? Thats really what I'm more interested in since I have MH shimmer

[ChouDawg]

Ah I cant decide between 3W or 5W someone get some pictures so I can order!

[clira13]

Choudawg, I dont really see much difference with the daylights on. I think my lights are too bright. 400w 20k. You are more than welcome to come by and look for yourself, I live in el cajon. I cant shrink down my pics to post here. LMK

[Haeun]

I really want to try these with my T5s, but I'm out of funds for the month. Will have to wait for another month, before ordering some of the 5 watt bulbs.

They sound great though.

[clira13]

Diana,
I highly recommend the 5w bulbs,I ordered 1 at a time the shipping is free so you dont have to worry about paying all the shipping costs.
BTW peeps, check this out.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=14502630#post14502630

[ChouDawg]

Saw that thread, crazy huge LED build. I have a much smaller tank then you though. My 24g with 150w Sunpod I should be able to tell a difference. El Cajon is a trek for me, I think I'll just bite the bullet and order the 3w for now. I already bought the socket adapters two for 1$ on eBay

[clira13]

two for 1$ on eBay
Send me the link bro

[ChouDawg]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Adaptor-Converts-110-Volt-Socket-Plug-to-Bulb-Socket!_W0QQitemZ320367578282QQcmdZViewItem

:bounce:

Comes out to 3.99$ w/ S/H

[ChouDawg]

Alright, i bit the bullet and ordered the 5W blue off their website. Tom you better not find any other alternatives!

[tom619]

OMG check out these new suckerss i just found this morning!! theres are the BEST OF THE BEST:
www.ledwow-ers.com!!

lol. im jk, Paul!
enjoy the 5w


.

[Haeun]

i wonder if the guy will do discounts for GBs. considering there's a lot of us interested in these, maybe we should ask?

[ChouDawg]

Few pages back tom mentioned they will just have to organize it

[diegoluv]

Tom said he is going to organize a group buy this weekend arent you Tom?

; )

[barometer]

Don't wanna tease, but I'll have another demo up here shortly.....as soon as I get my second light and can post some pics :D

[tom619]

Tom said he is going to organize a group buy this weekend arent you Tom?

; )

LOL yeah right, frank. maybe in the next life? =]
i've fufilled my groupbuys for the year, whew. haha

[ChouDawg]

Barometer: Please tell me you used LEDs mentioned above, i cant handle a new LED option! lol cant wait to get mine.

[Haeun]

I emailed the company about group buy discounts and here's what they said:

"Yes, we can offer you 15% on $100 + orders

Thanks"

that's like 5+ bulbs? knocks the price down to about $20 per bulb.

[barometer]

Barometer: Please tell me you used LEDs mentioned above, i cant handle a new LED option! lol cant wait to get mine.

:lol: not at all, sorry. Tom and I were discussing LEDs options way back.....he went with the bulbs, I went with fixtures. It won't be the same kind of option (costs more, but less than Powerbrites), but for bigger tanks I'm getting some pretty nice results.....stay tuned. :)

[jaysonsd]

I'm game for the group buy... give's me something to do.

[Bunker]

EDIT!!!

I'm in for 2 of the 3watt'ers.

They will be lighting up a 100gal full of softies that has light flourescent actinics, should be enough? I should be easy to talk into getting the 5's if it's worth it... Any comments?

How are we doing payments? All send to one person via paypal?

[sevlar]

Got one of the 5 watters yesterday for my 34g. My first impression was it's not as bright as I thought it would be. With my 14K 150w de phoenix bulb on I couldn't notice a difference with the led on. Maybe that's because my mh bulb already has a good amount of blue in it. I'm thinking with my future t-5 setup it will have a bigger impact, though I might still need to get a second one. The single bulb also doesn't quite cover the 24" length of my tank at about 26 inches above the bottom. On the plus side, with the led alone the look was awesome, lots of shimmering and cool fluorescence of some of my corals. Just thought I'd share!

[ChouDawg]

Doh, I'm waiting on my 5watt too, I just upgraded to a 14k Phoenix as well. Hopefully since my tank is only 20" deep and 24g it will have more of an effect.

[diegoluv]

you wont see anything if you are trying penetrate through a 14k MH. You already have blue in that bulb. I just use them for moonlighting. As far as not lighting up your entire tank, just one 3 watter light up my entire 100 gallon 60 inch tank. Yo cant suspend them 20 inches from your tank and point it straight down and expect it to light your entire tank. The light is too concentrated on an LED. The trick is to mount it on the side of your tank and shine it diagonally acroos to the opposite bottom of the tank. hen it will illuminate the entire tank and give a great moonlighting effect.

[ChouDawg]

Doh so it doesn't work for actinic supplement?

[Haeun]

i would guess it might be good for those with T5s, to give that extra shimmer you usually get only with MH.

i don't know how well they work as shimmer though, since i don't have one myself yet.

[ChouDawg]

Got my 5w LED today, but they sent me 6,000k (white) instead of blue!! Contacted them, hopefully I get a replacement by the weekend. Did some testing with the white and it actually worked pretty well, cant tell any fluorescence but it definitely turned my tank ugly yellow :P

[ChouDawg]

Got my correct LED today, 5W Blue. Fired it up right away, its definitely really bright and nice actinic blue but to tell you guys the truth I noticed a very minor change but there was definitely a change. My Rics were more flourescent, my zoanthid skirts were brighter, my green w/ purple tip frogspawn contrasted out a lot more and my Royal Gramma turned a bright fluorescent purple. Its pretty cool but I want more! I'll try and get some comparison photos, there is definitely a color shift, more contrast in the colors and a dash of highlighting but nothing that will blow anyone away. It works amazing on its own though, wish it had this much fluorescence through my 14k Phoenix but cant have it all.

[barometer]

Sorry for the delay, I finally have comparison photos

I found these 24" LED fixtures (108 individual LEDs) in 460nm blue
http://www.led-mate.com/product_details.php?id=305&pid=166

I placed 2 of them in the canopy, one on either side in the far corners and angled slightly toward the tank. I can see the color difference clear as day in person, but some others have not noticed as much difference. I'm very happy with the result so far, my tank is 30x30x24 and these have no problem covering the whole tank. Though they might be brighter if they were a more focused beam (these are 120 degree view angle.....big spread). I imagine on a smaller tank or standard long tank one fixture of the proper length would suffice for actinic supplementation. Some may think this is still expensive (2 ft are $70 each) but I would have had to buy 6 Powerbrites for the same coverage I believe which would almost double the cost. The pics are all taken with the same camera settings and pulled right off the memory card (sorry for the quality, I was only concerned with light color). Here are the results.

2 24" Blue LED fixtures only
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb106/barometer/tank_progress/LED%20comparison/blue_only.jpg

2 24" T5 super actinics only
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb106/barometer/tank_progress/LED%20comparison/actinic_only.jpg

mix of the actinics and blue LEDs
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb106/barometer/tank_progress/LED%20comparison/actinicblue.jpg

175w Iwasaki 15k only
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb106/barometer/tank_progress/LED%20comparison/halide_only.jpg

175w Iwasaki 15k with blue LEDs
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb106/barometer/tank_progress/LED%20comparison/halideblue.jpg

175w Iwasaki 15k with T5 super actinics
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb106/barometer/tank_progress/LED%20comparison/halideactinics.jpg

175w Iwasaki 15k with T5 super actinics and blue LEDs
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb106/barometer/tank_progress/LED%20comparison/halideactinicsblue.jpg

for Current Powerbrite comparison here are my hex light shots

Powerbrites only
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb106/barometer/tank_progress/LED%20comparison/powerbrite_ref.jpg

175w 14k Hamilton only (old bulb)
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb106/barometer/tank_progress/LED%20comparison/halide_ref.jpg

Halide and powerbrites
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb106/barometer/tank_progress/LED%20comparison/halidepowerbrite_ref.jpg

[tom619]

THANKS ED!
that was very informing. i couldnt take those shots w/ my cheap camera

[sssmasss]

update 4/23/09: this is by far, the strongest LED in the market i've used from my experiments (link below). i would dare to say stronger then Current Powerbrite. it reaches the bottom of of my 30g tank without losing brightness.
i tried 1 and it blue me away. get it? hahaha, sorry lame joke. anyways, i asked the seller for a groupbuy and he knocked down the price to $11.50 each for 20+. someone should do a groupbuy, not me! i just got my first career job so now i can barely keep up the tank.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BLUE-Household-LED-Light-Bulb-110V-AC-3-Watt-E27_W0QQitemZ350058396875QQihZ022QQcategoryZ20706Q QtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262
if link doenst work, type in search: 350058396875

This is the company website: http://www.plasmaled.com/household_led_light_bulb.htm

http://i11.ebayimg.com/05/i/000/ef/a3/17b2_1.JPG

power usage: 3w
life of bulb: 10 years
made in Minnesota, USA. NOT HongKong!




......................

old post:

Ed! remember when you came over with your PowerBrites and said you're looking for cheaper alternatives..? and how i told you i bought some of these on ebay to test them out...
well they came today and i plugged them in..

OMGGGGG... it was blinding me! comparable to the PowerBrite (http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~category~Current_USA_PowerBrite_LED_Li ghting_System__4x1W_460nm_Blue_Linkable_LEDs~vendo r~Current_USA~SearchStr~powerbrite~action~view~idP roduct~CU01647~idCategory~FILTFILDLK.html) you brought over, if not stronger. it makes EVERYTHING pop, even with the strong MH light on.
this specific one is 24 led, but i also bought 18's to try, which should come in a couple days.

definitely a cheaper alternative.
ED! you GOTTA see this in person!

power use: 2w
cost: $9
socket: medium; regular household
life: 100,000 hours. (10 years)

PowerBrite: $59 (http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~category~Current_USA_PowerBrite_LED_Li ghting_System__4x1W_460nm_Blue_Linkable_LEDs~vendo r~Current_USA~SearchStr~powerbrite~action~view~idP roduct~CU01647~idCategory~FILTFILDLK.html)


http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww308/Tom619/LED.png


WARNING WARNING!
this light is wayy too strong to be used as a moonlight; the fish and corals will not get a chance to rest.
but definitely could be used as an actinic supplement in the daytime.:lol:





just use a 99cent socket with extension cord or something.
http://www.electronicplus.com/images/products/738W-BOX.jpg

+ this. $1
http://www.lakewoodconferences.com/direct/dbimage/50218411/Indoor_Extension_Cord.jpg


.


wait so u are saying that we can use this light for our reef tank? the intensity is enough? how many, if possible, will i need for a 125 gallon tank?? thanks guys

[Fink Ployd]

They are for actinic supplementation only. You will still need some sort of day lighting for your tank.

[SoCalBoo]

Tom/ed.

I looked up those bulbs, and they are 40 degree spots. If I did my math right, at 24 inches above the bottom, the bulbs would produce about 15" diameter light path. This seems pretty narrow. Any thoughts on this? Does the water help disburse? I've got two white bulbs on a 15 gallon fuge, and they are super focused. I love the look, and you can't get easier on install than a socket and plug.

Just curious...

[ALIFER]

http://i50.tinypic.com/27ysq5s.jpg

http://i47.tinypic.com/2j607rn.jpg

Check out this LED spot, it's a PAR 38 - 21w Cree LED Lamp . . . :demon:
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?cPath=74&products_id=623

The bottom picture shows both the PAR 38 lamp and and an LED lamp with one Seoul 5 Watt 6300K LED just so you can see the difference.

The PAR 38 comes standard with 40 degree optics and I also have 60 degree optics which I think I'll swap out and use.

-Rick

[SoCalBoo]

Those are pretty cool, but the price seems kind of high. Maybe not if you factor in that it is the same as 7 of the 3w CREE, which are $6/per, plus buckpuck and transformer, which would run you another $4 or so per 3w bulb. so $70 vs. $110.

[ALIFER]

It would have been nice to DIY my own LED light setup and save some money, but I don't think that's an option for me right now. I'm planning to use the PAR 38 lamp on a pico, but it would work great to spotlight specific corals in a large reef tank. Check out the PAR plots from the PAR 38 - 21w Cree LED Lamp
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=221433&view=findpost&p=2616086

-Rick