hobbyorobsession
New Member
I run (2) 6 foot build-my-led rigs over a 125g. it gets the job done but isn't the cheapest option.
LED Light Thread...For looking at all those options
- Thread starter cichlid-gal
- Start date
ive got some beamswork fixtures im going to be (hopefully) using for a planted 40b. not hoping for any high maintenance stuff just some java ferns, crypts, and maybe some mosses. they are the single bright fixtures but i have 2 of the 32'' fixtures. its not a deep tank either so im really hoping this will be enough. either way i could toss a CFL on if need be. any advice is greatly appreciated. just once id like to have plants "work out" 
cichlid-gal
New Member
Can you share a picture?hobbyorobsession said:
hobbyorobsession
New Member
Ill post one tomorrow
LuminousAphid
New Member
in my short and shallow experience with planted tanks, light is the most important aspect of getting plants to like your tank, so i hope with double fixtures and a possible fluorescent light you will be good. I'm not familiar with beamsworks, but as long as they have a decent spectrum and you get enough light from them your plants should like it. you want the spectrum to peak around 6500-7000k, but i know some LED's are just the wrong spectrum for growing plants, so you might look at that aspect if you are not getting good growth.Anthraxx said:ive got some beamswork fixtures im going to be (hopefully) using for a planted 40b. not hoping for any high maintenance stuff just some java ferns, crypts, and maybe some mosses. they are the single bright fixtures but i have 2 of the 32'' fixtures. its not a deep tank either so im really hoping this will be enough. either way i could toss a CFL on if need be. any advice is greatly appreciated. just once id like to have plants "work out"
i have many more suggestions, but they are off-topic here, so PM me if you want any more advice
hobbyorobsession
New Member
Flyfalcons
New Member
Here is my 55G planted with a Beamswork 48" LED 6500K. So far it has worked well and the plants grow nicely under its light. I strung up a blue LED light string for night use.
cichlid-gal
New Member
Thanks for the pic Daniel. Could we get a front view so we can see how the lights "light up" the tank?
Ryan...good lighting on that Beamswork. How long has the tank been up and running?
Ryan...good lighting on that Beamswork. How long has the tank been up and running?
hobbyorobsession
New Member
I will say that I just noticed that one is having an issue not illuminating all the way.
cichlid-gal
New Member
ok...thank you for sharing that. Is it a mechanical problem with the fixtures or are they not illuminating the tank the way they need to? If mechanical, maybe you can provide a picture to us when you get it the way you want it. I would love to see what two of these lights look like. I have mine wedged between two Finnex's but all my lights are different lengths (1 48", 1 36", and 1 30"). It's bright when they are all on but not overly so.hobbyorobsession said:
Flyfalcons
New Member
Tank has been running since last April. I purchased the Beamswork in November, and took the photo not long after that. The plants that you see in the pic have grown dramatically since then. The extra light also brought on some cyanobacteria, which I have been battling each water change. It doesn't get out of hand; just an annoyance to deal with. I did make a mistake earlier with the K rating - the real rating is 6700K (it's the one that's advertised for planted tanks). For 130 bucks I don't think it's a bad light. There are a couple version sold and mine is the 3 watt x 36 bulb arrangement.
So my Aquatic Life 0.5w Freshwater LED fixture came in and I was able to plug it in and look at it and that was about all. But I will give some first impressions. The build quality is good. A black aluminum housing with a single row of LED's and built in reflector. It has a switch in line instead of on the fixture. And the fixture is small. I though the Current Satellite (Not +) with the wired controls was small... this one is probably narrower but maybe just slightly taller. For the $26 I paid total, I am pretty happy with it. The only negative thing I would have to say is that it is a bit longer than the tank. I ordered a 30" to go on top of my 20L and it is a slight bit longer than the tank. Not a huge deal, wont notice where its at.
Ok the light output is pretty bright, more than enough for a 20L. It has a pretty crisp white look but it has red and blue mixed in so likely what they would call a full spectrum light. I am only using this for fish only. I think if any are looking for a cheap alternative to a old fluorescent this thing is reasonably priced and you cant go wrong. Was worried about getting it from ebay but when I got confirmation it showed as coming direct from Aquatic Life itself.
Ok the light output is pretty bright, more than enough for a 20L. It has a pretty crisp white look but it has red and blue mixed in so likely what they would call a full spectrum light. I am only using this for fish only. I think if any are looking for a cheap alternative to a old fluorescent this thing is reasonably priced and you cant go wrong. Was worried about getting it from ebay but when I got confirmation it showed as coming direct from Aquatic Life itself.
cichlid-gal
New Member
Pics DMD when you get things settled with it...thanks!
treehugger_147
New Member
What would be the cheapest option for putting led lights on my 55gal? Im looking to have a light with a day and night cycle i just like the night cycle so damn much!!!!!
Seems like most of the major companies have not figured out the need to separate the night and day lights to be on different power sources so you can run them on different timers. Cheapest LED lighting would likely be Beamswork found on a site like ebay or Aquatraders.com.