Current USA Trulumen Pro LED strip lights

[ShadowMac]

These LED's look good, and seem reasonable. http://www.current-usa.com/lighting/truelumen-pro-led-striplights

Anyone know anything about them? How would these work on a planted tank? How many would one need for a given size tank? Thoughts?

 

[ShadowMac]

I'm considerin replacing my icecap 660 ballast and 24" T5HO's with a couple of these.

good idea? bad idea?

 

[feh]

Dunno anything about them. I'm wondering about PAR and light spread. I saw the videos and definitely looked bright though. I submitted a few questions on Current's website in reference to light spread and PAR. Maybe I'll get a reply with honest info.

Some googling found this. http://support.current-usa.com/entr...unar-lights-to-sustain-my-corals-and-anemones

Granted Reefers want way more light than we do like some tanks have as much as 100+ PAR at the substrate all the way up to 600 - 700 at the water surface.

And some more googling found this - just what I was looking for:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/133997-current-truelumen-pro-led-striplights-par.html


Also from looks of it those PAR values are without water which changes everything.

 

[feh]

That was quick. Heard back from Current USA. Here is their reply.

The TrueLumen Pro LED strip has a very wide spread of light, at the depth your working with it would cover the entire tank. At 20", a strip produces approximately 50 PAR.

Sincerely,
Current-USA, Inc.

http://support.current-usa.com/requests/10939

 

[Tom Barr]

A pair of them should do okay based on what they said.

So 2 x 30 W over a 55gal etc.

 

[ShadowMac]

I was thinking of 2, 24" ones, then possibly 2, 12" ones on the ends perpendicular to cover the areas that would not have light above it...is that getting to be too much? should I just stick to the 2, 24" models.

Thanks for sharing that info feh, its nice to know some PAR data. I will have to invest in a PAR meter one of these days, so I no longer have to guess.

My 37 tall has been tougher because with my reflectors it appears to be too much light, but without I don't know if I am getting enough light to the substrate.

What LED's are bringing to the table seems like a great advancement, very useable, flexible, and look good aesthetically.


edit: Ugh, that is spendy....

 

[feh]

i'd highly suggest investing in a meter. its the best idea. i don't own one either yet. but it prevent a lot of guess work and possible stress from dealing with not enough or too much light.

 

[feh]

A pair of them should do okay based on what they said.

So 2 x 30 W over a 55gal etc.

I'm not sure I trust their numbers. They used a PAR meter on the link from TPT but dunno exactly how they tested. Based on the pic in the thread it looks like without water.

 

[Left C]

... My 37 tall has been tougher because with my reflectors it appears to be too much light, but without I don't know if I am getting enough light to the substrate. ...

May I ask what do you have your 37g now? I too have a 37g, but I haven't set it up yet. I bought a Current Orbit 2x65w PC fixture for it and that went out of style. Then I bought a canopy for it and I have a DIY 3x24w T5HO for it with separate Fulham ballasts, IceCap reflectors and powercords for each bulb so that each bulb can be on a separate timer. Now that's out of style. I can't win. LOL!!

Anyway, what are you using?

 

[ShadowMac]

I've been using an icecap 660 wired into...at first was 4 T5HO's with reflectors (guy at aquariumplants.com said I would need all that light, I didn't know better at the time). Now I am running 2 T5HO's without reflectors and a pair of powerbrite LED's for shimmer. I have two zoo med bulbs, one daylight one pink grow bulb.

The fulhams don't overdrive the bulbs, so you may be in the right range.

Its only been running without reflectors for a couple days. I was starting to get algae in this new setup and this time I was certain I could rule out other factors such as flow and CO2. Had to be the light, so I reduced it by taking off the reflectors. I will let you know if good growth continues without the reflectors.

CO2 starts about 8 am, lights 10 am, off at 8 pm, powerbrite LED off at 9 pm

 

[Left C]

Thank you very much for your information, ShadowMac. Since each of my three T5HO's have separate ballasts, the timing for each is "tweakable." I have a Giesemann Midday 6000K, AquaFlora and a 10,000K AquaSun. Someone told me that 4 bulbs would be too much and either 2 or 3 would be the right number because of its 22" depth. That's why I went the way that I did. I too bought some LED's for it, but they are small white lunar lights by Current. I do have a backup 660 ballast should I want to overdrive the AquaSun bulb to 40w, but I doubt that I will need it. The AquaSun bulb can run at either 24w or 40w.

Good luck with your LED's! I saw the video's about them on Current's site and they look very good. I checked their prices at MarineDepot. They are a bit more expensive than I expected. A 2 x 24" + 2 x 12" plus the transformer is around $400.

 

[ShadowMac]

Yeah, it was a bit more than I had expected, too. If I do swap them I will not be getting the 12" ones for the dark corners. They will stay dark.

I've almost decided to hold off and look into something like this for a future build. I would really like a tank somewhat bigger, rimless and with dimensions more condusive to scaping. I really like GLA's 48 gallon rimless. There is no one around here that custom makes tanks. Minneapolis is the nearest, I think. I actually wouldn't save much if I drive all the way there over freight shipping.

 

[Left C]

If you didn't want a rimless, All-Glass (Aqueon) has three aquariums with a 36" x 18" footprint. The 40 breeder is 16" tall, the 50g is 18" tall and the 65g is 24" tall.

The GLA 48g is $320. Wow! Sometime soon Petco will have their $1 per gallon sale on aquariums. I got a 40 breeder for $40 last year.

 

[ShadowMac]

I would do a 40 breeder for that price! I would need a stand for cheap. Nice thing about the DIY lighting is I can easily transfer it over to another setup. My 37 fits perfectly where I have it, anything bigger though wouldn't. I may have to wait until we buy a house in a couple years. Then i can go balls to the wall! Super build, whatever I want.

The GLA is low iron glass, probably why so much.

 

[feh]

Low Iron is always a plus and adds to the price...

 

[Left C]

I would do a 40 breeder for that price! I would need a stand for cheap. ...

A metal stand for the 40 breeder is about $60 to $120. My local dealer has one for $60.

$75 65g: http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3732+9883&pcatid=9883

$120 50g/65g: http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3732+9881&pcatid=9881

My local dealer has an All-Glass (Aqueon) pine wooden stand for $300.

There were some oak 36 x 18 stands on ebay for $225 that you finish and assemble yourself with free shipping.

 

[ShadowMac]

not bad pricing, I don't trust myself to build a stand. I could build a matching wood canopy and wire in the lighting like on the 37. I like that look for rimmed tanks. I will keep an eye out for the dollar a gallon sale.

 

[Left C]

This is the Aqueon Black Pine stand and canopy. They have an oak color too. It is pine stained a light oak color. The stand is around $300 and the canopy is around $90. Those are the 36x18 prices, but the pictures are the 30x12 model.

 

[feh]

Thats the stand/canopy I got originally for my 75. The canopy ended up being a real pain with lighting... no room for adjustment other than turning off/on bulbs. The depth of the tank front to back made it hard to get a good spread with a single T5HO bulb at that height. I did modify the stand a bit to hide the trim at the bottom of the tank. I think i paid $400 for both.

 

[Wanda Roes]

These LED's look good, and seem reasonable. http://www.current-usa.com/lighting/truelumen-pro-led-striplights

Anyone know anything about them? How would these work on a planted tank? How many would one need for a given size tank? Thoughts?

i don't own one either yet. but it prevent a lot of guess work and possible stress from dealing with not enough or too much light.








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