# LED upgrade or this?



## HarryRobinson (10 Jul 2012)

Ok guys, so i am currently in two minds on the lighting for my tank. If you have read my journal recently you will see that the led lights i have used have no way near enough power for what i want. So i am wondering whether to upgrade my 3w led bulbs (there are 2 on my setup) to two 9w bulbs of the same type OR get this luminaire (36cm t5x3) : http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-T5-T8-Aqu ... 955wt_1163 

Any other suggestions or ideas will be appreciated


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## wazuck (10 Jul 2012)

That eBay light will be t5 normal output. Look at an allpondsolutions t5 as its high out put. Or use 4 9w bulbs. Make sure they have 3x3w LEDs in them. There is a light for around £6 on eBay that is easy to wire a plug to and takes 2x gu10 bulbs. Get two and use them? Or use tmc tiles?


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## Antipofish (10 Jul 2012)

wazuck said:
			
		

> That eBay light will be t5 normal output. Look at an allpondsolutions t5 as its high out put. Or use 4 9w bulbs. Make sure they have 3x3w LEDs in them. There is a light for around £6 on eBay that is easy to wire a plug to and takes 2x gu10 bulbs. Get two and use them? Or use tmc tiles?



Hey Waz, do you have a link to the ones you mean and the light too ?  Cheers.


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## HarryRobinson (10 Jul 2012)

Ive got that light fitting antipofish  the aps light is a boyu, the same as seen on this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/T5-8W-x-3-Aqu ... 125wt_1163


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## Antipofish (10 Jul 2012)

HarryRobinson said:
			
		

> Ive got that light fitting antipofish  the aps light is a boyu, the same as seen on this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/T5-8W-x-3-Aqu ... 125wt_1163



I was asking Waz for the info on the LED light and bulbs he was referring to Harry


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## HarryRobinson (10 Jul 2012)

Sorry! haha i meant 'ive got that light fitting waz'


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## wazuck (11 Jul 2012)

Ok hold on I'll go digging. Hope you don't mind mobile links.


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## wazuck (11 Jul 2012)

Ok here we go:
Bulb,
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=261062793635&index=3&nav=SEARCH&nid=97860935302
Light fitting,
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=130557292009&index=9&nav=SEARCH&nid=15068021663
Please note that other fittings will work. I just know for a fact that this is easy to add a plug to. I have one that I'm going to wire in soon. I need the two bulbs aswell. But after trying one in a desk lamp I'm sold


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## wazuck (11 Jul 2012)

Sorry I didn't realise you already had leds on your setup. I would say go for two 9w. It would have more power than the boyu unit. Don't get me wrong it's a nice light but not Better than 2x9w LEDs IMO. I'm running a 6w led over a 20l and it's amazing compared to the 9w pl bulb. This setup also comes in at less than the boyu if you shop around for the bulbs. Plus they would out last the t5s.


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## HarryRobinson (11 Jul 2012)

Problem is, everyone has one of these boyu units and they seem to grow plants really well, i don't want to waste my money again on bulbs that aren't powerful enough :/


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## clonitza (11 Jul 2012)

I've only seen that you are trying to grow some mosses that usually do well even with room's ambient light. You don't really need gazillions watts, usually for your tank's size 1x 11w/13w Clip on PL Nano Light like this one: http://www.dennerle.eu/global/index.php ... 78&lang=en would suffice for mosses ferns and easy to medium plants or 2 units for carpeting plants and the high light demanding ones.


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## wazuck (11 Jul 2012)

this is my 6w led bulb over a 20l. I need to raise it to get better coverage but is brighter than my 9w pl. I've use it to see what it was light on my tank with the boyu and I created a spotlight in the tank so that tells me it's brighter than the boyu. Also the shimmer makes it more worth it if your into that sort of thing.


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## Aqua sobriquet (11 Jul 2012)

I've ordered a couple of these for the kitchen:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200788278036? ... 26_rdc%3D1

Be interesting to see how they compare with some older LED's in the fitting.


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## HarryRobinson (11 Jul 2012)

hi guys, i would definitely need the two clip on pl lamps clonitza seeming as i will be having hc and styro but im on a budget of around 20 pounds for the new light :/ 

I do like shimmer waz however id rather have good light than the shimmer effect.

Those leds look pretty good, make sure you post here to tell us what they're like 

Just for the record, here's my plants list:

Microsorium Minor
pogostemon Erectus
Styrogene repens
HC
Cryptocoryne wendtii green
Marsilea Crenata


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## wazuck (11 Jul 2012)

I'd bet money that an HC carpet would grow in my 20L. Going to do glosso tho.


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## HarryRobinson (11 Jul 2012)

I wont have a problem with beams because you can see the height of the leds above the tank to get the spread right 

IMG_0180 by Harry.R, on Flickr
(**bear in mind this photo was taken a long time ago**)

i think i may go with the 9w led's. Maybe even 12w ones like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Led-Gu10-12w- ... 839wt_1396 , they have a good lumen value too, what do you think?


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## wazuck (11 Jul 2012)

Yeah go as high as you can. I'm also going to raise my light but I do kind of like the beams. These cheap light setups work so well. Cheaper to run that tubes aswell


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## HarryRobinson (11 Jul 2012)

Who needs Expensive Tmc Grow Beams eh? haha


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## wazuck (11 Jul 2012)

Me!! But that's because I bought them before realising I can just buy these bulbs. Real DIY led fixtures is my next move


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## HarryRobinson (11 Jul 2012)

Do it matey, Will be of good use for lots of people on here


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## wazuck (21 Jul 2012)

Bought 4x3w cree LEDs! Shall buy a driver today. Will start a post for the build when it all comes.


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## HarryRobinson (21 Jul 2012)

Looking forward to it matey!


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