# Cheap LED



## Progen (16 Feb 2017)

So I came across these cheap LED lights at my local shop and suddenly all that talk about getting what you paid for went out the window because for slightly more than USD20 for a 4' three row LED light, BRAND NEW, how wrong can you go???






Their spread is pretty narrow though although most lights 3 -4 times the price are about the same.

Here's how it looks on my tank. I'll use them for a few more days and if they're still working after that, I'll get two more to light up the back.





ps. As expected when you don't pay what's 'right', it comes wrapped in plastic in a box with the two wire stands and that's that. No warranty, no instruction manual and no free trip to the Bahamas. On / off switch is on the cable. Unit is 5" wide and about 0.5" high.


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## Progen (16 Feb 2017)

Considering that my Anubias near substrate level was oxygenating, I don't think they are as crap as I'd feared.


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## Progen (16 Feb 2017)

Ghost shrimp at substrate. Light was about 19" above, water level about 16 - 17".


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## three-fingers (16 Feb 2017)

Careful with that "ghost shrimp", it's_ Macrobrachium lanchesteri _rather than _Palaemonetes paludosus _which is usually sold ghost shrimp in the US. Proper ghost shrimp are smaller with weaker arms and claws and don't have the striped markings.
_
M.lanchesteri _is far more common in the UK as it is raised as a food species in many countries and seems easier/cheaper to source. You live in Malaysia where they are actually aquacultured for food, so they must be widely available and super cheap!

 Here's one of my old ones eating a cherry shrimp it caught (they will catch and eat small fish like neons too):


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## Progen (17 Feb 2017)

They are indeed sold as feeder shrimp, usually for arrowanas, and go for about USD0.25 per 20.


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## three-fingers (17 Feb 2017)

That certainly is cheap! They are sold as "freshwater shrimp" in Pets@Home for about £3.75 each here - so just under $5 each .


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## Progen (12 Mar 2017)

So in a desperate attempt to get my water temperature lower (was usually around 30 - 31°C), I retired all of the T4, 5s and 8s and got another of these cheap LEDs. The second one was rated as a 10,000K and had a blue LED for every few whites in the middle row.






The Chinese have a saying which translates loosely to 'pay one cent, get one cent's worth' so they won't be enough to reach the substrate for any light demanding carpet plant but they should still be fine for quite a lot of plants out there.


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## Progen (12 Mar 2017)

Here's how they look sitting on the tank. Once again, bear in mind that Chinese saying of 'pay one cent, get one cent's worth' in that it's pretty obvious that their housing is on the soft side judging from the bowing in the middle. I suppose I could find a stiff metal rod that's the diameter of the wire legs and run it through half of the way to stiffen it but right now, I see it as a non issue.


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## Progen (12 Mar 2017)

Bubbles are good, right?


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## Progen (21 Mar 2017)

As I progress further down the road of EI and understanding of plant needs, the lights seem brighter and brighter as I keep green water away for longer periods as well as ensure better flow throughout my tank.

I'm sure I'll come up with a much nicer arrangement one day but right now, I change things around every 2 - 3 weeks since NOTHING is planted directly onto the substrate. It's either cups, trays or driftwood in this tank.


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## Progen (17 Apr 2017)

Just in case anyone's interested or wondering what LEDs these lights are using, they seem to be the same exact 0.3w ones on the Chihiros A series lights but at much wider spacings. They don't run as hot though even though they have no intensity control to dim things down.


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## Progen (30 Apr 2017)

The wonderful and interesting (not) internals of a cheap LED.


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