# Aqua One AR850 Lighting Boost



## Skybluestu (25 Mar 2014)

Hi,

I have just installed a pressurised co2 system and want to eventually up the lighting on my tank once the co2 increase has settled. 
I am currently limited to 2 x 25w and 1 x 20w t8 lighting. Is there some sort of reflector I can fit to the existing hood t increase the effectiveness of this lighting set up?

Cheers


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## ourmanflint (25 Mar 2014)

Your best bet might be to use a led strip retrofitted using your T8 fittings. You would only need a 10-15W tube to replace and be much better and brighter than the lights you have.


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## Skybluestu (26 Mar 2014)

Thanks, Have you any ideas where I can find LED strips that would fit a T8 housing?


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## ourmanflint (26 Mar 2014)

You could try these, not sure how good they would be 
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/12w-emprex-li06-led-2ft-tube-light-cold-light-24w-equivalent

or these
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SMD-LED-T...5?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item417d3907d3

or these
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Superfish...UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&var=&hash=item2335a5a827

cheers


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## ian_m (26 Mar 2014)

Do check the lumens or else you will be very expensively disappointed. They quote light output equivalent of 80Watts, which is clearly a complete load of bollards as quick search on the Internet thingy reveals 80W tubes are about 6000lumens.

The LED above quotes 810 lumens in 600mm for 9 Watts. Cheapy Ye Olde T8 (18W) in 600mm is 1000 lumens, moving to T5 in 600mm is over 1900 lumens (and only 24W).

LED - 90 lumens/W
T8 - 55 lumens/W
T5 - 80 Lumens/W


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## ourmanflint (26 Mar 2014)

With respect Ian, that isn't very relevant as LED's being a focused single sided light source, they far out perform any round tube.

Carl Strohmeyer had a great write up regarding this comparison an excerpt as below



> *an example of the inaccuracy of the watts per gallon so-called rule, please consider these comparisons for an assumed 25 gallon aquarium:*
> * 20 watt T12 light with a Kelvin temperature of 5000 K,
> Compared to a:
> *20 Watt LED with an adjusted Kelvin temperature of 6500 K.
> ...



It does depend on the quality of the LED emitter though. Even still I would surprised if even relatively cheap LED's didn't outperform any T8 fitting.

Cheers


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## ian_m (26 Mar 2014)

ourmanflint said:


> It does depend on the quality of the LED emitter though


Correct. But certainly not with the LED's lights you linked to.


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## PARAGUAY (28 Mar 2014)

I have a aqua -one 950 the three t8 tubes supplied I found quite good, the overtank filter ok but when I went pressurised because the hood is a nightmare for access  I slowly changed it. Got  a 2000L/H external filter first and then a 4 tube t5 luminaire from APS .removed the supplied hood Raised the new luminaire  about a foot above so much easier for access and maintenance,Using media from the overhead filter in the external, then removed the supplied overhead filter, for adding,LEDS if reqiured


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