# Anyone using GHL?



## d2creative (16 Feb 2019)

Hi all, been lurking a bit and this is my first post. First question of many i'm sure.
I'm coming from over a decade in the saltwater reef side of the hobby where i'm very familiar with both Ecotech Radions and GHL Mitras which are regarded as the top tier of lighting. I've done some searching both here, other forums, google... and I'm not finding much info on people using the freshwater version of the Mitras (or Radions for that matter) for their planted aquariums.
So I'm curious why that is?
Is it a price point thing? Is there something about the light that makes it inadequate or suboptimal?
I could use either Radions or Mitras at no cost to me so I'm looking at these options first, before exploring the more commonly used options I see here on the forums.
And FWIW, the tank I'm looking to set up will probably be something like the UNS 120u, high tech.

TIA for the help!


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## Edvet (16 Feb 2019)

d2creative said:


> price point thing


Probably


d2creative said:


> something about the light that makes it inadequate or suboptimal


No, plants will use any photons they get. It''s easy to give light in surplus, trick is to balance light with all the other factors needed for healthy plantgrowth''


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## Ed Wiser (16 Feb 2019)

Dennis plants will work with most any lighting fresh water plants will even work with a light bulb. Not like corals.  GHL does a lot of planted tanks in Germany Matthias Groß the owner is a big planted tank guy.
It is a big shift coming from a reef equipment background and not seeing people use the tech that saltwater hobbyist use on their tanks. I just use high tech stuff since I have been in the hobby for 56 years now I know to buy good supported equipment.
But many in the freshwater still do a lot of DIY and don't shell out the buch for nice kit.


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## d2creative (16 Feb 2019)

Ed Wiser said:


> It is a big shift coming from a reef equipment background and not seeing people use the tech that saltwater hobbyist use on their tanks.


Yes, it's a little bit of culture shock. LOL


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## Ed Wiser (16 Feb 2019)

Yes it is I think plants are way more forgiving than corals.  An they cost so little people don’t go out of their way getting equipment to support them. My wife only likes nice ADA stuff so I stick to that. The aquarium is in HER living room so she sets what goes in there.


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## Ed Wiser (17 Feb 2019)

Dennis found this demo


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## d2creative (17 Feb 2019)

Ed Wiser said:


> Dennis found this demo


Thanks, nice music. Bow-chicka-bow-wow... hahaha
I guess I was mostly wondering why I don't see them being used more often, if at all. Even on the big high tech builds.
Must be the price point if I had to make a guess.

Do you guys think one would be enough for a 4' tank?


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## Ed Wiser (18 Feb 2019)

Look at this thread on the GHL forum. 

https://forum.aquariumcomputer.com/...as-for-lighting-XL-tank-with-mitras-lightbars

The bars are featured here. 
https://www.aquariumcomputer.com/products/ghl-illumination/mitras-lightbar/

GHL works with Dennerle in freshwater 

https://dennerle.com/de/produkte/aquaristik/beleuchtung/trocal-led/trocal-led-control

Here is the GHL light bars sold by Dennerle. 

https://dennerle.com/de/produkte/aquaristik/beleuchtung/trocal-led/trocal-led


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## Siege (18 Feb 2019)

We tried the radion marine tile at AG for a fair while.
It was good definite shimmer lines and shadows across the scape and plants grew well. We had it on a very low setting. A very pointy light with not a massive spread.

If you’ve got one use it I say and see how you get on!


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## Andrew Butler (18 Feb 2019)

d2creative said:


> Ecotech Radions


They do/did make a freshwater version called the XR15FW in the link below, no experience of this light.
https://ecotechmarine.com/products/freshwater
I tried the AI prime HD freshwater version for a short while but just didn't like the look of the light it gave out. (I think you need the HD version so you can 'boost' the whites over 100%)
http://www.aquaillumination.com/lighting/prime/freshwater.html

I did just re-read your post and when you said you could use these for free I assume you have the marine versions?
People will probably argue with me here but they are just too blue, maybe they will grow the plants ok but visually they just don't look right in my opinion.

People use Kessil lighting which is around the same price point.
I think they are just a bit untested and none of the 'big names' within the hobby have been seen with them too much, if at all.


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## d2creative (18 Feb 2019)

Siege said:


> We tried the radion marine tile at AG for a fair while.
> It was good definite shimmer lines and shadows across the scape and plants grew well. We had it on a very low setting. A very pointy light with not a massive spread.
> 
> If you’ve got one use it I say and see how you get on!





Andrew Butler said:


> They do/did make a freshwater version called the XR15FW in the link below, no experience of this light.
> https://ecotechmarine.com/products/freshwater
> I tried the AI prime HD freshwater version for a short while but just didn't like the look of the light it gave out. (I think you need the HD version so you can 'boost' the whites over 100%)
> http://www.aquaillumination.com/lighting/prime/freshwater.html
> ...



Thanks for the replies. I'd be using the freshwater version of the Mitras.


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## Ed Wiser (19 Feb 2019)

Andrew Butler said:


> They do/did make a freshwater version called the XR15FW in the link below, no experience of this light.
> https://ecotechmarine.com/products/freshwater
> I tried the AI prime HD freshwater version for a short while but just didn't like the look of the light it gave out. (I think you need the HD version so you can 'boost' the whites over 100%)
> http://www.aquaillumination.com/lighting/prime/freshwater.html
> ...


George Framer of coarse uses Kessil on his home system. Most planted tanks just do not need the light power that coral tanks do. So the high tech LED's are not promoted for planted tanks as much. You also don't see as many tanks using Apex or GHL controllers to run all the pumps and lights on tanks either. Planted tanks hobbyist don't ramp up and down lighting at the beginning of the day and at the end of their lighting cycle on their aquariums.
I do think ramping up and down, that plus the ability to dim the intensity of the overall of an light should be a standard for modern LED lighting for aquariums. Most high end lighting in planted tanks people have to add dimmers to cut back the intensity of the light that is just crazy as that is a standard in the Saltwater side for a LED light. You don't see any light marketed for Salt that doesn't have this capability..


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## Andrew Butler (19 Feb 2019)

Ed Wiser said:


> I do think ramping up and down, that plus the ability to dim the intensity of the overall of an light should be a standard for modern LED lighting for aquariums. Most high end lighting in planted tanks people have to add dimmers to cut back the intensity of the light that is just crazy as that is a standard in the Saltwater side for a LED light.


I 100% agree with you but you soon learn that saltwater and freshwater are very different worlds.
When you can buy an inline timer/dimmer for less than £20 a £250 light for a 600mm tank should have this built in or at least included.


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## Ed Wiser (19 Feb 2019)

Thing is a the same light marketed to a saltwater hobbyist at 250.00 comes with a dimmer built in and does cost the hobbyist extra.  I have been in the aquarium hobby for 55 years now on both side of the hobby. You see how things are priced and sold as I have been an advance hobbyist going to nation conventions in the US for 30 years and know all the aquarium equipment company rep’s personally.  It’s always interesting seeing both sides of the hobby and the marketing and what is charged for what my Who.


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