# Has anyone tried LED bulbs such as Philips for lighting their tank?



## castle (20 Sep 2016)

http://www.diy.com/departments/philips-bayonet-cap-b22-1521lm-led-classic-light-bulb/1367793_BQ.prd

I've got a couple of these in two bedrooms, and they're incredibly bright; much brighter than the lights I'm running on my tanks currently (growbeams). Wondered if anyone is using them for their tanks? I could easily drop cable down, and hang bulbs like this over my tank, so I am considering it


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## kadoxu (20 Sep 2016)

It depends on what you need them to do... brighter doesn't necessarily mean better.
For plant growth, for instance, I would say no...
Beam angle: 200º
Colour temperature: 2700K

But if it's just to see the tank better, why not?


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## ian_m (20 Sep 2016)

You really need a tighter beam angle, generally less than 90º so the light ends up in the tank, rather than spreading around the room.

Also a higher colour temperature say 4000-9000 Kelvin or else the greens of the plants will look drab.

As for lighting your room, these light are very good, as for your tank 0 out of 10.


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## castle (20 Sep 2016)

But they'd be in a lampshade 

Okay okay, I won't be bothering with these!


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## alto (20 Sep 2016)

Most aquarium LED offer a 120* lens, early versions were 90* - some companies such as EcoTech still offer the 90* lens as an optional replacement

If you look through zozo's journals, he's done a good deal of DIY including light options
2nd The Stove


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## zozo (21 Sep 2016)

alto said:


> Most aquarium LED offer a 120* lens, early versions were 90* - some companies such as EcoTech still offer the 90* lens as an optional replacement
> 
> If you look through zozo's journals, he's done a good deal of DIY including light options
> 2nd The Stove



 I'm using the dimmable GU10 Cree epistar led spots 12 watt at the time.. 5 spots at 100% is far to much for my low tech.

But the whole setup will be converted to the 12 volt - 12 watt dimmable MR16 spots with COB led  also much to strong at 100%..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ultra-Brigh...hash=item43e2adc5c4:m:mDAKbTMvm8wR_HhmcbFudng

So dimmable is a must, make sure they are if you buy any.

That 60° beam angle is somewhat vague


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## castle (21 Sep 2016)

Ahh, to be honest, I was just thinking making something like this could have been achievable


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## zozo (21 Sep 2016)

Unfortunately the journal of this tank has no more pictures. Only this video..

He used ikea spots and looked awsome..  You'll see a bit of them in the video.


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## castle (21 Sep 2016)

Looks very good, surely those ikea spot lights aren't comparable to high warmth lights we buy for our tanks?


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## zozo (21 Sep 2016)

castle said:


> high warmth lights we buy for our tanks?



What do you buy, metal halides??


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## castle (21 Sep 2016)

Ahh I meant temperature, to be honest, I've only ever bought t8s, and growbeams. Only now looking at other options.


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## rebel (21 Sep 2016)

Hey dude check out lighting episode by Scapefu. Cara wade I think had very good comments. If it's a bright light, it will grow plants.


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## zozo (21 Sep 2016)

rebel said:


> Hey dude check out lighting episode by Scapefu. Cara wade I think had very good comments. If it's a bright light, it will grow plants.



Yes that was a nice podcast.. But scapefu.com is offline since some time...  I'm not able to find anything of it back, dunno..


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## rebel (22 Sep 2016)

http://www.gearbest.com/outdoor-lights/pp_388778.html?wid=21


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## rebel (22 Sep 2016)

zozo said:


> Yes that was a nice podcast.. But scapefu.com is offline since some time...  I'm not able to find anything of it back, dunno..


http://scapefu.libsyn.com/lighting-the-planted-aquarium-with-cara-wade-scapefu059


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## JSeymour (22 Sep 2016)

Philips makes a PAR38 led bulb that easily grows plants. I don't remember the kelvin rating(5500 or 6500) but many reef aquarium keepers use them in their sumps to grow macro algae.


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## ian_m (22 Sep 2016)

Link to Philips horticultural lighting products.
http://www.lighting.philips.com/main/products/horticulture/products.html


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## hitmanx (14 Oct 2016)

setting up a shallow and wide riparium and I was hoping to use the Philips par38 led bulbs that are 12w with a 35deg beam angle. .. 

i will set up a tight array of 6-8 of them 36-48" above the substrate and I will get good coverage without a spot light effect... that's the plan and at $15 a pop, it won't break the bank... it's worth a try before I commit to any of the ridiculously expensive name brand options like Kessil. .. I could buy 33 par38 bulbs for the price of one Kessil 360

I'll do it and report back... maybe one day I will get a PAR meter to.measure the light


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## hitmanx (2 Jan 2019)

Well 2 years later I think I can say they work...





They are dimmed to 55% for 6hrs with dawn and dusk, 75% noon for 30min, and 2hr moonlight at 5% which uses only one of the lights for some reason... I'm a using a Lutron dimmer hard wired and a smartbridge attached to my router...









I really need to get a PAR meter... i hate not knowing... 100% and I had too much algae even at 36" above the substrate...


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## zozo (2 Jan 2019)

Have you see this one yet..  The TC423?
https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/TC42...108.1000016.1.619515cb38SSfS&isOrigTitle=true

It's a 5 channel programmable timer/dimmer for VAC 220 also at a $ 40 price it might be a affordable option to get better control of the lights.
It has 1 Amp per channel, that would 220 watt, quite a bit enough for several bulbs per channel if necessary.

Tho i have no personal experience with the 423, but software is the same as the (VDC12/24) 420 i'm using and it works a charme.

BTW your F. Pumila seems to grow rather well!? Looks nice..


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## Costa (2 Jan 2019)

Are all commercially available led lights (Philips etc) dimmable?


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## zozo (2 Jan 2019)

Costa said:


> Are all commercially available led lights (Philips etc) dimmable?



Probably not , it has a price tag, the dimmable once need a dimmable driver.. Non dimmable will be cheaper, i guess Philips etc. also likes to serve the public that doesn't need a dimmable.

Thus its a spec to look out or ask for..


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## Costa (2 Jan 2019)

Thank you @zozo


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## hitmanx (6 Jan 2019)

At least here in Canada, most par38 led bulbs seem to be dimmable... 

My bulbs are 37in or 94cm above the substrate and they are dimmed to 55%... anything more and I have algae, but I don't run co2... one of these days I will get a PAR metre to measure...


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## hitmanx (6 Jan 2019)

zozo said:


> Have you see this one yet..  The TC423?
> 
> BTW your F. Pumila seems to grow rather well!? Looks nice..



The Ficus pumila indeed grows well in this setup... I have to constantly trim it back, but unfortunately the roots are a real magnet for detritus...


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## Filip Krupa (15 Jan 2019)

I must say.
I love cheap chinese GU10 LEDs


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