Replacing T5 Tubes With Zetlight Lancia ZP4000 System

[Coys]

My aquarium is an Eheim Vivaline 240 litre. Dimensions are 1200x400x500mm (length, width, depth) and water depth averages about 410mm allowing for gravel, etc. The current lighting is two Narva LT 39W T5 HQ 865 tubes (850mm, rated at 3300 lumens each) on for 9.5 hours per day. I recently installed a CO2Art pressurized CO2 system and dose daily with EI ferts. Plants are mostly various species of Vallis, Crypts, Echinodorus and Ludwigia and are now growing well and the fish are fine.

I’m now looking to replace the existing lighting with LEDs and a controller/remote and like the look of the Zetlight Lancia ZP4000 system, but I’m not sure how many lightbars and/or what size to use. Bearing in mind that I want to retain the existing hood and that the current T5 lighting gives approximately 6600 lumens, I could:

1) Replace the two 850mm tubes with two of the ZP400-895 lightbars (34W, 2,900 lumens each), which should mount in the existing fittings. This would give 5800 lumens of lighting;
2) Remove the old lighting fittings and mount two ZP4000-1047 lightbars (42W, 3500 lumens each, 7000 lumens for two);
3) Remove the old lighting fittings and mount two ZP4000-1200 lightbars (46W, 4100 lumens each, 8200 lumens for two).

Although using the existing light fittings would be easier, mounting the longer lightbars onto the edge of the hood shouldn’t be too difficult.

So depending on the chosen solution I could end up with 5800, 7000 or 8200 (LED) lumens instead of the existing 6600 (T5) lumens.

My guess is that the light output of two of the 34W lightbars would be insufficient for my setup and that I should opt for a pair of the 42W or 46W lightbars, but which one?

Any advice before I spend around £300 on the lightbars, receivers and controller/remote would be gratefully received.

 

[Coys]

Done. Two Zetlight 46W lightbars and controller installed and running. Light is now so much brighter and extends to both ends of the aquarium rather than leaving dead spots at both ends as with the T5s. Fish colours are much better and plants are now pearling, which never happened under the old lights.

The only issue I have is with Zetlight is that the instructions in the controller's box are basically useless (plug them in and switch them on to connect to the controller), the link to download detailed instructions on the back of the instruction leaflet is broken, and their customer support is non-existent; emails to the two email addresses on their website (one in China and one in Italy) go unanswered. I did manage to get a page of instructions from their UK wholesaler, which mostly did the trick though.

One question is remaining though. Has anyone with a Zetlight unit and controller managed to get the lightning and/or cloud settings to work? No matter what I do (pressing the cloud/lightning button on the remote and switching clouds on in the Pro setting) it seems to have no effect at all.

 

[KipperSarnie]

Sorry somehow I missed your earlier post I have the TMC system & not Zetlight.
I to changed over from T5's & offer this word of warning:

Beware of Algae
I had the aqua-beams on full grunt which quickly turned the tank into a green & brown mush!
The tank is now recovering after turning the power down to 15% initially it is now up to 40% I can't see me over going above 75%.

I think it would be better to start at say 50% power & see how it goes rather than 100% & regret it.
For information all my tanks are now on TMC LED's but none are set above 60% power.

 

[Coys]

I had the aqua-beams on full grunt which quickly turned the tank into a green & brown mush!

that's all I need!

Interestingly, Luis Cardoso mentioned that he had no algae problems with his Zetlights (some Zetlight models as mine, same size aquarium, roughly the same lighting schedule), but he did with his new LEDs in his Through the Forest thread.

 

[KipperSarnie]

that's all I need!

Interestingly, Luis Cardoso mentioned that he had no algae problems with his Zetlights (some Zetlight models as mine, same size aquarium, roughly the same lighting schedule), but he did with his new LEDs in his Through the Forest thread.

Ooops sorry!
As I said, I'm using TMC LED's & I have no knowledge of Zetlights & Possibly? / Likely? the advise I received was incorrect on what I needed but to be forewarned is to be prepared!......... I Hope!

 

[Coys]

Ooops sorry!
As I said, I'm using TMC LED's & I have no knowledge of Zetlights & Possibly? / Likely? the advise I received was incorrect on what I needed but to be forewarned is to be prepared!......... I Hope!

No problem; I appreciate your input and will now keep an eye out for anything nasty and cut the lighting % back if necessary.