Michael

To boldly go where no planted tank hobbyist has gone before. . .get those things installed and put the PAR meter under them!

DonaldmBoyer

I will be studying this really carefully, Drinda! Depending on your results over the coming months, I may redo my own lighting.....the pressure's on!! Reviews are a little mixed for the planted tanks using LED systems like this....

Could you add more red LED's manually, or tinker with it? I noticed that they have 5500K, 8000K, and 10000K....it would be cool if they could let you find a temperature in between some of those.

fishyjoe24

um could jason(foreverknight) make some hangers for you? I thinking angel iron and bending it and could make a hanger out of it.

Tex Gal

Called EcoTech today and found out that they don't make the rails YET. Not sure of my direction. Have a call in to Dane at Rift to Reef to see what he says. I'm a little frustrated. This was supposed to be pretty easy.

Don - you can adjust between spectrums, course you'd be using less of the bulbs. I need to see how they grow plants and how much light is over done or not....

AaronT

As much as I love toys and I want to see this work for you my advice is to return the lights. They aren't made for our purposes so why force it? Listen to your instinct. You're better off doing DIY for LEDs when it comes to planted tanks at this point.

DonaldmBoyer

I don't know Aaron. The lights have shown to prop corals really well, and I think that it is common knowledge at this point that the LED's will technically grow plants. The obvious problems relate to aesthetics, just like blue or high K temp compact fluors and MH's used in the past over coral reef tanks wash out planted tanks. However, this setup seems to have warmer (or "redder") temps that we in our hobby are used to ranging from 5500K-10000K. If these units are adjustable to these ranges, then I would say "go for it.". DIY LED's are a great option, but only if you know what you are doing. Plus, those DIY's seem so specific to one person's system that such a DIY placed over a different tank would look awful.

I still prefer my Giesemann's but this will be the way of the future. I respect Drinda for being a pioneer! If she doesn't like them, the worse case scenario is that she uses her old system and sells these LED systems on eBay or aquabid, etc; she could probably recover at least 80% off her losses.

AaronT

Those are all valid points. It just frustrates me that to adjust the lighting on the reef units like these you sacrifice half of the LEDs you paid for (most of the blue ones) to get the right coloration for a planted tank.

I respect Drinda too. That's why I felt I could be honest about my opinion on the matter.

DonaldmBoyer

sorry Aaron! That wasn't meant to sound critical! And, I totally agree with you! I'm just a little crabby because you refused my LinkedIn invite Lol!!

Tex Gal

Aaron - I've thought about all of this and I am nervous about it. I really need to see if these lights are SO powerful that I won't need all the available "juice" the blues would throw (if a different color). I don't know how else to find out but to test it. Since I am able to try them and hopefully have no loss (if I act quickly) I want to at least SEE what they look like and how my plants react for about a week. This draws me because of the PROS I previously listed. I wish planted tanks were not the ugly step-child of the aquarium trade. I wish EcoTech would allow a customized choice of which LED's could be included in their fixture. I doubt they would care, but then I don't know what is involved in the assembly of each LED module. Wonder if they would entertain a call from a nobody like me?

I appreciate the discussion here. It's a lot of $$ to take a chance on. Some who have studied LEDs tell me I am going to be elated. Others share my same doubts and fears. You guys, as my friends, feel free to give advice. There is a wealth of knowledge on this forum. That's why I posted here. I also hate "wasting" the blue LEDs in adjustment, but then I think of replacing T5HO bulbs routinely and think that is quite a huge waste as well, not to mention the greater efficiency of LED and energy cost, etc. I'm not sure which side has more waste. If both fixtures grow my plants just as well and I end up with a slimmer, trimmer, more efficient light and I don't' have to change bulbs for years, I will be happy.

DIY is great, IF you can do it. SINCE I can't, that really isn't an option for me.

AaronT

I have no idea what LinkedIn even is so I must have missed the invite.