LED Lights for Plants

[badisbadis101]

I have a 125 gallon planted tank that i currently light with 2x 96watt compact fluorescent. What would the LED equivalent of this be? I am looking at LED's for lower power consumption and longer life, and spending almost 100 dollars on bulbs every year seems ridiculous. Does anyone use LED's to light their planted tanks?

Also, which type of bulb obtains optimum results?

 

[JakeH]

Thats a tricky question my South TX brother... It's not easy & its not cheap, but if you'd rather shell out a bunch of money up front to get your monthly bill down, it could be worth it. You need multiple LED's (of different spectrums) aimed at the plants & I imagine you would need a lot of gear to light a whole 120g. I've heard stories, but I've never actually seen someone do it.

 

[badisbadis101]

Its mostly an idea my dad tossed at me. I can see several advantages, but the cost is obviously the disadvantage. My biggest concern is if it can actually grow plants.

 

[messerchmidt]

I sell them (led bulbs) so here is an answer

your probably going to need t5 or t8 led strips that replace the standard florescent ones. the problem being that not all of them produce uv radiation, meaning your plants will not be able to derive photosynthesis from them. Hell most of them do not. Special ones are thus required of different colour temps, mainly 6500k (day light). I have seen special ones @ 18000k for salt water tanks, but the price is insane.

 

[jcardona1]

my LFS sells them. they are new technology and stupid bright. but also stupid expensive. each bulb goes for about $2-300. a full size fixture would run you $1-2k

 

[JakeH]

IR & UV LED's are available much cheaper than that outside of an LFS...

If someone were to use three 1watt LED's (1 IR, 1 UV, and 1 6,500K) for each plant, do you think that would satisfy the plant's spectrum needs for photosynthesis? I realize it may not be enough lumens, etc... I'm just wondering if that covers the necessary spectrums. I'd like to call one of my old buddies, but first I need to know which LED's the plants would need so I can get accurate pricing.

 

[mgamer20o0]

ok ill take a different look at this... where are you buying your bulbs that you are paying $100 for them?

i dont know but i just use the cheaper ones off ebay. heck the ones i am using right now i got for $5 each on clearance.

as for the LED i been saying for a couple years its coming. some people have built them for smaller tanks. they have some for sw tanks. they look amazing they will grow plants its more of a whole diy right now. i am ready to get rid of every single cfl bulb i have in my house for led lol i cant wait until they are more main stream.

 

[Mr_Altepeter]

I have been doing quite a bit of research on LED's as well for a 75G Reef that I wan tto put together. LED's will allow corals to grow fine and they look absolutely beautiful. They also give a more natural shimmering effect on your tank bottom as well (from posts that I have read elsewhere). The biggest problem is the upfront cost. Granted you will get all that back in the long term. In the Reef tank pics that i have seen so far, the lighting is hands down so much better than going with flourescents and Metal halides that it is not funny. They also don't overheat your tank like a metal halide might. One thing that I caught from reading other forums was that a company (don't remember who) patented using LED setups for either manmade reef or artificial reef tank use. (wording???) or something to that effect basically setting themselves up as the only company who could make a lightset out of all leds, thus keeping the price where they wanted them. I did run into a thread where an LED setup was DIY for a 75G and it cost right at around $600 USD. Granted some basic soldering skills and electrical knowledge are kinda handy to have to DIY with these. I will have to see if I can find that posting again.

 

[JakeH]

Seriously guys, just let me know what color temp/spectrum of LED you need & I can probably save you serious cash! No guarantees, but I used to sell LED's/power supplies/controllers to concert productions, night clubs, strip clubs, theatres, etc. The guy who took over after I left was even a groomsman at my wedding! I'm not running a business or anything, I just want to see more people using this technology & I'm happy to help save you some money on your DIY project.

 

[baos780]

I bought a light very similar to this one (but with 229 leds) http://cgi.ebay.com/Red-Blue-Hydrop...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item53dd8dedbc
From that seller. I placed a couple plants that weren't fairing to well in a community tank and were basically marked for dead. With some nutrient and co2 injection they are now thriving. I'm growing four leaf clover, Pogostemon helferi, ludwigia glandulosa. No other lighting has been provided. I'd be willing to take a crack at any other plant or post pictures if you'd like.