Need a little help with LEDs
- Thread starter burbon44s
- Start date
Im actually curious to know, has anyone been using the same LED light fixture over a planted tank for say 3 or more years? The reason i ask is because yesterday i went to the LFS and was again talking to the store owner about LED lights, and they were saying that some of the older LED light fixtures tend not to last more than about 3 years or so before the light itself will diminish by up to 50% or more?
So yeah, just curious if any one has first hand knowledge or has also heard about this? Since i know some of the new fixtures are better built and all, but not sure how well the LED's last...
So yeah, just curious if any one has first hand knowledge or has also heard about this? Since i know some of the new fixtures are better built and all, but not sure how well the LED's last...
No personal experience with LED's lasting that long here but they are estimated to last for at least 50kHrs which is roughly a little over 5 years if ON for 24/7. Right before or after this period means the light will start to diminish. Since you won't be using it 24/7, LED's can last as much as 14 years. What I do expect is that LED fixtures are using low quality power supplies. The power supplies are the ones that are not rated for 50kHrs. Some components used like e-caps may have already evaporated their electrolytes by a great percentage. Many cheap components are also estimated to not last more than 2 years.
LEDs are plenty strong for growing plants and penetrating deep water...IF you use the right fixture with the right type of LEDs. They've been used on reef tanks for years, and in fact, some LED fixtures are so strong that they bleach the corals. Check out the posts by member o2surplus here on MFK. He has a DIY fixture that he's used on his planted tank for a long time and puts out a blinding amount of light.
