LED aquarium lighting pros and cons...

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
They're fairly dim compared to T8s or higher output LED fixtures. They work perfectly fine for shallow tanks, but the PAR/LUX is a little low for taller tanks like that 55 gallon. Mine grew brown algae (diatoms) like mad, but my water is naturally high in silicates and phosphate. The moonlight feature is nice though. Marineland's doublebright and reef capable fixtures work very nicely, as do their cheaper counterparts Beamworks' LED fixtures.
 
There's all sorts of direction LEDs can go, depends mainly if you want to DIY or just buy something and not worry about mucking it up. I just bought a 10W LED 6500k floodlight (looks like this) to do a test run on a planted 10g. If it's on par with my 2 13W cfls in there now, I'll buy some more and build a big fixture for my 75g. LEDs come in all shapes and sizes. A good readup on them is here. It's an awesome guide to lighting in general and gets technical in an easy to understand way. You can just skip down to the LED section if ya want, though.

Edit: He actually specifically talks about MArineland Doublebrights if you dig through the huge LED section (Good for accent lighting, but not plants/corals apparently). I'm rereading the article because he's contstantly updating it, I'm catching up from last year heh
 
Pros:
  • You save a decent amount of money on your electric bill.
  • High-quality LEDs last a very long time.
  • LEDs give a nice "shimmer" effect.
  • LEDs give nicer colors in some cases.
  • LEDs do not produce much heat.

Cons:
  • LEDs cost more initially in most cases.
  • Some fixtures are pretty dim and are unfit for plants, corals, etc.

That's really all that I can think of right now, but I'm sure that there are more pros and cons.
 
Pros: Looks good - nice shimmer effect
Saves on electricity
Less heat produced

Cons: More expensive than regular lighting
Can't replace bulbs - have to replace entire fixture every 4-5 years
Poor light penetration on deeper tanks

As with any new products coming out, they don't have a track record. How will the product perform over time. Will the light output from the LEDs dim over time? Will the fixture last for as many hours as the manufacturer claims? Will the money saved on energy usage justify the higher cost of the lighting?
 
If you want to grow plants I would not do LED lighting. However, if you are doing a non planted tank, I recommend Marineland Double Bright fixtures. They're bright and give off a beautiful shimmer effect. I absolutely love LED lights, but in my planted tank I use T5HOs.
 
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