LED lighting - what are my options?

[JamesF]

If you're not growing plants the 20 will do fine.
4 of them on my 130 light it up very nicely and the plants are starting to take off now as well.

 

[Danger_Chicken]

Do you think a 20 would be enough? I mean I will probably put it directly on the surface like JamesF did. I already have coverage pretty well over the whole tank with my two Marineland Double Brite LEDs. I just want to add some additional lighting.

What kind of plants are those?

I'm not exactly sure what you are tyring to do. The flood lights are more concentrated than the marineland. If you are trying to increase the over-all brightness of the tank, putting one on surface will give you a hot spot (3 may work). If the light is a foot or two above the tank It will give a wider spread but will also light the entire room if its not enclosed. If you have a shadow area you want to cover I'd go with a 10w. Even then trying to match the brightness of the floods to a marineland will be tough. Personally I like shadows in my tanks.

 

[JamesF]

I'm pretty sure that plant is fake.

 

[Danger_Chicken]

that works for me too

 

[bjbass]

I'm pretty sure that plant is fake.

Yes the plant is fake

 

[bjbass]

What kind of plants are those?

I'm not exactly sure what you are tyring to do. The flood lights are more concentrated than the marineland. If you are trying to increase the over-all brightness of the tank, putting one on surface will give you a hot spot (3 may work). If the light is a foot or two above the tank It will give a wider spread but will also light the entire room if its not enclosed. If you have a shadow area you want to cover I'd go with a 10w. Even then trying to match the brightness of the floods to a marineland will be tough. Personally I like shadows in my tanks.

I guess I don't mind the shadows in the back of the tank. It is the front of the tank that bothers me. I have the versa tops with the hinged doors in the front. I have the two Marinland LEDs right behind them that span the middle of the tank. It lights it up pretty well, but when the fish are against the glass in the front they are black to the eye.

 

[Danger_Chicken]

Your best bet maybe to raise the marinelands a couple of inches so they give better front to back coverage.

 

[bjbass]

Your best bet maybe to raise the marinelands a couple of inches so they give better front to back coverage.

I guess that is an option although I do like the low profile of them sitting right on the glass, but I suppose you have to trade one thing for another.

Plus the spotlights won't be low profile anyway.

 

[cali~budfish]

damn that was a long thread to read through! very very helpfull though!

 

[NOLAGT]

In deed very helpful. I am looking at possibly replacing my 2 400w mh that I have on my 240 african tank. I currently have the MH 24" off the water in some big 20x20 reflectors and it covers the whole tank. I am thinking that maybe 3 of those 30w floods 12-18" off the water should cover the whole tank and be as bright...thoughts from the ones who have them already. Tank is 8x2x2.