# Thoughts on this LED bulb?



## seaj (Jan 13, 2008)

Seems like LED lights are the way to go these days. I haven't owned an aquarium in years due to an unstable living situation, but I still like to plan things out for when I am able to set up an underwater garden. I recently went to a local aquarium store (Neptune Aquatics) for the first time that has beautiful planted aquariums set up, all of which were lit by Kessil A150 LED lights (I'm pretty sure those were the fixtures). All the plants looked nice and healthy, and even the fixtures themselves are sleek and beautiful but they are too expensive. I know that LED lights are powerful and efficient, but $200+ for 30 watts of power is too much for the initial cost. Recent searches for an indoor grow light for my low-light houseplants led me to this LED bulb that screws into regular light fixtures the same way CFLs do. For my houseplants, I'm probably going to get regular T5s or T8s, but these LED bulbs seem well suited for aquarium use.

-13 watts each
-all light is aimed straight down vs. fluorescent bulbs (not sure how well the light is spread out though)
-5700-6400°K
-screws into light fixtures
-$29 to $37 per bulb

I first read about them here http://www.orchidboard.com/community/growing-under-lights/61785-new-led-lamp.html On page 3 someone even screwed two bulbs into a small aquarium light fixture.

They are available here - https://www.firstrays.com/cgi/cart/...893625.228&product=Lighting&pid=600&keywords=
and here - http://www.joshsfrogs.com/lighting/...-light-13-watt-jungle-white.html#.UQ5VHHy9KSM

Have theses type of bulbs been mentioned here before? They seem like a cheaper alternative to buying a new fixture altogether.

I think that those LED tube bulbs that fit into fluorescent light fixtures also look interesting, but I think I'll wait until LEDs become cheaper and more common before I make a purchase.


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## Tomoko Schum (Apr 7, 2005)

I have been using Jungle Dawn LED bulbs for my terrariums/vivariums.
They work great for my setups. 
One of the vivarium is a 20 gallon aquarium with three bulbs. A number of aquatic plants are growing emersed very well there. I am not sure about their intensity in water at the substrate level. In vivarium they are bright enough to grow various plants including Hemianthus micranthemoides, Lysimachia nummularia Aurea, Java moss, and Alternanthera reinekii.


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