# Need help on LED lighting



## sonvar (Oct 21, 2013)

Ok, my wife finally told me to get rid of my compact florescent light fixture because the fan is too loud. So I guess I am in the market for a new light for my tank.
The problem I am running into is there seems to be an annoying lack of non-biased information out there for all the LED fixtures available on the market. I am over whelmed by peoples oppinions, that is not backed up by objective data. What I was hoping is someone here knows links to sites that provide all the data I need for my specific needs.
I have a higly planted 55 gal bow front tank that is 24 inches deep. It has a glass top with a usable surface of ~12"x24" for a fixture to sit on. Im looking for a fixture to provide medium to high PAR rating to the substrate. I do have CO2 injection, (though my CO2 measurement for some reason always indicates low.
So far Finnex and Current seem willing to put out information to aid in my decision process.

Any information can help me in choosing the right light for me.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Here is a link to non-biased data on all types of lighting fixtures:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...tic-plant-club/80982-par-data-collection.html

The general consensus is that T5 HO are the way to go at this point in time unless you buy or build your own LED rig with quality parts. Page through the above link for info on LED light output.

I think Cavan Allen has an LED lighting setup that he got from BuildMyLED.com (I think) and it has been measured with a PAR meter. Perhaps you can ask him specifically his setup and how he got it running.

Here is another thread with info on LEDs from that site:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...anyone-using-led-lighting-buildmyled-com.html

Hope this helps.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

I got my stuff from RapidLED. I'll be happy to answer questions later.


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## sonvar (Oct 21, 2013)

As stated before, I am updating my fixture due to noise, so T5 HO is not an option.

I've been looking at finnex, rapidLED and buildmyLED for a while now.
I like that fact Finnex is cheap and they put out plenty of data with out too much effort to find, but they seem to lack in output and PAR.
I like the idea of DIY and customizing the fixture to suit my own needs. Problem is for my tank set up sits high. I really do not know what to do with the drivers for the system that wont look like ass.
Also, for a system I would like, rapidLED would run ~$200 with no clue if it would be effective. Some of the systems from buildmyLED run around ~$150-190 that comes with decent data to back up its claims of effectiveness. 
So I think I might get a buildmyLED for simplicity for now for my main tank. I may work on a DIY LED fixture for my 2nd tank later.
Thank you for your responses in helping me.


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