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New Fluval Plant LED- no par data available

62K views 101 replies 44 participants last post by  Vic4UF 
#1 ·
Am considering buying two of the new 24" Fluval Led Aqualife and Plant lights. They look great and have the right color spectrums for plants. However, no PAR data is available for these lights. Only lumens values. The one I'm looking at have 1495.

http://usa.hagen.com/Introducing-New-Fluval-LED-Lights

Called Fluval and they do not see the need to provide PAR values. I have a 24" deep 56 gallon column tank, with 3-4" substrate. Would thse provide medium at best light or low end high? Fluval does specifically note that their new lower end Ultra Bright LEDs will support plants that require low light.
 
#9 ·
The 24" Fluval LED Plant light can be bought on Petco's site for $169 and on Dr. Foster and Smith's for $194. I think they look nice. I've heard they are very well constructed too.

Simply need PAR data for the Fluvals. For example, the Marineland Aquatic Plant light (24") has a listed PAR value of 83 at a 24" depth. Ideally, I would be able to grow plants with high light requirements (low end of). I'm left guessing about the new Fluvals. Calling their 1-800 number wasn't usefu,l as they don't believe in providing PAR values, despite just about every other manufacturer providing this.
 
#14 · (Edited)
I found some detailed info at http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=25742&cmpid=03csesh&ref=3554&subref=AA

From the specs which I've copied. Look a bit redundant to me. It's pointless use a 15000 and a 6000K led together. There's no benefit to plants for a 15000K led for it's too far into the blue. It looks like this. https://www.google.com/search?clien...Fblue-moon-aquatics-led-pendants.html;360;257
The 6000K is good though. As for the other leds there should be a broader range to cover adequately plant needs and for aesthetic preferences.

Spectrums of different K temp leds.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...B91UereBKfe0gHIkoGIAw&ved=0CDoQ9QEwAw&dur=468
The info is out there as you will can see but a bit of searching is required on your part to find it.

You can grow those chosen plants you want in high light too, but so suppose you want to in the future grow plants that like higher light. This light may not have that latitude.

Consider too www.buildmyled.com [BML] the diy app. before you buy. Input these leds into the diy app. Also look through this thread to see what a prefab led light will look like from BML. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=198196
A CRI of 98. Giving a noontime K temp 5500-5900...
Input other color leds and watch how the numbers change.
  • 5700K
  • 5000K
  • 6500K
  • 470nm Blue
  • 505nm Cyan
  • 505nm Cyan
  • 4500K
  • 3000K
  • 525nm Green
  • 525nm Green
  • 4000K
  • 5000K
  • 590nm Amber
  • 625nm Red
  • 590nm Amber
 
#17 ·
Fluval LED lamp came in the mail today. It seems well made, fairly hefty, with a good heat sink design. The box has spectral graph info for all the constituent types of LEDs, and it does have good peaks in the red and blue areas. So far nothing to tell me it was a bad choice, but it will be at least a few weeks before I get the tank up and running.
 
#22 ·
I sent them an email asking for PAR info and got this in response:

We thank you for taking the time to contact us.
We are in the process of generating PAR values which will be available soon. Please stay in touch with Customer Service in the interim, thanks for you patience, we expect to have our values available by the end of June 2013. In the meantime you can rest assured our spectrum and color temperature is ideal for most aquatic plants, one strip the length of your aquarium for slow to medium growth rate plants, two strips for plants that are fast growing and supplied with CO2 injection.
Thank you,
Lisa Emery
Customer Service Dept.
Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp.

So it sounds like it is only good for low-light plants, unless you want to buy two units. By the time you buy two, you might as well get a Ray II or something similar.
 
#24 ·
anyone have anymore info on these? i've had one on my 20L (since around the time they came out) and my plants have been doing well...still looking for opinions from others as i am no expert on lighting. any one find any PAR data yet?

i'm growing mainly low light plants.

i tore my tank down about a month ago and replanted, rescaped, ect. Installed pressurized co2 as well...

was having great growth with pressurized and this light but things seem to have slowed down a bit...
I'd contact Fluval.
 
#23 ·
anyone have anymore info on these? i've had one on my 20L (since around the time they came out) and my plants have been doing well...still looking for opinions from others as i am no expert on lighting. any one find any PAR data yet?

i'm growing mainly low light plants.

i tore my tank down about a month ago and replanted, rescaped, ect. Installed pressurized co2 as well...

was having great growth with pressurized and this light but things seem to have slowed down a bit...
 
#25 · (Edited)
for interest... fluval marketing blurb..




one more 16,000k LED.. closest I could find fast..uses 6 blue 6 white led's


Can't find a chart of just an 15oook LED.. odd... another way to "make it" though..
Equipped with 42 white LEDs (6500K), 20 blue
LEDs (470nm) with 750 lumens. This combination
yields a color temperature of approx. 15,000K.
close enough:
 
#26 ·
It shows an over abundance of blue spectrum but very low red... Although they do cover the spectrum, the intensity in the kelvin for plants seem inadequate. I hope i am wrong on this as the fixture looks really well made and sturdy.

for interest... fluval marketing blurb..




one more 16,000k LED.. closest I could find fast..uses 6 blue 6 white led's


Can't find a chart of just an 15oook LED.. odd... another way to "make it" though..


close enough:
 
#30 ·
i just bought a 24 inch and have it over a 29 gallon tank. it previously had a coralife dual bright on a low light shrimp tank. i used only one bulb on the coralife. i only had it for 2 days so far, brighter than the coralife and whiter light than i expected. the unit design is nice for the price and slime line design is nice. also the light all goes into the tank. i don't get the ambient light bleeding above the tank. the top of the fixture gets hot. i think the enclosure is made of aluminum so the heat can be removed without fans. light heat from the actual light below. since my tank has mainly java ferns i don't see fast growth. in this tank that is not what i want anyway. i am think about getting another one for a tank of crypts.
 
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