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(New) Current Satellite Freshwater LED+ Fixture (6500K/RGB)???

85K views 314 replies 69 participants last post by  Current USA 
#1 ·
What's up guys...

I've been toying with the idea of getting a Finnex Monster Ray RGB LED 24" to work along side my Finnex Ray 2 24" on a 26g Bow Front. I'm getting a decent amount of growth from my plants with a single Ray 2 with about 40 PAR (medium light). However, all the plants grow green. I want to boost this up a bit but just enough... I am running pressurized co2 and dosing micro/macros via PPS-Pro method.

I've been thinking of getting the Monster Ray for the extra Red spectrum but was thinking the green would be useless and the Blue would be okay. Then I got to thinking, this would be a lot easier if Finnex just made a Ray 2 with Red LED's w/ White. I think I've heard un-confirmed rumors of this somewhere?

Well, then I stumbled upon this new fixture, the Current Satellite Freshwater LED+ Fixture (which the 24" version has 48x White / 24x RGB LEDs = 18 watts). I like that is mixes 2 rows of (4x) 6500K white LED to every row (2x) of RGB along its strip.



So what do you think of this fixture to work in tandem with the Ray 2 at about 18" distance from light to sub? Will I get the extra boost, especially in the red spectrum to get the plants growing better? More importantly, to get my Rotala sp. to color up? I just don't see PAR numbers on this... I do like the controller though and the ability to customize the color output -- like increase "red". The "modes" on there like cloudy day and storm or what not are gimmicky, but I don't mind them...LOL, I actually think its neat to just entertain friends! But my main purpose is to grow color in my stems! Thoughts???

More info:
http://www.current-usa.com/aquarium-led-lights/satellite-freshwater-led-plus

^^^^
 
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#2 ·
That light looks nice is there a price. I couldn't find it on the website. I too have been wondering about a monster/ray2 set up. I feel it will bring out the colors in everything in the tank. I'm sure the light from current will cost far more, but to be able to make the light any color is cool. I've seen other fixtures that have that ability for upwards of 1,000 bucks. This light looks promising hope its cost effective. As far as what one to get I guess that will depend on what you want to spend. Oh and a side note. Marinelands planted light has green LEDs in the mix and puts off crazy par. Also check out buildmyled.com they will put together what you want.
 
#3 ·
I bought a current this weekend for 110 USD. I am happy with it so far, the settings are neat and my kids have been having fun with the storms etc but I have been leaving it on the more orange daylight setting although I am considering the full spectrum setting. I will get some pictures of it tomorrow and how I have it rigged over my 7 gallon.
 
#4 ·
Who needs sleep I will post some pics tonight...

Light setting I have it on now most of the time.



More oceanic type setting...



Controller



My ghetto PVC setup for the light until I figure out something better, actually doesn't look half bad painted in semi gloss black. I just did not want it resting right on the glass.

 
#9 ·
I have no experience with LEDs but it appears just as bright as the two fluval 13 watt pcls I had over the tank before. Here is a pic from when I had the pcls for comparison. In full spectrum I think it is actually brighter but I have been running it with more orange and yellow. I will get a shot tomorrow in full spectrum. (The following pic was taken near the end of the light phase with CO2 on and the pics of the LED was taken at night well after pearling stopped and my air pump had kicked on)

 
#14 · (Edited)
On another note... I sent Current an email regarding PAR numbers and they just got back to me after talking it over with their engineering department.

Here's the response:

The PAR value for 1 SAT+ 12" deep is 36 micromols and at 24" is at 21 micromols. We're growing HC in a 18" deep tank with 1 SAT+ and 1 SAT regular. A SAT+ and finnex will grow any plant with no problems if CO2 is available.

Best,
Current-USA

 
#15 · (Edited)
On another note... I sent Current an email regarding PAR numbers and they just got back to me after talking it over with their engineering department.

Here's the response:
The PAR value for 1 SAT+ 12" deep is 36 micromols and at 24" is at 21 micromols. We're growing HC in a 18" deep tank with 1 SAT+ and 1 SAT regular. A SAT+ and finnex will grow any plant with no problems if CO2 is available.

Best,
Current-USA

Before you plunk down your money go to buildmyled.com and input this list of leds to see the tech results. From what I hear the staff is very helpful and have posted on this forum. see this thread 150gal tank
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=198196


Btw, if you want a tank that has high apparent brightness then you need to have green leds

A CRI of 98

  • 5700K
  • 5000K
  • 6500K
  • 470nm Blue
  • 505nm Cyan
  • 505nm Cyan
  • 4500K
  • 3000K
  • 525nm Green
  • 525nm Green
  • 4000K
  • 5000K
  • 590nm Amber
  • 625nm Red
  • 590nm Amber
 
#19 ·
The PAR value for 1 SAT+ 12" deep is 36 micromols and at 24" is at 21 micromols. We're growing HC in a 18" deep tank with 1 SAT+ and 1 SAT regular. A SAT+ and finnex will grow any plant with no problems if CO2 is available.

Best,
Current-USA

Did they tell you what settings? I would think that because it can change colors, the par would be different based on the color setting it is in. Either way I plan on getting one for my 20 gallon. I like the idea that I can play with the light to get the exact look I want. You can't beat the price. I found it on thepetplace.com and they price match and free ship!
 
#20 ·
I just bought the 18" freshwater plus yesterday! We've had one set up at the store for about a month now, super cool light. I got an employee raincheck but they were 30% off this weekend at the store, so I snagged mine for about $65.00. Lovely light, so far from what I've observed in store (it's only been a month though) everything seems good with the quality
 
#23 ·
I was sitting over here, so smug after my recent purchase of a Marineland Aquatic Plant fixture... loving life with my moonlight setting and built-in timers...

now I'm suddenly jealous. This looks so freaking cool.

My only questions: what mode does it default to? ...meaning if you put this on a timer that cuts the power, does it come back on @ the previous setting? or a default setting?

I'm also a bit concerned about the PAR - seems a little sparse... but nothing that wouldn't be fixed by 2 of 'em!

At least I know what I'm getting when this Marineland light fails! (sure hope I don't accidentally drop it in the tank during my next water change...)
 
#24 ·
Oh yeah.. I did ask about the ability to be placed on a timer. Apparently there's some memory built in so it will just turn on under the last setting. And it comes with a 1 year warranty.


Edit: the PAR numbers are sparse but in all fairness, they're pretty close to the Finnex Monster Ray's numbers.
 
#26 ·
You're talking about the Current Satellite right? Not the BuildmyLED.com light?

Anyway, if it's the Current light, is it on a planted tank?
Yep, I'm talking about the Current USA light. The tank will be planted, I'm just setting it up now. The display at work is unfortunately just over fake plants, but the 18" satellite plus has 600 lumens versus a marineland double bright which has 450 and the light has a better spread than the marinelands imo. Not sure about the par values compared to other lights. But it should at least be able to pull off low light plants, which is what I'm going for.

I was looking into getting a finnex but the amazon ratings worried me (not sure if they were in the minority, being broken within weeks) but when the satellite was on sale, I decided to go for that instead.
 
#27 ·
Ok some more shots playing around with the settings (complete with some hair algae I need to take care of) I did compare it to the two 13w pcls and the led is brighter than one by far but is probably not quite as bright as both of them but it seems very close.

Blue turned way up with everything else off



Green turned way up



Full on Red



Full Spectrum

 
#29 ·
I took it off before the pictures when I was doing some tank maintenance and trimming and just put the light back up there for some quick pics but it is back in place now. I am contemplating resting the light on the glass because that would make it about 9 inches from substrate to light which has to up the PAR some but even with the PVC it is only about 10 inches.
 
#31 ·
Thanks Brian for all your leg work. From the info they have provided it seem this light would work for low to medium light plants. And if coupled with another of the same or a finnex ray, etc. It should work for high light. Time to put in my order! Can't wait to see it on my tank.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Is it just me, or does that full spectrum really give some pop and depth? Wow!

Uhg, but at $110 for the 24" model... Maybe if they are ever 30% still. But I still have to upgrade my current setup to Finnex, so this will have to be a Gonna Do Someday for now.
 
#35 ·
Well I got tired of trimming riccia so I pulled that and put in some more DHG. :help: I cannot stop messing with my tank...

The riccia looked good and was growing well but I got tired of trimming it every week. What a mess it made.

So I kind of sabotaged my own test but I get the feeling I was going to need the stunner strip because while still growing the riccia seemed to be less dense if that makes sense. The DHG and micro sword are doing well under the light and pearl under it. The riccia and willow moss was moved to my quarantine tank for the time being. I have shifted the light to be right on the glass at this point though so I am only about 9 to 10 inches off the substrate.

I think this light would work for low to med light plants as long as the tank is not over 12 inches deep but not carpets. Anything deeper and I think it would just be more of a display light but this is all just conjecture and opinion at this point because I have not had the light that long or done any true tests for PAR etc.
 
#36 ·
just setup my 18" tester and its a neat little light. the control pretty much lets you set whatever color you prefer and i like that. it is noticably weaker than the fugeray it replaced, but i like the color output much better. i will probably supplement it with the clip on finnex i have thats white/red led and see what happens. for the controllability, the price isnt that bad, but its not a high or even a med light fixture. if they cram more leds into the same length it would be a viable planted tank fixture IMO.
 
#37 ·
Thanks dhavoc for contributing to this thread on your experience with this fixture! Out of curiosity what size tank do you have it on? Distance plays and obvious roll on whether one or maybe even two of these would work? Or like you said, "supplement" it with additional lighting. I'm real tempted to get this fixture... we'll see :)
 
#38 ·
its on a mr aqua mini-L equivalent. 18" width, so the light is a perfect fit. as mentioned above, its still not powerful enough to be called a med light fixture. tank has no co2 or ferts, and has a SMS substrate. its basically a cpo tank but i want it to grow plants for aesthetic reasons. all my invert tanks are fully planted so i was hoping this would be a viable alternative to the finnex fixtures which are great, but cant grow red plants at all (not dissing finnex, i have a dozen of their fixtures and really like them). i also have a 24" mr aqua tester tank, with co2 and AS with a ray2 + monsteray combo and that is working out great. red plants are back to full red (rotala butterfly) and even marginally red plants (hygro pint.) are really red/magenta. its not just the light either, when i take it out it is really growing red. finnex should just combine the RGB leds into a ray2 and they'll sell a ton. if you can afford 2 fixtures, IMO go with a ray2/monsteray combo. youll get med/high light and the ability to grow red plants easily and pretty much anything else (tank also has erios and they are growing fine).
 
#39 ·
Very nice! I'd like to see the 24" mr aqua with the ray 2 + MR combo... link?

Pairing the Current Sat+ with a Finnex Ray 2 would probably be the equivalent to the Ray2/MR combo... just that the aesthetics of having two different fixtures above the tank wouldn't look so hot. I just like the ability to control the Sat+ color output. I've been in contact with Current and they told me that they're working on a white light grow fixture, something similar to Finnex Ray 2 I'm guessing, that would pair nicely with the Sat+. There's a lot of shifts going on with LED's and implementing dedicated red diodes or RGB's. I totally agree, Finnex should release a "full spectrum" LED ASAP that has a good amount of PAR + other wave lengths, not just so heavy on the blues.
 
#40 · (Edited)
I agree Brian/dhavoc. I got a 24" and 48" satellite in the mail yesterday. I really like that I can change how the light looks. It is sleek and I can adjust the lighting to what looks good to me based on what is in my tank. The 48" is paired with an aqueon modular that I modded to carry 4 instead on three strips. The light on that tank now is probably med-high. The other light is stand alone on a 20 gallon. If current comes out with a white plant grow lite that matches it would be great for aesthetic reasons.
 
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