[J1Time]

So I'm looking for an LED fixture that will provide high light in a 12"x24" tank 12" deep.
I noticed in the LED compendium thread http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/160396-led-lighting-compendium.html that a lot of the fixtures listed with high PAR values are designed for reef applications (mix of white and blue light).

Would using any of these fixtures work well for freshwater plants assuming appropriate white spectrum light is output in addition to the blue light?
Will the blue light cause any problems for freshwater planted tanks e.g. algae, poor plant growth? I seem to remember reading comments saying the blue light can cause algae growth, but that all seems to be anecdotal...

Can anyone that has some experience/expertise help advise me?
Thanks

 

[samamorgan]

The blue light won't cause algae growth. The main problem here is viewing color. Reef lights generally are far too blue looking for planted tanks, so much so taht they wach out the pretty greens that we love so dearly. Most reef LED lights are offered in a <10000k color temperature though, so look for that.

Why are you looking at reef fixtures anyway? I put those lights up there because i found data for them, not because theyre recommended. Information leads to an informed decision.

 

[J1Time]

Thanks Samamorgan!
I was trying to find a powerful, nice-looking pendant fixture that had dimming capability... some of the reef lights seemed to fit the bill.

Seeing as you put that thread together, do you have any recommendations more suitable for planted tanks?