[sparg93]

After watching videos, reading blogs, forum reviews, etc etc for about a month --- I've been thinking either the Chihiros WRGB 2, NetLea AT5 or Week Aqua P.

There is a ton of info on the Chihiros with more reviews than I could ever watch. However, I have found very little info on the Netlea's or Week Aqua in the US.

What eventually put Netlea's on my radar was when I was watching a video review of the Chihiros --- and in the comments one of the guys mentioned he replaced all of his Chihiros with the Netlea's and was happy with the results. I came across Week Aqua P's in a more technical review of LED performance; that person was also very happy with results.

With that in mind, I've searched this forum and couldn't find anything on these lights. They seem to be popular in Asia and Europe, but very little info on them around here. By chance does anybody have experience with these lights?

I connected with the actual manufacturer of the NetLea's, and they are super friendly, knowledgeable, quick to respond --- and at a price point that is hard to not pay attention to given the specs on the light..so I'm seriously considering their setup at the moment.

Thank in advance. Really appreciate any input you may have!!

 

[minorhero]

After watching videos, reading blogs, forum reviews, etc etc for about a month --- I've been thinking either the Chihiros WRGB 2, NetLea AT5 or Week Aqua P.

There is a ton of info on the Chihiros with more reviews than I could ever watch. However, I have found very little info on the Netlea's or Week Aqua in the US.

What eventually put Netlea's on my radar was when I was watching a video review of the Chihiros --- and in the comments one of the guys mentioned he replaced all of his Chihiros with the Netlea's and was happy with the results. I came across Week Aqua P's in a more technical review of LED performance; that person was also very happy with results.

With that in mind, I've searched this forum and couldn't find anything on these lights. They seem to be popular in Asia and Europe, but very little info on them around here. By chance does anybody have experience with these lights?

I connected with the actual manufacturer of the NetLea's, and they are super friendly, knowledgeable, quick to respond --- and at a price point that is hard to not pay attention to given the specs on the light..so I'm seriously considering their setup at the moment.

Thank in advance. Really appreciate any input you may have!!

All 3 lights have the same problem, namely there are no official distributors in the USA who will uphold a warranty (near as I can tell). If you are getting capability for cheap, then that's a risk you take to save some money. But the netlea and aqua week lights are both pretty expensive. The chihiros lights I won't recommend anymore after mine burned out after less then a year. Others here have had similar problems.

 

[sparg93]

All 3 lights have the same problem, namely there are no official distributors in the USA who will uphold a warranty (near as I can tell). If you are getting capability for cheap, then that's a risk you take to save some money. But the netlea and aqua week lights are both pretty expensive. The chihiros lights I won't recommend anymore after mine burned out after less then a year. Others here have had similar problems.

Thanks minor, that is really helpful on the Chihiros. When I was reading how hot their cases became (even @ 60% power), it made me nervous about electronics longevity...which makes sense that some are burning out. I know the Netlea has fans that pull air in, then vent out the rear--- but I don't recall if the Week Aqua's had active or passive cooling.

I agree with your thoughts re: warranty...it would be hit or miss given there is no US distributor.

 

[minorhero]

Thanks minor, that is really helpful on the Chihiros. When I was reading how hot their cases became (even @ 60% power), it made me nervous about electronics longevity...which makes sense that some are burning out. I know the Netlea has fans that pull air in, then vent out the rear--- but I don't recall if the Week Aqua's had active or passive cooling.

I agree with your thoughts re: warranty...it would be hit or miss given there is no US distributor.

If looking for a light with an app, you could look at fluval 3.0. If looking for just a light you could hook up to a timer or smart plug, look into twinstar would be my advice.

 

[sparg93]

If looking for a light with an app, you could look at fluval 3.0. If looking for just a light you could hook up to a timer or smart plug, look into twinstar would be my advice.

Thanks minor -- yes, looking for a light with an app. I would like to adjust the RGB spectrum, plus setup custom ramp up/ramp down timers for the lights versus a more simple on/off

 

[Qwedfg]

I like my chihiros light. Just like anything else in life people who have problems are more likely to post something than those who haven’t had any issues. I’ve had mine since March and so far it’s been running smoothly. Compared to what you pay for an Ada light I took my chances on a chihiros. I have a wrgb2 for reference.

 

[Marc_G]

I got one of the first Chihiros WRGB2 PRO lights from the first batch that Aqua Rocks had for sale. Hopefully the new pro design won't have some of the electrical issues that the earlier ones had. So far I'm pretty satisfied with it, and so are my plants! Aqua Rocks I believe will assist with any warranty issues.

 

[geekindenial]

I got 2 Chihiros WRGB2, one is nearly 1 year old and the other approaches 2. Both are great. Got both from Aquarockscolorado.

The only complaint is that if there's a power cut, they lose their programming and you need to connect to them with the app to get their programs redownloaded.

I cant go back to lights with just simple timer anymore after using these. I have them on for 8 hours at 60% or so for plants then at 3% till mid night so can get to enjoy the night view. Its magical. You need a light with app control to do that. If one of these break I'm planning to just get another Chihiros.

 

[Asteroid]

If your really want the Chihiros you could probably just purchase one of those protection plans they offer on amazon. I don't think it would be that much for something in that price range.

I actually have an ONF Flat One+ and am very happy with it. Programmable by intensity and color temp.

 

[rzn7z7]

I agree with the comments that you should purchase one of these lights thru a US distributor (in case of questions, warranty issues, etc.) and I got my Chihiros WRGB 2 Pro's thru Aquarockscolorado....so far, so good with no issues to report although the app isn't the most intuitive. Another US distributor is FZAqua - both distributors have another brand named LEDStar that may be worth a look

Is there a US distributor for the Netlea AT5? I've read good reviews of that light, too

 

[Scully]

I'll throw in another vote on Chihiros WRGB ii. As stated before my biggest frustration with it is you have to reconnect after a power outage to get your settings back. I lose power for short amounts of time fairly frequenty so I have to do this a lot. I bought mine thinking I'd be setting up a high tech tank, but changed my mind and have been running it at 15-20% for the last year without issue.

Also I got mine off of Aliexpress, it was a bit of a pain because I had to clear my card with my bank for the transaction, if I were to do it again I would have just got a prepaid card to buy it. It only took about a week and a half for me to receive it straight from china.

 

[sparg93]

Thanks everybody for chiming in, really appreciate it! I got in touch with the Week Aqua P manufacturer and the cost was too high for a fun "project" and trying out a new light. But NetLea was a bit more reasonable so I decided to pull the trigger.

Even though NetLea does have a 1yr warranty, I realize getting it honored will be tricky if there are issues...so I am thinking of this as more of a fun project so if it goes sideways, I can always order a light from a different manufacturer. I'll do a writeup once I receive it and will load it into my Tank Journal when I get everything started up!!

I just placed my order today for a few important items I had been mulling over (i.e. ADA substrates, lights, odds/ends) ---- so getting closer to finally playing with my new tank!

@rzn7z7 --- for the NetLea's, there is no US distributor.

But if a number of folks were ever interested, I would bet a group buy would make the price really attractive if the light ended up being solid. A big portion of what I'm paying is simply to ship one light via air so I don't have to wait until a cargo ship picks it up.

I actually ended up ordering two D45's to go over my 120CM tank. They sent me a picture of one of their 120cm display tanks and I really liked the look of two pendants in the 45cm length.

Have folks on this forum ever completed a group buy?

In one of my other hobbies it was a regular occurrence --- so the manuf either drop shipped it to individual addresses or sent it to one house (for members that were local) to go by and pick their gear up. Just in case anybody is wondering, I'm not offering my house for that...it was hard enough to convince my wife of a father/son fish tank --- And it was the "son" part that closed the deal

 

[jeffkrol]

Thanks everybody for chiming in, really appreciate it! I got in touch with the Week Aqua P manufacturer and the cost was too high for a fun "project" and trying out a new light. But NetLea was a bit more reasonable so I decided to pull the trigger.

Even though NetLea does have a 1yr warranty, I realize getting it honored will be tricky if there are issues...so I am thinking of this as more of a fun project so if it goes sideways, I can always order a light from a different manufacturer. I'll do a writeup once I receive it and will load it into my Tank Journal when I get everything started up!!

I just placed my order today for a few important items I had been mulling over (i.e. ADA substrates, lights, odds/ends) ---- so getting closer to finally playing with my new tank!

Just a few questions about the Netea that you will eventually be able to answer for me:
1) Seems that here is no individual channel over time programming.
2) To go with that there is only 1 custom program
3) Legs are fixed and not adjustable. Many may need to hang the light if so.
4) There is a start/stop time but no "moonlight" period?
5) Doesn't mention a ramp up/ down function. So is the timer on/off?

None of the above is a fatal flaw for sure but there are unknowns.
Well actually for me simple on/off is the possible worst thing.

Programmers.. either too fancy or too simplistic..

 

[TimW]

This is the first I have heard of Netlea. I like that it uses 4-in-1 WRGB LEDs like the Chihiros WRGB II Pro, I think that is one of the best solutions currently available for our hobby. Let us know if the fan is annoying or the app sucks. I have heard the Week aqua app is not great.

 

[sparg93]

Just a few questions about the Netea that you will eventually be able to answer for me:
1) Seems that here is no individual channel over time programming.
2) To go with that there is only 1 custom program
3) Legs are fixed and not adjustable. Many may need to hang the light if so.
4) There is a start/stop time but no "moonlight" period?
5) Doesn't mention a ramp up/ down function. So is the timer on/off?

None of the above is a fatal flaw for sure but there are unknowns.
Well actually for me simple on/off is the possible worst thing.

Programmers.. either too fancy or too simplistic..

I watched this Youtube video a few weeks ago --- which answers some of these questions --- but I'll answer below to consolidate it. I also downloaded the app and it is in English, but I can't play with it as there is no device it can connect to. Once I have the light, I'll reconfirm the responses below and my impressions for ease of use to make the below happen.
You can grow plants with your phone and this light | Netlea RGB Light Unboxing - YouTube

1) Seems that here is no individual channel over time programming - can you expand on what you mean here? (not sure what the "single channel" means)
2) Custom program - In the app I see "Custom 1" , "Custom 2" --- but I'm not sure if you can easily switch between more than one complete custom program
3) Legs are fixed - Agreed, in the video they are fixed. On their project page the have a few sizes in pendant or with fixed legs
4) Moonlight period - From the video it looks like you can add in the sequence and adjust the RGB + power --- but maybe i missed something?
5) Ramp up/down - In the video he mentions you can do this and shows it happening with the light

Keep the questions coming and I'll consolidate them once I the unit arrives and I can play around with it.

This is the first I have heard of Netlea. I like that it uses 4-in-1 WRGB LEDs like the Chihiros WRGB II Pro, I think that is one of the best solutions currently available for our hobby. Let us know if the fan is annoying or the app sucks. I have heard the Week aqua app is not great.

Completely agree --- the 4:1 and fans were what caught my attention initially. It sounds odd to say "fans" were part of my interest, but I kept reading how hot some of these lights were getting and couldn't understand why I saw so little passive/active ventilation going on. Even though I've been out of the hobby for awhile, I know my reef tank lights all had fans and I think my larger freshwater setup did as well back in the day (they were not LED's though). To your point, I hope the fans stay quiet and last...as it's also another part to break. But I'm hoping they aren't too hard to replace if/when they conk out.

I read the same about the Week Aqua app being difficult. I didn't download that one, but I'm hoping the NetLea ends up being as easy as the guy in the video I linked makes it seem. Similar to Jeff I also like a moonlight phase.

 

[jeffkrol]

1) Seems that here is no individual channel over time programming - can you expand on what you mean here? (not sure what the "single channel" means)

Like 9am(red 25,green 0, blue 0, white 0)
10am ( red 100, blue 10, green 10, white 20)
11am ( red 100, blue 100, green 100, white 100)
Multiple time points with each " color" (channel) independently programmed.

4) Moonlight period - From the video it looks like you can add in the sequence and adjust the RGB + power --- but maybe i missed something?

You need 2 independent periods in 24 hr.
You know ramp up/ down one set of colors then ramp up/down second set of colors.

Keep the questions coming and I'll consolidate them once I the unit arrives and I can play around with it.
[/QUOTE]

 

[sparg93]

Like 9am(red 25,green 0, blue 0, white 0)
10am ( red 100, blue 10, green 10, white 20)
11am ( red 100, blue 100, green 100, white 100)
Multiple time points with each " color" (channel) independently programmed.



You need 2 independent periods in 24 hr.
You know ramp up/ down one set of colors then ramp up/down second set of colors.

Keep the questions coming and I'll consolidate them once I the unit arrives and I can play around with it.

[/QUOTE]

Ah, ok - that is helpful. I believe you can --- see 5:17 in the Youtube video. I believe the "add process" button allows you to set the time interval and individual RGB levels.

I'm not sure of is how many intervals you can set and if there is a semi-auto way to ramp up/down or if you need to manually add in the power adjustment over the time period.

 

[rzn7z7]

Looks like we now have a US distributor for Netlea lights as I just saw this on the aquarockscolorado.com website

Netlea AT6 Pro

There's limited product information (7 in 1 LEDs?), it's out of stock and looks pretty expensive, but still....