# 13w LED Bulbs



## AlexD (Sep 19, 2007)

I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place to post this, but here goes. I have been looking at the 13w e27 bulbs that some of the sponsors of this board have recently started selling. I have a tank that I need to keep brightly lit, but the CFLs I am currently using get really hot. I am just curious if people have gotten good results from these bulbs before I pay $36 a piece for some. Anyone have any experiences with these? I have searched, but I can't find any specific comments on these bulbs.


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## mrfrogdude (Jun 26, 2011)

I'm not sure but I just ordered the 11w jungle dawn bulb and I'm hoping they do great!


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## AlexD (Sep 19, 2007)

If you'd like to post some side-by-side comparison photos with these bulbs and some standard CFLs, that would be very helpful.


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## BethInAK (Jul 12, 2011)

i have some from LYR and they weren't that expensive and they work great. I replaced two CFL's with one LED bulb on my smaller tanks and i've seen improved growth. Need to buy more.


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## ckays (Jul 26, 2011)

I have a 13 watt jungle dawn that I am very happy with. It does put off considerably less heat than a 26w CFL and appears to be more powerful than the CFL I had before. 

My only concern is the longetivity of the bulb. For the cost, I am expecting it to last quite some time. We will see. I will say that I plan to outfit the four tanks I am starting to construct with them. 

My 2 cents..


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## kthehun89 (Jul 23, 2009)

Hey!!!

I have the sponsor sold 13w jungle dawn LED bulb on my 12x12x18 exo, and I love it. 

I also ordered 2 more 13w LED's, in 6000k, from China via ebay, for half the price. I'm still waiting for these in the mail, but I can post some comparison between the name brand and the cheap alternative if you guys can wait....Thanks!


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

Before Josh's Frogs started selling the 13w LEDs, I tried one out on an 8x8x12 nano tank. A 26w cfl bulb heated the viv up 8F over room temp - the 13w LED raised the temperature only 2F over room temperature, and was much brighter.


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## c81kennedy (Dec 24, 2010)

I order 4 13w LEd jungledawns from lightyour reptiles and soo far I am happy. It droped the bottom of the 18x18x24 for 4 degrees and the top by 2. Iv only had them about a week now so i dont know how they will do with my plants. So far I am super happy and will be buyinh more in a few months if I get good plant growth. Iv got 2 18 in zoomed fixture with one 13w jungle dawn and one 9 watt in each.


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## arielelf (May 23, 2007)

I have 3 of the original 13w 6500K led bulbs from LYR, I would have preferred the Jungle variety but they were not available when I got mine. I am extremely happy with the bulbs. They run a good bit cooler than CFL's and I have had great plant growth out of them. Plus using half the energy will more than pay for the difference in price in the long run.


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## evolvstll (Feb 17, 2007)

First off I do sell the led lights from LYR. So I may be a little biased. However the results are well worth the upfront costs. If you have a tanks over 18" tall there are 24W spots available also. Plants, especially mosses grow exceptionally well. Heat difference comes in two regards.......first (tank), the difference in the heat given to the tanks.....second (room), the room is cooler overall resulting in the air conditioner having to run less. It has been several months since converting over from T5's, T8's, and CFL's to the LED's and my energy costs have decreased by over a third.........
Here are a few threads.......

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/74462-led-light-switch-over.html

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/76351-led-lights-heat.html

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/77345-leds-not.html

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/76910-led-lights.html

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/sponsor-classifieds/70480-led-fixture-now-made-affordable.html


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## evolvstll (Feb 17, 2007)

arielelf said:


> I have 3 of the original 13w 6500K led bulbs from LYR, I would have preferred the Jungle variety but they were not available when I got mine. I am extremely happy with the bulbs. They run a good bit cooler than CFL's and I have had great plant growth out of them. Plus using half the energy will more than pay for the difference in price in the long run.


In comparing the junge/mix led vs the 6500l only lights.............

I prefer the 6500K lights over my frog tanks. While I like the jungle/mix over my plant tanks. On my tall tanks I use a combo of lights........I am using the 6500K 9 ,11, or 13W lights with a mixed (jungle) 24W spot. 
I just prefer seeing the frogs under the white light and know there is a benefit in photosynthesis for the mixed in my plant tanks. There is no need for the mixed diode lights for the frog tank, it is just a matter of preference.


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## kthehun89 (Jul 23, 2009)

I got the chinese knock off 13w 6500k bulbs and they are virtually the same. I can post pics later in the day


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## carbonetc (Oct 13, 2008)

eBay: e27 13w led

I recommend spotlights. We're used to buying lights that shoot light everywhere, and we hope enough of it gets into the tank. With LEDs (which are directional) we don't have to think that way anymore.


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## AlexD (Sep 19, 2007)

I got some of the Chinese knockoffs myself, but I'm still waiting for them to come. I'm interested to see how they work for me. I'll post some before and after pictures when I get them.


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## bsr8129 (Sep 23, 2010)

Let's see some pics of the Chinese ones


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## evolvstll (Feb 17, 2007)

kthehun89 said:


> I got the chinese knock off 13w 6500k bulbs and they are virtually the same. I can post pics later in the day


Not the same. The ones sold by our sponsor have CREE diodes, as well as other top of the line parts. Would be interested to compare the output side by side as well as the actual wattage used. Just remember you get what you pay for.


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## bobrez (Sep 10, 2011)

Knowing that they use cree and upgraded driver parts has me sold


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## EvilLost (Jan 10, 2011)

evolvstll said:


> Not the same. The ones sold by our sponsor have CREE diodes, as well as other top of the line parts. Would be interested to compare the output side by side as well as the actual wattage used. Just remember you get what you pay for.


I agree. CREE LEDs are a world apart from any other I have seen on the market right now and the spec sheets prove it.

The Chinese knock offs are likely using...knocked off LEDs...and I would question the SPECTRAL output of those lights more than anything (since "classic" LEDs are famous for not outputting full spectrum) as well as their lumen/watt efficiency...

I'd be shocked if you could even find a spec sheet on the chinese knockoffs, but at least a side-by-side comparison would be a good starting point.


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## AlexD (Sep 19, 2007)

Yep, it's true, you get what you pay for. Mine just came in today. They are very bright and run cool, but I'm not thrilled with the look of the light. It's very blue, like the 10,000k bulbs over my reef tanks. I'm going to give them a try for a few weeks and see how my plants like them, but I'm not holding out too much hope. So, interesting experiment? Yes. Great success? Not likely, but we'll see.


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## Reef_Haven (Jan 19, 2011)

Can you post a photo?


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## Dizzle21 (Aug 11, 2009)

EvilLost said:


> I agree. CREE LEDs are a world apart from any other I have seen on the market right now and the spec sheets prove it.
> 
> The Chinese knock offs are likely using...knocked off LEDs...and I would question the SPECTRAL output of those lights more than anything (since "classic" LEDs are famous for not outputting full spectrum) as well as their lumen/watt efficiency...
> 
> I'd be shocked if you could even find a spec sheet on the chinese knockoffs, but at least a side-by-side comparison would be a good starting point.


I remember back in reefing, A lot of people would say they are the same as CREE specs and all. I remember someone did a test and found the PAR of the knockoffs were far less than the Crees even tho they had the same "specs". Again you get what you pay for, and also the crees last way longer, knockoffs are known for burning out...


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## freaky_tah (Jan 21, 2009)

I was thinking about adding 1 (maybe 3?) to my new tank which is 24" deep. I currently have the 3 bulb exo-terra fixture over it running the 26w CFL's. Am I correct in assuming the 13w LED going to be brighter than the 26w CFL?


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

evolvstll said:


> Not the same. The ones sold by our sponsor have CREE diodes, as well as other top of the line parts. Would be interested to compare the output side by side as well as the actual wattage used. Just remember you get what you pay for.


He seriously needs to add that to his info! Cree makes a world of difference and is a big selling point!


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## phender (Jan 9, 2009)

I don't think there are CREE LEDs in the fixtures we are talking about. The ones in the 13 watt "bulb" that is flat on one side has .25 watt LEDs. I think the CREE LEDs are 3 or 5 watts each depending on the spectrum.

I think the round floodlight type bulbs that he sells have Cree LEDs though.

BTW, I have a 9W flat sided bulb over my 10 gal vert and I am liking it a lot.


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## AlexD (Sep 19, 2007)

These photos are lousy, but at least you can get an idea of the relative light intensity between the 26w 6500k CFLs in pic 1 and the 13w "6500-7000k" LED e27s in pic 2. I've also noticed that the camera on my iPod has a hard time capturing the difference in color temperature between the CLFs and the LEDs, but as I said before, the LEDs are a lot more blue. At first, I was put off by this color, but it is actually growing on me.

I should also mention that because the LEDs run cooler, I am able to put the light fixture right on top of the tank. Even with the fan system I have rigged in the light fixture, the CFLs run too hot and cause the tank to get about 12 degrees over room temperature, so I have to prop the hood up several inches to mitigate the temperature increase, reducing the PAR in the tank. However, the photos were both taken with the hood sitting right on top of the tank to provide a fair comparison.


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## Venutus1 (Feb 13, 2010)

*Epistar.. not CREE. Must make sure we are on the same page. *



bobrez said:


> Knowing that they use cree and upgraded driver parts has me sold


Hi Folks,

Whoa..

I do have to jump in here...
Yes...I have spotlights with CREE Diodes...
But the 5050SMD Diodes in the Jungle Dawn and 6.5K screw ins are Epistar.
far++ above the generic ones in quality.
And the driver / internal components are made in house by the company that manufactures Jungle Dawn screw ins.
As a mater of fact, I just shelled out last week to have some new back plate molds made for the latest project*. 

They were the 4th LED company I tried after the 3 prior assemblers / manufactures ... *e-hem* .... missed the mark.

As a matter of fact, I have a box of 3000.00 worth of "good deal" screw ins I refuse to sell (even on e-bay-- LOL).
They have sat in my basement for the past 8 months from supplier #3. 

(Side note. I had almost given up after that debacle.... until GREAT manufacturer #4 came along out of nowhere, like a a saving grace from the heavens. LOL  )

So if anyone wants to talk to me about economy LEDs units... 
And remember, most all of the gazillion LED companies & assembly houses in Shenzhen and Hong Kong all buy the same extruded aluminum shell from the same supplier of Guangdong Provence.
So the outside casing all_ looks _the same. 
hmmm... but what _*is*_ inside? 
ahh ... that is the question. 


And now for something completely different.

While we are on the subject of LEDs...

I will comment on some LYR news that has leaked out. 

*Jungle Dawn & Desert Dawn LED Light bars. *The latest project.*

yep. 

that rumor is a true. 
The manufacturing run is scheduled to start tomorrow.

I am excited.

Cheers!
Todd


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## Venutus1 (Feb 13, 2010)

addendum...

I just took a closer look at the ones on the e-bay postings.

Josh's, Evolvstls, LittleFrog Farms and Mine are all using 60 diodes and rated at 13w.

The e-bay ones that say 13 watts only have 52 diodes.

same size diodes.. wider spacing. Like a row was omitted or something.

That's not to say they will not work.

just pointing it out. 

because we all know the 'ol addage....

you get what you pay for.



It makes me think Mist King vs Exo Terra Mister. LOL


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Ha! Love the Monty python reference! And I'm sold on the LEDs...gonna up some on my tanks and see what's what!


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

frogparty said:


> Ha! Love the Monty python reference! And I'm sold on the LEDs...gonna up some on my tanks and see what's what!


 You won't regret it - they're quite nifty


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## Venutus1 (Feb 13, 2010)

AlexD said:


> Yep, it's true, you get what you pay for. Mine just came in today. They are very bright and run cool, but I'm not thrilled with the look of the light. It's very blue, like the 10,000k bulbs over my reef tanks. I'm going to give them a try for a few weeks and see how my plants like them, but I'm not holding out too much hope. So, interesting experiment? Yes. Great success? Not likely, but we'll see.


he he. 
Oh boy. I love this.

Now Alex... 

would you allow me to send you a Jungle Dawn 52 chip to use beside it? 

My 52 chip uses less electricity.

I would do a 13w 60 chip Jungle Dawn... but the next batch of 60 chip 13w are not in yet... (next week)... or I would send one of those.

_But maybe this will actually be a better comparison. _
I will write it off to product testing. 
Something the accountant says I do _way_ too much of. 

(But this so fun... Damn it! Who needs to eat? 
You CAN live on fruit flies in coffee.)

I have PM-ed you for your address.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Todd
lightyourreptiles.com


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## CrucialD00D (Jul 19, 2011)

How many and what wattage is suggested for a tank that is 30"x12"x25" if I were going to use the Jungle Dawn LEDs? Would 4 9watt LEDs be enough? Would that be bright enough to each the bottom of the 25" tall tank? I differently want to use LED's on the tank I am working on I just want to make sure I know what to get before spending the money. Thanks guys.


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## LOW (Oct 20, 2009)

So what, in leds, would you guys recommend for a standard 125 or standard 90 for good dense plant and moss growth?

-low-


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## Venutus1 (Feb 13, 2010)

There are Many factors to consider... like: how dense is plant growth? How tall is viv etc etc...

But a good rule of thumb is 3/4 to ONE watt of LED per gallon.

A Jungle dawn 9w will light a 12 x 12 x 18 ok if it is not very overgrown with plants... If it is chock full of plants blocking light ...then either an 11 or 13 w would be good.

An 18 x 18 x 24 is about 33 gal. so you would want a min. of 26 watt to light it. But that would be more like "understory" light and so you would want to up that to say 34 or 35 watts of LED if you were planning on going Brom heavy.

*PLEASE Take into account if the frogs you are keeping are a species that likes allot of light... or likes it lit dim... or likes "patches" of bright light & shade. *

Speaking of broms .. LED light will color Broms up. But you would have to plan on 1 watt to 1.25 watts per gal. with teh broms say... 8" awat frm the lights. 
Unless you are using LED spots, like the 12 diode ones...then those things
blast the light.

Since folks ask, 
all my tanks are mixed lighting between LEDs and either Arcadia or Repti Sun for moderate UV a & B. 
I also love indoor sunshine CFLS (highest CRI of any CFL available)
I actually had to ADD back a few CFLS instead of LED this winter to keep the vivs warmer... and will switch back to more LED in the summer to keep heat down.

Cheers 
Todd!


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## EvilLost (Jan 10, 2011)

Todd's post was pretty complete, but I'd like to add a few small points:

-FULL SPECTRUM LEDs will color up your plants, but not all lights are full spectrum. The Jungle Dawn ones ARE full spectrum (I'm 99% sure; but I'm merely saying this to point out that "not all LED are created equal")

-As Todd said, if you live somewhere really cold, LED might actually work against you without the heat generation so that is a minor point to consider as well


@Todd: I'm curious about your 1W LED suggestion....is that just from general experience or have you done any type of "testing" on this? I've been trying to determine a good "ball park" value for lighting units as well, but I've been primarily focusing on a "usable lumens" rating rather than lighting wattage, but it is awfully tricky comparing reflector-based tube lights to optic-focused LEDs :x


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## Venutus1 (Feb 13, 2010)

EvilLost said:


> Todd's post was pretty complete, but I'd like to add a few small points:
> 
> -FULL SPECTRUM LEDs will color up your plants, but not all lights are full spectrum. The Jungle Dawn ones ARE full spectrum (I'm 99% sure; but I'm merely saying this to point out that "not all LED are created equal")
> 
> ...


Hi EL,

I do have to point out that the Jungle dawn are a Good spectrum... but not quite the 99.99% duplication of sunlight that the world is waiting for .... yet... anyway. 

I have a few prototype mixed colored diode ones in the works that _could_ take it to the next level... but that has proven much more tricky than first planned.  btw, photo of one of the test samples below is more of a miss than a hit. LOL. Oh well ... its only $$. haha.
Had some sent to UK for spectral analysis last month... but the results were _not_ earth shattering, so I still needed to pump up 3 areas of the spectrum, but the new incarnation of those are in the works.



The one watt per gal. thing is basically based on two things.

First, it is a take off on the 'ol tried and true variation of flo. light 2 watts per gallon that folks have used for years.
As a sort of lighting "starting point".
Enough light to grow most plants, but not so much as to be too bright for most common herps.

And it is also based on my past 10 mo. of lighting my own vivs w/ LED as well as LED & Flo and CFL mixed.

And also-- allot of customer feedback from individuals who have been successfully using LED for the past 6 -10 mo. the light vivs and grow plants.

Most LYR customers know... 
I usually get around to asking them to send me pics of their set-ups  to see how the plants look and have grown under different light configurations. 
Since I don't have the luxury of having 20 or 30 set-ups myself (no space & not enough time ..)
It is a great way to see MANY set ups with all kind of plants and inhabitants being kept under all kinds of lighting set ups. 
(Thank you customers who send me pics!) 

Anyway, it is not a hard rule. 
But more of a tool... 1 watt of LED per gal.

Naturally, if a tank is overgrown (like mine are!) ... or has heavy screening, that rule of thumb should be adjusted upward.
Conversely if it is a brand new and rather barren viv, with not much shade or overgrowth to offer the frogs, then you might want to consider going with a bit less than 1 watt per gal. 
So you don't over-light those species of darts that really DO stay most of the time down in the undergrowth.

You can always "up" the light levels when the tank gets allot of plant overgrowth.

The other idea to consider , go with MORE light for shorter  periods a day.
ie. shafts of sun-light & MID DAY SUN.
Think of the sun moving over a canopy and how the shafts of sunlight beam through and how they play out on the lower forest micro- envirommets!

I was just talking to a well known breeder that is looking into a light trolley system using LED and Arcadia T5. 
You know...anyone, using inexpensive timers, can create a daily solar cycle for the viv. 

Why NOT??!!
Lower light in morn & eve & bright for 4 or 5 hours in the afternoon?

Side note:
My variabilis have shown some interesting behavior the past year and a half of being kept like this in small groups.
In full mid - day light, _the more dominant males _come out and show and call...
In dimmer morn and afternoon light, the _secondary males _will show and call. 
Interesting.

The latest work is on MIXED lighting that will be utilizing the JUNGLE DAWN Led light bars & LED spots... and mixing them with  Arcadia T5's .
And then testing light levels and taking UV readings, both UV Index & _u_w/cm2

I have to say... that configuration looks like the Cats meow.  
**I would even go out on a limb here and say _it could easily become the universal *standard* in zoos and professional displays._** 

oh yes.... the 1 watt per gal. LED thing, use that as staring point ....and adjust up or down as needed.

Anyway.. I am rambling, must get back to work... LOL

Cheers,
Todd


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## clownfrog (Jan 15, 2012)

Who carries the Jungle 24 watt Spots?


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## Venutus1 (Feb 13, 2010)

clownfrog said:


> Who carries the Jungle 24 watt Spots?


Ahh...It is I, Clownfrog. 

(and Rob at LittleFrog farm or Jason at Evolvstl *may* have some..... now that I think of it.) 

The line of Jungle Dawn spots are not up on the LYR site. 
_yet._

And here's why:

Reserves are LOW....because they are only getting made to order in small batches right now and I do not have enough back-stock to cover pushing that product up on the site _this month_.

You see...I have been working with some different configurations of Diodes (like using one colored diode, and differnt ratios of the 4.5k & 6.5K) to settle on the best.

Also, a quirk has popped up.

The wattage can vary DEPENDING on the ratio & different types of diodes in them.

The odd fact is: 

They ALL are all built on the LED PAR 38 24 watt _platform _, but some variations draw _less than 24 watts_.  (None more than 24 watts.)

So they are proving hard to categorize.

There is the whole shebang for ya! 

TMI overload.

Anyway....if you can roll with all that and are interested and cannot wait a minute longer.... 
shoot me an e-mail or PM me. 
Or, I think it ok to suggest that you PM one of the folks above and see if they still have any left from the last shipment.

Thank you for your interest!

Sincerely,
Todd


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## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

I have a few 24W spots left still. And a couple of Todd's experimental units with a blue and red chip added in. I like those. Probably should order some more. Might wait until the 'next generation', assuming there is one.

I'm blooming cattleya orchids under them, at about 30" away, which is no small challenge for such a small electric bill. Happy with the results on that experiment.

As far as my meter says, the 24W spots (12x2W) that I've tested only draw about 18W for whatever reason. They are still insanely bright. Don't know if Todd has figured out how to get them to draw the full current yet (in theory that would make them even brighter)

Rob


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## Venutus1 (Feb 13, 2010)

littlefrog said:


> I have a few 24W spots left still. And a couple of Todd's experimental units with a blue and red chip added in. I like those. Probably should order some more. Might wait until the 'next generation', assuming there is one.
> 
> I'm blooming cattleya orchids under them, at about 30" away, which is no small challenge for such a small electric bill. Happy with the results on that experiment.
> 
> ...


Hi Rob!

I think for now those will be what we will call "18" watt. LOL

To get all 4 kinds of diodes to run in harmony, they have to do some fancy adjusting and that causes them to draw less wattage.

But the loss in light is not that much, and they do run cooler... 

so, as with any thing like that electronic, it may allow them to last even longer.

Dozen of one... half doz. of another.

BTW, I have got them to "tune down" the aura / halo effect between the red & blue by sanding the face of the red and blue diode lenses. (an thereby scattering the light more) 

Work in progress...
But glad to hear it is good even at 30" away!

Take care!
Todd


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## clownfrog (Jan 15, 2012)

Venutus1 said:


> Anyway....if you can roll with all that and are interested and cannot wait a minute longer....
> shoot me an e-mail or PM me.
> Or, I think it ok to suggest that you PM one of the folks above and see if they still have any left from the last shipment.
> 
> ...


Email sent, thanks


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## AlexD (Sep 19, 2007)

Well, the test we have all been waiting for. I received the 11w Jungle Dawn bulb from Todd in the mail today. Let me just say-WOW. This light completely put the 13w Chinese piece of crap to shame. In the first picture, the 11w Jungle Dawn is on the left and the 13w knock-off is on the right. In the second picture, the Jungle Dawn is still on the left, but the other bulb is a name-brand 26w CFL. The Jungle Dawn is a little brighter than even the CFL, but my iPod has a hard time capturing that in a picture. I'm definitely sold on them- I wish I'd saved my money on the lousy junk and spent it on some of the good ones instead. I would also add-even after running for about an hour, the Jungle Dawn is only barely warm to the touch. Furthermore, the temperature in my tank, which ran a little too high, has dropped about 3 degrees in the past hour or so since I replaced one of the CFLs with the Jungle Dawn, even after I took the supports down that held the lights about 2 inches above the top. I simply cannot say how impressed I am with this thing.


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## AlexD (Sep 19, 2007)

Update: the Jungle Dawn is still keeping temps low in this tank. It had been running really high with 2 CLFs, say maybe 86*. Now, after replacing one of the CFLs, even though it is really warm outside here, the temp in the tank is currently 78*. And that's still with a hot CFL on the other side. There is definitely a subtle difference between the light from the two bulbs-the CFL light is more diffuse and "soft" looking, while the LED is bright and crisp, like sunlight. I can't tell which one I prefer the look of, but the Jungle Dawn looks a lot more like actual sunlight.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Finally got some 13 watt LED bulbs and I am very impressed. I put them over my highland sirensis viv where I HAD been running 2x 26watt daylight CFL bulbs. 2x 13watt LED easily is as bright, with approx 5 degree cooler temps, a HUGE PLUS for a highland species!!!!!! Time will tell how the plants react, but I have a feeling the results will be great


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## vivbulider (Jan 23, 2010)

I ordered this http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=120825346339 for my 29 gallon viv any ideas on how well it will work


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## bsr8129 (Sep 23, 2010)

Ive used the led strip for accent lighting and it only lasted a couple of months before the humidity got to it and shorted some of the lights out.


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## vivbulider (Jan 23, 2010)

bsr8129 said:


> Ive used the led strip for accent lighting and it only lasted a couple of months before the humidity got to it and shorted some of the lights out.


I'm going to use it on the outside of the glass it's not waterproof


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

vivbulider said:


> I ordered this http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=120825346339 for my 29 gallon viv any ideas on how well it will work


You should use that to set up a disco in your living room. It won't do much for your plants.


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## vivbulider (Jan 23, 2010)

Pumilo said:


> You should use that to set up a disco in your living room. It won't do much for your plants.


Ok I've already ordered it I'll let you know how well it works and if it doesn't I'll just get some cf's from home depot


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

vivbulider said:


> Ok I've already ordered it I'll let you know how well it works and if it doesn't I'll just get some cf's from home depot


You need to watch your K rating. 65K or 67K is generally a good K rating. If it does not state K rating, it is probably a poor choice for plant growth.


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## vivbulider (Jan 23, 2010)

Pumilo said:


> You need to watch your K rating. 65K or 67K is generally a good K rating. If it does not state K rating, it is probably a poor choice for plant growth.


Thank you but I know and most of the plants I'm going to have in this tank are easy low light plants


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## AlexD (Sep 19, 2007)

And even then, you need to make sure it is across as broad a spectrum as possible, rather than exactly 6500 or 6700k. That's what Todd was getting at earlier-just because the light "looks" right doesn't mean it is necessarily it's good for plant growth. Plants need reds and blues. It just happens that when you combine these two spectra, the visual result is often 6500-6700k. If the light emitted is only in the exactly 6500k range, it is probably not good for your plants. LEDs are notorious for throwing very narrow ranges of light. So, even looks can be deceiving.


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## hylahill (Jan 29, 2008)

This is a great thread-highly informative on an hugely important aspect of our vivs-thanks guys!

I have led's illuminating some glass faced cabinets displaying a collection of odds and ends I have, they are mounted inside the cab behind the doors in strip form (looks totally cool)-always wondered how they would work in a viv. I just thought they wouldn't have enough kick to them to jump start the broms.

Todd, I am on your website with my wallet open!


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## Venutus1 (Feb 13, 2010)

hylahill said:


> This is a great thread-highly informative on an hugely important aspect of our vivs-thanks guys!
> 
> I have led's illuminating some glass faced cabinets displaying a collection of odds and ends I have, they are mounted inside the cab behind the doors in strip form (looks totally cool)-always wondered how they would work in a viv. I just thought they wouldn't have enough kick to them to jump start the broms.
> 
> Todd, I am on your website with my wallet open!



And I guarantee you will be totally satisfied.
I appreciate your business.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Todd


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## T2theG (Jul 6, 2013)

What do you recommend for lighting 10 gallon horizontal Viv? Thanks

Tyler

KCCO


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## Pubfiction (Feb 3, 2013)

c81kennedy said:


> I order 4 13w LEd jungledawns from lightyour reptiles and soo far I am happy. It droped the bottom of the 18x18x24 for 4 degrees and the top by 2. Iv only had them about a week now so i dont know how they will do with my plants. So far I am super happy and will be buyinh more in a few months if I get good plant growth. Iv got 2 18 in zoomed fixture with one 13w jungle dawn and one 9 watt in each.


I have an 18x18x24 and just 2 JD 13 watts is enough light to color up bromeliads about 8 inches from the top and everything else was growing. The biggest problem is they probably need optics to make the light direct more downward to make the lighting more even.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Venutus1 said:


> And I guarantee you will be totally satisfied.
> I appreciate your business.
> Thank you.
> Sincerely,
> Todd


 *My 2nd generic* with the white ring around the base (not green like JD's and some others) *failed* the other day. Same thing as the first one, started strobing. Both JD's still working, and were in use in the same type of fixtures.

I also picked up both bulbs and noticed the JD is noticeably heavier. It has more leds packed on it so that is part of it, but I think it is the "guts" inside making most of the difference. The new ones with the venting ought to be even better. 

On the upside the failing bulb alerted me to the fact that my new Dendrobium parvulum was getting burned by the light. So it may have saved that rare and pricey plant


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