# Ebay LEDs



## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

Has anyone given these LED fixtures a shot? 

LED 18" 300 Aquarium Light Strip Freshwater Fish Tank Single Bright 45 cm 20" | eBay

Buy 1 Get 1 Free ! 48" - 50" Aquarium LED Light Lunar Bright Fish Tank NEW CE | eBay


I am pretty well versed on LED's so am a bit wary.. I am looking for low profile and low heat and they seem perfect...maybe too perfect? Its just easier than making my own which I don't feel like doing.


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## ghostpilot (Dec 29, 2011)

I was just looking at the 800's and wondering the same thing.


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## bobrez (Sep 10, 2011)

They look cool, but 300 Lumen is really low. Prolly need 2 or 3 per viv  for any plant growth


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## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

Ahh there was a catch I missed. Ha they use a 0.6W LED! what is that? lol. here are some better ones....Thanks for catching the lumens. 

EVO 24" 6500K LED Aquarium Light 16x 3 Watts 3W Freshwater Plant Tropical Fish | eBay

EVO 36" 6500K LED Aquarium Light 24x 3 Watts 3W Freshwater Plant Tropical Fish | eBay

EVO 48" 6500K LED Aquarium Light 32x 3 Watts 3W Freshwater Plant Tropical Fish | eBay


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## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

I've been browsing all the leds on ebay for awhile...sadly I have no technical knowledge, so I had no idea what to look for (other than color temp). So, if you happen to get one of these, please let us know how it is. I'd like to get a few, but don't want to waste $.
Thanks!


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## ndame88 (Sep 24, 2010)

I bought one of these Pro 225 LED 14 Watt Hydroponic Plant Hydro Grow Light Panel 14w Tri Band | eBay yesterday for $25 for my grow out table, not sure if it will work, but for $25 worth a shot.


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## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

ndame88 said:


> I bought one of these Pro 225 LED 14 Watt Hydroponic Plant Hydro Grow Light Panel 14w Tri Band | eBay yesterday for $25 for my grow out table, not sure if it will work, but for $25 worth a shot.


Yeah for $25 its worth a shot. let us know what you think.


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## gosaspursm (Mar 12, 2011)

ndame88 said:


> I bought one of these Pro 225 LED 14 Watt Hydroponic Plant Hydro Grow Light Panel 14w Tri Band | eBay yesterday for $25 for my grow out table, not sure if it will work, but for $25 worth a shot.


I have this exact one. Been using it for about a year on a 29 gallon. It isn't overly bright, but the plants seem to be doing well.


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## whitethumb (Feb 5, 2011)

would the 24" fit a 20 gallon long? it says it maxes out to 30" and a 20 gallon long is 30.3"



eyeviper said:


> Ahh there was a catch I missed. Ha they use a 0.6W LED! what is that? lol. here are some better ones....Thanks for catching the lumens.
> 
> EVO 24" 6500K LED Aquarium Light 16x 3 Watts 3W Freshwater Plant Tropical Fish | eBay
> 
> [/url]


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## mordoria (Jan 28, 2011)

those old style LED are crap (the ones that look like LIGHTBRITE bulbs). They arent bright, have bad color, and are a waste of money. The lightbar with the 3w Leds looks alright. It seems to put out a lot of Lumens. You want to look for 5050SMD led or the newer style flat/flush bulbs


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## kitcolebay (Apr 7, 2012)

I've been browsing the LED's on ebay also. I've been thinking of lighting for my next project that has two separate vert's about 36" tall with light fixture already in the top. Do you think the following bulb would light it well?
E27 LED Corn Light Bulb 86LED SMD5050 Pure White 1600LM 16W 110V | eBay

I'll be subscribed to this thread to see how everybody's luck goes with ebay led's. When the time comes for me when/if I order, then I'll be sure to post on here also.

Thanks, Chris


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## bobrez (Sep 10, 2011)

kitcolebay said:


> I've been browsing the LED's on ebay also. I've been thinking of lighting for my next project that has two separate vert's about 36" tall with light fixture already in the top. Do you think the following bulb would light it well?
> E27 LED Corn Light Bulb 86LED SMD5050 Pure White 1600LM 16W 110V | eBay
> 
> I'll be subscribed to this thread to see how everybody's luck goes with ebay led's. When the time comes for me when/if I order, then I'll be sure to post on here also.
> ...


These look worth trying, 86 leds will probably get hot and burnout at 12hrs a day idk


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## whitethumb (Feb 5, 2011)

i know these aren't led's but what do you think about these?


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

I noticed that the 800 has actinic bulbs, not good for vivs, unless you want a blue hue to your plants/ animals..


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

eyeviper said:


> Ahh there was a catch I missed. Ha they use a 0.6W LED! what is that? lol. here are some better ones....Thanks for catching the lumens.
> 
> EVO 24" 6500K LED Aquarium Light 16x 3 Watts 3W Freshwater Plant Tropical Fish | eBay
> 
> ...


Those look more like it, but only 16 bulbs in the 24" strip? Personally I'd keep looking, but if nothing comes up it's as good a price as any.

This is the best I have found: MARINELAND® Single Bright LED Lighting System - Specialty Pet Month - Featured Products - PetSmart

Lots of LEDs, plus a bonus blue light strip for night time lighting, if you choose. Price is pretty fair too. They also have an 11" strip that I will use for my 20H:
MARINELAND® Single Bright LED Lighting System - Specialty Pet Month - Featured Products - PetSmart


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## BethInAK (Jul 12, 2011)

ndame88 said:


> I bought one of these Pro 225 LED 14 Watt Hydroponic Plant Hydro Grow Light Panel 14w Tri Band | eBay yesterday for $25 for my grow out table, not sure if it will work, but for $25 worth a shot.


I'm curious to hear how this works out. It looks like a good plug and play solution for me. I'm scared of electricity.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

§lipperhead said:


> Those look more like it, but only 16 bulbs in the 24" strip? Personally I'd keep looking, but if nothing comes up it's as good a price as any.
> 
> This is the best I have found: MARINELAND® Single Bright LED Lighting System - Specialty Pet Month - Featured Products - PetSmart
> 
> ...


The number of LEDs in a fixture is not the end all to end all. You need to take the wattage into consideration. The Marineland single bright LED system that you linked to uses only .6 watt LEDs while the EVO that Eyeviper linked to is using 3 watt LEDs. That means that each LED in the EVO fixture is probably as bright or brighter than 6 of the LEDs in the Marineland fixture. Keep in mind that adding more LEDs, does more to spread the light, than to get it to penetrate any deeper. A 3 watt LED will be much brighter at the bottom of the viv than 6 of the .6 watt LEDs.


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

Good point. I was thinking about coverage though. Penetration I guess is another thing.


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

Here is an 18" one. This would be great for 10gal/ 20galH. Wish I saw this because it looks a lot better than the 11" strip I got from marineland. Fifty bucks for this is a steal.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EVO-18-6500...616?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43b18c2cf8


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## skanderson (Aug 25, 2011)

the thing to look for is the number of lumens and the wattage of the fixture. as a rule of thumb the 3 watt leds are more efficient than the .6 watters. you will never beat a good diy fixture in my opinion and it will not cost more than buying an inferior one. the downside of diy is the doing part. mine is not yet ready for prime time and i started it months ago. it isnt too difficult and with the amperage and voltages you will be working with on a small fixture they are not dangerous. any fixture you buy should list the lumens or i would be very wary.


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## repking26 (Mar 12, 2012)

I plan on switching from CFLs to LEDs soon and was wondering has anyone tried out the "jungle dawn" LED screw in lights from Josh's Frogs and if so, did you get good plant growth? Other than 6500k and a high lumen value, what would anyone suggest for a completed kit rather than do-it yourself.

Thanks in advance
Jungle Dawn LED Vivarium Light (13 Watt Jungle-White) - LED Lighting | Josh's Frogs


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

The specs of the Jungle Dawn looks good, I just don't care for the socket style of putting it into a lamp.

Id read up on pg 2 for good product suggestions..


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## bobrez (Sep 10, 2011)

repking26 said:


> I plan on switching from CFLs to LEDs soon and was wondering has anyone tried out the "jungle dawn" LED screw in lights from Josh's Frogs and if so, did you get good plant growth? Other than 6500k and a high lumen value, what would anyone suggest for a completed kit rather than do-it yourself.
> 
> Thanks in advance
> Jungle Dawn LED Vivarium Light (13 Watt Jungle-White) - LED Lighting | Josh's Frogs


I have 1 of these from Josh and a few other sponsors carry them 
Have used it for a month and the light output is about same as 23w cfl and
less heat  Its a good bulb, color is nice, too soon to tell on growth


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## repking26 (Mar 12, 2012)

Yeah I got carried away and didn't read all the posts on page 2 haha. I really like the idea of the jungle dawn bulb but am not a fan of the screw in bulbs because I want to streamline my system. However I may order it just to support Josh's frogs because he has been helpful.


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## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

§lipperhead said:


> The specs of the Jungle Dawn looks good, I just don't care for the socket style of putting it into a lamp.
> 
> Id read up on pg 2 for good product suggestions..


This why I havent got any of those bulbs I just dont want the screw in type.


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## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

Pumilo said:


> The number of LEDs in a fixture is not the end all to end all. You need to take the wattage into consideration. The Marineland single bright LED system that you linked to uses only .6 watt LEDs while the EVO that Eyeviper linked to is using 3 watt LEDs. That means that each LED in the EVO fixture is probably as bright or brighter than 6 of the LEDs in the Marineland fixture. Keep in mind that adding more LEDs, does more to spread the light, than to get it to penetrate any deeper. A 3 watt LED will be much brighter at the bottom of the viv than 6 of the .6 watt LEDs.


This was my point with the "HA 0.6 watt!" what you said goes along with what I know from the reef side of things. With the reef lights most people for small tanks (15-30g) run anywhere from roughly 16-24 3w LED's (depends on pendent and length obviously). I think in a viv without the issue of spectrum loss with depth like in water the results will be much better and most likely for less. Im going to give the EVO 3 watts a try. They will grow plants, I dont think thats an argument but it will be intriguing to see how well the make broms color up.


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## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

repking26 said:


> Yeah I got carried away and didn't read all the posts on page 2 haha. I really like the idea of the jungle dawn bulb but am not a fan of the screw in bulbs because I want to streamline my system. However I may order it just to support Josh's frogs because he has been helpful.


If you have a facebook Josh has many of his tanks posted on there. I believe many of the tanks now use those LED's you mentioned above. They seem to do awesome, His tanks look super fresh and crisp.


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## KarmaPolice (Apr 25, 2012)

*Diy led*

Do you happen to have a good link to a DIY LED thread that might have some good guides/recommendations on watts per LED needed for different size tanks, the different types of LED's in general and a 'dummies guide' for people like me. 
I know of this thread:
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/65603-guide-vivarium-lighting.html
But I still don't understand Lumens all too well and what is desired, maybe I'll just have to read it again.
difference between soft and warm light? is that just related to kelvin (6500k) temps?
Thanks, and look forward to hearing about 'ebay' purchases too

-Duncan

EDIT:
_LED purchasing sites, good?_
LED Lights, Bulbs & Accessories - SUPER BRIGHT LEDS?
LED Strip Lighting - LED Lightbar - LED Strip Lights?
_Guide good?_
How To DIY LED « « ReefLEDLights | LED Aquarium Lighting ReefLEDLights | LED Aquarium Lighting


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## repking26 (Mar 12, 2012)

I am in the same boat as you Karma.


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## repking26 (Mar 12, 2012)

Not sure if this helps any but I found this link in another members post, can't remember what the members handle was, but maybe this will help.

http://www.vinnymarini.com/pictures/rapid_docs/LED DIY Oveview.pdf


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## Turningdoc (May 24, 2012)

I found this site and got 2. They work well at an amazing price under $40! Have only had for 2 months so can't vouch for lifespan.
www.LEDwholesalers.com under aquarium lights


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

So how are you guys using the panels? Just hang them down from the bakers rack shelves? What if you have a free-standing viv like me?


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## repking26 (Mar 12, 2012)

Thanks for the link I just ordered two of these panels Doc! I will most likely finish the hardscaping of my vivarium build by the end of next, so when I get the thing planted I will post my results!


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## repking26 (Mar 12, 2012)

Those mounting ways would work for the panels, but I think when I get my LEDs in I will fabricate a bracket of some sort for it. I will post some comparison pictures of the panel when I receive it.


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## Turningdoc (May 24, 2012)

They are 12 x12 panels that have hole in the corners for #6 screws so u can make whatever you want for a mount.


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## kitcolebay (Apr 7, 2012)

I was eye-balling those 12x12 panels too. Feel free to let me know how they work for you or how they'd work in a 36" tall vert. I'm also considering running a LED strip down the inside corner if I have troubles finding a light strong enough to light it up from the top.
Thanks, Chris


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## repking26 (Mar 12, 2012)

I never thought of mounting a LED strip down the inside of the viv. However I did have the same concern of not enough light reaching the bottom of my future vivarium ( 24"x18"x24" exoterra). But I am hoping the panels will work, fingers crossed!


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## konton (Nov 17, 2010)

I tried one of these which was really bright
LED panel module 5050 SMD 225 LEDs 18x18cm 12V input










It gave off more light than I expected, but also ran pretty hot. 

At the moment I'm trying 2 LED strips of 300 5050SMD to cover six cubes, or about 96 LEDs above each cube.






Honestly the two 9w CFLs make slightly more light, but also really heat the tanks up.


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## ghostpilot (Dec 29, 2011)

Turningdoc said:


> I found this site and got 2. They work well at an amazing price under $40! Have only had for 2 months so can't vouch for lifespan.
> LEDwholesalers under aquarium lights



These have caught my attention. When I start on my other racks I may have to pick up 12 of them. Keep us updated on the longevity of them.


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## repking26 (Mar 12, 2012)

I just ordered two of them yesterday for my up and coming vivarium build and figured for the price I couldn't go wrong! I would like to build a LED system but am worried about my electrical skills, I can build computers but never did any soldering on chip sets.


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## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

Lol Threads gotten a tad off the original topic but I am liking the new products posted.


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## repking26 (Mar 12, 2012)

Guilty as charged eyeviper hahaha!! But in our defense we have found some good alternative to CFL's and Fluorescent tubes!! I can't wait to see how the new finds pan out, maybe I will show a comparison of the LEDs against CFL's and post the results!! GO SCIENCE!!!! sorry I got carried away there at the end hahaha.


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## sbreland (May 4, 2006)

Ok, so maybe I'm missing something (likely), but why isn't anyone using/trying just getting some LED strips like these ( 12v LED Strip Light - The Lighting Solutions ), making up a hood out of wood or whatever material you want (even retrofitting an old fluorescent fixture without the lights maybe), wiring the power supply (simple) and plugging it in? Is there something about this idea that DOESN'T work? Heat maybe? How would the heat be in comparison to 2 CFL bulbs sitting right on top of the tank? Guess I'm just seeing a SUPER simple solution here and not sure why nobody else is seeing it which means I'm obviously missing something and wanted to see what. 
I think the idea of 72 watts and 3675 lumens sounds pretty good but one thing I've NEVER seen really answered "well" is for a good level of lighting (say equivalent to a couple of nice bright CFLs on top) how many lumens do you really need to put out? I know it depends on tank height, so anyone that can answer this can probably also answer... how many lumens do you lose per foot of depth? Ie, if the output your working with is say 3500 lumens, what is the expected reading at 1 ft of depth in the tank? 2ft... 3ft? What is considered "good" at the floor of the viv? I saw somewhere earlier 100 lumen at the bottom but that seems pretty low. 

Lots of questions I guess, very few answers. Hope someone who truly has answers to these questions can chime in and tell me why that setup I mentioned above is a "bad" idea...


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## carola1155 (Sep 10, 2007)

I was actually looking at similar stip lights like that the other day here: LED Lights, Bulbs & Accessories - SUPER BRIGHT LEDS

I used them to make a light up beer pong table a few years ago in college and I was looking into them for lighting up the foot panels of my bar. Naturally then my mind started to wander towards frog tank lighting. 

I already have the Exo Terra Tops for my tanks so it would be kind of a waste for me but it is possible they would be great for someone that is using a rack system or custom building a hood.

The strips that I bought came in 3-LED sections so you could cut them up and space them out how you want.

The only downfall I could imagine with them is what to do after the 30-40k hours of life expires... If you went through all that work of soldering them in it would be a pain to have to replace them all. So you would have to think of some way to make them easy to swap when they burn out in a few years.


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## sbreland (May 4, 2006)

Work smarter, not harder, a wise man told me once 

non-soldering wire connectors

10 pieces of 2 pins 10mm non-soldered connector

Oh, and unless you want to blow a lot of extra cash, don't buy from that site you have there... check out the one I listed in the first link or the strips for sale on the site of these connectors above.... WAY cheaper and same specs I believe.


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## Ozydego (Mar 26, 2012)

So not Ebay LEDs, but definitely a good source for ratings on LED fixtures that could be used for terrariums as well as aquariums. 

LED light Compendium


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## nonliteral (Mar 26, 2012)

sbreland said:


> Ok, so maybe I'm missing something (likely), but why isn't anyone using/trying just getting some LED strips like these ( 12v LED Strip Light - The Lighting Solutions ), making up a hood out of wood or whatever material you want (even retrofitting an old fluorescent fixture without the lights maybe), wiring the power supply (simple) and plugging it in? Is there something about this idea that DOESN'T work? Heat maybe? How would the heat be in comparison to 2 CFL bulbs sitting right on top of the tank? Guess I'm just seeing a SUPER simple solution here and not sure why nobody else is seeing it which means I'm obviously missing something and wanted to see what.


I've got four strips (3 cool white, 1 warm white) of the SMD5050s above an Exo 18" cube. No fixture - they're just mounted on a piece of rigid plastic, and propped about .5" off the glass. 


























The last shot was shortly after it was planted. 3 months later, I think I need to add another two strips or so -- everything's growing (including moss), but some of the plants are overly leggy, and could use a bit more light. 

By comparison, I've got an 18"w x 24"h Exo sitting next to it with an Exo hood and two of the "Jungle Dawn" LED units in it. I've not put the light meter to it, but it's easily 50% - 60% brighter than the viv with the flexi strips.

BTW -- if you're willing to wait a couple of weeks for shipping from HK, you can buy reels of the flexi-strips off E-Bay for about $25 - $30 per 5 meter reel.


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## nonliteral (Mar 26, 2012)

sbreland said:


> Work smarter, not harder, a wise man told me once
> 
> non-soldering wire connectors
> 
> ...


I may have just gotten some bad ones, but I've ended up going back and soldering almost every connection I've made with those style of connectors -- just the little minor expansion and contraction of the strip heating and cooling seems to eventually pull them loose for me...


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## konton (Nov 17, 2010)

nonliteral said:


> I've got four strips (3 cool white, 1 warm white) of the SMD5050s above an Exo 18" cube. No fixture - they're just mounted on a piece of rigid plastic, and propped about .5" off the glass.


Same. But there are 4 strips of 24 LEDs (2 cool, 2 a bit red, not warm) about 2" above the 15.5" glass cube. Maybe I should get them closer? Anyway I paid $30 for a 300 LED strip off Ebay. Also, I happen to like soldering. They stay together better and it's not all that hard to do. Plus it's still cheaper than buying 4 of those connectors on every tank. I've got 24 tanks I'm working on!


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## nonliteral (Mar 26, 2012)

konton said:


> Same. But there are 4 strips of 24 LEDs (2 cool, 2 a bit red, not warm) about 2" above the 15.5" glass cube. Maybe I should get them closer? Anyway I paid $30 for a 300 LED strip off Ebay. Also, I happen to like soldering. They stay together better and it's not all that hard to do. Plus it's still cheaper than buying 4 of those connectors on every tank. I've got 24 tanks I'm working on!


I've just got mine propped up a little to allow airflow underneath, and not put the heat right on the glass; LEDs run cool, but they still put out bit of heat - my temp gun shows 117F on the back of that piece of plastic, in a 74F room with a ceiling fan.


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## cbosquez (May 24, 2012)

Has anybody tried these?

Aquarium Fish Tank WHITE 6500K Lighting LED Strip 100 Lumens/Ft Salt Water Reef | eBay


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## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

cbosquez said:


> Has anybody tried these?
> 
> Aquarium Fish Tank WHITE 6500K Lighting LED Strip 100 Lumens/Ft Salt Water Reef | eBay


Still too low lumen wise for my liking. In order to get color in broms and other plants you need 20,000 lumens= roughly 4x T5 Ho bulbs. The LED's on Ebay are quite less than this. I havent decided if I am going to go this route yet.


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## kitcolebay (Apr 7, 2012)

From what I can tell so far on browsing these on ebay, they are the same lights as linked in the earlier posts of this thread. Seems that quite a few carry them. What to watch for is what LED's are in the strip. The newer, brighter eon have the SMD5050's. The older, weaker, and cheaper ones are the SMD3528's. In the link you provided, they do not specify, so I would think they are the 3528's.
Also, it seems there are quite a few that are marketed as the waterproof, flexible, 16.4 ft. strips. Some choose to advertise them as aquarium and some as other specialties, but they all seem to be the pretty close to the same, with the exception of 5050's or 3528's. With that in mind, then when searching on Ebay, then you expand your search well beyond just aquarium lights.
Please take my advice for what it is...just another member browsing the same products. I have no experience with LED's or these exact lights. I'm considering buying a strip to light up two 38" tall column vivs.

-Chris


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## kitcolebay (Apr 7, 2012)

Here is one that advertises the 5050's...
5M 16.4FT 60leds/M 5050 SMD Cool White Flexible Led Lights Strips 6500-7000K DIY | eBay

It says it is 780-900 lumens/m. Splitting the difference and calling it 840 lumens/m, then it comes up to a little over 250 lumens/ft.

The previously linked roll advertises at 100 lumens/ft.

Hope this helps a little.

-Chris

Note: After linking this particular roll, then I noticed it is NOT one of the waterproof ones. There is others that are 5050's and waterproof.


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## cbosquez (May 24, 2012)

I may try these instead actually.

6W E27 36 LED SMD 5050 Corn White Light Bulb Lamp Warm White 220V | eBay

Thanks for the tip as well Kit

Edit: Also found these as well.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aquarium-Li...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item3f15dede76


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## kitcolebay (Apr 7, 2012)

Here's one that I linked earlier that I'm considering for the existing socket at the top of my columns.
E27 LED Corn Light Bulb 86LED SMD5050 Pure White 1600LM 16W 110V | eBay

It has 86 5050 LED's instead of 36 and just a few dollars more.

-Chris


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## nonliteral (Mar 26, 2012)

Just fwiw, in my experience the waterproof strips are a major pain to solder or connectorize compared to the non-waterproof ones...


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## cbosquez (May 24, 2012)

kitcolebay said:


> Here's one that I linked earlier that I'm considering for the existing socket at the top of my columns.
> E27 LED Corn Light Bulb 86LED SMD5050 Pure White 1600LM 16W 110V | eBay
> 
> It has 86 5050 LED's instead of 36 and just a few dollars more.
> ...



These seem much better actually. I might just order these tonight.


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## ndame88 (Sep 24, 2010)

kitcolebay said:


> Here's one that I linked earlier that I'm considering for the existing socket at the top of my columns.
> E27 LED Corn Light Bulb 86LED SMD5050 Pure White 1600LM 16W 110V | eBay
> 
> It has 86 5050 LED's instead of 36 and just a few dollars more.
> ...


How do these compare with Jungle Dawn 13W LED? I know the watts are different, LYR is 6500K, and the ebay one is 6000K.


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

Correct me if I am wrong, but 6500K is more suitable for plant growth than 6000K?

Just throwing that out there..

The big difference is the price, which is what wins me over Jungle Dawn.


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## Ozydego (Mar 26, 2012)

as far as Kelvin rating, usually anywhere from 5000K to 10,000K will be fine for plants. the higher the wavelength, the greater the par values at further distances, escpecially in water. Heck, even 2000k "warm" bulbs will grow plants, just not as efficiently. The sun is 6700K and that is what everyone is shooting for. Phillips "daylight" bulbs are 6500K... almost identicaly to the sun. in aquariums, the plant gurus use 8000k because it penetrates the water slightly better. Shoot for "cool" or "daylight" or 6500K-7000k bulbs or LEDs and you will be right on point.


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## Genomik (Jun 17, 2010)

*Re: Ebay LEDs - Some Orchids good candidates*

When thinking about how much light ya need in Lumens, remember that many cool plants have low light needs. For example, many orchids like it shady or low in light. 

This means that you may not need much light of any type. Just lowering the bar. Dracula, Masdevallias, Bulbophyllums, and like 7,000 species of orchids do well with low light. They typically grow sorta slowly so dont need to photosynethesize much and so have low light needs.

Bulbophyllums in particular are awesome in so many frog tanks. Some wicked flowers.


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## goncalo (Jun 28, 2010)

What you think of this one:

E27 52 SMD 5050 White 13W LED Light Bulb Lamp 110V-220V 6500K | eBay

Its fairly identical to josh frog ones, cheaper and the spectrum is 6500K.


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## repking26 (Mar 12, 2012)

goncalo said:


> What you think of this one:
> 
> E27 52 SMD 5050 White 13W LED Light Bulb Lamp 110V-220V 6500K | eBay
> 
> Its fairly identical to josh frog ones, cheaper and the spectrum is 6500K.


Ehh they look similar to josh's frogs, however it does not state the amount of lumens it has. I looked a little on ebay and found this one which has 7000-8000k and has 1600LM which is pretty good light out put. I am not sure how they work, but for the price they are asking it is not a bad investment. Hope this helps!!

New LED Corn Light Bulb E27 110V 18W 330 LED 1600LM 7000-8000k Pure White Light | eBay


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## goncalo (Jun 28, 2010)

repking26 said:


> Ehh they look similar to josh's frogs, however it does not state the amount of lumens it has. I looked a little on ebay and found this one which has 7000-8000k and has 1600LM which is pretty good light out put. I am not sure how they work, but for the price they are asking it is not a bad investment. Hope this helps!!
> 
> New LED Corn Light Bulb E27 110V 18W 330 LED 1600LM 7000-8000k Pure White Light | eBay


whats the minimum lumens a lamp for plants should have ?


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## repking26 (Mar 12, 2012)

goncalo said:


> whats the minimum lumens a lamp for plants should have ?


Honestly I am not so sure, but from a posting Pumilio commented in he said that the average T5 bulb has a little over 700 lumens output. Having said that I am sure 1600 lumens would kick arse!!


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## goncalo (Jun 28, 2010)

repking26 said:


> Honestly I am not so sure, but from a posting Pumilio commented in he said that the average T5 bulb has a little over 700 lumens output. Having said that I am sure 1600 lumens would kick arse!!


New 3 Range Digital 50000 Lux Meter Photometer Luxmeter | eBay

This would be a good achievemtn, to check if the lamps we use have the correct lumens out put right ?


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## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

repking26 said:


> Honestly I am not so sure, but from a posting Pumilio commented in he said that the average T5 bulb has a little over 700 lumens output. Having said that I am sure 1600 lumens would kick arse!!


I would check this.. There is a difference between T5 and T5 HO, a 4 bulb T5 HO fixture puts out something like 20,000 lumens. A standard CFL spiral bulb puts our 700 lumens. I would guess anywhere from 500 lumes for low light plants is a good start. I need 2-3 CFL bulbs on my tanks and the bulbs have to be right over the broms to get any color. On one brom the leaf is right under the light and the rest of the plant is to the side. That one leaf is bright pink/red the rest of the plant is just green. Plants can grow in low light, they thrive and get colorful in high light.


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## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

In fact I just pulled out the bulbs to my old T5 fixture and looked them up. You are looking at 2,900 lumens for a 48" T5 bulb. 5000 lumens for a 48" T5 HO lamp.


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## Dev30ils (May 1, 2012)

repking26 said:


> Ehh they look similar to josh's frogs, however it does not state the amount of lumens it has. I looked a little on ebay and found this one which has 7000-8000k and has 1600LM which is pretty good light out put. I am not sure how they work, but for the price they are asking it is not a bad investment. Hope this helps!!
> 
> New LED Corn Light Bulb E27 110V 18W 330 LED 1600LM 7000-8000k Pure White Light | eBay


I bought some almost identical to these "corn" bulbs from a third-party seller on Amazon (because I had points to spend). They're not very bright at all, the Jungle Dawn LEDs blow them away.


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## lynxer (Jul 20, 2012)

Ive built a few LED lights. Even one that had a controller, for a 8g biocube reef tank. Full sunrise/sunset effect with 1024 step dimming. Ran 9 x 3w bridgelux LEDS and was made for fairly cheap. 





























Growing terrestial plants is much different, there is no water to diminish par. So you dont need as much focused power. 

Id say those second set of links is a decent deal. But why not go for t5's? cheap and very effective. If your bent on LED's why not try DIY? and save some $$$ and have a custom array?


I have some 5 x 1w LED panels laying around if anyone wants to mess with them? DIY style. Each board has 5 x 1w white leds, and measures 1.5 x 6" if i remember right. I made these myself.. so the solder job isnt machine quality. I purchased emmitters and ordered my own size pcb.


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## repking26 (Mar 12, 2012)

lynxer said:


> Ive built a few LED lights. Even one that had a controller, for a 8g biocube reef tank. Full sunrise/sunset effect with 1024 step dimming. Ran 9 x 3w bridgelux LEDS and was made for fairly cheap.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



This sounds like a great project and idea, but do you have a write up on how to build one of those arrays?


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## nonliteral (Mar 26, 2012)

repking26 said:


> This sounds like a great project and idea, but do you have a write up on how to build one of those arrays?


I've been working on a write-up on doing this recently -- you can find mine here.


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## repking26 (Mar 12, 2012)

nonliteral said:


> I've been working on a write-up on doing this recently -- you can find mine here.


Cool thanks for the link!


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## Turningdoc (May 24, 2012)

Bad news on prior product from LEDwholesalers.com. One flicker (not a surge, and yes, they were plugged via surge protector) during a thunderstorm killed 4 of 6 panels. As they are only 1 month old, I called company. They were very nice and offered a discount if I wanted to buy more saying the power supplies were "fragile". Gee thanks, sign me right up! Guess maybe proven fluorescents are still the way to go. Not into garage science experiments, rather be working w the frogs!


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## cbosquez (May 24, 2012)

Has anybody else had any issues using those panels? I was considering ordering one for my 20L vert.


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