A Reef Builders got to spend some time with the new Aqua Illumination LED lighting unit the other day and in doing so got a nice hands on review with the unit. Our reviewer didn’t like the docking system, but loved the quiet fans of this LED unit. Click the read link for a hands on review with a bevy of shots of the new LED lighting unit.
Pro’s:
Quiet fans – you can barely hear them, seem to be on some sort of thermostat control. Â They change speed as the fixture heats/cools.
Controller – seems pretty cool. Â Completely dims the LED’s from 0-100%.
Power Supply – seemed reliable, its made by Targus who I think makes computer power supplies.
It seems to run cool compared to the Solaris systems I’ve seen. Â I think
that’s due to the heat sink being open versus covered. Overall construction
seems to be better than the Solaris as well.
Con’s:
Docking system is poor. Â The docking leg system seems like an
afterthought. Â Their are grooves in the fixture itself for docking legs, but
the included ones don’t fit it – so if you want to “tank mount” it, you have
to use that whole contraption frame thing that they send. Â The only real way
to use these is to hang them over a tank.
Light Output – As expected, its too much like a “spot light.” Â The fixture
needs to be raised up at least 12″-20″ over the tank to spread the light
appropriately. Â Even at a high level, the T5HO system we have seems to
provide more light (I did not measure any PAR or LUX numbers yet.)
Color spectrum – I have not played around with it too much, but it was much
too white for my tank. Â The color is a bit too yellow, but I think they use
white LED’s to increase the PAR level.
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