SMD’s ‘LED Lamp Giant Flash’ harnesses the power of high output multichip RGB LEDs

The LED Lamp Giant Flash from SMD Aquaristik is probably the first aquarium light fixture to use a multichip RGB LED, something we didn’t even know existed yet, but which was bound to happen at some point. We love all kinds of LED lights but if there’s one fair criticism against the efficient solid state lighting technology, it’s that it leaves something to be desired in the color rendition department. We’ve long known that RGB LEDs could bridge the gap in color from conventional LEDs but so far their use has been limited to small and medium size tanks with fixtures like the Mame Ecolight, the RGB Panorama Pro and to some extent the Sfiligoi Genesis. The LED Giant Flash and its multichip white, blue and RGB LEDs picks up where other blue and and white LED reef lights left off.

The three rows of red, green and blue LEDs are clearly visible in the reflection of this multichip LED

Even with the use of two shades of blue and two shades of white, most of the high power LED reef lights have a somewhat frosty, kinda clinical look about them. Sure the fluorescent colors of corals under blue LEDs are totally in your face but without the full spectrum of color it just seems like something has been missing. The image above shows the startling difference between the best of metal halide and T5 combos and the new LED Lamp Giant Flash from SMD Aquaristik. On the left side you have the typical appearance of a soft coral tank from the mid-nineties with tons of golden brown soft corals. On the right side you have the LED Lamp Giant Flash with its blue, white and RGB multichip LEDs and the color rendition is pretty impressive. The mostly golden brown corals on the left are suddenly much more pink and colorful under the broader spectrum of the three kinds of multichip LEDs.

The complete breakdown of this particular SMD Aquaristik LED light includes four 50w white 12.000k multichip LEDs, two 50W blue multichip LEDs with a peak emission at 460nm and two 90W RGB multichip LEDs which we are told is specifically made for SMD Aquaristik. As if the impressive output and color rendition weren’t enough the LED Lamp Giant Flash is all kinds of controllable with many different channels which uses bluetooth to interface with a PC computer. The base price of the LED Lamp Giant Flash featured here is 1800 Euros, or about $2600 but the fixture can be made in a range of sizes with price tags to match. SMD Aquaristik builds many of their lights a few at a time to fill orders as they are placed so if you want one, you’ll need to contact them directly as they won’t be distributing ready-made fixtures any time soon. Thanks to Ruediger Stier for answering our many questions and sharing tons of pictures featured below.

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Jake Adams

Jake Adams has been an avid marine aquarist since the mid 90s and has worked in the retail side of the marine aquarium trade for more than ten years. He has a bachelor’s degree in Marine Science and has been the managing editor of ReefBuilders.com since 2008. Jake is interested in every facet of the marine aquarium hobby from the concepts to the technology, rare fish to exotic corals, and his interests are well documented through a very prolific career of speaking to reef clubs and marine aquarium events, and writing articles for aquarium publications across the globe. His primary interest is in corals which Jake pursues in the aquarium hobby as well as diving the coral reefs of the world.