The Optibright is Aqueon’s newest foray into solid state LED lighting with a form factor that is much more conventional by modern standards. Aqueon’s and its parent company’s previous LED efforts have included the modular LED tubes, modular LED spotlights. But the Optibright LED will likely be the mass-market hit that really appeals to everyone with a basic tank who wants the benefits of low heat, low power, and no bulb replacement from the new lighting technology.
All of the Optibright LED strips are populated primarily by white SMD LEDs for brightness, accompanied by red and blue LEDs for added color. The slim Optibright LED also has a separate blue moonlight channel and both the brights and the nightlight will be accessible by flush mounted touch sensitive buttons on the fixture’s end.
Aqueon will be making the Optibright LED in three sizes ranging from 18, to 30 to 48 inches long, with each fixture capable of spanning an extra six inches of length thanks to extendable mounting legs. The 18-24 inch Optibright LED will retail for $69, the 30 to 36 inch for $79 and the largest 48 to 54 inch will top out around $89.
Aqueon is not intending for the Optibright to be a truly bright LED strip light, but more of a display LED strip which will shows off fish and freshwater plants pretty well. If you want better growth from aquarium plants, you’ll want to either double up the number of Optibright LEDs in use over your tank, or hold out for the forthcoming Optibright Plus LED which we presume will have more LEDs, brighter LEDs, more heatsinking, or a combination of all three.
