# Marineland LED fixture on 48" tank?



## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

I'm considering the Marineland 36"-48" LED fixture for my 60G tall tank (footprint 48x12). I read a comment online saying that the fixture sags when extended all the way to 48". Does anyone here do this? Any comments?

Marineland Double Bright LED Light Fixture (36-48 Inch)

Thanks.


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## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

I don't extend the legs on mine - it's so light, I have it sitting on the glass top. No sagging whatsoever. By the way, the wild discus LOVE this light.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Right. Yes, that is an option too. I see that it's only 3" in width so you can probably have it sit on the back side of the glass top and you can still lift the front side of it, right?

How about the 6" on each side of the tank that are not under direct light? Are they significantly darker, or does the light spread sideways enough that this isn't a problem?


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## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

Exactly. I don't even notice it when I lift the lids. I don't know what you need/want the light for, but the reason I like it is my wilds do not like any light at all and at night they get spooked very easily in compete darkness, so the LED's during the day give enough light for the tank, but not too bright and the moonlights on at night keep them much calmer than total darkness. To be honest I don't know if I'd be happy with the light fixture for a "normal" community tank or a planted tank......don't think there would be enough light. But if you're looking for less intense light I think you'd like it.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Thanks for the info. Two more questions:
1. Am I right that you need to switch on the moonlights manually? I mean you can put the whole thing on a timer obviously, but the switch between all lights on and moolights only you can only change manually, right? 
2. Are the 6" with no direct light on each side noticeably darker or not really?


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## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

1) One switch for the lights: center position is off, click one way lights and moonlights come one, click opposite direction moonlights only.
2) Can't say I honestly notice any difference in amount of light at the sides of the tank.

Like I said, I'm very happy with this light for my 90 gallon wild discus tank. It's useless on the planted Osaka - just not enough light IMO, but the moonlights look great on both tanks.


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

I have the fixture extended and I do notice a bit of a 'bend'/sag. it's minor, doesn't bother me.
The LED light is perfect for a tall tank. Gives quite the shimmering effect. Love mine.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Ming is it on your 33 Long that you have this light? Do you have another light source or is this actually enough to grow your plants?

Thanks!


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

You will not be able to grow any plants properly on the sides. I just ordered 2 of these online from Big Als for my 125. I will be using one set NO t5 coupled with one of these on each side. The shimmer is fantastic, but it'll be difficult to grow high light plants, which I don't have, if you were to use this light solely. I think the Aquarays would fit that application better, or the Reefbrites.


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

It's on the 33 gallon long but I'm still using the old 10 gallon canopy lights with the glo-incandescent bulbs. What I do notice is that the because the actual light itself is only 36" with extendables that can fit a 48" length tank, it doesn't provide light cover for 12" of length. There's goods and bad. Good that there are dark sides for fish to escape to but bad that not the entire tank length has light coverage. I'm planning to place a 36"T5 and overlap the lighting so I get full tank coverage. As for plant growth, I tried having only the LED on for a week without the other fixture and I noticed that my stargrass, swords, and other plants still grow, but at a slower pace - mind you i have slow growing plants except the stargrass. The growth is there but real slow growth. Another thing to note is that the height of my tank is only 12", so the intensity of the LED is higher which reaches the plants. Its still a trial right now for me as with the sand, huge bio-load, fries, and dosing humic acid. I think due to extending the legs all the way puts a bit of pressure thus giving it a bit of a sag.


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## jkam (Apr 21, 2010)

I have one on a 20g long and it grows glosso really well. I have swords and blyxa japonica in there too but those aren't doing well unless its directly under the lights. 

Theres no dosing and no CO2. Just the fluval shrimp stratum as substrate.

To answer your question, I have it extended only about 6" total (3" on each side) and there isnt any sag.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the replies. It's for 2 different tanks that I'm considering these lights. One is a 33 long with only Java moss, so I'm sure they would be fine for this one. The other one is a 60G tall, and I'm not so sure about that one. It is planted, low tech, with only low-light plants. Currently I have a 2xT5HO fixture, and I only have it on for about 5 hours a day otherwise I get algae. Having a less powerful light on there would allow me to leave it on for longer. One thing would be to use a single-bulb T5HO that I bought for the 33 Long but never used. The other thing would be to try the LED fixture. Or both actually, with the LED on moonlights only. Decision decision...

I'll probably get one for the 33 Long and take it from there.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

By the way, in case anyone else is interested, there's a nice comparison chart here on the pets&ponds website
Lighting - Pets & Ponds


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## rwong2k10 (Dec 27, 2010)

great comparison link crazy72


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Post up a pic with your new lights Franck.  I also got 2 sets of these for my 125 gallon and I love them. LED's are soooo overdue in the hobby.


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

good link Crazy72. 

Data would be more useful if he listed out the space between the bulbs in the fixture, the fixture dimension and use the same brand and color of bulb for all the fixture.

The sample is testing brightness and not the usefulness of the bulb and different bulb gives out different lux due to the known fact that blue and red gives off less brightness (to human eye) than yellow. The test also focus on center point and not the overall coverage of the bulb. 

Given that led are spot light, the center will be the brightest without a question. What if the lux meter was placed say 6" and 8" away from the center point of all the fixture?

good test, but IMO, not enough detail to justified which light is better than the other.


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## Cichlid2010 (Apr 21, 2010)

This is what it looks like for that fixture on a 48" tank


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

if you place the fixture right on the glass canopy without extending the legs, giving it a 1 inch clearance, will definitely eliminate a bit of the light columns.

another benefit found: fish come out more from their hiding spots 

great pics!


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the good info, and thanks cichlid2010 for posting the pics. I can't post pics of mine yet because it hasn't arrived. But given the positive comments here I'm seriously considering getting another one before the Big Al's sales ends. Seriously as in... give me a minute.


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

i think the sale is finished 
but there's a great deal on an eheim pro 3 2075 canister w/media on sale.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

crazy72 said:


> Thanks everyone for the good info, and thanks cichlid2010 for posting the pics. I can't post pics of mine yet because it hasn't arrived. But given the positive comments here I'm seriously considering getting another one before the Big Al's sales ends. Seriously as in... give me a minute.


Do, you won't regret. And your electricity bill will love you for it.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

jobber604 said:


> i think the sale is finished
> but there's a great deal on an eheim pro 3 2075 canister w/media on sale.


Arrrgh! Yes, it is! Oh well. I'll wait for another sale elsewhere. Or pay a visit to J&L if I can't wait that long...


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

My light fixture arrived today. A couple of pics below. First pic is with the existing light (2xT5HO), second one is with the LED moonlight. The pic isn't the best but you get the idea.

The regular LED is nowhere near enough light for this tank (tall - 24"). The moonlight looks nice in the dark but is also a bit dim to see much inside the tank. I'll try it on the 33 Long. It will likely be a better fit for it.

Still, it's pretty cool.


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## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

crazy72 said:


> My light fixture arrived today. A couple of pics below. First pic is with the existing light (2xT5HO), second one is with the LED moonlight. The pic isn't the best but you get the idea.
> 
> The regular LED is nowhere near enough light for this tank (tall - 24"). The moonlight looks nice in the dark but is also a bit dim to see much inside the tank. I'll try it on the 33 Long. It will likely be a better fit for it.
> 
> Still, it's pretty cool.


The lighting is just PERFECT for wild discus, though  And I'm pretty sure the Bolivians and wilds would become fast buddies  Tank looks great, Franck, and I think you're right - the LED should be perfect on the 33 long.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Thanks Shelley. Yes, I agree, even on a 24" deep tank the regular LED is enough for me to see the fish and would likely be perfect for the fish themselves. But not nearly enough for the plants. Maybe one day I'll go with no plants or just super low light ones. As for the discus, as much as I love the look of them, I don't think I'll go there.


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## mdwflyer (Jan 11, 2011)

For the daytime picture, is the T5's + LED or just the T5?

Thanks,
Mark


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

mdwflyer said:


> For the daytime picture, is the T5's + LED or just the T5?
> 
> Thanks,
> Mark


If it stays on this tank then I think what I'll do is use only the T5HO during the day and only the moonlight for the evening. The problem I find with this fixture is that you can only change between regular lights and moonlights manually (switch on the side of the fixture, 3-position switch, the 3rd one being off). So if you're like me and you like everything to be on a timer, it's one or the other.

Anyway if it goes on the 33 Long then there I think I would set it to the regular light and have it on during the daytime and that would be the only light on this tank. Only occasionally would I then set it to moonlight in the evening. And likely forget to set it back to regular light for a few days...


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I am using 2 of these on my 125. I should really take a pic. I run the LED's for 8 hours and the T5HO for 6 hours. It seems to do great for my low light plants, but I am using pressurized CO2 in this tank. I really like the shimmer. I think I'll be trying the AquaRay's in the not too distant future, but you're right T5HO are still the way to go for planted tanks in general.


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## Homahfan (Apr 22, 2010)

Hi Franck!

Where did you end up getting your light?


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## mdwflyer (Jan 11, 2011)

How about a picture with the Daytime LED and no T5  I agree it would sure be nice if it was programable day/night...


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

mdwflyer said:


> How about a picture with the Daytime LED and no T5  I agree it would sure be nice if it was programable day/night...


It can be done, but you'd have to rewire it to 2 different switches instead of a rocker style switch that's on there now.


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## mdwflyer (Jan 11, 2011)

I've got 2 of the 36's coming for my 135g, so that might just have to be done.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Homahfan said:


> Hi Franck!
> 
> Where did you end up getting your light?


John I got mine from Big Al's online when they had a sales on. The sales is over now, but J&L has a decent price on them.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> It can be done, but you'd have to rewire it to 2 different switches instead of a rocker style switch that's on there now.


It can't be done by me though.


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Anyone try the new reef versions of this light? For those that need more power and coverage, that might be a viable option.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I considered the reefbrite, but then you're into AquaRay territory and at this point, the savings in electricity would be nullified by the acquisitions cost of the unit. At that point, T5 HO's are still more cost effective. I considered LED's for my cube, but after calculating the light requirements, I could run T5's for years before payback.


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Yup, agreed. Although I think if you are using a lot of T5 tubes in your fixture and are extremely anal about tube output/spectrum degradation thru usage, replacement of the bulbs wouldn't be inexpensive. I have noticed that after a year or so, the bulbs seem dimmer and exhibit a little colour shift...though that's not measured, and just anecdotal evidence. Probably less important for freshwater fishkeepers.

I just want someone to buy the reefbrite so I can see it in action 



2wheelsx2 said:


> I considered the reefbrite, but then you're into AquaRay territory and at this point, the savings in electricity would be nullified by the acquisitions cost of the unit. At that point, T5 HO's are still more cost effective. I considered LED's for my cube, but after calculating the light requirements, I could run T5's for years before payback.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

tony1928 said:


> I just want someone to buy the reefbrite so I can see it in action


You and me both.


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

Wish I can be the one to exhibit the reed LEDs but can't afford it. If the price is near aquaray, then I'd go consider going with an aquaray.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

The AquaRay 2x12W is $279 while the Reefbrite 36" is $269.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Well I finally got around to moving the LED fixture to my 33 Long, and I absolutely love it there. The fact that it's shallower and the white sand I have in there make it a much better fit. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed by what the fixture could do for my 60 tall, but on this guy I think it's beautiful. And I'm sure it'll be plenty of light for the Java moss. I'm happy!

Pics below. Again not the best pics, but it gives the idea. The water was full of micro bubbles because it was just after a w/c.

One thing if you look on the right hand side of the pic with the moonlights, you'll see that all the baby kribs went immediately to the sand as soon as I switched to the moonlights. Very cute.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Very cool Franck. I think you're right, in a 60 tall, all by itself, it would be tough to grow plants. You'd need supplemental light. I am trying to light limit my 125 and I put my T5's on for only 6 hours. The rest of the time the LED's are on and it's awesome. It's slowed the plant growth, I can dial back the CO2 a bit and still enjoy a lush tank.


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## Luke78 (Apr 24, 2010)

That looks great! I was doing some homework on this light fixture and finally saw it up close the other day.Looks well put together , is there anything you dont like ? Paying a lower hydro bill is a plus, and having my stock feel more comfortable and secure is peace of mind for me.



crazy72 said:


> Well I finally got around to moving the LED fixture to my 33 Long, and I absolutely love it there. The fact that it's shallower and the white sand I have in there make it a much better fit. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed by what the fixture could do for my 60 tall, but on this guy I think it's beautiful. And I'm sure it'll be plenty of light for the Java moss. I'm happy!
> 
> Pics below. Again not the best pics, but it gives the idea. The water was full of micro bubbles because it was just after a w/c.
> 
> One thing if you look on the right hand side of the pic with the moonlights, you'll see that all the baby kribs went immediately to the sand as soon as I switched to the moonlights. Very cute.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Luke78 said:


> That looks great! I was doing some homework on this light fixture and finally saw it up close the other day.Looks well put together , is there anything you dont like ? Paying a lower hydro bill is a plus, and having my stock feel more comfortable and secure is peace of mind for me.


Thanks. As I said above, the only thing I don't like is the fact that you can't go from the regular lights to the moonlights automatically.


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## Homahfan (Apr 22, 2010)

That is gorgeous! You and that cost chart has convinced me to take a very serious look for a bank of 3 fluval ebi/flora. 

I do wish they had a true 48" version ... one that have LED's accross the whole length rather than extendible legs... for a bank of 4 fluval ebi/flora's...


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## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

Beautiful! I really like that tank and I have never seen such healthy moss. No better place for a kazillion little kribs to grow out


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

Nice looking setup with the new lighting fixture franck!
I agree and wish the fixture had LEDs throughout the entire 48", but it still looks good on my tank.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Thank you all for the nice comments. 

I do agree that a full-length 48" light would be nice, but honestly the corners on my 33 Long aren't much darker than the center. As long as I don't have plants right there it's really not a problem for me.

As to the kazillion kribs, Shelley you're not very far off actually. They were all nicely spread out this morning so I attempted a rough count. Looks like there's about 70 of them! 

Krib colony, anyone?


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## mdwflyer (Jan 11, 2011)

I just picked up 2 of the 36-48" double lights for my 72" 135g tank. Looks great


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Just a quick update on this, to say that after a couple of weeks of use I'm VERY happy with the fixture on my 33 Long. My moss is doing great and I have no algae or other light-related problems.


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