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. They change speed as the fixture heats/cools.
Controller – seems pretty cool. 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. 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. The docking leg system seems like an
afterthought. 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. 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.” The fixture
needs to be raised up at least 12″-20″ over the tank to spread the light
appropriately. 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. The color is a bit too yellow, but I think they use
white LED’s to increase the PAR level.
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This thing has 2 Comments
The older unit that did not have the docking system was much better. I, like the reviewer, do not care for the new docking system.
Regarding Docking System:
I agree with the 1×90W System Only it would be nice to be able to attach the legs directly to the fixture in addition to the railing. However this does not make sense for set-ups with more than one of the 1×90W modules. With the 2×90W Systems and larger the railing or docking system gives the user the flexibility to move the modules from left to right across the tank and disperse the light as needed. It also gives the user the ability to add additional modules without having to make any additional modifications or changes. This gives the user a lot of flexibility they would not have with a more traditional light fixture.
Regarding Light Output:
The AquaIllumination System has the highest output of any LED System currently available. Each 1×90W System is designed to cover a 12″ of tank length and is comparable in output to a 150W metal halide. If one is trying to cover a much larger area than the fixture would have to raised up and intensity would be compromised like it would be with any other light. (A 2×90W System is comparable to a 250W metal halide.)
Regarding Color Output:
The color is completely adjustable from warm white (approximately 6500K) to completely deep blue (greater than 40000K).