Issues with Bozily aquarium light (Amazon)

[gradstudent1]

Hi all,

So I've collected my corals from my two field sites and they are in the tanks! However, the only thing that keeps me from keeping them happy are these LED lights that my institute purchased from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bozily-Aquar...sprefix=Bozily+aqu,aps,151&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1

We've slowly been having issues with these lights. Half of the LED lights crap out from the salt that builds up within each of the cones. Now, almost all of our lights currently are failing. These lights are covered by a two-year warranty, so we should be getting these all replaced. However, in order to avoid getting new LED lights every month it seems, I'd like to ask the community how I can reduce the amount of salt buildup on these lights to keep them functioning for a long period of time. I was brainstorming the idea of rigging up some plexi-glass sheets on the LED lights, but am open to suggestions. Let me know if you need any other information.

Thanks!

 

[NPRW]

Following! Was looking at getting one of these.
One question: what's the coverage like on them?

 

[gradstudent1]

The coverage on these is okay based on our setup. We have them setup where it completely covers two makeshift aquarium tanks that are 16qt containers you can find at home depot. I've done some measurements and the intensity is pretty homogeneous in this case. However, we only have these lights maybe 10 inches from the water surface. Once you start measuring intensity outside the border of the light, it drops off pretty quickly. However, I would assume that if you had it mounted higher and had the intensity higher, you could cover a greater area. Hope this helped a bit.

 

[EMeyer]

While I like low-cost LEDs from Amazon, that looks like it has no fans. I would not recommend an LED without fans. They seem to burn out rapidly. A standard black box would be more stable IMO

 

[gradstudent1]

While I like low-cost LEDs from Amazon, that looks like it has no fans. I would not recommend an LED without fans. They seem to burn out rapidly. A standard black box would be more stable IMO

Thanks for the recommendation. We did choose these lights based on the fact that they were slim and would fit well within our system. However, depending on if we can get a refund versus replacements of the same light, we'll keep this in mind.

 

[NPRW]

It seems these are in direct competition with black boxes.
I have the same reasoning, slim form factor.
Perhaps running a couple usb fans could help with the heat problem

 

[EMeyer]

I havent used exactly this light, but I've bought other "slim" LEDs from Amazon and had them burn out in weeks. My understanding is that if the fan doesnt blow directly on the fins of the heat sink it doesnt do much to remove heat.

But I'd be very curious to hear any reports of low cost LEDs without fans that last > 1 year. There are situations where itd be great to have a skinnier light.

 

[gradstudent1]

My understanding is that if the fan doesnt blow directly on the fins of the heat sink it doesnt do much to remove heat.

Curious as to what you mean by this? If fans are needed, we can most certainly purchase some small fans in order to keep the heat of the LEDs down. I'm also surprised by how much this is an issue, as I've handled the lights when they've run for awhile and don't feel any signs of heat on any of the units.

 

[gradstudent1]

Also, as an update. The company will be sending us some new replacements, as they won't issue a refund. That being said, I was able to acquire some clear acrylic sheets and mounted them onto the lights in order to prevent salt creep and any potential splash backs. We'll see how this plays out.

 

[EMeyer]

Curious as to what you mean by this? If fans are needed, we can most certainly purchase some small fans in order to keep the heat of the LEDs down. I'm also surprised by how much this is an issue, as I've handled the lights when they've run for awhile and don't feel any signs of heat on any of the units.

Important preface - I am no expert - there are some DIY LED experts in the DIY forum who know this stuff.

My understanding is that the arrangement of these fans matters. I see the heat sink - fan arrangement on a high powered LED is more or less like that on a CPU. In that case, its important that a fan is mounted directly on the heat sink which is linked directly to the heat source (CPU). The case fan doesnt cool the CPU, the dedicated fan attached to the heat sink does. If you pull apart a black box, youll find a similar arrangement (fan attached to heat sink).

But maybe just ventilating the LED fixtures well with external fans would be enough? I dont know.

 

[gradstudent1]

Important preface - I am no expert - there are some DIY LED experts in the DIY forum who know this stuff.

My understanding is that the arrangement of these fans matters. I see the heat sink - fan arrangement on a high powered LED is more or less like that on a CPU. In that case, its important that a fan is mounted directly on the heat sink which is linked directly to the heat source (CPU). The case fan doesnt cool the CPU, the dedicated fan attached to the heat sink does. If you pull apart a black box, youll find a similar arrangement (fan attached to heat sink).

But maybe just ventilating the LED fixtures well with external fans would be enough? I dont know.

I've inspected these models and there doesn't appear to be heat sinks installed. The lights that haven't succumbed to failure from LED corrosion have been operational for over two months and haven't had other issues. However, if these newly installed clear acrylic sheets protect from salt creep but the lights still fail, I'll assume it's from lack of cooling and get some fans installed.

 

[Master of Cloak]

Hey, any update on the lights?? Im thinking about getting two for my new 75 gallon build.

 

[gradstudent1]

Hey, any update on the lights?? Im thinking about getting two for my new 75 gallon build.

So I've had the new ones for over a month and haven't had any issues, but I strongly recommend that you install some acrylic sheeting between the lights and the surface of the water. It helps protect any potential splashing and prevents salt creep from corroding the LEDs. Since it doesn't have a heat sink, I wouldn't place the acrylic sheet too close so that there's still air flow.

 

[Master of Cloak]

So I've had the new ones for over a month and haven't had any issues, but I strongly recommend that you install some acrylic sheeting between the lights and the surface of the water. It helps protect any potential splashing and prevents salt creep from corroding the LEDs. Since it doesn't have a heat sink, I wouldn't place the acrylic sheet too close so that there's still air flow.

How good are they for coral growth?

 

[gradstudent1]

How good are they for coral growth?

Great question - not really sure about that. My system is only temporary, as I do heat stress experiments on a temperate coral species (i.e. these corals won't last after my experiments are over). The corals that I currently have have been doing VERY well in my system, and I'm sure the lights also help in that regard. I'd see if others have used it and get their input.

 

[Batusay]

to gradstudent1:

Hello!
How much light this lamp produces (PAR value)?

 

[gradstudent1]

to gradstudent1:

Hello!
How much light this lamp produces (PAR value)?

Sorry for getting to this so late. I'm unsure of how powerful it can get, but it is recommended for tropical species. I maintained my PAR concentrations around 60umol m-2 s-1, but I know it can exceed 100umol and possibly even to 200umol. I'd be more than happy to do a quick test once I get into the lab on Monday if you're interested.