Led Grow light Vs. aquatic refugium led light

[Lex_510]

My question is for nutrient transport, what is a better reliable lighting for growth? A cheap Amazon led grow light Vs. a more expensive light like a AI fuge or a kessil and other brands that are dedicated for a Cheato growth. Is it the same? Does the brands last longer and more reliable? And how long does the LED keep their par power strength? Days,months, or years? Thanks

 

[dmsc2fs]

They will all work. Just make sure you compare the same level of watts. Trying to compare a 50 watt Fuge light to an 8 watt grow light is going to give two different outcomes.

 

[Lionfish hunter]

My question is for nutrient transport, what is a better reliable lighting for growth? A cheap Amazon led grow light Vs. a more expensive light like a AI fuge or a kessil and other brands that are dedicated for a Cheato growth. Is it the same? Does the brands last longer and more reliable? And how long does the LED keep their par power strength? Days,months, or years? Thanks

My Amazon grow light grows mountains of chaeto and keeps nutrients at 0 in a 235 gallon with a queen angel, moorish idol, and 5 tangs that get fed 13 times a day. But it is not a small Amazon grow light, it is powerful.

 

[Mr Fishface]

I used a PAR38 grow light before for my algae. Cheaper bulb, $30-40 rang and it was ~40 watts? Definitely a grow bulb for normal plants and was very bright to look at but it grew algae crazy fast. I would absolutely use a regular plant grow bulb if I was to light up a large refugium area again. I wonder if the saltwater name brands are better if you have a really small and narrow refugium area...

 

[fish farmer]

I started my first chaeto fuge with a 9 watt feit grow bulb from home Depot....made a pendant with a clip on base. That grew chaeto fine hung close to a small area in a 20 gallon sump. I used the same lamp to grow a desk top cannabis plant.

I upgraded to one of those flat led Amazon grow bulbs, 20 watts. I have it next to my sump, lighting from the side. I didn't have much growth ( low nutrients) for a while so had the photoperiod cut back. When nutrients jumped, I extended the photoperiod, chaeto started to grow again. I've had this fixture for a couple of years and was around $25.

I know a lot of people struggle with growing chaeto, I feel I'm a lucky one.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Which light is better depends on the PAR (or possibly more usefully, its PPFD, which most reputable grow light companies provide an image of the PPFD map) and the spectrum. If the PAR and spectrum are right for what you’re trying to grow, any light should work. The only other things to really consider from a usability perspective are the IP rating (how dust and water resistant/proof the light fixtures are - low ratings may eventually be damaged by high humidity, so obviously not ideal over big tanks), how long the light will last (assuming the light is of decent quality manufacturing, see the link below), and, in some cases, the heat put out by the light.

Of course, the wattage is important, and the aesthetics of the light may be important too (depending on the application), but these aren’t truly important to the actual function of the light. The wattage is, however, important for your energy bill.

With regards to watts and the function of the light: watts not always useful for determining if a light is good or how powerful it is - for example, I know of one LED company that markets two lights with the exact same specs, but one is 600 watts and the other is 1000 watts; they admit that there is literally no other difference between the two lights (they have the same PAR, spectrum, features, and everything), so going with the "more powerful" 1000 W literally just raises your electric bill with no benefits over the 600 W).


Edit: forgot to add the link-

An Inherent Flaw in LED lighting-- Why all LED fade, and what you can do.

Long post but, here we go. I'll start at the basics. In layman's terms, essentially when a LED is created, there's a substrate that is laid down, usually a crystal lattice. This substrate sits between your LED and your wafer from the chip. This substrate sits on top of that wafer and...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[ReeferGuy927]

In my experience, while cheap LED grow lights from Amazon can work well initially for Cheato growth, the more expensive brands like AI fuge or Kessil tend to offer better reliability and longevity. These brands usually maintain their PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) power strength for years, not just days or months, making them a good investment for serious growers.

 

[ReeferGuy927]

In my experience, while cheap LED grow lights from Amazon can work well initially for Cheato growth, the more expensive brands like AI fuge or Kessil tend to offer better reliability and longevity. These brands usually maintain their PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) power strength for years, not just days or months, making them a good investment for serious growers.

For further insights on the effectiveness of various lighting options for plant growth, checking out discussions and reviews at different websites might be helpful. I have been following for a while leds.to. It's a resource where you can compare experiences and gather additional information on different LED grow lights to make an informed decision.