What LED strip lights are safe for DIY algae reactors?

[glb]

I'm looking to make a DIY algae reactor out of a TLF 150 gfo reactor. I ordered a waterproof strip of red and blue lights but after doing some research and reading some reviews, I'm concerned about heat and safety. I plan to mount the reactor above the sump, not in the water. I've read that some of these lights can get very hot. Can anyone recommend a brand that's worked for them? This is for a 40g setup and I'm setting it up to help with excess CO2 in the house and hopefully bump up ph a bit. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

 

[Ranjib]

I have personally not used any, but a local reefer uses this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRHQMYH/ . Let me ask back around the heating concern, he might be using fan or heatsink of some sort, this is also wrapped externally

 

[Kal]

I have personally not used any, but a local reefer uses this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRHQMYH/ . Let me ask back around the heating concern, he might be using fan or heatsink of some sort, this is also wrapped externally

For what it's worth I used those same lights and they ended up not being salt water safe at all. Within a few weeks they had somehow worn away exposing the electrical bits. Had I not come home for lunch one day I would have had either a dead tank or a dead house.

 

[Ranjib]

For what it's worth I used those same lights and they ended up not being salt water safe at all. Within a few weeks they had somehow worn away exposing the electrical bits. Had I not come home for lunch one day I would have had either a dead tank or a dead house.

wow good to know. the one i have seen in action is external.

 

[glb]

I got mine today and am doing a heat test. I realize there will be circulating water to help cool everything, but I want to see how hot the lights get. Here’s a pic of the test and the type of lights I bought. They are only 1m long.

 

[glb]

I got mine today and am doing a heat test. I realize there will be circulating water to help cool everything, but I want to see how hot the lights get. Here’s a pic of the test and the type of lights I bought. They are only 1m long.

The lights got to 100 degrees after a few hours. I might run it in tank without chaeto first to see if the lights and pump heat up the water too much.

 

[Reefs of Space]

I couldn't grow chaeto with these. Maybe something else was stopping growth, but the reactor would turn solid green from turf algae every other week. After a few months I turned it into a low flow Matrix reactor.

 

[glb]

I couldn't grow chaeto with these. Maybe something else was stopping growth, but the reactor would turn solid green from turf algae every other week. After a few months I turned it into a low flow Matrix reactor.

Is algae still in it? I can’t tell.

 

[Reefs of Space]

Is algae still in it? I can’t tell.

That's when I first set it up before I put anything in it. I didn't take any pics of it when it had algae.. You couldn't even see in there. Here it is now, full of Matrix.

 

[glb]

I think the ones I bought run too hot. They got up to 100 degrees. I don’t know what affect that would have on a 40g tank. I might try the ones Marine Depot sells.

 

[3mm3]

I use topled plant grow led strip wrapped around aquamaxx reactor. Grows cheto like a champ.

 

[Reefs of Space]

I suspect I was doing something wrong and that's why I was getting turf algae instead of chaeto. I considered switching to the Marine Depot lights too, before I threw in the towel. The temperature didn't change at all in my tank when I added the reactor. Maybe it cools back down going through the hose.

 

[Reefs of Space]

This is for a 40g setup and I'm setting it up to help with excess CO2 in the house and hopefully bump up ph a bit. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

How do you know if there is too much CO2 in your house? Are there warning signs?

 

[glb]

I use topled plant grow led strip wrapped around aquamaxx reactor. Grows cheto like a champ.

What color is it? Does it get hot?

 

[glb]

How do you know if there is too much CO2 in your house? Are there warning signs?

The house is in South Florida and is sealed up. Plus there’s no other reason for the low ph that I can see. Alk is 11, other parameters normal too.

 

[3mm3]

What color is it? Does it get hot?

Mine is warm to the touch. Doesn't get hot. I run it 24/7. It uses mainly red but also has blue mixed in.