T2 Subminiature Aquarium Lights; Review, Planted, Reef, Fish

T2 Aquarium Lights; Review

Although not as well known as their larger T5 and T12 cousins, the T2 subminiature aquarium light offers a unique small yet higher output of PUR per watt of electricity used over their larger cousins.

Despite what others such as a misinformed member at Aquatic Plant Central said (Niko), these are not just “to mount under kitchen cabinets”.
Yes, the original T2 Light fixtures were just that; for high light in a small space, generally storage, cabinets and similar. But the same can be said for almost all other aquarium lighting from T8, T5, to LEDs; these all got their start for other lighting applications and then correct Kelvin, reflectors, etc. were added to make these work for aquatic applications.
What is sadly missed by anecdotal comments such as those made at Aquatic Plant Central (admittedly this post is almost two years old, but others still read this when searching for answers), is that the aquarium industry as a whole is but a needle in a haystack and that much of the equipment, treatments, even quality fish foods have been developed in other industries since there is little development funding in the aquarium industry due to its size.

Back to Aquarium T2 Lights:
With the new rotating focusing lens and the Tropical Noon 6400K daylight lamps, the T2 is viable alternative T5s and especially T8s and CFL lights.
The lumen output is 73 lumens per watt (better than any CFL), with a slightly higher blue content (with slightly less useless green/yellow light energy) than comparable CFLs.
The bottom line is; the best 6400K T2 lights with their high lumen per watt and PUR output require as little as 1 to 1.25 watts per gallon for a planted aquarium!

The picture above left shows the underside of an old Bio Cube Aquarium hood with two new CFL 6500K Daylight Bulbs (one 13 watt and one 15 watt) plus the addition of just an 8 Watt 6400K T2 Retrofit!

The Picture below is this same 14 gallon Bio Cube showing the light differences in the aquarium. It is noteworthy that the T2 is more forward in the hood, so when only the T2 is on the back of the aquarium is slightly dark. This said, it is still obvious that the One 8 Watt T2 completes quite well with Two CFL lights of approximately 75% higher wattage.
The reader should also note that the T2 produces a slightly more crisp light.
(Both pictures can be clicked on to enlarge)

For marine aquariums, the T2 fall short for applications much over 12 inches in part due to the fact they are currently available in 6400K daylight (which is generally the most PAR/PUR optimized kelvin temperature), however higher kelvin temperatures of 9000K to 14000k are necessary for increasingly deeper aquariums.
This said, the T2 can still be used in a marine/reef aquarium lighting mix with T5, LED, etc of higher Daylight Kelvin as well as blue/actinic.
Also the T2 6400K daylight is excellent for many Reef Aquarium Refugium and/or sump applications.

Back to Planted Freshwater or Fish only freshwater, these T2 lights are unbeatable for the light output in a small space, with exceptional plant growth to prove it.
This is based personal use as well as a many friends in the aquarium industry now using these lights. In fact one friend told me that he knows of a client from NASA who has purchased several on many occasions (what he used the lights for, I do not know).

Probably the biggest draw back as I see it for the T2 Light is the fragile size of the lamp, but even here I have seen few difficulties other than the very small contact area between the lamp and the fixture which is easy to move the lamp “out of place”, resulting in the lamp not functioning.
This is one reason the T2 Aquarium Light is not available in sizes over 21 inches; however this too is overcome with the nice linkable feature that each fixture comes standard with which basically makes each light fixture into a larger one.

Further Reference:

Aquarium Lighting

TMC GroBeam 1000 Customer Review

This is a consumer review sent to me and also posted in part here: Product Feedback @ American Aquarium Products

“1. – Extremely well packaged and arrived in perfect condition. I’m only using one light for the next two weeks until I get my big tank set up.

2. – VERY WELL MADE lamps from the water resistant covers to the sockets. These are very sturdy lights. You get what you pay for.

3. – I LOVE these Gro-Beam 1000 lights! I may have been using an old 175w metal halide bulb, but these lights are every bit as bright and concentrated as metal halide. I love the “beam” effect it has when punching through the water. The color is beautiful, and it truly looks like my tank is in the sun.

4. – NO light pollution – the light goes where it is directed. I had light going everywhere with my metal halide. It is a more calming light. When I’m on my couch starting at the aquarium, I don’t feel like I am looking into stage lights.

5. – Have you done a PUR study on these? My plants have NEVER pearled as much under halide as they do with this light. It’s kind of like looking through a weak glass of 7-up. Outstanding! So, I know my plants are loving it if they pearl within and hour and oxygen saturation has occurred within that short time frame.

6. – The dark corners when the light is close to the water (for the next few days, it is sitting on the glass canopy) gives a beautiful appearance of great depth or distance to the tank. It isn’t a light explosion like with UGLY fluorescent lighting. Extreme lighting in all areas which can be accomplished through HO fluorescent is far from calming to look at. With the GroBeam 1000. It looks like I am underwater looking at the items – there are shadows, glitter lines, and a sense of depth which is natural in nature.

7. – These two lights will pay for themselves in 3 years vs. metal halide or other LED systems. I ran the numbers, and with the amount saved and the 5 year warranty, they can’t be beat. After seeing and experiencing the build quality, I can now certainly confirm this.

8. – Bye Bye to my metal halide, the heat, the very warm ballast, and the feeling I was always under a sunlamp when working in my tank.

9. – Bye Bye to the expensive bulb replacements and the special handling they require. You aren’t supposed to touch the halide bulbs with your fingers – hmmmmmmmmmm, how do you replace them then, with gloves? If oil from the skin can damage a metal halide bulb, why are we using such “delicate” things? I always used my bare hands but always worried too what would happen.

10. – and finally, HELLO to the LEDS!!! Welcome to the new technology and the safety of them. They are worth every penny. I’m looking forward to having to prune my planted tank often. That’s what makes the hobby fun.

GroBeam 1000 Video

 

 

Summary

I decided the plants take precedent over my preference of color which is why I went with the appropriate lights rather than the XG1500 9000K. I had a 175, 6700K Metal Halide over my 22 gallon cube, and then switched it over to a 14K bulb I had when I used to do saltwater just to see the difference. I didn’t like the blue appearance nor how it made the plants look odd. True, my neon tetras glowed more blue as did my beta, but the plants looked weird. I went back to the 6700K last night to make my final decision. Everything looked much better under that light. It is under 6700K that I got explosive growth when I added a good, CO2 reactor (I use the Red Sea Reactor 500 – although some don’t like it, I think it is wonderful!)

P.S.I purchased some fish magazine off the shelf and was looking through it last night. There were bunches of ad for LEDS, 155 1 watt bulbs!, etc. I just had to laugh when I read them I hope people truly do their research!!

Please Read:
Aquarium Lighting

For Marine Reef Aquariums, see the related:
Reef Lights; Ultima 1500 & Ultra 1000

By Gary S.

Aquarium LED Light Installation Options, Ventilation; Bio Cube & Red Sea Retrofit

The purpose of this post/article is to give generalized ideas for installing the two most popular types of LED Light Fixtures; the “Tile” or the “Strip”
By Steven Wright

Updated 1/15/12

Sections Include:

• LED Strip Mounting Suggestions
• LED Tile Mounting Suggestions
• Important LED Placement Canopy Ventilation to Prevent Damage
• Red Sea Max Retrofit
• Bio Cube Retrofit (Oceanic, JBJ, more)
• MountaRay Mounting System
• Summary

For our purposes we will be using the high end TMC AquaRay LEDs, although these ideas will work with many similar LED lights, even “fish only” LEDs such as the more basic supplemental Ecoxotic Stunners or Marine Single/Double Brights.

*LED Strips such as the TMC AquaBeam 600 or GroBeam 500s:

The popular LED Strip has many mounting options, although can vary by specific manufacturer. The TMC AquaRay 500/600 comes with brackets, screws, etc. for many options.

*In my opinion the best option is the canopy mounting; not only is it the most simple, it also places the LED Fixtures at a distance from the water that allows for better light spread (6-10 inches) and lowers the risk of moisture damage to emitters (which still should be regularly wiped inside and out to prevent this damage, as with any light fixture used for aquariums I might add).

If space is at a premium and/or if you prefer end to end mounting, consider cutting the plastic mounting brackets for the older 500s or newer 600s and then either placing lights end to end or slightly diagonally.
For instance since these LED strips are approximately 19 inches in length, but say your space for mounting is only 18 inches, by cutting these mounting strips (or just using the Teflon screws) and then adding a slight diagonal “tilt” to the light mounting, you can easily add these LED strips into a tight space.

*Another mounting option is to simply place on the aquariums glass, acrylic, or polycarbonate top.
Although many manufactures claim this method of direct top placement is perfectly acceptable, I would strongly recommend using a spacer of some type (such as wood blocks) to give at least an inch of space from the tank top. This again helps with light spread and more importantly lowers the risk of moisture damage.

*Another variance to this installation option (this could be a variance to the “hanging option” for Strips or tiles too), is to build your own rack so as mount this a bit more professionally than just placing on the tank top with spacers.
This picture to the left (click to enlarge is intended to give the reader ideas, not as the only way to build this.
In our opinion this type of DIY rack is vastly superior in both flexibility and especially cost when compared to the pricey and very confusing TMC AquaRay Rail mounting systems!

* Although more popular/common with LED Tiles, the Strips can also be easily hung/suspended above an aquarium using wires, etc.
Please see the LED Tiles section for pictures

*Another method that is similar to canopy mounting is shelf mounting.
This method can be used for aquariums that are simple placed on stands or shelves with a shelf above (which the LED Strip is place on), or for larger “Aquarium Condos” popular with breeders, fragging, etc.
The picture above (click this picture to enlarge) is of an aquarium Condo with a rough outline of where the LED Strips will be placed above the Tanks.
This method also can be employed for tiles too.

LED Tiles, such as the TMC AquaBeam 1000 Ultra or GroBeam 1000, AquaBeam 1500 Ultima or Ocean Blue, and others.

*As with the LED Strips, mounting in a canopy is generally the most simple and effective way to mount an LED Tile as well.
I would also add (& this applies to the LED Strips too), the one potential negative is trapped moisture and some heat build up inside a canopy, HOWEVER most canopies are open in the back and for extra ventilation I suggest the use of a top vent as well and maybe a small Computer PC fan installation to move air through your canopy.

*As with LED Strips, mounting on tank tops is a viable option, albeit not a favorite of mine.
Again I would also suggest a minimum of 1 inch spacers to raise the LED Fixture from the glass, acrylic, etc.

*This is a very popular and maybe just as simple an option as the canopy method, this just depends upon whether you have a good place to attach/suspend from your ceiling the wires, rails, or whatever else you plan to use for hanging the tiles (or strips).

The picture to the left displays a wall mounted plant hanger used to suspend an LED Tile.

The advantage of the hanging method is heat and more importantly moisture dispersion. This method also is the preferred method of lighting of any kind over open Reef or Frag tanks, allowing for 100% light to water penetration.

*RED SEA MAX 130D & 250 RETROFIT
*Probably the most difficult is a retrofit would be a hood prefabricated with a complicated lighting system such as the Red Sea Max 130D (of coarse this depends upon your DIY abilities as for some this may be as simple as tying your shoe).
This is a perfectly viable option that will likely be different for each person depending upon aquarium, LED brand as well as desired Light Strips.

I would start by referencing this resource for one persons “adventure” in modifying a Red Sea Max 130D:
My Red Sea Max 130D LED conversion

This retrofit would also work for the Red Sea Max 250, but as is an even more time consuming retrofit (& probably not advised for those without the time or DIY skills for this undertaking).

*BIO CUBE LED RETROFIT

*Similar to the Red Sea Max are the popular Bio Cube Aquariums. A Retrofit of these is not quite as difficult in my opinion, although the LED strips will not fil in the front cover section without some serious “sawing” modifications.
The said, the pictures above (click to enlarge) tell the story of how a AquaBeam Ocean Blue 1500 fits rather nicely into a 29 gallon Bio Cube.
The Pictures show from left to right to left again:
(1)Bio Cube with stock Compact Fluorescent lighting
(2)Bio Cube with TMC OceanBlue 1500 Tile Lighting
(3)How the install looks inside the aquarium.

It is noteworthy that the “Ocean Blue” is somewhat darker, but that is due to the 50/50 mix of blue and lower 9000K daylight lamps that are best for a tank of this more shallow depth.
As well it is important to note that what you see with your human vision is not what the corals necessarily require, in other words “Useful Light Energy”. In this particular aquarium, the corals almost immediately responded favorably to the higher quality light.
See Aquarium Lighting Facts; Useful Light Energy (PUR)

MOUNTARAY FOR MINI 400 AND 500 LEDs:

Another new idea for mounting that is especially nice with the new Mini 400 & 500 Aquarium LED Tiles are the MountaRay Singles.
These allow for simple on the side mounting, especially for small “Nano” tanks (under 15 gallons).

TMC also offers a Twin Set of MountaRays which then incorporate rails for mounting all 500, 600, 1000, & 1500 LED lights. However this systems still is somewhat flawed in that the MountaRay is designed for rimless tanks and there for the rim must be cut or the whole system much be placed on the aquarium (which is a bit clumsy IMO). Hopefully this one flaw in the MountaRay set will be corrected soon so as to make this a viable option to many more

CANOPY VENTING, LIGHT PLACEMENT TO PREVENT DAMAGE:

As with any aquarium lighting system, proper venting or “spacing” from aquarium top is a must.
As a friend noted with his aquarium maintenance business with one client (a restaurant he maintained dozens of aquariums for in the late 70s to early 80s), all these aquariums had enclosed canopies but for a back cut out. He had many failures of relatively basic T8 fixtures until he provided cross ventilation by cutting a hole in the top of each canopy.

This same principle is all the more a must with high end lights such as TMC LEDs with their sophisticated circuitry; it is imperative for your canopy (if used) to have cross ventilation and a cut out in the back of a canopy is NOT cross ventilation.
For those who claim they never see any moisture, I will add even if moisture is not seen, it can still get into circuitry if air stagnates creating high humidity inside the canopy. You may not see any moisture in humidity as high as 99% (under 65% is best), but this is much too high for any lighting system, yet alone one with sophisticated circuitry. It is noteworthy that generally condensation moisture will not occur until 100% humidity, while anything above 65% is damaging to electronics.
Think of it this way, is your aquarium canopy set up in a way you would be comfortable keeping your lap top computer inside while running?

Also, the addition of a small computer exhaust fan will help further for canopy ventilation.

Humidity/Moisture damage can also occur from direct placement on glass lids; however placing any “high end” LED on wood, plastic, or any other type of spacer that provides at least 2 inches of space generally prevents moisture/humidity damage from occurring.

SUMMARY:

LED Aquarium Lights along with T2 Lights are finally getting the notoriety they deserve which is now bringing up many questions for mounting.
Mounting is generally easy for most applications since their size (along with T2s) make them often an easy fit. Some LEDs such as the Marineland Double & Single Bright already come in a an easy to mount hood, however these LEDs are really only a replacement for a common T8 Aquarium Lamp and thus not really recommended for planted freshwater tanks requiring higher lighting and most definitely not for reef tanks!

I strongly urge readers to read: “Aquarium Lighting” for further information if you are considering some of the lower technology LEDs that have sadly also flooded the market or you are still convinced a CFL is even close to the higher end LEDs such as the TMC AquaRay or Orphek. This article will give researched lighting information to help you make a more educated decision about your aquarium light needs.

Related Content of possible interest:
Another aspect of aquarium/pond keeping I have been associated in is UV Sterilization and the use of a UV Sterilizer to lower disease incidence, improve Redox, and control green water.
For readers with a UV Sterilizer, I would like to remind you to change your UV Bulb ever six months for aquariums for optimum performance and to change your Pond’s UV Bulb once per year in cooler climates and 6 months in warmer climates (such as California, Texas, Florida, etc.)
For those who do not have one of these useful tools for aquarium husbandry, I recommend reading the above noted UV Sterilization article!

Copyright 2011, By Steven Wright

Photosynthesis and PAR; Planted & Reef Aquarium

These are important aspects of both high end freshwater plant keeping and symbiotic Zooanthellae living within Photosynthetic invertebrates.

By Steven Wright

Updated 1/20/11

I will discuss each of these related aspects of Aquarium Lighting in a little more detail:

Photosynthesis;

Photosynthesis is the synthesizing by organisms of organic chemical compounds, mainly carbohydrates, from carbon dioxide using energy obtained from light rather than the oxidation of chemical compounds.
Put another way, this means photosynthetic plants, algae, and similar use of energy obtained from light to produce cellular chemical energy and carbohydrates when combined with carbon dioxide necessary for life processes including nitrogen processing for growth.

In order for the photosynthetic process to take, the organelle of the cell where light the energy to chemical energy takes place (named the chloroplast), must receive sufficient PAR (photosynthetic active radiation).
Often in aquarium environments the compensation/saturation point is not met within the chloroplast, this results in the organelle not producing the optimum amount of carbon bi-products (carbohydrates), and this excess energy will not be transferred to the host Photosynthetic Invertebrate..
The other side of the coin (more common in the ocean, tropical rivers, etc.) is photinhibition, which is the result of an excess of light energy causing cessation of photosynthesis altogether. Photosynthetic invertebrates as well as many higher plants have many light inhibiting pigments to protect themselves from tissue damage caused by photinhibition (hence the green and other colors that are often more vivid in higher light).

A myth of reef aquarium keeping is that Photosynthetic invertebrates such as corals only need the “correct” light to survive, however this is incorrect as no known animal can survive solely on light energy as there must always be a source nitrogen and other minerals for growth and reproduction.

PAR (Photosynthetic Active Radiation);

PAR is the abbreviation for Photosynthetically Active Radiation which is the spectral range of solar light from 400 to 700 nanometers (some resources/research indicates up to 750n) that is needed by higher plants & symbiotic zooanthellic algae.
This is found from actinic UVA to near infrared. UVA is the bandwidth found between 400-550nm which is the absorption bandwidth of chlorophylls a, c², and peridinin (the light-harvesting carotenoid, a pigment related to chlorophyll).
For our discussion of PAR, near Infrared is defined as the bandwidth found between 620-750nm which is the red absorption bandwidth of chlorophylls a and c² (true infrared is beyond 750nm).

Light sources that emit mostly actinic light will have a lower PAR (although actinic UVA still occupies an spike in PAR as seen from the graph and improve the PAR of your lighting), bulbs that occupy mostly the middle spectrum (yellow-green) such as “warm White (2700K) will produce little necessary PAR, while bulbs that produce UVA and yet more infrared will produce more important PAR light energy (as seen from the graph which shows the UVA spike and two infrared spike required for PAR).

It is noteworthy that most symbiotic zooanthellic (as well as other green algae) need more of the actinic spike than “higher plants”, hence the popularity of actinic lights for reef aquariums, however the optimum nanometer range is about 465-485nm, not the lower 420nm many actinic lights produce or the more broad range many “blue” aquarium lights produce of 400-520 nm (this is where the latest technology LED lights “shine”, having a more precise 465-485nm blue). For this reason it is a good idea to have extra actinic for corals/clams that depend upon zooanthellic algae, while at the same time limiting blue/actinic in freshwater aquariums to avoid excessive green algae growth.

PAR is the only useful way to measure light energy and quantity for the home/office/commercial aquarium, as well it is much more simple to define and measure than any other form of light measurement. For the aquarium keepers purpose, PAR is the number of photons per meter squared per second of light that falls between 400 nm and 700 nm in wavelength with the better PAR meters measuring the important spikes.
The meter displays these numbers in µMol•m²•sec (“mmols”), with currently accepted numbers measured as µMol•m²•sec at 50 mmol for most plants or low light corals such as Nemezophyllia, while Acropra can require PAR outputs as high as 300 mmol (any higher is simply a waste of energy/light)

References; Further Reading/Information:

* Aquarium Lighting; Facts & Information

*Reef Hobbyist Magazine; Understanding Lighting and Photosynthesis
3rd Quarter 2010, By Mike Maddox

Copyright 2011, By Steven Wright

LED Light Review; TMC XG 1500, Maxspect, Double Bright, Blue Moon, AI Sol; More

This post/article is meant as a complement to LED Aquarium Lights, Lighting and to dispel the many anecdotal myths circulating about what many LED lights can and cannot do for your aquarium.

Reviews Include:
*TMC XG 1500 Ultima 9000K & Ocean Blue LED Tile
*Maxspect Aquarium LED G2
*Ecoxotic
*Marineland Reef Capable & Double Bright Aquarium LED Light
*TMC AquaRed Flexi-LED
*Blue Moon Aquatic LED
*Aqua Illumination SOL (AI Sol Blue)
*EcoTech Radion
*E.Shine (Stark LED)
*Other LEDs (Orphek, Boost LED, More)
*Summary

Updated 1/17/12

Overview

Which ever LED (if any) you choose, make sure you know what you are trying to achieve, such as Reef, Freshwater Planted, Nano Reef, Deep Freshwater Planted, etc.
Then know how to compare “apples to apples”.

Avoid placing too much emphasis on these attributes:
*Too much emphasis on PAR Meter Readings, as while this is certainly useful, a PAR Meter is not accurate in important light energy spikes WITHIN the 400 to 700 nanometer range (a PAR Meter measures the light within this range only). This is where the less easy to discern PUR is much more important
See: Aquarium Lighting; Measuring PAR

*Beware of placing too much emphasis on “watts” as this is very inaccurate in comparing different lights to each other, EVEN different LEDs as there is a wide difference in output per watt and many poor quality lights make up for this in a shotgun approach of dozens of low output emitters and higher wattage, which IMO defeats one of the purposes of LED lighting: “lower wattage”
See also my other article: Aquarium LED Lights, Lighting

*Tropic Marine XR-G 1500 Ultima 9000K LED Tile

With the new XP-G wide angle Cree Emitter:

First I will start with the Tropic Marine XG Ultima 1500 9000K which was highly anticipated prior to its initial availability in the late summer of 2010. Part of the anticipation was for deep water aquariums, which is/was incorrect).
I later received one of these excellent LED Lights from TMC ahead of the general production and have run several comparison tests including a PAR meter and aquarium lighting measurement using a camera with a Kelvin filter.

The picture to the left demonstrates the differences (as seen by the human eye) of the AquaBeam 500 Reef White, AquaBeam 1000 Ultra, The GroBeam 1000 Ultra, & AquaBeam XG 1500 Ultima. It should be noted that the lights were all placed directly on the aquarium top, which is not the optimum way to utilize any of these lights.
(Please click to enlarge for a better view)

TMC later added to their XG1500 line with the AquaBeam Ocean Blue 1500XG.
This newest LED from TMC (as of the latest update to this article) combines the exclusive and patented Cree 9000K XG daylight emitters with the XR-E Blue emitters.
This is a much more advanced light than the seemingly similar Aqua Illumination SOL which uses older technology 6500K XG Daylight emitters and XP-E Blue emitters.

The TMC Ocean Blue XG 1500 is an excellent choice for aquarium keepers with tanks under 20 inches of depth desiring a very high output blue and daylight light combinations from a small footprint yet high output (high PUR) aquarium LED.
As well this is a COMPLETE LED for reef aquariums (under 20-24″) and does not require additional LEDs as does the high output XG1500 9000K which should be paired with Marine or Reef Blues for hard corals.

Another new product (for North American Release in early 2012) is the Power Control XG.
This is designed to increase output of XG emitters ONLY by 10%!
However this product does not change the fact that the kelvin temperature and wide angle lenses of the XG emitters are still intended for tanks under 24 inches (18 inches better yet), despite some anecdotal information already circulating on the internet.

Here are some important points as to what the XG 1500 series LED lights can and cannot do:
*PAR reading; The TMC XG 1500 has a lower PAR reading at 12 inches (120 PAR) than the TMC 1000 Ultra Reef White (210 PAR). This is in part for two reasons; the 1500XG emitters are a higher output, but lower in focused lumen output. As well the 9000K emitters do not have the depth penetration of the 14000K daylight and 50000K blue emitters utilized by the 1000 Ultra (Reef White).

*However the XG 1500 has a much larger area of light output from the same small foot print of the 1000 tiles and much less PAR drop offs when the PAR meter is moved around under the lighted areas than the 1000 tiles. The XG 1500 has a 24 x 24 inch light spread (with fixture at optimum 8-12 inches above tank), while the light spread is about 16 x 16 for the 1000 Ultras (except the GroBeam Ultra which is also 24 x 24)
It is also noteworthy that the XG emitter has higher PUR in Proportion to the testable PAR (PUR is the actual useful light energy). This is an important note, although not as easily verifiable with easily and inexpensively obtained equipment (such as a Light Spectrometer). There is simple, albeit not fully accurate equipment such as lenses that can display certain wave lengths to help with this determination.
The bottom line is many of the latest technology emitters such as the patented CRee XG and XR cannot be fully reliably tested via a PAR meter, but these PAR meters are still useful for ball park measurements!

The picture to the left shows the difference between the wide angle GroBeam 1000 versus the also wide angle 1500 XG using a camera lens (with ½ the emitters “on”). This shows the higher output of the XG emitter versus the emitter in the GroBeam 1000, however as per the previous picture, the 1000 Reef White has a more focused emitter that penetrates deeper water better.
(Please click on the picture to enlarge for a better view)

*The bottom line TMC XG 1500 line of LEDs are an excellent compliment to the 1000 Ultra for more light spread, especially in tanks under 24 inches. However for tanks over 24 inches the AquaBeam 1000 Ultra is still necessary, and most definitely this is not a light to replace a 400 watt MH for tanks of 36 inches or deeper as some have suggested.

This new XG 1500 is an excellent compliment to the AquaBeam 600 models (especially the Marine or Reef Blue) as well so as to add more light (about 200% to 300% more than a 600) from a smaller light fixture, even then the AquaBeam 600s still provide excellent lighting with easy to mount strips (the light spread from AquaBeam 600 is 24 x 11 inches with fixture at an optimum 6-12 inches above tank).

Another excellent application for the XR-G 1500 9000K or Ocean Blue is for smaller nano reef, hexagon or similar aquariums where copious amounts of useful energy light is required from a small foot print fixture.

*For freshwater, this XG 9000K LED tile can be an excellent compliment for more light in a larger area to compliment both the GroBeam 1000 and 500 for planted aquariums (especially Amazon River Aquariums).

Also see LED Aquarium Lights & Lighting for further LED information and as well for further information about the TMC AquaBeam 600 and 1000 Ultras.

*Maxspect Aquarium LED G2

The Maxspect Aquarium LED G2 is a capable aquarium LED with multiple emitters, although mostly older generation Semi LED (a Korean company licensed to use many Cree Emitters, but not their newer patents).

I have a couple of complaints with Maxspect; one is that their information is contradictory as to LED emitter wattage and total wattage; and two the claims of what their LED can perform, such as the replacement of a 400 Watt Metal Halide which it cannot.

That said, before I appear to trash these LEDs, rather I am pointing out what these Maxspect LEDs can and cannot do for your aquarium lighting. These Maxspect Aquarium G2 LEDs are among the better Chinese made LEDs you can buy, with only the TMC (and their proprietary licensed and latest generation Cree emitters) surpassing these Maxspect Chinese made LED Fixtures.
Still, PAR/PUR Tests have shown the MaxSpect to be a capable LED Aquarium Light, even with their older generation emitters.

*Ecoxotic:

The popular “Ecoxotic Stunner” is simply for additional lighting, not Reef or planted freshwater aquarium lighting. The LEDs are not of the output, wattage, or even the same generation technology as the LEDs used by the TMC AquaRay/AquaBeam or Maxspect.
As well the PAR output generally is below the necessary 50 mmol required for photosynthesis.

Ecoxotic Panorama Strips have 12 older technology 1 watt emitters (vs. the 2.4 watt high PUR emitters used in the AquaBeam 500 & 600s). More emitters are required due the lack of precision (useful energy output, etc).
That said, while the Ecoxotic Panorama Strips are not of the technology level of the TMC 500/600s strips these are still a big improvement on the “Stunner” and can be considered for Reef Tanks. A popular model is the Panorama Module 8000K/453nm Actinic Blue which consists of 8 white lights and 4 blue lights.

The newer Ecoxotic Panorama Retro 36 is closer to the higher end LEDs produced by TMC, even then the emitters are still not of the high output useful light energy bins.
Worse is Ecoxotic’s approach to patents for the emitters they are using is “go ahead and sue me”, not the kind of company I think any honest person should support. There is a reason that the better LEDs such as the TMC AquaRays are priced as they are; It is called licensing.
(See Orbital Technologies Corporation Statement; Patent Infringement)

*Marineland Reef Capable, Single & Double Bright:

The over hyped Marineland Double Bright LED lights from Marineland are also purely for highlighting fish only or complimenting other lights.
As with the Ecoxotic Stunner, these are much older “cheap” technology LED emitters of 1 watt each that do not come close in lumen, focused lumen and PAR output as the newer technology LEDs.

The so-called “Reef Capable” LED’s by Marineland, albeit much better than the Double or Single Bright, are still 2 generations behind the emitters used by the TMC AquaRays. These LED’s have a PAR reading, with the newer Apogee PAR meter, above 80 umol at a distance of 18 inches, but this is not the full story. Since it is useful light energy (PUR) that is most important and this Marine “Reef Capable” LED with its 21 inferior one watt emitters is severely lacking here (see the picture graph).
See: Aquarium Lighting; Measuring PAR

While the “Reef Capable” are what they say they are in being capable of keeping some photosynthetic reef life, their 21 one watt emitters are not of the best PUR available in the better newest generation emitters and yet the Marineland “Reef Capable” are about the same price as the AquaRay. This leaves me scratching my head as to why anyone would purchase an inferior LED fixture when a much newer and better generation LED is about the same price (this is about the same logic as purchasing computer technology two generations back and paying the same price).

See the picture/graph below which clearly shows the extreme short comings of the Marineland emitters. While there is a correct spike in the blue (which most older technology emitters have been able to achieve), there are not the two essential spike in the infrared wavelengths and in fact the vast majority of light output is in the useless green/yellow visible spectrums which will give the human eye a false sense of a larger volume of light energy when in actuality this is clearly not the case (See Aquarium Lighting; PAR).

Now compare this to the latest Marine White 600 & 1000 (Below):

For those “digging up” old pictures/graphs from TMCs poorly updated website or using image searches of old ftp files for older Marine White 500s, the spectrograph above is the most recent graph of the Marine White 600 and 1000 available.
While these are different types of spectrographs, one can still easily discern the difference as the second (AquaBeam Marine White 600/1000) has much more volume in the red spectrum and much less in the green/yellow.

*As another update to the Marineland LEDs, I met with one of my aquarium maintenance colleagues on Jan. 28 2011, and discussed the results further and re-examined this LED light in action.
After further examining of the low PAR output Chinese emitters used by Marineland as well getting further expert input that these lights are at best for fish only tanks. The Marine Single Bright had no more output than an 18″ 15 watt T8 Fluorescent aquarium light and should be sold/purchased as such!

*TMC AquaRed Flexi-LED;

While TMC is an awesome company, this product is primarily decorative and is mostly useless for lighting an aquarium as per the necessary light energy, especially needed by freshwater plants or symbiotic zooanthellic algae found in many corals, clams, & nudibranchs.
That said, TMC is not marketing this product for anything other than decorative lighting, however some misinformed aquarium forums and blogs (including a popular blog) are implying that this LED Light strip can add and improve on existing lighting which is simply incorrect.
The picture to the above/left shows the TMC Flexi-Red LED Light mounted on an aquarium both at night with only the Red LED “on” and in Daylight with a TMC GroBeam also illuminated (‘On’). As you can see in operation with the GroBeam this Flexi-Red only provides subtle highlights of red (which might be great for some tetras, discus, etc.), however at night by itself this Flexi Red LED does add an interesting effect in the aquarium.
Please click on the picture to enlarge

*Blue Moon Aquatic 90-watt LED;

This is another Asian import that utilizes older technology in quantity to make up for what it lacks in new emitter technology quality.

As you can see with the picture/diagram below, this LED light is much to heavily weighted in the blue spectrum of light for an accurate PUR (Useful Light Energy).
I would only recommend these LED fixtures as a compliment to 6500 to 10,000K light and even then if you get a great deal, otherwise for 1/3 the wattage you have a much better LED light in the TMC AquaBeam 1000 Ultras or 1500 Ultimas.

*Aqua Illumination SOL;

The Aqua Illumination SOL is similar to the MaxSpect Aquarium LED lights in that they use good quality, albeit older generation Cree XP-G 6500K and blue/royal blue XP-E series LEDs (AI does not have the patent “rights” to the newest CRee emitters).
This LED fixture is marketed more on features rather than what is important: Useful Light Energy (PUR), NOT PAR only as some reviews may claim (see: “Useful Light Energy; PUR”).
This said, the AI Sol LEDs have interesting and admittedly cool features include proprietary 40 and 70 degree lenses and feature rich controllers. However even the controllers fall short in that they do not have a UPS feature in that if your power even “burbs”, all your programming can be lost and this is not a “good thing” if you are at work or worse out of town and now your lights no longer come on as programmed even when power is restored.

These too are reasonably capable LED lights for many lower light reef applications with many reporting reasonable results in part due to the higher electrical wattage used to overcome the inferior older generation LED emitters and lower kelvin daylight.

I recently was reading forum posts and noted a lady (at Reef Central) had read a lot of information and despite the plethora of good information, went with the bells and whistles of the AI Sol Blue over the facts of newer technology LED emitters in better kelvin temperatures for reef aquariums??
Sadly this does not have the correct balance of blue and higher kelvin daylight, nor is the PUR of the emitters of the capability of the newest CRee emitters not available to AI.
This LED is essentially an older version planted freshwater light combined with older version blue emitters (not something I would place on my reef aquarium)
It appears to me that the bells and whistles won out over facts, but hopefully since she mostly has fish (from what I read), this will not present too many issues with the few softies corals she does have.
See: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=19668733&posted=1

My point is that that while the Aqua Illumination SOL is a good and capable LED light for basic reef aquariums, at the price charged for an inferior LED light, there is little reason to pay more and get less in my opinion.
As well, do not let bells and whistles win out over facts in your important aquarium lighting decision.

*EcoTech Radion;

This is a very nicely built with lots of interesting features, however when it gets down to the important PUR (Useful Light Energy), this LED falls short.
I watched a video promoting this that missed a key point and that is he only used a PAR meter which does not show PUR, which is most important and requires a spectrograph tor show more correctly.
See: Aquarium Lighting; Measuring PAR

This video review did show the Radion can maintain corals, but it is using the “shotgun approach” versus a direct approach of better LED emitters.
By “shotgun approach” I mean the common way in the past of lighting aquariums with multiple lamps of poor quality T8 bulbs to obtain the necessary light energy for photosynthetic life

See the Spectrograph below to see why:

The EcoTech Radion, emits a significant percentage of its light in the green and yellow spectrums, this is in part because EcoTech uses off the shelf (non patented) Cree cool white emitters as part of their array.

The other misleading aspects are the completely useless RGB, dimming, and capacitive touch ‘features’. Controlling your RGB (Red, Green, Blue) of your light has little bearing on obtaining the exacting nanometer spikes necessary for photosynthetic life.
There is no benefit from the RGB feature and in fact, they’re stressful/harmful to coral. The reason is above spectrograph output only holds true when the emitters are run at the operating voltage and current that they were designed for. As soon as that simple voltage rheostat is used (“control technology”)or RGB is altered, the spectral output changes.

The bottom line is while this LED fixture may be able to maintain corals (as with the “Marine Reef Capable”), this is done with poor shotgun approach when vastly better PUR fixed patented emitters are available in newer LED fixtures.

*E.Shine, Stark LED

E.Shine is a large producer of LED Fixtures that are probably the nicer design and generally better quality LEDs coming out of China.
E.Shine does not sell directly under their name, rather they market to retailers and distributors for their own branding.
Stark LED (distributed by Sea Dwelling Creatures of LA) is probably the most common marketer of this LED Fixture.

However E.Shine uses much older generation Cree Emitters (not having patent rights the latest emitters sold by Cree), in fact even E.Shine’s own web site admits that the older generation 3 watt CREE XR used for their Daylight Aquarium LED Lights vary from 6000~9000K; not the exacting emitters used by high end LED fixtures that target specific nanometer wavelengths.
These emitters used by E.shine do NOT maintain the peak PUR necessary for delicate marine life, and instead have much more wasted yellow and green wavelengths.

E.Shine does a great job “pushing” these LEDs on companies looking to sell a nice looking product at a VERY good mark up, as I know of a friend in the business that gets these LEDs constantly marketed to him at prices that would allow for much better margins (since the emitters are low cost generic Cree emitters) than products such as TMC that have smaller margins. However he has rejected these out of integrity to sell newer generation LEDs, even if the profit margins are lower.

*Other LED Aquarium Lights (such as the Boost LED, Orphek);

There are many other LED lights coming fast onto the market, occasionally excellent, many good, many not so good, some a downright rip-off!
Knowing about what makes for correct Aquarium Lighting is quite helpful in making an informed decision.
I would also stress that even among the more effective new LEDs hitting the market (such as the BoostLED), these all have to compensate for inferior emitters with high amounts of wattage used, which in my humble opinion defeats a primary reason to use quality LED lighting for your Reef or planted freshwater aquarium; lower electrical consumption per output of useful light energy!.
Using 4.5 times the energy (wattage) to produce only 30% more PAR (as in the BoostLED versus TMC 1000 Ultra) makes little sense to me or most other aquarium professionals seeking the best lighting for their clients. This “shotgun” approach to aquarium lighting defeats the reasons to use LED lights (energy savings), one might as well use a good 150 Watt Metal Halide rather than a 135 Watt LED. A Few decades ago, the “shotgun approach” is all many aquarium keepers of high light planted or basic reef tanks had, so using eight 48 inch 40 watt “cool white” T12 lights to light one 60 gallon aquarium was sometimes necessary, but this is not necessary with many modern lights; so why go backwards when the technology is here?

For an example of a newer “excellent” LED Aquarium Light is the “Orphek PR-156 Reef Aquarium LED Light”.
Everything about this LED Light was engineered by them, including the actual diodes. Orphek’s PR-156 120 watt LED light contains 60 LEDs in 90 degree lenses running at 2 watts each within a 24″x 6″ x 2″ housing.
This LED is quite expensive (over $800), however it is designed for tanks over 30 inches in depth (replacing Metal Halides). The overall color temperature is about 16,000k (which is fine for a deeper tank, but too high for tanks under 24 inches IMO). The spectral range is greater than the common Cree or Luxeon LEDs used in many LED fixtures (this does not include the patented emitters used by TMC), starting at just around 400nm (violet) and spanning all of the way to 750nm.
This is a top notch LED Aquarium Light for deep reef tanks, however I do not agree with a couple aspects of this design of this light and that is its emphasis on CRI (Color Rendering Index), as this is more important to what we see and not what the symbiotic zooanthellic algae within corals actually require. While I realize that the popular fad of fading/dimming LEDs for sunrise/sunset is simply that; a fad (there is no scientific basis that this aids corals), I also do not agree Orphek’s use of “blue” lights for moon light phase, which is also just a fad with no scientific basis in fact. So once you get past the hype, this is still an excellent LED for those with deep tanks that may otherwise use a 400 Watt MH, assuming you can obtain these LED Aquarium Lights

---

LED REVIEW SUMMARY

Emitter bins used in LED Lights are improving rapidly, although I am sure at some point these will hit the technology ceiling.
In the mean time, one can be certain of one thing, the best emitters are going to be patented and one is not going to find these in many of the cheapie knock offs.
Another issue is that some companies are practicing patent infringement to close this technology gap. Purchasing these LED Aquarium Lights is not only a moral decision, but also many of these “stolen technology” LEDs are cheaply made and once these LEDs are legally closed down, the person who did not care about the moral issue, will likely face the problem of a light that fails to work long term with no customer support. This will result in these knock off LEDs being useless and not the bargain one might think when purchasing.

Finally, also realize the most important light measurement is “Useful Light Energy” or PUR and although I recommend the use of PAR Meters as a measurement of any aquarium lighting fixture, in the end this is still not 100% accurate, especially when one compares the best emitter bins to many of the older emitter bins used by the cheaper Chinese or similar LED lights. Often the “cheap” LEDs produce considerably more useless green/yellow light and are bottom heavy in the Blue Spectrum.
So consider whether your so-called “deal” of a LED Light is really a deal at all or look at it this way: would you use multiple LED Flashlights you can purchase at Walmart to light your Reef or planted Aquarium? Although this analogy is a bit exaggerated, it is still a reasonable analogy when one considers current technology advances and the costs of developing these advances.

For further Aquarium Lighting information, I strongly suggest reading this long, but in depth article:
“Aquarium Lighting”
While making recommendations; if your aquarium has a UV Sterilizer for Disease Prevention and Redox Balance, I recommend changing your UV-C Bulbs every six months for maximum performance and this and this is the place for premium UV Bulbs

Copyright 2011, By Steven Wright

LED Aquarium Lights, Lighting; emitters, PUR, DIY, more

Aquarium LED Light Information
With some information provided with copyright permission from this Article: Aquarium Lighting
Sections Include:

• Overview.
• LED Light Comparisons/Tests
• LED Cautions (& example)
• Further LED Fixture Emitter Information
• DIY LED Light Fixtures
• Use of LED to prevent Red Slim
• Basic Mounting Suggestion
• T5 to LED Comparison
• Proper LED Ventilation
• New and Upcoming LED Technology
• LED Summary

Information includes the TMC XRE AquaBeam, XG 1500, & other LED Lights

Updated 1/20/12

*LED (light-emitting diode); Overview:

This aquarium light type uses semiconductor technology as its light source.
The difficulty in the past (and where many still misunderstand the complexities of LEDs) is correct wave length (in nanometers) and ultimately the PUR of the emitters (PUR = Photosynthetically Usable Radiation).

Essentially the best LED Fixtures are NOT aquarium lights in the traditional sense, even the emitters are not a “bulb” as many people think (based on conversations with hobbyists, emails, forums, etc.). These High End LED Fixtures use complex circuitry to evenly spread voltage over emitters and drivers to control each emitter precisely.
The emitters utilize certain compounds to provide the essential light energy required (which is part of the reason adjustable emitters are a bad idea as they are NOT exacting).
For example, the infrared emitter uses Gallium arsenide (GaAs) and/or Aluminium gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) for its semiconductor material while Blue (460 nm) uses Zinc selenide (ZnSe), Indium gallium nitride (InGaN), Silicon carbide (SiC), and/or Silicon (Si).

One way to think of the high end LED Fixtures (not low end LEDs which have more in common with an LED flashlight) is that these are computers that emit light placed over your aquarium, which is why certain care should also be provided (See Proper LED Ventilation later in this article).

Achieving the correct wavelengths in the correct amounts has been the challenge and is why a simple LED flashlight has about as much in common to an advanced aquarium LED as paper glider to a Boeing 777 airplane. Try hanging several LED flashlights to grow your delicate coral or plants; it will not work!
This however is also the advantage as useless green and yellow light spectrums can be omitted as well, by using the best and newest generation emitters & drivers.
This is where there is much misunderstanding as to emitter abilities based on emails friends and I in the aquarium hobby/industry have received. Many think that high end patented emitters are equal to emitters sold for DIY projects or the many lower end LED fixtures readily available in stores or the Internet (such as the Marineland Double & Single Bright & other Chinese knock offs), which is simply 100% incorrect!

Even one low end 7000K Daylight emitter is not necessarily the same as another 7000K high end emitter (these high end emitters are usually patented with exclusive rights as well).
As an example even E.Shine’s own web site admits that the older generation 3 watt CREE XR used for their Daylight Aquarium LED Lights vary from 6000~9000K; not the exacting emitters used by TMC AquaRay or Orphek!
YET, if your were to look into the many products selling these E.Shine LEDs under different names such as Stark LED, you would quickly note that these are all the same LED Fixtures (nothing special in other words).
See the Further Emitter Information section for a picture of the E.Shine (Stark) LED.

The Kelvin temperature rating is commonly used to describe the type of light one can expect from your light fixture and is loosely connected to the light energy in Nanometers (this measurment of lighting is used by the industry).
Simply put Kelvin Temperature is basically a measure of the light color, however one can achieve this “color” with many different nanometer wave lengths. Many of these wave lengths are useless to the symbiotic zooxanthellae found in corals, clams, etc. (think 1+9=10 as well 5+5=10 as there are many ways to reach a Kelvin Temperature and not all are best for your photosynthetic aquarium inhabitants!)

For this reason one cannot compare a DIY LED, low end LED or older generation to the newest LEDs available (& likely these newest LEDs will fall short of LEDs available in 2 years). The latest technology LED Lights (such as Aqua Ray) are very fine tuned in exacting nanometer outputs found within the best Kelvin Color temperatures. As a generalization, the best temperature kelvin for coral growth is 50,000 in the blue and 6500 to 14,000 in the daylight spectrums (higher for deeper aquariums, lower for more shallow aquariums; 6500k to 9,000k for 12- 20 inches & 9000k to 14,000k for 20 to 30 inches and even 20,000k for deeper).

Beginning in 2008, high end LED aquarium lighting began to become a viable replacement for metal halide in reef tanks under 30 inches and far surpass T5 aquarium lighting as soft and hard corals are able to thrive under the newer exacting high output LED’s.
Many planted freshwater applications were already having success such as with the 6500K PAR 38 lamps (not to be confused with the low output 3000K PAR 30 sold by Home Depot & others).
The best LED fixtures join T5, T2, and SHO lights as the industry standard.

Many of the LED Aquarium Lights now available (even the lower end Marineland and Ecoxotic Stunners) can provide the “cool” shimmer effect that was previously exclusive to Metal Halide lights. That said many of the lower end LEDs should only be employed for this cool effect (such as a compliment to T2s or T5s) or very basic fish only tanks. For those who need exceptional freshwater plant growth or for their reef coral to “pop” with growth, should stay with the very few patented LEDs available such as the TMC AquaRay (CRee & OSRAM OSLON emitters), Pacific Sun, or Orphek, not the plethora of cheap knock offs, many made by just a few companies, but sold under many brand names.
See Cree Licensing Overview

In addition High Output LED lights do not have the heat problems of Metal Halides, often last 50,000 hours, produce little useless yellow/green spectrum light (in aquarium adjusted configurations), and are very compact.

LED lights with proper Kelvin, Nanometer, PAR & most importantly PUR output emitters may prove to be more suitable for aquatic life tank-lighting and reef tanks because they offer superior flexibility when compared with traditional fluorescent lighting. When LED lights operate, the photometric radiation remains within a narrow band on the electromagnetic spectrum. Specific photometric wavelengths are often beneficial to some aquatic plant life and reef tanks. Controlling specific wavelengths becomes possible through a basic network of colored LED lights connected to a digital LED controller.

Since LEDs emit light only in very specific direction, the installer has the option to illuminate a precise area by simply rotating the polycarbonate tube casing. For this reason the LED does not need to produce as many lumens of light for the same results as most conventional lights. With most conventional lights, many lumens of important light energy are lost due to lack of focus, this includes power compacts and fluorescent lights in general, which need higher lumen outputs to achieve the same lighting parameters (one test shows at least a 166% difference of lumens at 20 inches in favor of the Aqua Ray for the same given wattage as compared to a compact Fluorescent).

Another advantage over ALL fluorescent lights, is that LED Fixtures do not loose output over time, most specifically the important PUR wavelengths found in PAR. Fluorescent lights on the other hand do, and this is easily tested by placing a lit one year old fluorescent of the exact same type, next to a lit new one of the exact same brand/type. With a 6500K fluorescent the new one clearly has more blue than the more yellow older lamp!

Please read the IMPORTANT LED Cautions & Further LED Information Sections for more on some of the subjects above only marginally addressed to this point!

In fact as an example from TMC, the newest generation TMC GroBeam 500 or AquaRay 600 can easily work for planted freshwater or reef tanks down to 20-24 inches (60 cm), while the AquaBeam Ultra 1000 LED light tiles can easily penetrate to 24-30 inches (76 cm) (with specimen placement in the water column being another factor as with any light). (The Marine Aquarium to the above/left is pictured with TMC Reef White 1000 tiles & 500 Strips). The Picture to the Left displays the new TMC Mini 500 LED which is designed for small Nano Reef Tanks under 15 gallons (the picture displays this light with a “MountaRay” bracket for easy attachment to small tanks) This Mini 500 LED includes Four lensed CRee patented XP-E 10,000K and one unlensed Blue CRee XP-E (the White LEDs can be switched off for “moonlight” mode). TMC also has a similar 6500K Mini 400 for small “high light” planted freshwater aquariums that at 12 watts will outproduce ANY CFL under 80 watts! The newest generation Aquaray LED is the Ocean Blue XG (along with its cousin the XG 1500 9000K) which with its wide angle lens (but less depth penetration than the 1000 ultras) is perfectly suited for tanks such as a 60 gallon that are under 20-22 inches in depth! This YouTube Video dispays a 180 gallon aquarium with TMC Ultra 1000 LED Tiles and a TMC LED 600 Strip (to the left)

LED Light Comparisons/Tests

In tests for plant nurseries (Green House, Hydroponics) full spectrum LEDs such as the TMC GroBeam 6500K Daylight or even the older generation LED Grow Lights have been proven to surpass even Metal Halide Lights in both growth and useful output.
The above/left picture displays the plant growth results comparing the same LED and Metal Halide Lights (please click to enlarge view):

This older controlled test has aquatic implications, as photosynthesis is the same whether it be a terrestrial plant, a freshwater aquatic plant, or symbiotic zooanthellic algae found in corals. The only difference would be that light energy is quickly absorbed by water. Many Metal Halide (such as a 14,000K or 20,000K) have excellent depth penetration, however modern LED lights such as an AquaBeam 600 have similar penetration up to 24-30 inches. A 14,000K or 20,000K Metal Halide is still your best choice for lighting, at least in part, for tanks over 30 inches deep.
It is still easy to make assumptions from the raw data based on this study with plants that a 12 Watt LED can at least replace a 100 watt MH of equal Kelvin ratings in aquarium applications (the TMC AquaBeam 1000; 30 Watt LED should easily replace one 175-250 Watt Metal Halide of similar rating (14,000K for example) for marine applications up to 24-30 inches in water depth.

It is worthwhile pointing out that one needs to compare “apples to apples”, and at this current time (as of any updates) you still cannot compare a 400 watt Metal Halide actinic to any LED, including the TMC AquaBeam 600 Reef Blue (all blue 50,000K emitters) for both output or depth penetration. However many modern LEDs can compare favorably with many common Metal Halides of 250 watts or under, especially for tanks under 24 inches.

The picture to the left shows the approximate useful PAR light energy (PUR) of a MH compared to a LED Light (both full spectrum daylight).

Legend
*Dark Blue = LED Lights
*Light Blue = Necessary PAR Spectrum of Chlorophyll
*Lavender = Metal Halide.

 

 

PUR from what I know, have read, and been taught is what all aquarium lighting really comes down to. This is not to discount the amount of PUR energy delivered as in watts. PUR is basically the USEFUL portion of PAR, and often many will measure PAR (with PAR, Quantum Light Meters), not realizing that these meters only measure light within the roughly 400-700nm range of PAR, NO the exact wavelengths contained therein.

LED Cautions

It is important to note that there are many LEDs now available for the Aquarium market that are not intended, or worse, improperly marketed as the primary aquarium lights.
These LEDs often make unaware aquarium keepers or those who do not do their homework to make the false assumption that these LEDs will work for their planted or reef aquariums when in reality these LEDs are not powerful enough to keep photosensitive aquatic life. The truth is that there are only a handful of LED light fixtures that can properly light your high light need aquarium, such as the before mentioned TMC Aqua Rays, as well as the less powerful (but still relatively capable) Current USA LEDs.

An example of a popular LED light system that is not Reef or freshwater plant capable is the “Ecoxotic Stunner LED Strips” sold by some supermarket type aquarium and pet stores. The Ecoxotic are well constructed, however the emitter bins used are lacking in many aspects such as lumens per watts, focused lumens, and most importatly; PUR/useful light energy. The PUR is expressed by not being as “fine-tuned” to the exacting nanometer ranges of the high end patented Cree emitter that TMC AquaRays have access to with their exclusive rights (see Cree Licensing Overview).
These Ecoxotic (as well as Marineland Double Brights) are fine as compliments to your better T2, T5, SHO, VHO, etc. lights, but not as a primary lighting source for reef or planted freshwater aquariums!

It is also noteworthy that there is a reason some LED lights have 90 watts or more with multiple emitters (such as the “Acan Lighting LED lights”), these are generally made with low end emitters that have extremely poor useful light energy output. As a comparison the well designed TMC AquaBeam 1000 at 30 watts will far exceed many of the 90 watt “cheapie” panels that have flooded the market.
Think of it this way, you could actually light many planted or low end reef tanks with cheap hardware store T12 cool white bulbs (I know a friend who kept higher light planted 60 gallon tanks with six 40 watt T12 cool whites back in the early 1980s), however it takes literally multiples of these versus what a few much higher end T2 or T5 fluorescent lamps with a more appropriate kelvin and in particular PUR output to achieve the same results; so comparing these 90-120 watt LED panels with “off the shelf” non-specific emitters to high end LEDs that use the newest patented CREE emitters is an apples to oranges comparison where the 90 watt or larger panel likely will produce poorer results with more energy consumed than the 30 watt AquaBeam LED (or less).

Example (Sky LED):
A really good example of use of very low quality emitters in mass is the “SkyLED 36″ Aquarium Light” with 378 LED emitters (sold by Truaqua & a few others). At 23 watts and 378 emitters, this comes to only .06 watt per low PUR output emitter. Even an online search of pictures/videos shows that this large LED fixture is nothing more than a replacement for a standard 36″ T8 aquarium lamps (cicra 1980) and should certainly never be used for a Reef or high light planted aquarium.

Finally be careful of the many LEDs now flooding the market that appeal to consumers with “bells & whistles” to get around the lack of the newest generation emitters/drivers such as the EcoTech Radion & Aqua Illumination SOL (AI Sol Blue).
As an example the AI Sol Blue provides 8 Royal Blue and 16 6500K white OLDER generation Cree LEDs (AI does NOT have access to the exclusive Cree patents). As well while 6500K is certainly an excellent general kelvin temperature for planted freshwater aquariums, it simply does not have the best penetration for most reef application. While this is a nicely made and presented LED, it is a good example where lighting facts are covered by “flash” and good marketing. The bottom line is while their proprietary 40 and 70 degree lenses and feature rich controllers may be useful, these do not make up for the basics of PUR necessary for marine life!!

Summarizing; from my observations, reading, consulting, there seems to be three different approaches to LED lighting (especially for Reef Capable): (1) The shotgun approach with dozens and dozens of inferior emitters (the vast majority use this poor method), (2) Paying top dollar for patent rights for the best emitters/drivers (such as TMC), or (3) Bear the cost of in house emitter/driver design (Orphek).

Further LED Fixture Emitter Information:

*As earlier noted, it is important to understand that not all emitters are equal, even the Cree-XR-E emitters sold commonly for other applications are only as good as their correct wavelength output (these are an excellent emitter in terms of lumen per watt & LUX output).
As noted in the “Overview” section, E Shine LED, a Chinese LED knock off manufacturer, uses older CREE XR-E emitters that can vary from 6000K to 9000K without the specific wavelengths necessary for peak PUR. Instead they have more wasted yellow and green wavelengths (the Marineland Reef Capable, Single, and Double Bright have this similar “Daylight” Output).

The picture above is of an E.Shine LED that is often sold under many brand names such as the Stark LED. This is not a light one should place over their delicate reef specimens unless multiple panels are used. The newest generation LED’s have vastly more PUR and are more efficient!

I & others have used and tested many LED light fixtures/panels with these “off the shelf” (“cheap”) emitters that simply do not produce the important light energy needed to support aquarium life unless multiples of these emitters are used (similar to loading up an aquarium hood in 1979 with common T12 fluorescent lamps versus a few smaller modern T5 or T2 fluorescent lamps to achieve the same results).
An analogy I will use as an older generation CREE XR-E or other older generation emitter used by E.Shine, Marineland, JBJ (JBJ is a company notorious for poor quality products such as their Submariner UV Sterilizer) and others is:
Can you compare the technology in an Intel processor from 1998 to one made in 2011? The simple answer is NO and one cannot compare the XR-E emitter used in newest generation TMC AquaRay or similar high end LED to those used by “off the shelf emitter” knock off brands, just because it has the same label/brand does not make the product the same!!

As well these new technology LED emitters can be selected for the exact wavelength of light, thus almost no useless yellow or green light is emitted, so although the LED may seem less bright than some HO lights with the naked eye (such as T5s or MH) the actual output of light energy in spectrums we cannot see is much higher, this is why gauging a light by what you see is highly inaccurate.

Another positive aspect of new generation LED emitter technology is by controlling exact Nanometer spikes/range, undesirable UV-B can be avoided. Many Metal Halides, often have some below actinic light energy, even if in small amounts this UVB can burn delicate corals.

ANOTHER popular trend is LED fixtures that allow the user to control color temperatures. These misleading RGB and Capacitive Touch features are completely useless. Controlling your RGB (Red, Green, Blue) of your light has little bearing on obtaining the exacting nanometer spikes necessary for photosynthetic life. The bottom line is there is no benefit from the RGB feature and in fact, they’re stressful/harmful to coral (which this feature is my main complaint with the otherwise good Pacific Sun LED).

In another example; the nanometer range in the patented “emitter bins” used by TMC for their blue are very specific, utilizing the maximum PAR range of 465-485nm found in the blue spectrum (400-500nm), unlike other lights and even other LEDs which either have multiple spikes and often peak at 420nm which might look more pleasing (a deeper blue) but is less useful for providing the maximum PAR needed by zooxanthellae photopigments in corals.

The picture to the above left (Please click on the picture to enlarge) demonstrates the Light Energy produced when the best emitter bins are used. An older generation 12 Watt Marine White LED (all white emitters; the most current Marine White has even less green/yellow), T8, Metal Halide, & Sun light are viewed through a spectroscope, it is noteworthy that most artificial lights are visibly different to sunlight with more spikes in the useless green/yellow spectrums (see Fig. 1, 2 and 3). AquaRay LEDs have a much more even spectrum especially over Metal Halide, with the AquaRay much closer to sunlight (see Fig. 4).

For instance, Cree Emitters used by Tropic Marine Center AquaRay/AquaBeam should not be confused with “off the shelf” Cree emitters sold for other lighting applications, as these do not produce the correct PUR of Light required for delicate marine reef and freshwater inhabitants and plants.

*Watts Per Gallon?
This is basically an “out of date” equation when used to cross compare lighting types, however we still can use it when comparing apples to apples.
In other words the newest generation LED emitters such as the similar patented CREE emitters would only require about .6 watt per gallon for high light Planted Aquariums and .8 watt per gallon for most Reef Tanks (under 24 inches). About .2 watt per gallon can be added to either (FW or Reef) for even more light or more depth over 24 inches.

Emitter Combinations versus Specimen Placement
Specimen placement is a major determining factor for which emitters to use (in nanometer/Kelvin output), in fact this is more important than the actual tank depth if for example all the high light requiring specimens are placed at 12 inches or higher in a 30 inch deep tank.
As a generalization the use of more blue and/or higher Kelvin daylight is necessary for specimens that are deeper in the water column (such as 14000K daylight for depths past 12 inches). Another consideration is whether the emitter is wide angle or more focused (such as the AquaBeam 1000s), as this can determine which emitter combination is best based on specimen placement.

For instance a Maxima Clam that is placed on the bottom of a 24 inch deep tank will likely do best with more Reef Blue emitters (50,000K @ 465-485nm) in the emitter mix, or even supplemental 20,000K Metal Halide.
Or better, I would suggest placing the Maxima Clams on shelves higher up on your “live rock” reef. (To keep your Clam off the bottom away from bristle worms, etc. as well as provide better lighting to your clams) Depending upon how far under the surface you place these and other photosynthetically sensitive inhabitants will allow for more wide angle LEDs such as the XG 1500 Ultima or Ocean Blue.

Coral such as an Acropora coral placed on your tank “reef” at 6 inches under the surface may do well with lower daylight emitters that still have a high output and light spread such as the TMC XG 1500 or TMC Ocean Blue XG 1500.
With Freshwater plants, this also holds true to some degree, so if a tank is well terraced, standard 6500 daylight emitters should be fine for most plants up to 20 inches, however adding higher Kelvin daylight, such as the Marine White 14000K might be suggested for tanks deeper than 24 inches.

DIY LED Fixtures:

This brings me to DIY LED fixtures, I will be brief and point out that this may well be a worth while endeavor (if only for the enjoyment of building your own equipment); however please note all that has been stated here as per emitters and realize that to achieve good results you will need good drivers/ballasts to power your emitters (many prefer magnetic even though they run hotter and use more energy), and as per the emitters themselves you need to follow more of a shotgun approach since the best emitters are not sold over the counter.

Think of it this way; if you as a automotive ignition system seller have developed (at considerable cost) a new automotive ignition system that increases fuel mileage by 50%, you would want to sell this at the highest possible price with the most up front money to recover development costs. So Ford offers you a good price for exclusive rights to your ignition system you would likely take it, but this also rules out selling this ignition system over the counter or to other auto manufacturers!
This is basic business sense as any manufacturer is going to want to recover development costs as quickly as possible and “off the shelf” sales is NOT the way to do this; AND CRee is no different than any other manufacturer!!

This is what happens with the best patented emitters, so while you will be able to build your own LED fixture, you must realize that you will need to take more of a shotgun approach with many more “off the shelf” emitters than say an Orphek or TMC AquaRay LED requires with their exclusive emitter bins!

Of coarse this also applies to LED fixtures such as the “Marineland Reef Capable” that utilize off the shelf CRee and other emitters.

Use of LED to prevent Red Slime

Another positive attribute of LED Aquarium lights as per a recent study (August of 2009) is that when HO LED Lights are used in marine aquariums that suffer with Marine Red Slime Algae (Cyanobacteria) , these can immediately eradicate Red Slime algae when used in a full spectrum lighting configuration. These “immediate” results were in just two weeks all the while other lighting configurations (such as switching to 6400 K CFL from 10,000K CFL) showed slight improvement, the LED lights showed much more dramatic results. I do not know (as of this update) the exact reasons, but my suspicion is that CFL (including VHO & SHO) still produce more of the yellow/green nanometer range of light which encourages Cyanobacteria and discourages competing green algae.

I should note that if you also have a UV Sterilizer, changing the UV Bulbs every six months can help with Red Slime control along with the more important aspect of good lighting with little of the yellow light bands.

Basic Mounting Suggestion

Installation with these modular LED Strips (500/600) or tiles is quite simple, whether it be a simple light retrofit in a hood/canopy, suspending the lights, or a DIY rack as shown in the picture to the left (click to enlarge).
In fact a DIY rack such as the one featured in this picture does not take much DIY ability at all and easily supports most LED Fixtures.
In my opinion it is vastly superior to the confusing and very pricey modular LED rack system sold by TMC (which is part of the reason these TMC racks are difficult to find for sale in North America). HOWEVER TMC now has a really nice MountaRay System that is worth checking out, especially for the new Mini #400 & #500 model LEDs for planted freshwater and reef nano aquariums.

See this related Aquarium Article Digest Post for further installation options/ideas:
Aquarium LED Light Installation Options
As well I strongly suggest reading this section: Important Canopy Ventilation

T5 to LED Comparison

*(2) 18 Watt T-5 Dual Fixture = $60
*(2) 18 Watt T-5 Bulb = $30
(it takes two T5 to equal one AquaBeam 600 12 watt in actual useful light energy)

*Startup cost for Fixture and bulb = $90

*Average yearly electrical cost = $15.77
*Yearly Bulb replacement cost = $30

Total T5 cost for 5 years = $318.85

* TMC Led Fixture = $150

*Startup cost for LED = $150

*Average yearly electrical cost = $5.26

*Total TMC AquaRay LED cost for 5 years = $176.28

Proper High End Electronic LED Venting

I have had a few comments about venting that I did not post as they were not based on any known facts of correct High End LED Installation.

As I note in my LED Installation Article, correct ventilation is important.
The FACTS are in every known case of LED emitter failure (I know many in the industry, including maintenance), the aquarium was NOT correctly vented, yet these persons will persist that the problem was the lights and make comments such as “mounted them inside my canopy which has an open back”.

Even though it is an established fact that electronics should be kept at 65-70% or less humidity (this includes the sophisticated circuitry required for ANY high output LED emitter), these few persons persist with this “blame someone else” attitude.

The FACTS are these:

*An open back is not enough as with a house with just one window open, you do NOT get cross ventilation.
You MUST provide another opening (preferably the top), or at least a side. An exhaust fan is also helpful, albeit not usually necessary.

*ANY electronic device can suffer damage in humidity over 70%, not just high output LED fixtures. So even if your light fixture shows no moisture, but your humidity is 95%, you are exposing your fixture to potential damage.

*These persons, by their own admissions (or even pictures) do NOT have cross ventilation.
As well there have only been a couple of failures with my friends in the professional aquarium maintenance business as well as personal contacts, and that is because EVERY installation is correctly ventilated!

*Even low end lights do not last as long with just an open back as noted in the LED Installation Article, here is a quote from a professional of over 30 years about his lighting experience:
“… a friend noted with his aquarium maintenance business with one client (a restaurant he maintained dozens of aquariums for in the late 70s to early 80s), all these aquariums had enclosed canopies but for a back cut out. He had many failures of relatively basic T8 fixtures until he provided cross ventilation by cutting a hole in the top of each canopy.”

The bottom line is these few persons out of 100s if not 1000s of users with no problems are not using any more logic than a person who refuses to ever change oil in their automobile and then blames the automotive manufactures for not making a car that can go without ever requiring an oil change!!

New and Upcoming TMC LED Technology

*Tropic Marine Center LEDs has a third generation AquaBeam/AquaRay that has the latest Generation CREE XR-E Power LED emitters and new wide angle beams.
These latest generation Aquarium LED (with new Cree XR-E emitters, are available in multiple configurations from all blue emitters to the Natural Daylight (GroBeam) that are perfect for planted freshwater aquariums. As well they are just one more step forward in LED technology that makes these light fixtures even more of a no brainer for higher end aquarium keepers that are looking for long term results and even value.

*The newest Mini #500 with Four lensed CRee patented XP-E 10,000K and one unlensed Blue CRee XP-E (15 watts total) along with its cousing the Mini #400 with four new generation OSRAM OSLON SSL High Power 6500K LED Emitters (12 watts total).

*The new XG version of the TMC AquaRay LED utilizing the high output, wide light spread Cree XP-G emitter is the AquaBeam 1500XG Ultima and newer yet (mid 2011) Ocean Blue XG with widespread optical design the result.

This is definitely an upgrade in lumen per watts, as the XP-G is the most efficient and brightest LED emitter currently available.
The negative, at least for those holding out for a deep water aquarium (30 inch plus) replacement for the 400 Watt Metal Halide; is that the XG emitter is only available in various daylight bins under 9000K.
So the Aquabeam 1500 XG will emit 9,000K light from 10 daylight white XP-Gs (or 5 daylight and 5 blues for the Ocean Blue 1500). As well these wide light emitters are not the more focused lumens (better for depth penetration) of those in the Ultra 1000 HD tiles.

This will be great for high light needs of many aquariums under 20 inches (especially shallow fragging tanks under 12 inches), it just will not have the penetrating power of the current AquaBeam 1000 Ultra Reef White. The likely advantage over the current 1000 models is more useable light energy spread over more area which make it a better fit for many aquariums (in particular 20 inch or less Reef aquariums or as a compliment for other LED/Fluorescent lights in planted freshwater aquarium), just not those holding out for a deep water LED better than the Ultra 1000.

I have a new post reviewing the AquaBeam 1500 XG Ultima as well other LED lights (such as the Maxspect and Marineland Double Bright):
LED Light Review; TMC XG 1500, Maxspect & More

*TMC has recently re-released the AquaBeam 600:
This new AquaBeam 600 improves on the 500 model with these features:
o A more versatile mounting grid system (that is supplied with each LED Fixture).
o A Waterproof casing/lens cover which is easily detached and cleaned with a microfiber cleaning cloth that is also supplied.
o Even better wide angle emitter
o The Newest Cree XR-E emitters
o Improved humidity protection for the circuitry

*LED Summary;

The flaws of LED aquarium lights are quickly disappearing and based on the energy savings in electricity in wattage of the lights (as compared to MH) as well as electricity use for air conditioning or the cost of a chiller often necessitated by larger Metal Halides. I should also note that LED light technology is growing by “leaps and bounds” and many of the bugs including price are currently being improved upon.

LED Lights such as the The Aqua Ray LEDs, Orpek and a small handful of other LEDs are constantly improving their PAR and more importantly PUR by utilizing the latest (often expensive) patents or high in house development costs (or both)

Unfortunately many popular LEDs that would be considered “good” as recently as 2010 such as the Current Power Brite LED light strip are slowly falling further back.
As an example, the “Current” is more of a supplemental LED with an output that is about ¼ that of the best LED Strips.
As already noted earlier in this article, many “new” LED fixtures rely more on slick packaging and cool features rather than the essentials of reef or planted aquarium lighting: “Useful Light Energy”, and sadly this has fooled many forum readers from the feedback I have received.

LED Light systems are easily complimented with T2 fixtures for smaller applications or possibly the high in PAR SHO self-ballasted high output CFL for large tank applications (the SHO are a bit more DIY in applications, but if handy, they are often worth the extra time, especially for heavily planted freshwater aquariums).
The picture to the above/left is a planted freshwater aquarium with 4 GroBeam LEDs and 4 6400K T2 lights (click to enlarge)

The bottom line is, when you compare an LED Aquarium light to the many popular CFLs in terms of lumens per watt, focused lumens, lower wasted light energy, low heat output, energy consumption and long life (50,000 hours vs. 8000 hours), the modern LED is generally a better light. In long term cost since (as an example) a 12 Watt Aqua Ray GroBeam (natural Daylight) can easily replace a 55 Watt power compact (such as a Helio) when you compare ALL aspects of lighting as presented in this article (approximately 20-25% of LED wattage is required when compared to a typical HO G11 CFL).
When compared to even older T8/T12 aquarium lights, a third generation TMC Aqua Ray requires only 17% (or less) of the wattage for the required light energy of a planted or reef aquarium.

Another thought to add to this summary, I have found the newest generation high end LED Aquarium Lights to be one of the best lighting innovations for Reef or planted freshwater aquariums, however as of the latest update, there is no LED yet that can replace a 400 watt Metal Halide (currently the best I can give a thumbs up in replacing is a 250 Watt MH). An LED that can replace a 400 watt MH may be available in the future.

As a final note, reading reviews about LED Lights from forums or blogs that have not been updated since 2009 is about the same as a review of a 1993 Computer’s capabilities compared to those of a 2010 computer. As well even then, not all emitter bins are the same, and many otherwise nicely constructed LED lights such as the Ecoxotic Stunner are not using the best technology emitter bins (most of these bins are exclusive) and cannot be used in most LEDs for this reason.

For further information, please see this full Aquarium Lighting Article from which this Digest article is summarized from:
Aquarium Lighting; Facts & Information

Also see this newer article for LED Installation Ideas:
Aquarium LED Light Installation Options

Copyright 2011, By Steven Wright

AQUARIUM LIGHTING DIGEST; Parameters, Lights Technology

By Steven Wright

Updated 9/28/11

Some information from the full article:
AQUARIUM LIGHTING; FACTS & INFORMATION

Sections Included in this Article:

• Overview

• Important Parameters
• Newer Technology Aquarium Lights
• Light (lamp) Placement

Aquarium Lighting Overview

When choosing lighting for your aquarium (especially Reef or Planted Freshwater), there is much more to consider than watts per gallon.
Unfortunately the watts per gallon “rule” is still thrown around today despite all the technological advances in lighting which often make this grossly inaccurate, especially when high end LED lights are considered (this does not include low end Marineland Double Bright LEDs and similar).

For a better understanding please read the ENTIRE aquarium lighting article which explains that a watt is simply a measurement of energy, NOT light output or even light energy quality.
Even comparable lumen output of the lamp is no longer a good measure of lighting parameter performance due to focus and restrike as well as PAR & related useful light energy (PUR). A good example is a modern LED such as the Aqua Ray which has a vastly higher useful lumen output than a comparable wattage CFL (such as a Current USA Compact Fluorescent) at 20 inches.

Important Parameters to consider when choosing a light for your aquarium (not a complete list):

• Watts per gallon,
• Lumens per watt
• Lumen focus (AKA Restrike)
• PAR (often easiest determined by Kelvin output),
• PUR/Useful Light Energy (not wasted in yellow/green light spectrum that green plants and zooanthellic algae reflect).
• This includes exacting nanometer spikes to obtain necessary photosynthesis at varying depths of water for freshwater plants or photosynthetic corals, clams, etc. in a reef aquarium.
• Output in relation to bulb length (this is where LEDs and to a lesser extent T2s and T5s excel).
• Lux, I generally only consider this parameter in deeper Reef and occasionally deeper planted freshwater aquarium to determine if I am getting the proper light where it needs to be.

Although still a popular measurement, the watts per gallon is part of the lighting equation as stated above is highly inaccurate when taken by itself. Taken together, the first FIVE points are the most critical (which does include watts per gallon), but not one of these should be a sole determiner of the lights.

As an example of the inaccuracy of the watts per gallon so-called rule, please consider these comparisons for an assumed 20 gallon aquarium using High End LED Lights (GroBeam) and T8 or T12 Fluorescent lights such as the Flora Grow (by Hagen):

* 20 watt T12 light with a Kelvin temperature of 5000 K,
Compared to a:
*20 Watt LED with an adjusted Kelvin temperature of 6500 K.

The “watts per gallon rule” would certainly require at least four of the 20 Watt T8/T12 Flora Grow while this same 20 gallon freshwater aquarium would only require ONE 12 watt TMC GroBeam 500, this is .15 of the required wattage or about .60 Watts per gallon.
For reef applications using high end LED emitters only, not Marineland Single/Double Bright, Ecoxtic Stunners, etc., I would suggest about .8 to 1 watt per gallon; so two AquaBeam Reef White LEDs would be my suggestion for this 20 gallon aquarium (generally speaking, four high end 12 watt LED Light fixtures such as the AquaBeam Reef White 600 would work well for a 60 gallon reef based on this example).

Of coarse the differences can vary, so even this comparison only works for the described lights and tank, this is also based on the newer Cree XR-E & XP-G Power LED emitters employed by TMC (and similar proprietary emitter bins developed by Orphek as well as some PAR 38 LEDs) which have a high output of useful energy.
In fact based on raw data from controlled tests, even the modern comparable Kelvin HO T5 lights or Metal Halide which are so popular do not hold up in comparison to a modern LED with the Third Generation AquaRay LED emitters. This data indicates that a modern LED requires 14-28% of wattage for the same useful light energy output.
Even then a T5 or even more so a T2 are vastly superior to the older style aquarium lights when all criteria are applied (SHO as well are also superior).

Bluntly, the new generation Cree XR-E Power LEDs are brightest lights per watt.

Changing bulbs:
With the exception of LED, most aquarium bulbs go through what is called a half life whereby they are at 50% output. This generally happens around 6 to 9 months in time with normal usage however with lower usage (say 8-12 hours per day) this can be stretched to 12 months plus.

Lighting Time
Here is a summary of lighting requirements for different aquarium types. I recommend timers for any aquarium to provide good daylight/night cycles, however this is even more important with Planted Freshwater and Saltwater Reef or Nano Reef tanks. Turn the blue/actinic lights on about one to 1/2 hour ahead of the daylight bulbs and one to 1/2 hour later in the evening.
I generally have the brightest lights on for about 12 hours per day. Sometimes with MH, I will have them in a third cycle that is on for only abut 10 hours or less. I would run moonlights for about 14-16 hours (some prefer to run these 24/7, however I have yet to find in benefit from this that can be scientifically proven other than aesthetics).

Newer Technology Aquarium Lights:

Since many aquarium keepers have requested guide to sizing the light desired to their aquarium needs, I will provide a generalized “watts per gallon” at the end of three of these newer technology lights.

LED Aquarium Lights
LED Light technology has come a long way in recent years (2011 as of this update), however many are still very confused as to what a LED can or cannot do for your aquarium.
Most cheap LEDs such as the Marineland Double or Single Bright (or even those with high output emitters) do not have the correct/best PAR, PUR, and Kelvin Temperature/Nanometer Range. This is where LEDs had to change for these types to be a viable alternative to other popular aquarium lights.
With the development of a few advanced LED lights such as the “high end” AquaRay/AquaBeam LED Lights, the use of LED lights for high end applications such as reef or planted aquariums has become a reality in recent years..

With these TMC AquaRay Lights (and a few others), there is no requirement for additional/supplemental even for high light requiring planted freshwater or Reef Aquariums with SPS Coral (under 30 inches in depth).
As well an advanced LED light provides healthy high quality light for a fish only tank and uses almost no electricity when compared to traditional aquarium lighting.

Watts Per Gallon: As a generalization and this ONLY applies to high output LEDs mentioned here that utilize current patented Cree technology (NOT LEDs such as Marineland Single or Double Bright);
.6 to .8 watt per gallon for a planted aquarium.
For Marine Reef, .8 to 1 watt per gallon

T2 Aquarium Lights
(Pictured at the top of this article)
These are probably the second newest lighting development (as of writing this article update). Similar to the T5, but with a higher yet lumen per watt output in even less space.
Although not available in as many sizes and wattage outputs as the T5 (making it not always the best fit as compared to its older technology cousin), it makes up for this in its simple diversity that allows for linking multiple lights together for larger tanks or higher output.
The T2 Aquarium Fixture has another feature most T5 lights do not have; a directional lens which allows for better directional light control which equates to better focused lumens, which is especially useful for planted aquariums or small reef tanks (not as necessary for fish only tanks).

The T2 is an excellent cost saving compliment to LED lights for Basic Reef or high light planted freshwater tanks (the T2 is best “supplemented” for the highest light need tanks); while for all other tanks the T2 can be used as a stand alone low operating cost light.
Even when compared to low technology LEDs such as the Marineland Single Bright, a 13 Watt T2 actually out produces the Marineland Single Bright in useful energy (based on measured PAR, spectrum analysis, etc.)

Even a longer tank, such as a 6 foot aquarium can have 3 or 4 T2s linked together to make a superior upgrade from outdated T8 or T12 lights many freshwater fish only tanks still employ, with an increase in useful light energy and a decrease in electrical operating costs due to vastly higher efficiency.

Watts Per Gallon: As a generalization, 1 to 1.25 watts per gallon for a planted aquarium
For Marine Reef, 1.50 to 1.75 watts of the the 6400K lights (possibly mixed with other light types for the UV-A Blue)

SHO CFL Lights
SHO Lights have been used for a few years in hospitals and Commercial Nurseries/Hydroponics operations with exceptional results for plant growth, but these SHOs are a bit newer to the Aquarium hobby.
Dollar per dollar, there is likely no better plant light, whether aquarium or terrestrial, especially when used in polished reflector to concentrate light energy.

Watts Per Gallon: As a generalization, 2 to 2.5 watts of Daylight SHO Lights are required for planted freshwater aquariums
For Marine Reef, 2.5 to 2.8 watts of these SHO lights (possibly mixed with other light types for the UV-A blue)

T5 Lights
Although not as high in lumens per watt output than its newer cousin, the T5 has many sizes and wattages to fit more high lighting needs aquariums than the T2, and is a popular aquarium light for many good reasons (especially for many reef tanks).
However, many aquarium lighting needs would be served as well or better with lower initial cost and operating costs with a T2 Light; sadly many aquarists (& even aquarium/fish forums) are not even familiar with the T2 and continue to push T5 lights when in many instances the T2 would be the better choice

Light (lamp) Placement:

Pendant vs. MirrorThe advantage to a pendant reflector over a mirror (depending on reflection quality) is that it will radiant downward in a slightly more magnified fashion than a mirror, however the mirror has one advantage over the pendant and that is more wide spread light distribution.
So this choice comes down more to tank arrangement of plants or corals.

Light Penetration
What is often a bigger issue, especially with deep reef tanks (over 24 inches) is to allow as much of the blue light as possible through into your aquarium, as often a glass top will block these light rays (over 60%) so using polycarbonate or no lid at all may do more for effectiveness than whether you use a mirror or pendent (see further in this article for more on this subject).
As well for tanks over 24 inches the use of some higher Kelvin “Daylight” in your light “mix” may be necessary for coral tanks or in some cases high light requiring plant tanks. The use of 14,000K MH in a mix with High PAR 6400K SHO lights may provide the “mix” necessary for deeper tanks.
Even in tanks under 24 inches, the use of actinic blue lights may help provide the correct PAR to specimens lower in your tanks water column; a HO LED light strip may help provide this.

Specimen Placement
Specimen placement is just as important as light penetration since a SPS coral or Maxima Clam placed 12 inches under the the water will receive more light energy than these same specimens at 24 inches (this goes for freshwater plants too).
I recommend that corals be placed as high up in the water column as possible, this especially important with SPS corals (short polyp stony corals) where placement on the rocks directly under your lights is even more essential. This is not as essential with LPS corals (long polyp stony corals) since they are more commonly found in sandy lagoon bottoms.
If this light is for Freshwater plants I would move the high light requiring plants directly under the lights (or even elevate them with terracing, which can look quite attractive if done well and serve a dual purpose of aesthetics and better light energy absorption).

TANK SET UP LIGHTING SUGGESTIONS:
As a guide I will make a few suggestions in the following sections, however please take these as suggestions, not something written in stone. Please consider the more in depth article referenced for this summary article, your personal aquarium parameters, inhabitants, budget (which is always important), when deciding what lighting systems or combinations there of to use.

• A BASIC FRESHWATER FISH TANK

*As an example, with a 36”L x 15”W x 16”H 40 gallon aquarium I would suggest (2) 11 Watt 6400K (or even only one 13 watt) T2 Lights as a good set up for a basic freshwater aquarium.

For further basic freshwater tank lighting information, please see this article (in the Light Basics section): “Freshwater Aquarium Basics, Care”

• A FRESHWATER PLANT aquarium needs more infrared (as well as some UVA too) plus more lumens/watts of light.
Photosynthesis takes place at the blue end and with two “spikes” at the red end of the Nanometer curve (420 nm blue and 670 nm red). The “valley” is around 550 nm, this is where most visible light is present and is why plant leaves mostly reflect green light, while they absorb red and blue. This curve drops sharply below 400 nm and above 700 nm. This area of peak photosynthesis is referred to as “PAR” as discussed in the In Depth Aquarium lighting Article

*As an example, with a 36”L x 15”W x 16”H 40 gallon aquarium I would suggest; (2) 13 Watt 6400K T2 Lights as a good set up for a low/medium light planted aquarium.
For a high light planted aquarium: (4) 6400K T2 Lights,
or (2) 65 Watt SHO,
or (2) GroBeam TMC LED lights (of coarse combinations of lights and other variables apply)

*Currently. the SHO is still my preferred light for high light requiring planted tanks over much over 60 gallons due to the shear output of usable light energy in a relatively small space (as well as based on results in the indoor horticulture industry). However these lights do not fit as well into low hoods as would a LED, T2, or T5 and and although they do not require fans, good hood ventilation is also important. The SHO also requires a little more DIY ability as well.

Please read this freshwater aquarium plants article for much more about this subject:
“Planted Aquariums”

• A BASIC SALTWATER or FOWLR tank also does not have as high of requirements (similar to a freshwater fish only tank).

For smaller tanks the T2 or T5 make a good choice and the SHO for larger aquariums.
Finally and although pricey, an LED such as the “TMC Marine White LED” is still worth considering especially when you consider the 50,000 hour life, and high usable light energy output.
Recent research in humans can also be extrapolated to fish only tanks that shows good lighting can improve health and increase disease resistance; for this reason a T2, SHO, or LED are worth considering over a 1980s style “Marine Glo” T12/T8 light

*As an example, with a 36”L x 15”W x 16”H 40 gallon basic marine aquarium I would suggest: (1)TMC “Marine White” or “Reef White” LED,
or (2) 13 Watt 6400K T2 Lights,
or (2) 13 Watt 6400K and (1) Blue T2 Light as a good set up (other combinations of lights and other variables apply).

• A BASIC REEF OR NANO REEF:
The new 6400K, and Blue T-2 Lamps/Fixtures are good compliment to a Nano Reef due to their compact size and high lumens per watt output and our now my choice for these tanks. As noted in the in depth Aquarium Lighting Article, optimum PAR is what the coral needs and this is achieved best in lamps around 6400K, ESPECIALLY in smaller Nano Reefs under 12 inches of depth!
These fixtures can also be mounted in parallel and/or snapped together end to end for larger aquariums with higher output needs.

Other considerations especially larger basic reef tanks are a VHO Light or even a 65-105 watt SHO bulb.

Of coarse the Metal Halide should never be over looked especially if your budget can afford them.
Finally the VERY new AquaRay LED Light systems can be used alone or in combination with T2 or T5, CFL or SHO lamps for Basic Reef or Nano Reef Tanks. (generally recommend the Aqua Ray combined with the T2 6400 fixtures in tanks under 60 gallons)

*As an example, with a 36”L x 15”W x 16”H 40 gallon aquarium I would suggest:
(2) Reef White TMC LED lights,
or (2) 6400 T2 and (1) Marine Blue TMC LED for a basic reef aquarium (of coarse combinations of lights and other variables apply)

• AN ADVANCED REEF with Hard Corals (and Maxima Clams) These corals need more energy to sustain themselves from light. (Hard corals are photosynthetic corals which obtain their primary source of energy from light and then also actively feed to obtain more energy.) Based on your setup with hard corals (not excluding other factors), I would recommend using one or multiples of the following lights: Metal Halide, Marine Reef LED (Reef White), SHO bulbs, or T5 bulbs.

Please note that certain combinations work better for hard corals based on light attributes including PAR, Useful Light Energy (PUR), Lumens, Focused Lumens etc. The equations for these can be found in the Important Parameters Section of this article or for much more in depth discussion of these parameters see: “Aquarium Lighting Facts and Information”

A combination of a Marine Blue LED and 85 or 105 SHO lights can be an effective lighting system for many advanced reef tanks under 125-150 gallons. With this configuration, the best way to install these in your canopy/hood would be to place them in a slightly staggered parallel.

It should be noted that 6400K lighting is where you will find the closest output to optimum PAR that is required by the symbiotic algae that live within the corals.
However this is based a perfect world of very little “blocking” of light energy by water.
Due to the blocking of necessary light energy, primarily in the near red spectrums an increasingly higher Kelvin Daylight is required as depths increase past 8-12 inches.
As an example a 9000k-10,0000k daylight may be necessary in depths between 8-20 inches, and a 14,000k daylight in depths between 15-24 inches (a 20,000k or may be thrown into the mix for deeper yet tanks as well as more 50,000k blues to compliment a 14,000k daylight).

In a large Advanced reef aquarium combinations of lighting systems may yield your best results and also possibly alleviate the need for expensive and often unreliable chillers.

For example in an 8 foot 200 plus gallon advanced reef tank I would recommend the use of (4) TMC Reef White 1000 Ultras along with (5) TMC Marine Blue & Reef White #600s.
For a smaller advanced reef aquarium such as a 60 gallon, (2) TMC Ocean Blue 1500 Ultimas would provide “second to none” lighting with the advanced XG emitters found on this newest generation LED fixture.

For the full article (including Lighting Types and vastly more expanded & updated lighting information:
AQUARIUM LIGHTING; FACTS & INFORMATION

Copyright 2011, By Steven Wright

REDOX IN AQUARIUMS

Redox In Aquariums
From the full article: THE REDOX POTENTIAL IN AQUARIUMS (& PONDS); How Redox Balance Relates to Good Aquatic Health
By Carl Strohmeyer
Updated 11/02/10

Aquatic Redox Overview

Unfortunately this aquarium/pond parameter is Not a well known process among many aquarists, the implications of Redox for a healthy aquarium are quite far reaching, and thus important for any aquarist considering moving from basic aquarium (or pond) keeping to advanced to understand.
I used to believe that a higher oxidizing Redox was best, but much research as well as observations and tests have shown this to simply not be true.
Unfortunately many aquarium keepers still subscribe to this view, even though there is so much evidence to the contrary, especially in medical research.

Redox, also known as Redox Potential, oxidation potential, & ORP (oxidation reduction potential) describes the ability for the loss of an electron by a molecule, atom or ion to the gain of an electron by another molecule, atom or ion. Without this ability to gain electrons many minerals cannot be absorbed and properly assimilated. So it is very important to keep a healthy Redox Balance via proper dissolved oxygen levels, UV Sterilization, and proper positively charged mineral levels (such as Calcium and Magnesium).
(Please click on the picture above/right to enlarge for a better view)

These three factors have the most affect in Redox Balance Maintenance in Aquariums
• Water Changes; this is the most obvious and simple, however this is often not sufficient and sometimes the new water used does not have adequate mineral ions (especially if RO water is used even in part), so supplementing with mineral replenishers (such as SeaChem Replenish, Wonder Shells, Instant Amazon, etc.) even during water changes may be necessary
• Addition of positive mineral ions in between water changes, especially during times of stress or high bio loads can increase the Redox Reduction to counter oxidative affects on fish
• Use of UV Sterilizer which impacts Redox Balance in a different way than water changes or additional minerals; the UVC irradiation destroys destructive oxidizers in the water column which can otherwise add oxidative stress to fish.

*Oxidation describes the loss of an electron by a molecule, atom or ion
Example: Redox processes such as the oxidation of carbon to yield carbon dioxide.

*Reduction describes the gain of an electron by a molecule, atom or ion.
Example: The reduction of carbon by hydrogen to yield methane (CH4).

Another example: Calcium or Magnesium which initially are composed of positively charged atoms immersed in a sea of movable electrons may have given up all possible electrons to cells under oxidation. It is for this reason, then, that calcium and magnesium supplies must be constantly renewed; without this “fresh” calcium, etc. your Redox balance will suffer. Think of it this way; a storage battery “works” only when a positive and a negative electrode are present to maintain an electrical current. When the positive plates become exhausted, the battery is no longer any good (even though the metal plates and other “ingredients” for the battery are still present; so it is that your GH or Calcium Test may show adequate minerals, but these minerals have been oxidized an thus rendering the test inaccurate).

The above are over simplifications of the process, so please read on as I will go into further depth as the article progresses, especially as Redox relates to aquatic health.

Oxidized Water:
Oxidized water with its Redox potential of +700 to +800 mV is an oxidizing agent that can withdraw electrons from bacteria and kill them. The oxidized water can be used to clean hands, sterilize utensils, and treat minor wounds.

Here are a few oxidizers: ozone (O3; Oxidation potential= +2.1), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2; Oxidation potential= +1.82), chlorine (Cl2) and chloramines (NH2Cl).

Reduced Water:
Reduced Ionized with a Redox Potential of -250 to -350 mV readily donates its electrons to unusual oxygen radicals and blocks the interaction of the active oxygen with normal molecules. Substances which have the ability to counteract active oxygen by supplying electrons are called scavengers. Reduced water, therefore, can be called scavenging water. Reduced water inhibits excessive fermentation by reducing indirectly metabolites.

Here are a few reducers, in other words, elements or processes that transfer electrons to another substance;
Magnesium, Calcium, Sodium, and the process of Photosynthesis involve both oxidation and reducing.

As one can see from the graph that elements such as most metals, as well as essential elements for aquatic life: Calcium and Magnesium are major reducers however because of this they are also most easily depleted (the elements at the top and the bottom of the graph are most easily depleted in their oxidation or reducing properties).

What is important to note, is that although oxidation is a necessary part of biochemistry for fish and all animals (such as for energy production), the normal healthy state is one of reduction. During normal biochemical processes molecules that are normally reducers give up their electrons (in much the same way a car battery does until re-charged), so without a recharging via the addition of new minerals that are high in these electrons or even processes such as UVC sterilization (or even high PAR lighting), your aquatic biochemistry will suffer and eventually so will your fish!
It is noteworthy that even if you have a UV Sterilizer, but fail to change your UV Bulb every six months, this tool for a balanced Redox will quickly become less effective.

One more basic generalization to consider before reading the more in depth article is this: Water that is of low pH (acid), in general, measures high ORP while water of high pH (alkaline) measures low ORP. However, in natural water (generally spring water), acidity of minus ions and alkalinity of plus ions can coexist (more about this in Natural Redox).

It is important to note that Aquarium Redox can be a complex subject with some basic principles to also understand, however this is a subject that simply reading one section of this article will yield incomplete information. For this reason I recommend reading the whole article.

For the full article (including management & summary) please follow click here:
THE REDOX POTENTIAL IN AQUARIUMS (& PONDS);
How Redox Balance Relates to Good Aquatic Health

Copyright 2011, By Steven Wright

IRIDOVIRUS IN GOURAMIS

Iridovirus in Gouramis
From the full article: EDIS; Iridovirus in Gouramis
By RuthEllen Klinger, Ruth Francis-Floyd, John Slaughter and Craig Watson

What Are Iridoviruses?

Iridoviruses are a family of viruses (130–300 nanometers in size) that contain DNA as their genetic material and have an icosahedral (20-sided) capsid. Iridoviruses have been found in a wide variety of fish, including both freshwater and saltwater species. Some iridoviruses have been associated with serious diseases (e.g., viral erythrocytic necrosis of salmonids) while others have only been found in apparently healthy animals (e.g., goldfish iridovirus). One iridovirus causes a disease called lymphocystis which causes unsightly skin lesions on infected fish, but otherwise is of little consequence.

Iridovirus in Gouramis

An iridovirus was found in spleen and intestinal tissue of gouramis from the genus Trichogaster that were dying with signs of systemic disease. Mortality rates of affected fish have varied from low (0.5–10%) to moderate (50%) with death usually occurring 24–48 hours after the onset of signs. Clinical signs associated with the presence of the iridovirus have included darkening of body coloration and lethargy. Sick gouramis often stop eating and the abdomen may be distended. Internally, an enlarged spleen has been the most notable abnormality. The intestine may be reddened, and a clear amber fluid may be present in the body cavity. Laboratory examination for bacterial, fungal, or parasitic agents has frequently been negative. Through electron microscopy (EM), abundant iridoviral particles have been found in the spleens and intestines of dying fish.

An iridovirus has been isolated in cell culture and cytopathic effect (death of infected cells) has been observed. Although the iridovirus has been implicated as a possible cause of disease in gouramis, efforts to reproduce the disease under laboratory conditions have not yet been successful.

Level One UV Sterilization can also help with prevention both by killing any viruses outright that pass through the UV Sterilizer and by improving Redox Balance.
Proper flow rate, installation, even the correct UV (as many now sold are junk), and proper maintenance (which includes changing the UV Bulb) are essential this tool being effective for prevention of Iridovirus in Gouramis.

For the full article (including management & summary) please follow click here:
EDIS; Iridovirus in Gouramis
Further reference:
RuthEllen Klinger, Biological Scientist, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences; Ruth Francis-Floyd, Associate Professor, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences; John Slaughter, Veterinarian, Hillsborough County Extension Service; Craig Watson, County Extension Agent, Hillsborough County Extension Service; Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.

KOI POX; HERPES VIRUS

Koi Pox; herpes virus.
From the full article: Koi Herpes Virus (KHV) Disease

Introduction;

Koi herpes virus (KHV), a viral disease highly contagious to fish, may cause significant morbidity (sickness or disease) and mortality in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) (Hedrick et al., 2000; OATA, 2001). This species is raised as a food fish in many countries and has been selectively bred for the ornamental fish industry, where it is known as koi. Historically, the first outbreak of KHV was reported in 1998 and confirmed in 1999 in Israel. Since then, other cases have been confirmed in the United States, Europe and Asia (Hedrick et al., 2000; OATA, 2001; Anonymous, 2003). This information sheet is intended to inform veterinarians, biologists, culturists, and hobbyists about KHV.

What Is KHV?
KHV is currently classified as a DNA-virus belonging to the virus family Herpesviridae (i.e., a herpes virus). Although there has been some scientific discussion regarding the accuracy of this classification (Ronen et al., 2003), more recent work (Waltzek et al., 2004) shows strong evidence that KHV is indeed a herpesvirus, based on morphology and genetics. KHV disease has been diagnosed in koi and food fish carp (Hedrick et al., 2000; OATA, 2001). Other related cyprinid species such as the common goldfish (Carassius auratus) and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) seem to be unaffected by KHV. As with other herpes viral infections, KHV is believed to remain in the infected fish for life, thus exposed or recovered fish should be considered as potential carriers of the virus (OATA, 2001).
KHV disease may cause 80-100% mortality in affected populations, and fish seem most susceptible at water temperatures of 72-81°F (22-27°C) (OATA, 2001). This viral disease affects fish of various ages, but cohabitation studies show that fry have a greater susceptibility than mature fish (Perelberg et al., 2003).

What Are the Signs of KHV?
Clinical signs of KHV are often non-specific. Onset of mortality may occur very rapidly in affected populations, with deaths starting within 24-48 hours after the onset of clinical signs. In experimental studies, 82% of fish exposed to the virus at a water temperature of 22°C died within 15 days (Ronen et al., 2003). KHV infection may produce severe gill lesions and high mortality rates. In some cases, secondary bacterial and parasitic infections may be the most obvious problem, masking the damage caused by the primary viral infection. Behaviorally, affected fish often remain near the surface, swim lethargically, and may exhibit respiratory distress and uncoordinated swimming.

External signs of KHV may include gill mottling with red and white patches (see picture) (similar to Columnaris disease), bleeding gills, sunken eyes, pale patches or blisters on the skin. Microscopic examination of gill biopsies often reveals high numbers of bacteria and various parasites (Hedrick et al., 2000; OATA, 2001; Goodwin, 2003). Internal signs of KHV are inconsistent and non-specific, but they may include adhesions in the body cavity and a mottled appearance of internal organs (Hedrick et al., 2000; Goodwin, 2003).

How Do Fish Get Infected with KHV?
The herpes virus that is responsible for KHV seems to spread in the same ways as most herpes viruses. Methods of transmission include direct contact with infected fish, with fluids from infected fish, and/or with water or mud from infected systems. Depending upon water temperature, fish that are exposed and susceptible may become infected and either develop the disease and die or become carriers of the virus (OATA, 2001). Goldfish and other fish in the carp family are not susceptible to KHV disease, and they do not appear to act as carriers of the virus (Perelberg et al., 2003; Ronen et al., 2003).

Level One UV Sterilization is very effective against this virus and although not a treatment for infected fish, a properly installed/quality UV Sterilizer should be employed for prevention.
If your pond (or aquarium) already has a UV Sterilizer, it is also imperative to change your UV Bulbs every six months for level one UV Sterilization maximum effectiveness.

For the full article (including treatment) please follow click here:
Koi Herpes Virus (KHV) Disease