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03/17/2018, 06:04 PM | #1 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: England
Posts: 58
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Am i missing something? home made lighting
Hello all
I feel im missing something. i really need to upgrade my lighting, but LED lighting fixtures are so expensive for what they are, aren't they? I like a DIY project and find it really strange there are not more posts about diy lighting. For fish only, why dont people use waterproof outdoor LED spotlights? They're waterproof, come in all ranges of watts, small and cheap. Soft corals.. what makes the croals grow? the blue spectrum in LED? isn't the blue spectrum just UV light? Couldn't you add a uv light strong enough to reach the depth of water needed for the corals? i mean, LED is LED at the end of the day, i'm seeing light fixtures from £500 - £1200, which is crazy. am i missing something?
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03/17/2018, 10:06 PM | #2 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 62
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It’s all about wavelength that is emitted from the led as well PAR Personally you don’t have to pay that much for a light fixture. I will never! personally I picked up a viparspectra 165w fixture off amazon for right around 140. It’s amazing granted it doesn’t have some of the “premium” features but it comes on and off and has timers for both blue and white channels. That is all I am after. It’s got great reviews as wel!
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03/18/2018, 01:50 AM | #3 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 344
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Get a chinese black box like the Mars Aqua for around $100. They last approx. 4-5 years before they start having issues, at least that’s when mine needed replaced. Even then, you will still come out ahead due to the money saved on bulb changes. I used to have to replace my cf lighting every 6 months at $60 so one fixture paid for itself almost right away.
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03/18/2018, 07:22 AM | #4 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 20,050
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Yes... you are missing something..
There are thousands of posts about DIY led fixtures (most in the DIY section obviously) but its been a while as now its typically cheaper to buy then build.. And not all LEDs are created equal..
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03/18/2018, 03:07 PM | #5 |
Grizzled & Cynical
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Stamford, CT
Posts: 17,319
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Plus there are tons of choices in manufacturer now, from large (for the hobby) companies to a guy in a garage. I'd imagine a bunch of the early DIY folks now sell fixtures. DiY if you enjoy it; hard to justify based on cost though.
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