Cree LED Unit

[jjsan]

Anyone tried out this?


Its from Reefing Evolution. I bought their pellets before and had good results. I am wondering if I should try out the LED for my 20g long.

What do you guys think?

[jjsan]

[IMG][/IMG]

[hunkafish]

How much $$ is it and what wattage LEds 3-W? dimmible?

[jjsan]

This is what they posted on the Ebay auction:

ntroductory Special Price: 449.99

Reefing Evolution is proud to introduce the latest innovation to your aquarium, a LED lighting unit at an affordable price. A unique creation that brings to your aquarium the power of metal halides without the draw backs.

It is an affordable lighting system for your reef tank that provides efficient and effective lighting for your corals and fishes to thrive. The unit uses only 60 watts of electricity, but puts out an astonishing PAR level equivalent to a 250 metal halide bulb. The unit generates almost no heat to your tank! Therefore, you do not need to spend money for an expensive chiller like you would when running a metal halide system. The unit has a powder coating to prevent rust from occurring. Unlike metal halide systems, you do not need to change the bulbs every 6 months. The unit has a life expectancy of 5-10 years!

In addition, the unit features independent dials for each string of LED, with dimming capabilities! As you introduce new corals to your tank, you do not need to reduce lighting hours. You can simply dial down the lighting until your new corals get accustomed to your tank. Why have a black out when you can still enjoy your tank with Reefing Evolution's LED unit with dimming capabilities?! Forget the PAR 38 bulbs and get a real fixture!

Specifications:

60W
10 x 3w White Cree LED, 10 x 3w Blue Cree Led
AC 85-260V
.28-.46A
15.8" L x 5.6" W x 3" H
Individual on and off dials for LED and Fan



I am tempted to get one because I read that PAR38 has some weird coverage/overlaps with the LED. So you get color separations. I want to get some feedbacks before I get it.

[hunkafish]

Check out StevesLEDS Im ordering from him for my BIO cube 29 and my 54 Gal

[hunkafish]

Price on that unit seems high for 6o total watts od LEDs

[reefsurfing]

+1 too expensive for 60watts for the same price/watts I can buy AI leds and they look way better and have much more in the way of reputation.

[Rancherlee]

not bad for those without time OR that don't have the skills make a DIY fixture. You can get all the parts to build a 24led fixture with separate dimmers for each color for around 300$. Of course you will have quite a bit of time involved with that.

[jjsan]

I think the pricing is ok. It is cheaper than having 5 Par 38 bulbs and its dimmable.

I understand that I can do a DIY for cheaper, but I am not really a DIY person and scared that if I didn't wire it correctly that my house may burn down lol.


I am still on the fence for this unit or the Blue Moon Aquatics LED. But the Blue Moon uses a bit more wattage. I am trying to cut down on electricity bill. Also, the unit has a dimming switch, so when I add certain corals, they won't get shock.

Originally I was going to do the Par38 because of the review, but after calculating the cost and doing a set up for the track lights, it comes out a lot more. Worst case scenario would be that I would not be happy with the light and then I'll be SOL since I did all the drilling and whatnot to set up the tracks.

Too many holes in the wall as is haha

[jjsan]

Just to note on what I am looking for in a unit and maybe some suggestions from you guys could help me decide.

1) I don't want to drill into the house anymore
2) I want light efficiency because this will go on the 20L before I switch to a 90g. I want to see if the lights are better.
3) I don't need all the bells and whistles on a unit. I just need it to grow stuff and the cost of the unit should be cheap lol.

Thank you guys in advance for the help! Sorry if I am asking a lot. Trying to keep within budget.

[jjsan]

Hm I change my mind on the Blue Moon. Someone left a really negative review on MD and it concerns me.

[jjsan]

Oh I found a maxspect G2-60 from AS. Its 300 bucks, but not dimmable. That isn't bad. Anyone mind sharing their experience on this unit? I heard they are made from China?

I got some more info from the seller on the unit. He/she said that the unit is capable of dimming and the heat sink is large and thick to help absorb and disburse the heat. The casing is powder coated to prevent rusting. There is a 4 inch by 4 inch fan on the back to keep it cool(which I don't see on the picture). They also said that the LED are replaceable. you can swap out the LED for XP-G or other light combos since the led isn't solder on.

[jjsan]

Well, I took the dive and bought the unit. I am going to post some pics up soon and some par reading. Its impressive so far. I can make the tank look like a 12k Reeflux and all the way down to a 10k XM.

I did some testing with the Apogee quantum. With the sensor directly under the LED, I get a reading of 2889. I'll do more test this weekend.

[houmickey]

Hi everyone! I just want to share my feedback with yall in regards to the unit. This unit is pretty solid. The heatsink disperses the heat very well and I can adjust the color temp of the out put. I wanted a little more power, so I swapped out the LED with the XR-G. It wasn't hard. So there is upgradability for this unit when new technologies come out

[jjsan]

As promised here are the pictures:

This is when I first got the unit:



The back side with the giant fan:



The independent on and off for the fan

[jjsan]

The unit fully on:



The unit with only blue lights:



The unit with only white lights:

[jjsan]

This came with the stuff:



The black box is the power supply with dimming function and some blue band, screw driver, and hanging kit. I am not sure what the blue band is.

[jjsan]

I am using an Apogee Quantum.

This is the par reading right under the LED:



This is the par reading, at 6 inches iirc:



This is a foot away:

[jjsan]

At full power, 2 feet away



At full power, blue 2 feet away



At lowest setting, blue 2 feet away

[jjsan]

At full power, white 2 feet away



At lowest setting, white 2 feet away



And here it is over my 20L tank:

[matt144]

Looks nice. I might have to consider getting one. Please keep us updated on how you like it.

[wesley6610]

Is this with one or two fixtures over your tank? Are those frags laying in front of your tank???

[jjsan]

Sorry for the mess on the tank. I have been busy with work and whatnot. Didn't get a chance to clean up before taking the pic.

Its a really nice unit. It doesn't get really hot, but if it does, you can turn on the fan and it drops it down very quickly. The fan does not need to be on all the time.

Only 2 things that I don't like: the fan is STRONG, but its kind of loud. It has a humming noise.

The other thing is the hanging kit looks flimsy. I was told that it can hold upto 20kg. But the unit itself is like 10 lbs or something. So I went to Homedepot and got chains instead. Just extra safety.

[jjsan]

Originally Posted by wesley6610

Is this with one or two fixtures over your tank? Are those frags laying in front of your tank???

My frags are all over the place lol. There is one on a frag rack, most on the floor and to the side.

I only have one fixture. It lights up the tank pretty well. IIRC a 20L is 30inches long. I had to move the blastos to the side because the light was too strong for them.

[jjsan]

Originally Posted by houmickey

Hi everyone! I just want to share my feedback with yall in regards to the unit. This unit is pretty solid. The heatsink disperses the heat very well and I can adjust the color temp of the out put. I wanted a little more power, so I swapped out the LED with the XR-G. It wasn't hard. So there is upgradability for this unit when new technologies come out

How do you like it? Is it brighter? What did you have to do?

I like my unit. It runs pretty cool to the touch.