eBay LEDs vs name brand!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!!?

[Elbrandon]

Hi I'm looking for LEDs but I can't determine if I should go with some on eBay for way less or go for a name brand I have watched videos about the LEDs on eBay and the name rand ones and can't find a good way for me to go please comment what you think

[Aaaron]

Always remember you get what you pay for.

[kc350twin]

I own Radion Pros and a eBay led for the frag tank. I agree that you get what you pay for. So I ask you what do you want in a led? On/off, multiple channels with dimming? Clouds, lightning storms?

I could easily install the eBay lights over my main and be happy. The issue I have is I would need four of them to cover the spread that my radions do with the wide angle lenses. Your energy savings goes out the window but costs less then half of my two radions. Plus less then a month my eBay led cooling fan started making noise and it's a good thing the frag tanks in the basement.

[WBB]

I don't have experience with either so take this with a grain of salt. I think the cheap Ebay units are probably the way to go. Too many questions about longevity, ideal color combinations, etc to invest a ton of money at this point. Also consider that a PAR meter is probably a requirement for LEDs.

[Reeferz412]

You can physically see the difference in quality, longevity, and performance when you spend the extra money for a good light fixture. As an owner of a chinese LED and now a reefbreeders... I can see the difference. Never cut corners on lighting.

[Elbrandon]

I'm building a 55 gallon reef tank and idk what I need what brand is a good cheaper one?

[mbingha]

Originally Posted by Reeferz412

You can physically see the difference in quality, longevity, and performance when you spend the extra money for a good light fixture. As an owner of a chinese LED and now a reefbreeders... I can see the difference. Never cut corners on lighting.

While technically reefbreeders are made in China, I see your point. The quality of my reefbreeders is outstanding.

[Reeferz412]

Originally Posted by mbingha

While technically reefbreeders are made in China, I see your point. The quality of my reefbreeders is outstanding.

Correct, although I believe the components are different. I'm no LED guru, but I think the chips and LEDs they use are of higher quality. One issue was noise, which is dead silent on the RB fixture.

[origreefer]

Originally Posted by Reeferz412

You can physically see the difference in quality, longevity, and performance when you spend the extra money for a good light fixture. As an owner of a chinese LED and now a reefbreeders... I can see the difference. Never cut corners on lighting.

I agree completely. I have Radions over my main tank and then bought a cheap chinese one for a FO tank. The difference in LED output and color is amazing. Guess which one I like better.

[Guygettnby]

I have 2 OceanRevive Arctic T247's over my tank right now and think they are decent lights for the money spent on them. they are built good from what i can see and so far i am happy with them.

If i were going ebay lights, i would atleast go with a true EverGrow fixture. Evergrow is made in china, but EverGrow is the company who makes the reefbreeder lights and OceanRevive lights. evergrow makes some very decent fixtures, great price compaired to other LED fixtures and they are what everybody is buying right now. But why not just buy from one of the ReefCentral vendors and know that the company isnt just going to up and vanish once they get your money?

It all depends on what you want out of your fixture. as stated by KC350twin, do you want simple on/off, dimmer control, digital dimmer controls, digital built in timmers or mechanical timmers, programable or able to use with a controller..... the list goes on and on.

so with all of that said, what do you want out of your LED lights?

[saltwater808]

Originally Posted by Guygettnby

I have 2 OceanRevive Arctic T247's over my tank right now and think they are decent lights for the money spent on them. they are built good from what i can see and so far i am happy with them.

If i were going ebay lights, i would atleast go with a true EverGrow fixture. Evergrow is made in china, but EverGrow is the company who makes the reefbreeder lights and OceanRevive lights. evergrow makes some very decent fixtures, great price compaired to other LED fixtures and they are what everybody is buying right now. But why not just buy from one of the ReefCentral vendors and know that the company isnt just going to up and vanish once they get your money?

It all depends on what you want out of your fixture. as stated by KC350twin, do you want simple on/off, dimmer control, digital dimmer controls, digital built in timmers or mechanical timmers, programable or able to use with a controller..... the list goes on and on.

so with all of that said, what do you want out of your LED lights?

Ive been on the "heavy" search wagon the last week or so. I mean Im talking bags under my eyes, end of the internet kinda surfing. From what facts Ive gathered on 31in models only, is the amount of different colors and blue to white ratio. The american sold units are definitely fine tuned over your standard programmable "Intel" chinese models. And for not much more Yen either!