Why Pay $$$ For A Refugerim

[427HISS]

Would this be a good example? I’m actually looking for one.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/12-47-6500...hash=item4424092242:m:mh2cBW7UQeh1l5wDHTa20zw

That's what my wife has on her tweety bird cage.

 

[427HISS]

Sorry, just realized that I did not say,.... ''LIGHT'', in my heading !
Can't change that, or can I ?

 

[Gareth elliott]

Peace of mind also plays a part.

Its nice knowing the manufacturer may actually answer the phone, the product is UL listed.

On that note i do like the finnex line of planted aquarium lights. Id imagine my this sword plant on a 21” deep tank with them would also grow macro algae in a much shallower sump quite well.

Forgive the bits i need to trim off lol
And the fact i need to up my potassium dose again(holes in some leaves)

 

[Bpb]

People love spending money on what the big reef web retailers tell them the next big thing is. Never understood why someone doesn’t just use an led flood light at 6500k from the hardware store. My outdoor led flood lights illuminate the entire back yard, and have lasted 9 years. In the rain. And in the Texas heat. $20

 

[427HISS]

If were not for the heat, use a halide, they grow anything.

 

[ReefWithCare]

People love spending money on what the big reef web retailers tell them the next big thing is. Never understood why someone doesn’t just use an led flood light at 6500k from the hardware store. My outdoor led flood lights illuminate the entire back yard, and have lasted 9 years. In the rain. And in the Texas heat. $20

There is a certain scrubber make that likes to scare people saying these China [emoji630] lights will burn your home down when the internals fry because the power supply is located inside the unit.

Somewhere along the line, it became a thing to have red lights vs the 6500K white lights that everyone used to run when fives first became a thing.

I’m gonna pick up that led then. It mounts right on my Petco tank and looks clean [emoji108]

 

[Hermie]

I have one of these on the way... 30W LED w/ only blue and red diodes
There are 16W and 70W versions from the same company. 70W of LED is powerful, and it's only 50 bucks from HD...

I'm paying 27 bucks for 30Watts... that's extraordinary imho for LED. Yes there are other brands on amazon and ebay, but I trust HomeDepot suppliers slightly more than generic asian brands, nothing against the continent. I just don't want LEDs in my cabinet to burn up and catch my house on fire. Look at the electronic cigarettes... they can blow up in people's face... No name brands don't have to be accountable.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Newhous...d-Blue-LED-Grow-Light-Bulb-30UFGROW/301342284

 

[Bpb]

I have one of these on the way... 30W LED w/ only blue and red diodes
There are 16W and 70W versions from the same company. 70W of LED is powerful, and it's only 50 bucks from HD...

I'm paying 27 bucks for 30Watts... that's extraordinary imho for LED. Yes there are other brands on amazon and ebay, but I trust HomeDepot suppliers slightly more than generic asian brands, nothing against the continent. I just don't want LEDs in my cabinet to burn up and catch my house on fire. Look at the electronic cigarettes... they can blow up in people's face... No name brands don't have to be accountable.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Newhous...d-Blue-LED-Grow-Light-Bulb-30UFGROW/301342284

It’s really the circuits and power supplies that are the risky parts. Curious how many people have actually disassembled their “American” products to see where the guts are from...I can tell you the motor block and circuit found inside vortech pumps don’t say “made in the USA”...

 

[Hermie]

It’s really the circuits and power supplies that are the risky parts. Curious how many people have actually disassembled their “American” products to see where the guts are from...I can tell you the motor block and circuit found inside vortech pumps don’t say “made in the USA”...

at least 2

 

[427HISS]

It’s really the circuits and power supplies that are the risky parts. Curious how many people have actually disassembled their “American” products to see where the guts are from...I can tell you the motor block and circuit found inside Vortech pumps don’t say “made in the USA”...

I true with vortech, it does not surprise me. A while back, a friend is a manger at a fish/coral store, and was repairing a lot of Vortech lighting for customers, and said that the electronics, mother boards and wiring and was shocked,....finding cheap parts and pore quality of workmanship.

Another owner of a local store is using low cost LED systems, under $125 on the stores show tanks, which house's every coral that we all have. They grow very well and amazing colors.

So again, why pay $800 for light ? Now, what can be done with expensive lighting systems may not be done with the low cost one's, but to me, there more for us than what it needed for the corals. I DO think the ramp up & down is great effect, but not needed for the corals.

 

[alton]

LED Flood Lamp, Keyless fixture, round bell box, so cord connector, cord $20. It grows mangroves and chaeto

 

[Greybeard]

I was using an inexpensive light over my refugeum. I had a fairly serious problem with bubble algae. I replace my cheap ref light with a decent quality, algae specific spectrum ref light (Zetlight). I don't have a bubble algae problem anymore.

If a cheap ref light works for you, great! Didn't work out so well for me. The $100 Zetlight was a bargain.

 

[drtrash]

I went with what works and kessil 160 was perfect balance of cost nd return. Did a few cheap led bulbs,....all marginal results, yes some make it work but i would bet they all have nutrient issues, you can grow anything with high load

 

[smiley28]

I use a kessil but it isn’t because it’s name brand and it’s not the horticulture specific fixture. Just happened to have an old fixture, they’re small so over the fuge it went.

Edit: It isn’t growing some fancy macro either.

 

[Bpb]

I was using an inexpensive light over my refugeum. I had a fairly serious problem with bubble algae. I replace my cheap ref light with a decent quality, algae specific spectrum ref light (Zetlight). I don't have a bubble algae problem anymore.

If a cheap ref light works for you, great! Didn't work out so well for me. The $100 Zetlight was a bargain.

Lol that’s rich. You do realize that valonia, caulerpa, green turf, chaeto, ect all have the same basic light requirements and preferences right? They’re all green algae’s. Just because one is bought and sold as ornamental, and the other is a plague, doesn’t change biology

 

[becca10]

Expensive wasn’t an option at the time and this is working great for me. Finally able to grow Chaeto.

 

[Greybeard]

Lol that’s rich. You do realize that valonia, caulerpa, green turf, chaeto, ect all have the same basic light requirements and preferences right? They’re all green algae’s. Just because one is bought and sold as ornamental, and the other is a plague, doesn’t change biology

Guess I didn't explain clearly enough for you...

I had bubble algae IN THE DISPLAY TANK. It was out-competing the Chaetomorpha and C. Mexicana I had in the refugeum.

Changed the light in the ref to a better quality unit.

Chaeto and Calurpa are now out-competing the bubble algae in the tank. Bubble algae gone.

rich indeed.

 

[becca10]

 

[EMeyer]

I have experimented with lights similar to everything linked or shown in images so far, and have never gotten a PAR reading above ~40 or so. Its easy to find cheap LEDs in appropriate colors. So far I have never found anything short of a black box (~$100) that actually puts out reasonable PAR (100-300).

If anyone has PAR readings for some of these affordable refugium lights I would love to see them.

 

[dantimdad]

I can crank out a ton of power by buying inexpensive leds in a 4:1 660nm:RB ratio and 3d print a housing for the heatsink if I want it to look nice. Super cheap to do and will grow macro like crazy.