The Dutch company Easy Life has come out with new attractive T5+LED Hybrid pendants aptly named the Paradiso line. Based on the initial literature it appears these are aimed at the freshwater planted crowd, but with the right mix of tubes there is no reason these could not successfully light a reef aquarium… The sloped [...]
The Dutch company Easy Life has come out with new attractive T5+LED Hybrid pendants aptly named the Paradiso line. Based on the initial literature it appears these are aimed at the freshwater planted crowd, but with the right mix of tubes there is no reason these could not successfully light a reef aquarium… The sloped design suggests it took a few cues from the ADA Solar 1 light.
The Paradiso 60 and 120 both come with six T5 tubes with individual parabolic reflectors, along with a slice of LEDs in the center of the pendant to provide that hint of point source glitter that T5s otherwise lack. The Paradiso 60 packs 6 x 24w T5s and 2 x 3.5w LEDs (with a 25? lens and option of 6.5K or Blue). The full pendant measures in at 26″ x 20.5″ and just 3.4″ tall.
The Paradiso 120 is a 6 x 54w model and offers the same features as the Paradiso 60, however 2 more 3.5w LEDs have been added. This larger unit size up to 49″ x 20.5″ and again just 3.4″ tall.
At this time the Paradiso line is a “hang only fixture”. A major benefit of T5s is the near proximity they can be placed to the water, however the mounting legs on most fixtures are… an eyesore. A fixture like this would be extremely difficult to mount on the tank edge attractively. Also, the way LED fixtures are mounted may have significant implications to the Orbitec LED Patent which we will discuss at another time.
To up the ante on this attractive fixture, Easy Life has created the Sun Dimm Professional; a lighting controller for 0-10v dimmable ballasts. Meaning both the T5s and LEDs can be controlled and dimmed under preset modes or custom curves with up to 4 channels.
Dimmable and Non-Dimmable versions of the Paradiso are available in 220v for our European readers. However, for the Yankees like myself with 110v, only the non-dimmable versions are currently available. Dimmable units coming in the near future. Currently these are retailing overseas for:
- Paradiso 60 Non-Dimmable £520 or $735 USD
- Paradiso 60 Dimmable £670 or $950
- Paradiso 120 Non-Dimmable £680 or $960 USD
- Paradiso 120 Dimmable £840 or $1,200 USD
- Sun Dimm Professional £220 or $310
The pricing is not cheap, but is on par with other high end “botique” European lighting fixtures. Price point aside, these are one of the best looking T5 fixtures to come available. Keep an eye out for our upcoming coverage of Fauna Marin’s latest creation, the Starfire Extreme Pendant that also incorporates T5s and LEDs.
