Elos tells us they will be showing many new products at this May’s InterZoo, one of which will be this LED luminaire. Elos USA updated their website to feature this cover image rotating through with their other beautiful products and aquariums on Sunday…and that’s as much as we’re going to get out of them for now. It appears to be three eLite style lights connected via 2 aluminum hubs. Excluding potential limitations due to power cords and mounting, it seems these could be linked to one another indefinitely–including square 3×3 patterns.

Elos, which backwards spells ’sole’, or sun in Italian, established itself as a lighting company in the freshwater and marine space. Since then, their aquariums have largely overshadowed their lighting products… but we’ve been told that more emphasis will be placed on illumination going forward. Elos has a habit of remaining tight lipped on upcoming products–if details on this don’t spill soon, it’s only 2 months until InterZoo.

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We suppose it was only a matter of time for Vitrea Orbital LED fixture to fall victim to copies, but this time it’s from an unknown source–Hong Kong based Zetlight.   Shown above we have the original, Italian designed fixture. Below we have the Zetlight, a newcomer to the LED market.

Zetlight is a new manufacturer that, per their website, plans to distribute both domestically and internationally.

From afar they look nearly identical, but on closer inspection there’s no comparison. The materials give away the copy even in photos. The concept of this mounting bracket is great and I suspect we will see more of it from aquarium companies–lets just hope they make it their own. Inspiration is one thing, duplication is another. Still curious about the Vitrea’s ugly twin? See their site at Zetlight.com.

What do you think about knock off products in the aquarium industry: Are they an economic entry point or an innovation inhibitor?

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GBD has been informed that Vertex’s new Lumina LED aquarium light will begin shipping in March. The unit which we profiled last month will feature 16 LEDs per light engine, consisting of 8 white, 4 blue and 4 royal blue LEDs. Additionally, the unit will pack wireless connectivity to your home computer allowing ample control.

Due to legal issues over the Orbitec LED patent, we are unsure at this time if the initial release will hit the U.S. or the discussed “lite” version will make it to the States instead. However, based on our discussions with the company we do expect the Vertex Lumina LED light to show its presence in Canade and Europe next month.

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As more and more data is released on LED aquarium lights there are still many who strongly believe they cannot grow SPS corals. On paper there should not be a problem, but for some the numbers are not enough. While not a true test, I was curious myself to see what type of coral growth would occur under royal blue LED dominated light that aquarists are quickly falling in love with. Additionally, I hope to highlight the idea of spotlighting. The light shown here is an effective solution for nano reef keepers wanting to keep SPS in their moderately lit aquarium, without the added heat and electrical costs that often accompany other lighting technology.

The light chosen is an unbranded LED Spotlight I received direct from a manufacturer in China. The light screws into your standard household socket and powers a single Luxeon III Royal Blue LED, consuming just 3w of electricity. The light is extremely focused using a tight optic that creates a very clean beam of light.

To observe this I chose a readily available and colorful captive propagated coral–the ORA Red Planet. This coral has been in captivity long enough that we have a good idea of its shape and coloration. It also fluoresces well showing off its red and green pigments under ~450nm LED light.

This ORA Red Planet is being grown under T5s in the aquarium of Mike Clifford.

I could not dedicated a separate tank for the individual coral, so it will receive a bit more than just 3 watts of LEDs. It has been placed in the rear corner of the glassbox where only incidental light spill occured. PAR measurements here range from 20 to a peak of 80 micromoles/m²/sec at ‘mid day’.  The coral is attached to the overflow box at 7″ below the surface. The light is clipped onto the edge of the aquarium with the lens just 1″ above the water. This provides a PAR increase of roughly 170 micromoles/m²/sec.

While far from a controlled experiment we love to tinker we’re curious to see how this particular coral grows under this spotlight. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more updates.

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The IceCap T5 LED Retro is a moonlight, and a damn good one at that. As shown later on, it is not a PAR monster and I don’t think IceCap would tell you differently. Chris and I eventually spoke about this product and I agreed to try out a free unit for review. I was very blunt with him regarding the review and at the end of my discussion I asked him what he hoped to get out of it. “Tell me if you like it,” he responded. After a couple weeks with the unit I can say that I do.

The 470nm surface mount LEDs do not put out much light, but they do not draw many watts either. For our own curiosity we threw a PAR meter underneath one and at ~10″ we’re hitting a whopping 10 ppfd.

Kidding aside, PAR measurements here are of no value. The light is intended for visual enjoyment and that is where it exceeds. 450-470nm LEDs pop greens, oranges and blues unlike any light available to the aquarium industry. The IceCap LED Retro Moonlight offers that same pop, while also creating an even spread across the length of the aquarium for night time viewing.

As shown above, the small LEDs lack optics for a wide spread. Typically I am a fan of the spotlight effect, tuned to the needs of our corals. In the case of a moonlight, an even spread across the tank is nice to have.

One thing you do not see when these lamps are installed is the curved metal heatsink. A plastic tube slides over the heatsink which is then sealed using rubber caps at the ends. After 8hrs of operation the heatsink keeps the unit just warm to the touch. Additionally, each unit comes with metal lamp clips for mounting. This combined with the retro’s extreme light weight makes installation a breeze. I found it best to place the LED retro directly in the middle of the aquarium, or, towards the front of the glass and angled back.

The IceCap T5 LED Retro is a great option for moonlighting. It’s not revolutionary and don’t expect to see any increase in growth from these, but do expect to have some colorful night time viewing.

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TMC kindly sent us two AquaBeam 500s in Reef Blue and Marine White, along with the higher density AquaBeam 1000HD in Reef White for a formal review.

Both the AquaBeam 500 and 1000HD use the well respected Cree XR-E for efficient and long lasting lumens. The 500 boasts 5 XR-Es consuming 12w while the 1000HD  sports 10 at roughly 30w. Both lights feature a 5 year limited warranty.

I was caught off guard by the build quality of the lights–in a good way. When looking at the initial marketing photos the plastic water resistent cover seemed practical, but to be frank, looked cheap. In reality the material is much thicker and stronger than it appears and joins the resin body that is cast around a well made aluminum heatsink. This heatsink doubles as an attachment to their modular rail mounting system.

Check out all the photos of the TMC Aquabeam 500 and 1000HD below and keep an eye out for a performance analysis on the AquaRay LEDs, along with a handful of other LED lights…

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UK based Tropical Marine Centre (TMC ) has just released their Aqua Ray and Aqua Beam LED lights to the U.S market via Quality Marine and they have no plans on slowing down. GBD has gotten word that a shipment of Cree XP-G LEDs, PCBs and lenses have made their way to the UK factory. A working prototype is now complete, but TMC admits they have not finalized a name, price or production specs for this new LED aquarium light.

The Cree XP-G is the most efficient LED currently available with a peak efficiency of 132 lumens per watt–dwarfing that of Metal Halide and T5s. That said, it takes more than slapping on the latest and greatest LED to achieve a top of the line light.

We look forward to the production specs on the TMC XP-G LED light when it is finally released. More on that when its available.

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Acriche LEDs are the world’s first LED that operates directly on AC power without the need of a converter. The easy to use lights also have a 35,000 hour lifespan making them an attractive ready to go retrofit for residential and commercial applications. However, aquarists will have to hold off for now if they want to achieve that 20K look–currently Acriche LEDs are only available in warm white and cool white.

“We’re proud to introduce this next-generation Acriche with its environmentally friendly profile, and cost-efficient application,” said Mr. S.M. Lee, Vice President of Seoul Semiconductor HQ, “This new product represents great strides by Seoul Semiconductor’s Technical Research Institute. Acriche now has up to ten times the efficiency of incandescent bulbs and greater system level performance as compared to generic DC LEDs.”

[ariche]

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Nutrient export in small tanks can be a significant hurdle to overcome. There are very few effective nano skimmer on the market, leaving water changes, chemical media, and if you can fit it in–macro algae–to maintain water quality in your pint sized reef. JBJ’s nifty Nano Glo makes incorporating a refugium into nano reefs relatively easily; particularly if you use a Nano Cube style aquarium.

The compact design consists of 4 x 1w white LEDs that are encased in a plastic housing. Sharing the housing is a strong magnet on the top side that allows uses to literally ‘clamp’ the light onto the back glass. The design makes it easy to grow chaeto in the back compartment of Nano Cubes, although it can be used on any aquarium.

JBJ states the LEDs emit 70 lumens per watt–pretty good given the price point, but at just 4w this light is certainly not meant for corals. Using a killawatt we found the all in one constant current driver to pull roughly 6w from the wall.

The optics provide a tight beam–something that is required if growing algae in such close proximity. Despite the square layout of the diodes, the beam pattern is surprisingly even and focused towards the center. We expect moderate chaeto growth given the perceived update–but updates will come as we put it to the test on the JBJ 28g LED NanoCube.

At $50, the plug in play kit is difficult to beat in terms of ease of use and efficiency. Certainly DIY savy reefer could make their own improved version, but the best thing about the Nano Glo is how quickly it can be set up. Literally pull it out of the box, use the quick disconnect fittings to connect the driver and attach to the aquarium with the supplied magnet.

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It’s not just a rumor anymore. China based LED Light manufacturer Maxspect will be rolling out two versions of their improved G2 (Generation 2) LED light, one of which will feature Cree XP-Gs as the white light source for increased efficiency, while blue light will be handled their current encapsulated SemiLEDs. The XP-G model will come at a higher cost; pricing and details have not been finalized, but we are assured a model featuring the XP-G will be released sometime in early February.

In the top photo you can see each LED is wired with quick disconnects. This new design will allow users to swap out the LEDs and highlight specific areas with the intensity and color they please. The new G2 model will feature violet (405nm – 410nm) and royal blue LEDs. In addition to this, Maxspect will offer the following colors for custom modification:

• Red
• Green
• Pink
• Purple

Maxspect tells us the new models will feature 3 groups of LEDs in the 160w, 180w, and 170w configurations, while the 230w will have 4 allowing a multitude of intensity settings. Additional information on these layout can be seen in the chart.

For aquarists in the U.S. looking to buy this light, you’ll be forced to go through a foreign retailer. This poses a major issue–customer service. Time will tell if these LEDs are up to PAR for long term reef use. Maxspect has shared some high luminous decay numbers, and without testing we are unsure if this is due to the SemiLEDs used or thermal management. From a cost perspective they are attractive and we’re keen to see how they stack up against the competition in terms of PAR output to watts used.

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