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But is it so easy to convert to LED lighting? Is LED light much better and what are the advantages of LED lighting anyway? Are there also disadvantages and what costs should I expect if I want to convert my lighting? We want to take a closer look at all these questions in the following guide to aquarium lighting.
What is LED lighting anyway?
If you take those first Abkürzung before, then you realize that LED is an abbreviation for light-emitting diode. This comes from the English and means light emitting diode. This type of lighting has been around since the 1990s. But it was only a few years ago that she made her breakthrough with us. Be it in the living room lamp, garden lighting and even in the car you can find the LED illuminants and lamps today. We do not want to go into the exact scientific structure of such an LED diode here, nor do we want to go into the exact functional principle. This would get too physical.
What are the advantages of LED lighting compared to fluorescent tubes in the aquarium
We have to go back a bit here, but we will summarize everything again in bullet points below. The first crucial Advantage is the heat generation an LED. Compared to the conventional fluorescent tube that we currently find in many aquariums, say from 100 liters, it produces significantly less heat dissipation. This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage for an aquarist. Do you always have problems with one that is too high? water temperature, then this quickly appears as a disadvantage. If the opposite is the case, i.e. the water temperature is too low, then the Aquarium heater do more here.
However, the generation of the heat output of a fluorescent tube also has something to do with that Efficiency to do, because heat is thus more likely to be attributed to a power loss, because it is not converted into light.
Another major advantage of the new LED technology is the lower power consumption. If you compare the performance in watts of conventional fluorescent tubes, then you quickly realize that a LED light strip requires significantly lower watt values. This brings tremendous electricity savings with himself.[the_ad id="1019″]
This fact is also very much related to the fact that LED lighting is another Beam angle has. This is not all around like in a fluorescent tube, but is directed downwards. In practice, LED light sources and components are usually assumed to have a beam angle of 24 to 40 degrees. The fluorescent tube comes to 360 degrees here, which also seems logical. That's why you work there reflectors, which should focus the light and thus direct it downwards into the aquarium fewer losses to get.
Now let's get to light output in lumens or lux. What this means exactly can also be found in the main article on lighting. In any case, lumen is a measurement value that can be used to compare light bulbs. For example, if you wanted to replace a fluorescent tube with a lumen value of around 5000 lm, you would only need around 2000 lm for an LED fluorescent tube, because, as already described above, the illumination is significantly better due to the beam angle.
And another point that must be positively mentioned is the extended service life. Fluorescent tubes should always be replaced at certain intervals. With LED lamps, this service life is much longer. This is mainly due to the resistance of the switch-on frequencies. Switch-on cycles of a lamp very often extremely reduce the Lifespan (Always dependent of course on the lighting duration). This could also be found out more precisely in various tests. With LED technology, this plays less of a role and so one can speak of significantly longer service lives. This is usually many years, and it is difficult to specify a fixed value. Nevertheless, compared to fluorescent tubes, which should be replaced very often after a year, it is usually 10 or more years with LED technology. Here there is easy no wear and reduction of the lumen or lux values.
So let's summarize the essentials Advantages of an LED together
- Less heat development than with a fluorescent tube
- Significantly longer service life
- More switching cycles are possible
- Beam angle only downwards and therefore much more effective
- Fewer lumens are needed for the same light output
- Lower power consumption than T5 or T8 fluorescent tubes
What are the disadvantages of LED lighting compared to fluorescent tubes in the aquarium
After we turned to the advantages in the last chapter, we now have to Disadvantages Take a closer look at the LED technology, because the advantages described above also have a decisive disadvantage and this lies in the Price. LED technology is still quite expensive, although there have been significant reductions in recent years. Nevertheless, you have to pay a lot for the conversion to LED, which can be amortized over the longer term. Nonetheless, these are crucial Additional costs even if you set up and buy a new aquarium. But this will Upkeep much lower. We recommend that you calculate these carefully before investing. Ours is also used for this Maintenance Calculator.
Another disadvantage of LED bulbs is that Light color. This will be in Kelvin measured and expressed. There is much less leeway than with a fluorescent tube. Usually only models with warm white, neutral or cold white are specified here. But here, too, development is already taking decisive steps, because Sera to name a manufacturer of aquarium lighting LED, already has 5 different colors of bulbs on offer. For example, you can find them here plant color sunrise or the daylight sunrise LED bar. All of these bulbs are also available in different lengths.[the_ad id=”1019″]
Finally, another disadvantage at the moment is that there is a very small selection when it comes to aquarium covers. If you want to buy a complete system, you don't have that with all manufacturers Jewel Eheim and Co the possibility to rely on LED. The conversion is certainly not for everyone, although we explain in our instructions that it is quite easy.
Let's grab those too Disadvantages of LED technology together
- The selection of manufacturers is rather small
- Less complete covers in the range
- Usually much more expensive than conventional lighting
- Less choice in the area of light color (Kelvin)
LED lighting control technology
Now that we have dealt with the advantages and disadvantages and everyone should decide for themselves which lighting they want, let's take a look at the technology.
If you want to convert your aquarium lighting, then you also have to change a few things in terms of power supply, because 230 volts are no longer used directly or with ballasts, but with a low voltage. These necessary transformers (transformers) are included in the sets.
Within the steering but there are basically no differences and you can control the lighting conventionally via a Timer to switch on and off. Of course you can also use one Aquarium computers work. There are then many more options available, such as dimming or slow switching off. More on that in our Guide to the aquarium computer.
Instructions for converting the aquarium lighting from fluorescent tubes to LED technology
Now we come to the actual instructions on how to do such a conversion quite easily and quickly. There are a number of options that you should consider first.
Option 1: Buy a complete new cover
Probably the simplest, if possibly also the most expensive option is to convert with a complete new cover. This could for example from the Eheim Variolux LED home come because there are universal covers to easily remove his old one and then put a new one on the aquarium. The LED technology is already included in this new one. It is quick to assemble and quite easy to do, although the price is not exactly low either.
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Possibility 2: Replacing the bulbs / fluorescent tubes T5 or T8 with LED fluorescent tubes
The second possibility appears to the layman to be quite simple, because he may think he only has to take the fluorescent tube out of the base and then screw an LED tube into the base. Unfortunately this is not so. Think of the different requirements (transformer, ballast, voltage). Certain adapters are usually required for this. In addition, the new tube is also supplied with voltage from a completely different device and additional adapters are necessary. Nevertheless, manufacturers such as Sera, Eheim or Juwel have specialized in offering their existing customers exactly these systems. Juwel goes the way here, for example, that they are only special MultiLux LED emergency lights have brought to market. These replace the existing beams and the conversion is already complete. Of course these beams come in different sizes like 55cm, 60cm, 70cm, 80cm, 92cm, 100cm, 120cm and 150cm.
- LED tubes DAY and NATURE for a wide light spectrum
- Changeable real glass LED tubes
- Up to 50% energy savings compared to T5
- High-tech membrane as a moisture barrier
Other manufacturers such as Sera are quite neutral here and provide a system that can be used with all fluorescent bars. On the one hand, this requires adapters which are installed in the old version of the fluorescent tubes. In addition, of course, other LED tubes are necessary and special cabling for them. Yes, depending on how many fluorescent tubes or what Sera calls them Sera LED tubes you also need a cable splitter for up to three LED tubes. The corresponding ballast is also necessary. This is around 35 euros depending on the performance in watts. The actual LED tube or tube is then only placed in this holder and provided with the connection cable and the new lighting is ready for use. You can find these components here.
Possibility 3: Complete LED strips universal
Some manufacturers have also developed universally applicable LED strips and bars which are mounted on the edge of the pool. In most cases, however, problems can arise in terms of exact placement and coverage. Nevertheless, it is above all in Nano aquarium range a good alternative to replace your old lighting.
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Possibility 4: Build LED strips yourself
Of course you can also build your own LED lighting. There are also the strips, which you can buy on a roll and are usually only glued on. However, whether this is a good way to convert to LED, everyone has to decide for themselves. We tend not to think.
Lighting with LEDs a la home-made brand can make sense, but it can make sense in a breeding facility. There are then long beams, which are mounted over the pools, which are mostly open anyway.
Conclusion and summary
Before you decide to convert your lighting accordingly, you should take a close look at the advantages and disadvantages, although there are few reasons against the conversion. We also advise customers and tests of various systems to show again and again that it makes sense to make this investment.
Before you get started, you should look at the exact options and calculate your needs exactly. Be it the exact light output in lumens or the light color in Kelvin that you need. Both play a role here. Alas, the dimensions of the bars and strips are important here. The conversion and conversion of the aquarium lighting is then just child's play.
Our recommendation: Don't wait and upgrade your traditional lighting to Led. The costs are limited and ultimately the advantages are much more powerful than the disadvantages. Bargains and offers can always be found online or in our news section.