How to tell if a LED light is junk or not?

Not long ago, my fluorescent hoods died, I tried everything to repair them, no luck.
Switched to two 18" LEDs. plenty bright, but my plants don't seem to be thriving. Is the light just junk?
Got two of these Beamswork Vivio Full Spectrun LEDs, and they have 3 light modes- birght white, slithgly yellowed bright light, and a purple light.

Knowing NOTHING about LEDs effectiveness - what of these 3 modes is best for planted tanks? I've been defaulting to the purple light, but lately testing plant reaction to the brighter lights. Is the product just for live plants? Is there a specific setting of the 3 I should dominantly use? How many hours should the lights stay on?

My tank is a 55 Gal TopFin, about 12 yrs old.

 

The short answer is, not all LEDs are created equal. What were the specs of the fluorescent? Was it also 2x 18"? Any specific reason you chose two smaller ones over one larger one? like the tank cover with two cutouts.

Is this the light you bought? 12-18"
https://www.amazon.com/BeamsWork-Spectrum-Adjustable-Aquarium-Freshwater/dp/B08KPPFC3Z?th=1

Lights are like most tools, got to have the right ones for the job. I've seen a lot of people use and like the Beamswork brand, but they may not be strong enough for the plants you have (which ones do you have?) at the depth of the 55g.

For most fixtures, there are two numbers to look for:
-Lumens are the amount of light perceived by the eye. Generally, the higher the lumens, the deeper light should penetrate (PAR is the measurement for this but not widely shown for products).
-The other number to look for is Spectrum (Kelvin). You have the correct one with 'full spectrum' which usually means, it covers the daylight range, ~5000-6500k (kelvin). This is probably the bright white. The slightly yellowed light might be 4500-5500k, and the purple is probably closer to the UV range of 400-500nm. I'm guessing like the blue light (actinic) for saltwater.

The bright white is probably your best chances with the current lighting, but you may have to add another fixture/s or replace it with a more powerful one to get the results you want. I would start with the usual 6-8hr max (however you want to run it) and adjust from there depending how the plants are responding. You might need a couple weeks before really seeing changes so be patient.

Using the 12-18" vs 48"
12" x 2 = 2100 lumen
48" x 1 = 3500 lumen

Be careful with the purple lights. Personally, I would use them sparingly if it's anything like the blue SW lights, it will promote algae growth over plant growth.

TLDR:
What plants?
What was old light specs? (T5, T8.., wattage, length, daylight, warm..etc or kelvin? (5000k)
Why two small lights over one large light?
Be careful with the purple lights as they can promote algae growth.

Sorry for the ramble, hope this helps

 

Hey,

Do you have 2 of the 12" versions?

That equals to 2100 Lumens, which is 10 lumens per liter. (Lumens per liter is what we use in Germany to quick judge the light).

If that's the case ... that is unfortunately very low. Basically only the easiest plants will really work under that light. Think Anubias, Cryptos, Hygrophila polysperma, maybe some Echinodorus.

A rule of thumb that we use here:

Up until 20/25 lumens per liter is low light
Between 25 and 40/45 lumens per liter is medium light
45+ lumens per liter is high light

30 - 35 lumens per liter is about the region where a CO2 system will start to be necessary.

 

Not long ago, my fluorescent hoods died, I tried everything to repair them, no luck.
Switched to two 18" LEDs. plenty bright, but my plants don't seem to be thriving. Is the light just junk?
Got two of these Beamswork Vivio Full Spectrun LEDs, and they have 3 light modes- birght white, slithgly yellowed bright light, and a purple light.

Knowing NOTHING about LEDs effectiveness - what of these 3 modes is best for planted tanks? I've been defaulting to the purple light, but lately testing plant reaction to the brighter lights. Is the product just for live plants? Is there a specific setting of the 3 I should dominantly use? How many hours should the lights stay on?

My tank is a 55 Gal TopFin, about 12 yrs old.

You need the full white light. The purple is a night light its not supposed to be used during the day

 

The short answer is, not all LEDs are created equal. What were the specs of the fluorescent? Was it also 2x 18"? Any specific reason you chose two smaller ones over one larger one? like the tank cover with two cutouts.

Is this the light you bought? 12-18"
Amazon.com

Lights are like most tools, got to have the right ones for the job. I've seen a lot of people use and like the Beamswork brand, but they may not be strong enough for the plants you have (which ones do you have?) at the depth of the 55g.

For most fixtures, there are two numbers to look for:
-Lumens are the amount of light perceived by the eye. Generally, the higher the lumens, the deeper light should penetrate (PAR is the measurement for this but not widely shown for products).
-The other number to look for is Spectrum (Kelvin). You have the correct one with 'full spectrum' which usually means, it covers the daylight range, ~5000-6500k (kelvin). This is probably the bright white. The slightly yellowed light might be 4500-5500k, and the purple is probably closer to the UV range of 400-500nm. I'm guessing like the blue light (actinic) for saltwater.

The bright white is probably your best chances with the current lighting, but you may have to add another fixture/s or replace it with a more powerful one to get the results you want. I would start with the usual 6-8hr max (however you want to run it) and adjust from there depending how the plants are responding. You might need a couple weeks before really seeing changes so be patient.

Using the 12-18" vs 48"
12" x 2 = 2100 lumen
48" x 1 = 3500 lumen

Be careful with the purple lights. Personally, I would use them sparingly if it's anything like the blue SW lights, it will promote algae growth over plant growth.

TLDR:
What plants?
What was old light specs? (T5, T8.., wattage, length, daylight, warm..etc or kelvin? (5000k)
Why two small lights over one large light?
Be careful with the purple lights as they can promote algae growth.

Sorry for the ramble, hope this helps

Whoa, that was super helpful, thanks! So my Top Fin (PetSmart) original tank came with two hoods, with two fluorescents, 24" each approx. I put Floramax T8 bulbs in them and that was enough to sustain the plants. When the ballasts died even after changing starters, and bulbs, I replaced the two lights with two LEDS.

As for the plants I don't recall for sure, but a little googling around and I think they're lobelia cardinalis. three of them grew to about 15" tall, and some broke off and became their own plant. They thrived with the Floramax, but I'm seeing stem thinning with the LEDs.

I figured the purple lights would be good for the plants, as the Floramax have off a purple/blacklight type tint, which enhanced the color of my Glo Tetras. Clearly wrong about that. I'll make a plan for them to get more full white light

As for the light, I got the 20-24" version of the led you linked. Thanks for the help!

Hey,

Do you have 2 of the 12" versions?

That equals to 2100 Lumens, which is 10 lumens per liter. (Lumens per liter is what we use in Germany to quick judge the light).

If that's the case ... that is unfortunately very low. Basically only the easiest plants will really work under that light. Think Anubias, Cryptos, Hygrophila polysperma, maybe some Echinodorus.

A rule of thumb that we use here:

Up until 20/25 lumens per liter is low light
Between 25 and 40/45 lumens per liter is medium light
45+ lumens per liter is high light

30 - 35 lumens per liter is about the region where a CO2 system will start to be necessary.

heya! I have 2 of the 24" ones, can't seem to find lumen specs on the product page, I am familiar with the term, as I work in IT and projector brightness is measured in lumens too. I haven't had the need to use a CO2 system for my tank with the prior lights, and the plants were thriving.
TO be honest,I'm considering hunting down some flourescent hoods and going back to the floramax system, not thrilled with the LEDs

 

The 24s are 1900 lumens each, so 3800 lumens in total, 18 lumens / liter in your tank.
That's pretty decent and should work for a lot of plants.

Did a small research and the 3 modes are:

- Everything on
- White / Green
- Red / Blue

The bright white light should be the everything on mode, maybe you can confirm by lowering the brightness to a minimum and checking with good sunglasses or something similar to protect your eyes.
That's the mode you want to use.

The switch from T5s and T8s to LEDs is a personal decision. There's some huge discussion in one of the German forums I'm on at the momen, T5/8s vs HQI vs LED.
It all boils down to personal preference really.

In my opinion, LED wins all the way, you just have to find the right one for you.

Here's 2 comparison pictures.

Chihiros A801 vs Chihiros WRGB 2 pro
Same tank, same lumens, same fixed camera settings, pictures taken 2 minutes apart. Huge difference.

 

Whoa, that was super helpful, thanks! So my Top Fin (PetSmart) original tank came with two hoods, with two fluorescents, 24" each approx. I put Floramax T8 bulbs in them and that was enough to sustain the plants. When the ballasts died even after changing starters, and bulbs, I replaced the two lights with two LEDS.

As for the plants I don't recall for sure, but a little googling around and I think they're lobelia cardinalis. three of them grew to about 15" tall, and some broke off and became their own plant. They thrived with the Floramax, but I'm seeing stem thinning with the LEDs.

I figured the purple lights would be good for the plants, as the Floramax have off a purple/blacklight type tint, which enhanced the color of my Glo Tetras. Clearly wrong about that. I'll make a plan for them to get more full white light

As for the light, I got the 20-24" version of the led you linked. Thanks for the help!

heya! I have 2 of the 24" ones, can't seem to find lumen specs on the product page, I am familiar with the term, as I work in IT and projector brightness is measured in lumens too. I haven't had the need to use a CO2 system for my tank with the prior lights, and the plants were thriving.
TO be honest,I'm considering hunting down some flourescent hoods and going back to the floramax system, not thrilled with the LEDs

No problem! happy to

Can you confirm which light you have? In this post, it's the Beamswork, in another one you have, it's the Hygger. They have very different outputs. The 18-24" Hygger is only 834 lumen each (1668 total). Running the floramax bulb, did it have the reddish/pink tint to it?

Beamswork specs on the last picture
Hygger specs on the last picture
Floramax bulb specs

Can you post a couple pictures of the plants? People here are quite good at identifying or confirming what's growing. If it's the Lobelia Cardinalis, it says it requires high light.

You may have to let the plants melt a bit before they adapt to the new lights. The floramax, fluorescents in general, can have a few spikes of other spectrums that led fixtures may not. I'm not sure how well they have progressed the led spectrums, but older or generic leds would produce a spike in the spectrum they are designed for with minimal other spectrums. Manufacturers had to cover the other wavelengths by adding additional color leds. You can see that listed for both the Beamswork and Hygger with the "W/G/R/B" leds listed. Even the fancier ones like Finnex.

These don't represent the exact bulbs in the led or floramax, but are side by side for easy comparison.
Seoul Semiconductor SunLike Natural Spectrum LEDs reveal color and depth of artistic works

More details if you are interested in some reading.
-Covers green and red leaves- How Do Red-leaved Plants Actually Photosynthesize?
reference-
-My Aqueon planted clip on lights (I run 2x) I use in one of my tanks- https://www.aqueon.com/products/lighting/planted-aquarium-clip-on-led-light
-Light on the other tank- Finnex Planted+ 24/7-

For the purple-ish light, if it's working the way you want it to, that is OK to use, just keep an eye on algae if you don't have a clean-up crew. Or adjust how long they are on. maybe just a couple hours at night to view them but turn off before bed or on a timer. Green plants are going to pull from the blue and red spectrum. The floramax hit both of those hard. If the plant is what you think, it appears to be more demanding so you may have to get a led fixture/s that outputs more in those ranges. More light will not hurt low light plants.

I know the feeling. I had a similar experience when my florescent fixture went out. I built my own LED retrofit when aquarium LED lights were still new to the market.

I agree with Zer0Fame that LED is great to move to and will save you money in the long run but there is more searching and possibly trial and error to find out what works best for your setup.

 

Whoa, that was super helpful, thanks! So my Top Fin (PetSmart) original tank came with two hoods, with two fluorescents, 24" each approx. I put Floramax T8 bulbs in them and that was enough to sustain the plants. When the ballasts died even after changing starters, and bulbs, I replaced the two lights with two LEDS.

As for the plants I don't recall for sure, but a little googling around and I think they're lobelia cardinalis. three of them grew to about 15" tall, and some broke off and became their own plant. They thrived with the Floramax, but I'm seeing stem thinning with the LEDs.

I figured the purple lights would be good for the plants, as the Floramax have off a purple/blacklight type tint, which enhanced the color of my Glo Tetras. Clearly wrong about that. I'll make a plan for them to get more full white light

As for the light, I got the 20-24" version of the led you linked. Thanks for the help!

heya! I have 2 of the 24" ones, can't seem to find lumen specs on the product page, I am familiar with the term, as I work in IT and projector brightness is measured in lumens too. I haven't had the need to use a CO2 system for my tank with the prior lights, and the plants were thriving.
TO be honest,I'm considering hunting down some flourescent hoods and going back to the floramax system, not thrilled with the LEDs

Definitely dont go back to flourescent. You actually have too much light right now. Usually one Beamswork is enough. Its just a setting issue, need to use the full capacity.

The fixture has a lot of LED light chips (the majority are high output white light), but the purple light is only the red and blue chips which might only be 10 chips out of 60 so you were running at 10/60 capacity at best

 

I grow plants with an ordinary desktop light. I grow them without any light, but situated in a bright spot (windowsill). I grow plants in a dark basement without any light, but situated next to a tank that has a light.

A few of these plant species are true aquatics, but like most plants in the hobby, most plants I keep are submersed bog plants.

In my planted tanks that actually have a dedicated light, the lumens vary between 0 and 10 lumen per liter, across 12 hours of light. No CO2, no heater, a little ferts (but mostly from tap water and fish waste).

Unless you're striving for optimal growth rates in scope of food production to save the world, intense lights causes more issues in our hobby than dimmed ones.

I do agree that lights have a big impact on the looks of a tank. Not only the color of the light, but also position, scope (only top or back of the tank also), shaded areas... It determines 50% of the impact of an aquascape.

But in terms of plant health and growth, patience is a virtue.

 

Unless you're striving for optimal growth rates in scope of food production to save the world, intense lights causes more issues in our hobby than dimmed ones.

Sooooo you're saying I'm somewhat of a world saver?

Jokes aside, what you're saying is correct of course (as always). That's the beauty of our hobby, there are so many different things you can do.

I personally draw the line at around 25 lumens per liter by the way, that's what the Juwel fish tanks come with from the factory. Everything above that one should know what he/she/they are doing. Everything below is quite manageable I'd say.
Given there are enough plants in the tank and not 1 Echinodorus and 1 Bucephalandra in a 50g.