Some PAR Readings for ACO Easy Plant 48" LED Light on a 75 gallon tank

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi All,

Our club has an Apogee MQ-510 PAR meter and today I had an opportunity to take some PAR readings of the subject fixture on a 75 gallon tank.  All readings were taken in the center of the tank, at a depth of 19.5" from the fixture, and through an Aqueon glass top.  There was a moderate amount of surface agitation due to canister filter spraybar output and an airstone in operation.

Fixture Setting      PAR
      20                     41
      60                     60
    100                     80

Keep in mind that the glass top drops the PAR about 10% verses no glass top.  It is likely the surface agitation also reduced the PAR levels by a small percentage.  Hope this helps!  -Roy

[JoeQ]

Do you also have the minimum readings at certain percentages?

Edited July 5, 2023 by JoeQ

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi @JoeQ,

Sorry, I didn't have a lot of time to take readings and those were the only ones I took.  -Roy

[JoeQ]

On 7/5/2023 at 4:58 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said:

Hi @JoeQ,

Sorry, I didn't have a lot of time to take readings and those were the only ones I took.  -Roy

No troubles, thanks for the info. I'm actually thinking about purchasing that light for my next tank.

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi @JoeQ,

It appears to be very similar to the Fluval Plant 3.0 in design and construction but with differences.  The ACO unit  is rated at 50 watts vs 59 watts for Fluval.  The ACO has no bluetooth.  ACO has no ramping of brightness or programmability.  ACO has fixed output percentages on all color channels vs adjustable on Fluval.  ACO has 340 LED's vs Fluval with 336 LED' sand ACO output is 4500 lumens vs Fluval at 4250 lumens.  Both ACO and Fluval are sealed units per IP67 and come with a three (3) year warranty.  Best price I can find on the Fuval 48" - 60" is $227.99 and the ACO unit is $149.00.  No information as to how far the brackets extend beyond the 48" nominal length. on the ACO units.  The ACO unit is about 2/3 the price for similar specifications on maximum output but it does lack the adjustable spectrum, automatic ramp-ability,  and programmability. 

Edited July 5, 2023 by Seattle_Aquarist

[JoeQ]

On 7/5/2023 at 6:07 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said:

Hi @JoeQ,

It appears to be very similar to the Fluval Plant 3.0 in design and construction but with differences.  The ACO unit  is rated at 50 watts vs 59 watts for Fluval.  The ACO has no bluetooth.  ACO has no ramping of brightness or programmability.  ACO has fixed output percentages on all color channels vs adjustable on Fluval.  ACO has 340 LED's vs Fluval with 336 LED' sand ACO output is 4500 lumens vs Fluval at 4250 lumens.  Both ACO and Fluval are sealed units per IP67 and come with a three (3) year warranty.  Best price I can find on the Fuval 48" - 60" is $227.99 and the ACO unit is $149.00.  No information as to how far the brackets extend beyond the 48" nominal length. on the ACO units.  The ACO unit is about 2/3 the price for similar specifications on maximum output but it does lack the adjustable spectrum, automatic ramp-ability,  and programmability. 

Well thats kind of disappointing, I already have a spare 3.0 (I think) and now that I know they are pretty similar my excuse for buying one has just been shot down!! 🤣🤣🤣🙁

[JoeQ]

Nope, its a 24/7 which is too strong for a small/shallow tank IMO. Definitely going to have to get something that I can change the power settings on! 🤣

Edited July 6, 2023 by JoeQ

[Maximus]

On 7/5/2023 at 3:07 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said:

No information as to how far the brackets extend beyond the 48" nominal length. on the ACO units.

I have a 48" ACO of the previous gen (no LED readout of intensity). It extends to just beyond 5' (81"). It's worth nothing that the brackets need to be extended about one inch on each side to grab the edges of the tank if you're running a 4' like a 55 gallon because the unit itself is 46".

Edited July 6, 2023 by Maximus

[JoeQ]

On 7/6/2023 at 11:50 AM, Pepere said:

@JoeQ,  you could try one of these for $12.00 if the light you have has barrel connectors between power supply and light.

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WT8VK28?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&tag=tank01-20

 

 

allows you to set up to 6 time slots and power percentage in 1% increments and allows for instant on off, or 15 minute or 30 minute ramp.

Thanks, but im not necessarily in the market for a light because I need it. I'm more in the market for the coop one because I want it! The only thing stopping me is a good excuse! 🤣

Edited July 6, 2023 by JoeQ

[JChristophersAdventures]

Perfect timing on some great info! I am beginning the process of setting up a 75 and had pretty much already decided on the ACO light... actually, I am thinking about 2 of them... one for the rear 1/2, the other for the front 1/2... then setting them at lower light levels and hooked to a timer to come on and off at differing times. Thanks.

[Maximus]

On 7/6/2023 at 9:56 AM, JChristophersAdventures said:

Perfect timing on some great info! I am beginning the process of setting up a 75 and had pretty much already decided on the ACO light... actually, I am thinking about 2 of them... one for the rear 1/2, the other for the front 1/2... then setting them at lower light levels and hooked to a timer to come on and off at differing times. Thanks.

I run one on a 55, and it does great. I'd definitely consider a second if you have that deeper 75. Let us know how it goes! Just watch out on balance or you'll get an algae tank. 

[anewbie]

On 7/5/2023 at 5:07 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said:

Hi @JoeQ,

It appears to be very similar to the Fluval Plant 3.0 in design and construction but with differences.  The ACO unit  is rated at 50 watts vs 59 watts for Fluval.  The ACO has no bluetooth.  ACO has no ramping of brightness or programmability.  ACO has fixed output percentages on all color channels vs adjustable on Fluval.  ACO has 340 LED's vs Fluval with 336 LED' sand ACO output is 4500 lumens vs Fluval at 4250 lumens.  Both ACO and Fluval are sealed units per IP67 and come with a three (3) year warranty.  Best price I can find on the Fuval 48" - 60" is $227.99 and the ACO unit is $149.00.  No information as to how far the brackets extend beyond the 48" nominal length. on the ACO units.  The ACO unit is about 2/3 the price for similar specifications on maximum output but it does lack the adjustable spectrum, automatic ramp-ability,  and programmability. 

Did you measure the actual wattage usage? I have found 'stated' wattage to frequently be off a bit. The ACO unit has a very nice price and decent par for a deep aquarium; BUT that inability to ramp up/down evening/night I find problematic for my fishes.

[JChristophersAdventures]

Thanks, Maximus. We are on the same page... my thoughts were to keep both on a relatively low setting, but experiment with the back one on the blue light setting (or the lowest setting), having it come on 1 hr earlier and stay on 1 hr later (using separate timers) to simulate dawn and dusk similar to the more expensive lights. A couple of timers doesn't cost that much. I would start with very low settings (and short hours) to avoid the algae problem (hopefully).