Waterproof LEDs for tank in bright room

[thefish1337]

Originally Posted by a1issa

Just wanted to circle back around and share that I ultimately bought a HLG Saber and wired it up to a 90W power supply. I wanted the light placed inside my tank so this was a great waterproof option and it looks very sleek. The light quality is awesome and I’m waiting to see how my plants respond after they get used to it.

HLG SABER LED Grow Light (Power Supply Not Included)

how long have you been running? any need to dim?

[a1issa]

Originally Posted by thefish1337

how long have you been running? any need to dim?

It’s been running since 12/27 and hasn’t burned anything yet. I ramped it up gradually for the first 5 days and have been running at 12 hrs/day since. Most of the plants I have in the tank prefer 2000-3000 footcandles, but I have a few that prefer more or less and they’re staggered accordingly. You can push this light to up to 120 watts but so far I’m happy with running it at 90. Time will tell, though!

[thefish1337]

Originally Posted by a1issa

It’s been running since 12/27 and hasn’t burned anything yet. I ramped it up gradually for the first 5 days and have been running at 12 hrs/day since. Most of the plants I have in the tank prefer 2000-3000 footcandles, but I have a few that prefer more or less and they’re staggered accordingly. You can push this light to up to 120 watts but so far I’m happy with running it at 90. Time will tell, though!

glad you like it! i love my hlg 65

[a1issa]

Originally Posted by thefish1337

glad you like it! i love my hlg 65

HLG’s lights seem like the best LEDs on the market. Ive actually been thinking about adding a 65 for my oncidiums in a separate grow area... glad to hear it’s working well for you!

[vvasabi]

I would like to chime in to say that I also bought a number of Sabers. HLG really charges a lot more (I paid US$200 each) for the version with a driver, but I didn’t want to go through the hassle of sourcing the driver myself. The driver they supplied integrated nicely with the Saber unit itself anyways.

I am currently running my Sabers at 80W, which produces about 250 μmol, measured using Apogee MQ-500, at 30 cm directly beneath the unit. I use mine on the adjustable Ikea Fjälkinge shelves. Each shelf is only 35 cm deep, but the light should be able to cover more area. This setup looks really nice in my living room, making the dark & gloomy Canadian winter more tolerable here.

I have been using this setup since October on a 12 on/12 off cycle. All of my orchids (phals, paphs, cats & dens) seem happy under the light. I put phals and paphs farther away as they need less light intensity. I see a lot of new growth and even a few blooms. The Saber is an expensive light, but I think it is worth it.

[a1issa]

Originally Posted by vvasabi

I would like to chime in to say that I also bought a number of Sabers. HLG really charges a lot more (I paid US$200 each) for the version with a driver, but I didn’t want to go through the hassle of sourcing the driver myself. The driver they supplied integrated nicely with the Saber unit itself anyways.

I am currently running my Sabers at 80W, which produces about 250 μmol, measured using Apogee MQ-500, at 30 cm directly beneath the unit. I use mine on the adjustable Ikea Fjälkinge shelves. Each shelf is only 35 cm deep, but the light should be able to cover more area. This setup looks really nice in my living room, making the dark & gloomy Canadian winter more tolerable here.

I have been using this setup since October on a 12 on/12 off cycle. All of my orchids (phals, paphs, cats & dens) seem happy under the light. I put phals and paphs farther away as they need less light intensity. I see a lot of new growth and even a few blooms. The Saber is an expensive light, but I think it is worth it.

Nice feedback! If you go for more, it was simple to wire it up and I bought the $30 90-watt power supply kindly recommended by HLG on their site. I found it on Amazon; no need to use one of their linked suppliers who had high order minimums for free shipping. The 100-watt or more drivers were enough more expensive that you’d be closer to even if you bought the pre-wired version. My total cost was $150.

[Geezer2u]

Are you planning on a lid for your tank? If not, it seems to me that you will have a major issue maintaining that humidity without making your home more humid. If you have a lid you do not have to be concerned with waterproof lighting? The misting, even if the light is waterproof, would most likely leave salt deposits from any fertilizer or pesticide on the lens reducing light. I have had several aquariums in my life. Spent a lot of money for lights capable of growing SPS corals and never ran across any listed as waterproof.

First time on this board, sorry! Did not see previous replies. Good luck!

	Mistking Looking for a misting system? Look no further. Automated misting systems from MistKing are used by multitude of plant enthusiasts and are perfect for Orchids. Systems feature run dry pumps, ZipDrip valve, adjustable black nozzles, per second control! Automatically mist one growing shelf or a greenhouse full of Orchids. See MistKing testimonials

[a1issa]

Originally Posted by Geezer2u

Are you planning on a lid for your tank? If not, it seems to me that you will have a major issue maintaining that humidity without making your home more humid. If you have a lid you do not have to be concerned with waterproof lighting? The misting, even if the light is waterproof, would most likely leave salt deposits from any fertilizer or pesticide on the lens reducing light. I have had several aquariums in my life. Spent a lot of money for lights capable of growing SPS corals and never ran across any listed as waterproof.

First time on this board, sorry! Did not see previous replies. Good luck!

Thanks for the note! The tank has been built and I did use a plexiglass lid to maintain humidity plus mounted the waterproof HLG Saber inside. The misters spray some moisture on it. I anticipate I’ll have to clean it once in a while but I’m using distilled water which should minimize buildup.

Check it out, it’s still a work in progress but it’s coming along:

72-gallon partially planted bowfront aquarium

Enjoy the board! There’s a lot of great info here.

	Mistking Looking for a misting system? Look no further. Automated misting systems from MistKing are used by multitude of plant enthusiasts and are perfect for Orchids. Systems feature run dry pumps, ZipDrip valve, adjustable black nozzles, per second control! Automatically mist one growing shelf or a greenhouse full of Orchids. See MistKing testimonials