Originally run in WWM Digital: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/WWMDigitalMagV1Ish2.htm

Zoo-Med AquaSun^® LED HO Review

by Bob Fenner

I’d say I’m an ancient rather than old user of Zoo-Med products; reptile and aquarium. My involvement with Zoo-Med and owner/manager Gary Bagnall dates back to the late 1970s and his initial herptile procuring businesses in Southern California; so it seems very natural for me to pen a review of their newest aquarium LED light fixture. I will admit to a degree of bias from the get go; having used Zoo-Meds T5 lamps and a fixture on my four foot long Eheim systems.

First off, the packaging. I REALLY like how solid the support inside and outside is; no marks or marring of the fixture and accessories.

Comes complete! I added a cheapy (under four dollars) indoor timer to turn both the night time and daylight modules on; but you might want to get two timers or a dual one to alternate re the day time and moonlight LEDs. Packaging includes a handy “aircraft cable” suspension kit, should you elect to hang your fixture above your system; otherwise the adjustable pull-out side arms will fit any near four foot (or whatever size fixture you use) tank.

Simple, elegant design: From the fixture itself (thin, flat black finish), light cover (tough plastic, easy clean), adjustable arms to fit a myriad of frames, this LED is a winner. The fixture is aluminum; engineered for passive heat dissipation; hence no fan noise or burn out potential.

Interchangeable LED modules: The Zoo-Med HO LED fixture is adjustable for your particular type system; with modules that you can easily change out to customize your lighting:

AquaSun^® LED HO - Light Module: with warm daylight and blue moonlight units. Comes as four white 6000K LEDs (one watt each), and two blue 465nm LEDs (500 milliwatts each.

AquaSun^® LED HO - Plant Module: designed to stimulate plant chlorophyll function. Comes as four white 6000K LEDs (one watt each), and two red LEDs (620 to 630 nm, 500 milliwatts each.

AquaSun^® LED HO - Daylight Module: an all “white” LED insert that comes as four white 6000k LEDs (one watt each), and two white 6000k LEDs (500 milliwatts each.

The white lights produce a “shimmer effect”, like natural sunlight; and the blues are nice to mix or have on for their own at night for “lunar effect”. And they’re bright! The LED HO fixtures yield about one and a half times the photonic strength as T5 HO fixtures of similar wattage.

Relatively inexpensive: Compared with high end LED fixtures, that admittedly do have fancy controllers (that I don’t use), the Zoo-Med light fixtures are a bargain. They are manufactured with durable diodes (20,000 hour rated), reflectors and components that will function well for years.

Have only begun the real bio-assays of using this light on my systems… but so far so good… color and growth; aesthetically and functionally a good product. One last note: as the instructions call for, make sure and plug this and all other electrical aquarium gear into a GFCI protected outlet. For more information see their site: zoomed.com

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AquaSun® LED HO - Plant Module: designed to stimulate plant chlorophyll function. Comes as four white 6000K LEDs (one watt each), and two red LEDs (620 to 630 nm, 500 milliwatts each.

AquaSun^® LED HO - Plant Module: designed to stimulate plant chlorophyll function. Comes as four white 6000K LEDs (one watt each), and two red LEDs (620 to 630 nm, 500 milliwatts each.