# The Future Of Aquarium Lighting



## Ægir

I came across this while doing some research, and there is some new up and coming technology that caught my eye!



> The bulb itself is incredible. The tiny bulb contains no filaments and is extremely small about the size of a Tic-Tac breath mint. What is incredible is this is completely dimmable from 20 to 100%. Each LIFI unit has four main components a bulb, an RF power amplifier circuit (PA), a printed circuit board (PCB) and an enclosure.
> 
> Here's how it works:
> 
> * The PCB controls the electrical inputs and outputs of the lamp and houses the microcontroller used to manage different lamp functions.
> * An RF (radio-frequency) signal is generated by the solid-state PA and is guided into an electric field around the bulb.
> * The high concentration of energy in the electric field vaporizes the contents of the bulb to a plasma state at the bulb's center; this controlled plasma generates an intense source of light.
> * All of these subassemblies are contained in an aluminum enclosure.
> 
> Now let's get into the good part. Typical aquarium lighting is very inefficient. The intense lights we use generate a lot of heat, which is wasted energy. The more heat, the less efficient the bulb is. Metal halide (MH) lighting is very popular and useful but anyone who has been around a 400W MH light knows it gets very hot.
> 
> The LIFI light uses 250W of energy but a lot of that is converted to light output.


http://www.cnet.com/av/video/flv/universalPlayer/universalSmall.swf

Watch this video.... this is ONE of those small bulbs in a retrofit reflector....








> Now MH bulbs are expensive and recommended replacement time is from six to nine months. You do the math: 400W consumption + $50 to 100 a bulb (replacing 1.5 to 2 times a year) + fans, chillers or other cooling = lots of coin! The unit Aqua Illumination is using has the STA 40 bulb with a 30,000 hour lifespan. If you light your reef 12 hours a day all year long, your bulb will last you well over six years (6.8493150684931506849315068493151 years to be exact!)


So for around 600$ you can retrofit your own into a reflector, or from what i have found the "horticultural" fixtures (for growing plants) range from 1000$ to 7000$ with supplimental LEDs to boost the RED spectrum for flowering. Out of price for most, but this will come down as the technology develops.






Bottom line, they are getting 120 lumens per watt compared to 80 lumens per watt in metal halide lighting... The spectrum nearly matches sunlight and has 10 times longer bulb life... They are adjustable, controllable, dim-able, and as you decrease or increase power the spectrum changes. Theres almost NO heat, so AC, Chillers, and all that isnt required.

I will update with more research and how this turns out working... I am going to try and line up a few of these for my new tank (the retrofits and DIY myself)


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

that second video is crazy


----------



## CuzIsaidSo

Thats crazy. Keep us posted


----------



## Plowboy

Yep, to hell with other types of artificial light. That=win


----------



## rchan11

For $600


----------



## His Majesty

wow i am impressed. go technology










600 bucks is a lot of money. but im sure the price will drop after a few years. halid lights and the such will still be around for awhile

keep us updated egir if you decide to DIY


----------



## CLUSTER ONE

His Majesty said:


> wow i am impressed. go technology
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 600 bucks is a lot of money. but im sure the price will drop after a few years. halid lights and the such will still be around for awhile
> 
> keep us updated egir if you decide to DIY


600$ isnt all that much really for lighting. That one 600 bulb looked to be generating tons of light in a 180g which could probably replace 2x 250W bulbs. And if its lasting 6 years your saving as your probably spending 150$ per year to replace with good bulbs. Plus like said if your running mh you may want a chiller or fans or to raise the fixture a bit which would make it less effective. Your also saving a ton on electricity by paying for only light and not heat.

Price isnt cheap, but neither are less efficient fixtures. Hopefully the price will drop, but even now it it worth it. My only question is what is the K rating? It seems this would replace the mh fixture, but not the actinic or whatever supplementing lighting


----------



## Ægir

sean-820 said:


> wow i am impressed. go technology
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 600 bucks is a lot of money. but im sure the price will drop after a few years. halid lights and the such will still be around for awhile
> 
> keep us updated egir if you decide to DIY


600$ isnt all that much really for lighting. That one 600 bulb looked to be generating tons of light in a 180g which could probably replace 2x 250W bulbs. And if its lasting 6 years your saving as your probably spending 150$ per year to replace with good bulbs. Plus like said if your running mh you may want a chiller or fans or to raise the fixture a bit which would make it less effective. Your also saving a ton on electricity by paying for only light and not heat.

Price isnt cheap, but neither are less efficient fixtures. Hopefully the price will drop, but even now it it worth it. *My only question is what is the K rating?* It seems this would replace the mh fixture, but not the actinic or whatever supplementing lighting
[/quote]

They are talking about one of these bulbs EASILY replacing a 400w MH if you watch the first video...

This is where waiting comes into play... right now with the fixture dimmed to about 50% power, its creating a more blue (20K almost) light, but is "weak" and at 100% power the spectrum is between 6500 and 10K. Considering the first liquid plasma bulbs had to be spun at 20000RPM to keep them from incinerating themselves, or melting down.... now that this technology is "solid state" (no moving parts, bulb not moving) its going to take off for sure... and i would expect improvements in the spectrum as well

I have found several "brands" of these lights, but only trust one real manufacturer... And the 600$ is NO fixture, NO reflector... just the small driver, and housing unit for the bulb for you to DIY into a MH reflector (that really doesnt give the best spread but...)

Metal halide setup:
250W ballasts x3 400$ approx
Lumen Bright Reflectors x3 345$
Chiller 7-900$
Fans
Bulbs EVERY YEAR MAX

LIFI (solid state plasma)
2 drivers and bulbs (1200$)
lumen bright reflectors 230$
Replacing every 7 years (you already spent $90x3= 270$ per set of bulbs or 1890$ on MH bulbs in that time)

So approx it costs 3 250W ballasts, 1 reflector, 690$ of bulbs, and 1 chiller more NOT INCLUDING THE SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF POWER YOU WOULD USE IN THAT TIME ON A METAL HALIDE SYSTEM... thats quickly justified

I will keep you posted about more info i find...


----------



## Guest

Very interesting, but i heard a lot of big claims about LEDs for the last 5 years as well, so I will reserve judgement for now. Thanks for the info though man, I sent it to my energy engineer buddy and if he has any interesting feedback I will let you know


----------



## Ægir

Read the PDF










Going to start working on getting my hands on a few of these... I know 2 other people that are interested so, worth looking into for sure!


----------



## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

600 dollars isnt that much for a reef lighting fixture. Heck if I could retrofit a fixture with this new bulb that lasts 6 years, I would do it in an instant. A lot of these Metal Halide and T5s fixtures that are 48inches or longer retail all around 1k and the bulbs have to be replaced frequently to boot. Imagine the peace of mind for your reef knowing you only have to tinker with the lighting once every 6 years.


----------



## CLUSTER ONE

speakyourmind said:


> 600 dollars isnt that much for a reef lighting fixture. Heck if I could retrofit a fixture with this new bulb that lasts 6 years, I would do it in an instant. A lot of these Metal Halide and T5s fixtures that are 48inches or longer retail all around 1k and the bulbs have to be replaced frequently to boot. Imagine the peace of mind for your reef knowing you only have to tinker with the lighting once every 6 years.


 That light would be sweet to see in person. Imagine showing people a xmas sized light over a 180g tank that can actually light it up


----------



## Guest

This is all I got from my buddy:



> I've known about EP lighting for many months. I've actually been in contact with several new companies to see what they may have to offer for the aquarium industry. It turns out that the technology is still too new to be useful, or cost effective. Someday soon, however...


----------



## Ægir

Mr. Lahey said:


> This is all I got from my buddy:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I've known about EP lighting for many months. I've actually been in contact with several new companies to see what they may have to offer for the aquarium industry. It turns out that the technology is still too new to be useful, or cost effective. Someday soon, however...
Click to expand...

Yeah, obviously the cost is going to be WAY high the first few years, just like LED technology.

I have also been in contact with a major company, and hopefully will be receiving 6-10 drivers for aquarium, and horticultural use and testing. I will keep you posted with what happens...


----------



## xeloR

damn, and i thought the led's were still new technology!


----------



## Plowboy

Good God, your getting at least 6 of them?

Are you lucky enough to get to preproduction test/demo them for free, or are you buying them yourself?


----------



## Ægir

xeloR said:


> Good God, your getting at least 6 of them?
> 
> Are you lucky enough to get to preproduction test/demo them for free, or are you buying them yourself?


Im going to talk to local reefers, and both people im doing custom installs for are interested in trying them. I know i could get 6-10 over tanks NOW, and really that number depends on how many they want to send me. I am sure i could get cash for 15 or 20 if i took the time to get a group order... BUT i want them now, before anybody else locally because im like that









We will see, they may only want to send 2 or something... I expect to know for sure in the next few days max. These are somewhat pre-production and dont come with reflectors or anything, and yes they would be paid for before hand.


----------



## EZmoney

Ægir said:


> This is all I got from my buddy:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I've known about EP lighting for many months. I've actually been in contact with several new companies to see what they may have to offer for the aquarium industry. It turns out that the technology is still too new to be useful, or cost effective. Someday soon, however...
Click to expand...

Yeah, obviously the cost is going to be WAY high the first few years, just like LED technology.

I have also been in contact with a major company, and hopefully will be receiving 6-10 drivers *for aquarium, and horticultural use and testing*. I will keep you posted with what happens...
[/quote]

that was my first thought too.


----------



## Guest

What will they run you?


----------



## Ægir

Mr. Lahey said:


> What will they run you?


Dont know yet... havent heard any numbers in terms of how many i can get or the price.

If anybody is interested in trying a retrofit, i will try to help you out when i know more... like i said maybe a few days?


----------



## Grosse Gurke

I could retro this into my current light couldnt I? If so...let me know when you get a price...I might be interested.


----------



## Ægir

Grosse Gurke said:


> I could retro this into my current light couldnt I? If so...let me know when you get a price...I might be interested.


Yeah, you could retro it... most of the ones i have seen are in a Lumenarc metal halide reflectors. They arent the best for spreading the light evenly, but i have some ideas.

I will keep you updated.


----------



## Grosse Gurke

Thanks man.


----------



## Guest

So my buddy was talking to a manufacturer local to here and they shipped him a list of spectrums available. Highest was a 6500k "Cool White" bulb. The company said they would be getting into higher spectrums within a year or two though.

He also said something about the lumens...I didnt quite get it but I think he said something about them being 120 lumens right now which is 1/5 of a modern halide.

GG or Aegir, I cant wait to see you guys set one of these up. It will be the crown jewel of the PFURY reefs!


----------



## Ægir

Mr. Lahey said:


> So my buddy was talking to a manufacturer local to here and they shipped him a list of spectrums available. Highest was a 6500k "Cool White" bulb. The company said they would be getting into higher spectrums within a year or two though.
> 
> He also said something about the lumens...I didnt quite get it but I think he said something about them being 120 lumens right now which is 1/5 of a modern halide.
> 
> GG or Aegir, I cant wait to see you guys set one of these up. It will be the crown jewel of the PFURY reefs!


Thats correct, the ones i am trying to get ahold of are about 6000k, 273w of power use and 16,000 initial lumens. That color temp closely matches the suns spectrum, but would need some actinic to get the color pop most people want in a reef.

I believe he is talking about lumens per watt, plasma is 160ish/w, a LED is about 70/w, MH is 90/w (with a great bulb and reflector)... and a standard light bulb is like 10 or 11 lumens per w.

I havent had much luck with consistent emails, so im going to start calling directly tomorrow.


----------



## redbellyman21

very interesting read and again always outdoing urself


----------



## Ægir

The plot thickens! LED lighting is getting up to par (no pun intended!) with plasma...



> Cree Announces Revolutionary New LED Platform Delivering 160 Lumens per Watt
> 
> XLamp® XM LEDs Are Most Efficient Lighting-Class LEDs in the Industry
> 
> DURHAM, N.C., April 12, 2010 - Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE), a market leader in LED lighting, announces a breakthrough new lighting-class LED platform, the XLamp® XM LED. This new single chip LED delivers record-breaking efficacy of 160 lumens per watt at 350 mA. The LED also delivers 750 lumens at 2 A, which is equivalent to the light output of a 60 W incandescent light bulb at less than 7 watts.
> 
> "This new platform continues Cree's well-established record of turning R&D innovations into products," said Chuck Swoboda, Cree chairman and CEO. "We continue to set the pace for LED performance, establishing new benchmarks that make you wonder why anyone would consider last-century's energy-wasting technology."
> 
> A cool white XM LED driven at 350 mA can produce 160 lumens at 160 lumens per watt. The new platform has a larger footprint than Cree's XP family and also offers the unique combination of very high efficacy at very high drive currents. At 2 A, an XM LED produces 750 lumens at 110 lumens per watt. The thermal resistance of the XM platform is 2 degrees C per watt- an industry-leading technology breakthrough and a 350 percent improvement over Cree's flagship XLamp XP-E LED.


Right when i was about to make an order for PAR 38 LED spotlights with the old XP or XR model LEDS... guess i have to get in contact with them and find more information.


----------



## Guest

whats the latest on these?

LEDs were suppose to be the future of aquarium lighting years ago, and look where they still are at


----------



## Ægir

Eggs said:


> whats the latest on these?
> 
> LEDs were suppose to be the future of aquarium lighting years ago, and look where they still are at


The latest on these is i gave up hope of dealing with the company directly... then today after 6 months I got an email with information, and a price... Which is 1000$ for the most basic retrofit including the emitter (bulb), puck/heat-sink, and power supply. It would be more to have lighting controls (a dimmer), and not just ON/OFF function.

I am passing the word on, and would bet 1 or 2 get shipped my way shortly... glad i got this email before i pulled the trigger on lighting the 155 bowfront!










The reason LEDs are "stuck" in development (aquarium fixtures) is because of lawsuits, and a patent on the "general idea". I forget the name right now, but MANY years ago a company (Solaris i want to say?) made LED light fixtures for aquariums... then disappeared. The product cant develop, and become better because theres not much competition. IF you want to make your own LED fixture, you can build some AMAZING setups using Cree LEDS. The patent isnt on the LEDs themselves so they will always continue to get better... just dont expect to see them over your aquarium in a ready bought fixture any time soon. Another "loophole" in the patent is the PAR30 and 38 spotlights that use LEDS.

Read more here: LED LAWSUIT


----------



## Guest

whats the latest


----------



## Smoke

Very cool


----------



## Ægir

swampassj said:


> whats the latest


The latest is they want 1000$ for a retrofit kit (no reflector or lens) that is still in development, and _really_ want you to order 5 or more... 10 for a price break. Throwing around the idea of using one for a frag tank in the future, just to compare it side by side to metal halide and LED. I love the idea, its just not cheap or documented really yet.

Thats the thing that sucks about technology... something that is outrageously expensive and awesome now, can be completely obsolete and garbage 6 months later.


----------

