Top 5: Reasons You Should Upgrade to LED
By: Dan Dickson
The
popularity of LED lighting is growing at an astounding rate. Whether it’s
because you want to be more eco-friendly by minimizing your carbon footprint,
you’re tired of buying replacement lamps every 10-12 months, or maybe you’re a techie like me and love the
“cool factor” of a fully controllable LED lighting system. There is the perfect LED lighting system for
everyone. Here 5 reasons why you need to make the switch to LED.
1. You’re Saving the World!
The one
piece of equipment that has long been the most eco “unfriendly” has been
lighting. From the mercury contained within bulbs like metal halide and
fluorescent, to the outrageous consumption of energy that’s required to operate
these systems, aquarium lighting has always needed a change. LED is that change.
Aquarium
hobbyists have always shown an interest in conservation by recognizing the need
for captive bred and captive grown aquarium inhabitants, or by supporting
causes to make the world’s oceans more sustainable. LED is lighting the way to
an even more eco-friendly aquarium community.
Finally! An eco-friendly lighting
option! Because LED consumes approximately 1/3 the energy of a similar metal
halide setup, you are minimizing your carbon footprint, and by doing that you’re
helping to save the environment.
2. No More Costly Replacements
Say goodbye
to that annual replacement bulb order. Now you can spend that money on some new
frags, or maybe even that gorgeous Latezonatus Clownfish you’ve been drooling over! Captive
bred, of course. With LED lighting, you’ll never have to replace a bulb ever
again! LED Lighting has an estimated life of 50,000 hours. At 12 hours a day,
the LEDs in your fixture wouldn’t need to be replaced for over 10 years! If
you’re anything like me, you’ll be on to your 2nd or 3rd
different aquarium in that amount of time.
3. Custom Color Options
You want
blue? You’ve got it. You want white? You’ve got it. You want anything in
between? You can have that too. Most LED Lighting systems, like the Ecotech Radion XR30w give you the ability to create a
custom color. No more supplemental T5’s. No more “trial and error” with
different metal halide bulbs. Creating your ideal color is as easy the turn of
a dial, or the even swipe of a finger if you’re using the AquaIllumination Nano Sol Fixture.
4. They’re Cool!
LED Lighting
systems, like the JBJ Unibody LED System transfer practically no heat into
your aquarium. Say goodbye to that noisy chiller, and say hello to a cool,
quiet aquarium. Not only are you going to save tons of money on the energy
consumption of the fixture itself, but combining that with the energy savings
of not having a chiller, and you can definitely grab that Latz clown, maybe
even a mated pair!
5. They’re Really Cool!
Can you
simulate lightening storms with a metal halide lamp? Can you dim a compact
fluorescent bulb to simulate cloud cover? Nope! Only with an LED lighting
system can you do all that cool stuff. That’s awesome, huh? You can also
control the intensity of the light for a sunrise and sunset. I’m sure your pair
of Latz clowns would appreciate a romantic sunset.
Conclusion
If you
aren’t already in the process of ordering your new LED lighting system, I would
recommend that you scroll to the top of this page and start reading again. It
might take a second reading to truly grasp how awesome LED lighting really is.