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[jweis]

I could live with any of them, but the oranges on the Aquaflora one do look more natural than the purples on the right - at least in the picture

Yes, the Aqualflora/midday imitation definitely looks more natural. The other one made also the white roots looks a bit purple-y.

I just did a trim and adjusted the tilt of the fixtures, so the light is aimed better. There is an annoying shadow the middle of the tank due to the 2" black plastic brace/bracket that runs down the middle of the tank. In person the tank is a bit brighter, but I left my camera settings the same as for the other pictures, so it would be an apples-to-apples comparison.

If you look at the right hand side of the picture, you will see the fissidens on the wood are highlighted better with the slight angle adjustment.

As always, double click on the picture to get it to expand so you can see it all at once and don't have to use the scroll bars.

[jweis]

I asked Nick if I could bring one of the "freshwater planted" fixtures to the upcoming meeting, so people could see the quality of his fixtures, and below is his response:

Hi Julie. I’m glad you like the new lights. They looked very similar to the Giesemann combo during the in-house tests, so let me know how they compare to your eye. Also, please feel free to take the Planted Tank fixtures to the show, and let me know what everyone says about the two spectra. We just shipped 11 different 12” prototypes to a planted tank ground on the west coast, so let me know if our club would like to demo the new spectra prototypes. We can build 565 million colors, but we want to build the spectra you (the customer) like best.

[Aaron]

I asked Nick if I could bring one of the "freshwater planted" fixtures to the upcoming meeting, so people could see the quality of his fixtures, and below is his response:

Hi Julie. I’m glad you like the new lights. They looked very similar to the Giesemann combo during the in-house tests, so let me know how they compare to your eye. Also, please feel free to take the Planted Tank fixtures to the show, and let me know what everyone says about the two spectra. We just shipped 11 different 12” prototypes to a planted tank ground on the west coast, so let me know if our club would like to demo the new spectra prototypes. We can build 565 million colors, but we want to build the spectra you (the customer) like best.

I would love to demo one of the new spectra.

[jweis]

Yes, I've told Nick that GWAPA would be thrilled to demo his new spectra LEDs.

Also, I plugged in my old 24" Giesemann T5s (one fixture with four bulbs) and took some more comparison pictures. They are pretty darn close. T5s are on the top, LEDs (2 fixtures) on the bottom. Double click to expand the picture below.

[eleontie]

Julie , what is the approximate price comparison : the T5 fixture with 4 bulbs vs 2 LED fixture ?
With such a nice comparison I would like to also know the pricewise comparison in the same place.

[jweis]

Julie , what is the approximate price comparison : the T5 fixture with 4 bulbs vs 2 LED fixture ?
With such a nice comparison I would like to also know the pricewise comparison in the same place.

Here is the comparison. LED is over all less expensive, since the bulbs do not need replacement.

Unit Qty Sub Tot Description - T5 fixure and bulbs. Blubs need replaced at least once/yr
$299.99 1 $299.99 LumenBlaster T5 Retro Fit Kits 24" 4 bulbs
$18.99 2 $37.98 Giesemann Powerchrome 24 Inch 24W Midday T5HO Fluorescent Bulb
$21.99 2 $43.98 Giesemann Powerchrome 24 Inch 24W Aquaflora T5HO Fluorescent Bulb
$381.95

Unit Qty Sub Tot Description - LED. Bulbs do not need to be replaced
$194.00 2 $388.00 Custom 29" fixture

[jweis]

Recived this note from Nick today:

"I believe the demo fixtures will ship to you today from California. These lights are making their way around the country, and you are next on the list. Let us know if you like any of the spectra, and if so, which would be the best type of tank for the spectrum (i.e. Dutch vs. Nature tank)? All of the feedback is appreciated, as we are interested in building the best lights for planted tanks."

[Aaron]

Wow, that's awesome. We should see about having a sponsor forum for them.

[Jeff120]

I may have to look into these, I dont really like the coralife LED I have over my 12" cube.

[jweis]

More info on the prototype lights. Does anyone know Jeremy since he lives in DC?

Hi Julie. By way of this email, I would like to introduce you to Jeremy Squire. Jeremy is helping us with our marketing efforts, and he is also a planted tank enthusiast. He lives near the DC area, so he was planning to meet with your group to review the planted tank spectra prototypes. However, he is leaving for an international trip next week, so I am having the prototypes shipped directly to you. Jeremy will reach out to you this week to talk about the prototypes and our development goals.

Thanks again for your feedback! We look forward to working closely with your group this year 

Nick Klase
Co-Founder | CEO