ESHINE 48X3W 4G lighting fixture experience
- Thread starter yh1185
- Start date
radbluesfan
New member
Great! Thanks
I hope you have a good camera to show us some good pictures when your LEDs arrive tomorrow.
I still have not forgotten about you!!! Just busy and have not gotten around to it yet. BTW, I have a crappy camera and take most of my pics with an Iphone---I guess that is why I have never upgraded. I guess you have to upload them to photobucket before posting them here, at least that is what you do on Corvette Forum.
I am happy with the lights. All 4 arrived with no damage. I was thinking of how I would hang them, but in the end used the hanging kit provided and they look nice and it was so easy. I used the heavy duty lead anchors from Lowes to attach the ceiling mounts. They are rated at 50 lbs each. There are 2 anchors, 1 for each cable, and the light weighs about 15 lbs so it should be plenty strong enough. I mis-measured the first light and ended up with 2 extra anchor holes and had to use a little spackle--but it dried white and is hardly noticeable without repainting. I hung the lights parallel to my tank but after hooking the connector plug to it, the weight and pull of the cord was making them rest at an angle. I put a little white zip tie base on the wall behind the tank, ziptied the cord tight and then pulled out enough cord so the lights stayed parallel. I am entering the 3rd week of cycle so I have been running the lights only 2 hours a day, when I get home from work just so I can admire things!!! I'll try to get motivated and get some pics. I took some during the unboxing but theres not much to see there. If you have any questions let me know. I always look on here when I am on break at work.
radbluesfan
New member
I think the coverage is good. They are about 10 inches off of the water right now. I have a glass support brace in the center of the tank about 10 or 12 inches wide made of 1/2" glass that I was concerned with. It does not seem to be a problem. My tank is 60" wide and my 2 lights are about 48" wide for both. I spaced them 3" in from the left and right ends and left about a 6" space in the middle between the lights. They look great to me. I really like the all blue at 10% power when it first lights up and right before it powers down---a nice, low twilight color. Take what I say with a grain of salt---I am a total newbie and never even owned a goldfish tank before!!! I am in my mid forties and think I have done things right though. I guess the true test will be when I add livestock. My water is testing good now and I am going to add some snails, followed by a couple baby clowns that a local guy has bred in the next week or so. I will probably wait a while before trying a RBTA or two.
sjfishguy
Active member
Ok, a couple guys are doing a group buy with these and I am a interested but still a little skeptical. I have a full blown SPS tank, I mean colonies the size of grapefruits to volleyballs and I want to make sure one of these fixtures is enough light. My tank is a 58g, 36L x 18d x 18h. I will definitely get one of the Cree fixtures with a dimmer or control, I just am not sure which one? Will the 48X3W be enough coverage for my tank? Can I get a dimmer/controller for the 60?
My tank has a center overflow so the main chunk of the corals are within 12'' front to back. I have a nice blue milli on the right end of the tank that I want to make sure gets enough light. I was thinking if I got the 48x3 I could get 90 degree optics on the back three rows and 60s up front to punch down to the bottom to hit a maxima on the sandbed and several other LPS down there. Also, I plan on the having the fixture a little forward because that overflow doesn't need much light (birdsnest and pocillopora colony on either side).
What also concerns me is the track that you put the fixture on. This will put it only 3'' off the water, making the spread an even bigger concern. I could hang it, but then I would lose some of the intensity. What do you guys think?
My tank has a center overflow so the main chunk of the corals are within 12'' front to back. I have a nice blue milli on the right end of the tank that I want to make sure gets enough light. I was thinking if I got the 48x3 I could get 90 degree optics on the back three rows and 60s up front to punch down to the bottom to hit a maxima on the sandbed and several other LPS down there. Also, I plan on the having the fixture a little forward because that overflow doesn't need much light (birdsnest and pocillopora colony on either side).
What also concerns me is the track that you put the fixture on. This will put it only 3'' off the water, making the spread an even bigger concern. I could hang it, but then I would lose some of the intensity. What do you guys think?
sjfishguy
Active member
And I just read an article (seems to be kind of opinion) that these fixtures have old Cree emitters that really aren't very good.
http://aquariumopinions.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/stark-aquarium-led-review/
What do you think?
http://aquariumopinions.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/stark-aquarium-led-review/
What do you think?
I have one of there aqua master fixtures with the t5 lights as well. One thing I want to warn everybody is the hanging hardware that they come with. If its the same for all the e-shine lights be careful. If I did not tie a knot in the end of the cable right above the water my fixture would of went into the tank. The clip that clasps the cable at the height you set it to broke three days after I got the fixture.
I didn't buy it directly from eshine but a seller that they gave me a link to on ebay that had a good price on it. When I went to the eshine website to talk to someone in the website chat they told me the part isn't covered under warranty and that I would have to buy a new hanging kit. The hanging kit was only like 10 bucks I think plus shipping but still dont think I should have to buy a new one. I told them no and did not buy the new hanging kit.
Also the t-5s dont do anything. The two dont even come with reflectors and the recessed areas where they are mounted aren't even painted white to try to reflect some of the light.
I didn't buy it directly from eshine but a seller that they gave me a link to on ebay that had a good price on it. When I went to the eshine website to talk to someone in the website chat they told me the part isn't covered under warranty and that I would have to buy a new hanging kit. The hanging kit was only like 10 bucks I think plus shipping but still dont think I should have to buy a new one. I told them no and did not buy the new hanging kit.
Also the t-5s dont do anything. The two dont even come with reflectors and the recessed areas where they are mounted aren't even painted white to try to reflect some of the light.
radbluesfan
New member
I read the article you linked. I have heard that the Crees may not be the latest and greatest---here and on other forums but nothing is ever confirmed. It seems that could be the case but does it matter. That article has been around for awhile. It looks like it is updated on occasion but the Eshine light they reviewed (Stark 60 watt LED sold in the USA by a greedy middleman) is years old and had 20 LEDs in it total. I saw you found the Chinese Led Lights thread, all 64 pages of it!!! People are reporting success with the black box ebay and alibaba lights. They use mostly Epistar and Bridgelux LEDs which are much cheaper than Crees. In nearly any LED thread you will hear people saying to be careful of burning your corals with too much light----start at less than full power or hang the lights higher. The Crees put out more light per their specs but the other brands appear to be more than adequate---from what I have read. I just bought the Eshine 48x3 but have a new tank with nothing in it. I have 2 on a 60" tank but it is 24 or 26" deep, can't remember. If your tank is 18" deep I would think you could raise them slightly higher for more spread. Centered, you would have 6" on each side of your tank without a light directly on top of it. I am unsure if that would be a problem. In my inexperienced opinion, I like them. If a person is an expert wanting only the best they should expect to pay double or triple the costs for LEDs----that is definitely not me.
sjfishguy
Active member
I think it is probably necessary to have something pretty high quality to keep nicer acros and things looking good. I am not saying these aren't, I am just unsure. I am kind of new to all the LED info and lingo, but I know the CREEs are suppose to be the best. And if these crees are the same or very similar too the higher end fixtures (AI, etc.) then I would have no hesitation going with these. It is just unclear to me at this point. And I am still a little unsure about the spread with a 2' fixture over a 3' tank.
As far as the LED's and performance of these lights with SPS, i can say for sure that these lights are good enough to support SPS, if you have enough coverage and penetration, just as you would need with any fixture. All of the SPS's that i've bought were either brown, or very pale when i bought them, and now have colored up really nicely. Even some ORA Red Planet that my LFS sold, which was white with a pink tint on it, has turned to a deep green with pink polyps. The only thing i will say is that i would suggest adding some red LED's or something because it seems like all my "red" Acans have turned orange, and almost all of my SPS's are green/blue/purple.(Could be because the sps that i have are just naturally that way, not too experienced with SPS) Also, my Red bubble tip anemone has turned into a rose bubble time anemone. Not sure if that's what it's original color was, but it looks healthy as ever, and my clown is having a hell of a time in it. Over all i'm extremely happy with how all of my corals are coloring up. So if your worried about the ability of these LED's to keep sps and other corals alive, don't be. I'd be more worried about trying to get the right penetration and spread for your tank size.
sjfishguy
Active member
I am not worried about the depth. All the SPS are at the top half of the tank and some LPS at the bottom. I am more worried about the spread. My tank is the same as yours yh1185 except 21'' tall. And your light is the one I am looking at.
How high up off the water do you have it?
Which optics?
Are you getting enough spread on the edges and front to back?
The light just seems small for a 36''x18'' footprint, but please tell me your experience as far as the spread goes.
What other SPS do you have?
How long has your light been on the tank?
Have any pics?
How high up off the water do you have it?
Which optics?
Are you getting enough spread on the edges and front to back?
The light just seems small for a 36''x18'' footprint, but please tell me your experience as far as the spread goes.
What other SPS do you have?
How long has your light been on the tank?
Have any pics?
Pictures are somewhere in this thread
I have since raised the lights a bit for a slightly better spread. The edges are a bit dimmer, but I like that so i can put new corals there to acclimate to the LEDS first, and then i'll move them to higher light areas. My RBTA has moved itself towards the edges, so i guess that means the light is a bit strong in the center? The light is about 12 in off the water at this point. i'm using 90 optics. The front back spread isn't a problem, the side to side is a bit dim as i said, but for me i think it's fine. I don't crank my LEDS up to 100% either. Max i think i have it at like 70blue and 50white?
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