JBJ 28G LED - Need some Help

[gath2]

I'm currently running the HQI hood. My tank is running much warmer than I'd like. I have had the A/C on all summer and had to leave the hood cracked open in order to keep it and an acceptable level. I really don't want to add cooling fans to the back and create more evaporation. Currently only have a few LPS corals. I don't plan on this being an SPS tank so I'm not worried about PAR so much

So I'm looking at replacing it with some LED lights. I love DIY, but I don't want to do this from scratch. I don't have the time or patience right now to research, buy and assemble everything that's involved in it.

JBJ's LED 89w Pro system looks pretty good for the price. All I have to to is swap out the hood and plug it in.
http://www.jbjnanocubes.com/contents/en-us/p10985_28-led_-_replacement-hood.html


The only other retro kit that I can find is nanocustoms.
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?cPath=73&products_id=767
The 4.6 is $60 more and only 74w total. I have to tear apart my current hood and do some work to get it to work. I can only assume that the parts they use are of higher quality.


I'd really like to know if anyone else has compared the two. Is it worth the time, energy, and extra money to get the retro kit? Seems like there has to be a ton of people out there looking at the same thing and I can't find anything helpful in the forums.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[SlvrSurfRidr]

I'm in the same boat, and have done the same research. You can also get the JBJ's LED 89w Pro hood from BRS, but it looks like JBJ is running a better deal right now.

The alternative, is spend a few hundred on a chiller (which you may need/want anyway). I added the JBJ Titanium Arctica Chiller 1/10 HP and it's been a killer investment (you can find it cheeper than the link provided).

 

[gath2]

chiller

chiller

Thanks for the reply.

It would be fantastic to be able to keep my tank at any temperate I wanted constantly. However, I really don't want anything sitting next to my tank taking up more space, making more noise, and using more electricity.

Switching to LED's may not solve my problem completely but at about the same price at least I'm reducing the elctricity usage compared to my HQI.

I just can't believe that with as much as LED's are being used now and how long they have been out that no one has come out with a cheaper retro fit kit by now.

 

[SlvrSurfRidr]

totally agree! I live in Southern California and don't have AC in my place. Most of the time, I don't need it. However, on the days you need it ... you need it! As such, I had to get a chiller regardless. I'm with you though, I'd love to move to the LED hood soon too (just to save the energy and bulb replacement). As long as you have ambiant temp control (tank in the basement, or AC) then you may not need the chiller

 

[waterboy2]

Does anyone who has gotten rid of their jbj professional mt-601 still have a functional led strip or two they would part out? I lost one strip sometime over the last week. I've already replaced almost every other part so not a shock to me that the 50,000 hour leds went out after 18 months of 5 hour a day use. That's about 50,000 hours right?

 

[waterboy2]

Also, has anyone desoldered the leds and replaced with a different spectrum?

 

[waterboy2]

And does anyone have a source for the strips otherwise. Does an led guru have any thoughts how to wire an alternate.