I have two of these lights (48" fugeray), one for about six months now, and one for about a month or two. Both are working fine so far, on a heavily planted 75 gallon freshwater tank.I debated a while whether to give it four or five stars, because indeed, there is a single power cord, which means you cannot switch from daylights to moonlights with a timer. You can use a timer to switch the light on and off, but whichever lights are on or off (day or moon) is up to you. However, this is clearly in the description of the item, so I don't think it is fair to remove a star since it is as described, and not a surprise upon receipt. Nonetheless, the single power cord is a pain. If you need a 48" light fixture, chances are you're a pretty serious aquarist, and you want to use a timer, not manually turn daylights and moonlights on and off every single day. Still, as far as I can tell, you can buy two of these lights, one just for the daylights and one just for the moonlights, and still spend less than you would on the competition. In addition, few LED lights use LEDs that are appropriate for plant growth as this one does. The light runs fairly cool, it is bright, slim, and overall I think it is a great purchase at a great price.
If you want to save some money and you are decent with DIY projects, you can easily install a timer on these lights. Much easier than most DIY LEDs out there, because you already have all the components in one package, except the timer. A quick search on eBay for "digital timer relay switch" should find you the right timer (about $10). Make sure it is the 12V version (even though the light power supply provides 15V, I've had no problems using these timers with it; the rectangular looking timers with a yellow tab on eBay). The timer and some wires is all you need (maybe a small enclosure box from Radio Shack to make it look nice). Installed between the light power supply and the actual lighting unit (you do have to open up the light itself to connect three wires or so), the timer will provide you with more than a dozen easily programmable lighting events, including time of day and day of the week. In other words, this timer will provide MUCH more flexibility than any other standard timer out there. The only drawback is that it will only switch directly between daylights and moonlights; but that's fine by me. Installed six months ago, everything still running smoothly, and best of all, by itself! (Also installed on the newer light, working fine now for at least a month.) FYI, I'm not an engineer or an electrician, or anything like that, so it's really not that difficult to do. As for being able to send it back for warranty work, that's up to you, if you're careful... Must I really say: "Do this at your own risk, I am not responsible if you screw things up."? Done.
I don't understand why Finnex didn't install something like that themselves, they could easily do it for less than $20 (I did), and I'm sure they would sell much, MUCH better with a built-in timer.
Enjoy!
I like this light (which is why I'm still giving it 3 stars) and am working with the warranty on the fixture, but finding a new box and shipping this back isn't exactly cheap. Not to mention, my plants that were growing so nicely will now take huge steps backward. Just 3 months for an LED light fixture? And I've got the tank covered so this isn't a moisture issue. Pretty disappointed right now.
However, I'll get a chance to experience their warranty service. With good service on that front and a replacement/repair that lasts as it should I'll be back to bump this rating back up to at least 4 stars. No manufacturer I know has a 100% success rate on manufacturing defect and durability. So... we'll see!
Buy Finnex FugeRay Aquarium LED Light Plus Moonlights, 48-Inch Now
1st... I'm a noob to reef tanks. That said... I started out a few weeks ago with an older setup that had 4x T8 VHO's in it. They blew after 2 weeks of use. Saw that coming though (little earlier than I had hoped). Anyhow... had a Coralife 4x t5 and Halide combo light for a 120g setup that I used while I shopped around. Saw this light and decided to give it a try (my reef is a 55g).Pros:
-Runs VERY cool (heat free really).
-Good light output for a live plant or fish only setup.
-Gives a good shimmer in the water.
-Sits well on the tank. Not too high... not too low.
Cons:
-NOT bright enough alone for a reef setup.
-Does NOT have a way to seperate the moon lights for timers (on one power source).
-Switches are on each side of the light. BARELY accessable with my cover on top... but it does work.
I pared it with a Coralife T5 setup (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HHQDKM/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00. $58 here on Amazon) and I'm very happy with the setup. Just under $200 for a NICE reef light setup. Time will tell though if these were good purchases.
While I am a noob... I have been all the way around the block now on lighting options in a short time on this tank so when I say it's not bright enough... I'm comparing it to my other lighting sources that I had/have.
All in all... this is a good light (again... NOT good enough as the ONLY light for a reef tank though IMHO). I think it's a little overpriced maybe... but not WAY off (compared to buying a light setup in a pet store... this IS a FAR better deal from what I've seen).
Read Best Reviews of Finnex FugeRay Aquarium LED Light Plus Moonlights, 48-Inch Here
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