Working in the marine aquarium industry has some amazing perks! Yes, I get to talk about something I enjoy all day with customers, and I get to work with a bunch of other "fish nerds." More importantly, though, I get to hear about and see new products. Sometimes, I even get to play with them! This week I was allowed to take home and test a Current-USA TrueLumen Pro LED Strip. I brought home the 36" TrueLumen Pro LED Strip Light, Deepwater Actinic Blue 453nm. The Specifications from the manufacturer (CurrentUSA) are posted below.| Model: | Description: | Dimensions: | Max Power Consumption: | Max Number of strips per 1x60w transformer: |
| 3027 | 36" TrueLumen Pro LED Strip Light, Deepwater Actinic Blue 453nm | 36" x 0.8" x 0.7" | 23 watts | 2 |
| 3036 | 60 watt 24 Volt Power Transformer | - | - | - |
The LED is BRIGHT. I tried to take some pictures, but apparently my photography skills have failed me. It's difficult to capture the intensity of the lighting and accurately compare the brightness to that of my t-5 lighting. Current USA claims the light is expected to improve coral growth, but with the exception of a one liner on the instruction sheet that came with the LED light, I have been unable to find other written claims in regards to that matter. I would love to know if these fixtures are intense enough to be used as a stand alone lighting systems. I expect to see some tests and more information from others, and from the looks of it, I wouldn't be surprised if the LED lights could be used in multiple quantities to grow coral. (*Disclaimer: I don't have PAR meters or any other testing devices.)
What I have seen so far is a cool running LED that provides intense lighting. For fish only or FOWLR aquariums, there is no doubt that one or maybe two of these LED strips would be more than plenty of light. The fixture is built well and comes with 180 degree rotating mounting brackets and screws, so the fixture can be mounted almost anywhere. I'm going to keep it running on top of my tank as a dusk and dawn light; I will have it come on about an hour before and turn off about an hour after my t-5 lights shut off. I'm excited to see what this new LED is made of!
Stay tuned! I will keep you posted on the TrueLumen Pro LED strips, and my next update will include information from one week after the big switch from the 18 to the 60.
