AquaticLife Impresses Reefers with new Expert Series LED light

I hate to brag (no really, I do), but I got some hands on experience with the AquaticLife Expert Series LED system today. I can honestly say, this reefer was impressed.

Expert Series LED (image credit: AquaticLife.com)

AquaticLife makes some great light fixtures. They stood out among other light manufacturers in the industry by producing high quality, user friendly compact fluorescent and T5 fixtures. They started entering the LED market about a year ago with the Expandable LED fixtures, and followed up with some Single Watt LED reef fixtures. Then the introduced a new "Expert Series" led light.

I will be honest. When I first saw the Expert Series light online, it didn't tickle my fancy (so to speak). It looked like a plain, plastic box (looked like): nothing too flashy. Then I went to the Reef-a-palooza show, and saw the unit in person at the AquaticLife and Marine Depot booths. I got to touch it and hold it; my impression quickly changed. It was solid. It was metal. It was sleek. I needed to learn more about this light.

More after the link...
Today, I got a close up look at the AquaticLife Expert Series 14 Inch 78 Watt Cree LED Light Fixture (3 Watt x 24) and the software used to program/control it.

The light is currently offered in a 14" size, but other sizes are expected to become available sometime next year. The 14" model will easily cover an area of 24x24" with a depth of 24" at good PAR. With upgraded lenses, the depth could increase to 30 or 36" easily. It is designed to be hung above the aquarium, and distances of 3-10" should be fine. The lenses can be changed with other available Cree lenses on the market, so it's flexible in terms of installation and tank size/coverage.

The fixture is 78 watts, and is said to offer more PAR than other lights at a lower energy rating. This is important because we should be concerned with high PAR values and lower wattage values. Lower wattage is probably the KEY reason to switch to LED's, so it makes sense to have LOWER wattage fixtures.

Cree Led's and lenses, Protected USB port, Circuitry (image credit: AquaticLife.com)

The Par Values are promising, and offer more output than competing lights. Check out the PAR values here: http://aquaticlife.com/sites/default/files/specsheets/420278_0.pdf. This spec sheet is quite detailed, and explains how the PAR values were attained. With the methodology explained, hobbyists are welcomed to test the light on their own and compare apples to apples.

As I mentioned, the fixture has a sleek metal body. Nice design, but certainly designed with a job in mind. This body has a heat sink on top to radiate heat, and does not reply on fans for cooling. With no fan, the fixture does not have as much exposure to saltwater, which can corrode the fixture. The fixture is designed  to resist the harsh environment we run them in: no fans, coated and protected circuit boards, covered USB ports on the back. They really have put some thought into this light.

The light requires that you program it using a PC computer. It connects via a USB cable, but a wireless kit (using USB to wireless dongle set) can be used, too. Once the light is programmed, the computer can be disconnected. At first glance, the software is a little intimidating, but once you're actually using it, it's very user friendly. Most of the setting can be adjusted with the slide of a bar or mouse (very easy), and can be seen in real time when the software is synced to the light.

There's separate tabs in the software that allow you to select one of the 18 preset color combinations, or you can create the program you wish to run. There are four different colored Cree Leds on the unit: Royal Blue, Blue, Red, and White, which can be adjusted separately to give you the color and intensity your tank requires. 

There's a lot of programming options to start with, so you don't have to tinker with the programming much unless you want to. The reef nerds (like myself) can really get to playing around with the color combos, which is fun. A great feature with this is that you can actually save the setting for your color program as a file, and then send them to other Expert Series users to share programs. I can imagine it now: The Chromis Reef Experience color package. Yeah... Other color programs can be downloaded from AquaticLife's website; you can also download the original versions in case you have modified it beyond the point of no return.

Now on to the end use, the light fixture comes with a remote control to switch settings. You can select one of three programmable normal modes to run, or you can use the storm/cloud modes or demo modes. The remote is really handy, and makes changing programs easy. No need to even tough the fixture.

Remote Control (image credit: AquaticLife.com)

Overall, the fixture was well thought out and designed for techie reefers. The software was very user friendly, and allows a hobbyist to get a great deal of control over their fixture. One area for opportunity is for wireless app programs, which could be available in the near future. Also, support for Apple computers is not available, but an emulator can allow hobbyists who use Mac's to utilize this light's software.

AquaticLife really did a great job with the fixture. AquaticLife paid attention to the details and what hobbyists were looking for, and you can rest assured knowing you have AquaticLife's customer service and support available. I think with the hype around other lights right now, it's really kind of sat on the sidelines, but once more hobbyists have seen what this fixture can do, this light will stand on its own. The current price is around $750 with hanging hardware, remote control, and drivers, and is available at online stores such as Marine Depot: AquaticLife Expert Series 14 Inch 78 Watt Cree LED Light Fixture (3 Watt x 24).