On to the review!
The AquaBeam 500 is a 12 watt, 19"x2"x~1-2" (LxWxH, depending on mounting hardware used) aquarium lighting strip, powered by 5x Cree XR-E LED emitters with wide angle 120 degree reflectors. The version reviewed is the 'Reef White' version with 3x 14k white LEDs and 2x 50k blue LEDs. The fixture also comes in 'Marine White' (all 14k LEDs), 'Gro-Beam' (6500k, for planted and nature aquariums), Marine Blue (3x 50k blue LEDs, 2x 14k white LEDs) and Reef Blue (5x 50k LEDs). Props to TMC and American Aquarium Products for the color options and availability! Included is a 10 foot cable and a DC converter. The AquaBeam runs cool enough to not require a fan, and only has a slim heatsink that doubles as a rail mount. An optional digital controller is also available.
I'm very impressed with the workmanship of the AquaBeam 500 - slim, solid, water resistant (would likely survive a full immersion without harm, but that would void the 5 year warranty!) and comes out of the box with three mounting options: a rail option, a kit for installing in a canopy, and small 'feet' cast into the splash guard for setting directly on top of a glass or acrylic aquarium cover. With the wide angle of the LED lenses, the AquaBeam 500 can be placed as close to the water as an inch and still disperse light reasonably well, although raising it a few inches would be advisable for any aquarium wider than 10-12".
The AquaBeam 500 is absolutely perfect for nano aquariums and small nature aquariums. Just one strip provides sufficient light for a 10 gallon mixed nano reef, although more could easily be mounted. Additionally, they are slim enough to make retrofitting a snap! The wide angle of the lenses helps with light dispersal in retro applications, especially when adding into an all-in-one nano aquarium hood. This same high dispersal makes their use in any aquarium deeper than 18-24" too weak, however. If you have an existing T-5 lighting system, this would be a good retrofit if you're looking for the glitter lines or shimmer that comes from point source lighting.
Overall, the AquaBeam 500 is an excellent option for non-spotlight nano aquarium lighting. It's slim, doesn't run hot, very bright with excellent PAR from the Cree XR series LEDs, and is relatively affordable for small aquariums. Any aquarium 30 gallons or less could easily use it as the sole source of lighting, while anything larger could make use of it's slim formfactor for an easy addition to your current lighting. I'm very impressed with the fixture, and I can't wait to get my hands on an AquaBeam 1000!
Pros: well made (in the UK), slim formfactor, variety of mounting options, high PAR/watt ratio, wide angle lens, tons of color options
Cons: fixtures cannot be daisy-chained together (although two fixtures can be purchased wired together into one plug), lighting a larger aquarium with them would be pricey, tough to install additional optics
Captive Aquatics Blog Verdict: Excellent
$159.99, www.americanaquariumproducts.com
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Cons: fixtures cannot be daisy-chained together (although two fixtures can be purchased wired together into one plug), lighting a larger aquarium with them would be pricey, tough to install additional optics
Captive Aquatics Blog Verdict: Excellent
$159.99, www.americanaquariumproducts.com
Don't forget to subscribe to our free RSS updates, or free weekly newsletter for updates about LED reef aquarium lighting!
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