Ecoxotic was nice enough to send over their PAR38 spotlight for review. LED Lighting, especially for reef aquariums and nature aquariums is definitely a step in the right direction, so I'm excited to be able to review another LED aquarium lighting option!
Ecoxotic's LED bulb is a PAR38 spotlight (PAR38 is a standard size light bulb, usually a floodlight style bulb) that contains five 3 watt Cree LEDs and drivers, for a total power consumption of 21 watts. Don't let the low wattage fool you, however - this bulb is awesome. Available in 12,000k (2 royal blue LEDs and 3 white LEDs) and 455nm royal blue, the Ecoxotic LED spotlight is outfitted with 40 degree lenses for a tight, focused beam that casts about an 18" diameter circle of light when elevated about 3 feet from the floor. Spotlighting adds a very nice 'depth' effect to an aquarium, and is something I think we will see quite a bit more aquarists using in the near future.
So, how about PAR? I'll be creating and posting PAR plots for all lighting products I review from now on, but Clive over at Nanocustoms (the group that originally designed and specced this PAR38 LED spotlight) has already created some PAR plots for this bulb:
PAR38 LED Spotlight Par Plot: 14" from bulb
PAR38 LED Spotlight Par Plot: 20" from bulb
PAR38 LED Spotlight Par Plot: 30" from bulb
Due to the lower lumen output, the PAR38 bulb appears dimmer to our eyes than most other forms of lighting emitting a similar PAR amount, but these numbers don't lie - that is a lot of PAR for 21 watts, and it gets better: both the 12,000k and the 455nm blue bulb emit the same amount of PAR!
The versatility of the PAR38 LED spotlight is another thing I love about this bulb. Because it screws into a regular light bulb socket and requires no active cooling, many (stylish!) options are available for mounting LED spotlights. Hanging, track lighting, wall mount, freestanding, the list goes on. The PAR38 spotlight(s) look especially nice over rimless aquariums, and are perfect for illuminating rimless nano cube tanks!
While operating, the PAR38 is definitely warm to the touch, but does not get too hot to touch in a room kept at 76F, and as I mentioned previously, requires no active cooling. The LEDs and electronics are surrounded by multiple aluminum fins that serve as a heatsink. The bulb is solidly constructed, with a black metal 'cap' protecting the heatsink fins.
I think most of us know that LED lighting is where the reef aquarium and nature aquarium hobby is heading, and the PAR38 LED spotlight is definitely a step in the right direction. It's a great product, reasonably priced, will last 10+ years without needing anything replaced, only consumes 21 watts, and emits way less heat and consumes a lot less energy when compared to other lighting sources. This fixture is surpassed only by Orphek's PR-25 PAR38 LED pendant.
Pros: efficient, produces a great deal of PAR, versatile
Cons: none
Captive Aquatics Blog Verdict: Excellent
$119, www.ecoxotic.com
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