Here are the links to all the lights mentioned in the video! They are all affiliate links 😃 Twinstar B-line US bit.ly/3D8AoLB EU bit.ly/3PUIniC Chihiros A series US bit.ly/3LSzu8u Use Code ''MJAMSTERDAM'' for 10% off EU bit.ly/3RdJE4s Twinstar C-line US bit.ly/3S2WxjC EU bit.ly/3z6R16F Chihiros AII series US bit.ly/3dVYmPQ Use Code ''MJAMSTERDAM'' for 10% off EU bit.ly/3D7RAB1 Chihiros WRGB2 Slim US amzn.to/3LW5bxG EU bit.ly/3JxJQJs Twinstar E-line US bit.ly/3mJ2rYH EU bit.ly/3qm8VhU Chihiros WRGB2 US amzn.to/3RntiWW EU bit.ly/3rbHcAU Twinstar S-line US bit.ly/3RqYEwc EU bit.ly/3CSFc7D
@MJAquascaping I’m trying to decide the Twinstar S, Twinstar 300e iii or Chihiros wrgb ii slim. Would like to have mix of red and greens in a 30cm uns all in one cube. Which light do you feel looks best? All 3 are within $30 of each other not too expensive.
I have a 140 l high tech co2 tank with the twinstar 600e and have been struggled with green spot algae and staghorn algae for a long time. After tips from one of your previous fight algae videos i turned the light from 8h a day to 6 hours a day. Now i can finally enjoy a beautiful and algae free tank. Thank you.
I got an old chihiros A series 40 cm for my 40 cm tank (the same as in the video) Good price/power ratio. I bought a WRGB 60 cm for my larger 70 cm tank, and I liked it so much I bought another one for my 60 cm tank. I have bought a new Chihiros AII series, it is more expensive than the old A series, not as expensive as the WRGB. people at green aqua told me that it is as strong as the WRGB, and in my opinion it has currently the best price/power ratio.
Lets gooo, i've got 90 cm tank and getting wrgb would cost me more than $500. I went with a 2 series instead. So glad I found your comment. I am stress free now.
If you truly consider all factors such as power, price, color rendition, and adjustability, Chihiros is clearly the best light on the market. Twinstar is great but only the C can be adjusted. ONF makes great products but they are massively expensive. Chihiros checks every box.
For nonadjustable Twinstar B line lights (and probably some other nonadjustable lights) its possible to get manual or wifi controlled power regulators that you can attach to lamp's power cord. I have one that is called "Magic Home". It comes with an app. With it you can set sunset and sunrise regimes and adjust light brightness.
I find that Fluval, Twinstar and Chihiros are the leaders of the market when it comes to high tech aquarium lighting. One point I want to make from my experience is that I don't feel like the customizable RGB feature in some of these lights is something that matters ultimately for plant growth. From all the customized RGB programs on Fluval and Chihiros I have seen, I did not notice any significant results. In general you want to keep all spectrums ballanced except blue, for which there is some (minimal) evidence that it might promote algae growth. I think the whole RGB customizable thing is more of a gimmick for ambient, when you have guests coming over or when you want to take super professional photos of your tank and want to play with the light settings. Other than that, Twinstar offers you no RGB customization and it offer the best plant growth (like you pointed out) because they basically already have the LED configured for the most optimal results.
I like your channel. You know what your talking about. For many ppl it can help not to quit this beautiful hobby so this is really important. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
This was helpful, thanks. I have two lights including an Fluval aquasky on my Ultum 60P as just one wasn't cranking for the carpeting plants. I like the Fluval app, but I wanted a more powerful single light to have a gradual on/off dimmer, and the ability of the chihiros AII to angle in a different way is awesome- I am getting it. When I was buying my first tank the LFS guy tried to sell me a $450 Kessel spot! Ever since I have been shocked at the cost of lighting, as LED's are so inexpensive fundamentally. One thing you might consider talking about in future is more detail is wattage per gallon, optimal lumen ranges, and the way the different color spectrums affect plant and fish growth and coloration, which are all things I am kind of intimidated about learning as a relatively new scaper. After watching another of your videos I bought a cheaper version of the CO2 reactor you highlighted! It was scary to start up but wow, what a simple and effective way to get CO2. I bought a kit for $105 that came with everything except the Citric acid and baking powder and have been cranking out CO2 at 1 bubble per 1,5 seconds for the last few weeks. Finally got my carpeting plants the light and CO2 they need to start spreading out. Java ferns and Ludwigia are pearling nicely. My PH went down which was alarming but appears stable. I really appreciate all of your informative videos. Thanks again!
Thank you for the information and your objective opinion. Well even the cheapest light will do the trick. But as I already discovered that the more mid-range/high range will be better as display light were the fish will pop out. I am using the budget lights for most of my tank and they are doing great. It's all about how you will display your tank and throw money at it. :) The downside of the budget ones, that you don't have an app. Apps are greater and more versatile then standaard light,. Thanks again for the video :)
Just purchased the Chihiros A series 2 120 for my new project. I'll have wood out of the water and love the pivot on the light. Also not planning on Co2 so figured I didn't need to jump into the Wrgb line. Love the acrylic and slim build as I'm about as minimalist as possible
This is great , thanks for this video. I have a Fluval flex 15 Gallon tank and am looking at making it open top and changing too a WRGBII Chihiros light. I hope its enough for this tank with stem plants as its a bit deeper then some other tanks and i struggle at the moment with Monte Carlo carpeting.
Best explanation of using which type of light for which aquarium size. Very useful content!😃👍 Soon maybe, what is best filter Type (price/performance) for which aquarium size?
I wish I would have watched this last week! I just bought a fluval 3.0 for my first “high tech” tank, now I think I’d be better off investing my funds in a chihiro.
Do it, aquatic lights are expensive but being cheap(like I have been) you'll notice the difference within a few months. (I check my fish and plants 24/7 it's a little bit of a problem for me right now 😆) I've noticed within a month the led light I spend 40$ on is way better than a 7$ home depot light and I'm going for a 150$ led next. My tiny tank growth has been decent so far and my big tank has struggled to grow due to lighting but it is growing I can update in a month or two when I buy a better light how the growth looks but otherwise unless you buy what mjaquascaping suggests you really won't notice til you do it yourself for a few months at least
Hello, Very nice video as always! I have a question. I think the Chihiros WRGB2 SLIM30 looks the best. But are the colors also very nice? I am hesitating between the Chihiros WRGB2 SLIM30 or the Twinstar S. Is the difference in color big or is it not so bad?
Hi, after few years of break, I'm considering to come back to planted aquariums. In this time the tech go much futher so i have to catch up on knowledge specialy about led ligtnig. I'm about to start aquarium 50 x 30 x 30 cm on ada amazonia aqua soil, with co2 and such plants for example as glossostigma, blyxa japonica, micranthemum Monte Carlo or Eleocharis Acicularis. Do you think, that Chihiros A II LED A-501 would be a good choice for that setup? Thank you for your answer.
Hi, What LED light would you recommend for tank 60x40x38cm 90ltrs? For the moment I have plants easy to medium, but in the future if I learn properly nutrients balance I might wanted some more advanced plants. I am considering fluval plant 3.0 or if could get anything else to have spare power for the future? Thank you, Kind Regards
Hartelijk dank weer! Zou je in het kort nog kunnen omschrijven hoe de verschillen in licht en kleur ogen tussen de WRGB2 slim en de twinstar E-line? Het is lastig wanneer je ze niet in levende lijve kunt aanschouwen.Ik twijfel heel erg om verschillende redenen.Hopenlijk gaat je antwoord me op het juiste spoor gaat zetten.
Wiat do you think would be the best option for 35x35x35 cube? Currently I am using Chihiros AII series 35 cm - it is great but when it is set in center I see that stem plantacji are not growing straight up but are moving to the center od the tank. I am thinking about adding additional 35 cm Chihiros AII, the second option is to replace my current light and buy Chihiros WRGB 30 cm regular version. What would you recommend? Thank you! ❤😊
So you feel like the stems don't get enough light? And you are running the AII on full power? Yeah you could indeed add a second one or replace it with a WRGB, up to you. Although I feel like one AII should be enough for a 35cm cube, but maybe I'm wrong.
@@MJAquascaping Yes I am running this light on 100% power for 8 hours now. I will try to make the plants in the back (like rotala) a little bit denser and trim them in a slight angle to see if that resolves the problem. If this does not help, then I will make a decision regarding the light upgrade. By the way, do you think it is possible to achiever really good reds with AII series? I know that it is more about nitrogen levels but IMHO the light can also help... Thank you for your answer!
In my personal experience, I used my chihiros wrgbii for 2 weeks before it bugged out and never turned back on. From what I've seen many people have issues with Bluetooth and location connectivity with these lights and it bugs me they're so highly reccomended but have so many issues. Have you had any of these with yours?
Hi MJ. I am about to set up my first aquascape tank and have come across your channel in an effort to do some research. I must say from all the videos I have watched on this subject, for me yours are the most interesting and informative. I would like your advise on my ideas on the hardware set-up. the tank is 80*35*40 (112) ltrs. The rest I'm still considering. Filter Sunsun 3000 l/h adjustable with a UV filter that can be turned off, lighting 42W 24/7 Full Spectrum LED Brand: XESEGEIP programmable, I like the idea of mimicking dawn, day and evening. CO2 will be DIY to start. Substrate amount and type and initial plants/amount would be appreciated. Thank you
One year later. I was thinking about lumens and A series has almost double as lumens as A2. Do you think A2 is enough for most of situations like carpets and red plants or should I go with the A for the lumens?
I use a 30 dollar nicrew light from Amazon. It works alright for low light to medium light plants, on my 20 gallon high. Tip on lights that don't have a dimmer ,is to put black electrical tape on parts of the LEDs. Space them out evenly until you like the amount of light. 👍Do they sell these lights in the video ,on Amazon?
Hey Mark, I have a 80cm x 40cm x 40cm was thinking chihiros wrgb 2 but 60cm as it can adjust to 80cm do you think it will have enough spread length wise or do you have another recommendation? Thanks
Hi Mj,I have noticed that my red cherry (too many in my tank)shrimp are disturbing my Monte Carlo carpet ever morning few of plants are uprooted or cut So please suggest me how to control this. ( very less algae in my aquarium)
Hey MJ. I recently moved to The Netherlands, and I really want to get into aquascaping. Where can I get "cheap" setups to get started? I was thinking of doing a beta 50L tank as a start.
Hey Dylan! Welcome! I don't know which city you moved to, but we have lots of good online stores. Let me know if you want some store suggestions. For a cheap betta/aquascape tank I would look for the dennerle scapers tanks! Available in 35, 55 and 70L. And these come with a lid as well, so its a bit safer for betta's
Thanks for replying. I moved to Almere. Please send some recommendations on the online shops. I would really appreciate it. In South Africa I had a great setup, but couldn't bring it over with me unfortunately.
ive got a light a no name one. its got white red and blue leds but ive disabled the red and blue as then the light was around 7500k the sun is about 5000k and when the light is on only white leds its 6500k is this good for plant growth?
Greetings, I am setting up a 29g Bowfront rimless (24" x 24" x 14.5") I ordered the Aqamai LFM 100w (this is the Freshwater version), do you think this is a good light? or should I have ordered the Aqamai LRS 50w (this is the Reef Model that has more blue, but can be controlled each of 6 channels indv.)? I want to do a South American aquascape (low tech) for smaller fish like the Dwarf Electric Blue Ram cichlids and other peaceful south American fish. (btw this will be my first live planted tank) "Maybe you could try one of the Hydor/Aqamai lights on a tank setup in the future, I would love to see a setup with that light..."
Hi outside Chihiros which light would be equivalent to the Twinstar S but with an app? The store I go to doesn’t sell Chihiros, sells many others brands and I want something like the Twinstar SP but ideally with an app. Any recommendations please?
we have kandila brand here and its just 5 USD for 40cm 18 watt, its perform well for growth but make fish and plant color wash out, but cheap one in europe like that twinstar maybe better
Hi MJ, do u have any recommendation for fish only tank to show off their red, blue and yellow color? And its desktop type similar to fluval nano light? I will really appreciate ur help. Thank u. Enjoy ur long vacation :)
Hello just saw vid most of your videos are great now question is I have a 60gal cube I'm getting ready to plant do I actually need 60cm or maybe 2 45cm tank is 24x24 kinda deep thinking of chihiros lights but I also heard ledstar is just as good you could prob get it free I can't I'd like to hear your take on ledstar
Hi there - Any thought on the Chihiros Vivid Mini? It is very sleek, with central support (instead of braces on both sides), very powerful, it is RGB and it seems to be quite the right size for a 60cm (2ft) tank... And it is not that expensive.
ben dus op zoek naar een lamp voor een 60 cm tank en het gaat mij vooral om een tapijt (monte carlo) te kunnen realiseren. Soort van een Iwagumi maar ook met stengelplanten. Welke Chihiros (ja wil ook een app) zou je mij aanraden? Kan het met de A max serie? Of is de RGB slim dan en betere keuze?
Hey, Im interested in getting one of the Twinstar IV 300EA's and Im really struggling to find information about it as I am in a awkward position due to my Aquarium being 29cm. However I notice on alot of the Twinstar models the brackets sit slightly inwards more than the light itself does. I know its a long shot but do you know if a 30cm Twinstar would fit on a 29cm tank due to the fixing brackets being slightly shorter in width? As I would rather get more surface area with the 300EA than the 200EA. Thanks alot, I am really hoping this makes sense.
I'd highly recommend you try out the Chihiros Vivid II RGB. It's a fantastic light. I've owned twinstar B/E/S and Chihiros WRGB II and the Vivid is just so much nicer. With that said, I'm currently trying out WIO Bamboo 70 lights and so far I'm enjoying their colour rendition
@@MJAquascaping I feel like it's that next level up, bridging the gap to lights like the ADA. With that said, I bought mine a few years ago and they've gone up quite a bit in price now, making them less attractive. I'd like to try the ONF lights too, but I need more tanks and money, neither of which is easy to get right now :)
Awesome video man! I believe though, that the ADA Aquasky RGB is the best light... Not that I have one 🤣just seen them in action! The Twinstar is incredible though. I currently have 2 Twinstar S and am super happy!
Is the slim powerful enough to grow high light demanding plants in a tank that’s only 9 inches deep? I have a 5 gallon high tech tank and I would like a better light
@@MJAquascaping for real? thanks ive been stressing out soo much on this cus the regular one went out of stock, and now i could get the slim for cheaper. :)
Can I grow red plants with the Chihiros A2? I have a 6 gallon tank that is about 29cm in height, I wanted the slim but I keep hearing about the colors looking very artificial and I feel like the WRGB II is too powerful for my little tank.
Lightning is by far the most stressful part of the hobby for me, many of the options are not available in my country and if I want to get any of the high end option I have to pay a bunch more in import taxes, can't afford them as of right now BUT I found out that grow lights (the ones intended to grow plants indoors) works pretty good growing aquarium plants, but you don't get any of the cool features sush a dimmer or color selection.
Yo, one question.. My thank is 40 cm, therefore any 45 cm light wont fit. If I go with the 30-45 cm (expanding the legs) wouldn't that be too low if I want to grow high demanding plants?. I'm considering the chihiros wrgb II, the II Slim and twinstar lll S. Thanks for all your content!
@@MJAquascaping wow even the chihiros wrgb II Slim? Where I live is 40% cheaper than the other two, but thought the Slim 30 wouldn't be bright enough. Also all those features sound interesting, sunset and sunrise and moonlight lol or should I already go for a twinstar? thanks brother and Marry Christmas 🎄
@@MJAquascaping excuse moi hehe 40x30x30. I'm currently using a 16wrgb leds/3watts diy lamp (7hrs day) and am battling with diatomea brown algae..tank is 2 months old. I have switched to ro water (last week) remineralized to 6dgh, 4.2dkh, 6.6ph with CO2 on, 6.8ph CO2 off. Npk micros etc Excell, water changes but still growth seems stunt, could be the light? Cuba, Montecarlo, alternanthera, ludwigia súper red mini, weeping moss, nothing fancy.. I really appreciate the help, I have tried everything is getting frustrating 😸
Had je deze video al gezien? ua-cam.com/video/cyeu0Wr1gsE/v-deo.html Misschien is dit wat. Anders zou je ook nog kunnen kijken naar de verlichting van Daytime
hi MJ.. Would it be an idea to just make a video about light settings, and by that I mean color settings and intensity of the light, and to show some examples of your apps from, for example, Chihiros app for various scapes and facilities, I think a lot of aquarists still struggle with that zou het een idee zijn om enkelt eens een keer een video te maken over instellingen van het licht, en dan bedoel ik met kleur instellingen en intensiteit van het licht, en om daar een aantal voorbeelden van te laten zien van jou apps van bijvoorbeeld de chihiros app bij diversen scape's en inrichtingen, ik denk dat een hoop aquaristen daar nog wel eens mee vechten greetings/ met vriendelijke groet mike straver
Here are the links to all the lights mentioned in the video! They are all affiliate links 😃
Twinstar B-line
US bit.ly/3D8AoLB
EU bit.ly/3PUIniC
Chihiros A series
US bit.ly/3LSzu8u Use Code ''MJAMSTERDAM'' for 10% off
EU bit.ly/3RdJE4s
Twinstar C-line
US bit.ly/3S2WxjC
EU bit.ly/3z6R16F
Chihiros AII series
US bit.ly/3dVYmPQ Use Code ''MJAMSTERDAM'' for 10% off
EU bit.ly/3D7RAB1
Chihiros WRGB2 Slim
US amzn.to/3LW5bxG
EU bit.ly/3JxJQJs
Twinstar E-line
US bit.ly/3mJ2rYH
EU bit.ly/3qm8VhU
Chihiros WRGB2
US amzn.to/3RntiWW
EU bit.ly/3rbHcAU
Twinstar S-line
US bit.ly/3RqYEwc
EU bit.ly/3CSFc7D
I bought the Twinstar S because of this video! I noticed you weren't using CO2 in the tank with the Twinstar. Can you show your settings?
I think someone is posing as you saying you've won a gift just to let you know. If it is you let me know
MJ- any thoughts on Fluval nano 3.0 for a 30cube?
MJ are all your tanks low iron? or none? or a few?
@MJAquascaping I’m trying to decide the Twinstar S, Twinstar 300e iii or Chihiros wrgb ii slim. Would like to have mix of red and greens in a 30cm uns all in one cube. Which light do you feel looks best? All 3 are within $30 of each other not too expensive.
I have a 140 l high tech co2 tank with the twinstar 600e and have been struggled with green spot algae and staghorn algae for a long time. After tips from one of your previous fight algae videos i turned the light from 8h a day to 6 hours a day. Now i can finally enjoy a beautiful and algae free tank. Thank you.
Awesome!
I got an old chihiros A series 40 cm for my 40 cm tank (the same as in the video) Good price/power ratio.
I bought a WRGB 60 cm for my larger 70 cm tank, and I liked it so much I bought another one for my 60 cm tank.
I have bought a new Chihiros AII series, it is more expensive than the old A series, not as expensive as the WRGB. people at green aqua told me that it is as strong as the WRGB, and in my opinion it has currently the best price/power ratio.
Lets gooo, i've got 90 cm tank and getting wrgb would cost me more than $500. I went with a 2 series instead. So glad I found your comment. I am stress free now.
If you truly consider all factors such as power, price, color rendition, and adjustability, Chihiros is clearly the best light on the market. Twinstar is great but only the C can be adjusted. ONF makes great products but they are massively expensive. Chihiros checks every box.
For nonadjustable Twinstar B line lights (and probably some other nonadjustable lights) its possible to get manual or wifi controlled power regulators that you can attach to lamp's power cord. I have one that is called "Magic Home". It comes with an app. With it you can set sunset and sunrise regimes and adjust light brightness.
@@purpleworm4725 what you perfer twinstar or chirios?
Got the Chihiros A series with the bluetooth dimmer. It is just awesome. Excellent price to performance ratio.
I find that Fluval, Twinstar and Chihiros are the leaders of the market when it comes to high tech aquarium lighting. One point I want to make from my experience is that I don't feel like the customizable RGB feature in some of these lights is something that matters ultimately for plant growth. From all the customized RGB programs on Fluval and Chihiros I have seen, I did not notice any significant results. In general you want to keep all spectrums ballanced except blue, for which there is some (minimal) evidence that it might promote algae growth. I think the whole RGB customizable thing is more of a gimmick for ambient, when you have guests coming over or when you want to take super professional photos of your tank and want to play with the light settings. Other than that, Twinstar offers you no RGB customization and it offer the best plant growth (like you pointed out) because they basically already have the LED configured for the most optimal results.
I like your channel. You know what your talking about. For many ppl it can help not to quit this beautiful hobby so this is really important. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
This was helpful, thanks. I have two lights including an Fluval aquasky on my Ultum 60P as just one wasn't cranking for the carpeting plants. I like the Fluval app, but I wanted a more powerful single light to have a gradual on/off dimmer, and the ability of the chihiros AII to angle in a different way is awesome- I am getting it. When I was buying my first tank the LFS guy tried to sell me a $450 Kessel spot! Ever since I have been shocked at the cost of lighting, as LED's are so inexpensive fundamentally.
One thing you might consider talking about in future is more detail is wattage per gallon, optimal lumen ranges, and the way the different color spectrums affect plant and fish growth and coloration, which are all things I am kind of intimidated about learning as a relatively new scaper.
After watching another of your videos I bought a cheaper version of the CO2 reactor you highlighted! It was scary to start up but wow, what a simple and effective way to get CO2. I bought a kit for $105 that came with everything except the Citric acid and baking powder and have been cranking out CO2 at 1 bubble per 1,5 seconds for the last few weeks. Finally got my carpeting plants the light and CO2 they need to start spreading out. Java ferns and Ludwigia are pearling nicely. My PH went down which was alarming but appears stable.
I really appreciate all of your informative videos. Thanks again!
Thank you for the information and your objective opinion. Well even the cheapest light will do the trick. But as I already discovered that the more mid-range/high range will be better as display light were the fish will pop out. I am using the budget lights for most of my tank and they are doing great. It's all about how you will display your tank and throw money at it. :)
The downside of the budget ones, that you don't have an app. Apps are greater and more versatile then standaard light,. Thanks again for the video :)
Coming from the marine hobby all of these are budget lights. I love freshwater planted tanks !
...and for people who find even the cheapest light from this video expensive, like me, just use flood lights, they work very very well.
90cm shop lights here, 19$
What kind of floodlights do you use
What kind
Anyone have experience with grow lights? The one others use to grow vegetables indoor. I kinda want to try that one
@@Dave_Andre it works I have tried. Only problem being u don't get the desired sizes and hanging them over the tank is a problem
Thanks for the summary. I’ve been debating with myself on upgrading my lighting. I believe I know in which direction I will take. 😎
Just purchased the Chihiros A series 2 120 for my new project. I'll have wood out of the water and love the pivot on the light. Also not planning on Co2 so figured I didn't need to jump into the Wrgb line.
Love the acrylic and slim build as I'm about as minimalist as possible
What type of aquarium background do you use to achieve the light blue/ grey colour in your aquascapes? Thanks for any information.
This is great , thanks for this video. I have a Fluval flex 15 Gallon tank and am looking at making it open top and changing too a WRGBII Chihiros light. I hope its enough for this tank with stem plants as its a bit deeper then some other tanks and i struggle at the moment with Monte Carlo carpeting.
Best explanation of using which type of light for which aquarium size. Very useful content!😃👍
Soon maybe, what is best filter Type (price/performance) for which aquarium size?
Good idea!
this is really helpful! thanks for combining it all in one. :)) also love your experiment videos !
Can u recommend 3 name brand aquariums you like??? Uns? Jbj? Also whether u recommend glass or acrylic,? Thank u
I wish I would have watched this last week! I just bought a fluval 3.0 for my first “high tech” tank, now I think I’d be better off investing my funds in a chihiro.
Can you still return it? 😬
@@MJAquascaping Fortunately I’m still within the return window, just ordered a Chihiro wrgb II! Thank you for the discount code 😎
Another nice video mate ... id like to see a comparison/test of an aquatic light vs a standard LED light from a hardware store if possible? Cheers
Do it, aquatic lights are expensive but being cheap(like I have been) you'll notice the difference within a few months. (I check my fish and plants 24/7 it's a little bit of a problem for me right now 😆) I've noticed within a month the led light I spend 40$ on is way better than a 7$ home depot light and I'm going for a 150$ led next. My tiny tank growth has been decent so far and my big tank has struggled to grow due to lighting but it is growing I can update in a month or two when I buy a better light how the growth looks but otherwise unless you buy what mjaquascaping suggests you really won't notice til you do it yourself for a few months at least
Hello,
Very nice video as always! I have a question. I think the Chihiros WRGB2 SLIM30 looks the best. But are the colors also very nice? I am hesitating between the Chihiros WRGB2 SLIM30 or the Twinstar S. Is the difference in color big or is it not so bad?
Would you say the Twinstar is a better light than a fluval light?
I love the fact he spending tons of dollars for tank lights and use the cheapest solo-bulb light for the room :)))
Hi, after few years of break, I'm considering to come back to planted aquariums. In this time the tech go much futher so i have to catch up on knowledge specialy about led ligtnig.
I'm about to start aquarium 50 x 30 x 30 cm on ada amazonia aqua soil, with co2 and such plants for example as glossostigma, blyxa japonica, micranthemum Monte Carlo or Eleocharis Acicularis. Do you think, that Chihiros A II LED A-501 would be a good choice for that setup? Thank you for your answer.
Would u please advise me What is the best mid range price light for me to buy if im on monte carlo on a 60 cm aquarium ?
Hi,
What LED light would you recommend for tank 60x40x38cm 90ltrs?
For the moment I have plants easy to medium, but in the future if I learn properly nutrients balance I might wanted some more advanced plants.
I am considering fluval plant 3.0 or if could get anything else to have spare power for the future?
Thank you,
Kind Regards
Hartelijk dank weer! Zou je in het kort nog kunnen omschrijven hoe de verschillen in licht en kleur ogen tussen de WRGB2 slim en de twinstar E-line? Het is lastig wanneer je ze niet in levende lijve kunt aanschouwen.Ik twijfel heel erg om verschillende redenen.Hopenlijk gaat je antwoord me op het juiste spoor gaat zetten.
what do you recommend between Twinstar EA series IV and Chihiros WRGB II slim ?
Wiat do you think would be the best option for 35x35x35 cube? Currently I am using Chihiros AII series 35 cm - it is great but when it is set in center I see that stem plantacji are not growing straight up but are moving to the center od the tank. I am thinking about adding additional 35 cm Chihiros AII, the second option is to replace my current light and buy Chihiros WRGB 30 cm regular version. What would you recommend? Thank you! ❤😊
So you feel like the stems don't get enough light? And you are running the AII on full power?
Yeah you could indeed add a second one or replace it with a WRGB, up to you.
Although I feel like one AII should be enough for a 35cm cube, but maybe I'm wrong.
@@MJAquascaping Yes I am running this light on 100% power for 8 hours now. I will try to make the plants in the back (like rotala) a little bit denser and trim them in a slight angle to see if that resolves the problem. If this does not help, then I will make a decision regarding the light upgrade. By the way, do you think it is possible to achiever really good reds with AII series? I know that it is more about nitrogen levels but IMHO the light can also help... Thank you for your answer!
Great video. What is the plant growing out of the tank in the first tank? It looks awesome
Do they have ring lights like that? I bought a 9 gallon bubble tank.
Greeting From South Africa keep up the amazing content let’s get some builds going for the next iaplc 🤜🏼
Do you think fluval aquasky 2.0 would be good for a planted tank?
In my personal experience, I used my chihiros wrgbii for 2 weeks before it bugged out and never turned back on. From what I've seen many people have issues with Bluetooth and location connectivity with these lights and it bugs me they're so highly reccomended but have so many issues. Have you had any of these with yours?
What is your opinion on those cluster type lights? I hear they can penetrate deeper into the tank so they wpuld be better for those deeper tanks
Thank you so much, I have been looking for a video like this.
Hi MJ. I am about to set up my first aquascape tank and have come across your channel in an effort to do some research. I must say from all the videos I have watched on this subject, for me yours are the most interesting and informative. I would like your advise on my ideas on the hardware set-up. the tank is 80*35*40 (112) ltrs. The rest I'm still considering. Filter Sunsun 3000 l/h adjustable with a UV filter that can be turned off, lighting 42W 24/7 Full Spectrum LED Brand: XESEGEIP programmable, I like the idea of mimicking dawn, day and evening. CO2 will be DIY to start. Substrate amount and type and initial plants/amount would be appreciated. Thank you
What is your experience with light with led 4g bulbs?
Just brought Povi light.. quiet powerful for low budget lights
Thank you very much for this great overview. I was wondering what happened with the Skylight AQI-intense you owned. Also a decent light.
Yeah I still have it! Definitely a good light! I'm just not using it at the moment.
One year later. I was thinking about lumens and A series has almost double as lumens as A2. Do you think A2 is enough for most of situations like carpets and red plants or should I go with the A for the lumens?
when you made this video did they have the Twinstar ea iv out . if so what do you think of it? What light would you recommend on a 75 gallon tank?
I found really cool pieces of rosebuse and I'm thinking can i use Rosebushes in an aquarium.
I use a 30 dollar nicrew light from Amazon. It works alright for low light to medium light plants, on my 20 gallon high. Tip on lights that don't have a dimmer ,is to put black electrical tape on parts of the LEDs. Space them out evenly until you like the amount of light. 👍Do they sell these lights in the video ,on Amazon?
U should buy them on ali e much cheaper
@@MKM070 Not much cheaper, maybe at most it is a 20usd difference.
@@Sinserg 20 on 30 usd is 2/3 of the price 🤣
@@MKM070 I am talking about high end lights though. 😅
@@Sinserg im clearly responding to matts nicrew budget light, where do you see my claim it's about high end stuff
Loved it, thank you.
Loving your videos 👍binge watching this weekend ! I also adore your shelving system where did you purchase it ?
Which one is the most powerful light for a 20 gallon tank
As usual very good material 👌👍
Hey Mark, I have a 80cm x 40cm x 40cm was thinking chihiros wrgb 2 but 60cm as it can adjust to 80cm do you think it will have enough spread length wise or do you have another recommendation? Thanks
Hey mj I have a 30cm wrgb2 slim on a 30T and I have it on 50% but I’m not sure if it’s enough what do you have ur 30cm tank on?
Kind of surprised not to see any Hygger or Nicrew examples. You and MD all about the Chihiros…
I don't think these brands are available over here 😊
@@MJAquascaping makes sense. These are the goto “Chinese” brands in the USA selling on Amazon. About 30-80 USD for a light.
Great video Mark!
So you consider Twinstar S better than WRGB2 Pro?
Hi Mj,I have noticed that my red cherry (too many in my tank)shrimp are disturbing my Monte Carlo carpet ever morning few of plants are uprooted or cut So please suggest me how to control this.
( very less algae in my aquarium)
Thank you for a great comparison guide!
Any of those suitable for a reef tank? Soft corals and maybe later lps.
What are your dimmer settings for the Twinstar S-Line?
12:30 on
30 minutes ramp up
13:00 till 20:30 on 100%
30 minutes ramp down
21:00 off
@@MJAquascaping What dimmer do u use?
Top reviews, i love your Aquarium Stand on your backright! Can i know the size and the brand?
Hey MJ.
I recently moved to The Netherlands, and I really want to get into aquascaping. Where can I get "cheap" setups to get started?
I was thinking of doing a beta 50L tank as a start.
Hey Dylan! Welcome!
I don't know which city you moved to, but we have lots of good online stores.
Let me know if you want some store suggestions.
For a cheap betta/aquascape tank I would look for the dennerle scapers tanks! Available in 35, 55 and 70L.
And these come with a lid as well, so its a bit safer for betta's
Thanks for replying. I moved to Almere.
Please send some recommendations on the online shops. I would really appreciate it. In South Africa I had a great setup, but couldn't bring it over with me unfortunately.
www.azaqua.nl/
www.maanvisshop.nl/
www.onlineaquariumspullen.nl/nl/
Thank you, I really appreciate it.
Are Netlea lights any good (for mid tech)? Looking to get 560s for my 80cm tank
ive got a light a no name one. its got white red and blue leds but ive disabled the red and blue as then the light was around 7500k the sun is about 5000k and when the light is on only white leds its 6500k is this good for plant growth?
Greetings, I am setting up a 29g Bowfront rimless (24" x 24" x 14.5") I ordered the Aqamai LFM 100w (this is the Freshwater version), do you think this is a good light? or should I have ordered the Aqamai LRS 50w (this is the Reef Model that has more blue, but can be controlled each of 6 channels indv.)? I want to do a South American aquascape (low tech) for smaller fish like the Dwarf Electric Blue Ram cichlids and other peaceful south American fish. (btw this will be my first live planted tank) "Maybe you could try one of the Hydor/Aqamai lights on a tank setup in the future, I would love to see a setup with that light..."
Is the twinstar 60-b suitable for a low tech aquarium 60x45x45cm?
Absolutely!
@@MJAquascaping thanks mate
Thank you for this MJ!
Do we ever get hosed here in Canada the twinstar c line is over 240 euro and b line 100 euro
That's crazy...
In that case I would go with the Chihiros directly from China ...its probably half the price.
Also do u run all yours with no top
Hi outside Chihiros which light would be equivalent to the Twinstar S but with an app? The store I go to doesn’t sell Chihiros, sells many others brands and I want something like the Twinstar SP but ideally with an app. Any recommendations please?
we have kandila brand here and its just 5 USD for 40cm 18 watt, its perform well for growth but make fish and plant color wash out, but cheap one in europe like that twinstar maybe better
Hi MJ, do u have any recommendation for fish only tank to show off their red, blue and yellow color? And its desktop type similar to fluval nano light? I will really appreciate ur help. Thank u. Enjoy ur long vacation :)
Hello just saw vid most of your videos are great now question is I have a 60gal cube I'm getting ready to plant do I actually need 60cm or maybe 2 45cm tank is 24x24 kinda deep thinking of chihiros lights but I also heard ledstar is just as good you could prob get it free I can't I'd like to hear your take on ledstar
Hi there - Any thought on the Chihiros Vivid Mini? It is very sleek, with central support (instead of braces on both sides), very powerful, it is RGB and it seems to be quite the right size for a 60cm (2ft) tank... And it is not that expensive.
ben dus op zoek naar een lamp voor een 60 cm tank en het gaat mij vooral om een tapijt (monte carlo) te kunnen realiseren. Soort van een Iwagumi maar ook met stengelplanten. Welke Chihiros (ja wil ook een app) zou je mij aanraden? Kan het met de A max serie? Of is de RGB slim dan en betere keuze?
Do all those lights work with a smart plug iv noticed not all lights work with timers or smart plugs
Yeah I have all the Twinstar lights on a smart plug
Zijn een van deze lichtbronnen ook voor een Juwel Trigon 190L te gebruiken?
Officieel niet, maar als je ze ergens op kan laten rusten moet het wel kunnen denk ik.
@@MJAquascaping okay ik zal eens kijken of dat mogelijk is. Goed kanaal trouwens met veel bruikbare tips en eenvoudig uitgelegd!! 👍👍👍
Hey, Im interested in getting one of the Twinstar IV 300EA's and Im really struggling to find information about it as I am in a awkward position due to my Aquarium being 29cm. However I notice on alot of the Twinstar models the brackets sit slightly inwards more than the light itself does. I know its a long shot but do you know if a 30cm Twinstar would fit on a 29cm tank due to the fixing brackets being slightly shorter in width? As I would rather get more surface area with the 300EA than the 200EA. Thanks alot, I am really hoping this makes sense.
Thanks!!! For nano iwagumi and neocaridinas, which you recomended? ❤️
Chihiros AII
@@MJAquascaping thank you so much!!! 👏👏👏
Ik zou graag de chihiros a2 willen kopen voor een 1 meter aquarium maar welke moet je daar dan voor hallen
Can you use these lights on rim aquariums??
Great lights explanation
For wrgb slim, how strong is it that you are having on your tanks?
I'd highly recommend you try out the Chihiros Vivid II RGB. It's a fantastic light. I've owned twinstar B/E/S and Chihiros WRGB II and the Vivid is just so much nicer. With that said, I'm currently trying out WIO Bamboo 70 lights and so far I'm enjoying their colour rendition
Yeah totally agree with you! Would love to get my hands on a Vivid
@@MJAquascaping I feel like it's that next level up, bridging the gap to lights like the ADA. With that said, I bought mine a few years ago and they've gone up quite a bit in price now, making them less attractive. I'd like to try the ONF lights too, but I need more tanks and money, neither of which is easy to get right now :)
I cant find the twinstar SA 600 anywhere , all the stores online are sold out. Where can i buy one online that will ship to the USA?
Awesome video man!
I believe though, that the ADA Aquasky RGB is the best light... Not that I have one 🤣just seen them in action!
The Twinstar is incredible though. I currently have 2 Twinstar S and am super happy!
I actually haven't seen that one in action yet!
@@MJAquascaping try have a look... The colour difference is massive but in my opinion I prefer the look that the Twinstar lights give!
Great video 👍🏻
Is the slim powerful enough to grow high light demanding plants in a tank that’s only 9 inches deep? I have a 5 gallon high tech tank and I would like a better light
Yeah for sure!
@@MJAquascaping for real? thanks ive been stressing out soo much on this cus the regular one went out of stock, and now i could get the slim for cheaper. :)
Bestva 2000 pro is 56 bucks on Amazon and will probably do twice as much as and aquarium light. Just have to have the space for it
Can B line 30b fit a 10 gallon rectangle?
I have a lot of spiderwood fungus. How long does it takes to go away?
2-3 weeks usually
hi, why U didnt metchioned skylight? isnt worth it?
Totally worth it! For this video I just wanted to stick with Chihiros and Twinstar
@@MJAquascaping so i suppose it was sponsored advert? ;)
Can I grow red plants with the Chihiros A2? I have a 6 gallon tank that is about 29cm in height, I wanted the slim but I keep hearing about the colors looking very artificial and I feel like the WRGB II is too powerful for my little tank.
Yes...no problem.👍
After using Chihiros lights for a couple years, I don't think I could ever go back to a light that isn't app controlled.
Lightning is by far the most stressful part of the hobby for me, many of the options are not available in my country and if I want to get any of the high end option I have to pay a bunch more in import taxes, can't afford them as of right now BUT I found out that grow lights (the ones intended to grow plants indoors) works pretty good growing aquarium plants, but you don't get any of the cool features sush a dimmer or color selection.
Where are you located?
@@MJAquascaping Guatemala, Central America.
Yo, one question..
My thank is 40 cm, therefore any 45 cm light wont fit. If I go with the 30-45 cm (expanding the legs) wouldn't that be too low if I want to grow high demanding plants?.
I'm considering the chihiros wrgb II, the II Slim and twinstar lll S.
Thanks for all your content!
The 30cm version of all the 3 lights that you mentioned will be just fine!
@@MJAquascaping wow even the chihiros wrgb II Slim? Where I live is 40% cheaper than the other two, but thought the Slim 30 wouldn't be bright enough. Also all those features sound interesting, sunset and sunrise and moonlight lol or should I already go for a twinstar? thanks brother and Marry Christmas 🎄
@@uebosmix9222 you said 40cm, but how high is it? If it’s higher than 40cm I would go for the WRGB2
@@MJAquascaping excuse moi hehe 40x30x30.
I'm currently using a 16wrgb leds/3watts diy lamp (7hrs day) and am battling with diatomea brown algae..tank is 2 months old.
I have switched to ro water (last week) remineralized to 6dgh, 4.2dkh, 6.6ph with CO2 on, 6.8ph CO2 off. Npk micros etc Excell, water changes but still growth seems stunt, could be the light?
Cuba, Montecarlo, alternanthera, ludwigia súper red mini, weeping moss, nothing fancy.. I really appreciate the help, I have tried everything is getting frustrating 😸
Twinstar c line 900c can grow red aquatic plants
nice vid..how about week aqua?😁
Ik ben opzoek naar een lamp voor de oase highline 300. Dus hij moet in een dicht aquarium en moet passen. Heb jij misschien suggesties?
Had je deze video al gezien? ua-cam.com/video/cyeu0Wr1gsE/v-deo.html
Misschien is dit wat.
Anders zou je ook nog kunnen kijken naar de verlichting van Daytime
@@MJAquascaping ja alleen die blade kan ik nergens vinden
@@johndilloe777 Ja hij is net nieuw op de markt. Misschien hebben winkels hem nog niet op de website, maar kunnen ze hem wel bestellen
Ja ik wil de prijzen weten en aantal lumen
@@MJAquascaping het ziet er wel goed uit. Alleen zie ook de prijzen niet
probably wont hear this but with the light without a dimmer you can use electrical tape to dim the light
Netlea is the best, if you try you will know the magic👍🏻
hi MJ..
Would it be an idea to just make a video about light settings, and by that I mean color settings and intensity of the light, and to show some examples of your apps from, for example, Chihiros app for various scapes and facilities, I think a lot of aquarists still struggle with that
zou het een idee zijn om enkelt eens een keer een video te maken over instellingen van het licht, en dan bedoel ik met kleur instellingen en intensiteit van het licht, en om daar een aantal voorbeelden van te laten zien van jou apps van bijvoorbeeld de chihiros app bij diversen scape's en inrichtingen, ik denk dat een hoop aquaristen daar nog wel eens mee vechten
greetings/ met vriendelijke groet mike straver
How about cheap brands like Lominie?