Review on Aqueon Modular Aquarium Fixture 24 Inch by Tony Winn

Overall I am very happy with this lamp. It's nothing out of the ordinary, but it's a reasonable design and performs well for the price. The ability to turn on daylight with a timer separate from blue moonlight is an obviously desirable feature, but would require two power supplies or some sort of built-in timer. It would increase the cost anyway. After all, this is a bargain, not a high-end device. I'm not thrilled with the adjustable mounting feet and will probably remove them as the LEDs reflect off the glass cover between the light and the water. I also bought a second LED bulb from Day and a LED bulb from Colormax. There are no problems installing lamps, some things shine visually. Colormax adds light in the red spectrum. This adds color to some fish and should also provide a more complete spectrum for plant growing. The blue night mode "Moon" also looks beautiful. I have a lot of surface water movement but I don't get a shimmering effect. This is probably because the light appears so bright. I bought this for a 55 gallon planted tank that I am starting, so I want to address the PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) issue, which is important for growing plants in an aquarium. I found the stats for this fixture on the pet forum (http://www.apetforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=164&t=265). At its best, this three-bulb fixture provides low light for plants with an average PAR at 12 inches of 26.5 and a max PAR of 41. Low PAR is below 30. Medium is between 30 and 80. It's no disaster, though it means I select plants with low to medium light requirements and avoid dense vegetation near the surface. On the plus side, less cultivation and less CO2 is required. I will report how well the plants are growing in my new tank. Worst case scenario I think I'll buy a second light to boost the light or replace it with something that costs twice as much. Anyway, I'm sticking with the LED.