LED lights and hydroponics

H

Helios

New Member
Ok so I've got two chams and I'm loosing some plants to root rot and starvation(lack of light). I think it's more root rot tho. So Im a florist and I can't help but love hordiculture researching terrariums for orchid growing is how I stumbled on a picture of a Cham and what led me here :). Anyway orchids can be easily grown with hydro and the timing in my misting system would work perfectly. I think, however I would like to use led growing lights but I need to know if they would effect my chams before I get some I wouldn't dare risk it without knowing. Before anyone says are orchids safe...many come from madagascar and are epiphytic so they should be perfect but I want to know I can't do hydro and led lights before we get into all that. Any information would be really appreciated thanks guys
 
Hi!, I have been using LED's for a couple of months now, and have had no ill affects.
Talk to Todd @ LightYourReptiles. He is a sponsor here and extremely knowledgeable about all lighting.
He is super cool to talk to, email him and he will get right back to you
Tell him anne sent you! !
 
As with my background with saltwater reef tanks and my experience with and research of led lighting you will be ok using and led light on your cham's cage as they don't emit any uv light (some models have uv emitting diodes avoid those) but over all you should be good with a basic full spectrum led light!
 
I am not sure you can say they don't emit 'any'.... But plant growing LED lights haven't really been looked at by anyone who i'd trust. I'd really like to see some spectrographs on these lights.
 
summoner12 said:
I am not sure you can say they don't emit 'any'.... But plant growing LED lights haven't really been looked at by anyone who i'd trust. I'd really like to see some spectrographs on these lights.
Click to expand...

I have to agree. I'm sure helios is referring to using grow LED lights and those surely have to emit some form of uv for the plants to grow. Correct me if I'm wrong?
 
I'm not sure how long they will hold their UVB output, UVB LED's may last for years....so with the energy saved and their long life, these could be well worth buying.
Ok kevin buy a dozen and test them for us with your UV meter and report back here ....we'll be here waiting on your findings:D:):D
 
Todnedo said:
I'm not sure how long they will hold their UVB output, UVB LED's may last for years....so with the energy saved and their long life, these could be well worth buying.
Ok kevin buy a dozen and test them for us with your UV meter and report back here ....we'll be here waiting on your findings:D:):D
Click to expand...

lol noooo thanks.. and the 6.2 meter wouldn't tell us anything anyway... we'd need a spectrometer. but it is neat that you can buy the LED by the specific wave length..... you could make a super kick ass UVB lamp that has just what is needed for the chameleon to produce vid D3.

it is very neat!
 
we should start a group project and test these.
There is a guy on reef central with a spectrometer that might test them for us.
 
Helios said:
Before anyone says are orchids safe...many come from madagascar and are epiphytic so they should be perfect but I want to know I can't do hydro and led lights before we get into all that. Any information would be really appreciated thanks guys
Click to expand...


What exactly are you trying to say here? :confused: Yes I use orchids some actually have a sap though. You can't grow hydro around your chameleon Huh. Orchids are grown hydroponically anyways air roots out of mulch. LEDs are where its at but to much for chams cages at the moment. I think Im just confused. Are you trying to grow your orchids in chameleon all in one.
 
JackP308 said:
What exactly are you trying to say here? :confused: Yes I use orchids some actually have a sap though. You can't grow hydro around your chameleon Huh. Orchids are grown hydroponically anyways air roots out of mulch. LEDs are where its at but to much for chams cages at the moment. I think Im just confused. Are you trying to grow your orchids in chameleon all in one.
Click to expand...

My bad I meant to say before people flip and say they are not on the safe plant list, not that they are safe apologies for the confusion. I am going to talk to the guy at Light your chameleons about the UVB we can work past that actually. There are tons of orchids that just require lower light levles that I can use, that's the great thing about chids they are one of the most diverse plant fams. I will throughly look into all orchid selections before I get them...and you are right about the hydro except I wont be using mulch I'll be using http://www.firstrays.com/primeagra.htm This will help me avoid the bacteria issues. Technically it is called Semi-Hydroponics. At least that is how orchid growers define it. But essentially yes I am going to grow orchids with my chams if it is possible
 
SonTigerPantherCham said:
Hi!, I have been using LED's for a couple of months now, and have had no ill affects.
Talk to Todd @ LightYourReptiles. He is a sponsor here and extremely knowledgeable about all lighting.
He is super cool to talk to, email him and he will get right back to you
Tell him anne sent you! !
Click to expand...

Thank you so much Anne this is EXACTLY what I have been looking for...what type of LED lights are you currently using if you don't mind me asking?
 
wow how did I miss a thread about UV and LEDs!?

I have been working on developing a UV LED fixture for chameleon use for a while now. The problem is, as you guys have noted, the upfront costs.

Also, the "laymen" can not just buy those UV leds. They come in small spectrum gaps and too low output, we have to both regulate and focus the light.

There is a larger chinese company that also sells UV leds and the price is similar, but if you buy ~500,000-1million units at a time they drop to $5 each which makes the etnire unit affordable.


I will most definitely keep you guys aware if I succeed in this front but my knowledge is primarily in theoretical physics and engineering is far from perfect -.-

Not to mention I have to find someone to back me with a few million for an upfront market run before they are worthwhile....


EDIT: as to their lifespan, based on the chinese UV bulb spec sheets I have looked at, we should have 90% effective output for up to 7 years. Realistically, the bulbs may be usable for up to 11 years (in a very rough analogy, they would go from "5.0" to "2.0" after ~7 years and last as a 2.0level uv output for the final 4 years....this is a VERY rough analogy not actual numbers)
 
summoner12 said:
I am not sure you can say they don't emit 'any'.... But plant growing LED lights haven't really been looked at by anyone who i'd trust. I'd really like to see some spectrographs on these lights.
Click to expand...

Current market LEDs do NOT output UV. Forget asking people you trust, look at the manufacturer spec sheets and you can see this.

http://www.cree.com/products/pdf/XLampXM-L.pdf

I personally use CREE XM-L as they are the newest and highest light output. They also have full spectrum (WHICH MANY CHEAPER LEDS DO NOT HAVE!). This is a big problem I have found in LEDs today. Many LEDs are lacking either the power out or the full spectrum output to be viable for our use.
 
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