GNC BluRay PRO in our DaniReef LAB: the italian 588 LED ceiling light

How to value these numbers in aquarium?

This is a good question. At first we thought that we could transport these values to the aquarium tout-court. Than we filled the aquarium, insert the probe and redone the measurements. We fazed but, as we have already said in elsewhere, we’re going to talk about this in another article. Basically, while at 20 cm the result is practically the same, as we progressed, thanks to the glass and the water itself reflecting the light, we found even the double of the values measured in air. Obviously this isn’t a detail that can be standardized, so we think that our method of calculation is the most correct, and the best for the comparison of coverages of different ceiling lights.

Here is an example: these are the PAR values at about 40 cm.

As you see, we should have 470 PAR. And yet, and you can also see it here below, at that distance from the ceiling light, we’re over 600 PAR. And on the bottom on the sides instead oof 116 we are more over 400.

If you click on the video you’ll be directly redirected to the part in which we measure th PAR with the Quantum Meter MQ-510 by Apogee submerged in water. I think it’ll be very instructive.

The comparison with other ceiling lights on the market

Here the data collected in the DaniReef Lab with the Quantum Meter MQ-510 by Apogee. We can do an interesting comparison between the ceiling lights:

Lamp	Energy	Cost	Power consumption	Energy/€	Energy/w
AI Hydra 32 HD at 17 cm	560.000	430	90,50	1.303	6.190
AI Hydra 32 HD at 37 cm	563.000	430	90,50	1.310	6.224
AI Hydra 32 HD at 57 cm	463.000	430	90,50	1.076	5.112
Aqamai LRM at 17 cm	643.000	465	90,88	1.382	7.071
Aqamai LRM at 37 cm	722.000	465	90,88	1.552	7.941
Aqamai LRM at 57 cm	616.000	465	90,88	1.326	6.783
Aqamai LRS at 17 cm	276.000	289	47,59	955	5.797
Aqamai LRS at 37 cm	312.000	289	47,59	1.078	6.547
Aqamai LRS at 57 cm	254.000	289	47,59	880	5.343
ATI Straton at 17 cm	2.018.000	890	211	2.268	9.565
ATI Straton at 37 cm	1.410.000	890	211	1.584	6.681
ATI Straton at 57 cm	957.000	890	211	1.076	4.537
Cetus 2 at 17 cm	410.000	215	60,68	1.906	6.756
Cetus 2 at 37 cm	291.000	215	60,68	1.353	4.793
Cetus 2 at 57 cm	174.000	215	60,68	807	2.861
Ecotech Marine Radion G5 XR30 Blue at 17 cm	1.536.000	949	203	1.618	7.564
Ecotech Marine Radion G5 XR30 Blue at 37 cm	1.098.000	949	203	1.157	5.409
Ecotech Marine Radion G5 XR30 Blue at 57 cm	648.000	949	203	683	3.192
GNC BluRay PRO at 17 cm	1.321.000	1.149	140	1.150	9.437
GNC BluRay PRO at 37 cm	874.000	1.149	140	760	6.239
GNC BluRay PRO at 57 cm	564.000	1.149	140	491	4.029
Orphek iCon at 17 cm	1.469.000	1.350	229	1.177	6.417
Orphek iCon at 37 cm	1.286.000	1.350	229	1.030	5.616
Orphek iCon at 57 cm	1.156.000	1.350	229	925	5.047
Philips CoralCare at 17 cm	1.859.000	749	190,5	2.481	9.756
Philips CoralCare at 37 cm	1.341.000	749	190,5	1.790	7.037
Philips CoralCare at 57 cm	933.000	749	190,5	1.246	4.899
Philips CoralCare Gen2 at 17 cm	1.330.000	749	168,5	1.780	7.914
Philips CoralCare Gen2 at 37 cm	920.000	749	168,5	1.229	5.461
Philips CoralCare Gen2 at 57 cm	631.000	749	168,5	843	3.745
Reef Flare PRO L Blue at 17 cm	1.646.000	940	166	1.752	9.904
Reef Flare PRO L Blue at 37 cm	1.338.000	940	166	1.423	8.047
Reef Flare PRO L Blue at 57 cm	922.000	940	166	981	5.545

For what regards the energy produced per euro of purchase the ceiling light is in the low average, but next to some of the best lamps like Orphek iCon and Ecotech Marine Radion XR30 G5. After all, the quality has a price. On the other hand, regarding the developed PAR per watt it reaches a very high value. Only three ceiling lights have ever overcome the value of 9.437 PAR per Watt at 17 cm, and not by far, and one is not even for sale anymore. It has a very high efficiency, very close to Philips CoralCare and ATI Straton. It’s also high the energy produced at every distance, that’s the sign of a great coverage with very high average PAR values. All this data shows that these ciling lights are perfect for aquariums of 60 cm of width, a bit stretched for 70 cm ones. Even if you have to consider that the corals wouldn’t be placed next to the glass.

Maintenance costs

The GNC BluRay PRO cost 1.150 euro, even if they’re often on sale, so make sure to follow DaniReef so that we will alert you when there are some offers.

The absorbed power is 139,66 watt, so that the cost/watt ratio is about 8,21 euro per watt. For a comparison with the other ceiling lights you can consult the following chart. Notice that they’re sorted by decreasing efficiency, so the best ones are on top.

Ceiling light	Price	Power consumption	Euro per watt ratio	References
Orphek OR2 Blue Plus	180 USD	54.7 w	3,3 euro per watt	DaniReef LAB
Orphek OR2 Reef Day Plus	180 USD	54,7 w	3,3 euro per watt	DaniReef LAB
Cetus 2	215 €	60,7 w	3,5 euro per watt	DaniReef LAB
Philips Coralcare 2019	749 €	190 w	3,9 euro per watt	DaniReef LAB
Maxspect Ethereal	500 €	126 w	4,0 euro per watt	Italian test
ATI Straton	890 €	211 w	4,22 euro per watt	DaniReef LAB
Philips CoralCare GEN2 2020	749 €	168,5 w	4,44 euro per watt	DaniReef LAB
Ecotech Marine Radion XR30 G5 Blue	949 €	203 w	4,67 euro per watt	DaniReef LAB
Radion XR30w G2 PRO	790 €	170 w	4,7 euro per watt	Review
AI Hydra 32 HD	430 €	90,5 w	4,75 euro per watt	DaniReef LAB
Radion XR30w G4 PRO	915 €	190 w	4,84 euro per watt	Italian article
OceanLed Sunrise 600	870 €	180 w	4,8 euro per watt	Italian test
Orphek Atlantik V4	1099 €	226 w	4,9 euro per watt	Test
Radion XR30w G2	690 €	140 w	4,9 euro per watt	Italian review
Radion XR30w G4	760 €	150 w	5,1 euro per watt	Italian article
Aqamai LRM	465 €	87,5 w	5,1 euro per watt	DaniReef LAB
Zetlight UFO ZE-8000	500 €	91,5 w	5,5 euro per watt	Test
Reef Flare Pro L Blue	940 €	166,25 w	5,65 euro per watt	DaniReef LAB
Orphek iCon	1.350 €	229 w	5,89 euro per watt	DaniReef LAB
Aqamai LRS	289 €	47,6 w	6,1 euro per watt	DaniReef LAB
GNC BluRay PRO	1.149 €	140 w	8,21 euro per watt	DaniReef LAB
CEAB Slide & Led	2.700 €	275 w	9,8 euro per watt	Review
Sicce GNC 466	1.592 €	120 w	13,3 euro per watt	Review

The ceiling light is very well built, heavy and solid. Very similar to the previous GNC AM 466 that we tested almost 10 years ago now. The price is high but the the performances are great, and most of all it has record-breaking uniformity of coverage.

The economic efficiency so it’s lower than the average, but the technical efficiency, that is the developped PAR per each watt, is very high.

What can we breed?

This is the spectral distribution (PFFD), that is the PAR value, measured at different dephts, in clear oceanic waters. These are the values:

	1 m	5 m	10 m	15 m	20 m
PFFD (µmoli/M2/s)	1640	958	618	436	316

So at 37 cm of distance with a GNC BluRay PRO we have 470 µmoli/M2/s, an approximate value of 14 meters below sea level. A power in the average, but that could reach even 10 meters if we consider the reflection on the glass, as you saw in the previous video.

The values are great for aquariums up to 60/65 cm of lenght, both for SPS and anything else. Obviously, some demanding SPS may need more PAR. Consider that with this ceiling light you could have the PAR values you’d have at 10 meters beyond sea level. Such power could breed everything, but you could find some limits for the coloration of the most demanding corals, but as you can see from Luper’s wonderful aquarium you can achieve incredible results. Incresing the depth the power decreases, even if not too much, to reach a wider coverage. The ceiling light is 40 cm of length, so it’s perfect for aquariums up to 60 cm and multiples. 2 for 120 cm are perfect, but they’re pretty good even on for 140 cm.

Questions and comments, as always, are very welcomed!

We really want to reserve a special thanks to our friend Luca Perini, Luper, for allowing us to play with his ceiling lights!