Ultimate UV tanning LED to enhance fish and plant color!!
Introduction
This is the best freshwater lighting system I’ve ever used! That’s a bold claim but hear me out. It is the best freshwater lighting system not the best aquascape lighting system. The reason for this is because of the Pro version of the Week Aqua lights. It comes with UV radiation and that’s a big deal. You can learn more about tanning fishes with aquarium light in this previous video that I did. But to put it simply, there’s a lot of fake tanning LED lights out there. Tanning requires UV as it will trigger pigment cells to be produced to shell the organism from harmful UV radiation. But unfortunately unlike fluorescent or metal halide, LED don't produce any UV radiation. But there are UV admitting LED that produce only UV light and are usually found in reef lighting. But freshwater aquarium keepers have been left out of this technology until now. The Pro variant of Week Aqua lights have UV emitting LEDs in them and this is a game changer. Now not only the aquascaper will have even more intense color plants but also arowana and gold fish as well as many other fishes that can benefit from tanning will get incredible results from using this type of light. Fishes such as arowana and gold fish will achieve color that is as vibrant as those found in the outdoor farm. Don’t worry, this is just UV-A to UV-B radiation we are talking about. It won’t cause cancer.
Dim purple lights are the UV LED diodes on the Week Aqua Pro.
Performance
There are several key features that made it my current favorite light. The LED screen is frosted providing a more even color distribution and also reduces glare. The color combination in the presets is very good. Not only allow optimum PAR output for plants growth but also enhance the color of the fishes very well. And finally the PRO version of the system includes some LED to output UV radiation. The UV radiation will cause plants and fishes to produce more pigment to shield them from radiation thus making them more vibrant. This makes the only freshwater LED light in the market that will truly provide tanning for fishes. Making it suitable to be used in fishes like Arowana and GoldFish. The App also provides presets for Arowana and Gold Fishes. Only the Pro version will have the UV output therefore make sure you get the PRO if you’re looking for that sweet tanning color.
Varieties
The Week Aqua comes in varieties of models. Distinguish from power output and also mounting style but they all have the same lighting quality. So everyone can get whatever type of mounting and power output their tank requires while getting the same color of light. But this can be a double edge sword as it can be rather confusing to choose which one you should get for your tank. After testing several models ourselves we recommend the M series for a tank that is smaller than 60p, L series for 60p aquarium while P series with the optional hanging kit for 90p and 120p for aquascape while fish tanning only you can go for L series for most tank.
The App
One of the places where the Week Aqua didn’t shine is with it’s app’s features. The app itself works fine but there aren't many features. The app also doesn’t connect to the light seamlessly. For instance, during bluetooth pairing for the first time the light will show up as a long combination of letters and numbers which is not written anywhere on the light or the packaging. If you have several lights that are turned on at once there’s no way for you to know which one is which. After pairing up, the user is required to select the volt of the light and there's a warning that if the wrong voltage is selected the light might be damaged. There’s no instruction to locate the voltage. If you’re not familiar with how electricity works you will have a hard time. The volt of your light is printed on the adapter. Good thing is that you only need to do this once. Normally one would expect that upon connection the app would know what light it’s connected to. But in this case even after selecting the volt of your light, every time when you want to do adjustment you’ll still need to select the proper mode for your light. Selecting the wrong mode will not cause any harm to your light but it will cause it to output unusual lighting. It is not all bad with the app as after we go through all that the actual adjusting setup for the light is rather easy to use. There's a useful preset that I like and on top of that you can adjust the brightness of the presets. Timer is easy to use but unfortunately doesn’t simulate sunrise or set. One thing to take note is that the cooling function is only applicable for P series which have a built in fan although the adjustment option is available even when you’re using non fan cooling light. The light will also remember it’s setting if the power has been cut off for a short period of time which is great and even after a long period of power outage, you’ll just need to select ‘Apply’ on the app to send the setting back to the light.
Design, material and built quality
To put it simply, the design is functional but aesthetically it's just ok. Not offensive to look at but at the same time not that will make you wow or hmmm nice. It comes in several optional mounting options but we prefer the hanging wire for the P series and the one sided L shape mounting type for the rest. This does not only free up space at the top of the aquarium for a more pleasant look but also easy access to maintain the aquarium. It will also allow height adjustment for the light.
Material wise it is top notch But the fit and finish at several parts can be improved but overall it is pretty solid.
Conclusion
This is not the perfect light but it shines where it counts the most. Trading some of the not so important aspects for a lower price range is not a bad deal. When you look at it, it certainly doesn’t look as nice as those higher end lights but at the same time it doesn’t cost as such and it performs just as good if not better then the higher end lights. It is certainly better than those lights that look high end but don't perform well.
