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In early June of last year I placed an order from BoostLED for two PAR3o reef lamp kits. They were purchased to light my 14 gallon biocube that I had set up at the time. Even though the tank has been torn down, the thought of the beautiful shimmer these units can produce is enough to make any aquarist’s mouth water. Besides the shimmer effect, the colors these units bring out in your corals will make you question if they were the same piece you had before you upgraded to Boost LEDs. The clamp on reef lamp that Boost offers in their package is also very high quality. It feels solid, but is takes up little space and is easily maneuverable. The LEDs themselves in this unit are Edixeon 3 watt LED’s. Even though the unit uses a combination of 5 3 watt LED’s, they have a total power consumption of 10 watts; which is extremely low for the par achieved by these sleek little units. Here are the cold hard numbers for a PAR30 unit with 40 degree optics:
These units come in various color combinations, utilizing royal blue, blue, cool white and neutral white to achieve the color that is just right for your tank. They are also available in 40 degree and 60 degree optics which make them great for covering a 12″x12″ area. The aspect that really caught my attention however, was the testimonials. They stated that the hobbyists were able to grow SPS corals with ease. In my experience, SPS under these units truly did grow and color up into some quite amazing morphs of their original colors.
Above is an example of the color and spread of a PAR30 bulb utilizing 60 degree optics with 3 royal blue, 1 neutral white, and one cool white.
Conclusion
I couldnt be happier with my purchase. I wish I still had a tank to hang these above. I got the growth I was looking for along with great shimmer effects and beautiful coloration. If I had to make the decision again, I would without a doubt go with Boost PAR30s as my choice to light a nano reef.
Pros
- Small and light weight
- Sleek design
- Beautiful shimmer effect
- Low power consumption
- Doesnt heat the aquarium
- Bulbs can last up to 50,000 hours!
- High PAR output
- Decently long power cable (6ft)
Cons
- Only offers an ON/OFF switch
