Chihiros WRGB 2 VS LEDSTAR AQ Z Series | PAR Test | Better Than Chihiros? Planted Tank Light Review

[@TankTastic]

Check out my aquascapes: kzbin.info/aero/PLdw6qICOworhQz3TL9LR5NepuRp0_pLzU

[@close13]

Ayy I was just at Aqua Rocks Colorado over the weekend talking with Tommy. Great video, thanks for the info!

[@TankTastic]

Nice, hows the shop? Looks pretty nice from what he posted.

[@close13]

@@TankTastic it was a nice hidden gem here in Colorado. The front room is a little small but there is a back part of the shop with some incredible tank setups all around. Has he shown you his rain forrest setup? It’s a large Tera aquarium with a wall of rainforest plants that get misted every so often. I just shot you a message on IG with some of the photos I took.

[@freetoplay169]

Another great comparison video. I appreciate all the work and information you provide.

[@TankTastic]

Thank you! I appreciate that, it keeps me going!

[@marlonallansupetran7120]

Hope you can give updates on the Ledstar AQ in terms of plant growth...

[@TankTastic]

Check my latest post in the community section. But it def works well, plants are flourishing. I’ll post another update soon.

[@marlonallansupetran7120]

@@TankTastic thanks!

[@courtneykeeps]

Another great video, thanks for keeping us all informed!

[@TankTastic]

Thanks Courtney!

[@izizree]

people focus on the tank, plants and fish that they forget about the LIGHT! tq so much for the video. u really help me.

[@TankTastic]

NP man! I feel like so much goes into this hobby and I always like a beautiful overall aesthetic outside and inside the tank! Cheers!

[@TigraODA]

I've tested 60cm models of WRGB-II and LedStar Z-60 on parallel tanks. My preference is on the LedStar side. Now i use 7 light from LedStar. C, S and Z series.

[@TankTastic]

Feel like we are kind of on the same boat. But I am curious what the new WRGB Pro is going to be like.

[@tanshengyang7344]

Hi may I know the performance of the s series.

[@arjay0490]

hey man, great vid. Not many vid about the Ledstar. I appreciate. Thank you!

[@TankTastic]

Thank you! I like trying new things 😁😁😁

[@arjay0490]

@@TankTastic hey man I just gotta ask. Would you say that the Ledstar's color is looking a lil washed out, or is it just in the video? Thanks!

[@TankTastic]

Ledstar is less washed out due to the higher K value. But the downside is the bluish tint that it produces. Colors plants are more vibrant but greens take a hit. For wrgb2 compared to the ledstar its the other way around.

[@arjay0490]

@@TankTastic i see. Thanks. I still can't decide between aqz ans and wrgb1.

[@TankTastic]

Wrgb1? I never tried that one, but if you are considering AQZ or wrgb2. Tbh either one can do a great job for your tank. Just ask yourself, do you like your tank looking cooler or warmer.

[@jstorey8905]

Have you had any issues with the app ? I can't set timers on the "fast settings" it just messes up and doesn't allow me to set a schedule

[@gallardo20000]

40 Breeder!!! What light would you recommend for a high tech setup? You think a regular 24" T5 quad fixture would be enough? I'm on a budget with my tank and don't want to spend $200+ on a light

[@TankTastic]

you can go with warm shop lights that you can get from home depot, Nates Aquatics on Tiktok uses them to grow beautiful plants

[@Khans0120]

If you're on a budget I'd say save up for a proper light a bit longer, but buy two or three cheap $10 breeder lamps and 100 watt equivalent LED bulbs to go in them. Those 100 watt equivalent bulbs will put out about 1300 to 1500 lumens each and the overall cost will be less than using a T5 fixture which will need yearly bulb replacements

[@xaviershen3831]

Great, I check Colorado to buy a ledstar to ship in France. Thanks. Xavier

[@xaviershen3831]

I just installed yesterday. It works very nice. A little bit cooler light than the Chihiros wrgb2 I already have. But I set both together, and the combination just give a very well balance of lushing colors and power ! Thanks again for your vlog ! It is so helpful.

[@sG-fx8ei]

@@xaviershen3831 hello. Great to know that u have both the light ledstar n chihiros wrgb2. I have 6ft x 2ft x 2ft tank. Which light would u suggest me? 1 light will be enough or do I have to buy 2 units?

[@kevinchuang6538]

Great video as always man ! Love your swagger !

[@TankTastic]

Thank you bro, appreciate you!

[@blackwing7674]

Chihiros looked better with colors. I was actually hoping the LEDStar could be an option but seems like it's more on how bright it is. But we don't normally do full power anyways, so color would matter more at this point. 👊 Thanks for the review and keep it up.

[@TankTastic]

True, sometimes we dont need all that power. But if you have a super deep tank, than it will come into affect. But I agree, aesthetic matters.

[@melissacarroll4336]

LedStar color is adjustable. Not sure about the Chihiros I don’t have one

[@TankTastic]

Both are, ledstar color is cooler more red

[@roydaniel5642]

How high was the light on the top of the tank? Was it 40 cm from light to bottom of tank?

[@jermseah]

great informative video! can you do a par test comparison with ONF flat one plus? cheersss!!!

[@TankTastic]

Thank you! Unfortunately the ONF has been long gone. 😔

[@badboybobby100]

Cant find any retailer who sell Ledstar AQ Z series in Europe. Any who knows where to buy - in Europe?

[@TankTastic]

You can get it on alibaba and shipped from China

[@constancewiley196]

The attention to detail, nice vid

[@TankTastic]

Thank you so much!

[@robertjamesgallardo]

Hi, can you have a comparison between this Ledstar vs. WeekAqua?...

[@TankTastic]

Maybe, once I move and settle in, I’ll look into Weekaqua more. I seen their light brochure before.

[@binusb1080]

Weekaqua outrun LEDSTAR for sure...they pretty same to Chihiros...but the plus point with week aqua is the pro versions got UV in that and your plants get good colour rendering especially buce....and red plant...I am not a great fan of LEDSTAR...

[@robertjamesgallardo]

@@binusb1080 Thanks! Is there a week aqua product that you can recommend for a 55 gallon tank? There’s so many models and they’re a bit confusing...

[@binusb1080]

@@robertjamesgallardo Hey all week aqua lights are pretty good...may I know the size of the tank I mean the measurements how height and depth..and what's the purpose ( means Hight to low light demanding ) It totally depends on plants you wanna grow or use in the Aquascaping...

[@robertjamesgallardo]

@@binusb1080 dutch aquascape with 85cm length, height at 60cm. I really need a very intense light that reaches the substrate, and 60cm is very deep. Something similar to chihiros WRGB2

[@polanskiman]

Light looks nice but the cable coming out the top is .... What were they thinking? Spreading the LEDs and making the light a bit wider would have also improved even light coverage and also helps extend LED life as heat is not as concentrated.

[@TankTastic]

Yea that wire on top is kinda weird. And wider would of been nicer, but via my non-scientific PAR test, it’s good for me.

[@craigspargimino9282]

Would love to see a comparison with the Chihiros, Netlea LT5, and Week Aqua P. There is tons of info on the Chihiros, but so little on the Netlea & Aqua P in the US --- but both lights (per manufacturer spec) seem to have a really high-end built at a reasonable price point. What do you think? Great videos btw, really enjoyed them.

[@kevin-justacs1008]

I'm starting a 60gal cube 24x24x24 now chihiros is out cost way to much now with bout 3" of substrate which ledstar will cover that width and depth 2 will prob be needed so AQ Z60, S60 J60 C60 I just need gd lighting for stem plants

[@MrKillerHobbes]

Hey bro! just read through all the comments. what are your thoughts on the ledstar vs chihiros after all these months, do u feel the growth is bad as one commenter mentioned. I've been deciding between the ledstar aq n II vs the chihiros c II rgb, for a 45 cm nano tank. also could make a good comparison video of the the ledstar and chihiros onf flat nano clones.

[@TankTastic]

Tbh, either one is a good choice. LEDstar is cooler in color chihiros is warmer. You can grow whatever you want with both, and I’ve done it with both.

[@MrKillerHobbes]

@@TankTastic i see! thanks! which one has more saturated" and punchy colors in person?

[@full_metal2452]

How’s it compare to ADA 60rgb aqua sky?

[@TankTastic]

No idea, I never heard good things about the Aquasky

[@varanidguy]

As someone who lives in a really dry climate, so I exclusively use rimmed tanks with glass lids, I like the design of the Chihiros. It's more accommodating. The rendering of the LED Star was awesome, though, and it seems like you can't really go wrong with either one. With that being said, I purchased a Week Aqua P series from Aqua Rocks Colorado lol but that's because the measurements means it should fit perfectly under the wood canopy for my 75 gallon.

[@woltergrant]

Being a connoisseur of the light category you need to get the Netlea AT5 next! I was also super into leds because I really appreciate how each one can totally change the perception of your scape. So I was rockin a twin star s ii + iii, Chihiros w2 and vivid, ONF cool ver., ADA, and Nala; which I would round robin on my 6 60cm tanks every couple trims. The vibe changed each time and a lot of the time felt like a whole new scape, which is why lighting is so awesome and key to this hobby. BUT then I got the AT5, a TRUE killer. Couldn’t even justify keeping the others after so I got rid of each and replaced all of them with more. Only sad thing is they are not in the US market so it’s a pain to get on Aliex and a bigger one on taobao where I got the rest but saved a ton. Hands down worth it though, seriously you want this true killa….

[@TankTastic]

Bro, you got me going and I was researching the Netlea and I can’t get it here in NYC😭😭😭 but dude, I want that light. Nice to meet other light addicts! 😁

[@TankTastic]

People also wanted me to try Weekaqua lights, but those are like run of the mill LED lights so I’m probably skipping that.

[@liamcooper6721]

have you tried it up agained the WRGB-II Pro? It has the same White/red/green/blue setup as the AT5 and well also has an app that is in English for us non Chinese speaking people XD

[@josealonzo5567]

How high were the lights from the tank?

[@TankTastic]

I believe it was like 11-12cm. Which is what I usually keep my light at.

[@cheenaxe]

bro have you tried week aqua A430 pro ??? must try very cool lamp !! not perfect but performance is top class!

[@TankTastic]

Have not yet, I’ll look into it after I move end of September. I know about that company and seen their line up of lights.

[@wyliecoyote1696]

Would you ever do a Kessil/Chihiros hybrid?

[@TankTastic]

As in, use a kessil and a chihiros at the same time on a tank?

[@wyliecoyote1696]

@@TankTastic Yes

[@TankTastic]

Yea, if I have a huge tank and there’s spots I need to cover. I would do a kessil or AI prime to help out without having to use a whole new huge set of lights. My only thing is the color temp, not sure how much it would contrast.

[@wyliecoyote1696]

@@TankTastic I think it would even out; since the Chihiros are RGB. While the Kessil's are more white.

[@Knight636]

I see Aquarocks has the weekaqua lights now, will you be doing a comparison with the ledstar and chihiros? or if you can tell me which between the 3 you would prefer now.

[@TankTastic]

I’ve actually known about Weekaqua before Chihiros. And between the two I went with Chihiros due to the spectrum mostly and some other stuff. Both lights looks kind of similar to me and ratings is not too far off. So maybe not. I am however looking at Netlea (another person commented about it), that light looks insane.

[@Knight636]

@@TankTastic Thanks for your quick reply and keep up the good work.

[@TankTastic]

Thank you!

[@domesticcardetailing8295]

Is it better than than the twin star v3 though

[@TankTastic]

Funny you ask, I’m actually PAR testing the Twin light 2 and 3 and doing a video for that next week. Of course the WRGB2 and LEDSTAR will be making an appearance as well. Stay tuned!

[@donaldportofee4475]

Just commenting that the aq star app for the ledstar light has issues for iOS. I forgot my password and couldn't reset it with the iOS app... aka my light schedule was stuck. Thankfully, I had my old android and the aq star app worked fine there. For reference, I have the 60cm J series version 1 of this light and I do really like it. I've had the light for >6 months at this point. The colors are "cooler" in tone like Tanktastic mentioned- more of a natural daylight look. It's grown my plants just as well as my chihiros in my opinion. Personally, I like the look of the chihiros better, but mostly the ledstar iOS app issue I just had was off-putting. But there's always the possibility that the app gets fixed. Also last thing, I would buy the z version of this light and not the j version because I haven't been able to find shades for the j series light. But anyways, chihiros and ledstar are both great lights that will grow probably any type of plant Edit: Looks like the shades are in stock finally. I really like the Ledstar J light minus the mediocre app.

[@TankTastic]

Yea the app need some firmware update, I’m sure it will come. As phones always get updated, apps usually need to update along with it. A year ago, the LEDSTAR app was top notch.

[@Tethliss]

Are these super new to the market? Literally can't find a single way to get a hold of these in the UK. Which is a shame as they seem to do a 6ft version which I believe is a big gap in the market over having to use multiple smaller units.

[@TankTastic]

No, been around for a while. Wait, Green Aqua sells them, do they not ship to you? Or you can check on Alibaba, they do international shipping.

[@Tethliss]

@@TankTastic can't see them on Green Aquas Website, I was always under the impression Alibaba was for bulk buys rather than single units.

[@TankTastic]

Nope, you can order one “sample”. Also check aliexpress first, if not then use above method on alibaba.

[@Tethliss]

@@TankTastic thanks mate. Still had no luck trying to find the 6ft fixture on Alibaba. Can only seem to get hold of the smaller fixtures. Will keep my eyes peeled.

[@TankTastic]

Really? When I type in: Chihiros wrgb2 120cm. I see tons, maybe because I’m in the states?

[@robertjamesgallardo]

Hi, how did it go in two weeks?

[@TankTastic]

I’ll post a picture today!

[@TankTastic]

I just posted a pic in the community post section. Check it out

[@oniesma]

I like your intro style, it's cool...👍anyway, what type of led chip for ledstar bro?

[@TankTastic]

Not sure about chip but they use rgb led

[@k9feces]

You have the best lighting videos

[@TankTastic]

Thank you brother! Maybe one day I’ll be a meme for planted tank lights 😂

[@davidkiss9806]

It's more powerful because of the white LEDs... which I am not sure if it is a great news since plants mostly benefit from red blue and green. The actual lighting looks great, and I am sure it will grow anything. So I am going to say it is up to you which one you'll choose. But I am a maximalist. Meaning that by my knowledge, I am certain that the chihiros will do a better job. I do however prefer the briskness of the ledstar. I myself would still go the chihiros route for maximum benefit. But at this point it is personal, since it looks like both are great.

[@TankTastic]

Well said

[@cheesyvolcano5158]

is it okay for goldfishes?

[@freedomwarrior1643]

I heard that Chihiros is coming with a WRGB 2 Pro version very soon 😬

[@TankTastic]

Yea next summer? They def improved on looks. Im curious how the color rendition looks. More power is a nice to have, but I find myself using 60-80% power, 100% of the time.

[@freedomwarrior1643]

@@TankTastic same here, if u run the wrgb on 100% u get algae very fast i run most of the time between 60/70%

[@TankTastic]

Exactly, I heard the price is higher too. So gotta weigh that in as well. We will see, I’ll probably get it to check it out.

[@freedomwarrior1643]

@@TankTastic would be nice to compare with the wrgb 2 and see if its worth it the Pro version 👍

[@TankTastic]

Yea thats for sure.

[@viktoytube]

Ledstar is terrible for plant growth and it's not a good lamp in my opinion, all of them have a blueish tint and makes your tank look very artifical. I also noticed the lamps when run on full power tend to get really really hot, you can easily burn yourself if you're not careful enough. I had the opportunity to test Z90, J60, WS(top of the line, this was the most disappointing tbh) and S40 which I bought to help my friend out(He sells them, well..tries to atleast, here they're mostly the same price as Twinstar and Chihiros) my Chihiros A plus 451 blows it out of the water in terms of power, color and plant growth... the J60 was my favourite out of the bunch, it had good colours until I put the WRGB 2 and the Vivid on. The J60 was on my tank for 4 weeks, when I put the Vivid 2 on the plants grew more in one week than 4 weeks with the Ledstar J60 lamp...I know the Vivid 2 is much more expensive, but still that's crazy.

[@TankTastic]

That’s interesting, well right now I have it on my farming tank and will let it grow for a month and do an update video to that. Isnt the Z and J the same outside of cosmetic difference? Yea the cool temp look is something to get used to, like mentioned in the vid, reminds me of the Twinstar Light 2. Will update.

[@viktoytube]

@@TankTasticThey are pretty much the same. I have the Twinstar II 900S and had the II 600C(which I replaced with the wrgb 2) but it's not the same, yes it's a bit cooler than a 3rd gen, but the colors still feel and look natural unlike with the Ledstar, and not to mention plant growth.. Ledstar is good for a second lamp, that is how I run my low tech tank; Chihiros A Plus 451 + Ledstar S40. I also tried to put the J60(one more plus I guess is that you can fit a 60cm lamp on a 90cm tank) next to my 900S and the tank looked much more vibrant, but on its own it just doesn't look good in my opinion.

[@TankTastic]

Thats pretty wild that a Chihiros A series is better than the Ledstar Z? I had an A series before, it was a terrible light for coloring up the plant, easy plants no problem. Now I’m really interested in seeing how the plants do in a month with this light. Thanks for bringing this up.

[@viktoytube]

@@TankTastic No you understood me wrong, the A series is better than the Ledstar S, but the WRGB 2 and Vivid 2 is better than all of them.

[@TankTastic]

@@viktoytube what kind of plants did you grow? Ledstar didnt grow the plants for you and the plants didnt color up? This is interesting, cuz based on the par reading this should do the job. But yea ima see after a month.

[@liamcooper6721]

the LEDSTAR has raw output while the WRGB-II has more uniformity. LEDSTAR has a range of 64 Par (low to high) while the WRGB-II has 49 Par, not a massive difference but might be enough for some people/tanks. Good review, thanks

[@TankTastic]

Either light can do what you need them to do I feel like.

[@deurysbreton3546]

Comparison between Ledstar AQ J series vs Ledstar AQ Z series

[@MichaelsHomeCooking]

Very very nice. I will not be a customer of these though, I bought a $150 light for my 1st tank a 29 gallon. The auto on and off (plus settings) like brightness is wonderful, but I've been buying cheap cheap lights for the other tanks. I just cannot afford expensive lights like this. They look VERY NICE!!! I've given up on CO2 as well :-( I am a sad sad low tech aquarist. I hope you are all settled into your new place!

[@TankTastic]

Oh absolutely, I still use a Hygger light for $40 and Nates Aquatic on Tiktok uses a few $20 shop lights and he grows some amazing looking plants. I’m planning to try out some shop lights too in the future for a farming tank. Still looking for a place, but getting packing so I will be all ready to go.

[@asier2001]

Brilliant test! Regards

[@TankTastic]

Thank you! 🙏🙏🙏

[@jason21405]

Can u do a comparison with chihiros & aqua week

[@TankTastic]

I been looking at Weekaqua products for a bit now. I want them to be available here in the states before doing anything.

[@xaviershen3831]

Great ! Bravo ! Xavier from France

[@TankTastic]

Thank you!

[@pariscae]

I think you must measure and power consumption of the lights, because both says 100w but in reality maybe be different. Great test anyway.

[@TankTastic]

Yea I dont have the tools to measure that. Thats why the best I could do is put both lights on blast. But I’m going to use the Ledstar and do an update on plant growth

[@pariscae]

@@TankTastic You have to get a socket power meter like kill a watt for less than 20$ and get a better conclusion about power consumption in future. Keep good job.

[@TankTastic]

@@pariscae so you’re saying the manufacturer rated 100w is just a number and that the light only uses a percentage of that 100w? Interesting, ima check it out

[@desolatedreams21]

It’s going to be around 100 watts if the manufacturer says 100 watts. Par test is what matters as efficiently is also a factor. If you’re referring to cost of running the lights there’s gonna be little difference

[@maxverafrank7061]

Chihiros presets kind of suck, though. You gotta customize. That's when you really get to see how capable its color rendition is.

[@TankTastic]

Preset does suck, but even customized it’s not as cool as the ledstar. The presets gives a sense of what each can do and what they are about (for me atleast)

[@maxverafrank7061]

@@TankTastic cool as in the color temperature? Although I prefer a slightly warmer tone, I actually thought the Ledstar looked better in the video (and looked really good overall). But to be fair, I also think the Finnex HLC looks better than the Chihiros if the Chihiros is only set to presets. But if you ignore the presets and adjust the channels, then it's in a different league . Anyway, LEDSTAR is definitely a brand I gotta check out. The only thing I don't like, is that cord sticking out from the top .

[@TankTastic]

Yea temp cool is what I meant. Yea diff cup of tea for diff ppl. All can grow plants well.

[@KevinJohnson-zg2wg]

I have the ledstar. Not thrilled with it. The color is too “cold” bought two fixtures and when set side by side the colors can be on same setting and do not match. Don’t recommend them

[@TankTastic]

I dont think you will get the same spectrum with any two lights made by different companies. I personally like it “cold” thats why I have a preference with the Twinstar 2 vs the 3. Its all personal preference.

[@kevinjohnson2671]

What I mean. I have two fighters on my 6’150. The fixtures are the same. Both LedStar AQJ, they don’t match it’s disappointing

[@TankTastic]

Oh you mean two of the same exact light and the colors dont match? Thats kind of wild, you got a video on this?

[@kevinjohnson2671]

I have pics. No way to post here

[@z3ro7o]

Didn’t even know that brand existed. Ledstar... i have a wrgb2 aswell

[@TankTastic]

Yea, first time hearing about it too. Apparently the co-creator was a IAPLC winnner back in the day from Taiwan (forgot his name). But makes me think how many other lights I need to try. Lol yikes

[@z3ro7o]

@@TankTastic thats why your channel is great. Keep on going. Greetings from h Netherlands 🇳🇱 🙌🏼

[@GrnBltSniper]

whelp you got me. i bought one

[@TankTastic]

Lol cant go wrong

[@OriginalMindTrick]

Disagree about the design from an aesthetic point of view. The Chihiros has a cleaner more expensive look.

[@vukelicdavor8718]

Chihiros rgb2 👌

[@TankTastic]

Yea, I’ll always be a fan of those.

[@snowprince3253]

Is Ledstar made in china?

[@TankTastic]

Majority of lights are made in China tbh

[@ahmetnal7945]

Türkçe alt yazı olsaydı daha çok sevinirdim

[@PokerDegen]

Chihiros WRGB 2 Pro is better in my opinion. Better looking and adequate for any tank.