New Dawn LED Proten
True 6500 Kelvin Led light source.
High light levels at the correct wavelengths for powerful plant growth.
- Blue and red spectrums to encourage plant growth and flowering.
- Low energy consumption.
- Extendable arms.
- Controller with Dual Channel On/Off LED.
- Supplied with 4 clamp fixings.
- 2 year guarantee.
- Adapter clips :
- Compatible with T5 & T8 fittings.
- Allows easy retro fitting into the vast majority of existing aquarium light fittings. (Included)
- Bluetooth controller compatible with Bluetooth Dimming. (Not included)
Reptile Systems New Dawn Proten LED was not designed from scratch like many of our other lighting products, as it uses many parts from the very successful Aquarium Systems Proten LED range. This range consists of two different colours in six different sizes. The New Dawn Proten has all the high-tech features of its aquatic cousins, with the innovative twist of using the proven plant growth New Dawn Light Emitting Diodes (LED). Reptile Systems also noticed that fluorescent lamps for plant growth were lacking in the reptile industry. Using our aquatic background, we made the Proten LED based on the products from Aquarium Systems, with the correct spectrum LED for plant growth.
With the continued popularity of heavily planted enclosures, bio active set ups and many beautifully constructed different types of paludariums, good quality plant growth LED lighting is very much in demand. We also noticed that there is very little available - if any - that offer a degree of moisture resistance, even from specialist manufacturers. The new Dawn Proten has been added to the range to fill this void allowing those with high humidity set ups to light their enclosures safety and efficiently, with our waterproof LED bar, and still achieve excellent plant growth.
This design allows the bar to be fitted inside the vivarium, placed on top of the mesh or retro fitted into existing T5 and T8 fixtures and fittings, saving time and money. It covers three standard reptile lamp sizes: 250mm – 450mm, 450 – 600mm and 600mm – 900mm, which are 7w, 14w and 21w respectively.
In our other articles, we have touched on some different aspects of plant lighting and growth and it may be prudent to explain the very basics of photosynthesis. This is the process in which plants use light to convert carbon dioxide and water into simple sugars and oxygen. The carbon dioxide is taken from the air and water is supplied via the root system. The energy for this conversion is provided by sunlight captured by the chloroplasts in the leaves. This energy breaks down the carbon dioxide to produce glucose for energy and helps plants grow and form flowers. It will also store some of this glucose to help it survive periods of dormancy (winter) and produce oxygen which is released back into the air.
Reliable power units have been a weak point with most LED bars in the past because of insufficient investment. Reptile systems have used a power supply that has been used in other industries and, although more expensive, it has given our product class-leading reliability.
The bar’s waterproof design means it can be installed inside the enclosure where humidity and moisture are at its highest and not have to be place outside, on top of a mesh, were in can lose up to 40% of its output.
Retro fittings are supplied, free of charge, for installing into T8 and T5 light fitting or fixtures along with two sets of support clips and extendable arms.
Dual channel controller switch
- Switch 1 - 6500k LEDs provide the correct wavelength for plant growth
- Switch 2 - blue and red LEDs encourage plant growth, budding and flowering
Proven high output LED delivering the correct wavelengths of light for small and medium enclosures or high light demanding plants.
Low power consumption keeps running costs very low.
Tried and tested aluminium heatsink has been used to efficiently keep heat away from the LEDs and help prolong their life.
These units are extremely reliable and possibly the safest LED available for the reptile hobbyist, meeting all current safety standards and CE marked for your protection.
Even at these low wattages, Reptile Systems have documented explosive plant growth at their UK testing facility. Please check our social media channels.
The frequently asked questions are:
How long does it last?
It should give you approximately 50,000 running hours and is backed by a 2-year warranty.
How many lumens is it?
141 lumens per watt, with the newer ones being upgraded to 151 lumens per watt.
My lamp doesn’t work!
Please go through the standard checks as these lamps are very reliable:
- check the fuse
- check the switch in the power cord are at the ‘on’ position
- check that all cable connections are located and secured correctly
- check that there is power to the socket.
How waterproof is it?
As with all our testing, we go to the extreme - our test unit has been submerged for almost a year - so it should be fine with an occasional mist but generally you shouldn’t be subjecting any light unit to an abundance of water.
Can I clean it?
Yes, you can wipe it with a soft damp cloth.
Some more information of New Dawn LEDs
LEDs have come a very long way since their original concept in the early 1900s. They have been used for every type of lighting application from standby lights on electrical appliances to high-tech headlights for cars and every other conceivable use in between.
The commercial application for growing crops and plants indoors, or in hostile environments using LEDs, is great although on a large scale would require some investment. Large greenhouses can grow crops all year round using tailored lighting outputs to promote growth, budding and flowering, adding a predictability to crop harvest times and yields. Plant growing using LEDs is still, relatively, in its early days and is very exciting in terms of development; indoor crops have been grown using LED lights even in Arctic locations. It can bring a low energy way of taking farming to remote locations, even off planet, in the form of aquaponic and hydroponic farming, as a way of sustainably feeding people and livestock while providing a clean breathable atmosphere. As we can scale this down into our own indoor planted set ups, we can create a beautiful environment for our animals, enrich our sense of well-being, whilst cleaning the air in our house.
The hobby has been blessed with an upsurge of people wanting to keep plants, either on their own or as part of an enclosure for animals. Paludaria, terraria, carnivorous plant and bio active are, to name but a few, ways in which plants are being used creatively to make eye pleasing terrascapes for domestic environment. Effectively, lighting for optimal plant growth, while making them pleasing to the human eye, is the goal.
It is worth noting that a trade-off must be made, as plants have different light absorption peaks than people. Photosynthetic light is in the red and blue spectra while human eyesight peaks more in the yellow and green colour range. Most plants still require limited amounts of light from other parts of the spectrum for other processes. This should always be taken into consideration as PAR (photosynthetic available radiation) is not the same as lumen or lux, which are more a measure of brightness to the human eye. So basically, just because an LED is very bright, by human standards, it does not necessarily mean it is the best lamp for plant growth. We should be aiming for a colour of around 6500 Kelvin, which is considered best to cover all bases. We have designed the Reptile Systems New Dawn range to satisfy all these criteria and have an on-going development process to improve as we discover more, and affordable technology becomes available.
We get asked two general questions about New Dawn:
Why do you make so many different types of plant lights?
All the New Dawn range include 141 or 151 lumen output chips and have a colour temperature of around 6500k. As this is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution, we have come up with a comprehensive range of lighting to fulfil all your needs. This is why we have New Dawn compacts, spots, T5 and Proten LED bars. They each serve a lighting solution for different situations. For example, a 10w spot will spread light in a very different way than a 10w T5. We have the 10w spot to punch down the light further as LEDs have a weird physical law that governs their output over distance. This is called the inverse square law, as you move further away the output is reduced by a squared factor. Therefore, if you take a reading at 1m and another at 2m it is not halved it is quartered, at 3m it is reduced by a factor of nine and at 4m by sixteen and so on, e.g. 100 at 2m is 100 ÷ 4 (2²) = 25. The use for different lamps will be explained in further episodes.
Why use the name New Dawn?
Quite simply really, each day starts with a new dawn as the sun’s powerful life-giving light bestows its gift upon the world, also we like the lyrics to the Nina Simone hit song as it gives an organic feeling of happiness.
