Aquael Retrofit 18w Actinic 115-120cm

Description

Aquael Retrofit 18w Actinic 115-120cm — LED replacement tube for a full-length reef hood

A reef tank in the 115 to 120 cm class typically ran a pair of 4-foot fluorescent tubes, and those tubes age and dim long before the fixture itself gives up. Aquael Retrofit 18w Actinic 115-120cm (SKU: 102571) is the longest tube in Aquael’s Leddy Tube Retrofit actinic range, built to replace a 115 to 120 cm T5 or T8 fluorescent tube rather than requiring a new light unit altogether. The bare LED module runs roughly 101.5 cm with its own independent power supply, and the pack includes a mounting bracket with T5/T8 mounts that extends the fitting out to the full 115 to 120 cm length. At 18 W it is the highest-output tube in the actinic line, intended for longer hoods where a single short tube would leave the ends of the tank dim.

The spectrum is actinic blue at around 20,000 K, the deep end of the visible range that drives coral fluorescence and is normally run in combination with a broader marine or white tube rather than alone. Because the unit has its own power supply, it drops into most existing hoods and lamp bodies, including one whose original fluorescent ballast has failed, without the fixture needing rewiring. Aquael keeps the module low-profile so it sits inside a standard hood lid rather than protruding above it, and the LEDs are rated by Aquael to run for years longer than the fluorescent tube being replaced. A shorter 10 W tube in the same spectrum (SKU 102562) covers a 55 to 60 cm tank for anyone running matched actinic lighting on a smaller display alongside this one.

Usage & Application

When to Use

• Fading fluorescent tubes: A direct LED swap for an old actinic T5 or T8 losing output.
• Full-length reef hoods: Even coverage across a 115 to 120 cm aquarium.
• Coral fluorescence: Supplementary blue spectrum run alongside a white or marine tube.
• Failed ballasts: The module’s own power supply bypasses a faulty fluorescent ballast.

How to Use / Installation Process

• Remove the old tube: Take out the fluorescent tube and its end caps from the hood.
• Fit the bracket: Attach the included T5/T8 mounts to match the fitting length.
• Seat the tube: Clip the bracketed LED tube into the existing hood or lamp body.
• Connect power: Plug the tube’s own power supply in directly; no separate ballast is used.

Product Specifications & Highlights

Key Features

• Actinic spectrum: Around 20,000 K blue light for coral fluorescence.
• Highest-output actinic tube: 18 W, for a full-length 115–120 cm hood.
• Independent power supply: No external ballast; fits hoods with a failed fluorescent driver.
• T5/T8 mounting bracket included: Sized for a 115–120 cm aquarium.
• Long LED life: Rated by Aquael to outlast the fluorescent tube it replaces.

Product Details

• Brand: Aquael (Poland)
• SKU: 102571
• Barcode (GTIN/EAN): 5905546314039
• Product Type: Lighting > Retrofit LED Tube (Actinic)
• Power: 18 W
• Colour Temperature: Approx. 20,000 K (actinic blue)
• Module Length: About 101.5 cm; fits 115–120 cm aquariums with the included bracket
• Fitting: T5/T8 mounting bracket included
• Power Supply: Independent, built into the unit
• Other Sizes: Aquael Retrofit 10w Actinic 55-60cm (SKU 102562)
• Target Environment: Marine and reef aquariums