Beamswork LED Review

A good lighting system is vital for a healthy, sustainable tank. Choosing the right setup can be daunting, though, given the vast array of options and how expensive some can get. Fortunately, the Beamswork LED lights have a low price point that still incorporates multi-colored LEDs with even distribution, making them my go-to option for basic tank lights.

In this Beamswork Aquarium LED Review, we will look at some of the options this brand offers, what to look for in an LED system, specific features and aspects of the Beamswork lights, and some possible alternatives to help you decide if this lighting system is right for you.

BeamsWork EA Timer 6500K 0.50W LED Aquarium Light Freshwater Plant (80cm – 30″)

Lumen: 1750

LEDs: 36x 0.50W
Config: 30x 6500K, 6x Actinic 460nm
Timer Ready, 2 Mode Day / Night

Suitable for freshwater, plants, cichlid, discus, tetra

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Things to Consider Before Buying an Aquarium LED Light

Tank Requirements

Light Spread
Color Spectrum
Tank Size

Customization

Fish and plants in both saltwater and freshwater tanks need consistent light for healthy life cycles that can’t be supplied by natural or room lights. Heavily planted tanks will need stronger lights, while saltwater aquariums, especially with high-maintenance corals, will need a system that provides light in different wavelengths and intensities.

LEDs are usually the best lights for an aquarium. They are more expensive than incandescents, but they last longer, use less power so your electricity bill won’t go up, and are easier to control when it comes to brightness and color. The type of LED system you choose will depend on what your tank needs. As you’ll see in this Beamswork LED Review, basic LED systems are good for freshwater tanks that aren’t heavily panted, or for saltwater tanks that don’t have demanding corals or fish.

Beamswork LED Overview

The Beamswork LED’s are a good, entry-level option that disperses light evenly. You can’t customize the light settings like you can with some of the higher-end options out there, but these lights cover basic needs at an affordable price and offer two lighting modes to choose from to simulate day and night cycles with the option of adding on a timer.

Both DA and EA lines come in either full spectrum – which means they have red, blue, green, and white lights – or with just the blue and white lights. The difference between the two lines is that the DA systems come with five rows of LEDs, while the EA only has three rows. This means the DA lights are more expensive but provide stronger illumination.

Pros:

Inexpensive
Good light distribution
Basic modes to choose from

Timer optional

Cons:

Not bright enough for all tanks

No advanced customization
Timer sold separately

Beamswork LED Review: Features & Benefits

Design & Construction

Instead of two big lights under a hood, the Beamswork systems scatter multiple LED lights – anywhere from 40 – 180 LED lights depending on the size you buy – across the wide surface area of the fixture. This helps ensure your entire tank is illuminated evenly and there are no hot spots or shadows where tank occupants will suffer from too much or too little light.

These lights are constructed to last a long time and are easy to fit onto most tanks. They have a sleek, low-profile design that won’t detract from the beauty of your aquarium.

Available Sizes

The DA full spectrum lights come in the following sizes:

BeamsWork DA LED Aquarium Light 20″

The EA full spectrum lights have a few more sizing options:

These lights come with brackets on either side that can be clamped to the edges of your tank, giving them a little leeway when it comes to sizes and ensuring a tight fit.

Timer

These lights don’t come with a built-in timer, but they are pre-wired to work with a timer that you can buy separately. The optional timer costs around $13 – $26 and plugs directly into the designated port on the light fixture for easy assembly and use.

The timers are basic models that come with buttons to set the minute and hour. You can’t program these lights to turn on and off at certain times, but you can set the timer to turn off the lights that are already on after a specified period of time.

Brightness Levels

The DA lights are brighter than the EA ones: the 48 inch DA model has 5,200 lumens while the EA model of similar size has 2,500 lumens. Whether or not this is enough light for your tank will depend on the specific needs of the plants and fish living in your aquarium.

Best Type of Tank

These lights are best used with freshwater tanks that aren’t heavily planted or saltwater tanks that have few corals and fish that aren’t overly sensitive to light changes.

How Does The Beamswork LED Stack Up To The Competition?

Beamswork LED vs. Finnex

Finnex LED lights are significantly more customizable than Beamswork lights and can come with a remote control that can fine-tune different colors and intensities and even set programs to simulate sunrise and sunset.

The trade-off is that these lights are also significantly more expensive and don’t have as many size options. The Finnex systems are a good choice if budget isn’t a concern and you need to have more control over your lights for picky plants.

Beamswork LED vs. Nicrew Full-Spectrum LED Lights

The Nicrew Full-Spectrum LED Lights are less expensive than the Beamswork lights but are also not as bright. The Nicrew lights only have three rows of LEDs, but the 48-inch option puts out 1,950 lumens which his significantly less than the 2,500 lumens the Beamswork EA model produces with its three rows of LEDs. This means you should only use the Nicrew if your tank has minimal light needs and your budget is really limited.

Beamswork LED vs. Current USA

The Current USA lights are the most expensive option here by a pretty wide margin. However, the higher price point gives you a lot of control and customization. These lights can be controlled via an app on your smartphone which lets you program on/off times, vary light intensities, and even simulate real-time weather. These lights are a great option if you need or want as much customization as possible and can afford a big price jump from the Beamswork lights.

Final Thoughts

It can be difficult to find a good LED lighting system that provides evenly-dispersed, multi-spectrum tank lighting at an affordable price. As we’ve seen in this Beamswork LED Review, there are more expensive lighting options with advanced controls out there, but the Beamswork LED lights are right in that sweet spot of high-quality lights with some basic controls that will illuminate your tank without breaking the bank.