MarineLand LED Aquarium Hood - 30 x 12 inch, black (32995)

I just received this a couple of days ago. I wanted to post a review for those who had questions like I did before I bought this product. Maybe this can help. I also want to thank the reviewers who posted great reviews about this product, you'all helped me to decide to order this instead of buying a different product at the store.1. I have a Marineland 10 gal tank that is about 5 years old. The old hood with the light bulbs just started to fall apart. It lasted a long time considering that it had water deposits on it. I was actually a bit afraid of it as the bulbs would detach from their screw in part but would somehow still be working and producing light, even though it was only attached by filaments. I would replace the bulbs even if they still worked on a regular basis to try to keep this from happening, but sometimes I was too late. Finally the whole electrical unit just seemed loose. It seemed like an electrical shock just waiting to happen so I decided to replace it.2. I love the light on this hood. It is bright, crisp and the blue moon light is gorgeous. I only wish the light bar was a bit longer, as the edges of the tank are a bit too dark, but not enough to remove a star from my review. I moved around my silk plants and now it looks excellent. The blue lights make some colors really pop out.3. My old hood had open ended covers for the lights, I assume because of the heat they produced. This, like I mentioned above, allowed water to corrode the bulbs themselves. This new LED hood has the light unit as a separate entity that is placed on the hood itself and snapped in (though a bit loosely, I plan on removing it for water changes to prevent it from falling out). This is great as there is an entire solid clear plastic shield between the light unit and the water. The light unit does not get wet, so I'm hoping it will last a long time. Being LED it is of course much cooler.4. This new hood is hinged onto the back of the tank, unlike the old one that just sat on the tank. I really like this feature as I no longer worry about the hood slipping into the tank and electrocuting everything. The hinges are attached separately and securely, but like I noted before, this is a Marineland tank so the hinges are designed for this tank, and maybe will not work for others. There are two hinges but a third one was included with the kit in case one breaks. I have not had problems with the water flowing out of the hood out of the tank area, as some have reported. I find I can lift the hood to feed the fish with no problem. There is also a small door in front that slides out for that purpose, but I would rather just lift the hood. This is also an attractive hood with a low profile.5. My 10 gal Marineland tank measures 20 in by 10 in exactly. On the top of the tank but slightly inside there runs a little ledge that the old hood sat on, and this one is the same. So because it has to fit inside the top of the tank, this hood is a bit smaller, at about 19 1/8 inch by 9 1/4 inch, according to my measurements. The cut out for the filter is about 6 1/2" by about 2 1/2 inches. My filter and heater fit inside this nicely. There is another small hole for a heater cord to fit through, if needed.5A The box this came in says 20 x 10 in Fits *most* 20" x 10" aquariums as well as 10, 16 extra high and 20 extra high.6. As another reviewer noted, my fish seem happier. My neons come out more from the shadows, the other fish seem perkier in a non-neurotic way too. I don't know if it is because of the quality of the light, or that it doesn't throw out heat, or something else I can't guess.7. The blue moon light!! ! Mentioning it again because it's awesome.I'll update this review as time goes on to check the durability of this product. But if is like my old Marineland hood, it will probably last, even if it becomes a danger to the fish and people around it hehehe. ~ Shay

I own two 29 gallon aquariums (30x18x12)and had been using a flat glass versa top and putting a standard strip light that you could pick up from Wal-Mart for under $10 as lighting. I replaced the standard 24 inch bulb in the light strips with Aqueon T-8 Full Spectrum Daylight Fluorescent Lamp bulbs. I used this approach because I was worried about evaporation and glass versa tops hold in water pretty well. This hood does a comparable job, perhaps allows a bit more evaporation. I purchased one of these hoods and instantly decided to purchase another after seeing the difference in lighting.My 29 gallon aquariums houses juv. African cichlids of various species ranging from dwarf Mbuna to piscivore Haps and these LED lights really pulls out their color. I had to cut out more room in the back of the hood to allow for more "hang on the back" filters because my aquariums are, from a technical standpoint, "overstocked".LED lighting is in my opinion much better than the Aqueon T-8 Full Spectrum Daylight Fluorescent Lamp bulbs that I had been previously using. These LEDs enhance the blues and yellows of my African cichlids great and produce a clean looking white light that I think looks more natural. That being said, you can purchase some absolutely amazing aquarium specific light bulbs that specialize in various things such as plant growth or specific color enhancement.A quick Pros and Cons for this product.Pros:-Cheap Compared to Other Hoods-VERY Cheap Compared to Other LED Hoods (some LED hoods I looked at range from $80 to $2,000. YIKES)-Modifiable Filter Space (use a hand saw to cut out needed room for filters. "Measure twice and cut once")-Prevents Evaporation Comparable to Glass Versa Top-Produces Less Algae Due to Light Spectrum-Really Pulls Out the Colors in Fish (noticeably increased the range of hue in the blues and yellows of my male Aulonocara Baenschi or "Benga")-Creates a Water Ripple Lighting Effect-White Light For Day-time-Blue Light for Night-time (It simulates the moon light and allows you to observe your inhabitants in a night setting)-Small Removable Insert In Front of Hood to Allow Quick Access Without Having to Open The Hood For Feeding (hole created is roughly 2inx 3in)Cons:-Back-top Corners of the Aquarium Are Not Illuminated Well (this is due to the cone effect used in Aquarium LED lighting)-More Evaporation Than A Glass Versa Top-You Get What You Pay For-Must Be Fully Closed or Fully Open-Scratch-able Plastic Light Housing (use care and patience when cleaning)-Bad For Planted Aquariums-Hinges Are Low Quality-Blue & White Light Are On The Same Plug-Not a Lot of Room For Multiple Hang on the Back Filters if You Have an Overstocked Aquarium (easily enough room for a 40-60 gallon rated hang on the back filter)I hope I provided an unbiased and helpful review. Good luck shopping and as always, have a great day.-CollegeGuy

Does what it’s suppose to. Lights are nice and bright. Night mode is nice

I received the product exactly as advertised, without damage and on time. The only thing I did not like was that this product was not included on my Prime subscription.

Great kid lots of light in both modes day light and night light in photos

This product arrived very quickly! The hood is slightly smaller than I thought which lead to a small gap in between the hood and the tank. However, the products works good and the light is actually brighter than my previous hood. I recommend!

Fit our 30 gallon aquarium perfectly. Plenty of access for our extra large filter system, the bubbler and for feeding. Love the "Day and Night" lighting feature! Exactly as described and shipped quickly with excellent packaging to avoid damage!