GNC has renewed its LED bar range with the new SilverMoon X Marine, which has been on sale for a few months now. Compared with the Silvermoon Marine+ we introduced back in 2023, a lot has changed: red joins the spectrum and, above all, the bars are controlled from your smartphone with the neeos app, with no external controller.
We have already agreed with GNC that a bar will be sent to us for testing in our DaniReef LAB. So this is a preview based on the product page and the official brochure: the measured figures, starting with PAR, will come from us as soon as we have it on the bench.
SilverMoon X Marine: five lengths from 35 to 150 cm
The SilverMoon X Marine comes in five lengths, all sharing the same profile, 50 mm wide and 21 mm high, and a 24 Vdc power supply. GNC recommends them for tanks from around 35 cm up to more than 150 cm.
| Model | Length | Power | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| SilverMoon X 350 Marine | 350 mm | 15 W | 400 g |
| SilverMoon X 600 Marine | 630 mm | 30 W | 700 g |
| SilverMoon X 900 Marine | 910 mm | 45 W | 950 g |
| SilverMoon X 1200 Marine | 1,190 mm | 60 W | 1,250 g |
| SilverMoon X 1500 Marine | 1,470 mm | 75 W | 1,550 g |
Doing the maths, every length works out at around 45-50 watts per linear metre. It is a useful figure for comparing them with other bars, but on its own it says little: what matters is how much light actually reaches the corals, and that is exactly what we are going to measure.
The spectrum: blue, Royal Blue, white and red
According to the brochure, the Marine version uses 458 nm blue, 440 nm Royal Blue, 6500 K white and 660 nm red LEDs. The freshwater version (FW) has the same LEDs, minus the Royal Blues. The product page mentions three dimmable channels: blue (440-460 nm), white and red. This suggests the two blues are driven together, but we will check that with the bar in our hands.
Two choices make us curious. The first is the 6500 K white: it is a neutral white, much “warmer” than the 12,000 K of the old Silvermoon Marine+, and the final colour of the tank will depend on how much blue we add on top of it. The second is the 660 nm red channel, which is a first for GNC on a marine bar: to see red LEDs at work on a reef bar, take a look at our test of the Orphek OR3 Red Plus.
GNC calls this combination Actinic Deep X and describes it as a system designed specifically for bars, with linear, even light distribution along the whole length of the tank and a deep blue that brings out coral fluorescence. It also claims high WATT/PAR efficiency. However, neither the product page nor the brochure gives the number of LEDs or any PAR values: for now these are the manufacturer’s claims.
Airlink and the neeos app: no more controllers
The Silvermoon Marine+ came without dimming, and to control them you needed the GNC Power Moon wifi, sold separately. The SilverMoon X Marine, on the other hand, has the Airlink module built right into the LED board: no controllers, no extra cables. They connect to your Wi-Fi network and are managed with the free neeos app for iOS and Android, the same one we use with the GNC BluRay X light fixtures.
From the app you can choose ready-made scenarios for reef or fish-only tanks, adjust each channel, programme sunrise and sunset and control several bars from the same phone. A practical tip: since Wi-Fi is required, it is worth checking beforehand that the signal is strong where the aquarium is.
According to GNC, building the Airlink into the board eliminates the risk of water ingress and damage from salt creep and humidity. The package is completed by an osmotic valve, which lets the bar body “breathe”, and the anodised aluminium heatsink. On paper, it is a design built to last above salt water: long-term durability will be one of the things we keep an eye on.
Installation and accessories of the SilverMoon X Marine
GNC offers the bars for reef tanks, fish-only tanks, refugiums and grow-out tanks. The box contains the bar and the 24 V power supply. The bars can be rested on the edges of the tank, hung from the ceiling or joined together, using a series of accessories sold separately: Silver Bridge, Silver Suspension, Silver Fixing and Silver Acrobat. The SilverBridge X bracket, for example, costs 33 euros.
GNC does not state how many bars you need for a given tank. Its website has a configurator that asks for the aquarium dimensions and the type of corals you keep.
How much does the SilverMoon X Marine cost?
On the GNC website, prices range from 149 to 299 euros, depending on the length. For comparison, the Silvermoon Marine+ ranged from 169 to 299 euros, but without dimming included. There is also a freshwater version: the SilverMoon X FW 1200 costs 279 euros. We will cover that one in a dedicated article.
What we will measure in the DaniReef LAB
When the bar arrives, we will do the same work as in our BluRay X review: PAR at different depths with the ITC PARwise PRO, spectrum, power draw channel by channel and heatsink temperatures. We will also check whether the two blues really share a single channel.
This way we will be able to compare it with the other bars that have been through our bench, such as the Orphek OR3 Blue Plus and the Hydor AQLUX 700 Reef, and give you an idea of how many bars you need to reach the right DLI (daily light integral) for your corals.
In the meantime, if you have already tried them, let us know how you are getting on in the comments or on the DaniReef forum. As always, you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
Sources
- GNC, SilverMoon X M Marine product page
- GNC, SilverMoon X brochure (PDF)
- GNC, SilverBridge X product page
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