LED DIY LIGHT build

J

jstdv8

Guest
Quote:
Originally Posted by reefraff http:///forum/thread/383238/led-diy-light-build/140#post_3357323
What I've heard about super gluing the lenses on is as the glue cures the fumes will cause the issues. It will be interesting to see what happens after a couple months. I used a dab of silicone on my lenses.
I used the thermal pads for my build. Isn't too hard to remove the LED's from those. When I changed LED's I ran out of new pads and super glued a few of the LED's back to the old pads. We'll see how that works.
Reefraff,
how long has yours been up and running now?
 
1snapple

1snapple

Active Member
Update, no corals died or bleaching yet, at a nice level of light. Just need a PAR meter...
I made a little device to keep it 5" above the water and it looks really good. Made from acrylic.
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jstdv8 http:///forum/thread/383238/led-diy-light-build/160#post_3358223
Quote:
Originally Posted by reefraff http:///forum/thread/383238/led-diy-light-build/140#post_3357323
What I've heard about super gluing the lenses on is as the glue cures the fumes will cause the issues. It will be interesting to see what happens after a couple months. I used a dab of silicone on my lenses.
I used the thermal pads for my build. Isn't too hard to remove the LED's from those. When I changed LED's I ran out of new pads and super glued a few of the LED's back to the old pads. We'll see how that works.
Reefraff,
how long has yours been up and running now?
Since November. Started adding frags in December.
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
cool, so so far so good?
I have one of those Par38 evil66 LEd fixtures on my frag tank. still trying to get the height down to where I can grow SPS and zoas in the same tank. Seems like one or the other suffers depending on how high i place the light over the tank. standard 10g.
Colors sure are awesome!
 
1snapple

1snapple

Active Member
Ya, I love my colors.
Just got some candy apple rainbow zoas last night.
I think i have to where each is happy.
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
My tank seems happy. I built mine to be lower par because I already use enough power between the pond and 8 person hot tube. Colors are really good but still to early to say how the growth will be.
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
Alright, if I turn the 10g QT into a DT, how many LEDs? I am thinking that 24 LEDs might be overkill and I dont think 12 will be enough. Should I just split it in the middle and get 18? If I do 24 LEDs, 16 blue and 8 white. If I do 18 LEDs, 12 blue and 6 white?
 
1snapple

1snapple

Active Member
What do you want to do?
If it was me, I would do 8 Royal blue 6 Blue, 6 Cool white. 6 Warm white.
Put the whites and the blues on different dimmable circuits.
That way each is individually dimable and you can control your blue saturation.
I can help you if that doesn't make sense.
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1Snapple http:///forum/thread/383238/led-diy-light-build/160#post_3363384
What do you want to do?
If it was me, I would do 8 Royal blue 6 Blue, 6 Cool white. 6 Warm white.
Put the whites and the blues on different dimmable circuits.
That way each is individually dimable and you can control your blue saturation.
I can help you if that doesn't make sense.
edit button, lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1Snapple http:///forum/thread/383238/led-diy-light-build/160#post_3363385
And, you can do 8 and 8 would be plenty.
But w/ 8-10 you can't do individual circuits.
So 18 LEDs is not enough for 2 seperate circuts and inorder to keep the blue and white seperate, I have to go larger in number. So 24 will have to be the right number then. The only thing I might need help with is setting up the driver to put out the correct volts/amps/watts. Not sure on that but I dont even have the meters yet. Interesting color combination. I think I would want to err on the side of blue as both the wife and I like it to be a little more blue than most people. Maybe swap out 1 white each for 1 blue each. Thoughts?
 
1snapple

1snapple

Active Member
With 2 dimming circuits you can do a 1:1 of blue to white and just dim each according to your own tastes.
I know the edit button but I didnt feel like using it.
You can do it with 18 LEDs but you need 8-14 LEDs per circuit or they will blow or won't have enough energy to light up.
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
Rapid LED sells a pre drilled 4x16 inch heat sink that is made for 3 rows of 8 LED's that would be good for that tank. If you didn't use optics, which you shouldn't need on a 12" tall tank anyway unless you are mounting the lights high it seems to me you could use white LED's in the middle 8 and Royal blues in the front and rear and have a nice look. Just wire up the front 8 and 4 of the rear Royal blues on one driver for dusk/dawn and the rest for daylight.
 
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