bodyboarding_bum Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Thanks! I'm pretty happy Just gotta wait for this thunderstorm to go away to i can finish painting it all. Opted for a nice stain black, it seemed the least obtrusive colour! Quote Link to comment
bodyboarding_bum Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Finalised my GU10 LED setup, added a 'warm white' for the 'fuge and setup the timer so it's a reverse photoperiod to the main lights. Hopefully i'll get a chance to finish the satin black paint job tomorrow after work (weather permitting!). I've got some LED moonlights on the way too off eBay, so i'll rig those up once they arrive too. I found the GU10 blue LED's were too bright for moonlights! Quote Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted December 7, 2011 Author Share Posted December 7, 2011 (edited) Started on a new hood for another member of the forum I run The metal top was actually a shelf from a metal shop shelving unit. It was 12x36 .. so it was perfect for his 30 Breeder (36x18) Just cut a piece of plywood to fit inside the lip of the bottom of the shelf, siliconed around it. Then i made an acrylic shield all the way around it (used weld on 4) then siliconed that to the wood/metal and then painted it up. i'll get up a painted picture up soon. Edited December 7, 2011 by TinyGiant Quote Link to comment
dlogfx Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Hey Tiny, just measured the PAR on my tank. These are the results I got. Seems kinds low . Is this normal? I have 15 gu10 (60% blue/40% cool white) with 30 degrees optics in my hood that is 16"x8". Below water line 1" - 200 6" - 160 9" - 110 12"- 85 (sand) Has anyone else with GU10's measured PAR? Quote Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted December 7, 2011 Author Share Posted December 7, 2011 (edited) does seem kinda low. sure the meter is calibrated? i guess it could be possible the meter i borrowed needed to be calibrated too.. id love to see more par readings. what are you getting above the water line? (directly under a blue bulb, and white bulb) dont forget to post links to your build threads on this DIY list thread http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=200335 Edited December 7, 2011 by TinyGiant Quote Link to comment
dlogfx Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Not sure if the meter is calibrated but my friends Rapid PAR38 gets around 800 at the waterline with the meter. I took the picture when the sensor was adjusted to the highest reading. Lights are about 9" from the water line Cool White Blue Mix GU10 Blue/CoolWhite Quote Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted December 7, 2011 Author Share Posted December 7, 2011 finished product Quote Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted December 8, 2011 Author Share Posted December 8, 2011 picture friend sent of the light sitting over the tank. its not hanging yet and it has some wood blocking the light so it looks un even.. but will look really even and nice when its in the right place unobstructed Quote Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted December 10, 2011 Author Share Posted December 10, 2011 message convo some might benefit from. Hey there, I am getting ready to do a GU10 LED build and just have a couple questions. Firstly, do you recommend this, economically, over like an aquastyles build? do you think your color/growth is nearly as good? I have had awesome growth and coloration with these. I would highly reccomend them. I have a thread kicking around nanoreef that tracked my growth over the course of a few months. Are the 1x3 watt bulbs better/brighter than the 3x1 watt? I havent noticed any difference between the two. I have a mix over my tank.. basically bought whatever was cheaper at the time I found some with 60 degree optics as opposed to the usual 30 degree or so, should i get those? If you dont have the room to mount the hood 10" or so above the water then sure go 60* but if you do go 30*. wider angle means less par.. What do you think of your color, and what do you recommend for ratio? i like some blue, so i was thinking 2blue to 1 white, and maybe even puttin a single red in the middle, Thoughts on this? my current arrangement was a straight line of bwbwbwb... etc all the way across the tank. Then i added 10 more blues to accent areas that werent getting enough (i have columns in my tank so i had to spot light some areas to make it look even all the way around the columns) 2-1 might be little too blue.. I like the 50/50 look. I would start from there and add as you see fit. And finally, How many would you recommend for say, a standard 10? is one bulb per gallon typically sufficient? I think that would be perfectly fine. I only have 30 bulbs on a 55g. but a 10g you could probably do 10 and be fine. or maybe go with 9 so you can have three rows of 3 staggered Sorry to bother you, Thanks in advance for this, as it seems like you are one of only a few that have any expierence with these bulbs. Quote Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 has anyone checked the bulbs against a multimeter for amps? and voltage drop.. etc curious to find out what sort of power they actually pull. i noticed no increase to my power bill at all with running 30 bulbs 14hrs a day.. if they are 3w according my my power supplier company here in NH it says at 420 hours a month at 3w@30 bulbs it only cost 5.87 a month to run. Quote Link to comment
dlogfx Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 (edited) I have a multimeter, ill run some test this weekend and let you know the results Edited December 14, 2011 by dlogfx Quote Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted December 14, 2011 Author Share Posted December 14, 2011 sweet thanks! Quote Link to comment
mrbigshot Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 using the 60 degree optics did little for the beaming. if i were to do it again i would put the money twords a cheap aquastyles led setup/ Quote Link to comment
jbowser Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 This is what I did with 4 GU10 leds. Looking down in the hood The mod I did to the lights, 50/50 white/blue and also 25/75 white/blue A FTS on my cycling 3,2g Jbowser Quote Link to comment
acuralegend94 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 What do you guys recommend for a 55gal corner tank? Its pretty deep.... Right now i have 4x65watt power compact on it... I have some bta clowns zoas palys and montis... Would like to keep some acropora... Quote Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 (edited) What do you guys recommend for a 55gal corner tank? Its pretty deep.... Right now i have 4x65watt power compact on it... I have some bta clowns zoas palys and montis... Would like to keep some acropora... i would a straight line of 18 across the widest part. then do a row of 9 or 10 behind it. Edited December 16, 2011 by TinyGiant Quote Link to comment
ashwin1224 Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 After a month of ordering, I finally got my bulbs. I didnt order the sockets though, coz I thought I can get them locally. But I didnt get time to go search. Now I was very worried when the bulbs arrived. But to my surprise they fit into a BC22 (or something) socket we have standard in India. Though there is nothing to hold them in place, they just get stuck in the socket. Maybe some electric tape or something will do the trick, what say people? Anyways, here are the pics. In the background is a 24" planted tank with 40W of CFL. I am very very happy with the purchase, thank you N-R and OP Quote Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted December 21, 2011 Author Share Posted December 21, 2011 After a month of ordering, I finally got my bulbs. I didnt order the sockets though, coz I thought I can get them locally. But I didnt get time to go search. Now I was very worried when the bulbs arrived. But to my surprise they fit into a BC22 (or something) socket we have standard in India. Though there is nothing to hold them in place, they just get stuck in the socket. Maybe some electric tape or something will do the trick, what say people? Anyways, here are the pics. In the background is a 24" planted tank with 40W of CFL. I am very very happy with the purchase, thank you N-R and OP np glad to help! Quote Link to comment
gjones Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 This is a very interesting thread. Love the tank, looks awesome. Quote Link to comment
Puffer_Man Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Here is mine. It's just a small frag tank, but so far I have been pretty happy with the LEDs. Quote Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 very nice. I think in january i might start another tank for grow out. Thinking a 33L In the basement for now. I am sick of the frag racks in the main display. Quote Link to comment
dlogfx Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 very nice. I think in january i might start another tank for grow out. Thinking a 33L In the basement for now. I am sick of the frag racks in the main display. +1 Quote Link to comment
ashwin1224 Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Help! I am making a hood with these lights on. I was wired the bulbs in series. After I was done, i tested but none lit up. I tested all the connections for any loose bit, but there was none. Then I started testing individual bulbs. The first one lit up, so I connected another in series. But when I plugged the two holders, both the bulbs started lighting alternatively like those Christmas decoration lights!! Where did I go wrong? What should I do now, its my first major electrical project. Quote Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted December 24, 2011 Author Share Posted December 24, 2011 Help!I am making a hood with these lights on. I was wired the bulbs in series. After I was done, i tested but none lit up. I tested all the connections for any loose bit, but there was none. Then I started testing individual bulbs. The first one lit up, so I connected another in series. But when I plugged the two holders, both the bulbs started lighting alternatively like those Christmas decoration lights!! Where did I go wrong? What should I do now, its my first major electrical project. you cant wire them in series. they have to be parallel. the voltage drop after the first bulb would make it so the second wouldnt light.. Follow the wire diagram i posted in the first post they need at least 84v input.. so if you run them both below that they will pulse on and off as they get the power. so as one pulsed the and turned off the power was able to get the next one and that one pulsed .. and so forth.. so wire all the left sides to the left sides and all the right side to the right side.. So its like a ladder with the sockets for rungs lol Quote Link to comment
ashwin1224 Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Ok! Thank you once again. I am running on a 240V line so the problem seems to be the series connection. Quote Link to comment
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