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Coral Vue Hydros

GU10 LED Build Thread (Chinese Ebay Lights)


TinyGiant

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whiteheadfamily2415

Tiny, would you recommend a single 72" build or 2-36" fixtures or even 3-24" fixtures for a 125 gallon? I'm thinking of running 30 Cool Whites and 15 Blues. With those numbers of bulbs and the idea of 3 "fixtures", I'm thinking that 2 lines of 8 & 7 or three lines of 5 per fixture.

 

What's your idea(s) toward a setup for a 125?

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Tiny, would you recommend a single 72" build or 2-36" fixtures or even 3-24" fixtures for a 125 gallon? I'm thinking of running 30 Cool Whites and 15 Blues. With those numbers of bulbs and the idea of 3 "fixtures", I'm thinking that 2 lines of 8 & 7 or three lines of 5 per fixture.

 

What's your idea(s) toward a setup for a 125?

 

 

If it were me, I would go closer to 60ish bulbs on a 125 if you plan on keeping sps. If you figure tiny has 30 over a 55g. I have 7 over my 10g and i wish i woulda done 9... I haven't done anything on that large of a scale, but that is my opinion

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If it were me, I would go closer to 60ish bulbs on a 125 if you plan on keeping sps. If you figure tiny has 30 over a 55g. I have 7 over my 10g and i wish i woulda done 9... I haven't done anything on that large of a scale, but that is my opinion

 

 

 

i have 30 because i need to light around the columns in the tank. if i didnt have the columns i would be fine with 20 bulbs. I am actually lighting my frag tank with 20 bulbs (should be in soon)

 

you can always add more later :) make sure you order from that last link i posted. i'm loving the color and coral response to the new ones i just recieved

 

if it were me I would start with two rows of 34 bublbs

 

do every other.. BWBWBWB// etc so you can dusk to dawn it. I would keep it to about 17 bulbs max per plug.

 

I think the colors blend better when they are closer together. which is why i like running straight lines of the bulbs.

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i received some of the bulbs from this dealer today. and am definitely glad I ordered from him again. The 460nm bulbs are great. the tank almost has a purpleish glow to it.. reminds me of when I used to run VHO lights on my tanks. super happy with them.

Are they much better than the blue bulbs from LEDHK?

Edited by Swip
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whiteheadfamily2415
if it were me I would start with two rows of 34 bublbs

 

do every other.. BWBWBWB// etc so you can dusk to dawn it. I would keep it to about 17 bulbs max per plug.

 

So are you saying to run 34 in one row and 34 in another for a total of 68? Or are you saying to run 17 in one row and 17 in another for a total of 34?

 

I've got to finish my plumbing and get my rockwork/ sand set. I figured that once the tank is cycling, I can build the fixtures and add the lights afterwards.

 

If I go the three fixture route, I'm thinking of doing whites on one strand and blues on another (per fixture). that would be six cords/plugs, but would give me a lot of versatility in whites only, blues only, etc and a dusk to dawn effect from east to west. I know it would be easy enough to do with six seperate timers, but does anyone have any ideas for automation of such?

Edited by whiteheadfamily2415
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So are you saying to run 34 in one row and 34 in another for a total of 68? Or are you saying to run 17 in one row and 17 in another for a total of 34?

 

I've got to finish my plumbing and get my rockwork/ sand set. I figured that once the tank is cycling, I can build the fixtures and add the lights afterwards.

 

If I go the three fixture route, I'm thinking of doing whites on one strand and blues on another (per fixture). that would be six lines/plugs, but would give me a lot of versatility in whites only, blues only, etc and a dusk to dawn effect from east to west. I know it would be easy enough to do with six seperate timers, but does anyone have any ideas for automation of such?

 

 

 

i am saying two rows of 34 bulbs.. so a total of 68. You coulf try to get away with one row of 34 bulbs but i think it wont be bright enough for such a big tank. if it were only 12" wide it would work like on my 55. but the 18" width would make me go with the two rows.

 

if you keep the rows close enough the blend should be fine from having a row of white and a row of blue..

post-52381-1325785311_thumb.png

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whiteheadfamily2415
if you keep the rows close enough the blend should be fine from having a row of white and a row of blue..

Would you go with a 1 for 1 match of blue and white? I like the look of the 12k halides I have on my 75 now. I don't want the 125 glowing blue/purple with all of the bulbs on, but I'd like a decent visual appeal.

 

What's your oppinion now that your tank is a year old? Have you found a balance between coral growth and visual preference with blue to white bulbs?

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whiteheadfamily2415
Going 50/50 gives a nice balanced color. The not too blue and certainly not yellow

 

Awesome!

 

Since you have 22 bulbs in line on a 48" tank, do you have them spaced evenly? How much room between each base did you leave (since the bulb is wider at the end)?

 

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to learn from the master....lol.

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I put the bulbs optics down and traced them. I the just mounted the sockets in the middle of of each traced circle. I so there is almost no room between them

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whiteheadfamily2415

TinyGiant, thanks for the info! Hopefully I'll be posting a build of my lighting before too much longer. You've helped me a ton!

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I recently setup a 33L in the basement for use as a frag tank and I wanted to run the same GU10 lights on the frag tank as I do on the display so I wont have any differences in growth and color in both systems. I decided i would try making a light "tube this time around to use some left over pvc I had kicking around.

 

 

I started with measuring and marking every two inches, starting after the first inch)

 

I measured out enough to place 20 bulbs total on the tube. Next i used a 1" hole saw to drill out all the holes.

 

I waned these to basically countersink the LEDs so all that would be visible would be the heatsinks and maybe a little of the bulb neck.

 

 

So i drilled the tube to look like this:

lighttube0.jpg

 

 

Next I took a piece of corner molding and slid it into the tube and marked the center on each drilled hole. This way i could screw down the sockets to line up perfectly inside the tube.

lightube.jpg

 

 

I wired them parallel but connecting them chained to eachother.. maybe later i will diagram that out for you or take a picture when i do the rest of them.

 

One they are secrured and wired I plan to slide the trim back in tube and make sure its lined up:

lighttube2.jpg

 

 

Then just insert the bulbs

lighttube1.jpg

 

here is another view

tubelight5.jpg

 

 

My plan is to hopefully be able to just attach it to an arm at the end but i feel it will probably sag to one side. So i might just hang it from the ceiling. Or make a bracket to hang from the back of the tank. Not sure yet.. but I figured i would share the build so far :)

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I recently setup a 33L in the basement for use as a frag tank and I wanted to run the same GU10 lights on the frag tank as I do on the display so I wont have any differences in growth and color in both systems. I decided i would try making a light "tube this time around to use some left over pvc I had kicking around.

 

 

I started with measuring and marking every two inches, starting after the first inch)

 

I measured out enough to place 20 bulbs total on the tube. Next i used a 1" hole saw to drill out all the holes.

 

I waned these to basically countersink the LEDs so all that would be visible would be the heatsinks and maybe a little of the bulb neck.

 

 

So i drilled the tube to look like this:

lighttube0.jpg

 

 

Next I took a piece of corner molding and slid it into the tube and marked the center on each drilled hole. This way i could screw down the sockets to line up perfectly inside the tube.

lightube.jpg

 

 

I wired them parallel but connecting them chained to eachother.. maybe later i will diagram that out for you or take a picture when i do the rest of them.

 

One they are secrured and wired I plan to slide the trim back in tube and make sure its lined up:

lighttube2.jpg

 

 

Then just insert the bulbs

lighttube1.jpg

 

here is another view

tubelight5.jpg

 

 

My plan is to hopefully be able to just attach it to an arm at the end but i feel it will probably sag to one side. So i might just hang it from the ceiling. Or make a bracket to hang from the back of the tank. Not sure yet.. but I figured i would share the build so far :)

 

Looks good. be sure to post pics of it over a tank with all bulbs in... this is a good idea, and i wanna get a visual feel for the spacing. also, what size pvc?

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lol i think i need to clean up my work space. I actually went down there to do that then got distracted by taking pictures. I hope the sockets show up soon So I can finish wiring and repainting the tube :)

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If anyone needs a hood built let me know. If i can make it out of things i have on hand I will make the actual hood for only $50. if you need a complete setup (bulbs/sockets/wiring/plugs.. etc) it obviously will be extra.. But anything i can make with materials I already have will only be $50 plus shipping.

 

Hooray for recyling :)

 

 

I have a stack of license plates i would love to fashion into a nano hood :)

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interesting discovery

 

check out this article..

 

 

http://www.ledsmagazine.com/news/7/9/14

 

 

its very likely that the LEDS in the bulbs I last ordered are the same exact product as crees.. could explain why the bulb is a little brighter and the color is better..

 

its like that with tons of products.. a vast majority of electronics are rebranded. Sony doesnt make son TVs they buy the tvs made from sheghen hoolamawhatzer and put the sony name on it. its made with sony specs.. but everything is made by the lowest bidder..

 

its funny that the article makes epistar out to be the better brand too

 

 

this wholesale listing says cree/epistar... like they are the same bulb...

 

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/50200013...hilips.html?s=p

 

 

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LED-Work-Light-Flo...d-/130596569981

 

 

this listing says Epistar (Cree)

 

so the new bulbs might be the same cree bulbs.. booyah!

Edited by TinyGiant
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i just emailed the seller of the lights to see if he can shed any light on the epistar vs Cree situtation. maybe he'll have some insight on it :)

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i just emailed the seller of the lights to see if he can shed any light on the epistar vs Cree situtation. maybe he'll have some insight on it :)

 

I commend you for doing proper research

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I commend you for doing proper research

 

 

i noticed you used the aquastyle kit. have you had a chance to see the same setup with cree in person?

 

i know the aqua style uses bridgelux bulbs

 

i just found this on an LED site

 

http://www.ausled.net/info/faq/#led_types

 

 

i'm curious if anyone has actually tested all of these lights against eachother.. without affiliation to any of the lights.. in a reef setting..

 

 

 

might be time for an experiment :)

Edited by TinyGiant
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I have seen 1 Cree setup it was with a few lights nothing crazy. I have not yet personally setup a cree. I am going to upgrade one of the drivers to a Meanwell - to see if the results are the same. I understand PWM is the preferred method for dimming.

 

I'm looking for a P2 heatsink right now - and once i find one I'm ordering my 3rd kit off of ray. The bridgelux Led's run super cool - even at 100% they don't put near the heat off that the Creeds do. So this is a big selling factor for me. Especially going over the top of the Fluval edge.

 

My main tank - I tried Aquastyles - a because no one wanted to give it a go. and b i was hard up for cash at the time. Of course pleased with the results i got one for my sump as well.. which grows chaeto like a mother! its a cluster of leds :)

 

Edit - the reason for upgrading to a meanwell - is to try a set of CREE's on the heatsink... I may add MORE leds to the build.. just because I can :)

Edited by Trogdor447
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see i have a feeling as far as color/growth goes.. I bet all the different bulbs will yield the same results.. if the bulb color is the same.. output etc..

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