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GU10 LED Build Thread (Chinese Ebay Lights)


TinyGiant

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NOTE: If you have any questions about GU10 bulbs. please post them here in this thread rather than PMing me personally. It would be better for the whole community to benefit from your questions. So dont be shy and ask away. If i am not available to answer the question someone else will probably answer just as quick.




Okay I've had a bunch of people ask for a thread on the LED that i use for my tank

here is a quick video of the lighting all setup




The build is really easy.. Get the bulbs and wire them parallel
(here is a link to a quick picture tutorial i did recently http://www.nhfragswap.com/forum/index.php?...msg2572#msg2572 )

General Cool white bulb specs :
GU10 3W White Energy Saving Bulb 3*1w LED 85-265V
Shell material: Aluminum, zinc metal alloy
Input voltage: 85-265V AC with reversed polarity protect
Output power: 3.0W
Beam angle: 30degrees
Reflector efficiency: 90%
Light source: 3 x 1W high power LED
LED input current: 900mA
Color Temperature: 6000-7000K
Body temperature: <60°C
LED working temperature: <65°C
Source life: > 50,000 hours




as for the bulbs.

This seller sells the bulbs with Epistarbulbs. Refer to this post to see that its quite possible they are the same as crees
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3669245

To find the Blues search ebay for 3w gu10 blue
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p51...ue&_sacat=0

to find the whites search ebay for 3wgu10 cool white (whites 6500-700k (nice bright white))
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=3w+gu1...e&_osacat=0


luckzdl2008 is my favorite ebay seller. If he doesnt have any listed just message him and he can usually put some up for sale in his ebay store . Or just sell directly.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odkw=&_osacat=0&_armrs=1&_ssn=luckzdl2008&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0&_nkw=gu10&_sacat=0&_from=R40


Sockets: This dealer is in NY. sockets arrive very quickly. The link is for the search in the dealers items. so you will be able to find them from the right dealer with one click. $10.29 for 10 sockets
http://shop.ebay.com/yallstore/m.html?_nkw...1.c0.m270.l1313


or search ebay for g10 base socket
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=gu10+s...s&_osacat=0








i would say don't pay over 7.50 per bulb if the dealers i mentioned are out of stock or not selling. You might be able to find a dealer with a best offer situation.. i scored a few for $4.50ea on my last order.



I have had a lot of people ask how many to use..


I have a simple formula

(tank length divided by two) minus 1

so for a 36" tank you should have 17 bulbs. in a single line.. alternating colors.

for tanks that are deeper than the standard 12" add another row.

so a 36x18 foot print should have two rows of 17 bulbs.










I will attach a picture of what the bulbs and sockets look like.

There are two different bulb arrangements.. Three 1w bulbs or One 3w bulb. either is fine. I have a mix of them. I do find that the One 3w bulb version seems to have a better spread on the light.

blue.jpg
cool.jpg
gu10.jpg


here are a couple quick wire diagrams. the cicles represent the sockets. the bulbs have reverse polarity protect on them. so you don't have to worry when you put the bulbs in the socket if they are in the right way.

2banks.jpg
onebank.jpg
strip.jpg

Growth. The Proof is in the real life results. (i am not the only one with the same results using these lights)

I have some really encouraging pictures to show. Mind you these are 4$ ebay LED bulbs. not expensive cree bulbs. they shoot 1500-1900 par at the surface!


January 2011 digi (the nub on the right was non existent when first put in the tank)
growth.jpg


here is a picture from March 20th 2011)
IMG_9555.jpg

Mid May 2011
IMG_0579.jpg


even more encouraging is the growth of my crocea clam. I brought this home Valentines day 2011

march 20th 2011 .. serious growth
IMG_9566.jpg

UPDATE:
Now march 2011-jan 2012
clamgrowth14mos.jpg


I love tracking the growth on these. continually impressed.




par readings in a 5.5g


i had 5 bright white and 2 blues

3" from the bulb (above surface of water) 1900 par

just below surface 700 par

halfway 200 par

1" from sand 150 par

NOTE*
for those wanting to remove the optics for tiny shallow tanks use this to adhere the led chip to the heatsink:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009IQ1B...CDA9R20VS198CY5




Adding a quick wire tutorial

I started wiring them a little different. Makes it so you dont need to use any wire.. just wire them piggyback to create a parallel circuit. Way easier.

Anywho here is how i attach the wires. Most of the fixture pictured here was shrink wrapped but i ran out when i was doing the pics

divide the end into two sides
wire5.jpg

then put the wire you are attaching to in the middle of the split and twist the two ends so it secures the wire between the other wire
wire4.jpg

then wrap the tail around the wire
wire2.jpg

Then tape or skrink or sometimes i will actually silicone over the connections to make them water proof
wire1.jpg



Builds and Tank Pics:


Picos:
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3947949



nanos:

5G: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=296736


http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3929045

5.5G: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3790156

2.5g http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3440847


5.5g http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3772398

4G 4 bulb http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3758167

10g http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3675347

10g http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3649936

18g http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3621343

Small bow Tank http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3626642

12g jbj http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3436271


http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3438796

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3523573

10g
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3515761

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3497255


http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3485951

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3486048

10 bulb http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3489889


http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3460310

25bulb build http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3409144




Full Sized

biocube http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3470405

28g Biocube http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3529346

30B http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3630447

40B: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3929045

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3728072

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3692267

33L http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3377454

29bc http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3372026

33l http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3675338


55G http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3595012

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3515269



Sumps/Fuge
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3810300

15bulb: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3765561



Hoods/Diy Pics:
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3825155

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3865960

20 bulb: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3807394

36bulbs: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3790888

4 bulb http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3741795

4 bulbs http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3701483

12 bulb http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3651597

30B build http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3628461

9bulbs http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3483787

9 bulbs http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3459157




Par Readings:
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=3628709

Edited by TinyGiant
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here is a pic from before i added the gorgonians

fulltanktg.jpg

 

 

leftsidetg.jpg

 

i"ll try to get a new pic today or tomorrow of the whole tank. I have a crappy camera so it takes a while to gt a shot worth posting

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i run 11 blues and 11 whites. i have them wired on separate banks for doing dusk to dawn.

 

here is a video of when i first setup the tank back in december

 

 

 

here is another video from a little bit ago should do another one soon too :)

 

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these suckers really shouldnt be over looked. the price is awesome and the results are even more awesome!

 

These look perfect for a fuge I am planning to setup.

 

What power supply did you use?

 

 

no power supply needed.

 

you just wire the sockets right to a plug.

 

thats the beauty of these and the reason i didnt bother with the cree stuff. I didnt want to have another room with 50 million drivers . these are complete and plug and play. just make sure you run them open air. they use the metal housing as the heat sink.

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growth doesnt look to bad. i would like to throw some of these in with my tek 4 bulb retro. it would just be trying to get them to fit..

the blues throw off a good actinic?

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the 6500-7000k isn't yellow at all. It's perfect with the blues added to it. I don't think the cree are even 10k I was able to borrow the par meter back in april but haven't had access to it since. That croacea clam grew 1/4in in a month.. That's proof enough for me lol.

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yeah most of the whites i have are the 3x1w

 

all of them are mixed between 1x3w and 3x1w they are all the same brightness and color.

 

just make sure the listing says 6500-7000k or cool white.. the 3500k warm whites are really yellowish.

 

some of the guys in my new hampshire group put a mix of a few 3500k in there for good measure and better macro algae growth.. but my algaes and corals have been growing really fast on the mix of the whites and blues :)

 

i just went with what ever i could find cheaper.. didnt care between 1x3w or 3x1w

Edited by TinyGiant
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