Evil
72x24x31 tall
Thanks
Jim
So you think with the adjustment I could raise it above 14k with a 50/50mix what do you think about optics I kind of have a hieght restriction and will not get the light more then 8 inches off the top.
Thanks
Jim

Man, that tank is huge. It's going to be expensive to light. For a tank that size, you are going to need about 180 LEDs in a 30x6 array (may need adjusting slightly depending on the number and location of braces). Considering the depth, you will need at least 60 degree optics to get reasonable PAR on the sand. You shouldn't need to mount the setup any more than 4-6" off the water, so you have a little room to spare.

In regards to the color temp, you can set it anywhere you like from 6500K all the way up to 20K and beyond. It's all in the drivers.

We our going to build two of these I think other tank is a 180 72x24x24 what do you recomend for spacing on the 30x6 array?
Thanks
Jim

I'm just curious here, but how would 3 x 1 watt LEDs compare to a 13w compact fluorescent in terms of par, light output, etc. in terms of corals. 1 watt LEDs produce around 150 lumens which would be less than the compact fluorescent, but I'm not sure how par would compare and how corals would respond. Thanks.

2" between LEDs, 3" between rows.


If the LEDs are only illuminating a small-ish area, they should do better on PAR. Take off about 25% off the PAR numbers I posted for my PAR20 lamp, and you should be close.

Do you think 6 Par38s over a 180 (72x24x24) would be a good starting point for a mixed reef?

I figure I can add more down the road if necessary. I'm more worried about coverage than PAR. The rockwork will be on the back half of the tank, so I figured I could put the line of track light towards the front of the tank and angle them trying to wash the front of the rockwork rather than spotlight from directly above.

Also, I assume the 80* optic or do you think 60 or 40 will have enough distance to get the spread?



LEDs over travisurfer's betacube would be awesome!

Thanks!

In the other thread, you said the spectral output of cool whites has a narrow output that doesn't tend to lead to algal growth. Does this narrow spectrum lead to any issues in coral growth without the 460nm that the royal blue leds provide?

Have anyone seen the new Vertex LED prototype? Looks sexy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fS_UKYrDmc&feature=email
http://glassbox-design.com/2010/sneak-peak...-light-fixture/
http://glassbox-design.com/2010/vertex-lum...ed-light-video/

How about www.current-usa.com and look for power brite LED strips.

The lightning? LOL I don't want to try to scare the crap out of my fish!

lol yeah the lighting most likely will make fish to jump out of the tank

Current's power brites? Aww common, this have been in the market for a while and they're nice to add some shimmer but thats it.

If you are just looking for coverage now, 5 or 6 of the 60s should cover most of the tank. PAR won't be amaizing though.


Cool whites have a lot of blue output, so I don't think there will be any harm in running just that, other than the color won't look that good. Cool whites look very yellow by themselves over a tank.


They do look hawt, and expensive!


Totally different league compared to that Vertex fixture. Powerbrites are for accent lighting.

Thanks! I wanted to hear what you thought before I decided. I'm not looking for great par, I've only ever had 2 fixtures that weren't PCs. I think I'm going to order 1 today to see what I think, then possibly order 5 more if I like it. If not, my picotope will be well lit!

I've been thinking about getting the $99 Reef Keeper Lite controller.

The PC4 that comes with it is rated at 15A.
Specs:
Power Rating: 1800W (15A)
Breaker/Switch Rating: 15A
Channel Power Rating: Up to 8A Max (1 & 4)
Channel Rating: 3A Max Each (2 & 3)

Would running my two MPJA 24V@6.5A power supplies, a 50W heater, and whatever else (Cadlights stock pump or LED fuge lamp) max the PC4 out or give me trouble?

You should be fine with that.

Awesome. That's good to know. I think it's time to experiment.

I went ahead and got one of those azoo 5mm led setups. I kind of have the urge to retrofit it. I know I won't be able to run crees @1A but I was wondering if perhaps the heat might be manageable at 350, 500 or 700mA. And whether 6 xr-e could give me more output then the azoo at those amperage and stay in manageable temperature range.

The azoo is a lot brighter than I would have guessed but I bet nowhere as bright as crees would be

350mA if you are lucky, and it will depend on how many LEDs you are going to try and fit.

Hi Evil,
my new build is 5ft x 2ft x 2ft. I have seen it quoted here for a tank this depth to have the spacing 2 inches between LED's and 3 inches between rows.
As a point of clarity is this distance between LED's of the same colour or between LED's irrespective of colour?
Currently I have the Royal blues and the Cool whites alternating with 1 1/4 inches between LEDs (so 2 1/2 inches between whites in same row) with 2 1/4 inches between rows (so 2 1/2 inches between whites in different rows)
In addition to this I have cree XP-G cool whites (R4) and XP-E royal blues. The reason I went with these LED's was because they were slightly cheaper on the Cutters website, take the same optics and both are available on 10mm squares. The 10mm Squares best match the 16inch x 8 1/2 inch heatsinks that I have aquired - has channels on the flat side

The spacing is between any LED, not just specific colors. There is nothing wrong with running tighter spacing, but f you spread things out, you can cover a larger area with fewer LEDs. If you have the LEDs already, keep going the way you are going.

Howdy Evil,

Quick question regarding spacing and LED numbers.

I am getting a used 250W halide retro that I'm going to put over my 25g, and I'm going to try to run it with just the Phoenix bulb that it is coming with (6 month old bulb).

So I'm thinking of moving the LED's over to a 15" cube I made that is part of the same system.

If I did so, I would add some white XP-G to the mix. That would give me a total of 8 blue XRE and 5 white XP-G on the ELN60-48, running them at around 960mA.

Do you think this would be enough for most LPS and some SPS? I will likely be using this as a small frag tank, so I can put the SPS frags in the center, and keep my LED placement more centered-- and just leave the periphery for soft coral/LPS frags.


Would I get a better color/intensity mixing by putting on some 80* optics and raising the light up some (I have 8" to work with) or by leaving off the optics and keeping the LED's in closer?

13 LEDs should be fine. The tank is only a hair bigger than a BC14/NC12, and they do ok with 12 LEDs. If you do a 4-5-4 array, sitting about 6" off the water, you should be ok. Not sure if 80 degree optics will help or hurt you. You can't get 80 degree optics for XP series LEDs anyway.

Ah. Good point on the optics for the XP's.

Sounds good. Thanks!

What would you guys suggest for a 92g Corner Tank? Tank dimensions: 48"x34"x24 high.
Note that 48" is from the bow and both sides are 34".

Also what will be the best way to arrange the LEDs to have a good even spread in the front part.
Maybe a 1/8" thick aluminum sheet with a few heatsinks over to disperse heat?

I was thinking 48 LEDs with 60 or 40 optics. Driven by Meanwells "D"

I'd have to plot that out, but I don't know if that's going to be enough LEDs.

just a quick question...will the LED's used for these setups also work with indoor plants? im sure the answer is yes, but curious if you know of anybody that has tried it.

also, im working on a setup for my AP24! i figured if i am going to order bulbs might as well upgrade the indoor plant lighting as well!

Thanks!
josh

Good deal. Just ordered one!
And a super silent 120mm fan to finally finish off my LED retrofit and replace the loud 30mm fans.

Can you link me to a thread/page showing PAR readings of the PAR38's? It'll be for a 10G tank so I was thinking one, maybe two if I go the two island route.
Thanks!

It can be done. Hydroponics setups are using red and blue LEDs, but that's not exactly pleasing to the eye. Most white LEDs should be powerful enough to grow most anything.



http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=221433

10g needs 2 lamps.

Excellent. Thanks!

Had a question for you guys....I have been scanning the forum for several days. I am starting up a aquarium after about 8 years away due to traveling. The ADDICTION IS BEGINNING AGAIN! ha ha

I am currently looking to start a 47 column 20x18x30. This will be a challenge with lighting but have read up on the PAR38 and some other options. Looking to do a general reef tank....

What would you guys recommend. I need some help here. After reading the forums I have a lot of ideas running through my head thats for sure.

PAR38s can certainly be used, but if you are handly at DIY, a custom built setup might be better on this tank. Considering the height of the tank I would use 4 rows of 8 LEDs with at least 60 degree optics. 60s will put you in a good range for a mixed reef. 40s would put you in PAR ranges that are better suited for an sps dominated tank.

T5s aren't going to be really practical for a tank of these dimensions. A 250W MH would work, but heat will be an issue.

That is kind of what I was thinking....I have actually never done a DIY fixture but I have been reading the forums and some sites and think that I am capable. What is a rough estimate of parted out costs for that and also where do you recommend purchasing....are you running group buys right now?

Thanks for the response from the forums I read you are quite the wealth of knowledge!

What can I say. I like light

Estimated cost for a DIY setup like I outlined above would be something like $450-$500, depending on how you set it up.

There are a number of good places to buy LED parts for a good price. If you feel like pulling the trigger today, Deepdvnarq has a group buy ending today. It's posted in the hardware classifieds.

If anyone is interested this is a link to meanwell led catalog

If you scroll down there are waterproof connectors and something called a Waterproof Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker ( ??? ) which is supposedly has one application for fish ponds. Could this be useful for some of the applications talked about in this forum? Safety should be at least be in the top 3.

Some say duty first.

http://www.meanwell.com/LED_SF.pdf

Optics question.....


I just upgraded from a 4X24 Nova Extreme to a 250 DE halide (Phoenix). I didn't see this upgrade coming until someone swapped me the Coralvue halide retro for some CO2 plant tank equipment I had.

Anyhow, the 8 Cree royals I have make a VERY nice looking supplement to the Phoenix (which burns more white on the Coralvue ballast), but my 2.5" X 24" heatsink is blocking some of the light from the halide.

I need to raise the heatsink up some.

My LED's are about 2" apart, and I'd like to raise them around 7" off the water.... and I may add 5 more royals to the mix since I don't need any more white.

Will 80-degree optics work, or should I use 60's?

Hey Evil, have you got pictures of the 12K's in a tank? A local reefer has the 20K's and they look awful purple to me. It's possible that it looked purple because it was lighting his fuge though... I was thinking of supplementing blue with PowerBrite LEDs but if there's a better blue option I'm open to it.

If anyone is looking for discounted top notch LED supplies for a DIY build see my thread: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=224263

i was going to do a build (spent a month reading this entire forum and others and learning how to build a DIY) and then my aquaillumination lights came off of backorder. my loss is your gain, i'm selling below retail on brand unused new parts i just bought! (cree / meanwell "D"!!!)

Mods / others - if this post is not proper for this thread please delete / inform me and I'll remove. I know previously there have been posts about group buys so I'm trying to offer info about discount here under same premise.

Happy building!

Try both. At a little over a dollar a piece, you might as well try both and see how you like them. It's all going to be down to how much spread you want. For my Sunpod Actinics, I used 80s and they are noticable, but you may want more than that.


I'll see what I can do tonight. My 20Ks don't look pruple to me. Certain colors in the surrounding area can change the way the light is perceived though.

Powerbrites wouldn't be my first choice for supplimenting blue. I would look at the new all blue Panorama strips for that.

I think, if I use these on the Phoenix, I may just use the 80's since I really don't need the PAR output so much as I do a nice blue spread.


I'm looking at the tank right now, with only the Phoenix (and that, half shielded for acclimation) and the color is kinda neat. I may just leave this alone and put the LED's over my 15" cube. If I do that, I'll probably use 60* optics and keep the light centered and just place my coral frags appropriately (this will prob be a frag tank). Mushrooms seem to like only being downwind from LED's so this would probably work great, and the SPS will love the high PAR in the center.

Hey Evil,

You recommended to me that on a 72 bowfront I should do 54 LEDs and 80 degree optics I was wondering what kind of pro or cons i would have between using 60 or 80 .. I know I will need to use either im just trying to figure out which ones.

Also does anyone a DIY of installing fans to heatsinks? Just curious if you guys ran them all the time or if you had a temp sensor that triggered power to them when needed --- I will be running Meanwell "D" drivers -- 6 of them so be exact

The 60 degree optics will tighten the focus, and increase the PAR. If you wanted to go with a more sps heavy tank, then the 60s would be good. The 80s will be good for a mixed reef.

Evil.....I a thinking about purchasing a doing my own DYI Retro in a Satellite 20" power compact for my 47 Column 20x18x30.

Here is what I am thinking about buying....


16 cree xpg white
9 cree xre royal blue

2 meanwell drivers analog dimmable 60-48-D

profilux control box

What are your thoughts here?

merwin, please be careful to use "reply" features instead of the "report" button. Thanks.

You are going to need a little more than that unfortunately. On 18" wide tanks, I normally recommend 4 rows of LEDs. With the 20" length, and considering the depth (you will need optics), I would run 8 LEDs per row. This puts you at 32 LEDs. Run XR-E series LEDs, and 60 degree optics on all. If it wasn't for the optics, you could use the XP-Gs, but they don't have a 60 degree optic available.

Why did you want to go with an odd split of white and blue? 50/50 is a lot easier to plan the layout, and also blends the colors better. If you are looking for a certain color temp, let the drivers do the work for you.

With 32 LEDs, and if you want full color seperation and control, you will need 4 of the ELN-60-48D drivers. You can use as few as 3 if you don't mind one of the drivers having a mix of white and blue on it.

I am sure that somewhere in the past 84 pages you already have talked about a lighting setup for a 24 Gallon Aquapod. The tank is 20 high and 17 wide and 20 deep. I have Ricordeas and Zoas in this tank and would love to take the canopy apart, throw away the 2 32 watt PC fixtures and turn it into LED. Can you send me to a page number where this has been discussed? Thanks..

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=200335

Take a look at the NC24/28 and BC29 builds. They all go together the same way.

The reason I listed what I did is just mainly because a guy on the forum is trying to move that list above because he bought an AL light.

I am guessing the odd may be for 1 moonlight....I don't know. He wants a little less than he paid for it with the lenses. but only 80 degree huh?

What size heat plate would you recommend so I can figure out what I would retro fit?


do you know anyone running an LED buy now?

Sorry for all the questions but I appreciate the help.....

I might have missed this info somewhere in the thread but didn't want to search all 85 pages. For all the people using power jacks to disconnect your cords, did you use just the plain old 2.5mm dc jacks found at RadioShack or the higher powered ones? I'm assuming since the leds draw such a small amount of power the regular jacks will do fine?

I would suggest the RCA jacks over the 3.5mm headphone jacks. The two contacts are completely seperated and can't come in contact with each other, unlike the headphone jack.