DISCLAIMER: Okay, so before you tell me about the search feature, I did search but the forum is saturated with tons of lighting threads, and the forum search wouldn't let me use the number 5 because it was under 2 characters long (wth?).


Okay, so I just moved to college and want to start up a 5 gallon nano set up. I've done a 20 gallon before, and worked at an aquarium store in Lancaster,Ca for 2 years so I know what's coming.

I'm going to mod a refugium on a AC and have mud and calerpa, maybe cheato. The only thing that I don't have figured out yet is the lighting system. I want to make it a small reef tank. A little bit of mushrooms, zoas, and maybe some LPS. The tank is a standard 5 gallon, 10 inches tall I believe. I have read that LEDs are really good for small tanks, and I like the low heat output. My question is what kind of LED set up would I need for a 5 gallon reef, with the stock that I listed. Like specifically, which kind of LEDs, and what not. Also, would Metal Halide be a better fit? I'm an electrical engineer, so if I did LEDs I definitely would do DIY, and just read through some of the tutorials here, but how much and which kind would I need for what I had in mind?

Thank you in advance.

An AGA 5.5g does well with 12 LEDs in a 6x2 array. Cree XR-Es are the most popular and easiest to find LEDs. Go with a 50/50 mix of cool white and royal blue. For this size array, Luxdrive Buckpucks are about the easiest choice for driving the LEDs, unless you want to build something.

I would actually prefer building a driver. I have an extra arduino laying around that might be able to do the job. Is 12 LEDs too much for a non SPS tank?

No. The LEDs are there for coverage, not intensity. Intensity will be set by the final drive current.

what? who has extra adurinos laying around?
sounds interesting keep us posted

I'm at Cal Poly Pomona studying Electrical Engineering. So I have some that I've used for my labs and what not. Still searching through the information on LEDs. I'll definitely keep you guys informed.




Okay. How much do you think it would end up running. Sorry, I'm sure this information has been given out dozens of times, I just can't find the specific answers I need in the forum. bear with me.

Cost wise? Not much if you are building your own drivers.

leds are 5-8 dollars usually and a heatsink i bet you have laying around and drivers are at your cost.
cooling fan unless you have some other super high tech cooling method, i demand to see a super high tech led build here

^ what he said!

go four it LOLL eye of the tiger style i love