How To - Aquastyle DIY LED - Coral Photos Added

[saltykelly]

So I screwed up and wired my leds so that some were -to- and such. Does anyone know if you can pop the leds off the heat sink? or would that bust them. I really hope I didn't fry my driver!

[saltykelly]

You can remove the leds quite easily with a knife under them. But I think I did fry my drivers.

[bjbass]

this is a great informational thread. Glad you had started. Easy to follow.

Gave me some ideas and all.

Thanks again for posting it.

-Mark

 

If you would like to see another setup with this kit check out my thread.

 

BJBass Aquastyle LED BC14 Retrofit

[ecogirl22]

Here is my before and after shots i promised. Again the before is from a 70w fishneedit light with their stock bulb which is supposed to be 20k but looks like less than a 14k, anyways and the new light is the 24led dimmable unit from aquastyle with one string of 10 white and 2UV, and a string of 12 blues. Its on my 12g NC with no lenses. (might try those later and see. The leds are all turned up all the way and i get about the look of 20k, maybe a little lower but def more than 14k, which is perfect for my taste.

 

edit: sorry , didn't label very well, obviously the one that is more blue is the led (after) shot.

 

(i've only read up to the thread post im commenting on, sorry if this was answered already) This is exactly the photo I was looking for! thanks for posting! I actually prefer the whiter look of the MH lamp...just more natural looking to me, do you have any idea what bulb mix i would use to achieve that? With the 12 LED kit 8 6-7K, 4blue? or do they have a 10K---maybe (9) 10K 3 blue?(I also used a fishneedit 14K bulb and liked that color)

 

I was going to get a rapidled kit but then saw this is about $30 less ($115 vs 87). I have a 12g AP. (only 10g display area)-- I currently have 64W PC=--and my acropora is NOT happy The montis and birds nest are doing great. I also have softies...so this is a mixed reef. Being under a hood (1" from surface?) is 12 the right number of LED's I figure i need 30-50% more light for the acros...would 36 W LED give me that compared to 64W pc? I know they're not comparable but i do want to upgrade the lighting, not just stay at the same level. They also have 14 dimmable.... I don't want to burn my coral if i get the non dimable though.

 

THANKS for your thoughts--esp you guys and gals who have used these kits on your AIO tanks:)

[stg2roush]

I am not an LED guru, but definitely get the dimmable kit. You may get better coverage, its just a lot of LEDs over a ten gallon.

[Trogdor447]

yes kind of silly not going dimmable - but its all up to you.. You never want to burn the coral also if its under weak lighting prior to your tank - you can turn the light down to 25% to acclimate new corals - the old might get a little upset but wont get shocked

[tizzite]

I just got this kit in the mail today and I'm very impressed with everything that came in it.

 

I'm about to attach my LEDs to my heatsink but i'm wondering- how hard is it to get the LEDs off of the heatsink once with thermal paste has cured? One of the posts says that the LEDs are easily removable with a knife.

 

I ask because the optics seem like a pretty tight fit- will pulling off the lenses rip the LED off of the heatsink?

 

And how hot do the drivers get? I'm planning on putting them in a project box, maybe with a fan and ventilation.

[jeffblly]

I want to try these over a 40 breeder. Should I get the 36 led kit with a few more blues than whites? I have sps and lps. Is there any reason why you chose two heatsinks instead of one that was longer?

[sanchez]

I went with the 72 LED kit and a 5.88x25" heatsink from heatsinkUSA.com. used 48 of the LEDs so far so good, but I don't have the new tank set up yet haha.

[land_lubber]

Have you attached your drivers to your heatsinks? if so how? I got my 36 kit and am following your diy instructions

[gwcreefer]

I just finished my 36+3 led kit in my RMS 130. I kept it all in the hood, so I'm only about 3 inches off the water. I went with 18 rb , 9 cw, 9nw and 3 red. Colors are really popping now. Dimmers barely work. Not as bright as the stock t5 though. There was alot of room in the hood, everything fit well. I kept the old reflector and put the heatsink up against it to act as a duct for the fans to cool it, I just turned the fans inward towards the heatsink. Has anyone put in different pots to dim or is it the drivers thats the problem?

[bjbass]

I just finished my 36+3 led kit in my RMS 130. I kept it all in the hood, so I'm only about 3 inches off the water. I went with 18 rb , 9 cw, 9nw and 3 red. Colors are really popping now. Dimmers barely work. Not as bright as the stock t5 though. There was alot of room in the hood, everything fit well. I kept the old reflector and put the heatsink up against it to act as a duct for the fans to cool it, I just turned the fans inward towards the heatsink. Has anyone put in different pots to dim or is it the drivers thats the problem?

 

I was wondering about this too. They seem to be pretty crappy and when you dim them to a certain point mine flash and don't shut off completely. What's up with that?

[gwcreefer]

I was wondering about this too. They seem to be pretty crappy and when you dim them to a certain point mine flash and don't shut off completely. What's up with that?

I actually went to radio shack and tried different pots. I think its the drivers. Mine dont flash, they just go from full to almost no dimming just low. Almost like full and low, nothing else.

[Trogdor447]

wow i missed a lot of these posts being on vacation lol

[basicfisherman]

Glad I read that about the pots. I was thinking of upgrading them when I got my kit because of the posts about them being crappy. I figured I would wait to see myself but I think my questions have been answered about them going from full to off.

[land_lubber]

My pots actually dim quite well. Maybe its a hit and miss thing?

[gwcreefer]

I'm going to try a higher ohm pot today. On the other thread about these kits it was suggested that I go higher. I'll let you know what happens.

[Trogdor447]

I'm going to try a higher ohm pot today. On the other thread about these kits it was suggested that I go higher. I'll let you know what happens.

 

please do let me know the model #'s etc where you pick them up - i have actually turned my leds way way way back and everything is responding better.. So kind of has me a wee bit on the confused side .

 

The pots that come with it are fine - just ultra senesitive when you get into the higher end. Usually that flashing is an overloaded driver.. or half connected solder joint - just doesnt get the full flow of juice

[jubjub47]

m

please do let me know the model #'s etc where you pick them up - i have actually turned my leds way way way back and everything is responding better.. So kind of has me a wee bit on the confused side .

 

The pots that come with it are fine - just ultra senesitive when you get into the higher end. Usually that flashing is an overloaded driver.. or half connected solder joint - just doesnt get the full flow of juice

I get the flashing on my white string when I hit about 20%. They never will fully turn of. No flashing at higher settings though.

[05XRunner]

yea I have the same thing..my white string has a real nice even dimming..but the blues flicker as you lower and it jumps down power quick its not as fluid of transition like my whites are. I got them on color I like but kinda bugs me sometime

[iball1804]

My dimmers and drivers have a "sweet spot" as to when I make a certain color dim, its driver makes a whine and the color flickers, then I turn it ever so slightly, and the noise stops and the color is steady.

 

Anyone else experience this?

[05XRunner]

My dimmers and drivers have a "sweet spot" as to when I make a certain color dim, its driver makes a whine and the color flickers, then I turn it ever so slightly, and the noise stops and the color is steady.

 

Anyone else experience this?

yea mine seem to do the same thing..I was wondering if I was the only one.

[iball1804]

yea mine seem to do the same thing..I was wondering if I was the only one.

 

Same here! I don't mind. It only happens only <30%

[bjbass]

Same here! I don't mind. It only happens only <30%

 

Yeah mine flash on both white and blue strings, but only when I get down to about < 30%. Otherwise the dimmers work fine and the LEDs are fine and don't flicker.

 

BJ

[gwcreefer]

please do let me know the model #'s etc where you pick them up - i have actually turned my leds way way way back and everything is responding better.. So kind of has me a wee bit on the confused side .

 

The pots that come with it are fine - just ultra senesitive when you get into the higher end. Usually that flashing is an overloaded driver.. or half connected solder joint - just doesnt get the full flow of juice

I tried 10k and 50k ohm pots from radio shack, all about the same. They were liner-taper potentiometers, I'm not sure if they are the right type or not. Only other type they had said audio potentiometer. Luckily for me I like the light almost all the way up. The corals seem to be opening up larger then ever with the new lights. Been about a week now and I'm seeing colors I didnt know I had.