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ajmckay's proposed full spectrum led array


ajmckay

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Okay so I'm in the process of creating an LED array for my 40br.

 

I'm hoping to keep the budget around $300... So I may just start out with the 3ups and add the exotics in a few months as the ideal ratios are discovered.

 

What I really want is some good pictures of tanks using the 3up LEDs... I am really interested in Tom's here: Http://www.captivereefs.com/forum/diy-proj...ed-build-18283/

 

But he's not posting pictures for a few days now... !!!

 

Here's my thought:

14 3up $189

1 Driver for the 28 royals $75

1 Driver for the 14 whites $35

So that brings me up to $299... Close I suppose 'cause I still need $50 for a heatsink and misc stuff like wire...

 

For the "full spectrum" effect, I'm thinking of adding the following:

6 true violet $27

6 Turquoise $15

6 Deep Red $12

3 DIY mosfet drivers for each string of LED's ($4 ea, so $12 total).

This adds about $65 to the cost... Actually that's not so bad. Maybe I should just save up another month and buy it all at once?

 

Anyways how does this array sound? Anything you would change regarding # of LEDs (I think 60 should be enough, maybe more or less?), placement, or mix of colors?

 

Full-spectrum-LED-light-1.gif

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Milad LEDGroupBuy.com

Looks good, I think you have it all figured out. Im guessing you are keeping mainly SPS because thats alot of light.

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Thanks for the comments Milad!

 

So here's the thing... I like SPS, but don't plan on keeping that much at the moment. I'm using all the LED's mostly to ensure even coverage and a "full spectrum" both for purposes of being efficient for photosynthesis, but also to be able to adjust colors individually for aesthetics (tank is in a prominent location).

 

I wouldn't mind the extra capacity for SPS, but for the time being (next 2 years probably) I would like to focus on growing out maybe 1 or 2 specimens of SPS and the rest mixed LPS/soft... I would really like to try a clam though as well (probably on the sand bed).

 

So based on this information, how would you scale it back some and still keep an even light spread and full spectrum? Should I maybe cut back the exotics to 4 of each color? I also read about your "ocean white" variant in jedi's thread (!!!!), so maybe I could do 4 of those and add in some TV as needed?

 

For the 3up's, it really seems that 14 3up is the right # of LEDs for this tank for ideal coverage through the width and length of the tank (also see bensanders thread http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...p;#entry3394902 which doesn't use the 3ups, but he uses the same cree LEDs in clusters of 1nw and 2rb and he got good coverage with 14 of these clusters). As I mentioned I'm waiting for Tom to post some pics of his 3up setup (I think he's only using 10 though) and see what his coverage is like. So depending on what he's found out I may be able to get away with 10-12...

 

I can hang the fixture anywhere between 1" to 15" above the water... So optics are viable, but are they necessary? Could I try it w/out optics and add them in at a later date (in other words would the spacing I have (4.5" apart over the width of the heatsink and just under 4" apart over the length of the heatsink) work if I were to add optics at a later date? Cost cutting ftw!

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Milad LEDGroupBuy.com

So for the optics, you dont need them until you start passing about 22" from the sand bed then you gota really start thinking of adding them.

 

So what I meant by alot of light for SPS was for the 14 3UPs, not the exotics. You would be closer to 10-12 if you doing softies/LPS

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