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Innovative Marine Aquariums

Help- LED Fixture


Wizzy

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jedimasterben
McJosh13- Thanks for the input on the Rebels. However, what is CRI?

 

________________________________________________________________

 

1. I still need help with pots.

 

2. Rebel v.s. Cree

 

3. LED layouts

 

4. Number of LED's

 

5. Anything else you think I should know.

 

Thanks- Wizzy :happy:

CRI is color rendering index, basically a higher number means that the light output will keep colors truer to what they really are.

 

1) Buy pots from wherever you get the LEDs from.

 

2) Just got the new info, if Steve's gonna grab better LEDs, maybe hold off - if it can't wait, go with CREE.

 

3) Lay them out even, with the whites and blues grouped together and your exotics grouped together and you're fine. Grab Google Sketchup and play around with it a little while, you'll be able to make a layout in no time.

 

4) A bunch lol. Basically four to five LEDs per 24"x24" area.

 

5) I'm hungry. :P

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CRI is color rendering index, basically a higher number means that the light output will keep colors truer to what they really are.

 

1) Buy pots from wherever you get the LEDs from.

 

2) Just got the new info, if Steve's gonna grab better LEDs, maybe hold off - if it can't wait, go with CREE.

 

3) Lay them out even, with the whites and blues grouped together and your exotics grouped together and you're fine. Grab Google Sketchup and play around with it a little while, you'll be able to make a layout in no time.

 

4) A bunch lol. Basically four to five LEDs per 24"x24" area.

 

5) I'm hungry. :P

 

Thank you JediMaster!

 

I'll try to do some more solo research, but if anyone else is willing to offer up their knowledge please do so!

 

Thanks- Wizzy :happy:

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I really like the Maker'sLED heatsink, but I am confused how I can "shuffle"

LED's around easily.

 

I thought that you had to solder LEDS to wires?

 

Their heatsinks look very promising, it is a special extrusion which has T slots instead of a solid flat surface where you can slide/shuffle your leds if you want.

See this video to get a better idea :

 

!
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CRI is color rendering index, basically a higher number means that the light output will keep colors truer to what they really are.

 

1) Buy pots from wherever you get the LEDs from.

 

2) Just got the new info, if Steve's gonna grab better LEDs, maybe hold off - if it can't wait, go with CREE.

 

3) Lay them out even, with the whites and blues grouped together and your exotics grouped together and you're fine. Grab Google Sketchup and play around with it a little while, you'll be able to make a layout in no time.

 

4) A bunch lol. Basically four to five LEDs per 24"x24" area.

 

5) I'm hungry. :P

 

I would further recommend getting three dimmable drivers and keep the whites on the first driver, the blues on the second driver and the exotics ( Ocean Coral white + True Violet) on the third driver.

 

Buy quality drivers like Meanwells.I have now read a couple of times about the cheaper chinese drivers failing.

 

The new makersled heatsink will help tons if you are unsure about your led layout or decide to change it later.

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jedimasterben
I would further recommend getting three dimmable drivers and keep the whites on the first driver, the blues on the second driver and the exotics ( Ocean Coral white + True Violet) on the third driver.

 

Buy quality drivers like Meanwells.I have now read a couple of times about the cheaper chinese drivers failing.

 

The new makersled heatsink will help tons if you are unsure about your led layout or decide to change it later.

I don't think you got what I was saying, I meant group them together on the heatsink, not on the same driver. :)

 

You'd need four drivers, one for whites, one for royals, one for red/turquoise or OCW, and one for violets.

 

Yes, quality drivers, but you don't have to blow all your money on Meanwells. There are less expensive/other options that, and as Milad has pointed out several times, Meanwells aren't necessarily meant to run the 3w LEDs we are using.

 

The MakersLED doens't seem like it would be good for using non-3up LEDs, a you can't get tight grouping using it.

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^^ by less expensive, do you mean the inventronics drivers ?

 

and for the makersled heatsink, from the pictures I have seen, looks like you can get tight grouping on non-3up leds. In the pic below looks like there is room for leds to be grouped tighter like those shown in the second pic

test-each-series-of-leds-300x200.png

 

MakersLED_Professional_LED.jpg

 

Maybe the thickness of wires will prevent from a tighter clustering...not sure

I guess you will only be able to tell for sure once someone actually tries it out firsthand

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Thanks for the responses guys and sorry about the late reply on my part.

 

Anyway, I am a little confused on the drivers.

 

I agree that having 4 different drivers (one for blue, white, exotics, violets) is a good idea.

 

However, I am confused on which drivers are supposedly the best quality.

 

I thought that Inventronics was the best/highest quality?

 

Which driver do you recommend and why?

 

As far as the LED Maker's Heatsink goes, it looks like you still need to solder the leds correct?

 

You just don't have to drill the heatsink?

 

Thanks- Wizzy :happy:

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Question 1: Has anybody used the latest 5000k, 85 CRI rebels, or are we just buying into the sales pitch on Steve's site?

 

Question 2: Wasn't Steve the same guy pushing 10,000k Asian LEDs that also produced some of the most nasty looking LED lit tanks I've ever seen?

 

Question 3: If #2 is true, why are we pushing #1?

 

I agree that higher CRI helps when using white's, but I don't know of anybody who's tried the latest Rebels, so right now it's conjecture. For that matter Citizens makes a 92 CRI 4500K LED, but I don't see it used on reef tanks.

 

Before having a beginner commit to half a dozen different colors and drivers it makes more sense to start with two colors and build off that. I run two colors, and my tank looks great.

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Before having a beginner commit to half a dozen different colors and drivers it makes more sense to start with two colors and build off that. I run two colors, and my tank looks great.

 

 

OK folks, I agree with Blasterman on this. I have had a few local friends just completely give up on doing an LED array because they keep reading the INSANE threads about using 6 different color LEDs that, from all I can tell, seem to be only hobbyists like me who are just playing around with pretty, flashy colors. IT IS UNNECESSARY so do not overwhelm yourself on color choices.

 

 

You only need to use 1 Neutral white combined with 2 royal blue LEDs for an incredible looking tank.

 

The corals do not require any wavelength of light that isn't supplied by this combination---- some other wavelengths may be usable (420nm) but that does not mean it is required, and it doesn't even mean it will be helpful. It may end up being that you've only added a few more LEDs and then you end up dimming them all proportionately down, which is self-defeating.

 

 

In terms of how your tank looks, I HAVE NEVER SEEN AN UGLY TANK that used Cree or Rebel whites (cool white or neutral white)--- they have all looked phenomenal when combined with royal blue ALONE. I have seen about a dozen tanks, personally (aside from my own) and assisted in the build of several of them.

 

 

You jokers who keep pushing the idea that we need all the freaking exotic colors for the best possible light are doing two things:

 

1) Perpetuating an unnecessary idea that just may be a myth that you cannot prove (that all these colors "look better"), something that is entirely subjective, and honestly only bears minor benefit, and even that is up for debate. It is totally confusing beginners who already struggle at LED design.

 

2) Learning some of your information from the people selling these LEDs. I don't fault anyone for selling them, but they are not likely to be qualified to tell you that these are necessary or even all that helpful.

 

 

 

My own tank is an 11g tank, with no skimmer, no GFO, very rare water changes, fed daily, full of softies, LPS, and even SPS, and they are all growing healthy. My tank only has "junk left over" (3 warm white, 3 neutral white, and 12 royal blue... Cree and Rebels) and everything is pretty damn happy and the tank looks incredible.

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[/u]

 

 

OK folks, I agree with Blasterman on this. I have had a few local friends just completely give up on doing an LED array because they keep reading the INSANE threads about using 6 different color LEDs that, from all I can tell, seem to be only hobbyists like me who are just playing around with pretty, flashy colors. IT IS UNNECESSARY so do not overwhelm yourself on color choices.

 

 

You only need to use 1 Neutral white combined with 2 royal blue LEDs for an incredible looking tank.

 

The corals do not require any wavelength of light that isn't supplied by this combination---- some other wavelengths may be usable (420nm) but that does not mean it is required, and it doesn't even mean it will be helpful. It may end up being that you've only added a few more LEDs and then you end up dimming them all proportionately down, which is self-defeating.

 

 

In terms of how your tank looks, I HAVE NEVER SEEN AN UGLY TANK that used Cree or Rebel whites (cool white or neutral white)--- they have all looked phenomenal when combined with royal blue ALONE. I have seen about a dozen tanks, personally (aside from my own) and assisted in the build of several of them.

 

 

You jokers who keep pushing the idea that we need all the freaking exotic colors for the best possible light are doing two things:

 

1) Perpetuating an unnecessary idea that just may be a myth that you cannot prove (that all these colors "look better"), something that is entirely subjective, and honestly only bears minor benefit, and even that is up for debate. It is totally confusing beginners who already struggle at LED design.

 

2) Learning some of your information from the people selling these LEDs. I don't fault anyone for selling them, but they are not likely to be qualified to tell you that these are necessary or even all that helpful.

 

 

 

My own tank is an 11g tank, with no skimmer, no GFO, very rare water changes, fed daily, full of softies, LPS, and even SPS, and they are all growing healthy. My tank only has "junk left over" (3 warm white, 3 neutral white, and 12 royal blue... Cree and Rebels) and everything is pretty damn happy and the tank looks incredible.

 

 

Thanks for the information :D

 

I think that it's a smart thing to start out simple and go from there.

 

So, I will probably use my 12 gallon nano cube as an experiment before I go all out on my 180 I am planning.

 

I still need opinions on drivers.

 

I still need opinions on Cree vs Rebel.

 

Also, any disadvantages to the LED Maker's heatsink?

 

Thanks- Wizzy :happy:

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I still need opinions on Cree vs Rebel.

 

My opinion= I switched from Cree XP-G 4500k to Rebel ES 5000k and am MUCH happier now. I believe both the higher color temp and higher CRI are the reason for the improved aesthetics. Also, I started off at a 2:1 ratio of rb:nw and have switched to closer to a 1:1 ratio (20 b: 16nw) as it closer approximates a 14k look.

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Hey redfish, I have to agree with most of what you said. Still though, remember that appearance is highly subjective. That is, what looks incredible to one person could look horrendous to another person.

 

Also experimentation with different so-called "exotic" leds is relatively new (speaking on a non-industry insider level) for aquariums. So we don't know all of the potential benefits yet. I'm sure that given time their actual usefulness will be revealed.

 

I definitely agree that a beginner doesn't need to concern himself much beyond a simple 2:1 RB:NW layout though. The tough part is that noobs (myself included) want value. They're looking for the best light (that won't be out dated in a year) for the best price. This performance/cost scale is hard to judge for many of us.

 

Wizzy, sounds like a plan to do your 12g first.

For simplicity, the meanwells are pretty good. They have proven reliable, they're cheap (look online and you can find them pretty cheap from electronics sites) and there are many builds using them. On the other hand some of the nicer options have become more easily available such as the inventronics and thomas research. I would say that you probably can't go wrong either way. Just figure out what LEDs you want to use FIRST and then calculate the power requirements you'll need. This will make the decision on which driver to get that much simpler.

 

As to the CREE vs. Rebel debate, I honestly don't think it matters unless you're a die-hard performance freak and you want to always be on the cutting edge. If you're just going to buy the LEDs, build your light, and leave it alone for 5-10 years then does having a very slight measure of LED performance actually make a difference? (My opinion is no, but I'll let the people who have run the numbers chime in on that as well). As redfish mentioned they both perform well for this application.

 

Finally, I don't see any disadvantages to the maker heatsink. I'm seriously thinking of using it in combination with the 3ups... It's double the price of a regular heatsink, but it's also a finished, ready-to-hang option that will save me loads of time and not having to mess around with tapping or gluing. It also has fans included! So by the time I fabricate a splash shield, buy more acrylic, fans, etc... I'll be at the price of the maker.

 

Good luck!

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My opinion= I switched from Cree XP-G 4500k to Rebel ES 5000k and am MUCH happier now. I believe both the higher color temp and higher CRI are the reason for the improved aesthetics. Also, I started off at a 2:1 ratio of rb:nw and have switched to closer to a 1:1 ratio (20 b: 16nw) as it closer approximates a 14k look.

 

I like a 10-14k look, so I will probably want more a ratio similar to yours.

 

Do corals get more growth out of the white or blue less or is it the same?

 

Is CRI just how things look under the light?

 

Hey redfish, I have to agree with most of what you said. Still though, remember that appearance is highly subjective. That is, what looks incredible to one person could look horrendous to another person.

 

Also experimentation with different so-called "exotic" leds is relatively new (speaking on a non-industry insider level) for aquariums. So we don't know all of the potential benefits yet. I'm sure that given time their actual usefulness will be revealed.

 

I definitely agree that a beginner doesn't need to concern himself much beyond a simple 2:1 RB:NW layout though. The tough part is that noobs (myself included) want value. They're looking for the best light (that won't be out dated in a year) for the best price. This performance/cost scale is hard to judge for many of us.

 

Wizzy, sounds like a plan to do your 12g first.

For simplicity, the meanwells are pretty good. They have proven reliable, they're cheap (look online and you can find them pretty cheap from electronics sites) and there are many builds using them. On the other hand some of the nicer options have become more easily available such as the inventronics and thomas research. I would say that you probably can't go wrong either way. Just figure out what LEDs you want to use FIRST and then calculate the power requirements you'll need. This will make the decision on which driver to get that much simpler.

 

As to the CREE vs. Rebel debate, I honestly don't think it matters unless you're a die-hard performance freak and you want to always be on the cutting edge. If you're just going to buy the LEDs, build your light, and leave it alone for 5-10 years then does having a very slight measure of LED performance actually make a difference? (My opinion is no, but I'll let the people who have run the numbers chime in on that as well). As redfish mentioned they both perform well for this application.

 

Finally, I don't see any disadvantages to the maker heatsink. I'm seriously thinking of using it in combination with the 3ups... It's double the price of a regular heatsink, but it's also a finished, ready-to-hang option that will save me loads of time and not having to mess around with tapping or gluing. It also has fans included! So by the time I fabricate a splash shield, buy more acrylic, fans, etc... I'll be at the price of the maker.

 

Good luck!

 

Well, when it comes to spending lots of money and time on a hobby I love I tend to be a die-hard performance freak lol. :lol:

 

I'll be doing some more solo research on many of the ideas everyone has laid out before me and then I will ask some more specific questions.

 

All I was wondering is what a 3UP LED is?

 

And what are some of the differences between the meanwells: energy use, noise (not sure if they make noise or not lol?), heat, life-span, etc?

 

Thanks- Wizzy :happy:

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Wizzy-

 

Just want to throw my two cents in real quick.

 

I found that buying a cheap DIY LED kit from China and actually building my first fixture filled in a lot of the blanks for me. I spent like maybe $150, got all the crazy colors that I wanted to see what they looked like, threw them on a heatsink... Practiced wiring, soldering, drilling, tapping, gluing, etc... And now I've got a pretty sweet, seriously overpowered fuge light that I don't regret at all.

 

Part of the learning process for me is doing that hands-on stuff. Maybe you should consider making a cheap fixture that's destined to grow chaeto, then continue researching to put yourself a little ahead before you make a big badass fixture for your display.

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Wizzy-

 

Just want to throw my two cents in real quick.

 

I found that buying a cheap DIY LED kit from China and actually building my first fixture filled in a lot of the blanks for me. I spent like maybe $150, got all the crazy colors that I wanted to see what they looked like, threw them on a heatsink... Practiced wiring, soldering, drilling, tapping, gluing, etc... And now I've got a pretty sweet, seriously overpowered fuge light that I don't regret at all.

 

Part of the learning process for me is doing that hands-on stuff. Maybe you should consider making a cheap fixture that's destined to grow chaeto, then continue researching to put yourself a little ahead before you make a big badass fixture for your display.

 

Thanks for the advice. :happy:

 

When I originally set off on my reefing adventure I told myself that I would simply read as much as I could and then create my dream tank, but as I have learned more I realize that actually testing/trying smaller scale versions of what I ultimately want may not be a bad idea.

 

I feel that the best/most successful hobbyists are those that have experienced/attempted a wide range of things in this hobby.

 

I feel that actually doing something opposed to reading about it gives you confidence and the first-hand experience needed to really do something right.

 

So, long story short, I agree with you and will probably be setting up smaller systems in the future in order to test the ideas that I want to employ in my larger system.

 

Thanks- Wizzy

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Milad LEDGroupBuy.com
I like a 10-14k look, so I will probably want more a ratio similar to yours.

 

Do corals get more growth out of the white or blue less or is it the same?

 

Is CRI just how things look under the light?

 

 

 

Well, when it comes to spending lots of money and time on a hobby I love I tend to be a die-hard performance freak lol. :lol:

 

I'll be doing some more solo research on many of the ideas everyone has laid out before me and then I will ask some more specific questions.

 

All I was wondering is what a 3UP LED is?

 

And what are some of the differences between the meanwells: energy use, noise (not sure if they make noise or not lol?), heat, life-span, etc?

 

Thanks- Wizzy :happy:

 

3UPS: http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/cree-xt-e-royal...ral-white-3-up/

and

http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/ocean-coral-white/

 

difference in meanwells and Inventronics? You need an additional power supply to dim the meanwells, inventronics has them built in. Inventronics are also IP67 and IP66 rated so water resistant and dust prove. You dont need to tune the inventronics. Failure rate is higher on the meanwells (this comes from someone that has sold hundreds/thousands of both), list goes on.

 

FYI guys, Im working on a analysis write up to compare the Rebel/CREE for everyone, trying to be as unbiased as possible but its a bit hard. I should have it up this weekend.

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The Rebel ES and Crees current chips seem close...

I'm on the fence, the price difference doesn't make much of a difference. Perhaps using Rebel ES exotics would be a good idea,

3 ups are tempting since you simple stick them up there and they are ready to go. Yet again the better CRI sounds cool and there are a few LED gurus that swear by them. My only thought is not being able to drive 3 ups at 1 amp, is thermal dissipation an issue with putting 3 Crees on a single star?

 

I never knew the Inventronics are rated for water and dust resistance. I could order it all from you instead of a seperate order from rapid leds, and here shipping is terrible, $40 for a $80 heatsink(I'm assuming ti won't fit into a flatrate box?) lol! But I'm looking for a $16 meanwell replacement which i don't see you guys stock.

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jedimasterben
Wizzy-

 

Just want to throw my two cents in real quick.

 

I found that buying a cheap DIY LED kit from China and actually building my first fixture filled in a lot of the blanks for me. I spent like maybe $150, got all the crazy colors that I wanted to see what they looked like, threw them on a heatsink... Practiced wiring, soldering, drilling, tapping, gluing, etc... And now I've got a pretty sweet, seriously overpowered fuge light that I don't regret at all.

 

Part of the learning process for me is doing that hands-on stuff. Maybe you should consider making a cheap fixture that's destined to grow chaeto, then continue researching to put yourself a little ahead before you make a big badass fixture for your display.

Kinda what I did. Bought an Aquastyle kit, I like them, I'd just rather have something that's more efficient and will look better (mostly from higher CRI)!

 

difference in meanwells and Inventronics? You need an additional power supply to dim the meanwells, inventronics has them built in. Inventronics are also IP67 and IP66 rated so water resistant and dust prove. You dont need to tune the inventronics. Failure rate is higher on the meanwells (this comes from someone that has sold hundreds/thousands of both), list goes on.

 

FYI guys, Im working on a analysis write up to compare the Rebel/CREE for everyone, trying to be as unbiased as possible but its a bit hard. I should have it up this weekend.

I've never heard of an Inventronics driver failing, but I've seen plenty of Meanwells. The Inventronics are much more expensive, though, this does deter a lot of people looking to get the best value.

 

I'm interested to see your view of the Rebel ES, Milad. I didn't expect you to be 100% unbiased (not to offend, of course, sir), but I know that you will do your best. I've got several charts I've made doing comparisons myself, I'd love to see what you come up with. :)

 

The Rebel ES and Crees current chips seem close...

I'm on the fence, the price difference doesn't make much of a difference. Perhaps using Rebel ES exotics would be a good idea,

3 ups are tempting since you simple stick them up there and they are ready to go. Yet again the better CRI sounds cool and there are a few LED gurus that swear by them. My only thought is not being able to drive 3 ups at 1 amp, is thermal dissipation an issue with putting 3 Crees on a single star?

 

I never knew the Inventronics are rated for water and dust resistance. I could order it all from you instead of a seperate order from rapid leds, and here shipping is terrible, $40 for a $80 heatsink(I'm assuming ti won't fit into a flatrate box?) lol! But I'm looking for a $16 meanwell replacement which i don't see you guys stock.

The whites are close, but the royal blues are not.

 

CREE XP-G NW

700ma (~2.1w) - ~230lm

1000ma (~3.1w) - ~300lm

1500ma (~4.9w) - ~400lm

 

Rebel ES NW

700ma (~2.1w) - ~240lm

1000ma (~3.1w) - ~325lm

 

 

 

CREE XT-E RB

700ma (~2.1w) - ~930mW

1000ma (~3.2w) - ~1310mW

1500ma (~5w) - ~1740mW

 

Rebel ES RB

700ma (~2.1w) - ~1300mW

1000ma (~3.1w) - ~1600mW

1500ma (~4.8w) - ~2400mW

 

In the LED Spectral Analysis thread, the older Rebel (not ES) beat the XP-E royals in luminous output, and the Rebel ES seems to continue that trend with the XT-E royal.

 

 

When it comes to your base colors, the "big guys" in LEDs will say go for the highest CRI white you can. blasterman's "evil" cluster that he made used a, what, 85-90 CRI Bridgelux emitter and it looked amazing, purportedly (still no pics blaster! :) ).

 

From the datasheet, CREE emitters have a Tj max temperature of 85C. I'd imagine that being on the 3up star they would be getting close to that being so close together physically, but Milad should chime in on this, I'm sure he has data to back it up. :)

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From the datasheet, CREE emitters have a Tj max temperature of 85C. I'd imagine that being on the 3up star they would be getting close to that being so close together physically, but Milad should chime in on this, I'm sure he has data to back it up. :)

 

I've been thinking the same thing... How can 3 high power LEDs be so close to each other. Then I saw that you can actually buy single dies that upward of 10 high power emitters on it (see THIS engine, which has 16 XM-L on a single pcb!). So really I think the key is to have a good connection to the heatsink with very high quality thermal grease, and have a heatsink that is capable of dissipating the heat quickly. With those conditions met I don't see why you couldn't run a 3up at 1000mA.

 

Then again, last time I checked, how many of us run our 1000mA LEDs at 1000mA? Not very many from my research. I think it's more typical to see them run around 50-75% of that from a dimmer. This effect could be further altered if the white/2RB are on different circuits.

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It's all about how you heat sink them. 85C junction temp isn't that hard to meet at room temp. That's an enormous delta T, probably 40-50C T.c to ambient. Furthermore, one of those stars only puts out ~10W. It's really not that bad at all. I'd guess the stars have a 2 or 4 oz copper lay for heat dissipation in any case. Something resembling thermal grease and something resembling a fan and you won't have any problems.

 

Go look at a CPU, those things can put out over 200W and are about the size of 4 stars put together.

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3UPS: http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/cree-xt-e-royal...ral-white-3-up/

and

http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/ocean-coral-white/

 

difference in meanwells and Inventronics? You need an additional power supply to dim the meanwells, inventronics has them built in. Inventronics are also IP67 and IP66 rated so water resistant and dust prove. You dont need to tune the inventronics. Failure rate is higher on the meanwells (this comes from someone that has sold hundreds/thousands of both), list goes on.

 

FYI guys, Im working on a analysis write up to compare the Rebel/CREE for everyone, trying to be as unbiased as possible but its a bit hard. I should have it up this weekend.

 

So 3UPs have 3 LEDS?

 

Still a little confused lol.

 

But, I can't wait for the comparison chart.

 

jedimasterben- I will probably use meanwells for my inexpensive builds and Inventronics for my larger system.

 

Thanks- Wizzy :happy:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Prior to setting up a large system, I want to practice building an LED fixture.

 

The light will either be for my 12 Gallon Nanocube or a 40 Gallon Breeder (if I decide to set that tank up).

 

I'm not sure if I should get an inexpensive Aquastyle Kit or create a Rebel/Cree/LED Maker's Heatsink fixture.

 

My concerns with the Aquastyle LED's is that they will use too much electricity and become too expensive to

run and that it will be too hard to make legs for so it can sit on the rim of my aquarium.

 

I would rather do an Aquastyle Kit (as long as the above concerns aren't a problem) due to price.

 

Thanks- Wizzy :happy:

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So, I have decided I want to build a dimmable LED Fixture for my 12 Gallon Nanocube.

 

I don't want to retrofit it into the hood, because I may use the fixture on a QT, Refugium, etc in the future.

 

I don't want to spend more than $200 at the most (including cost of shipping) since this is more of an experiment than anything else.

 

Considering my budget, is Aquastyle the best way to go or are there other inexpensive options?

 

Any ideas how to build legs for my fixture (I can't hang it)?

 

I was looking at the 24 LED Aquastyle kit, but I didn't know if I would need that many for my Nanocube (I'd be OK with dimming them if it meant I would get better coverage)?

 

Should I just start with Neutral Whites and Royal Blues or is getting some "exotic" LEDs worth it? (Everyone's kind of already touched on this topic, but it doesn't hurt to double check).

 

Thanks- Wizzy :happy:

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I would do one of the AQ kits, but get:

 

4x 4500k white

6x royal blue

1x red

1x cyan

2x true violet (NOT UV)

 

This would give you more than enough PAR to keep SPS, and give you an ~12K look. The cyan and red will combine with the royal blue to make a white light, that's why I did a 1:2 4500k to royal blue. The true violets will make some colors pop and give an incredible amount of PAR. Run the whites, a single royal, and the red and cyan on the first driver, then the five remaining royals and your true violets on the second driver.

 

I am quoting you from another thread JediMasterBen :happy:

 

You said this about a 6 gallon nanocube, but for my 12 gallon would I just need to double the # of LEDS?

 

-Wizzy

 

 

Also- Optics or Not?

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