New to led's

[Bayou Reef]

First nano reef - 15 gallon column (13" sq x 19" t)

 

I'm looking for a broad variety of softies and leathers, but not sure how led's work.

 

I am very interested in the cree diy setup, but how many lights do i need based on my tank size. Are heat sinks necessary, what sort of power do i need and how should i wire them.

 

Also, if possible, i would like to keep my existing light enclosure built in hood that is currently housing 1x12" T5 which is 12.25"W x 4.75"L

 

Any guidance will be highly appreciated.

[Milad LEDGroupBuy.com]

Here a link to get you some ideas on builds:

http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/how-to-builds/

[Nano sapiens]

There a number of options for DIY LED setups ranging from very simple dimmable strings of LEDs on a narrow heatsink (which is what I have) to quite complex multichannel dimmable arrays using controllers to provide 'ramp up' and 'ramp down' effects, for example.

 

LEDGroupBuy is a great outfit and I bought all my equipment from them.