DIY Rapid LED Lights for 10 Gallon.

[CurtBoswell]

Hey everyone!

 

Now that my tank is full of water and cycling I will need to build lights in about a month or two for my corals. I'm planning on using LEDs for rapidled.com.

 

Here's what I was thinking:

I'd buy the 6"x20" drilled heatsink with fan and splash guard. (36 holes for lights.)

12 royal blue

8 blue

2 lime

2 warm white (instead of red)

Then I don't know wether to go with cool white or neutral. If it helps any I like the blue light on reef tanks a lot.

 

I don't know what else I would need in order to complete this project. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

[CurtBoswell]

Or I could go:

6"x10" Drilled Heatsink with splash guard and fan.

Royal Blue- 6

Blue- 8

Neutral or cool white- 6

Warm white (instead of red) - 2

Lime- 2

 

Plus whatever else any of you recommend!

[farkwar]

The philips K multi chip leds are inexpensive and tightly packed.

 

You have no violet coverage, more important than all the other rainbow colors being used.

 

You may want to look into those.

[CurtBoswell]

How many of them would you suggest?

 

What about dimmers and switches should I put each color on a different switch?

 

Do I even need the warm white?

[farkwar]

People like the warm whites

 

1) They add more red and green, with orange and yellow, to the light

2) They are available with a higher CRI

 

 

But guess what, a cool white has a low (70) CRI is because it does what, its shifts to the red, green, orange, yellow. Some reefers or builders say thst the 70CRI cool white is inferior to a 90 CRI warm white, because the number is smaller. Like a 70 IQ is inferior to a 90 IQ. 7 MPG is inferior to 9 MPG, etc.

 

 

LED makers use very expensive($100,000+) analytical equipment to see these color shifts, to rate them, because our eyes can't really tell the difference.

 

Color cameras can, that why CRI is very important to photographers, cinematographers, and videographers. Corals can't tell that a 5000K white light shifts to 4900K when its run at full power, neither can you.

 

Even still, many builders here will recommend a 4000K LED that only shifts to 3990 with a CRI of 90, over a 5000K LED that shifts to 4850K with a CRI of 70.

 

Sunlight has a temperature of 5500K, for reference.

 

Also for reference, originally reef lights were developed into the higher color temps 6500K+ because red, yellow, orange, and green light grow nuisance algae really well. And we didnt have the type and number of nutrient exporters we have today. They were used to slow crap algae from growing.

 

Ps, these examples are referring to high quality made LEDs from recognized LED manufacturers. Crap LEDs made in china are exceptionally bad, a low CRI 16K chinese multichip for example will look horrible over a reef tank, you WILL see the horrible ugly color it produces(an ugly cyanish muddy crap color). Think like a really ugly shop light, parking lot lighting,or street light, which is the main , market for these LED lights in China

[farkwar]

How many of them would you suggest?

What about dimmers and switches should I put each color on a different switch? Do I even need the warm white?

To answer the questions, on your 6x10 heatsink

 

What I would do making a fixture with the Philips multichips, (Ks and Zs).

 

2 channels K royal blue

1 channel K white

1 channel of the Z UVs (these are very expensive high quality violets).

 

I would use either the Storm controller and LDDs(these require off fixture enclosures), or the RLL wireless controller and RLL drivers (these are small enough to fit on the heatsink). I would use a diffusion splash guard. And a MeanWell HLG IP65 or IP67 power supply. This would give you controllability, more coverage and max intensity than 2 Kessil 350s for a little more than the cost of 1 Kessil 350 currently clearanced priced. You could grow anything in it, T. Maximas easy.

 

Ps, quick mental addition, the Z UVs would make it more expensive than I originally wrote. I would still put at least 8 of them on the heatsink

[CurtBoswell]

So for my whites I should use warm whites? If I use Phillips chips from rapid led would these have 90 CRI?

 

Do I need the lime?

 

So two rows royal blue?

One warm white?

And one Z UV?

 

The heat sink is drilled 4 rows of 6. So would 6 Z UV's work?

 

I would put the royal blues on the two outside rows and warm white and Z UV in the middle?

 

I will check out the controllers and power supplies once I have the chance! Thanks both of you! If you have any more information I would appreciate that!

[farkwar]

This is the DIY forum.

 

I dont drill heatsinks for LEDs. I find thermal adhesive is more than satisfactory.

 

You will need to mount the Z UVs yourself or find someone to mount them for you. Currently the Borealis is the only board mounting I know of, that they come on. I would buy the 4up Opulent boards and attach 4 UVs to each; until a better board becomes available.

 

Use warm lights if you like. I wont use them intentionally, 5000K lights are too yellow for me already(I would use 6500K if they made them).

 

Im not going to get into placement, thats personal preference. Many here cant see disco(strip clubbing), more dont care about it. Thats your call. Dont like how you do it at first, pop them off and redo it.

 

You're welcome, from both of us.

 

Ps, I think lime LEDs are retarded.

[CurtBoswell]

The heat sinks are already drilled. Would it be almost the same to buy one not drilled and just mount them?

 

Do those MeanWell HLG IP65 work as dimmers too?

 

I'm really confused on what white to use? Cool, neutral, or warm?

[farkwar]

Rapid buys that heatsink from HeatSink USA. Who cares if its drilled, dont use the holes, makes no difference.

 

You can too buy the undrilled heatsink, to any dimension you like, from HSUSA yourself. I would get the like the 4" 5.9" one and run it the length if the 10 gallon tank. Why are you limiting your options to only 6x10 on a tank with dimensions that make that awkward. You can have just about any dimensions you want, just order directly from HS USA (thats what Rapid AND LGB do).

 

I've got a blank one in my work room even.

 

I cant make up your mind for you on the whites, me I would get the 5000K pads. Youre going to run them low anyway.

 

Adding warm leds, are known to grow crap algae WAY better than 5000K, any day. Why make it harder on your self, just because they are 90 CRI? People use WARM LEDs in their Algae Turf Scrubbers, do you see what that means?

 

If you dont like them, which ever you pick, pop them off and put the other. They are like $16 each, not a big deal, thats like 3 starbucks coffees.

[farkwar]

Yes, models of HLG can dim. One is by a controller.

 

One is special order and has dimmer built in.

 

One has pots where you can dim current and voltage.

 

The HLG can work as the power supply to power drivers, or the power supply and LED driver alone.

 

It can work as both, and is waterproof. Its expensive.

[farkwar]

In case you dont know, we're getting into the commercial light pricing range.

 

You can get a NanoBox Or Kessil 360 for the.cost of the light. Already made with warranty.

[farkwar]

Also, before I offer to build this for you. JediBen has the parts for a NanoBox Hybrid for sale in the hardware classifieds.

 

Little less than parts cost hes selling them for.

 

It needs a power supply and is 24". Youll need a bigger tank. Get a 20 or 29 gallon. Use the 10gallon as sump.

 

Thats like an $850-900 light from NanoBox for $400. Do that. If you cant figure that out, dave Fason can help you, or Ben even