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Help design LED light for my pico


suep

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I have a 2 1/2 gallon pico on my desk. A heater, a really small HOB filter and an in tank powerhead that I'm probably going to remove because it's taking up too much space. Right now it's got a Coralife 18 watt compact light. The tank has a shrimp/goby pair, lots of zoas, mushrooms, buttons, clavularia, some blue zenia... From casual reading here, it looks like it's getting feasible to build my own LED light.

 

I'm not a DIYer, but I know someone who could probably put it together for me. I need a detailed shopping list, what do I need for a really nice LED setup, capable of doing sps coral? To an extent, money is no object. I'd be willing to spend $100, maybe a bit more for a really killer lighting system. The tank is glass, 12" long, 6" wide, and 8" deep.

 

If anybody wants to build me one, I'd be willing, but I'm assuming I'll order parts and either talk my husband into spending an afternoon, or getting his handyman uncle to help me out.

 

Thanks!

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I have a 2 1/2 gallon pico on my desk. A heater, a really small HOB filter and an in tank powerhead that I'm probably going to remove because it's taking up too much space. Right now it's got a Coralife 18 watt compact light. The tank has a shrimp/goby pair, lots of zoas, mushrooms, buttons, clavularia, some blue zenia... From casual reading here, it looks like it's getting feasible to build my own LED light.

 

I'm not a DIYer, but I know someone who could probably put it together for me. I need a detailed shopping list, what do I need for a really nice LED setup, capable of doing sps coral? To an extent, money is no object. I'd be willing to spend $100, maybe a bit more for a really killer lighting system. The tank is glass, 12" long, 6" wide, and 8" deep.

 

If anybody wants to build me one, I'd be willing, but I'm assuming I'll order parts and either talk my husband into spending an afternoon, or getting his handyman uncle to help me out.

 

Thanks!

 

Like Marteen said, I have built LED fixtures for tanks of your size that would be perfect, but it's going to cost a fair bit more than $100. The materials alone to build it yourself will cost you more than that.

 

If money is really no object, then LED is a very good lighting setup on small tanks like this. You don't get any of the heat issues associated with MH, but you get similar performance, and much longer life. I'll be starting another group buy in the near future if you are interested.

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They are quite easy to build. I built my own custom micro tank from a 5.5gal with 3.5 upfront, 1gal refuge and the rest is mech/chem/bio filter/skimer, and pump chamber. Pics attached from early set up. I'll post up some of the recent shots soon.

post-41310-1230838639_thumb.jpg

post-41310-1230838673_thumb.jpg

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Like Marteen said, I have built LED fixtures for tanks of your size that would be perfect, but it's going to cost a fair bit more than $100. The materials alone to build it yourself will cost you more than that.

 

If money is really no object, then LED is a very good lighting setup on small tanks like this. You don't get any of the heat issues associated with MH, but you get similar performance, and much longer life. I'll be starting another group buy in the near future if you are interested.

 

 

Yeah, I'm definitely interested. We can take this to email, if it would keep the forum message base neater. Whatever the local traditions prefer...?

 

What are we talking about price-wise?

 

And thanks, Marteen and Dr. Led. I'm willing to believe they're easy to build... for most people. But I don't _do_ hardware. ;) Programming and database design I can handle. Hardware, I yell for help on! ;)

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Evil's enclosures are awesome!! Do you just buy the light and rip out the gutts or do you have a conection to get just the enclosures?

 

Don't worry evil i cleaned up the wires once i knew it all worked.

 

LED is the only way to go... all usable light for the power with no wasted watts on light wavelengths that the corals don't need. No heat build up. No need for a chiller just a heater. Ya can't beat it. Mine cost me about $160-175 to build, including the power supply.

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Evil's enclosures are awesome!! Do you just buy the light and rip out the gutts or do you have a conection to get just the enclosures?

 

Don't worry evil i cleaned up the wires once i knew it all worked.

 

LED is the only way to go... all usable light for the power with no wasted watts on light wavelengths that the corals don't need. No heat build up. No need for a chiller just a heater. Ya can't beat it. Mine cost me about $160-175 to build, including the power supply.

 

 

Yeah, I've had a Solaris (the cheap model) on the 20 gallon for a year, and I'm quite happy with it. But I can't swallow that $$$$ for a 2 gallon tank.

 

Pics at http://www.cowgirlcoder.com/pictures/

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Evil's enclosures are awesome!! Do you just buy the light and rip out the gutts or do you have a conection to get just the enclosures?

 

Don't worry evil i cleaned up the wires once i knew it all worked.

 

LED is the only way to go... all usable light for the power with no wasted watts on light wavelengths that the corals don't need. No heat build up. No need for a chiller just a heater. Ya can't beat it. Mine cost me about $160-175 to build, including the power supply.

 

I wish I could just get the parts, but I have to buy the fixtures complete.

 

Glad you cleaned the wiring up. It looked a little scary back there. Is there any meaning to your screen name Dr. LED? You wouldn't happen to be affiliated with the marine lighting manufacturer would you? Or is it just coincidence?

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Pure coincidence. Nick name a few of the guys at the local pet store gave me after i built my first LED tank and it started kicking their metal halide butts. :) They all still use PC and Halides but drool over the speed at which things grow in my little LED tank.

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He recommends 1:1 Remember if you have pentameter installed you can adjust your blue and white levels to get pretty much any color temp you want.

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Yup, 1:1. For UV, I have been recommending 1-2 UV for every 10 LEDs. I have been nervous to recommend anything more than that until I have seen that there is no detrimental issues with using more. The output on the UV LEDs is relatively low compared to the UV output on most MH bulbs, even after the glass.

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