Ultimate LED guide

[mdavis203]

Cut back on your lighting schedule. 12 hours is right at the limit where it can cause more harm than good, as you have obviously seen. While you may want to look at your tank for 12 hours, it doesn't mean thats the best thing for your tanks inhabitants. Most corals are done absorbing light for photosynthesis after 5-7 hours. More than that and it does them no benefit.

 

Also, your tank is very new, and sps might be a little too early. Take it slowly. Back your light down to 8-10 hours and watch your parameters. Your not doing anything like dosing of feeding right now are you?

 

I've only fed the coral once, and it was very light. I feed the two fish a very light sprinkling (gone in 20 seconds) twice a week.

 

I'm going to cut the lights back to 8 hours per day, and maybe have them on longer on the weekends. I know it's a little early for SPS, but I only put in a couple of small frags of monti. digita that I got for a bargain. I'm not going to put any acro in, even after the tank's fully mature. It's just too finicky. I'm sticking with the easy (relatively) SPS.

[evilc66]

Ok. Just wanted to make sure you weren't adding anything excessive to the tank that would cause excessive nutrients.

[sjmusic2]

Any opinions on supplementing white and royal blue leds with ca. 400nm uv leds, such as... http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4334 - would need a heatsink star for sure.

 

What ratio would you recommend - I'll be using 18 x P7 and 20 x Rebel royal blues over a 48" x 18" tank.

[evilc66]

Adding UV has been done. I know why I add it, but why do you want to?

 

Still stuck on those P7s huh? I still think you are going to need more royals to balance things out. 4:1 is going to give you a very yellow 10K look.

[mdavis203]

I still think you are going to need more royals to balance things out. 4:1 is going to give you a very yellow 10K look.

 

Agree. My 1:1 cool whites to royal blue both dialed up to full current give about a 14K look (maybe a little bluer).

[sjmusic2]

Adding UV has been done. I know why I add it, but why do you want to?

 

Still stuck on those P7s huh? I still think you are going to need more royals to balance things out. 4:1 is going to give you a very yellow 10K look.

 

UV to make corals fluoresce (like actinics) - wouldn't it also increase PAR if it's around 420nm ??

 

I'm still on the P7's because I've already sunk $400 into buying them I do also have another 20 blues (not royal blues) that I might add for visual effect. I also have my pic-based controller functioning that will give me independent dimming capabilities on the white and blue arrays...one day I'll get around to posting the details. My EE is still working on the driver for the arrays, he's on design #2 right now, although he says it's almost finished (I'll believe it when I see it). I may yet come back to you on hands and knees begging for help

[evilc66]

Royal blues are far better for fluorescence over a broader range of colors. UV has a better use as support for sps and clams. Both respond very well to UV light. UV doesn't show up very well over the primary lights. 1 UV every square foot seems to work pretty well.

 

Glad to see that there is some progress being made on your controller.

[sjmusic2]

1 UV every square foot seems to work pretty well.

 

Are you thinking of 1W led/sq ft ?

 

Thanks !

[evilc66]

Actually, 3W. Kai Domain has a mounted 3W 410nm UV LED that I have used fairly successfully.

[MrMike]

Hi,

 

I Will soon be converting my freshwater tank to a mini reef. I am still at the planning stage but wanted to DIY my own LED lights. My tank is 24Lx14Dx14H. I would like to join in the group buy but I'm not sure of everything I need to get (How many CW and RB, which drivers) I am planning on getting a ( or 2) heatsink from heatsinkusa and mounting everything on it.

 

My tank would be mostly for corals and maybe a 2 clowns (not sure yet)

 

Thanks in advance

Edited April 24, 2009 by MrMike

[evilc66]

A tank that size could be lit by a 23 LED array (8-7-8 with a 2.5" spacing). Two Meanwell drivers, or 4 Buckpucks would be needed for that setup. No need for optics.

[sjmusic2]

Actually, 3W. Kai Domain has a mounted 3W 410nm UV LED that I have used fairly successfully.

 

Would you happen to have the KD link ? I just searched and can't find anything - maybe they stopped selling it ? Do you know the manufacturer ?

 

Cheers.

[MrMike]

A tank that size could be lit by a 23 LED array (8-7-8 with a 2.5" spacing). Two Meanwell drivers, or 4 Buckpucks would be needed for that setup. No need for optics.

 

so that would be 12 cw and 11 rb?

 

How big a heatsink would I require?

 

Thanks for the quick reply

[evilc66]

Would you happen to have the KD link ? I just searched and can't find anything - maybe they stopped selling it ? Do you know the manufacturer ?

 

Cheers.

 

http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=1690

 

so that would be 12 cw and 11 rb?

 

How big a heatsink would I require?

 

Thanks for the quick reply

 

12CW and 11RB, or 11CW and 12 RB. Won't make any difference in overall color really.

 

Get a HeatsinkUSA "large" (8.5" wide) heatsink, 22-24" long. The length will be your preference as ot whether you want it to reach the ends of the tank flush, or slightly short for asthetics, or to fit in a hood.

[sjmusic2]

http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=1690

 

Thanks - I just ordered 6 for my ever expanding project !

 

Do you happen to have a datasheet or know the Vf and I ?

Edited April 24, 2009 by sjmusic2

[evilc66]

Vf is about the same as most white and blue LEDs. I usually recommend no more than 700mA on those. They get pretty toasty.

[MrMike]

12CW and 11RB, or 11CW and 12 RB. Won't make any difference in overall color really.

 

Get a HeatsinkUSA "large" (8.5" wide) heatsink, 22-24" long. The length will be your preference as ot whether you want it to reach the ends of the tank flush, or slightly short for asthetics, or to fit in a hood.

Would I need to add some fans? or is the heatsink more than enough to dissipate all the heat?

Edited April 24, 2009 by MrMike

[evilc66]

If it's enclosed in a hood/canopy, fans will be a must. They don't have to be high flow, but air has to be moved around the heatsink. An 80mm or 120mm sitting on top of the heatsink in the middle blowing down will work well.

[janos1]

If it's enclosed in a hood/canopy, fans will be a must. They don't have to be high flow, but air has to be moved around the heatsink. An 80mm or 120mm sitting on top of the heatsink in the middle blowing down will work well.

Hi evilc66.Did you find out something with the driver,could i use with the Profilux controller,it have 1-10 input.

Thank you,time is coming for the group order.

[mdavis203]

Royal blues are far better for fluorescence over a broader range of colors.

 

^^^ Agree very much. Especially if I cut my whites way down. It seems like everything in the tank is glowing.

[evilc66]

Hi evilc66.Did you find out something with the driver,could i use with the Profilux controller,it have 1-10 input.

Thank you,time is coming for the group order.

 

Based on my test so far, it does respond to 0-10v inputs. According to a Powergate engineer that I talked to today, this driver will accept pwm input to. I'm going to be doing more tests theis weekend.

[kidrobot]

hi evil i got a question im planning on buying in the group buy and this is my question i have a nanocube 24 gallons and wanted to build a LED setup inside my nanocube hood and this what im planning on getting 12 cool White and 12pcs Royal blue and maybe 12pcs 80 degree optics and 12pcs 60 degree optics and also a 2pcs meanwell PS...do you think is a good list so far for my nanocube???i still have other stuff to get in my list and i cant miss out on this group buy...hehe so ill get the hard stuff first...

 

another question do i need another meanwell PS to power the fans that im goin to put inside the hood??

and last question im also planning on getting 1or2 UV leds inside the hood what PS should i get it with and do i also need to get a buckpucks driver for it???

 

thanks

[evilc66]

24 LEDs will be good in that size tank. Run the UV LEDs on the RB driver, but run two of them in parallel so they look like one LED to the driver. This will allow them to be run at about 500mA. It's not ideal, but it will allow you to run them at a more practical current.

 

For the fans, you will need a seperate 12v power supply. These are cheap and easy to get.

[kidrobot]

24 LEDs will be good in that size tank. Run the UV LEDs on the RB driver, but run two of them in parallel so they look like one LED to the driver. This will allow them to be run at about 500mA. It's not ideal, but it will allow you to run them at a more practical current.

 

For the fans, you will need a seperate 12v power supply. These are cheap and easy to get.

 

im sorry im kinda new to this what is RB driver and what Power supply can i use it with? and also is this the driver were u talking about Link ...

 

thanks

[evilc66]

RB driver is the LED driver for the royal blue LEDs. 99% of the time thats where it makes the most sense to put the UV LEDs.

 

If you are using the Meanwell LED drivers, you don't need a power supply for them. You will need a power supply for the fans.