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Coral Vue Hydros

Ultimate LED guide


evilc66

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Sweet, can't wait to see the rest. I've thought about doing an led setup on either my 12g nc or on my 29g tank. More than likely it would be done on the 29g. It would be a slow project but I could probably cnc a sweet heatsink/fixture for free in class.

 

Any thoughts on how many leds I'd be looking at for a 30" long tank 18" and about equivalent to 150W of MH?

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Are there any drivers on dealextreme you'd recommend? I don't need dimmable, and I'd prefer if I could just order everything from there - shipping to Iceland is expensive, and I'm not even sure ledsupply and other retailers ship to here.

 

Preferably I'd want a driver that can run more than just one led, but anything will go, as long as it's cost effective :)

 

 

Edit:

My first post on nano-reef in 6 years :)

Edited by keli
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Wow, a really old-timer :)

 

There are some, but it depends on the size of the array. Most of them are either for 1-3 LEDs, or 10 or more. There aren't any as flexible as the Buckpucks. Once you get the array somewhat sorted out, we can pick out a driver that will work.

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Wow, a really old-timer :)

 

There are some, but it depends on the size of the array. Most of them are either for 1-3 LEDs, or 10 or more. There aren't any as flexible as the Buckpucks. Once you get the array somewhat sorted out, we can pick out a driver that will work.

 

3 LEDs at 700-1000mA would actually be pretty good, then I can have some control over brightness by just turning individual modules on and off.

 

"10 or more" would be quite sufficient for my whole tank, so if it's cost effective that's a really good option, too.

 

I'm planning to order about 10-20 LEDs to start off with soon, and if I like the light, I will probably build an even bigger array.

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If your looking into how bright the tank is you should consider the dimmable drivers. It would be more cost effective than multiple drivers and you would be able to get the color you want from the lights.

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Don't have numbers for a single LED, but I do for an array.

 

Array of 10 LEDs. 4 XR-E Q5s @ 1000mA, 4 XR-E royal blues @700mA, 1 3W UV @ 700mA.

 

12" - ~500PAR

24" - ~200PAR

 

These numbers can vary based on brand of LED and lens, and the drive current used.

 

Ok. So what's the area of coverage for this array? Also..... There are 9 LEDs above... :mellow: 4 Q5s 4 royal blues 1 UV. What's the tenth LED? (Really curious)

Edited by Paleoreef103
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Do you by chance know about how much the leds for your future group buy would be. Trying to crunch some numbers.

 

It will depend on how many I need to purchase, but worst case is about $8, and best is around $6 plus shipping.

 

3 LEDs at 700-1000mA would actually be pretty good, then I can have some control over brightness by just turning individual modules on and off.

 

"10 or more" would be quite sufficient for my whole tank, so if it's cost effective that's a really good option, too.

 

I'm planning to order about 10-20 LEDs to start off with soon, and if I like the light, I will probably build an even bigger array.

 

This driver was originally found on Deal Extreme, but they never have stock. I just got confirmation that mine shipped from here after backordered for a month.

 

http://www.bestofferbuy.com/700ma-40v68v-c...put-p-7626.html

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evil, you recommended stranded wire over solid core. Why? flexibility & ease of soldering?

 

Flexibility more than anything.

 

Ok. So what's the area of coverage for this array? Also..... There are 9 LEDs above... :mellow: 4 Q5s 4 royal blues 1 UV. What's the tenth LED? (Really curious)

 

I goofed, should be 5 royal blues.

 

The coverage will depend on the spacing. With the array I tested with, the coverage was about 12x9, but the spacing was a little tighter in some respects than I would use in a larger setup.

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Great job so far evil... 1 question though. You mentioned in the optics section:

 

"Based on recent test, I have found that 60 degree optics have the ability to reach 150W MH levels when LEDs are run at 1000mA. 40 degree optics can reach 250W levels. These tests were performed with Cree XR-E LEDs and optics."

 

Approximately to what depth would 60 degree and 40 degree optics be able to hold these values to for the folks with deeper aquariums?

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Do you think if I run my Royal Blues at 700mA, since I want them on the same series as the UV, I will lose a lot of performance out of them? Should I just get 1000mA pucks and then hook my UVs up to the 700mA puck by themselves?

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Same as a 150W (60 degree) or 250W (40 degree) MH setup.

 

Hi evilc66,

 

If i run 21x white LEDs for my 22" depth tank on below 3 setup, what will be the output similar to :) ? 150W :o ?

 

** Asume all LEDs are equally 2" apart.

 

1st setup : 700mA on 40 degree len.

 

2nd setup: 700mA on 60 degree len.

 

3rd setup : 1000mA on 60 degree len.

 

Thanks.

Edited by M@rine_lover
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1. Typical to a spider reflector 250W (might want to tighten up the spacing a little for this one)

 

2. Typical to a low-ish PAR 150W (i.e. not a Phoenix)

 

3. Typical to a Phoenix 150W with a good reflector.

 

 

For a 22" deep tank, going with a 250W type setup would be better, unless you want to reserve the bottom of the tank to low light corals.

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