n0rk's LEDPico Experiment Bonanza

[n0rk]

Well, time for an update I feel!

 

 

 

 

 

 

(The Duncan shot is a week ago - it's already grown another head since then)

 

New corals from Darren @ Reef Secrets on the Gold Coast

[Weetabix7]

Looking very nice, I like it!

Looks like the corals are responding well to the LED lighting.

Good job, Sir.

[n0rk]

Aye, some of them are definitely loving it. The Euphyllia aren't taking too kindly to it thus far - nor the Morph, but the Zoos, the Duncan, the plates and the Trachy are all living it up. I only put half of it in there like 4 hours before I took the photo, I'm amazed it responded so well so quickly.

 

Cheers Weets

[n0rk]

Also, to anybody who has ever asked me why I love LEDs and why I keep corals, I propose this answer to them:

 

http://img594.imageshack.us/slideshow/webp...?id=img8291.jpg

 

I'm amazed the Trachy is feeding so readily already. It was an exciting sight to see when I left my room.

[SmithErick]

How did you take those pics? My Blue LED's are so intense that everything is so washed out...

[n0rk]

Knowing the right settings to use. Experimenting to find the right setting. The LEDs themselves are only running at 400mA right now, and there's only 4... it doesn't wash out as much as bigger arrays.

 

But, for the sake of baseline - f/2,8 24mm, ISO200, 1/320sec on auto white balance and full-scene metering, RAW mode. Other than that they're untouched except a crop on some.

[animalmaster6]

The tank is loo king really good!

[n0rk]

Thanks buddy it's starting to come into its own, finding that right mix of flow and lighting that the corals like. Difficult thus far but the results are worth it.

[animalmaster6]

It's definetly showing.

 

The colors on those corals are real nice!

[n0rk]

You should see the Zoos under the RBs the rim is so freaking bright, it almost makes my eyes hurt haha

[.Newman.]

wow incredible croals and lighting!

I need to get some sort of LED kit that includes those royal blue Cree's....

[n0rk]

Definitely do, they're brilliant.

 

I tried to capture the colour of the skirts on the Zoas under the Royals, sort of got it but not too well. I can meter for greens and yellows and blues under Royals fine, but once it comes to reds or oranges the sensor just goes into overload...

 

[.Newman.]

hey nork, how did you suspend your heatsink above the tank? I'm having trouble figuring this out...

[n0rk]

Mine is mounted directly to the plastic lid the tank came with. I saw no point trying to fashion some complicated rig when I could just mount it directly. Helps with temperature stability and evaporation as an added bonus.

[.Newman.]

from your last pics it looks like the LEDs are just resting on the plastic top...thats not true right?

[Freakin]

Mine is mounted directly to the plastic lid the tank came with. I saw no point trying to fashion some complicated rig when I could just mount it directly. Helps with temperature stability and evaporation as an added bonus.

Do u have optics?

[n0rk]

from your last pics it looks like the LEDs are just resting on the plastic top...thats not true right?

 

They're supported about 1/2" off the plastic by rubber grommets. Provides just enough clearance between the emitters and the plastic for airflow. Basically the grommets are attached to the heatsink and the plastic lid.

 

Do u have optics?

 

I do not. I considered them when I had SPS in here, but right now I really don't need them. I've actually had to dial the lighting back because it was too bright running at full brightness.

[.Newman.]

really? The rubber gromits do not melt from the heat of the heatsink? I will have to go that route then cuz I'm too lazy to build a whole fixture and fasten it in place...

 

how tall are the gromits? 1/2" like you said?

[friar1]

All I can say is:

"WOW"

 

Friar

[animalmaster6]

[Freakin]

really? The rubber gromits do not melt from the heat of the heatsink? I will have to go that route then cuz I'm too lazy to build a whole fixture and fasten it in place...

 

how tall are the gromits? 1/2" like you said?

 

if your heatsink is hot enough to melt rubber gromets then you need a larger heatsink or a better fan

[.Newman.]

good then I'll use rubber gromits I'd probably get taller ones than 1/2" tho...

[n0rk]

You'd be amazed how cool the heatsink runs at all times. I've got a fan over it that is pushing around 65cfm which more than handily takes care of the ~27W my light is throwing out at full power (right now because it's only about 5W I don't need the fan and only see about a 10 degree rise over ambient), so the melt is never an issue. Besides, if your heatsink is getting hot enough to melt toughened rubber grommets I can guarantee that spacing below the emitters won't be a problem.. because they themselves will have long since burned out

[n0rk]

Because I've been slack... here's some fun stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scarily enough, those were two nights ago. The Duncan is already sprouting another two heads, one of 'em is half formed. I dunno whether it's the LEDs or the feeding the tank three times a day with a healthy dose of Tropic-Marin Pro Coral Phyton/Zooton (in actuality... maybe about 10x the dose the tank is recommended...), but holy cheez. The corals are looking stupidly happy and for the most part growing pretty bloody well. Call it what you will, I know it's a dinky tank filled with girl corals... but holy carp is it ever fun to sit down and watch late at night when all the critters have come out to play (the tank has a teeming population of various copepods, amphipods and mysids, as well as bristle worms and the like). I saw the Heliofungia catch a copepod with its tentacles, paralyse it, and then proceed to eat it the other night. As simple as it sounds, it was fantastic to watch...

 

The verdict? Picos are hell fun to mess with!

[animalmaster6]

Wow you dose a lot! That's good Imo though.

 

That Duncan grows Fast!!!