GU10 LED Build Thread (Chinese Ebay Lights)

[Ridefour20]

After selling both my bc29s and upgrading to my 125 i forgot about little tanks. Well that didn't last long i recently started a fluval chi pico. So now it is time for a new light so i am going gu10 led. I am trying a few different dealers from Hong Kong I will let you no how the shipping is. Right now I have ordered 7 sockets from 2 different people and 5 bulbs from 4 different dealers.

 

2 Sockets 1.38 pocarisky113 8-10 days

1 blue 3x1 3.68

1 white 3x1 2.28 yanghuaeshop2010 20-22days

5 sockets 2.85

2 white 3x1 5.16

1 blue 3x1 4.28

____________________ +

19.63

 

They where all free shipping. I wonder why no one has made a bulb with blue and white together? I see they now have one with purple and blue I may give one of these a try too.

Edited August 9, 2012 by Ridefour20

[uaiu]

uaiu,

 

Did you receive your lights from the USA seller on ebay?

I did kinda, they accidentally sent MR16 bulbs instead of GU10. They're sending me the GU10 and a prepaid label to ship the MR16 back. I'll give an update when I get the correct bulbs

 

 

After selling both my bc29s and upgrading to my 125 i forgot about little tanks. Well that didn't last long i recently started a fluval chi pico. So now it is time for a new light so i am going gu10 led. I am trying a few different dealers from Hong Kong I will let you no how the shipping is. Right now I have ordered 7 sockets from 2 different people and 5 bulbs from 4 different dealers.

 

2 Sockets 1.38 pocarisky113 8-10 days

1 blue 3x1 3.68

1 white 3x1 2.28

5 sockets 2.85

2 white 3x1 5.16

1 blue 3x1 4.28

____________________ +

19.63

 

They where all free shipping. I wonder why no one has made a bulb with blue and white together? I see they now have one with purple and blue I may give one of these a try too.

Someone around here managed to get B/W mixed, some of the ebay sellers will make them for you if you ask.

Edited August 4, 2012 by uaiu

[limpert]

Putting together my lights and am trying to decide what configuration i want to use for the GU10s. Leaning towards option A. (by the way, the quarter represents another socket, i have more coming in the mail)

 

Option A

 

Option B

Option C

 

Option D - suggestions??

Edited August 5, 2012 by limpert

[uaiu]

I wouldn't go with more than 2 rows, also the more dense you have them the better IMO cause otherwise you'll have to hang it higher to get rid of spotlighting. My arrangement (which is above) is over a 20L and is 14 inches above the tank rim to get the best blend.

 

The correct bulbs will be getting here today. So even though they had to send them twice its still faster then ordering from china. Ill update this with impressions later

[uaiu]

Bulbs got here today and they're great. They seem to run slightly cooler with this heatsink then the more common one, they come in three days, and they're all 3x1W LED's unlike the last batch i got were 3 were 3x1W and the rest were a lot less. I'll be asking them if they'd be willing to stock blue ones too and ill update when I hear from them.

Current listing http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...#ht_1972wt_1271

[TheCoralReef731]

I wouldn't go with more than 2 rows, also the more dense you have them the better IMO cause otherwise you'll have to hang it higher to get rid of spotlighting. My arrangement (which is above) is over a 20L and is 14 inches above the tank rim to get the best blend.

 

The correct bulbs will be getting here today. So even though they had to send them twice its still faster then ordering from china. Ill update this with impressions later

 

Can you post pics of your fixture with the lights off so we can see placement easier? I'm thinking of doing a 20L too. Do you think the number of lights you installed could support SPS?

[uaiu]

I feel it could as its more than reccomended but I've never kept SPS, theres a total of 17 lights 10 in one row, 7 in the other I've labeled whats going to be what when I'm done getting all the bulbs i want. I feel it gives good enough pop without being OMGBLUE but some people may want more blue.

[theajo87]

Thanks to this thread I'm a new nano reef user! I ordered one of these 3x3w leds and like other i found they dont use 9w. but I hooked mines up to my multi and its only reads 300ma current. anyone know of an ebay seller that has 3x3w bulbs that put out more current?

[limpert]

Does anyone use these on their fuge? If so, do you go with warm whites? reds? what color is best for macro growth?

[dlogfx]

I use them in both of my sumps that have fuges. One has CREE GU10 3x3w cool white and the other one has Epistar GU10 3x3w warm white. The warm white does much better job with growing the cheato.

[MeanGreenEyes]

I use them in both of my sumps that have fuges. One has CREE GU10 3x3w cool white and the other one has Epistar GU10 3x3w warm white. The warm white does much better job with growing the cheato.

 

So you are only using one bulb over your sump? And don't the 3x3w run very hot? I thought someone mentioned a while back that the heatsinks were not sufficient on those? I want to put them over my sump as well...

[dlogfx]

So you are only using one bulb over your sump? And don't the 3x3w run very hot? I thought someone mentioned a while back that the heatsinks were not sufficient on those? I want to put them over my sump as well...

I use one GU10 per sump.

Yes I also read that they get warm so when I first got the GU10's I was worried about running them 24/7 so I put them on an opposite cycle as my display lights. I emailed the eBay seller(Smartop LED) and they said that heat is only and issue with some of the other cheap/low quality GU10 9w LED other eBay sellers sell. So after that I started running them 24/7 (for about 6 months now) and haven't had any issue.

 

here are a few picutures

 

CREE Cool White

 

EPISTAR Warm White

Edited August 12, 2012 by dlogfx

[MeanGreenEyes]

I use one GU10 per sump.

Yes I also read that they get warm so when I first got the GU10's I was worried about running them 24/7 so I put them on an opposite cycle as my display lights. I emailed the eBay seller(Smartop LED) and they said that heat is only and issue with some of the other cheap/low quality GU10 9w LED other eBay sellers sell. So after that I started running them 24/7 (for about 6 months now) and haven't had any issue.

 

here are a few picutures

 

CREE Cool White

 

EPISTAR Warm White

 

Hmmm...my only concern there is your chaeto looks yellowish...is it healthy and growing...or just the pic? Not trying to be critical just really curious b/c I run a 6500k cfl 24/7 over my sump right now and my chaeto is dark green...but I don't like the last electric bill that I got so I have to switch the sump light to leds asap. I have extra cool white gu10's to use from the 5.5's that I consolidated into my 40B. Want to make sure that I have the correct color temperature and that they are fully capable of supporting a variety of macros. Looking to plumb in a drilled 20L as a display refugium/home for my yellow mantis.

[TinyGiant]

i cant seem to get rid of my chaeto quick enough i have it under 50/50 blue and white gu10

[dlogfx]

Hmmm...my only concern there is your chaeto looks yellowish...is it healthy and growing...or just the pic? Not trying to be critical just really curious b/c I run a 6500k cfl 24/7 over my sump right now and my chaeto is dark green...but I don't like the last electric bill that I got so I have to switch the sump light to leds asap. I have extra cool white gu10's to use from the 5.5's that I consolidated into my 40B. Want to make sure that I have the correct color temperature and that they are fully capable of supporting a variety of macros. Looking to plumb in a drilled 20L as a display refugium/home for my yellow mantis.

Looks yellowish because of the picture and because my cheato is dirty. I could only speak for cheato growth, gu10 with both color temps seems to be working but the warm has better growth in my sump. I have also tried a 50/50 like Tiny mentioned and had success as well.

[jnad]

Hello!

 

I am setting up an ADA freshwater planted tank. I see this gu10 led bulbs is ideal for reef tanks, but what about a planted freshwater tank?

 

I am going to run it heavily planted with co2 system, hoping for something like this:

http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2011/index0d.html

 

Does someone have any suggestion for gu10 setup for this type of tank? Thinking of color combination, should i use warm white, or cool white with just less blue bulbs, maybe 80% white and 20% blue?

 

Hoping for some suggestions

 

Jnad

[jnad]

Anyone?

 

Hello!

 

I am setting up an ADA freshwater planted tank. I see this gu10 led bulbs is ideal for reef tanks, but what about a planted freshwater tank?

 

I am going to run it heavily planted with co2 system, hoping for something like this:

http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2011/index0d.html

 

Does someone have any suggestion for gu10 setup for this type of tank? Thinking of color combination, should i use warm white, or cool white with just less blue bulbs, maybe 80% white and 20% blue?

 

Hoping for some suggestions

 

Jnad

[Swip]

Seems like luckzdl is finally selling epistar bulbs again.

Edited August 14, 2012 by Swip

[mcarroll]

Hello!

 

I am setting up an ADA freshwater planted tank. I see this gu10 led bulbs is ideal for reef tanks, but what about a planted freshwater tank?

 

Should work very well!

 

Some of the top plant growers back in the day when I was doing that were using everyday cool white fluorescent tubes - the challenge wasn't the color, but how to get enough of them over the tank if you wanted a brightly lit environment. Not going to have that problem with LED's.

 

I would focus on an all cool-white setup at first. 100% cool white bulbs can be had quite inexpensively. Also, generally in freshwater you're replicating a shallow water environment that may even be fully or partially shaded, so blue is not a very prominent color in the light. While the warm white bulbs are also relatively full spectrum and should work, you might not like the color as well - try them if you feel like being experimental.

 

Installing them in rows as you see done here is as good a plan as any to begin with. You might consider ordering bulbs with 60º optics and spacing them twice as far apart as you see here unless you're really trying to replicate a brightly lit environment. (You're going to have lots of algae growth under normal circumstances with this much light. Good if that's what you're after - lots of fish and other critters appreciate it.)

 

-Matt

Edited August 15, 2012 by mcarroll

[Kawi636]

I have a question for the pros.

 

Has any body used any of these bulbs?

 

4x1w gu10?

 

5x1w gu10?

 

or

 

3x2w gu10?

 

If you have, how did they work and what was your opinion/experience with them?

[gonzalez78]

here is finally my lights over my 40b.

[jnad]

Tanks, i will see if i can find some epistar or cree bulbs with 60 angle optics

 

Luzdl have 30 angle optics

 

Jnad

 

Should work very well!

 

Some of the top plant growers back in the day when I was doing that were using everyday cool white fluorescent tubes - the challenge wasn't the color, but how to get enough of them over the tank if you wanted a brightly lit environment. Not going to have that problem with LED's.

 

I would focus on an all cool-white setup at first. 100% cool white bulbs can be had quite inexpensively. Also, generally in freshwater you're replicating a shallow water environment that may even be fully or partially shaded, so blue is not a very prominent color in the light. While the warm white bulbs are also relatively full spectrum and should work, you might not like the color as well - try them if you feel like being experimental.

 

Installing them in rows as you see done here is as good a plan as any to begin with. You might consider ordering bulbs with 60º optics and spacing them twice as far apart as you see here unless you're really trying to replicate a brightly lit environment. (You're going to have lots of algae growth under normal circumstances with this much light. Good if that's what you're after - lots of fish and other critters appreciate it.)

 

-Matt

[BK2Reefin]

I have a standard 75 gal. Its 48" long and deeper than 12" so it will require 2 rows.

 

with the brace splitting the tank have about 21" on each side so heres what I was thinking.

 

 

B W B W B W B W B

B B R B B

B W B W B W B W B

 

I plan to build to lights for each side using this layout.

 

14 royal blue 4x1w

8 cool white dimmable 3x2w

1 red unsure

 

anyone see any problems with this? I don't want to find myself needing more lights for something.

 

Thanks everyone !!

 

plan didnt line up like i wanted the red would be centered wth the 4 blues spaced evenly

Edited August 26, 2012 by BK2Reefin

[mcarroll]

Tanks, i will see if i can find some epistar or cree bulbs with 60 angle optics

 

Luzdl have 30 angle optics

 

Jnad

 

You can request 60º from him (think he's got 30, 45 and 60), but you might find some cool white 60ºs already listed if you look around.

 

-Matt

[mcarroll]

I have a standard 75 gal. Its 48" long and deeper than 12" so it will require 2 rows.

 

with the brace splitting the tank have about 21" on each side so heres what I was thinking.

 

 

B W B W B W B W B

B B R B B

B W B W B W B W B

 

I plan to build to lights for each side using this layout.

 

14 royal blue 4x1w

8 cool white dimmable 3x2w

1 red unsure

 

anyone see any problems with this? I don't want to find myself needing more lights for something.

 

Thanks everyone !!

 

plan didnt line up like i wanted the red would be centered wth the 4 blues spaced evenly

 

1. Definitely read through this thread if you haven't already...you'll save yourself a lot of guessing and rework!

 

2. Your edges will look dark if you don't end each row in a White. You may not mind, but good to know about.

 

3. Bulbs beyond 4w are definitely considered "experimental" by this crowd and are considered to be too hot to last. I generally agree too, but it's worth pointing out that this is well-founded speculation not fact. It's possible you may have no issues with the 6w bulbs. (Did you figure out how to properly dim them, BTW? Dimming performance is typically lousy with CFL/LED.) For the record, I think you'd be fine with standard 3x1w bulbs - 4x1w should be plenty. If you want to get fancy - regardless of watts - get some bulbs that have blue and white mixed in one bulb similar to the mixed 3w bulbs luckydlz2008 has listed.

 

4. If you have anything like drain boxes or pumps that consume any significant space at the surface of your tank, you can consider not using a bulb (or two or three) over those things. Cuts down power usage and coraline growth where you don't want it! (I'd still install sockets for a solid row all the way across.)

 

As far as more specifics, you may find that what works best depends on the layout of your rock and corals - in a tank that deep you have options.

 

For example, my tank is the same height and depth as yours and the way my corals are grown out I have a massive amount of corals at the surface on the left side of the tank and corals growing together all over the bottom of the right half. The standard formula of BWBW[...] with 30º lenses, 12" from the water, 6" between rows was fine for the right half the tank but not great for the left. There is noticeable shading and spotlighting near the surface water.

 

For me, this means I'm ordering some 60º lenses for the left half of the tank - no big deal. YMMV of course, so if I were you I'd still probably start with the standard formula - two rows, BWBWBW[...] - and work from there.

 

The light from these bulbs with 30º lenses is very focused and that makes them heavily dependent on the staggered-next-to-each-other layout to look good. Your red bulb will stick out like a sore thumb without some further consideration. (I'd skip it.)

 

How high do you plan to mount the lights? Can you raise/lower them when needed?