Thoughts on this DIY LED setup

[tinctorus]

Hey guy's and gal's I am setting up a Mr Aqua 7.5 gallon cube for my wife to have as her own personal reef tank, the tank will be setup on her desk at home so that she has something to look at while she is studying and taking her college classes to become a radiologist.

 

The tank is going to have Maxi mini's, Zoa's, mushroom's duncan's, acans and a few other LPS and softies...The tank is also going to house 6-8 Sexy shrimp and maybe a pair of gobies or clownfish, I am thinking some of the ORA blue neon gobies, or maybe a pair of yasha gobies with a pistol shrimp

 

This is what I have planned for lighting, please let me know what you think

 

Oh ok, this is what I am going to order then

1) 1x Makersled 6x6 designer heat sink kit W/heat sink housing

acrylic splash guard

two plastic end caps

four upper t-slot plugs

92mm fan 12V [one per 12”]*

92mm fan cover[one per 12”]

stainless steel assembly hardware [on exposed parts - used to mount plastics]

4-40 screws and nuts, enough for 25 LED’s [per 12”]*

nylon washers, enough for 25 LED’s [per 12”]*

 

2) 6x Cree XT-E 3up "2 Royal blue and 1 Neutral White"

3) 6X True Violet Led 390-430 Nm W/ 60 deg optics

4) 2X Invetronics 40W 700 Ma drivers

5) 6x 3up 40 deg optics

6) Makersled dimming bar W/ 2 pot's and black finish knobs mounted on a laser engraved bar

7) 12V 500Ma power supply for fan

8) Arctic Alumina thermal adhesive 5G

 

Here is the links incase you need them

Heatsink kit

 

Cree 3up's

 

True violet 390-430 NM led's

 

Invetronics driver

 

3up 40 Deg optics

 

Makersled dimming bar

 

Fan power supply

 

Arctic Alumina thermal adhesive 5G

[uglybuckling]

3) 6X True Violet Led 390-430 Nm W/ 60 deg optics

4) 2X Invetronics 40W 700 Ma Constant current drivers

6) Makersled dimming bar W/ 2 pot's and black finish knobs mounted on a laser engraved bar

 

The TVs should be run at 500mA for longer life. The equipment you linked will let you do that; those drivers are dimmable though...and technically, I think, therefore not "constant current."

You may need a 10v DC psu for your dimmer if the makers kit doesn't come with one.

--Ugly

[tinctorus]

The TVs should be run at 500mA for longer life. The equipment you linked will let you do that; those drivers are dimmable though...and technically, I think, therefore not "constant current."

You may need a 10v DC psu for your dimmer if the makers kit doesn't come with one.

--Ugly

Sorry I dont know why I put constant current when you are infact correct in that they would NOT be CC since they are dimmable LOL

 

I know that this setup will work perfectly together as far as those drivers and dimmers are concerened because I just basically copied an exact setup of something recently posted on reef builders, he had the same setup that I am going to be using, only difference is he had 1 more led, he used a "ocean coral white" 3up led on it's own 40W 700ma driver

I just dont see the need to spend all that extra money for a 3rd driver just to run 1 extra/different led you know

This is what he is running

Ocean Coral White LED

 

Here is the spectral graph for those interested in that particular 3up led

 

Also here is the article from reef builders that I got the idea for this setup from

Reef builders led design idea

 

This is the dimmer bar I will be using

[jedimasterben]

Don't get any optics unless you're hanging it really high.

[tinctorus]

Don't get any optics unless you're hanging it really high.

Really no optics?

Hmm ok thats the 1st time ive heard NOT to use optics, The fixture will be NO higher than 8-12 inches from the tank, It will be mounted on a piece bent conduit piping that will be mounted to the desktop directly behind the tank

 

I am debating on drilling the tank and using just a 90deg elbow as a drain and drilling another hole for the return, I would be using a 5 gallon tank as the sump, However I most likely would NOT be using a skimmer since I really dont think that any of the really small skimmers work worth a ####, I dont think they make a super small one that uses a pump and most that use an airstone are garbage

[jedimasterben]

Really no optics?

Hmm ok thats the 1st time ive heard NOT to use optics, The fixture will be NO higher than 8-12 inches from the tank, It will be mounted on a piece bent conduit piping that will be mounted to the desktop directly behind the tank

 

I am debating on drilling the tank and using just a 90deg elbow as a drain and drilling another hole for the return, I would be using a 5 gallon tank as the sump, However I most likely would NOT be using a skimmer since I really dont think that any of the really small skimmers work worth a ####, I dont think they make a super small one that uses a pump and most that use an airstone are garbage

Check this out:

 

No optics, 14" over the water's surface, and another 12" above the sandbed, and I've got a crocea clam growing on the sandbed. Open my thread for an idea of what the LEDs are.

 

If you use optics, there is no hope for any coral you put in the system, you will bleach every bit of it.

[uglybuckling]

I am debating on drilling the tank and using just a 90deg elbow as a drain and drilling another hole for the return, I would be using a 5 gallon tank as the sump, However I most likely would NOT be using a skimmer since I really dont think that any of the really small skimmers work worth a ####, I dont think they make a super small one that uses a pump and most that use an airstone are garbage

 

 

I'm no skimmer lover by any means (I've propogated Acropora in a system without one) but this one...

 

http://www.marinedepot.com/Hydor_Koralia_N...IPSISNW-vi.html

 

has a three inch square footprint, uses a pump, and works pretty well, at least per most reviews I've read.

[jedimasterben]

I'm no skimmer lover by any means (I've propogated Acropora in a system without one) but this one...

 

http://www.marinedepot.com/Hydor_Koralia_N...IPSISNW-vi.html

 

has a three inch square footprint, uses a pump, and works pretty well, at least per most reviews I've read.

They work great as long as the water level stays constant.

[tinctorus]

Check this out:

 

No optics, 14" over the water's surface, and another 12" above the sandbed, and I've got a crocea clam growing on the sandbed. Open my thread for an idea of what the LEDs are.

 

If you use optics, there is no hope for any coral you put in the system, you will bleach every bit of it.

I would have them dimmed down pretty low, Reason being I have a company that I think can build me what I need which would basically be a "12 up" star that I can mount the TIR optic to

 

With the lights 10-12 inches over the tank and dimmed down to an appropriate level I think ill be ok

 

I'm no skimmer lover by any means (I've propogated Acropora in a system without one) but this one...

 

http://www.marinedepot.com/Hydor_Koralia_N...IPSISNW-vi.html

 

has a three inch square footprint, uses a pump, and works pretty well, at least per most reviews I've read.

Hmmm that may actually work, I measured and a 5 gallon sump will work perfectly in the space I have

[jedimasterben]

I would have them dimmed down pretty low, Reason being I have a company that I think can build me what I need which would basically be a "12 up" star that I can mount the TIR optic to

 

With the lights 10-12 inches over the tank and dimmed down to an appropriate level I think ill be ok

All I can say is good luck trying use that lens. If you can, indeed, get them to make you a 12-up star, your cost will be far, far, far higher than it would be if you went with even 3up LEDs, and more of them.

 

 

Whatever you decide, I would not overpower the array. There is zero point in using more LEDs and having to dim farther and farther down. LEDs have a very good spread (a 120-140 degree cone under the diode) as it is, and you don't need many clusters to achieve awesome coverage over any tank.