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04/16/2009, 09:38 AM | #826 | |
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And let me just say that even if no one bothers to answer my questions, I appreciate all the effort the various folks experimenting with this are putting in to documenting their results on this forum. That'll make it trivial for us late-adopters to build a functional system. |
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04/16/2009, 10:15 AM | #827 | ||
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Yes I hear voices in my head, but they speak spanish so I can't understand anything they say. there's no place like 127.0.0.1 It's a shame that stupidity isn't painful.... Current Tank Info: currently tankless....but planning an AIO |
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04/16/2009, 11:09 AM | #828 | |
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I look forward to seeing what you decide for that tank. Please be sure to keep us updated! I considered going all LEDs on my 220, but just realized the amount of work to wire up that many LEDs and pucks over a large area with a 30" deep tank would be alot of commitment, in addition to $$$. So for now I went with T5s and LEDs for shimmer and supplementation (my LEDs are the real actinics, since I am not happy with any T5 actinics). So for me this is a little foray into the LEDs. If I like what I see, I will consider going all LED in the future. But part of me is also waiting for super-high-wattage LEDs to become more available so that less LEDs are required. And I don't want to use narrow optics either, I want diffused lighting coming in at angles as well as downward rays. How you want the light to enter the tank changes things. Narrow optics means downward rays and better % of light entering the tank, so less total light is required... but also requires LEDs spaced at small but regular intervals. Going for diffused lighting means you need MORE light, but dont have to be as evenly spaced (aka what Soundwave did). So its hard to come up with a formula for how many LEDs, as theres just so many options. Tonight I finish installing the last of my T5 ballasts, and then hopefully this weekend I finish mounting the rest of the LEDs (gotta cut more heatsinks up, got 3 more pucks to wire and thats it).
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- Ryan B "that is enough skimmate to ruin lives." - GSMguy Current Tank Info: 220g Display, 70g sump, 35g frag, 50g fuge, 2x250w MH, 1x400w MH, 2x80w T5, 2x140w VHO Actinic |
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04/16/2009, 11:41 AM | #829 |
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I've decided to add a nano reef into my system just to try an LED lighting setup.
I figure, I put them on my motorcycle and loved them, I put them in my 75 vette and love it, I might as well put them on my fishtank too. |
04/16/2009, 12:30 PM | #830 |
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i am really looking to change my lighting in my tank
this thread is really interesting. i am in the middle of tearing down and redoing my tank (72lx30wx24h) 225 gallon trying to go as low watts as i can using Hydor Koralia Water Circulation Pumps. and looking into led lights what about these led lights? http://www.reefbuilders.com/2009/04/...eds/#more-6339 would these be enough to light a tank my size? thanks for any input |
04/16/2009, 12:40 PM | #831 |
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I did a quick search and found some PAR tests done on those powerbrites:
http://www.exotic-aquarium.com/testresults.html didnt have time to look at the details but on first glance the numbers are impressive. prices here, http://www.exotic-aquarium.com/sub/ledprice.jpg not sure where to buy em
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- Ryan B "that is enough skimmate to ruin lives." - GSMguy Current Tank Info: 220g Display, 70g sump, 35g frag, 50g fuge, 2x250w MH, 1x400w MH, 2x80w T5, 2x140w VHO Actinic |
04/16/2009, 12:51 PM | #832 |
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ive been to the shop that sells them. hes changing over his halides to led
they look pretty good but i like to over research stuff before i buy i dont think i could build them like you guys ( so i thought i would ask the some of you guys that are building them ) just wondering if they could light up a large tank |
04/16/2009, 02:11 PM | #833 | |
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-Frank Save 'Wild' Nemo and his Nem.! Would you transplant a Redwood b/c it looks good with birds in the backyard??? Buy CB fish and Captive-Cloned nems. Current Tank Info: 175gal. 3-tier Reef, 400W/250W Radiums, LED/CFL Par38 Mangrove Lagoon 12g Aquapod GBTA 'sterile' tank w/ DIY LED Lighting |
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04/16/2009, 03:02 PM | #834 | |
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http://maps.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTEx...493816&zoom=13 Starting on AIRPORT BLVD Take ramp onto I-5 S toward SACRAMENTO/YUBA CITY - go 9.7 mi Take the SAN FRANCISCO/FRESNO exit onto US-50 E toward FRESNO (CA-99) - go 2.5 mi Take the RENO/FRESNO exit onto CA-99 S toward FRESNO - go 3.6 mi Take the 47TH AVE WEST exit onto 47TH AVE - go 0.4 mi Turn Left on MARTIN L KING BLVD - go 0.3 mi Turn Left on FRANKLIN BLVD - go 0.1 mi
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- Craig Current Tank Info: 125G Clarkii Clowns, Flame Angel, Copper Band, Anthias, Six line, Scotter, Sandsifter, Springeri, Scribbled, Tomini |
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04/16/2009, 03:12 PM | #835 |
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Thanks Craig! That's awesome that I don't have to venture only ~0.4mi from my route to Stk.
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-Frank Save 'Wild' Nemo and his Nem.! Would you transplant a Redwood b/c it looks good with birds in the backyard??? Buy CB fish and Captive-Cloned nems. Current Tank Info: 175gal. 3-tier Reef, 400W/250W Radiums, LED/CFL Par38 Mangrove Lagoon 12g Aquapod GBTA 'sterile' tank w/ DIY LED Lighting |
04/16/2009, 04:51 PM | #836 | |||||||
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The manufacturers do accelerated studies and provide numbers for lifetime. If you run them at a lower temperature the lifetime climbs dramatically. Quote:
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The easiest method now days is to just use a temp gun. Get it right down to the lead and read the maximum detected temperature. Consider the lead to be that temperature. See how that relates to the data sheet. This will tell you if you're design is adequate or not. Quote:
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Luckily DYIers can go beyond that. |
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04/16/2009, 06:39 PM | #837 |
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Thank you kcress for laying a good foundation here on what exactly LEDs are, and how they work. That was a very good read.
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04/16/2009, 07:09 PM | #838 |
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I'll chime in that I did some limited testing with my heatsinks. Each had 24 of the Q5 LEDs. The heatsinks were 5.25" X 10". The heatsinks got to about 104 F without a fan, and ran at about 75F with the fan running.
Because of this, I initially mounted the heatsinks in my hood without the fans. But then I found the temp went up to about 120F before I switched it off and decided to wire in the fans. Now everything is kept at around 78F in the hood. I think the heatsinks are probably overkill from a technical standpoint, but based on kcress' wisdom, it's certainly better to err on the side of caution with a DIY build. The cooler we can keep things, the longer it will last. |
04/16/2009, 08:42 PM | #839 | |
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Quote:
+1, some very interesting perspective in there.
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- Ryan B "that is enough skimmate to ruin lives." - GSMguy Current Tank Info: 220g Display, 70g sump, 35g frag, 50g fuge, 2x250w MH, 1x400w MH, 2x80w T5, 2x140w VHO Actinic |
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04/17/2009, 12:00 AM | #840 |
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Thanks folks! Always nice to be able to pass knowledge to folks seriously interested about something.
Yossarian99; Welcome to RC! Thanks for that small but very demonstrative bit of info. It's a typically expected result that shows how having contingencies like optional fans can work to make projects more successful. Fans could mean you can run your LEDs harder and still have good lifetimes. Yossarian99, how did you measure your heatsink temps? |
04/17/2009, 09:15 AM | #841 |
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I just used a small instant-read cooking thermometer I attached to the heatsink with the aid of some heatsink compound and tape. Probably not the most reliable method, but the numbers still gave a good idea.
I'm now using an electronic temperature probe just measuring the air temperature in the top part of the hood. It'e probably not very reliable in this configuration, but the lead right now is too short to bring it right to the heatsink. |
04/17/2009, 09:42 AM | #842 |
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soundwave, the buckpuck could handle 2 of 6 string of LED, but from your part list, look like you wired 1 for each 6 string. Is there a reason? Thanks.
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04/17/2009, 10:45 AM | #843 |
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I was informed that 6 was the recommended max for each puck. Where did you see that they can do two strings? If that is possible, I may add more LEDs to my setup.
Because of the new lighting, I've found myself acquiring more and more sps to test the coloration and growth. So far, so good. |
04/17/2009, 10:45 AM | #844 |
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What's the Vf of your LEDs again? Each puck has 32v output, and its recommended to leave 2v buffer, meaning 30 is really the most Vf you want.... I thought you were using just under 24 volts per buck???
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- Ryan B "that is enough skimmate to ruin lives." - GSMguy Current Tank Info: 220g Display, 70g sump, 35g frag, 50g fuge, 2x250w MH, 1x400w MH, 2x80w T5, 2x140w VHO Actinic |
04/17/2009, 11:26 AM | #845 | |
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(hopefully by then, XR-E's are cheaper!) |
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04/17/2009, 11:46 AM | #846 |
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uuuugh, now i keep looking at my biocube 8 thinking "i can get a spare hood from nanotuners.com for $60. i have several old laptop power supplies laying around, i wonder how many LEDs i'll need....."
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Yes I hear voices in my head, but they speak spanish so I can't understand anything they say. there's no place like 127.0.0.1 It's a shame that stupidity isn't painful.... Current Tank Info: currently tankless....but planning an AIO |
04/17/2009, 11:51 AM | #847 |
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I was asked about the driver that I used. I used it for the simplicity of just plugging it in without another power source like a PC power supply. This was great to simplify the 6 LED strand that I used. However, that would pose huge problems in a large array, as you can only drive 6 LEDs with the Xitanium driver, and you would need a new power cord for every driver. Therefore you'd need several power strips just to plug the light into.
So in conclusion, the buckpucks could all be wired to the power source you choose so long as the voltage and current requirements are met. Thus soundwave's construct is more conducive to any lighting scheme not intended for a nano requiring only 6 LEDs. Cheers Aaron
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"If there's nothing wrong with me... then there must be something wrong with the universe!" Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano with ATS |
04/17/2009, 12:54 PM | #848 |
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Dogstar,
You could probably wire the inputs of all the line drivers into a single power cord (using a terminal strip, or a suitable wire connector). The only limitation is not to exceed the rated current draw on the suppling power cord/circuit. Still, I find the line drivers to be much more expensive, so in a larger project (like mine - 48 LEDs), I chose a DC power supply and DC voltage drivers (buckpucks). |
04/17/2009, 02:54 PM | #849 | |
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Just to give you guys some feedback on the last week.
After further discussion, I was able to get LEDsupply to provide me my missing parts. I'm happy and ready to start on my project, though it shouldn't have taken this long. I was furious at them at first, but they came through the second time around. So now, I'm happier customer :-) Can't wait to get started! I just have to make sure all of LEDs work now. hehe. Btw, do you guys use any shield to block the leds from water splashes and salt creep? Quote:
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04/17/2009, 03:13 PM | #850 |
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Fernando,
Glad to hear you got that mess sorted out. It's good when a business recognizes the value of keeping a customer happy On my build, I haven't yet installed a splash shield, but I'm hoping to get some acrylic over the weekend to serve this purpose. It's going to mean I have to cut ventilation holes for the fan intakes now, but that's not a big deal. I don't think I mentioned in my previous posts, but I just slapped the stuff into an old All-Glass canopy ('All-Glass' is the brand name, not the construction - it's just plastic). In any case, even without splashes, exposure to the salt air can rapidly corrode some components, so protection is very important. |
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