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03/01/2009, 12:01 AM | #26 |
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OMG!!!
I love this. I think I might try one on my Nano. Very thought out and concise write up. Thanks. |
03/01/2009, 12:03 AM | #27 |
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Do you think instead of 2 inches between each led you could go to 3" and get more coverage??
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If you don't take some meds, you're going to burn out of this hobby everytime a shrimp farts. Current Tank Info: 210 aggresive, 3 gallon led build |
03/01/2009, 12:04 AM | #28 |
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how long has it been running on your tank.. and seen better growth/same or seems slower?
The pics look great.. just wondering about growth |
03/01/2009, 12:11 AM | #29 |
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Curve: if these were spaced any further, they might create the dreaded spotlight effect on their own. I didn't want noticeable color separation.
hijinks: It's been a whole 3 days. Hard to tell what is going to happen. Hopefully, though, It'll be good. |
03/01/2009, 12:12 AM | #30 |
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great.. i'll keep my eyes out for posts on what you think
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03/01/2009, 12:33 AM | #31 |
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I guess the spacing would depend on how high you were mounting it above the surface. I will be trying this soon enough.
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If you don't take some meds, you're going to burn out of this hobby everytime a shrimp farts. Current Tank Info: 210 aggresive, 3 gallon led build |
03/01/2009, 01:26 AM | #32 |
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the set up you created is comparable to 150 watt MH, 250 watt mh, or 400 watt mh? what are optics?
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03/01/2009, 01:38 AM | #33 |
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It's kinda in the middle, mike. The output is better than a 175 MH but not as high as a 250. Optics are lenses that focus the light from the LEDs.
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03/01/2009, 02:02 AM | #34 |
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Soundwave, You definately rock. I just hope these lights can grow the corals as well as the MH's have for so many years.
I was wondering if you could clarify for me... The link you posted to the Cree white LEDs on stars, would that be the XR-E stars? http://www.ledsupply.com/creexre.php And if those are the ones you used, why not go with the MC-E stars? Cost difference aside. They are three times the lumens. There fore, could you not get away with using less? And since the blues in the spectrum are mainly to give POP and wow to the colors in the tank, and have little to do with the growth of corals, you could still use the royals XR-Es like you did. Perhaps the MC-E LEDs would be better for someone with a deeper tank. Say, 24 to 30 inches? Again, this is a great writeup, and I know that ripples will be felt in the aquarium world not seen since the days of the DIY Luminarc reflector plans hit the net. 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 |
03/01/2009, 03:27 AM | #35 |
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I copied this from another forum - comparison between the XRE and the MCE:
the MC-E on the other hand is FOUR of these led in a single package. pos: more brightness but almost no size increase (of head) neg: 1st: four times the current needed 2nd: four times the heat produced 3rd: much wider beam and pretty nothing to fight that 4th: other driver needed, next to impossible to drive it with full power from a single cell
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03/01/2009, 06:31 AM | #36 |
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if someone can figure out how to program dimer settings for sun set and sun rise im definitely going to give this a try.
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-~adrian~- LETS TRADE YUMAS Current Tank Info: Glass box. |
03/01/2009, 07:23 AM | #37 |
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dogstar: The MCE is a little complicated and driving it would be a nightmare all its own. The ones I am using are the XR-E models. I can't believe I forgot to add that in there.
madadi: I have an acquaintance who is working on that... |
03/01/2009, 07:26 AM | #38 |
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One side note, also. The blues are on their own power supply which allows you to run them as actinics:
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03/01/2009, 07:45 AM | #39 |
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You make my mouth watering!
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Sent from my TF 300 or my SGH-T989D both on Jelly Bean. |
03/01/2009, 08:10 AM | #40 |
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Isn't there a way to wire this up in both series and parallel? Right now, if you have one of those LEDs burn out, won't that make the whole string go out?
Of course that would sure bring your attention to it faster I imagine if only one LED goes out, it might not be very noticeable to the eye (though your corals might notice). |
03/01/2009, 08:11 AM | #41 |
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what about expansion? say 72'L or 96'L and 24"w or 30"w is it safe to add more LEDS? How do you compute the addition or subtraction?
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03/01/2009, 08:15 AM | #42 | |
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Quote:
They have a very active forum, especially in the LED lighting arena. |
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03/01/2009, 08:22 AM | #43 |
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This is great.
I have (cough) several of the PFO Solaris units that will now no longer be serviced by PFO. I'm wondering if I could basically rebuild them using the nice looking case. I recently had someone put a PAR meter on one of my units and I wasn't pulling the kind of PAR shown in this thread.
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Views expressed by this person are not neccessarily the views of any other person and may never be. Apology extended to any member who takes offense to any post. Offense is not meant nor intended. Current Tank Info: NONE - Sold - Can't afford it right now! |
03/01/2009, 09:25 AM | #44 |
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So if I have understood right ( and please correct me if I'm wrong I'm still learning LED stuff) If I use lenses the pPAR goes up but I lose some coverage, so for a tank that will be 30x30x30 I would need to use more rows oF LED's to get the even coverage as shown without, but I would get the PAR numbers up to around a 400w halide that would be needed for such a deep tank?
(sorry for the long question) |
03/01/2009, 09:30 AM | #45 |
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Gret Writeup..
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03/01/2009, 09:42 AM | #46 |
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Great write-up, The best one I have seen on this subject to date!
A follow up question to Dtech, when using optics would I want to mount the LED's closer together (>2") since I am now focusing the beam? Also I do not believe in your DIY it says you spaced out your LED's 2" but someone commented on it, therefore can I clarify it is in fact 2" and if so is that a measurement from Actual LED to LED or the space between each edge of star mount? ( I assume it is LED to LED) Cheers and thanks again for a great step by step DIY on LED's |
03/01/2009, 10:10 AM | #47 |
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great write up man i love it.
I would love to do something like this for my nano and was wondering if you could tell me if this light would work, dont mean to hijack your thread. http://cgi.ebay.com/WHITE-BLUE-LED-A...742.m153.l1262
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03/01/2009, 10:23 AM | #48 | |
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Quote:
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03/01/2009, 12:20 PM | #49 | |
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He told us this in another thread. I'm sorry and I should of said that.
Quote:
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If you don't take some meds, you're going to burn out of this hobby everytime a shrimp farts. Current Tank Info: 210 aggresive, 3 gallon led build |
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03/01/2009, 02:37 PM | #50 | |
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Quote:
Soundwave I was hoping to hear your response to my questions
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