Ok so I think I am going to soon start my transformation from 75% LED/25% T5 bulbs to 50% LED/50% T5 bulbs. With that being said I want to make a few ecoxotic stunner strip "type" strips (1-1.5" x 48" heat sink strips) and wanted to see who out there thought they were of DIY LED understanding to help me get the right stuff. I will not be running any controllers to control the leds or anything wild like that. All I need is help with sizing the drivers and what not. Anyone on here have several experiences doing DIY LEDs?
DIY LED Strips - Who can do them???
- Thread starter CRW Reef
- Start date
Rapid has a DIY Actinic kit. Everything you need. You can even do a 50/50 white to blue ratio in the same kit by letting them know in the notes. It's a fair deal, and am thinking of doing something similar if I get this new frag tank off the ground. You can get it in solder less if you prefer, as well.
I have also heard nothing but good things from them and they are also one of our sponsors so I plan to use their stuff for sure!
I am going to be removing the led panels and adding more T5s and new LED strips. I will be adding prob 3 strips total - 2 strips compose of True UV (400-410 nm) UV and Royal Blue Leds & 1 strip of whites (not sure on make up yet - really only adding them out guilt and uncertainty
). I will do dimmable only for coral acclimation prob, then will want them on full power 99% of time.
I see those and seem cheap. looking at the heat sinks http://www.rapidled.com/drilled-tapped-1-4-x-48-aluminum-heatsink/ and loks liek they hold 24 leds This would mean that each strip would take two kits - thats alot of leds isnt it? I do know i would rather have higher watt leds but not sure about lens..........
Does buying the most expensive led in their options nec mean your buying the best performer? What should I be looking for ?
I am going to be removing the led panels and adding more T5s and new LED strips. I will be adding prob 3 strips total - 2 strips compose of True UV (400-410 nm) UV and Royal Blue Leds & 1 strip of whites (not sure on make up yet - really only adding them out guilt and uncertainty
). I will do dimmable only for coral acclimation prob, then will want them on full power 99% of time. I see those and seem cheap. looking at the heat sinks http://www.rapidled.com/drilled-tapped-1-4-x-48-aluminum-heatsink/ and loks liek they hold 24 leds This would mean that each strip would take two kits - thats alot of leds isnt it
? I do know i would rather have higher watt leds but not sure about lens..........Does buying the most expensive led in their options nec mean your buying the best performer? What should I be looking for ?
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CRW Reef;326615 said:
I am going to be removing the led panels and adding more T5s and new LED strips. I will be adding prob 3 strips total - 2 strips compose of True UV (400-410 nm) UV and Royal Blue Leds & 1 strip of whites (not sure on make up yet - really only adding them out guilt and uncertainty ). I will do dimmable only for coral acclimation prob, then will want them on full power 99% of time.
I see those and seem cheap. looking at the heat sinks http://www.rapidled.com/drilled-tapped-1-4-x-48-aluminum-heatsink/ and loks liek they hold 24 leds This would mean that each strip would take two kits - thats alot of leds isnt it? I do know i would rather have higher watt leds but not sure about lens..........
Does buying the most expensive led in their options nec mean your buying the best performer? What should I be looking for ?
). I will do dimmable only for coral acclimation prob, then will want them on full power 99% of time. I see those and seem cheap. looking at the heat sinks http://www.rapidled.com/drilled-tapped-1-4-x-48-aluminum-heatsink/ and loks liek they hold 24 leds This would mean that each strip would take two kits - thats alot of leds isnt it
? I do know i would rather have higher watt leds but not sure about lens..........Does buying the most expensive led in their options nec mean your buying the best performer? What should I be looking for ?
That's a ton of light when your talking 3w LED's. If we're talking about your 75, you probably wouldn't want to use lenses, there is not enough room in your canopy. I took the lenses off of my led's, and lowered the fixture to about 6" off the water on my 90gal. Think of lenses as sharks with laser beams in their freakin' heads, they don't spread, and are designed to penetrate deeper. I did originally try to run lenses (I got 90 deg lenses thinking I needed them, maybe should have gotten 60 deg), and had my fixtures raised to about 24" above the water. Had tons of shadows, the tank actually seemed dim because the light stopped at the first thing it would hit. My tank is set up with a lot of vertical wall, so that didn't work very well.
I would definitely get dimmable, you can really dial in your colors that way, and I only run mine at average about 75%, and only run the whites at 80% for about 3 hrs a day, the rest of the time whites are down around 60% and ramping down. One other thing to consider is that violets (mine are actually violet, not true violet, so they may behave different) have kind of a funky color, and serious output that doesn't read well with par meters, they can be intense.... you don't need as many as you might think.
Here is the link to the complete kit.... http://www.rapidled.com/24-solderless-led-dimmable-actinic-supplement-kit/ Like I said before, rapid will let you mix n match colors, or at least they used to, might need to call.
Bwah ha ha more power!!!! Now the power doesnt nec increase par right or does it?
Dane did you see my sunbursts (yes in my sump) when you were over last? They live under 420 & 450 nm only 80% of the time (again whites only out of guilt). They are thriving under like 90w +\-. Im thinking high watt and low nm color for DT and then let T5s supply the other spectrums
Dane did you see my sunbursts (yes in my sump
) when you were over last? They live under 420 & 450 nm only 80% of the time (again whites only out of guilt). They are thriving under like 90w +\-. Im thinking high watt and low nm color for DT and then let T5s supply the other spectrumsI remember those beautiful sunburst!! Honestly I say give it as much power as you can get away with. If its dimmable, you can always dial it back. As far as quality of light, Cree's, Philips, are both top shelf, and worth the money for efficiency and quality. I ran all Cree's except for my violet, but you can mix and match if one line doesn't have the color that another might. Just try to match power requirements as closely as you can on the same string of lights, or you may sacrifice efficiency.
"DIY LED Strips - Who can do them?"
You.
The rest of "us" can offer whatever knowledge "we" have. Going with the Rapid LED Kit as suggested will take a lot of the headache out of your first DIY, and will support a sponsor. I recommend dimmable, and no lenses. That will give you the ability to turn it down if needed (passive cooling issues/not frying corals), and a better mix of light (unless you are going to install a disco ball in the tank, hand the fish glow sticks, and crank up the electronic dance music). :dance:
When you are ready for more - "we" can get you going on a custom multi - channel set up and you can tweak it to whatever look you like, etc. :nerd: :madgrin:
Pics when done, please!
hoto:
Late,
GC
You.
The rest of "us" can offer whatever knowledge "we" have. Going with the Rapid LED Kit as suggested will take a lot of the headache out of your first DIY, and will support a sponsor. I recommend dimmable, and no lenses. That will give you the ability to turn it down if needed (passive cooling issues/not frying corals), and a better mix of light (unless you are going to install a disco ball in the tank, hand the fish glow sticks, and crank up the electronic dance music). :dance:
When you are ready for more - "we" can get you going on a custom multi - channel set up and you can tweak it to whatever look you like, etc. :nerd: :madgrin:
Pics when done, please!
hoto:Late,
GC
Just a note: Rapid LED's royal blues and whites are 5 watts and not 3 watts.
As for UV LED's in with the strips, you would have to run the lines at a lower current so you don't burn out the UV LED's.
Rapid LED's "UV" led are actually just violet not UV. below 400 nm is true UV.
Royal Blue (XT-E) and Whites(XT-E) can run at 1.5A while UV's can only run at 700mA. you can run the Blues lower but they will be no where as bright.
If you go with 2x of the 4ft strips without lenses that would cover a 6ft tank assuming you are using a mesh/glass top and not egg crate and can mount them about 6-10 inches up. otherwise I would do 4x 3ft kits
As for UV LED's in with the strips, you would have to run the lines at a lower current so you don't burn out the UV LED's.
Rapid LED's "UV" led are actually just violet not UV. below 400 nm is true UV.
Royal Blue (XT-E) and Whites(XT-E) can run at 1.5A while UV's can only run at 700mA. you can run the Blues lower but they will be no where as bright.
If you go with 2x of the 4ft strips without lenses that would cover a 6ft tank assuming you are using a mesh/glass top and not egg crate and can mount them about 6-10 inches up. otherwise I would do 4x 3ft kits