View Full Version : Making corals POP with LEDs
Decadence
08/11/2012, 05:16 AM
My LEDs have kept me pretty happy but as a 1:1 W+B fixture, there was a lot to be desired. After a while everything just seamed too blue to me if the corals were fluorescing and too bland if the light looked natural. I wanted to get the corals to fluoresce and had a game plan how to do it. I took apart some Chinese 15w Par38 bulbs and rebuilt them to my own specs. Each bulb now has 10x 395 nm UV LEDs with 60 degree optics, 4x royal blue with 120 degree diffused optics and 1x red with 120 degree diffused optics. I just got a DSLR last night and am learning how to use it so I snapped some pictures with the accent lights on. I will take pictures with the regular lights on today as well when they get turned on by the timer.
The shots I got which look the closest to the actual colors:
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/418923_10152027523990595_1738299130_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/292375_10152027525530595_681608717_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/576074_10152027526325595_2052163898_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/484399_10152027527910595_1469262452_n.jpg
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/264847_10152027529600595_613942508_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/551195_10152027533445595_2143044610_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/229115_10152027534040595_462111680_n.jpg
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/523279_10152027534745595_2078464439_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/402012_10152027535695595_88286905_n.jpg
Decadence
08/11/2012, 05:17 AM
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/533214_10152027537110595_1236803936_n.jpg
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/309108_10152027512165595_573271689_n.jpg
The surrounding rocks and sand do not show up this bright pink color looking at it with my eyes but the corals definitely glow that bright and brighter! The best thing is that that "pop" stays there when the lights go on. Turning on the accent lights while the normal lights are on feels like turning on my corals with a light switch.... craziness! :spin1:
I started with two of these:
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/418488_10152013969145595_2087319977_n.jpg
Notice the difference optics in the center, that is because this is an "after" picture. Ignore that part as your lights will not have diffused optics if you order them. The lights were about $20 shipped each off of ebay.
I bought the lights before starting this project so that I could take them apart and figure out their construction. There are four phillips screw holding the front cover to the base. Under the base, there are 20mmx10mm optics just sitting on the LED bulbs:
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/402079_10152013985625595_828061796_n.jpg
Underneath the lenses you will find the LED bulbs themselves:
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/391328_10152013995595595_961349650_n.jpg
Each of these bulbs is a 1w LED as these are 15w bulbs. The bulbs you replace them with should be 1w as well unless you want to replace the power supply which you have access to by removing the three phillips screw on the back. I ordered 10 395nm UV bulbs, four 445nm blue and one 660nm red per bulb.
In order to put in the new bulbs, you first need to desolder the old bulbs:
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/391173_10152014012815595_495859881_n.jpg
I used a modified butane soldering iron because it gets hotter a lot faster and was less likely to burn the board. I stuck a razor blade under the LED and melted the solder to pull each terminal away one at a time.
I chose to install a ring of UV LED bulbs all of the way around the outside with the four blue bulbs and one red bulb in the middle:
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/394578_10152014022165595_1946943197_n.jpg
Installing new LED bulbs on top of older solder required me to bend up the terminals on each bulb. I had to do this to keep the bottom of the bulb on the thermally conductive surface. Apply new thermal paste under each bulb.
I ordered a bunch of 60 degree optics for my LED bulbs and then 120 degree diffused optics for my red and blue bulbs:
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/391459_10152014023635595_1839862840_n.jpg
After you stick your lenses on, place the front cover back on the bulb and test it out:
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/576138_10152014024610595_1734885082_n.jpg
vaporized
08/11/2012, 06:47 AM
Nice shots there! My LEDs have made me very happy as well. I use boosLEDs and they make my coral glow.
mistacheese
08/11/2012, 08:12 AM
Really cool, thanks for sharing.
Cheese
Decadence
08/11/2012, 12:22 PM
My corals have been growing like crazy with the 60w LED fixture but these accent lights that I built have already started a noticeable color shift in most of my SPS. One of my acros (second picture down) went from 100% maroon to maroon with teal tips and the polyps are starting to turn a very frosty blue. This color shift stays even with the accent lights off. The UV spectrum is surely doing something good!
Decadence
08/11/2012, 02:13 PM
Lights are all on... time for some with and withouts for the accent lights with a few of the more dramatic changes.
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/419992_10152029072185595_1285955425_n.jpghttp://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/283973_10152029072345595_716684920_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/181172_10152029072500595_2077792929_n.jpghttp://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/378234_10152029072620595_774983030_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/386953_10152029072830595_1545694989_n.jpghttp://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/217668_10152029072695595_97118020_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/540351_10152029072910595_1730389343_n.jpghttp://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/427549_10152029073040595_2143544971_n.jpg
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/309093_10152029073605595_1138220134_n.jpghttp://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/268649_10152029073165595_1516454942_n.jpg
Decadence
08/11/2012, 02:14 PM
The added color affected more than just my corals. Check out my Copperband butterfly:
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s720x720/582740_10152029074300595_1370865103_n.jpg
And my Yellowfin flasher wrasse is as bright as a McCosker's:
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/208385_10152029073255595_447343844_n.jpg
yellowtail
08/11/2012, 03:44 PM
I like it! Were these sold as "aquarium lights" ?
vaporized
08/11/2012, 06:28 PM
Got to love the copperband. I have an xlarge copperband from Australia and it eats anything I toss in the tank. Next to my flame angle, it is probably one of my favorite fish.
Decadence
08/11/2012, 06:54 PM
I like it! Were these sold as "aquarium lights" ?
These were not sold as aquarium lights; in fact, I ran them for about two weeks as the main lights in my bedroom before I modified them. The base lights are about $20 on ebay.
Decadence
08/11/2012, 06:58 PM
Got to love the copperband. I have an xlarge copperband from Australia and it eats anything I toss in the tank. Next to my flame angle, it is probably one of my favorite fish.
My wallpaper on my computer was a CBB for about five years. I have had him for about four months and he eats like a pig though only live foods. I usually just feed him live black worms and he feeds all day on pods in the live rock.
Noobtosalty
08/11/2012, 07:26 PM
How much total did that cost you? How long does it take to do it?
Decadence
08/11/2012, 08:02 PM
It took me about a half hour to build each light and they cost about $55 total each. The majority of the cost is the UV LED bulbs which were 50% of the cost.
You'll need some DIY ability.
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