(Another) DIY LED Build - Linear Design

[GUILLO1]

50/50 should be fine and remember you can dim either color to what ever setting u like. You can buy c-channel at any hardware store or any metal shop. I got mine f rtom B&B steel

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[herring_fish]

Biggar,
I liked your video.
I am looking at using similar stock in a different design. Could you check around and tell me how that size aluminum is handling the heat? I'm sure that you don't have a special thermometer. Could you just let me know if it is cold, cool, ward, hot, flaming hot or whatever?

[Zagzoo71]

Originally Posted by TheFishMan65

72 inch fluorescent on a 4 foot tank?

That is an awfully deep tank. Probably 48-80 LED will be what you need. Maybe a few more never done a tank that deep. I would mount them high with tight optics to get the light to the bottom of the tank.

The reason (short story short), the 72" 4 x 96w came with all the used equipment I bought a few months ago from a friend. Anyways here is a the pic below of how tall my tank is. Rapid LED said 60-80 leds with 40 degree @ 15" high? I was thinking around 72 leds.

[TheFishMan65]

72 with 40 sounds good to me.

[gilles0181]

So this is my shopping list for setup 2, posted on the previous page (tank will be 70cm x 70cm x 70cm):

Rapid Led (bought 2 extra for each led to have some backup):
- 20x CREE XP-E Royal Blue 3W LED with 80 degree Black Lens
- 8x CREE XP-E Blue 3W LED with 80 degree Black Lens
- 8x CREE XP-G Neutral White 3W LED with 80 degree Black Lens
- 10x CREE XP-G R5 Cool White 3W LED with 80 degree Black Lens
- 12x CREE XR-E Warm White 3W LED with Black Lens

Reefledlights.com:
50x BJB Solderless LED Connector
#4 Self Tapping
50x BJB Optics Holder
4x Mean Well ELN 60-48D
4x 5w 1ohm Resistors
4x Fuse holders w/fuse
1x Solid Core 20g Wire Black (Solderless Kits)

Questions i have are:
- Will the optics from RapidLed fit into the BJB optic connectors, does anybody know that?
- Am i missing something (except dimming stuff and heatsink)?

[Crayonbreaker]

Thank you for posting all of this great information.

[katchupoy]

Originally Posted by Zagzoo71

Just got done reading thru this thread! Got one questions:

How many LEDS would be needed for a 120g tank, 48" long 19"deep and 32" tall?? I am running a 4 x 96 compact florescens now in a 72" fixture. Need to make sure I can grow at the bottom of the tank amenones and maybe corals down the road.

Thanks... great info in this thread!!

I dont know if this have been answered. But here is mine.

48x19 = 912 / 15 = 60 LEDs

Used factor of 15 because you have a very deep tank? So play with 48 or 60 LEDs. Why 48 and 60? Its because both are divisible by 12 which is the number of LEDs 1 driver can handle.

Hope this helps.

[Meshmez]

So I ended up making the array with the spacing shown below in the attachment. Im pretty happy with the results except im getting color separation in the "shimmer shadows" on the sand. Could this be fixed by moving the rails closer together?

[TheFishMan65]

Maybe what is the mounting height and any lenses?

[Meshmez]

when I was testing it, it was at 9" from the water with no optics. somewhere around 9" is where I think I will end up keeping it. I have ~60deg optics that I can put on.

[TheFishMan65]

Optics will probably make it worse. Can you lift it temporarily and see if it gets better. If so then moving the bars in might help.

[gilles0181]

Ok, black friday time...

I have the following schematics set up, especially for 3 or 4 drivers.
Still thinking which might be best for my 24"x24" SPS tank...

Questions:
- What do you think about the color choice / ratio of leds?
- What do you think about the layout of the leds?
- I am thinking of going with 80 degrees optics, but at the edges i am thinking of going with 60 or 40 degrees optics.... How about you?

8x6 layout:


6x6 layout:

[reefgeezer]

Just wanted to post a thank you to those who started or have contributed to this thread. A few weeks back, I modded the 6X 28w T5 portion of my fixture to 24 Cree XP-E RB LEDs. The instructions included in this thread are very complete and easy to follow. The build went well and the tank looks great. I'll definitely mod the 2X 150w MH portion of the fixture as soon as I save a few pennies.

FIY: I had scrap aluminum and salvaged fans from some old computers so the total build cost a hair under $200 including shipping. I ordered everything from Rapid LED. I set the meanwells @ 950 MA and am running about 75% power. I may turn down the meanwells to 750 MA and turn up the pots here pretty soon.

[TheFishMan65]

Gille, I would go with 48.
I also think that I would go all NW. You have CW and WW in the middle and NW at the side. So why not got NW all the way?
I would spread the blue out more. And probably do 4:20 ratio.
I would also lean more toward 32:16 Blue to white split.

NOTE: This is from my reading and what I would do if I did one from scratch. Still trying to find money and time to modify my CW:RB 1:1 XR-E build.

[big cats]

Okay, my turn to ask a question. I recently got a tank set up, and clumsy me broke the light fixture already! Yay me! I am 100% new to salt water, and of course to LED lighting, but i like the idea! I'm going reef with the tank, want to grow all types of corals, and maybe an anemone or two down the road. I have a very odd shaped tank. It looks like this:




D

But the curve is longer, making it look like a stretched capital d


The dimensions are as such:

Length- 19 1/4" from glass to glass

Width (front to back)- 19 1/4" (my filtration is built into the back so -4" is 15 1/4"

Height- 19"

My question is how many LED's would it take to properly light my tank for all corals to grow? And what degree would I use for the lights? The 60? I was looking at the 24 LED kit to try out first. Also, if I were using the same 1" tubing, would I be able to have them touching? Or would that not let enough heat dissipate?

After reading some of this thread, maybe I could get away with just 12 LED's?

[TheFishMan65]

I would do 24 with dimmable drivers, I don't think12 would be enough. Maybe 18.
How high are you mounting the fixture that will determine LENs angle?
I would not use tubing the air can not flow well. Use C or L channel and I would leave an air gap for air flow between them.

[big cats]

Well the general consensus seems to be 9 inches above the water, And I like the look of that. I just don't want to be lighting the glass or losing light outside the tank.

As far as leaving an air gap, would I be able to put some sort of spacer between them? This way they are not free floating and stay in a semi constant position. I plan on putting them together using my old fixture mount, which is just an arm that I can adjust the height with.

At 9" and 60 degrees, would I be lighting the glass? Just wanna maximize light without wasting it ya know?

[TheFishMan65]

Your going to light the glass some unless the top edges don't have any light. The tighter optics will get more light in the tank. If you could mount it 2 stories up with real tight optics the light would be almost parallel to the sides of the tank. Since that is not practical we do what we can.

Sorry, you lost me on the air gap?

[big cats]

Okay, so tighter optics would be better for a smaller tank.

And by the air gap I was talking about between the C channel. You said not to let them touch so I was thinking of putting a spacer in between them so they won't move independently.

[TheFishMan65]

That or a piece of channel at each end is what a lot have done.

[big cats]

Yeah that's what I planned on doing. The XP-G's won't overpower my tank will they? With it being so small and what not?

[TheFishMan65]

Just use two dimmable driver and you can turn them down if needed.

[big cats]

That's true. Would it be cheaper to buy everything separate or as a kit?

[TheFishMan65]

Kits are a little cheaper and Rapid I have heard will change to two dimmable driver for a reasonable difference.

[Meshmez]

Rapid LED has dimmable and non dimmable kits.

"Okay, so tighter optics would be better for a smaller tank." Is not a correct statement.

optics depend on mounting height. If you mount the lights 1" above the tank, tight optics will basically give you laser beams or spotlights into the tank. mount 24" above the water with the same optics and you might be ok.

Im experimenting with 3 4' rows of 12 led's each at ~10" off the water on my 4'x18"x21" tank. so far I have 60deg optics and have experimented with different combinations of 60deg and no optics. so far the best i found was using all 60deg. with no optics i feel i dont get much light into the tank, and the shimmer drives me nuts, there is way too many shadows and it looks like a disco in my tank. with the 60deg it calms the shimmer/shadows to more of a MH look. I have some 80deg optics on order, my guess is my final setup will be 80deg on the center row and 60deg on the sides (front and back) i ASSUME this will give me good coverage and with the slightly tighter optics front and back it will keep more light in the tank than going with 80 deg all around.. But again, this is based on ~10" off the water and my personal preference for the look. I unfortunately do not have a PAR meter.