LED project FINISHED

[txg8gxp]

This is going to be my BC14 upgrade. I am useing a 8.5"x5"x1" heatsink with 6-blue cree xr-e's and 6-white cree xr-e Q5 led's. For the drivers I will be useing the 2 buckpucks from ledsupply.com. More as soon as I get some more parts.

[Jarob]

Love this project, was considering the very same thing, cant wait to see the results!! Nice work so far!

[Big_Pun]

sweet i want to do one for my pico, keep the pics and info coming

[ErikH]

Cool stuff. I am going to move this post to our DIY section. :)

[corruption]

Lookin' good! Is this more or less based off the rough part list I had posted before (as in -- was that a HeatSinkUSA heat sink, and which size? :D ) Will be watching this one for sure -- I think I'm gonna order my LED parts soon as well... my biocube is itching for something fancier :D

-Justin

[hobogato]

looks great, looking forward to following your progress.

[roscozman]

I am interested to see how this comes out. Quick question - Is that piece stainless steel?

[txg8gxp]

The Heatsink is from heatsinkusa.com, and it is 8.5"x5"x1" (aluminum). This is going to be very similiar to most other bc14 build out there. There is only so many ways to make this mod still easily fit in the stock hood without tons of cutting. Thanks for the comments and interest. I should be able to get all the wiring on the emiter board done today, so more pics to come tonight. Stephen.

[txg8gxp]

The HS is aluminun not stainless, but it will fit behind the stock clear plastic splash guard. So al. oxidation should not be an issue.


I am interested to see how this comes out. Quick question - Is that piece stainless steel?

[joelb]

good job, i hope to see some pictures of how the coral react to it. good luck

[txg8gxp]

Thanks for the comments everyone. Well, no new pics for tonight(way to busy at work for me to get it all wired up). I am really excited to see the coral growth with led's.

[saabtech]

i think that is a cool project. looks very clean. keep up the good work and keep postin' pics!
i will be following your LEaD very soon and starting a build thread myself.

[txg8gxp]

Sweet..let the led madness begin

[corruption]

You've got me itchin' to catch up now :D Once this stint of on-call is done (Merry Christmas, new guy! :bigsmile:) I think I'm gonna get started on mine -- may order parts tonight even..

Are you going with the potentiometer ready/equipped buckpucks, or just the standard constant output?

-Justin

[txg8gxp]

I will be useing the wired w/pot buckpucks. Mainly to make this first build nice and simple.

[saabtech]

i ordered the ones with pots installed. (but im just time straped. it would be cheaper to get seperate pots and install them yourself)

[txg8gxp]

This is what im going to use
http://ledsupply.com/03023-d-e-1000p.php

[corruption]

Indeed -- my thoughts exactly on the pre-installed pots... just easier for the first build, esp. since its proof of concept. If all goes to plan, it would probably be a different story on the next build(s) :)

Edit: those are the same buckpucks I'm planning on -- why go for a lesser amperage when they're all the same cost? :)

-Justin

[txg8gxp]

Might aswell get the higher amp one..That is what the dimmer pot is for. My next larger build will probally use the maxwell p series drivers.

[ShrimpFan]

Very interesting project...:) Now you got me researching LED parts to see if I can find a supplier of a 10000K LED as it looks like all the ones at most of the suppliers I've found so far are 6500K or lower.

[corruption]

Shrimpfan: dont let kelvin ratings fool you -- the cree cool whites are a VERY white light... The spectrum is much closer, to the eye, to a 10-14k halide.. Multiple reasons for this, mostly the fact that they're universally supplemented with the royal blues, and we will be driving them MUCH lower on output than max. The cree cool whites and royal blues are absolutely what you want :)

-Justin

[ShrimpFan]

So if I understand you correctly, you're saying that I could build an LED array using the CREEs that can effectively replace a MH light setup?

[corruption]

That is indeed what I'm saying... Google 'DIY LED nano' -- tons of great info over at nano-reef.com... Theres a pretty informative recent thread here as well -- search for LED and it should turn up quick :)

To be realistic about expectations, this is bleeding edge tech, so this is NOT a cost-effective way to replace halides, at least on initial investment in most cases. It is, however, for the hardcore tech geeky DIYers a wet dream :)

-Justin

[txg8gxp]

HAHA good one.. All my small tests so far, these cree's are super bright and a very clean white kinda like the difference between standard car headlights and HID's. Best example I can think of.


. It is, however, for the hardcore tech geeky DIYers a wet dream :)

-Justin

[txg8gxp]

Well I have all the led's wired into there two groups. One for the white, and one for the blues. My buckpuck drivers showed up today. Nice and small they are 3/4"x3/4"x7/16". Now just waiting on my 24 volt power supplies.

[Bill S]

Just curious, why did you choose 24 volt?

[txg8gxp]

buckpucks can only handle 24v(well 30v but 24v are cheap 30v are not). On my next bigger build I may go 48v

[Bill S]

I've got about 25 fixtures I did with buckpucks and mostly Luxeons on our boat - which is 12V. I tried a couple for my nano, but wasn't happy at all with the output.

[txg8gxp]

The newer cree led's have much higher lumens the the older luxens, and if your comparing the luxen 1w to the cree 3w theres a major difference. The new cree xp-g in white are nice around 330 lumens. I guess we will see. I think I now have access to a par meter. So, I will have good info once everything is up and running.

[ShrimpFan]

Nice. Looking forward to the results.

[corruption]

Very nice wiring job -- looks great :) Are you going to use any lenses/reflectors on the emitters? My thought is in a BC8/14, the volume is so small, it probably benefits from the wider emitter range without the focus.. Thoughts?

-Justin

[txg8gxp]

Agreed, On the bc14 I am not going to use any lenses. But on my 30 gallon build I will.

[saabtech]

lookin' good. come on parts!! get 'er done!

[jesserettele]

Well I have all the led's wired into there two groups. One for the white, and one for the blues. My buckpuck drivers showed up today. Nice and small they are 3/4"x3/4"x7/16". Now just waiting on my 24 volt power supplies.

Nice work, very professional, I am looking forward for your parts to come in as well to see the results.

[oscart604]

very interesting project but I have a question ..... how can we calculate the leds quatity? per example for a 55 gal tank........ how many day light? and how many blue?

regards

oscar

[txg8gxp]

All Right...Merry Christmas too me...I got my power supplies in today. Then I wasted no time to wire everything together real quick for a test. All I can say is it has been atleast 20 minutes and I still can't stop smilling:), and the spots im seeing are starting to go away.:hypnotyized: Sorry for the bad pictures, but better than nothing. Test pics with no other lighting on in the room.

[txg8gxp]

More pics

[hobogato]

wow! that looks great - cant wait to see it on a tank....

[samurhai]

How much did this run you?

[txg8gxp]

The general rule of thumb is to space the led's 2-2.5" center to center. Say on a 55g 48" tank you could get away with a 36"-40" long light, and around 8.5 deep. Now from what I have seen from my first test, this will be plenty of light.


very interesting project but I have a question ..... how can we calculate the leds quatity? per example for a 55 gal tank........ how many day light? and how many blue?

regards

oscar

[txg8gxp]

Cree xr-e led's $6.29 ea
potrans 24v power supply $14.95
Buckpuck driver w/dimmer $19.99
8.5"x5" Heatsink $11.25
For this build I used 6 blue led's, 6 white led's, and two buckpucks.

[txg8gxp]

I held the light over the tank, and with the blue led's and the return nozzle disturbing the water surface It has one awesome shimmer. I love it.. One thousand times better then the OEM lighting.


wow! that looks great - cant wait to see it on a tank....

[corruption]

Looks fantastic! Can't wait to see it in action :D

Who'd you get the Cree's from for 6.29 a piece? I was thinking with LEDSupply's flat rate shipping, I'd just bulk all of the parts but my heat sink and power supply through them.. but for a buck less per Cree, may be worth it to rethink :)

-Justin

[txg8gxp]

Couple of pics with led's held over tank. Led's on around 1/2-3/4 power.
Left pic-stock lighting Right pic-Led's Looks much better in person

[txg8gxp]

Nanotuners.com $6.29 for xr-e blues and xr-e Q5 whites


Looks fantastic! Can't wait to see it in action :D

Who'd you get the Cree's from for 6.29 a piece? I was thinking with LEDSupply's flat rate shipping, I'd just bulk all of the parts but my heat sink and power supply through them.. but for a buck less per Cree, may be worth it to rethink :)

-Justin

[jpond83]

wow that looks good. what is an estimate on how much this project cost?

[txg8gxp]

For big builds it would be worth getting the new cree xp-g led's. If you get 25+ from cutter.com they are around $6.70. Bin #4 right at 330 lumens. Only down side is lenses are alot more money.

[ShrimpFan]

From a real quick tally of the prices you gave, it seems like it would have cost $141.66 + any extra shipping or tax. Does that sound about right?

[txg8gxp]

Cost so far with 12 leds, 2 buckpucks, 1 power supply, and heat sink is right at $145 plus shipping. I didnt keep track of total cost. This does not include wire, tools, screws, stuff like that. I still need to buy some good cooling fans, so that will add around another $15 or less. With shipping lets call it $180 total. That sounds about right.


wow that looks good. what is an estimate on how much this project cost?

[txg8gxp]

Yes sir, perfect.


From a real quick tally of the prices you gave, it seems like it would have cost $141.66 + any extra shipping or tax. Does that sound about right?

[txg8gxp]

Build List
Nanotuners.com
6-cree xr-e blue led's $6.29
6-cree xr-e Q5 white led's $6.29
Heatsinkusa.com
8.5"x5"x1" Al. heatsink $11.25
Ledsupply.com
2- Wired buckpucks with dimmer pots-1000maH $19.99
Will also need cooling fans and power supply or some kind, wire, tools, screws. etc. for building. Any other questions just ask, Stephen.

[corruption]

Stephen, ahh... I thought nanotuners might be it. Do you remember what shipping cost was via them by chance? That $6 flat rate FedEx is mighty tempting over at LEDSupply... :)

-Justin

[txg8gxp]

Nanotuners 3 day fed x $9.41
led supply for buckpucks $5
mpja for powersupply $9.73 for 2


Stephen, ahh... I thought nanotuners might be it. Do you remember what shipping cost was via them by chance? That $6 flat rate FedEx is mighty tempting over at LEDSupply... :)

-Justin

[jesserettele]

That is indeed what I'm saying... Google 'DIY LED nano' -- tons of great info over at nano-reef.com... Theres a pretty informative recent thread here as well -- search for LED and it should turn up quick :)

To be realistic about expectations, this is bleeding edge tech, so this is NOT a cost-effective way to replace halides, at least on initial investment in most cases. It is, however, for the hardcore tech geeky DIYers a wet dream :)

-Justin

I searched for LED here on MAAST and it turned up nothing, I must be doing something wrong. I will google instead, thanks for the link. This is pretty interesting stuff here! What are you guy's opinions about Solaris? I saw them at MACNA in Houston a couple years back.

[txg8gxp]

There are some very nice production lighting systems out there, but way out of my price range.

[saabtech]

SWEET!!
looks great man. i just cant wait for mine to come in.
will the 18 leds im getting light up better than i am expecting?

[txg8gxp]

Oyea, they are brighter then I thought they would be.


SWEET!!
looks great man. i just cant wait for mine to come in.
will the 18 leds im getting light up better than i am expecting?

[corruption]

I searched for LED here on MAAST and it turned up nothing, I must be doing something wrong. I will google instead, thanks for the link. This is pretty interesting stuff here! What are you guy's opinions about Solaris? I saw them at MACNA in Houston a couple years back.

If you haven't found it already, I'm sure you will soon... PFO no longer exists (the manufacturers of the Solaris units..) -- and they are part of the reason that LED's aren't more widely used at the moment. Orbitec, a manufacturing and design firm, had patented a method of controlling LED's in an array, specifically for aquarium use -- and this led to them suing PFO shortly after the release of the Solaris units... There are still new LED units coming out, but they for the most part are side-stepping the issues with controller units and Orbitec, by not including the dimming/controlling capabilities within the units themselves..

AquaIllumination has some good units out -- they look impressive with the Profilux line of controllers -- wsheltonj on here has this and seems to like it.

The other DIY LED thread on MAAST is found here:

http://maast.org/forums/showthread.php?t=55731

I was posting from my phone previously, so linking the option was quite inconvenient :) I couldn't get it to turn up in a search either -- strange...

-Justin

[samurhai]

There are some very nice production lighting systems out there, but way out of my price range.

But LEDs will save money in the long run, as using MH or t5 you are recommeneded to replace the bulbs every 6 months. The LEDs should last a minimum of 10 yrs.

[txg8gxp]

They are worth it but I will build my own and save a couple hundred dollars.


But LEDs will save money in the long run, as using MH or t5 you are recommeneded to replace the bulbs every 6 months. The LEDs should last a minimum of 10 yrs.

[medi]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but I need to replace my MH bulbs and now this thread has me thinking about a DIY LED instead. I know NOTHING about this technology, but I am a quick learner and fairly handy at this type of work. Does anyone have any idea what I would need to light my 34G Solana, 20x20x20, to the equivalent of a 250W MH. The small bit of research I have done on the subject shows that if done correctly they will grow coral as well as any MH. Does this sound correct to ya'll?

[txg8gxp]

Yea, from my research the led's should replace the MH no problem. with a 20x20 tank I would probally run a 16x8.5 Heatsink(atleast). I would think something like 8 led x 4 led matrix(32 led). This is just a guess. With some more testing I will have a much better idea of how many leds are needed for good coverage.


Not trying to hijack the thread, but I need to replace my MH bulbs and now this thread has me thinking about a DIY LED instead. I know NOTHING about this technology, but I am a quick learner and fairly handy at this type of work. Does anyone have any idea what I would need to light my 34G Solana, 20x20x20, to the equivalent of a 250W MH. The small bit of research I have done on the subject shows that if done correctly they will grow coral as well as any MH. Does this sound correct to ya'll?

[Bill S]

I'm sorry - I just feel like I need to post this.

I LOVE LEDs. As previously noted, we've used about $1000 of components on our boat, to replace lighting.

I very nearly purchased an LED system for my 215. Got REALLY close.

Boy, I'm SO glad I didn't. While all of the stories SOUND great, and all of the tanks look nice under the lighting, I've seen very little proof that these things perform as well as MH, or even T5s. Even when you go to Aquaillumination's website, all they have is displays they've set up. Sure, stuff looks good - BUT DOES IT THRIVE AND GROW? With all of the units that have been sold or made, you would think some photos would be up by now. But, I haven't seen many. And none that would make me go... "I NEED one of those".

I'm putting together a 8 gallon SPS nano (with a 55 gallon fuge and 20 gallon sump), and while I'd love to go LEDs, there's just no way. I don't believe they will grow well.

[txg8gxp]

That is the big question...I hope everything works out well. My tank will have coral for sure. Mainly lps, so wish me luck and we will see what happens.


I'm sorry - I just feel like I need to post this.

I LOVE LEDs. As previously noted, we've used about $1000 of components on our boat, to replace lighting.

I very nearly purchased an LED system for my 215. Got REALLY close.

Boy, I'm SO glad I didn't. While all of the stories SOUND great, and all of the tanks look nice under the lighting, I've seen very little proof that these things perform as well as MH, or even T5s. Even when you go to Aquaillumination's website, all they have is displays they've set up. Sure, stuff looks good - BUT DOES IT THRIVE AND GROW? With all of the units that have been sold or made, you would think some photos would be up by now. But, I haven't seen many. And none that would make me go... "I NEED one of those".

I'm putting together a 8 gallon SPS nano (with a 55 gallon fuge and 20 gallon sump), and while I'd love to go LEDs, there's just no way. I don't believe they will grow well.

[saabtech]

well maybe you need more information. and please excuse me if this is remedial (i dont know how informed you or anyone else may be)

PAR (Photosynthetically active radiation) and PUR (Photosynthetically Usable Radiation)is the intensity and spectrum of light that photosynthetic organisms (plant or coral or invert) uses to maintain life. (symbiotic or solitary)

the output of LEDs can be more percisely controled and are more stable in their spectrum for a longer period of time. light waves are light wave and with enough LEDs one can surpass the performance and MH or T5 or any other fixture and exceed the efficiency by 2 to 300%

this artical is full of great information and compairs an 88 watt light array to a 250 watt MH. This artical is also using an older technology LED.
"Cree" is the current leader in "light per watt"

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/10/review

I'm sorry - I just feel like I need to post this.

I LOVE LEDs. As previously noted, we've used about $1000 of components on our boat, to replace lighting.

I very nearly purchased an LED system for my 215. Got REALLY close.

Boy, I'm SO glad I didn't. While all of the stories SOUND great, and all of the tanks look nice under the lighting, I've seen very little proof that these things perform as well as MH, or even T5s. Even when you go to Aquaillumination's website, all they have is displays they've set up. Sure, stuff looks good - BUT DOES IT THRIVE AND GROW? With all of the units that have been sold or made, you would think some photos would be up by now. But, I haven't seen many. And none that would make me go... "I NEED one of those".

I'm putting together a 8 gallon SPS nano (with a 55 gallon fuge and 20 gallon sump), and while I'd love to go LEDs, there's just no way. I don't believe they will grow well.

[saabtech]

some of the reefers that have been using LED systems on reef tanks and recording growth are stating that a tank needs about 75-100 lumens per gallon and with an 12 led sysem Stephen (txg8gxp) should be putting out about 2400 lumens and that calculates out to 170 lumens per gallon. you will most likely need to turn the pots down!!!

that is a low ball est of 200 lumens per led. most (if from good manufacturer bin) will put out 220 lumens

[txg8gxp]

Better too turn the pots down then fall short on power...:)


some of the reefers that have been using LED systems on reef tanks and recording growth are stating that a tank needs about 75-100 lumens per gallon and with an 12 led sysem Stephen (txg8gxp) should be putting out about 2400 lumens and that calculates out to 170 lumens per gallon. you will most likely need to turn the pots down!!!

that is a low ball est of 200 lumens per led. most (if from good manufacturer bin) will put out 220 lumens

[Bill S]

1) I'm a molecular biologist, by education. So, I understand PAR and I understand theory and I understand scientific method.

2) PAR values are great, but I want to see results.

3) That article is over 2 years old - after 2 years, I'd expect to see some growth photos.

[txg8gxp]

When I get my lighting done, I want to do some first hand tests. I hope to get with someone local with MH lighting, and swap a frag back-n-forth a few times. This should give a good idea on growth comparisions between the two. HINT..HINT..anyone on the NE side interested?

[saabtech]

here is a link to a fella who posted progress.
look at the whole thread but for pics look at post #66 and #67.
he states " SPS grows in different form under LED and the intensity of Solaris I4 is possibly the minimum requirement for growing SPS. Any new LED with less intensity than Solaris I4 will be a problem."

again old technology LEDs but the growth is visible.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1639666&page=3

[Big_Pun]

really good thread comparing growth if anything it shows good growth can be achieved, theres also elfabs pico that runs led's and he has had alot of growth running led's

[txg8gxp]

Not the best video, but It does give you an idea of what the led's look like. I have the blues almost at full power and the whites at about 3/4 or less.
http://s776.photobucket.com/albums/yy46/txg8gxp/?action=view&current=20091225192302.flv&newest=1

[jesserettele]

NICE, you can tell that it does have the "shimmer" effect like you said. I probably missed it in previous posts but what were you running for lights previously?

[txg8gxp]

This will be the upgrade from the stock dual pc lighting.

[joelb]

it looks great! is it possible to add on to that heat-sink if you wanted... say, twice as many leds? and could you do it with the ballasts you already have or would it require extra ballasts?

[txg8gxp]

I dont think I will need anymore light. If I wanted too, I could probally add 4-6 more led's. It would require one more buckpuck driver.

[aggman]

how soon before you get some par readings? my ballasts just went out on one of my biocubes and i was thinking about doing this. well...getting someone else to do it, i have no technical abilities...lol.

~alex

[Double-O-Zilch]

Hey Steve, can I trade frags for RC parts?:lauging: I just got a BC14 about a week ago and I'm hooked on SW now. Nice work on the LEDs man. I was thinking of adding a couple to mine, but you just went all out. Glad to see another tinkerer I know messing with these. What's next? Parker

[txg8gxp]

I'm always willing to trade rc for frags.. I love the leds, they look great... Yea why add one or two led's when I can add 12..:) As soon as I get the led's done I am leaning toward a vortech mp10... and maybe a reefkeeper lite.. Not possitive yet though.


Hey Steve, can I trade frags for RC parts?:lauging: I just got a BC14 about a week ago and I'm hooked on SW now. Nice work on the LEDs man. I was thinking of adding a couple to mine, but you just went all out. Glad to see another tinkerer I know messing with these. What's next? Parker

[txg8gxp]

I hope to get some PAR reading soon...I'm just not sure if my friends par meter is waterproof...I sure hope so.


how soon before you get some par readings? my ballasts just went out on one of my biocubes and i was thinking about doing this. well...getting someone else to do it, i have no technical abilities...lol.

~alex

[Double-O-Zilch]

I got 11 different kind of zoos and a couple different mushrooms going on right now. Soon as they grow and start spreading I'll hook you up, for free. Here's my thread, stop by and check it out.

http://www.maast.org/forums/showthread.php?t=56387

[txg8gxp]

Awesome offer, Thanks.


I got 11 different kind of zoos and a couple different mushrooms going on right now. Soon as they grow and start spreading I'll hook you up, for free. Here's my thread, stop by and check it out.

http://www.maast.org/forums/showthread.php?t=56387

[jesserettele]

Thanks for all the pictures and detailed info about your successful project.

I have read up on the posts here and at reef central about LED's and understand the basics about wiring configuration with the buckpucks and power sources but do you have a link for "LED's for dummies" that I can start out on?

I am not an electrical engineer and will not pretend to be but don't think I should have to go back to school for another 8 years for this. I got lost on Cree's webpage with the specs on the LED's with the XPG's. Even if I do understand it then how does that translate to watts or lumens per gallon in our world?

[Bill S]

Go to www.ledsupply.com (http://www.ledsupply.com). When you go to the drivers, download the spec sheet. It has wiring diagrams for just about any scenario.

[txg8gxp]

Wireing is super easy. You wire the led's in series(possitive to negative) and the buckpucks are labeled very well.. If needed I can post some close up pics with a more detailed write up.. Just let me know, Stephen


Thanks for all the pictures and detailed info about your successful project.

I have read up on the posts here and at reef central about LED's and understand the basics about wiring configuration with the buckpucks and power sources but do you have a link for "LED's for dummies" that I can start out on?

I am not an electrical engineer and will not pretend to be but don't think I should have to go back to school for another 8 years for this. I got lost on Cree's webpage with the specs on the LED's with the XPG's. Even if I do understand it then how does that translate to watts or lumens per gallon in our world?

[jesserettele]

Thanks Bill for the link and thanks Stephen for the info and offer for more detail. I will probably take you up on the offer in the near future. What I don’t understand is in the data sheet http://www.cree.com/products/pdf/XLampXP-G.pdf what is the group categories R2-R5? I want to make sure that the bases are easy to mount and wire. I don’t like to solder if I don’t have to.

I think what I meant to ask was what makes an LED work and how? I want to understand exactly what makes this system tick and understand all the geeky terminology when it comes to LED technology. I used to install car stereos and understand wiring in series and parallel as well. I guess I just really like to ask a lot of questions and really understand something before I try to do it. I am no electrical engineer and won’t pretend to be one but I did some research today and found the following;
1. mA is milli-amp or one thousandth of an amp (an ampere [Ah] is the measure of current through a circuit after one hour and a milli-ampere is also the measure of current but on the thousandth scale [mAh]).
a. One ampere is 6.28 X 1018 electrons passing by the point of measure in one second.
2. Volts is the measure of force/pressure behind current.
3. Watts are the typical measure of current and is equal to volts X amps or one ampere or current flowing at one volt.
4. Ohms are the measure of resistance that material has to current, if you have 1 ohm then you have 1 volt maintaining a current of 1 ampere.
5. Lumen or luminous flux is the amount of light produced observed by the human eye. It has to do with reflective surfaces and 4 X 3.14 lumens=1 candela. Lux is the amount that the light is spread out, 1 lumen into 1 square meter produces illuminance of 1 lux.

After those basics the following links give a general description of how they work; http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/questions/question/1135/
http://www.theledlight.com/technical1.html

Basically, the diode is made up of an “N” type and “P” type semi-conductor that meet and combine to create light when current is passed through them. Red is easy to make, blue is harder but can be accomplished with chemicals in the semiconductor chip. Led’s are made of gallium-based crystals and can contain phosphorus which is added to create different colors. The color is rated in nanometers (nm) of wave length. Light is measured from an led by photometer but only on axis not as in incandescent filament bulbs which are measured in mean spherical candle power. There are single chip and 6 chip led’s and can generally handle 20 mA max at their brightest. The viewing angle of the led is determined by the shape and construction of the epoxy lens or reflectors/clusters of the led.

The following link explains bins and labeling of the leds http://www.philipslumileds.com/pdfs/AB21.pdf which was also really confusing for me at first.
:whew:

If any of the above is incorrect or missing info please correct me, I am learning as I go here.

[Double-O-Zilch]

Jesse, I got every thing needed to solder and have a lot of time under my belt doing it. You figure out what and were you want it, I'll help you wire it up and get it connected. I even no where Steve works so we could bug him in person! Steve is a great guy and knows what he's talking about. As long as you listen, he's willing you tell you everything you need to know and how to do it. Take him a big Mountain Dew and you'll have a friend from the start!

[Bill S]

The stars are a bit tricky to solder. Not as bad as when I was ordering LEDs and then shipping them to Thailand to have them mounted on stars... But now most good LEDs are available mounted. The LED chips themselves are about 1.5mm x 3mm.

[corruption]

Take him a big Mountain Dew and you'll have a friend from the start!

Ahh, the good ol' geek bribe of nerding energy! Gotta love it! :D

-Justin

[Goofball310]

Results can be found on SMGSLLC.com. I had there 50watt unit on my 3 gallon SPS pico and had gread results before tearing down. I had great results for a few months before tearing down the tank. The small tanks required too much maintenance and my work required me to work 12-14 hour days so the tanks had to be torn down.

Here's a pic of my system when I first set it up. The great thing about the SMGS system is that they use Rebel Tri Star LED's which can produce up to 540 lumens per star.

http://i697.photobucket.com/albums/vv340/goofball310/1-3.jpg


I'm sorry - I just feel like I need to post this.

I LOVE LEDs. As previously noted, we've used about $1000 of components on our boat, to replace lighting.

I very nearly purchased an LED system for my 215. Got REALLY close.

Boy, I'm SO glad I didn't. While all of the stories SOUND great, and all of the tanks look nice under the lighting, I've seen very little proof that these things perform as well as MH, or even T5s. Even when you go to Aquaillumination's website, all they have is displays they've set up. Sure, stuff looks good - BUT DOES IT THRIVE AND GROW? With all of the units that have been sold or made, you would think some photos would be up by now. But, I haven't seen many. And none that would make me go... "I NEED one of those".

I'm putting together a 8 gallon SPS nano (with a 55 gallon fuge and 20 gallon sump), and while I'd love to go LEDs, there's just no way. I don't believe they will grow well.

[txg8gxp]

Thanks you, and yes I have a weakness for the dew..



Jesse, I got every thing needed to solder and have a lot of time under my belt doing it. You figure out what and were you want it, I'll help you wire it up and get it connected. I even no where Steve works so we could bug him in person! Steve is a great guy and knows what he's talking about. As long as you listen, he's willing you tell you everything you need to know and how to do it. Take him a big Mountain Dew and you'll have a friend from the start!

[txg8gxp]

You want to buy led's mounted on stars already, the emitters need the be reflow soldiered on the star(major pain in the butt). Believe it or not I soldiered mine together with my oldest iron, a old crappy 25w weller pen iron. Even with that bad of a tool it was still a very easy job.



The stars are a bit tricky to solder. Not as bad as when I was ordering LEDs and then shipping them to Thailand to have them mounted on stars... But now most good LEDs are available mounted. The LED chips themselves are about 1.5mm x 3mm.

[Bill S]

Took a look at the SMG website. SPS in the photos are green slimer, birdsnest and cap. Those the are the ones I give to newcomers, because they are the easiest of the SPS.

The colors in the photos are just awful. Green slimer should be electric green. The cap, mostly brown. The birdsnest, brown.

I would LOVE to go LED. But not with SPS.

[txg8gxp]

Lots of updates to come tonight, I got all the conversion done last night. I didn't make it to bed till 4, but it was worth it. This is awesome, I love the look of this lighting system. I took a bunch of step by step pictures last night, so I will post as soon as I get out of work.

[jesserettele]

I can't wait! Thanks for taking so many pics and posting them.


Lots of updates to come tonight, I got all the conversion done last night. I didn't make it to bed till 4, but it was worth it. This is awesome, I love the look of this lighting system. I took a bunch of step by step pictures last night, so I will post as soon as I get out of work.

[txg8gxp]

Ok, here we go. These first pics are mainly tear down and test fitting the new parts.

[txg8gxp]

As you can see, I used the stock power panel, led moonlights, cooling fans and the power supply. I added another powersupply for the two extra fans I added at the back of the heatsink.

[txg8gxp]

I reused the factory dual on/off switches, and mounted the led dimmer pots right above the switches. Then I sealed everything behind the factory lens/splash guard.

[txg8gxp]

Then I added some power for a quick test, then fell asleep at about 4am. But it was all worth it. I couldn't wait to get off work just to make it home to look at the tank.

[txg8gxp]

Few more

[The Butcher]

That Looks Fantastic.

[txg8gxp]

Thanks..I'm pretty happy with the finish product.

[Double-O-Zilch]

Awesome Steve, simply awesome! What plans do you have for the leftover parts? My mom's 14 needs some stuff. I'd be happy to buy the leftovers if you what to sell them. Once again nice work. I wish I could see it in person cause my camera doesn't do my tank justice. I could only imagine what it really looks like.

[txg8gxp]

Thanks. I think I will use the stock pc lighting for my upcoming sump build.(no, not for the biocube) Yea, the tank looks way better in person. I will try to get a good video up later tonight.

[saabtech]

good job. looks very clean

[txg8gxp]

Not a very good video, but it does show some of the nice shimmer effect.
http://s776.photobucket.com/albums/yy46/txg8gxp/?action=view&current=20091231202201.flv

[hobogato]

wow, it really looks nice in the video!

[Double-O-Zilch]

Yeah, that video hit the spot. Can't wait to see what kinda growth you get from it. Looks pretty dang bright to me.

[txg8gxp]

I am very happy with the color right now. I have the white's around 3/4 power and the blue's alittle under 3/4 on the dimming pots.

[jesserettele]

NICE clean job. Appears to have plenty of light, highly adjustable, and LED's!!!!!

Is pic DSC00068 the dimming pot dial adjustments? Adjustable without even opening the hood? Awesome!

[txg8gxp]

Yea, I just drilled two holes and mounted the buckpucks included dimmer pot.


NICE clean job. Appears to have plenty of light, highly adjustable, and LED's!!!!!

Is pic DSC00068 the dimming pot dial adjustments? Adjustable without even opening the hood? Awesome!

[ErikH]

Stephen, if you want, we could trade and test. I have 3x250w over a 75. Yeah, lotta light.

[jesserettele]

10 watts per gallon! I need to re-think my light strategy. What temp/color are they?


Stephen, if you want, we could trade and test. I have 3x250w over a 75. Yeah, lotta light.

[txg8gxp]

That would be awesome, Not sure the best way to test. Maybe run a frag in one tank for a month(pic every week for reference) then switch. But this will not account for water. I'm just not sure the best way to run some tests that will be worth the time, keeping data, etc. Any opinions would be nice.


Stephen, if you want, we could trade and test. I have 3x250w over a 75. Yeah, lotta light.

[dipan]

I hope to get some PAR reading soon...I'm just not sure if my friends par meter is waterproof...I sure hope so.

I have one of the Apogee's collecting dust if you want to borrow it ... LMK. Give me an excuse to see a nice LED lit tank!

[txg8gxp]

Yes, Please. I would love some real numbers. That would be awesome.



I have one of the Apogee's collecting dust if you want to borrow it ... LMK. Give me an excuse to see a nice LED lit tank!

[corruption]

+1 -- would love to see the results here :)

Looks fantastic, Stephen :D I'll be using this as a 'breadboard' of sorts in the next week or two for sure! :)

-Justin

[ErikH]

OK I saw this tank first hand tonight and HOLY STARS IT IS RETARDED AWESOME.

He basically did a live start on his tank, and did an awesome job. Justin and I were just google-eyeing that tank. It's a show stopper. The ability to change the light temp at the turn of a knob was just batty. I was having flashbacks of seeing how Ace's tank does that naturally, like when clouds pass. THE SHIMMER? OHHHHHHHHH THE SHIMMER. Immense. There were layers upon layers of different colored shimmers. The depth of color was amazing.

His SPS what appears to be a valida and a deepwater acro were doing great. I looked closely and could see new growth at the base of the smaller deepwater frag, and the small colony of valida was polyped out perfectly. On his sand he had 3 or so specie of Acans which looked nice and pillowy. His zoas were short stalked, even the zoas on the sand. Wickedly healthy for a month old reef, and from a newcomer to salt.
Stephen, I applaud you! Sorry if you found any other nose spots of mine on your nano. I hope those frags grow well.

LOL at Justin's breadboard comment. I installed some x10s the other day, and almost sent you a pic of a bnc connector, Justin. :)

The only small thing was them not having the lenses and being on a short(er) tank. There were some small blue spots on the rocks, but man, it didn't matter. It just looked like a Halide/VHO Actinic combo. Amazing........ A... Maz.... INGGGGG.

[txg8gxp]

Thanks, thats awesome. With everything I have learned with the led's so far, trust me the 45g will be just plain nuts....I can't wait. All the new frags are mounted and looking good.Thanks, Stephen

[ErikH]

I can't wait! I found that coverpiece by the way. I'll have to get over there maybe Tuesday.

[txg8gxp]

Cool, deal. I will probally be working on the 45 tuesday.

[corruption]

The only small thing was them not having the lenses and being on a short(er) tank. There were some small blue spots on the rocks, but man, it didn't matter. It just looked like a Halide/VHO Actinic combo. Amazing........ A... Maz.... INGGGGG.

I don't know that lenses would actually help that any -- the lenses focus the output more than the bare emitter alone... it would probably be heightened, by the fact that the beam was tighter off the emitter.. but I'd agree that its a minor nitpick :)

If your place is accessible, I'd love to come check out your work sometime :D

-Justin

[justahobby]

What this guy said! :) He forgot to mention how brilliant and rich the blues were. The craziest blue I've ever seen. It made the coral pop out like a children's book. I can't wait to see the 45.


OK I saw this tank first hand tonight and HOLY STARS IT IS RETARDED AWESOME.

He basically did a live start on his tank, and did an awesome job. Justin and I were just google-eyeing that tank. It's a show stopper. The ability to change the light temp at the turn of a knob was just batty. I was having flashbacks of seeing how Ace's tank does that naturally, like when clouds pass. THE SHIMMER? OHHHHHHHHH THE SHIMMER. Immense. There were layers upon layers of different colored shimmers. The depth of color was amazing.

His SPS what appears to be a valida and a deepwater acro were doing great. I looked closely and could see new growth at the base of the smaller deepwater frag, and the small colony of valida was polyped out perfectly. On his sand he had 3 or so specie of Acans which looked nice and pillowy. His zoas were short stalked, even the zoas on the sand. Wickedly healthy for a month old reef, and from a newcomer to salt.
Stephen, I applaud you! Sorry if you found any other nose spots of mine on your nano. I hope those frags grow well.

LOL at Justin's breadboard comment. I installed some x10s the other day, and almost sent you a pic of a bnc connector, Justin. :)

The only small thing was them not having the lenses and being on a short(er) tank. There were some small blue spots on the rocks, but man, it didn't matter. It just looked like a Halide/VHO Actinic combo. Amazing........ A... Maz.... INGGGGG.

[Double-O-Zilch]

Steve, what power supply did you use and where did you get it? Having trouble locating the Potrans 24v 6.5a and two would be pricier than you're showing. Getting started on my LED hood mod and doing my research. Wish me luck!

[jesserettele]

Have you had a chance to get a PAR meter under that bad boy?

[txg8gxp]

Sorry for the delay.
https://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=16854+PS



Steve, what power supply did you use and where did you get it? Having trouble locating the Potrans 24v 6.5a and two would be pricier than you're showing. Getting started on my LED hood mod and doing my research. Wish me luck!

[txg8gxp]

Not yet...


Have you had a chance to get a PAR meter under that bad boy?

[corruption]

Guys -- look into these:

http://www.amazon.com/HQRP-PowerBook-661-3048-Replacement-Mousepad/dp/B001AK5H66

(That's just the most convenient link I can find at the moment -- the eBay item number I got mine from is 250511317631 -- under $12 shipped :)

They're replacement power supplies from Apple's older model laptops (Specifically, ones that were equipped with the IBM/Apple G4 processor, as these ran on a 24v rail). Thats what I used on my Biocube, and I wouldn't think of using anything else for future projects @24v :) Looks so clean!

The actual specs are: 24 volt, 2.65a, and 65 Watts -- perfect for our applications here, and will easily drive 2 buckpucks @ 1000mA with complete (6x3w LEDs) circuits without issues :)

-Justin

[txg8gxp]

Good find, that would work great for small builds.

[corruption]

Considering the price, and depending on the output amperage of the driver's you're using, it should be quite adaptable on larger projects too.. Wiring in individual switching on a per-circuit basis is cake, and if you're driving things constant @750mA (which is the recommended peak for output efficiency anyhow), you could drive 3 circuits without coming near overloading the draw of the supply... I just like the cleanliness of it, and not having to build an external project box.

Obviously, on a much larger unit, there'd be benefits to creating a project box and just wiring everything external to the arrays themselves...

-Justin

[txg8gxp]

:thumbs_up:Well, I thought I would give a small preview. This is what my next build will be made with. Build thread will start in about a week. Yes, Cree XPG's

[dipan]

Good choice ... Even split XPG/XPE?

[txg8gxp]

I will run 20 whtie xpg and 8 xpe blue 8 xpe royal blue

[Double-O-Zilch]

What are you gonna do when aircraft start landing on your house?

[dipan]

That's an interesting mix ... Why did you decide on more white than blue/RB?

Seems most folks go with an even mix, and that many run the blues at a higher current than whites. I personally like a nice white to slightly blue color temp, prob around 12-14k. Looks like you will also have that kind of color with more white than blue ...

[txg8gxp]

I do like the 12-14k range myself. My bc14 always has the blues turned down. Plus the whites will not be full power. Then with royal blue it wil add that slight purple/blue tint.

[dipan]

Think about throwing a single UV LED also ... You can get a 1 watt Prolight star from superbrightleds.

[BIGBIRD123]

Nice project. i will be adding LEDs to my wife's Biocube14 soon. i found some nice LEDs on another site that are 12v. They are strung together like ropes and require just a 12v supply. Another MAAST member has some blue ones and they look great. I will have approx. 100+. I will start a new thread when we begin but nice job.

[aggman]

Nice project. i will be adding LEDs to my wife's Biocube14 soon. i found some nice LEDs on another site that are 12v. They are strung together like ropes and require just a 12v supply. Another MAAST member has some blue ones and they look great. I will have approx. 100+. I will start a new thread when we begin but nice job.

are you talking about that guy who used chistmas lights? did he ever show par readings? i liked that project, but wasn't sure if i could grow anything.

~alex

[corruption]

I would be leery of the throw provided from the lower wattage LED's -- the 1w are great for illumination, but do precious little in the way of usable PAR... I would agree 100% though, I've never seen actinic wavelengths that look as good as what LED's pull off. Truly redefines 'fluorescence' :)

-Justin

[BIGBIRD123]

are you talking about that guy who used chistmas lights? did he ever show par readings? i liked that project, but wasn't sure if i could grow anything.

~alex

no these weren't Christmas lights. I'll send you a copy of the link he used these as moonlights (just blue) and they created some serious shimmer.

[txg8gxp]

Rope lights would be cool, but like corruption said...you will not get much of a par reading at all. It would probally make a good light for softcoral,zoa's but not much else. Just my opinion though..

[BIGBIRD123]

i guess i will see...not much of an investment for feedback and experimentation.

[txg8gxp]

True, there is only one way to find out for sure.

[GoneReefing]

man this is sweet. i'd really like to see how your tank grows out. Great thread.

How many LED's would it take for a standard 75gallon (48" x 18" x 21")?

[rabadanmarco]

so can you get the same result from these led's as you would t5's. im confused

[txg8gxp]

Just with all lighting, it depends on you want to keep. 1 led per gallon would be a good rule, as a general statment.



man this is sweet. i'd really like to see how your tank grows out. Great thread.

How many LED's would it take for a standard 75gallon (48" x 18" x 21")?

[txg8gxp]

There are few long term reports out there. I believe led is better than t5, but I have no long term tests go prove this. Led's can produce more par, longer life, custom K colors, smaller size, etc. Im sold on led's



so can you get the same result from these led's as you would t5's. im confused

[Bill S]

There are few long term reports out there.

That is the big problem I have with them. I would LOVE to use them for my nano build. But I'm going 150w MH on an 8 gallon tank. :shades:

[corruption]

The only way to get long-term results is to give it a try though! I'm with Stephen -- I'm pretty sold on LED's. Things at work are growing like crazy, and the light itself garners a lot of attention (granted, I work in a building with approximately 1500 other extreme technology nerds...)... Plus the appearance really is fantastic. If nothing else, I'm convinced that very little (if anything) produces the actinic 'flare' that LED's do.

-Justin

[txg8gxp]

The reason you will not find any good long term reports on them is simple. Good led's for reef use are just now becomeing available and affordable. Just one year ago, led's were putting out alot lower numbers then todays.


Wow, 150MH on 8g. How high off the tank do you think the light will need to be?

[wesheltonj]

Bill, come back by and look at my tank again, everything is still living and growing, some not so fast and others just don't stop. That 2 years and counting.

I am waiting for the upgrade kit for my light. However, just saw that Seoul now has a more powerful light then the Cree. Looks like that's going to be a never ending battle

[corruption]

Those new Seoul emitters are still a ways away from being a readily available bin, as I understood it... and the spectrum they produce isn't quite in the range we're looking for. Definitely going to be interesting in the next 3-5 years though, as the otherwise unknown market starts to shape and define itself...

-Justin

[wesheltonj]

They will be, the original AI light used Seoul's and were more powerful then the Crees that PFO was using.

[wesheltonj]

Well, what a difference 2 weeks make Cree has just hit 208 lumins per watt and broke Seoul record.

[swjim]

Very nice job on this. I know it hasn't been very long, but can you see any evidence of growth on your corals since installing your LED system? I'm thinking about trying a build of my own for my 30gal Finnex so I really appreciate all of the info you have provided here.

[txg8gxp]

Things are growing, everything seem to be doing great.

[swjim]

That's great to hear! I'd love to see some updated pics when you get a chance.

[txg8gxp]

I have alot more update pics in my bc14 thread in the nano section.

[Double-O-Zilch]

Hey Steve, if and when you get a chance, temp those LEDs when they are up and running. I got an idea. Famous last words, I know, but I want to try something else just to see what works the best. Temp is my main concern.

[txg8gxp]

Sorry, I no longer have a working IR temp gun.



Hey Steve, if and when you get a chance, temp those LEDs when they are up and running. I got an idea. Famous last words, I know, but I want to try something else just to see what works the best. Temp is my main concern.

[Double-O-Zilch]

I'm disappointed in you Steve! That's cool, I already got the lights and am going to try it any way.

[txg8gxp]

I know, its about time to start buying all new tools.