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  • LED Build

    So, I've been wanting upgrade to a LED fixture on my coral tank for a while now. As I looked online at all the fixtures I found they were either too much moolah or not bright enough imo. So I decided to pull the trigger and try to build my own. After digging around online and figuring out a game plan this is what I decided to go with:

    12 - 3w cree XP-G (white)
    12 - 3w cree XP-E (royal blue)
    1 - meanwell 35-700 driver
    1 - meanwell 60-1050 driver
    60 degree lenses
    10in X 10in heatsink
    Custom Hood

    After the excruciating wait for the parts I drilled holes into the corner of the heatsink and hood to mount the heatsink I also marked where I wanted the LEDs with a black permanent marker.





    Next I used thermal adhesive to glue the LEDs onto the heatsink. You can also drill and tap your heatsink or buy one already drilled and tapped so you screw the LEDs into place but as a newb I thought this would be easier and it was pretty easy. Then using zip ties I mounted the drivers into the hood.





    After waiting a day or so for the adhesive to dry I started to solder the LEDs together. pretty simple just go from positive to neg, positive to neg, wash rinse repeat.
    just finishing the blues


    all wired up


    after all the soldering I used a small amount of super glue gell to attach the lenses and hung the light.



    I had some problems after plugging in the fixture where 1 blue and 1 white had blown for some unknown reason and I had to bypass them. All I can say is a multimeter is neccesary to check the connections on these LEDs since the output voltage is so low and it really helped me get it all working correctly.

    Came out pretty good though I think

    blues


    whites and blues





    Let me know what yall think.
    Last edited by cichlid1409; 03-14-2011, 12:38 PM.
    25g - Reef
    3.5g - Surge Tank
    10g - Ichthyophthirius multifilis breeding colony

  • #2
    Holy carp! Awesome job! Wow, I'm impressed...

    Saw this on FB, and thought you had bought a fixture. Very nice!
    "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

    Comment


    • #3
      Nice ...Mike !!! How much did all the parts cost ?

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by supadave View Post
        Nice ...Mike !!! How much did all the parts cost ?
        cheaper than AI lights.
        25g - Reef
        3.5g - Surge Tank
        10g - Ichthyophthirius multifilis breeding colony

        Comment


        • #5
          Looks good! I would love to see a write up on cost of supply's, and where you got the hood from.
          46 gallon bow front
          Grow Out Cichlid tank

          240 gallon long
          Community SA/CA/African Cichlid (we will see how it works out....)

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          • #6
            hood's from catalina aquariums
            heatsink i bought from heatsinkusa
            everything else i bought from rapidLED
            25g - Reef
            3.5g - Surge Tank
            10g - Ichthyophthirius multifilis breeding colony

            Comment


            • #7
              Make me one!

              How did you get the wiring figured out to run all the LEDs?
              I ate my fish that died.

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              • #8
                just looked it up heres a link i found helpful http://reefledlights.com/wiring-diagrams/
                25g - Reef
                3.5g - Surge Tank
                10g - Ichthyophthirius multifilis breeding colony

                Comment


                • #9
                  Very Nice Mike!
                  200
                  200
                  200
                  150
                  135
                  75
                  55
                  55

                  Trophs & Petros ONLY

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                  • #10
                    thats pretty nice.....very creative and Really nice results . i'm about to make a diy light for my 240 gallon...using 6 34watt H.I.D bulbs and ballast....hmmmmm
                    240 and 35 Cichlid tanks

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                    • #11
                      very interested to see how the HID lights work out for you. make sure to let us know. does the tank have any plants or corals?
                      25g - Reef
                      3.5g - Surge Tank
                      10g - Ichthyophthirius multifilis breeding colony

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by cichlid1409 View Post
                        very interested to see how the HID lights work out for you. make sure to let us know. does the tank have any plants or corals?
                        Led's would be a better route due to the low wattage and the clear color of the lighting.....automotive HID's would be better for me because the tank is 8 feet long and i wanna see that light shimmer in the water and want my own color options and its easier for me to wire up..... Its a freshwater Chichlid tank....
                        240 and 35 Cichlid tanks

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                        • #13
                          have you seen the LED PAR 38 lights geared toward aquariums? I heard people talk about them but I havn't seen many using them. they look pretty easy to wire up and put out alot of light.
                          Last edited by cichlid1409; 03-15-2011, 09:55 PM.
                          25g - Reef
                          3.5g - Surge Tank
                          10g - Ichthyophthirius multifilis breeding colony

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I just bing'ed "LED HID for aquariums" and saw prices around 1000 bucks.....so i just closed the window....ha ha....i'll have pix up in a couple weeks
                            240 and 35 Cichlid tanks

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              sorry I meant PAR 38 bulbs not HID.
                              25g - Reef
                              3.5g - Surge Tank
                              10g - Ichthyophthirius multifilis breeding colony

                              Comment

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