Taqpol's DIY LED prototype build, detailed pictures, and PAR readings!

[wpitrof]

Taqpol nice build. very clean. I plan to use LEDs on my build. In your estimation would the setup you built work in a 30x30x20 sps/ clam tank? Would I need more LEDs then 24? Which optics would you suggest?

thanks Wayne

 

[wpitrof]

also is there a diagram for the dimmer you made ? does it control both lights separately or did you use 2 of them?

thanks Wayne

 

[Taqpol]

also is there a diagram for the dimmer you made ? does it control both lights separately or did you use 2 of them?

thanks Wayne

Taqpol nice build. very clean. I plan to use LEDs on my build. In your estimation would the setup you built work in a 30x30x20 sps/ clam tank? Would I need more LEDs then 24? Which optics would you suggest?

thanks Wayne

At only 20" of depth you would have to mount/hang the LED fixture 16" above the tank to get the same spread I had with 60 degree optics. Your PAR would be amazing, even higher then mine, but I don't know if it would light up the full 30"x30" footprint all the way to the glass (it would be really close). At 36" from the floor (or one foot above my two foot deep tank) it lit a 24"x24" footprint extremely brightly with enough light to cover 30"x30". of course if you look at my FTS picture the light only a foot down from the fixture does not cover the full area and there is a slanted, spotlight effect near the very top of the tank.

Yesterday I purchased some 80 degree reflectors I plan on testing out over my tank. If I get similar PAR readings I think one emitter with 80 degree optics would be perfect for your tank. Otherwise if you want to crazy high PAR numbers and full coverage go with two emitters with 60 degree optics.

Another thing I should mention is that my dimming circuit is actually meant for dimming the 0-10v DC model, not the PWM model even though the PWM handles 0-10v dimming just fine. Unless you plan on using a microcontroller like an Arduino I would just buy the 0-10v DC dimmable models (model "-D"). I don't have any picture of my circuit but it is really simple. Two 10K ohm potentiometers were wired in parallel off of a 12v wall wart and adjusted down with a multimeter to 10v. Another two 10K ohm pots were then put into series after the "master pot" and adjusting them provides a 0-10v signal that goes to the dimming wires on the Meanwell. Using this setup I can dim the two strings independent of one another.

 

[wpitrof]

If I get similar PAR readings I think one emitter with 80 degree optics would be perfect for your tank. Otherwise if you want to crazy high PAR numbers and full coverage go with two emitters with 60 degree optics.

are you talking about the whole set up you built?

thanks for the info ill probably go with the dc dimmable model

 

[wpitrof]

a

Two 10K ohm potentiometers were wired in parallel off of a 12v wall wart and adjusted down with a multimeter to 10v. Another two 10K ohm pots were then put into series after the "master pot" and adjusting them provides a 0-10v signal that goes to the dimming wires on the Meanwell.

if I'm reading this right its 4 potentiometers

 

[Taqpol]

are you talking about the whole set up you built?

thanks for the info ill probably go with the dc dimmable model

After thinking about it some more I think 36 LEDs would give you perfectly adequate coverage with 60 degree optics, given the proper spacing. Of course after I get the 80 degree optics I'll be able to tell you if they have enough PAR/coverage for a tank your size. LEDs are truly perfect for smaller tanks of your size cause you can mix and match until it is perfect and still keep costs "low".

a

if I'm reading this right its 4 potentiometers

Yes, 4x 10K ohm potentiometers. I mounted them to a radio shack circuit board just to hold them all down. My computer fan also plugs directly into the 12v wall wart on the circuit board before it splits into parallel pot series. Very convenient.

 

[wpitrof]

After thinking about it some more I think 36 LEDs would give you perfectly adequate coverage with 60 degree optics, given the proper spacing. Of course after I get the 80 degree optics I'll be able to tell you if they have enough PAR/coverage for a tank your size. LEDs are truly perfect for smaller tanks of your size cause you can mix and match until it is perfect and still keep costs "low".



Yes, 4x 10K ohm potentiometers. I mounted them to a radio shack circuit board just to hold them all down. My computer fan also plugs directly into the 12v wall wart on the circuit board before it splits into parallel pot series. Very convenient.

cool, now i understand the dimmer. I've got time right now before i can put together the build. so I'll be able to what till you get the readings on the 80 deg lenses.
thanks I'm defiantly going this route

 

[MGDMIRAGE]

Any idea what sort of setup i would need for my 40 gallon hex? It's 30" at it's longest and 18" front to back and 21" top to bottom. Corals are mostly within 24" range though i left a few inches on each side for mushrooms and low light corals.

I currently have 4x 24w T5s on it and i think the lower regions are suffering a little bit.

 

[Katchupoy]

here is another place to check for prices...
http://www.reefecosystems.com/products/lighting/led-reef-lighting/

 

[holdendaniel]

what kind of schooling do you have to build these awesome tanks, and lights

 

[Taqpol]

Any idea what sort of setup i would need for my 40 gallon hex? It's 30" at it's longest and 18" front to back and 21" top to bottom. Corals are mostly within 24" range though i left a few inches on each side for mushrooms and low light corals.

I currently have 4x 24w T5s on it and i think the lower regions are suffering a little bit.

I think a 24 bulb emitter with 60 degree optics would be perfect for your tank! Mount the fixture a little higher then normal, maybe 20" off the water, and you will get great spread, really good PAR in the mid to upper levels, and enough low light areas at the very bottom and sides to maintain low light corals.

what kind of schooling do you have to build these awesome tanks, and lights

Hahaha, I just do a lot of reading on reef forums, coupled with a passion for "building stuff". That being said I graduated from Washington State University last Spring with my B.S. in Genetics and Cell Biology and in August I am starting Grad School at Duke University to research infectious diseases.

 

[wpitrof]

If i use 36 i will go with 4 drivers can i link them to the dimmer so 2 are controlled by each dimmer

 

[Taqpol]

With 36 bulbs you only need three drivers.

The current draw on the Meanwell's dimming circuit is extremely low, so you can hook the dimming circuit up to an absurdly large number of drivers (somewhere around 2600, I think?) and dim them all in parallel with one dimming controller.

 

[wpitrof]

With 36 bulbs you only need three drivers.

cool i was going to pick up a forth one so i can keep the colors separate then dim the blue on 1 and the white on the other.

thanks

 

[Taqpol]

There is a minimum number of LEDs you have to run on a driver, otherwise it will put too much voltage through (I think) and fry the LEDs or the driver. I think the minimum is six LEDs so you should be fine, but do some more research before you buy. Worst comes to worst maybe you can just have 40 bulbs and do two strings of 12 and two stings of 8.

 

[wpitrof]

There is a minimum number of LEDs you have to run on a driver, otherwise it will put too much voltage through (I think) and fry the LEDs or the driver. I think the minimum is six LEDs so you should be fine, but do some more research before you buy. Worst comes to worst maybe you can just have 40 bulbs and do two strings of 12 and two stings of 8.

i emaild to get info on the Meanwell ELN-60-48P and D need to have a minimum of 8 LEDs so with 36 i can get away with 4 drivers with 9 each how ever if i can get away with 24 id rather save the $so im still looking forward to the info on the 80 deg optics

 

[Taqpol]

I have the 80 degree optics, but I also have family up this weekend. Hopefully I can get the data up by Monday or Tuesday.

 

[Inconservatory]

Looking forward to the continuing progress of this thread and anxious to see the coral growth under the new lights. Good luck!

 

[Taqpol]

Here we go:

FTS with NO optics.

FTS with the new 80 Degree optics.

Old FTS with 60 degree optics.

PAR numbers for NO optics.

PAR for 80 degree.

and 60 degree PAR for reference.

For whatever reason the moment I popped the 80 degree optics I immediately fell in love with the crisp white color! There was none of the purple I had been complaining about with the 60 degrees or even the with no optics degrees that I tried today. Then I popped the 60's back on for comparison and it was the same color, just tighter and more PAR. I wonder if the LEDs needed time to burn in?

Regardless, those 80 degree numbers don't look too bad, and I would feel comfortable lighting a 4'x2' footprint tank with only two of these fixtures, especially if it was a shallow tank.

 

[Taqpol]

I also tried out something nifty.

Here is a FTS with no optics on the white bulbs and 60 degree optics on the blue bulbs.

It really concentrates the blues into the center and spreads out the coverage. If you had three fixtures and really liked a blue look this might be feasible.

Here is a FTS with 60 degree optics on the blues and 40 degree optics on the white.

I liked this color and the more intense but still balanced whites, so i took some PAR readings.

1000 PAR barely above the surface of the water! I feel like it still got good coverage, but if you are going to try and spotlight something on the sand bed, like a clam, I would mix in some 40 degree optics directly over it.