Hey all, so im considering lighting options for a 40g breeder and want to go LED. Instead of buying a fixture, I want to make my own which brings me here to all of you! Do you think that 24 LEDs would be enough? Or should I go with 36 LEDs in case I want to go SPS dominated? Also, having no experience with making a fixture before would you recommend going solderless or no? Thanks in advance!
DIY LED for 40g breeder
- Thread starter unfeazi
- Start date
Bit hard to answer without just stating an opinion, unless you provide a lot more info.
To state an opinion
I'd go with 36. If you fit a controller (arduino nano is less than $5 and there are lots of code examples you can copy and tinker with) you can always turn them down if it's too much, which is a lot easier than trying to add more LEDs to a unit designed around 24...
Tim
To state an opinion
I'd go with 36. If you fit a controller (arduino nano is less than $5 and there are lots of code examples you can copy and tinker with) you can always turn them down if it's too much, which is a lot easier than trying to add more LEDs to a unit designed around 24...
Tim
toothybugs
New member
This interests me as I'm doing a 36" tank myself and haven't been completely taken by what I'm finding. Where are you getting your kit?
mm.reefs
Member
About 10 months ago, I built a custom LED lamp for my 40B with good SPS growing results. Color still need some improvements but overall I like it a lot.
I have the following configuration:
22 RB - Cree at 1000ma
10 NW - Cree at *700ma
6 Hyper Violets - Led Group Buy at 500ma
6 True Violets - Steve LED's at 500ma
Meanwell LDD drivers (2-1000ma, 1-700ma, 1-500ma)
48V DC power supply
The NW have a big punch and if I power them to high the colors are faded, so the max I use them is 40%. My next step will be to replace 4 of these with lime LED's. I read that to our eyes, these iluminate well without shifting colors.*
One other detail of my setup is that I don't use optics and leds are installed in a three line formation, with each led as near as possible. One line of RB's, one for NW's and another for Violets. This eliminated the "disco" effect and even much of the shimmering. The tank is bare bottom and all frags I place in the bottom have great growth.
I hope this give you some good ideas to design your lamp!
I have the following configuration:
22 RB - Cree at 1000ma
10 NW - Cree at *700ma
6 Hyper Violets - Led Group Buy at 500ma
6 True Violets - Steve LED's at 500ma
Meanwell LDD drivers (2-1000ma, 1-700ma, 1-500ma)
48V DC power supply
The NW have a big punch and if I power them to high the colors are faded, so the max I use them is 40%. My next step will be to replace 4 of these with lime LED's. I read that to our eyes, these iluminate well without shifting colors.*
One other detail of my setup is that I don't use optics and leds are installed in a three line formation, with each led as near as possible. One line of RB's, one for NW's and another for Violets. This eliminated the "disco" effect and even much of the shimmering. The tank is bare bottom and all frags I place in the bottom have great growth.
I hope this give you some good ideas to design your lamp!
Three things make it easy:
1. Decent soldering iron (1st time I used a gas soldering iron and it was a PITA)
2. Leaded (low melt, preferably) solder - not lead free!
3. Tin the solder pads and wire ends first
Do that and actually soldering becomes easy
Tim
To expand on #1:
Spend a few extra bucks and get a variable wattage/temperature, soldering station not just a plug in iron, its well worth the extra few dollars, at least a 50 watt model. or one that goes up to at least 500 Degrees Celsius on the dial.
To expand on #3:
Tin the solder pads BEFORE mounting the LEDs to your heatsink, will greatly reduce the hassle of attaching the wires to the LED. Much easier to tin the pads this way, then you just melt the tinned leads onto the solder pad, Easy!
My opinion on whites, to keep it simple use a 50/50 mix of Luxeon 5000k and Luxeon 2700k 90CRI.
Provides good color rendering without washing things out and without needing to get fancy with adding reds/greens, etc.
A great starting ratio IMHO is this:
1 x Luxeon 5000k
1 x Luxeon 2700k 90CRI
1 x True Blue
1 x Royal Blue
2 x ~420nm Violet
1 x ~430nm Violet (optional, could just make this another 420nm)
This gives a roughly 10,000k look with very good coral fluorescence but not overly blue looking.
If you want a bluer look simply use a couple additional Royal Blues in the mix.
I would also go with at least around 36 LEDs, It's better to dim them or run lower current than not have enough light and have to go back and add more LEDs latter.
Provides good color rendering without washing things out and without needing to get fancy with adding reds/greens, etc.
A great starting ratio IMHO is this:
1 x Luxeon 5000k
1 x Luxeon 2700k 90CRI
1 x True Blue
1 x Royal Blue
2 x ~420nm Violet
1 x ~430nm Violet (optional, could just make this another 420nm)
This gives a roughly 10,000k look with very good coral fluorescence but not overly blue looking.
If you want a bluer look simply use a couple additional Royal Blues in the mix.
I would also go with at least around 36 LEDs, It's better to dim them or run lower current than not have enough light and have to go back and add more LEDs latter.
Definitely agree on both of these. Tinning the buggers after mounting is soooo much more hard work. After all, the whole point of mounting to the heat sink is to effectively remove heat from the LEDs :lmao:
Tim
