Tagging along.
Kentrob, definately look into suntubes.
Kentrob, definately look into suntubes.
DIY Luxim Plasma
- Thread starter dipan
- Start date
reef211
New member
Sup Dipan,
I saw this on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqYl0ksLlho man that plasma bulb is bright.
I saw this on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqYl0ksLlho man that plasma bulb is bright.
kentrob11
Premium Member
The tank is going to be in the basement so it would be tough to get much natural sunlight down there 
I really can't wait to see what unfolds with this and how the output compares to a similar wattage LED fixture. Right now LED's seem to be the front runner for my project...
I really can't wait to see what unfolds with this and how the output compares to a similar wattage LED fixture. Right now LED's seem to be the front runner for my project...
redfishsc
New member
I had lost track of this thread but now that I've found it, I'm bookmarking it. This should be VERY cool.
As for the color of the LED's + the Plasma, you're getting more blue than I expected you would.
I think it's gonna look nice over your tank!
Can't wait to see what it looks like.
As for the color of the LED's + the Plasma, you're getting more blue than I expected you would.
I think it's gonna look nice over your tank!
Can't wait to see what it looks like.
dipan
Member
Good to have everyone along for the ride!
Saw that too. Cherry Corals are probably one of the first to put this over a reef. Not sure if it's still there or not. I hear they have given up on plasma because of color temp ...
I'm concurrently doing an LED build and I'm with you on the idea that LED's are the future. I just hope we can figure out what works best. While many have seen good coloration, many have not. I've read posts of people actually going back to T5 or MH because of the poor colors! It might be worth your time, since you may still be building your house, to ensure that there is a decent pathway to the roof from the top of your tank for natural light. That would certainly be the cheapest! With a tank that size, even LED supplementation could get $$$. I look forward to your build. Do you have a thread already?
Saw that too. Cherry Corals are probably one of the first to put this over a reef. Not sure if it's still there or not. I hear they have given up on plasma because of color temp ...
The tank is going to be in the basement so it would be tough to get much natural sunlight down there
I'm concurrently doing an LED build and I'm with you on the idea that LED's are the future. I just hope we can figure out what works best. While many have seen good coloration, many have not. I've read posts of people actually going back to T5 or MH because of the poor colors! It might be worth your time, since you may still be building your house, to ensure that there is a decent pathway to the roof from the top of your tank for natural light. That would certainly be the cheapest! With a tank that size, even LED supplementation could get $$$. I look forward to your build. Do you have a thread already?
Wow. I saw this thread and had an epiphany. I'm playing around with replacing my t5 setup (10x3x3 tank. 24 t5 bulbs) with 400 watt mhs. The problem is the supplementation. I'm not getting enough par with 400 watters if I use XM 15ks. I was going to supplement with leds. Which becomes a mounting nightmare. I saw this and wondered if I could build the LED's into the reflector.
I went to cutter and looked up the dies you used. From what I can tell you are using CREE XPE's and not XRE-s. I'm assuming this because the only tri-mount dies I can find that are 20 mm are for the XPE's. The XRE tri mount does are 35mm. Is this correct?
I was thinking of trying to shoehorn 24 XRE Royal blues in to a lumenbright reflector. That would up the par quite considerable and let me shift down to a 10k MH bulb for even more par... all in a nice tidy package. I'd use heatsinks over the die and mount a fan over the reflector pushing air down on it.
I know MH's get hot, but I'm thinking with enough heatsink mass and a fan I could keep it under 50C which I think is the max allowed temp?
I went to cutter and looked up the dies you used. From what I can tell you are using CREE XPE's and not XRE-s. I'm assuming this because the only tri-mount dies I can find that are 20 mm are for the XPE's. The XRE tri mount does are 35mm. Is this correct?
I was thinking of trying to shoehorn 24 XRE Royal blues in to a lumenbright reflector. That would up the par quite considerable and let me shift down to a 10k MH bulb for even more par... all in a nice tidy package. I'd use heatsinks over the die and mount a fan over the reflector pushing air down on it.
I know MH's get hot, but I'm thinking with enough heatsink mass and a fan I could keep it under 50C which I think is the max allowed temp?
truebeliever71
Premium Member
Google "DIY plasma projector kit".
dipan
Member
Yep XPE Royal Blues in the 20mm 3up packages. You can get 4up and even 7up XPE MCPCB packages (the latter is 40mm) from Cutter. The heatsinks I have on there right now are rather wimpy and really designed only for a single HP LED. The fan keeps the temps down, though I'm concerned with the design as is. If the fan fails, well, no more LED's ...
tahiriqbal
Sialkot
Great work and brilliant effort. We have tested these plasma lights to light up our tunnel projects but left behind due to costs and other issues. I guess LED light spread would be very limited due to reflector being used. I understand it was to give coverage for the plasma bulb but I was wondering since PAR is very low just below 2-3 bulb and then start to get higher at greater depth. This would mean this large reflector is in fact not doing very much accept giving piggy ride to your drivers and PSU. I think you could modify your current setup and have lets say 48 x 12 x 4 flat heatsink and place your two plasma lights along with good mix of Cree XP-E royal blues. I also think it would be quite difficult to mount this current fixture and you need to be quite careful as if and when placing over the tank!!
I'm not sure of this. I'm still playing with the idea of using a lumenbrite large reflector with a 400 mh 10 or 14k bulb and then mounting 3 XPR's (Not XPE's!) in cutters 35mm packaging to each of the top 8 facets of the lumenbright.
That would be one 35mm hole per facet giving em 24 royal blue leds, with no optics. The reflector would function as the optic.
Would it be optimal? No. Would it be great for supplementation? Yes. Thats seriously more par that any type of arctinic supplementation available elsewhere unless you build some type of supplimentation rig with optics that would take up ALOT more space.
My problem is I have a 10x3x3 tank with t5 lighting. The lighting, quite frankly, it a complete pita from a maintenance standpoint and I like the flash flashy of MH ripple better. Hence the switch to MH's. If I can supplement by using the already-there reflector, I see it as a HUGE win.
The other issue is the my acrylic bracing only leaves *3* holes. I don't want to park MH's over the bracing. Thats only 1200 watts of MH light for my tank which isn't a ton. Unfortunately finding 1000 watt MH bulbs for reefs is a bit tricky so I'm kinda hosed
That would be one 35mm hole per facet giving em 24 royal blue leds, with no optics. The reflector would function as the optic.
Would it be optimal? No. Would it be great for supplementation? Yes. Thats seriously more par that any type of arctinic supplementation available elsewhere unless you build some type of supplimentation rig with optics that would take up ALOT more space.
My problem is I have a 10x3x3 tank with t5 lighting. The lighting, quite frankly, it a complete pita from a maintenance standpoint and I like the flash flashy of MH ripple better. Hence the switch to MH's. If I can supplement by using the already-there reflector, I see it as a HUGE win.
The other issue is the my acrylic bracing only leaves *3* holes. I don't want to park MH's over the bracing. Thats only 1200 watts of MH light for my tank which isn't a ton. Unfortunately finding 1000 watt MH bulbs for reefs is a bit tricky so I'm kinda hosed
dipan
Member
I'm not sure of this. I'm still playing with the idea of using a lumenbrite large reflector with a 400 mh 10 or 14k bulb and then mounting 3 XPR's (Not XPE's!) in cutters 35mm packaging to each of the top 8 facets of the lumenbright.
That would be one 35mm hole per facet giving em 24 royal blue leds, with no optics. The reflector would function as the optic.
Would it be optimal? No. Would it be great for supplementation? Yes. Thats seriously more par that any type of arctinic supplementation available elsewhere unless you build some type of supplimentation rig with optics that would take up ALOT more space.
My problem is I have a 10x3x3 tank with t5 lighting. The lighting, quite frankly, it a complete pita from a maintenance standpoint and I like the flash flashy of MH ripple better. Hence the switch to MH's. If I can supplement by using the already-there reflector, I see it as a HUGE win.
The other issue is the my acrylic bracing only leaves *3* holes. I don't want to park MH's over the bracing. Thats only 1200 watts of MH light for my tank which isn't a ton. Unfortunately finding 1000 watt MH bulbs for reefs is a bit tricky so I'm kinda hosed
First, I'm not sure what you mean by XPR ... Maybe you meant XRE? I see no XPR's on Cutter's site. The XPE is probably the best performing of the RB LED's and they are teeny tiny, allowing for the multiple LED's per MCPCB. Be careful if you pick something else other than XPE or XRE, because, as far as I can tell, these are the only two capable of 1000mA current for highest output.
As far as how efficient it would be, I guess I can't really answer that because this is really a work making slow progress for me. I'm thinking, however, unless you have a closed canopy or in-wall tank, mounting that many LED's away from the focal point of the fixture (like I did also), there will be a lot of light spill beyond the light spread of your MH bulb (which will be ideally positioned in the reflector). If your system is open up top, this probably won't look good.
I mean XRE. My bad. My fingers got twisted
I was under the impression that XRE's were the best of the lot? The XPE's being the previous generation?
My tank is built in-wall with a fishroom behind it. My build thread is in the large tank forum:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1560997&page=11
As far as the light spread, the lumenbrights have 3 sloped facets (if you don't include the flat top one). the first set looks to be at slightly less than a 45 degree angle. call it 38ish. That should bounce much light off the internal reflector limiting spread... although I'm not sure. Only way to really tell would be just to try it.
Its either that or throw 1000 watt 20k radiums in these things and just don't worry about it
I was under the impression that XRE's were the best of the lot? The XPE's being the previous generation?
My tank is built in-wall with a fishroom behind it. My build thread is in the large tank forum:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1560997&page=11
As far as the light spread, the lumenbrights have 3 sloped facets (if you don't include the flat top one). the first set looks to be at slightly less than a 45 degree angle. call it 38ish. That should bounce much light off the internal reflector limiting spread... although I'm not sure. Only way to really tell would be just to try it.
Its either that or throw 1000 watt 20k radiums in these things and just don't worry about it
tahiriqbal
Sialkot
I mean XRE. My bad. My fingers got twisted
I was under the impression that XRE's were the best of the lot? The XPE's being the previous generation?
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No!! Cree XP-G for the white and XP-E for the royal blues LEDs sir..... You may need to read some of info on LEDs in DIY section..
Reefer08
New member
Has anyone considered adding LEDS to their MH reflector while keeping the MH bulb running? Id love to run a 10k or 14k MH bulb + a ton of Cree XP-E royal blues. Is this possible? Id assume the heat from the MH bulb would be bad for the leds but id still attempt to mount the leds onto a headsink with a large fan... What do you guys think?
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