Finally-LEDs! Onyx from RapidLED controlled with DIM4

[neuroslicer]

This weekend seeing Carl's beautiful SPS tank illuminated by the AI Sol Super Blue LEDs got me thinking: I started growing SPS in 1995 with VHO's with very good success, and later upgraded to metal halides when I got a 120 gallon tank in 2007, also doing nicely. But the benefits of LEDs (low energy cost, low long term replacement costs, cooler temps and beautiful colors) have tempted me for quite some time. So I'm taking the plunge: RapidLED, long time seller of DIY LED kits, recently released a 28 LED dimmable unit priced not much higher than their DIY projects. It's the Onyx, and it comes as a unit with heat sink and fan, driver, power supply, and three independently controllable color channels (royal blue, cool white, and mixed/red/green/UV-violet). Three units can be daisy chained together.

http://www.rapidled.com/dimmable-onyx-by-rapid-led/

Add to that the 10% coupon offered now by RapidLED and the decision is easy!

I'll be controlling three of these units with a 4 channel programmable circuit, the DIM4 from LED Group Buy .com. There's even a channel left over to program cooling fans if need be.

The DIM4 circuit board is a pretty cool yet relatively inexpensive way to have the flexibility to program illumination times and intensities of up to four channels independently. It has capacity to gradually ramp up or down voltages to simulate sunrise and sunset.

I'll post pics and keep you up to date with progress as things proceed! Any advice for an LED noob (other than start with low intensity and slowly increase intensity!)?

Jay B.

 

[kylathwe]

Awesome, I haven't had any experience with these particular lights but I have only ever known LEDs. I started about 30% blue and white when I went with LEDs and increased about 10% each week. Over the weeks everything did fine and never had a problem, got up to about 80% and the LPS and softies still thrive. I turned it down some as I then added a stick of SPS and it bleached a bit even turning my lights down for a few days.

Biggest advice would be to almost reacclimate your tank if you ever add any SPS....they are pretty touchy whereas my other corals are a lot more resilient. Got a new fixture coming for my 90 gallon in a couple weeks, we will see how it does.

 

[BassandReef]

I look forward to updates on your progress, I have only used LEDs and I love them!

 

[neuroslicer]

A slight change in plans in setting up the three dimmable Onyx units from RapidLED. I had purchased a DIM4 circuit which is designed to ramp up and down the DC power to up to four drivers. Since some drivers still send out a small voltage to LEDs when the driver input reads zero, the DIM4 circuitry can be equipped with power interruption relays, which I bought for my units. However, it looks like these relays aren't made to easily splice into commercial driver units, so I have returned the DIM4 board, the relays and relay sockets (all cost about $125... still a great way to control DIY LED systems for the price!). Instead, I purchased two trim potentiometers, two 10 V DC power supplies, and a small circuit box all for less than $25. I have one power supply going to one trim pot, which then drives the blue LEDs at 0 - 100%, and then a second DC power supply driving the white LEDs in a similar fashion. Each channel is the hooked up to its own timer. So I've got the blue LEDs going on about 7 am and off at 8 pm, and white LEDs on at 10 am and off at 5 pm. I don't have a grdual ramping up or down of either LED channel, it's a simple all or nothing on or off, but it's still easily dimmable, and that's what's really most important in my opinion. I'm starting both channels at less than 20% of full illumination so as not to stress or bleach any of the corals, but over several weeks I'll slowly ramp up the channels until reaching satisfactory PAR levels. BTW, at full intensity PAR from these units is way more than sufficient... my living room looked like AutoZone Park at night time it was so bright! I'l post pics when I get the chance!

 

[Bbarton908]

LEDs are definitely the way to go if you figure out what's right for your tank, and get a dimmable controller. I had to get lenses because the depth of my tank. But I wouldn't get anything else.

 

[neuroslicer]

I've got them suspended 8.5 inches over my 120 gallon, with 80 degree lenses. Illuminates very well!

 

[neuroslicer]

Dimmable Onyx units from RapidLED, on are blues, violets, red and green



All colors on, 25% intensity

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DIY intensity control, two channel

 

[neuroslicer]

As I said before, the built in LED drivers are controlled by varying the input DC voltages from 0 to 10V... all you need do to calibrate the input box channels is to plug in the power supplies and using a voltmeter, make marks next to the dials where you record 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 V (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% light intensity). The three Onyx units are daisy-chained together, so the input dim box only goes to the first unit.