LED Update

[pdelcast]

I've had several requests for updates on my LED DIY project.

After 3 months of using nothing but LED lighting (a little over 1100 watts on my 300 gallon aquarium) I can report that SPS and LPS corals have both been doing extremely well under the LED lighting.

I'm using almost 4 watts per gallon, and PAR readings are in the 300 range at the bottom of the tank, and well over 1000 about 10" under the surface. Surface PAR is about 1800 - 2200.


Image of LEDs being assembled onto heat sinks:

Individual LED bars prior to scoring and cutting:

The tank, about 4 months ago -- immediately after setup:

Tank today (NOTE -- THESE are white balance adjusted. The LED color is about 18,000 Kelvin)

Right side

Left side

SO -- LEDs do work for SPS -- just need enough power for the PAR.

 

[pdelcast]

Some additional pics...

Some additional pics...

Some Acros:

Some Echinos (started from little frags -- still pretty little, but growing fast):

Big Scoly:

 

[Akito starwind]

wow looks nice. I think I missed the first topic on this, do you have a link to, it if there is one? I was wondering if you can say where you bought the LED strips?

 

[Gomer]

Re: LED Update

interested in hearing more..but 1000watts?

It looks like each bar has 10-12 LEDs and there are 8 bars. Estimate puts this at about 96 LEDs. These look like XR-Es, so assuming you are pushing them hard at 1A each, you are looking at about ~350watts. Am I missing something?

 

[pdelcast]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13706640#post13706640 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Akito starwind
wow looks nice. I think I missed the first topic on this, do you have a link to, it if there is one? I was wondering if you can say where you bought the LED strips?

Sorry- I designed and built the LED strips myself. I don't know of a source of high power LED strips like these (these are 48 watts per strip.)

 

[muzz]

As far as growth and color are concerned for the sps, did you have a tank setup under different lighting that you are comparing this too? I am just curious. Sounds like a cool project for you.

After doing this, do you find that the prices on the LED units on the market are justified? or are they overcharging? I ask, because it seems that people think or say that the prices will come down with future competition. But if they are just that expensive to make, then prices will not come down.

Your tank looks good, thanks for sharing the pics and information.

 

[pdelcast]

Here are a few pictures with white balance OFF -- so you can see what the actual LED colors look like. (NOTE - it doesn't look this blue in person -- in person it looks about halfway between the pictures above with white balance, and these pictures.)

I'm using about 3/5 blue (450nm) and 2/5 White (8000K)

 

[pdelcast]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13706701#post13706701 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by muzz
As far as growth and color are concerned for the sps, did you have a tank setup under different lighting that you are comparing this too? I am just curious. Sounds like a cool project for you.

After doing this, do you find that the prices on the LED units on the market are justified? or are they overcharging? I ask, because it seems that people think or say that the prices will come down with future competition. But if they are just that expensive to make, then prices will not come down.

Your tank looks good, thanks for sharing the pics and information.

I've run several different kinds of tanks in the past -- T12 +MH, T5 +MH, T5 alone.

The growth under 4 watts / gallon LEDs is most similar to T5+MH with about 8-10 watts / gallon total. The LEDs are producing a lot more PAR / watt than either the T5 or MH, but I think it is the lack of reflectors (and their losses) that makes the most difference.

I recently added a single red LED (3 watts) for every 2' of LED strips (where I normally have 168 watts of blue and white) to give a little more red spectrum -- I think the red spectrum was a little too low (reds looked a little brownish rather than red)


LEDs will come down in price -- but don't expect it to happen quickly. In the long run, LEDs actually cost less -- both in lifetime (50,000 + hours) and in electricity costs.

I payed about $1.00 / watt for my LED fixtures (LED, ballast, extrusions, wiring, etc...) but I also had about $5,000+ in NRE (non-recurring engineering) charges -- and I spent about 40 hours designing the LED bars, and about 100 hours designing the ballasts. BUT, what I got is a zero-maintenance fixture that outperforms (PAR wise) over double the wattage of MH and T5.


Quick picture of Reds under LEDs (now with a little more red) -- this looked almost brown without the red LEDs.

 

[pdelcast]

Re: Re: LED Update

Re: Re: LED Update

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13706677#post13706677 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gomer
interested in hearing more..but 1000watts?

It looks like each bar has 10-12 LEDs and there are 8 bars. Estimate puts this at about 96 LEDs. These look like XR-Es, so assuming you are pushing them hard at 1A each, you are looking at about ~350watts. Am I missing something?

There are 4 bars of 12 LEDs every foot, for a total of 32 bars, and 384 LEDs.


Here's a pic of the reflection of the bars on the water surface. -- This is 4' of the 8' 300 gallon.

 

[Akito starwind]

that is Interesting. From what you have said it sounds like you have put alot of work into the L.E.D set ups. If its not to much trouble can you post a DIY set up for it? Like where you got the LEDs and other items? Im sure you made some stuff so others just cant go out and buy it. but some thing others can try to make off your Hard work designs? are these the LEDs you used?
http://www.theledlight.com/Cree-LED.html
or is their a better site that has them? I would like to Try and make some thing like this.

 

[Gomer]

That makes more sense. I was using the top image set to guess #of bars (using the new picture, I was visioning front to back bars but those shadows were the fans). Are those Cree XR-E? You mentioned Red LEDs. XR-C? What is your final ratio of royal blue/white/reds?

I've played a fair bit with LEDs and am tempted to start it up again

 

[pdelcast]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13706925#post13706925 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Akito starwind
that is Interesting. From what you have said it sounds like you have put alot of work into the L.E.D set ups. If its not to much trouble can you post a DIY set up for it? Like where you got the LEDs and other items? Im sure you made some stuff so others just cant go out and buy it. but some thing others can try to make off your Hard work designs? are these the LEDs you used?
http://www.theledlight.com/Cree-LED.html
or is their a better site that has them? I would like to Try and make some thing like this.

Yes, they are Cree XRE Leds. (I'm using a few XR reds as well.) 384 LEDs over the 300 gallon, and 144 LEDs over the 90 gallon.

(On tape and reel the XRE Leds are a LOT CHEAPER than what that website sells them for... less than $3 / each.)

I pretty much designed and built everything myself (LED strips are single layer thermagon/aluminum circuit boards -- fully custom, and ballasts are custom made AC/DC constant current 100V/900ma.) They are dimmable, and PWMable... but I haven't had time to work on a controller yet.

I design high power motor controls for a living, so LEDs and ballast design was pretty easy. Did take a long time to design the circuits and circuit boards -- and there was a few things to learn (like -- splashing salt water on a open ballast is a BAD thing -- makes the PFC capacitors die a horrible death!)


I had a complete build thread in the DIY area (4 or 5 months ago) -- but it's gone now. Not sure if it got archived or deleted...


Here is a closeup of the LED bars:

And a view of a partial panel of bars (ready to be scored and cut apart)

Pictures of completed panels fresh from the assembly line:

 

[pdelcast]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13706951#post13706951 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gomer
That makes more sense. I was using the top image set to guess #of bars (using the new picture, I was visioning front to back bars but those shadows were the fans). Are those Cree XR-E? You mentioned Red LEDs. XR-C? What is your final ratio of royal blue/white/reds?

I've played a fair bit with LEDs and am tempted to start it up again

Well, I'm still playing with the LED ratios -- but I like 18w/28b/2r (8000K white/450nm blue/red.)

 

[muzz]

Thanks for the information. I have no idea how to build a led light, so the technical jargon is way over my head. But the pictures look great. Job well done,

 

[Akito starwind]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13706956#post13706956 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pdelcast
Yes, they are Cree XRE Leds. (I'm using a few XR reds as well.) 384 LEDs over the 300 gallon, and 144 LEDs over the 90 gallon.

(On tape and reel the XRE Leds are a LOT CHEAPER than what that website sells them for... less than $3 / each.)

I pretty much designed and built everything myself (LED strips are single layer thermagon/aluminum circuit boards -- fully custom, and ballasts are custom made AC/DC constant current 100V/900ma.) They are dimmable, and PWMable... but I haven't had time to work on a controller yet.

I design high power motor controls for a living, so LEDs and ballast design was pretty easy. Did take a long time to design the circuits and circuit boards -- and there was a few things to learn (like -- splashing salt water on a open ballast is a BAD thing -- makes the PFC capacitors die a horrible death!)


I had a complete build thread in the DIY area (4 or 5 months ago) -- but it's gone now. Not sure if it got archived or deleted...

That would be great to find them cheaper. I did not see them anywhere on a roll tho. Is that something I would have to e-mail them or am I just missing it on the web site?

 

[leakytank]

Isn't it alot easier just to go with these?
violation

 

[Akito starwind]

For a 60" long tank it would cost me 3,500$ for L.E.D lights to buy. I like how they look but It seems with the cost of the Items into it Its at lest a 50% mark up in Price. I would rather build it my self and save like 1,800$.

 

[pdelcast]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13709092#post13709092 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Akito starwind
That would be great to find them cheaper. I did not see them anywhere on a roll tho. Is that something I would have to e-mail them or am I just missing it on the web site?

You have to buy them on tape and reel from an electronics distributor like Arrow or Avnet.

www.arrownac.com
www.avnet.com

 

[pdelcast]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13710049#post13710049 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by leakytank
Isn't it alot easier just to go with these?
xxxxx

Sure -- If I wanted all my acros to die from lack of light, and if I wanted to spend WAY too much money killing my corals, I'd consider those lights.

 

[lynxvs]

pdelcast,
I'm impressed with your light, I too have built my own light. I'm curious why you don't have any optics on the LED. Also when you say you built your own LED driver did you use discrete componants or an IC? I use a constant current LED driver IC but found the PCB layout to be the most critical part because of thermal issues.