LED's for Greg

[Agu]

I offered to email you the link but I'm too lazy to look up your email.

Here's the site for cheap LED lighting for moonlights,

Auto Illumination

I'm using the three LED units and they're really good. They're over open saltwater and have been running flawlessly for two years even though they're covered with salt creep.

 

[Ah64av8tor]

Agu,

Thanks. that is a lot of leds,

 

[Agu]

I've tried the LEDs from Autozone and Target and they burned out in a matter of weeks.

All my 12 volt transformers are from "junk" stores, picked them up for 50 cents each.

 

[Ah64av8tor]

I have plenty of old cell phone chargers too.

I haven't looked into it that deeply, but I thought that there were different color temp bulbs available.

 

[Ah64av8tor]

How many would I need for moon lighting on the 150?

 

[Agu]

On your tank I'd go with the 48" LED light tube , scroll down that page to find it.

These LEDs are set up for 12 volts , my cell phone charger is 4.5 volts. I'm not sure what underpowering them would do. I know that overpowering them causes premature failure.


I've also heard there are various color temps available, but with moonlighting I don't think it's an issue. You're not supplying enough light to affect coral/algae growth imo.

fwiw,

 

[lookout888]

If you are diy and the leds are only lasting a few weeks you need to make sure you have resisters and make sure they are the right ones. That will cause the led to burn out very quick.

Mike

 

[badpacket]

OK, this has been mentioned before but here goes.
Wall warts typically indicate an output voltage and max current in ma.
A lot of people get a big wall wart that can put out 500 or 1000ma, and run several LEDs off of it. The problem is that these wall warts are cheap, and 'unregulated', to provide the max current they list at the voltage they indicate, running a low current draw device/s results in the wart putting out a higher voltage, ie a 12v/500ma wart running 2-3 20-30ma LED may have an output voltage of 14-15v, not the 12v it says it does. Dans Data mentioned this several years ago, and it still seems to be true.
So, when running LED's, figure out the total ma/current required, and try to get a wall wart sized close to that. If running 3x30ma LED's, try to get a wart that puts out ~200-250ma. And, if you are making your own moonlights from LED's, google for LED calculator to figure out the size resistor you need. You can run moonlights off of a 6, 7.5, 9, 12, and higher volt power supplies, however you need to change the resistors used, and acept the fact that the higher the voltage, the energy is probably being wasted dropping that voltage across the resistors than is actually powering your LEDs.
I have not looked at any cell phone chargers, not sure if they are better regulated, though I suspect they are.

http://forums.makezine.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=1365

 

[Agu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9129473#post9129473 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lookout888
If you are diy and the leds are only lasting a few weeks you need to make sure you have resisters and make sure they are the right ones. That will cause the led to burn out very quick.

Mike

That's the beauty of the Auto illumination LEDs, they're plug and play IME. You just need to get the appropriate "wall wart". Just checked one of mine and they're 12 v 500ma pushing a 3 LED moonlights. Both have been running for months without any problem.