???Questions about LED's for my 24''/24'' cube

[WT_JayJay]

Just got my 50 cube up and running! its 24"/24"/20". Looking into doing a DIY led fixture. Do you guys think 24leds spaced out on a 6"/9" heatsink would be good enough for sps assuming i go that rought? Guess it really depends on optics but if I just do lps i know it will be an awsome light.

Also whats the best way to get a 14k color temp? I know double the blues vs whites is sapposed to but whats the atvantage of adding red, yellows, and greens? Would just throwing a few of those in with 24 total really make much of a differnce?

 

[seanathen]

reds grow algae, avoid them like the plague!

 

[seanathen]

also, I keep posting on here to get info about diy LED lighting, and noone seems to want to offer any help. I'm guessing it's because nobody really knows for sure and most people are winging it from the hip and then adjusting things as their corals thrive or die.....

 

[gveng]

it really depends on what you want to keep but with a 24"x24" footprint i would recommend at least a 50w LED fixture, meaning at least 50 1watt LEDs. right now, the only choices with led colors you have is yellowish white, white w/ a blue tint, and more blue. yellowish white is achieved with all white leds, white with a blue tint is achieved with a 1:1 white/blue led ratio, and more blue is achieved with a 1:2 white/blue led ratio. i personally think for a 20" high tank you don't need optics.

that is the jest of it, obviously there are other opinions and other options like using RED leds, dimmable drivers, optics, etc... but i haven't seen anything supporting the reds yet. so i say stick to the white and blue leds.

there are plenty of threads on here about LEDS, just search.