# LED fixture, work or not?



## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

I would be skeptical of it being enough light for a 7.4 gallon tank. It is a cool concept and all, but I can't see the light output being enough for a planted tank. The only aspect that I think would be pretty decent is that you would get full coverage as far as lighting is concerned. Shouldn't be any dim spots.

It would be an interesting thing to try though, and if so it would warrant a detailed and documented thread to journey its success or failure.


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## phatpanduh (Feb 17, 2008)

For $60 you could get a higher quality light, but if you have the money to burn on an experiment...

I would go with something else


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

i believe it should be enuff, seeing how on tanks, companies state that (jsut this one company), 11 watts=100 watts, but i believe that amount of watts it is equal to is in incandescent, correct? if it is equivalent to about 30+ watts of flourescent, i am buying this sucker, and maybe more later


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

phatpanduh said:


> For $60 you could get a higher quality light, but if you have the money to burn on an experiment...
> 
> I would go with something else


in the long run, LEDS (depending how well made or kelvin) will save you in the long run, using small amounts of power for a large amount of light.


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

fishman9809 said:


> i believe it should be enuff, seeing how on tanks, companies state that (jsut this one company), 11 watts=100 watts, but i believe that amount of watts it is equal to is in incandescent, correct? if it is equivalent to about 30+ watts of flourescent, i am buying this sucker, and maybe more later



Watts are a measure of power consumption, not light output. Ultimately, you are looking for the par rating of the light which I doubt VERY highly that you will be able to obtain. I say this because they list the color as 6000K - 7000K. That, IMO, is a pretty large range to say it "falls" into.

I am anxious to see what some other people might think about this fixture and the possiblity of it being any good for a tank. Or you trying it and letting us know.


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## reddragon1977 (May 30, 2007)

please start a journal! I have looked everywhere for anyone using LED's and am looking for reviews on current products. Im not trying to steal the thread but how does one calculate the colour range of a bulb? (without reading on the package) Is absolute white or "daylight" 10000K?


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## pvtschultz (Jun 17, 2008)

The problem that I have with LEDs is that they are monochromatic (one color) so they mix three of them together (Red, Blue, and UV which produces "white" light via interaction with phospors). My opinion is that they are well suited for night lights but not really for replicating sun light. I could be wrong as to the photosythetic reaction of the plants to LEDs and more experimentation might be warrented, but I don't have $60 to dump on them.


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## pvtschultz (Jun 17, 2008)

reddragon1977 said:


> please start a journal! I have looked everywhere for anyone using LED's and am looking for reviews on current products. Im not trying to steal the thread but how does one calculate the colour range of a bulb? (without reading on the package) Is absolute white or "daylight" 10000K?


Color temperature and color are relative to say the least. Generally "white" light is around 10,000K, a dark blue is 20,000K, and a more yellow light is 6,500K (which is the general temperature of sunlight).


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

It would be interesting to do a real experiment with duplicate tanks using different lighting, and then compare the growth. That would probably be pricey, but it would be of interest to a lot of people.


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## MarioMaster (Jul 31, 2008)

pvtschultz said:


> The problem that I have with LEDs is that they are monochromatic (one color) so they mix three of them together (Red, Blue, and UV which produces "white" light via interaction with phospors). My opinion is that they are well suited for night lights but not really for replicating sun light. I could be wrong as to the photosythetic reaction of the plants to LEDs and more experimentation might be warrented, but I don't have $60 to dump on them.


White LEDs actually use high power blue LEDs coated with a phosphor that absorbs the blue light and releases white light (similar to how florescent lights work)


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

this is a tough decision because it looks amazing and is not THAT expensive, they sell plant growing pads, so it must work, the question is now, is it enough light for my 30c.


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

Yeah, but there is a company that sells a Carbo plus device that suplements aquariums with carbon. They have been selling it for years now, and for years it has continued to be a turd. I wouldn't necessarily buy into it because they are selling other plant related stuff. That is their selling angle anyway.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

ARGH, if only more people used LED, then we would know for sure the ratings and things. this isreally hard, i would try it for you guys, but i dont wanna waste the money, and it looks very very nice!


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## reddragon1977 (May 30, 2007)

im going to be "making" my lights out of an old traffic light. The LED's are clear so im hoping 10000K ill let you know once its up and going. My brother is the electrical engineer so he will be doing it and i will be watching so i cant take any credit


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## MarioMaster (Jul 31, 2008)

reddragon1977 said:


> im going to be "making" my lights out of an old traffic light. The LED's are clear so im hoping 10000K ill let you know once its up and going. My brother is the electrical engineer so he will be doing it and i will be watching so i cant take any credit


you do know that LEDs that are clear when off can be any color when on right? since you said it came from a traffic light the leds are probably green/yellow/red and not white as you're hoping


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

I could be wrong, but I thought the lights were all the same with the cover being colored. Kind of how lights at the rear of a car is. It's the cover that determines the color, not the bulbs themselves.

_Yes, I know car bulbs aren't LEDs. It's the concept of where the color comes from that I was pointing out, not trying to compare car bulbs with LEDs._


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## MarioMaster (Jul 31, 2008)

Complexity said:


> I could be wrong, but I thought the lights were all the same with the cover being colored. Kind of how lights at the rear of a car is. It's the cover that determines the color, not the bulbs themselves.
> 
> _Yes, I know car bulbs aren't LEDs. It's the concept of where the color comes from that I was pointing out, not trying to compare car bulbs with LEDs._


Yeah and I'm sure that's what he was thinking, but doing this with LEDs would actually be more costly vs just using LEDs that emit a color by themselves as white LEDs cost more than ones that are just a single color as they require a phosphor to create the white light


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## reddragon1977 (May 30, 2007)

my understanding is that the the bulbs are clear so that they can be interchangeable behind the colour filter. no point of having excess material on hands for a specific application. One bulb for all!


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## MarioMaster (Jul 31, 2008)

reddragon1977 said:


> my understanding is that the the bulbs are clear so that they can be interchangeable behind the colour filter. no point of having excess material on hands for a specific application. One bulb for all!


this would actually be less efficient as you'd be wasting light (being absorbed by the color filter) when you could get a specific led that only emits the color you want

an easy way to tell if the LEDs light up white: look at them from the top, if you see yellow inside they're white leds


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

MarioMaster said:


> Yeah and I'm sure that's what he was thinking, but doing this with LEDs would actually be more costly vs just using LEDs that emit a color by themselves as white LEDs cost more than ones that are just a single color as they require a phosphor to create the white light


That may be true, but since when is our government efficient with our money? If they will pay 5K for a wrench, what's a little wasted light?

Perhaps there's more than one kind of red light. I'm just going off of my own personal observation when a light gets broken. Again, just like a car with a broken cover, the light inside is clear white, not colored. It's only the cover that has the color.

Hopefully reddragon1977 will post back to let us know if he ended up with white LEDs or colored ones from the traffic light fixture.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

MarioMaster said:


> this would actually be less efficient as you'd be wasting light (being absorbed by the color filter) when you could get a specific led that only emits the color you want
> 
> an easy way to tell if the LEDs light up white: look at them from the top, if you see yellow inside they're white leds


Only less efficient for the user. Much more efficient for the manufacturer, especially since then you have to buy more accessories to get the effect you want.

Fish, I think you'd need to spend an arm and a leg to get LEDs that will actually put out enough usable light to grow plants. The demand isn't there quite yet, so they aren't being manufactured except for high-end specialty applications (read $$$). Most LEDs currently on the market are designed for low wattage consumption and not for high light applications. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd end up with more usable light from incandescents.


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## reddragon1977 (May 30, 2007)

i kinda found the answer, but im having difficulty finding lumen output

http://www.cee1.org/gov/led/led-how.pdf


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## reddragon1977 (May 30, 2007)

more jargon if anyone i interested (copied from another website)

Where some of those really impressive lumen per watt figures for LEDs come from!

I remember seeing "luminous efficacy" in LED datasheets, with really impressive numbers. And these numbers were always high, even back around 1980. Yellowish green LEDs always had numbers around 600 lumens per watt for this. The catch is that this is the luminous efficacy of the emitted light, a characteristic of the emitted light used for converting between radiometric units (watts) and photometric units (lumens). Divide the millicandela by this figure to get milliwatts per steradian. Divide the mW/steradian by the square of the distance (from the LED) in meters to get milliwatts per square meter.
Any wavelength of visible light has a characteristic lumen/watt luminous efficacy figure. This is approx. 683 lumens/watt times the Photopic Function of that wavelength. Light having more than one wavelength would have a luminous efficacy which is an average of those of all wavelengths present, with weighting for the amount of light present at each wavelength.

"White LED light" has typically roughly rough-ballpark 300 (often a little less) lumens per radiated watt, with one recently announced especially efficient prototype having 331 lumens per radiated watt (and "only" 91.7 lumens per input watt, meaning 27.7% efficiency of converting electricity to light). A more recent still laboratory prototype white LED (announced 12/22/2006) achieving 150 lumens out per watt in probably has slightly higher lumens out per watt in by having a more favorable more yellowish shade of white (but more "pure white" than yellowish, 4600 Kelvin color temperature) than most white LEDs including the 91.7 lm/W one, so I guesstimate 350 lumens out per watt out, so 150 lumens out per watt in is about 43% efficiency of converting electrical energy to light.

Bottom line: LEDs with datasheets claiming 150-600 lumens per watt are specifying lumens per watt of light output, not lumens per watt of electrical input.


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## reddragon1977 (May 30, 2007)

comparason for types of bulbs and useable lumen output

http://electronicdesign.com/Files/29/13982/Table_01.gif


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## reddragon1977 (May 30, 2007)

finally for the do it yourselfer

http://www.theledlight.com/led_power.html


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

reddragon1977 said:


> comparason for types of bulbs and useable lumen output
> 
> http://electronicdesign.com/Files/29/13982/Table_01.gif


I take it the Cree lights listed are LEDs? Based on that chart, the selling point for those LEDs is longevity, not lumen per watt output. 

I'd say T5HOs are still the way to go!


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## reddragon1977 (May 30, 2007)

Your probabbly right that the T5's are the way to go but i dont want to rule anything out. Im tired of being taken advantage of by companies that get me to but their products with great marketing when cheaper and potentially better options are out there. with the cost of LED's dropping on average 20% a year, this could be a real consideration for efficient and inexpensive lighting so that we can pour our hard earned cash into other aspects of the planted tank or better yet MORE tanks!


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## ingg (Jan 18, 2007)

I sent them a note and asked for output, either of the LED bulbs, or the fixture. Got a response back that it is about 400 lumens.

No way they are getting that out of one LED, so it has to be the total fixture.

Assuming you could find 12" T5HO, just one bulb'd blow this thing away, right?


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## reddragon1977 (May 30, 2007)

While talking to my brother he has told me that they are actually making the LED's more efficient and they are continually using less for the same effect. As for the T5 bulb i am not sure but please start a journal if you go ahead so we can all learn more about this


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

either way, i have not seen a 12 inch T5HO fixture, it would blow this away, but this fixture would give coverage that would just blow all other fixtuers away.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

They've got smaller T2s on the market- have you checked out these?

http://www.bartcolighting.com/searc...-&application=--+All+--&submit.x=0&submit.y=0


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

well, i may buy one and test it for u guys, its 65 bucks, but if its good, i'll last me for 10 yrs of light 

the light has a 1 month guarantee, so if it doesnt wrk, i MAY be able to return.


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

fishman9809 said:


> well, i may buy one and test it for u guys, its 65 bucks, but if its good, i'll last me for 10 yrs of light
> 
> the light has a 1 month guarantee, so if it doesnt wrk, i MAY be able to return.


It would make a cool light for a vivarium if it turns out being a turd for an aquarium.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

hmmmm, a reason for a new project ..........


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

i just thot of sumthing :



> DESCRIPTION:Quality built ALL White 225 LED Aquarium and Grow Light Panel This 12 by 12 inch LED panel has 225 super bright white LEDs. It is powerful enough to light a room yet consumes only 13.8 Watts !


fromt he website, i know that LEDs produce more light than flourescent in size ratio, and if it is already 13.8 watts for the whole board, would it still be a lot of light and great temperature, so my belief is that is will grow plants, its jsut a matter of how well.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

reveiw from an AAPE member:



> I have been testing the LED model for over 3 - 4 months now on my 55g. which is CO2 injected via canister, use Excel daily, Kent micro every other, and has a substrate mix of Shulz aquatic, Eco complete, and laterite. I always had good growth and the algae b4 with CF burning either the full 260w in four bulbs or half that.
> 
> I wanted to save on heat, energy use, and get the LED life span. So, I put 3 12x12 in panels with 2/3 red and 1/3 blue spectrum onto the glass cover. To see the fish, I went with a 24 in. white led bar from LEDtronics. I've gone with the same light period as I had with CF - 5 hrs in the morning, 2 hr siesta, 6 hrs at eve/night.
> 
> ...


\
mite have been jstu him tho......

i am thinking of getting high output HEDs from CREE or Luxeon, but i would need about 50 LEDS and each is 7.99 USD, and then i need a driver and heat sink :/


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

ingg said:


> I sent them a note and asked for output, either of the LED bulbs, or the fixture. Got a response back that it is about 400 lumens.
> 
> No way they are getting that out of one LED, so it has to be the total fixture.
> 
> Assuming you could find 12" T5HO, just one bulb'd blow this thing away, right?


dang, i assume thats not enuff for a 30c? :icon_eek:


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

A 55 is a heck of a lot deeper than a 30 cm cube tank. I'm using a desk lamp with a 23 watt spiral PC (daylight) in it to light mine. Glosso grows flat, L. arcuarta is red, chain swords and lilliopsis (micro) are getting tangled up. It's rated for around 1400 lumens but in this fixture there is surely a huge loss from restrike. You might be a tad short at 400 lumens but the spread will be better.

I use a different kind of LED lights on another aquarium. Stuff grows, so it keeps me happy.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

You're going to want high ouput LEDs, ie; Cree, Luxeon, LEDS from Seoul Semiconductors if you're wanting LEDs for an aquarium.

Here's a DIY LED thread for you: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/.../46308-placeholder-diy-led-fixture-oh-ya.html

Don't expect to spend less than $100 on it though.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

SCMurphy said:


> A 55 is a heck of a lot deeper than a 30 cm cube tank. I'm using a desk lamp with a 23 watt spiral PC (daylight) in it to light mine. Glosso grows flat, L. arcuarta is red, chain swords and lilliopsis (micro) are getting tangled up. It's rated for around 1400 lumens but in this fixture there is surely a huge loss from restrike. You might be a tad short at 400 lumens but the spread will be better.
> 
> I use a different kind of LED lights on another aquarium. Stuff grows, so it keeps me happy.


they say this thing is only 400 lumens all together :/



epicfish said:


> You're going to want high ouput LEDs, ie; Cree, Luxeon, LEDS from Seoul Semiconductors if you're wanting LEDs for an aquarium.
> 
> Here's a DIY LED thread for you: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/.../46308-placeholder-diy-led-fixture-oh-ya.html
> 
> Don't expect to spend less than $100 on it though.


yea, i was going to make my own, bu i would need like 50 LED's that are Luxeon, and they are each 7.99 :icon_eek:

then my dad doesnt wanna drive 50 holes, lol, then i would need a heatsink and a driver


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

I consider this in a basic, logical sense. Each manufacturer is after our money. When they find something that works better than what's being offered already, they typically will market it, either as a low budget option or a high tech/high price option.

The stronger LEDs have been around a while — long enough for any lighting manufacturer to develop tank lighting with them.

But they haven't.

I think that's due to one of two things. Either it simply does not work well (at any price) or it's too costly to make it work well.

Hopefully, something like LEDs will be in our futures, but I don't think it's happening yet. The LEDs are either too dim or too expensive to compete with the current market.

At least that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. :hihi:


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

Complexity said:


> Hopefully, something like LEDs will be in our futures, but I don't think it's happening yet. The LEDs are either too dim or too expensive to compete with the current market.


If someone ever develops a fixture that uses the same LED technology as I have seen in some flashlights, that will break the new ground you are talking about. Some of the light coming from those flashlights is blinding. Get about 30 or 40 of those with some decent reflectors and you would have some serious light.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

There is a very bright aquarium led fixture, bright enough for reef tanks....the solaris


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

thats like 1000 bucks


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

Wow, looks really nice!

http://www.solarisled.com/

But then look at the price! Only a mere $2,789 to light up my 75g tank. 

https://www.pfolighting.com/solaris-buy-now.aspx


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

havent talked in this thread for a while. ive been having ideas.

http://cgi.ebay.com/PAR20-LED-CREE-...20706QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713.m153.l1262

http://cgi.ebay.com/JDR-LED-CREE-PA...hZ009QQcategoryZ20706QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

those bulbs in something like this:

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=12107579&RN=576

it would be cheap, long lasting, bright, LED lighting. i was thinking of doing something like that with cree LED bulbs like that, but the thickness of the DIY fixture would be huge.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Why do you say cheap? I mean don't expect to light up a tank with a 2 Watt LED bulb. It is a common misconception that these will put out way more light than a fluorescent bulb. Of course they are bright if you look directly into them, but they are not the overwhelmingly efficient, cold light of the future that some think they are.

I replaced some halogen bulbs in my living room with 3W LEDs. It looks cool, and tremendously reduces energy consumption (5x 3W vs 5x 20W) but it is also very dark. Okay to spotlight pictures and such, but definitely not enough to read etc.

Anyway back on topic, if you need to buy a bunch of them to light your tank it won't come cheap. Four of those 3W bulbs you linked to will cost you around $100... a lot compared to some fluorescent solution.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

i am thinking of buying 15x 1w Luxeon stars with 120 lm output, so i can get about the same lumen amount as a 36 watt PC bulb. i cant find a website with heatsinks for indicidual leds though.


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i made a "moon" light out a 1w led(it's way brighter than 2 3/4w moon lights though). i think to really light up the whole tank i would need about 15 of them. although i don't think you'd need to spend that much to make it work. you'd have to find a supplier that get you exactly what you need.


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

fishman9809 said:


> i am thinking of buying 15x 1w Luxeon stars with 120 lm output, so i can get about the same lumen amount as a 36 watt PC bulb. i cant find a website with heatsinks for indicidual leds though.



you could epoxy them to a piece of aluminum... you don't a reflector either.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

no reflector is one of its perks 

only think is, an aluminum sheet is enough to act as a heat sink? i was thinking of making it super slim, and attaching a piece of acrylic to the aluminum an dhave drillings for the LEDS, and hang it from the ceiling. this is going to be a fun project


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

i would think that you'd only need a about a square inch aluminum at 1/16" per led. those 1w leds don't get that hot. as far as the fixture would go, i would think it best to make it hallow so you could put a small fan in there if you need to. just a thought though...


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

wont the aluminum conduct the electricity of the cable becasue it is so close to the wiring?


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

not if you insulate your wiring properly.

oh, i see the problem now. hummmmm... i forgot that the led i used was already on a circit(sp?) board. and that mead it easy. do you have a pic of the leds that your going to use? that may help.

after looking at the light i made, i had a thought. maybe you could use a much narrower piece of aluminum. just big enough so that you could epoxy the base of the led to it and would have room to do the wiring along the sides. idk 

dude... that's going to be a lot of work! + a lot of soldering! good luck, i would really like to see this done.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

its going to be a buncha luxeon stars, these:










do you think that if i jsut put them on a piece of acrylic there would be too much heat?


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

^so this is one piece? ok, that makes things a little easier. you might be able to get away with just a fan(or maybe no fan). but the heat they produce will probably warp the acrylic so you're going to need to figure out how to make it more rigid. may a tin piece of acrylic bonded to a piece of aluminum?

edit - i ment to post just one led, ohps...


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

hmm, i wanted the acrylic so when i built it, everyone could see the inside, and how it was made, so it would be a good DIY thread.

i think polycarbonate will bend under heat too, or was it humidity?


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

i'll use polycarbonate, it can stand up to 280* fahrenheit and i think the led goes to 76* Celsius in full heat. what happens if an LED overheats?


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## youareafever (Mar 18, 2008)

it stops working for good. 

if you use a heat sink that is insulated with a poor heat transfer at the parts were it is to touch the acrylic id think u will be fine. 

wat are u gonna use to drive the LEDs?


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

no idea yet, got any ideas what i should run it by? each is 4 volts i think. what do you mean by "if you use a heat sink that is insulated with a poor heat transfer at the parts were it is to touch the acrylic id think u will be fine."?


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

i cant find any heat sinks for single leds (1w leds), or even larger ones, i was planning on having 3 heatsinks, 1" inch high extrusions, 8.5" wide and 4.75" long, but i have yet to find anything.


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

if i were you i would order one and go from there. it is a lot easier to figure something like this out if you have something to hold in your hand and look at.









^ for all we know this guy might have a built in heat sink on the back. it sure looks like it might.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

7w of PC vs. 7x1w of CREE LED


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

btw, i want this because its much cheaper, the luxeon rebel, but i have no idea what this thing is at the top:

http://www.luxeonstar.com/luxeon-rebel-led-cool-white-lambertian-130-lm-700ma-p-165.php

go to the picture and theres like a 2nd led, i dont know :/


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Sounds like a cool build


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

it would be cooler if i knew how to wire stuff!


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

what is that? i've never seem a led on a led before... that's weird.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

exactly, its only 4.09 for 135 lumens at 700mA, so its a better deal, but i dont know what that is.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

oldpunk78 said:


> what is that? i've never seem a led on a led before... that's weird.


I believe that it is the actual light emitting diode
actually, nevermind, that is in the middle. Maybe that is some kind of fuse?
or is it a photowhatchamacallit, you know, the little light sensors?


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

but then whats the middle dot? lol


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

it might have something to do with making the light color. send luxeon an e-mail and ask.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

It looks like it has some kind of lens whatever it is. There is a guy over at Aquaria Central that is making an led fixture for his 29 gallon I believe


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

tight, i should join aquaria central too, but im already a member of 7 forums 

this is a trial tank basically, going to try to grow bits of HC and elatine triandra. its going to be iwagumi, if its a success, im going to try and make lights for my 30c and future 60p too


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## merk1_99 (Nov 11, 2008)

To learn how to build with LEDs go to nano-reef.com and look at Evil66's threads in the lighting forum. I am planning on building a LED fixture with Cree's for a sea horse tank. For heat sinks go to heatsinkusa.com


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## merk1_99 (Nov 11, 2008)

Mount them directly on a heat sink. You need the heat sink for passive cooling otherwise the led will burn out. You may need to use fans to actively cool them as well. Depends on the qty of LEDs.


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

just as a gauge of light output, here is my one watt terra-lux moon light(my phone doesn't do it justice though...)


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

things to buy list:

15x 1w leds: http://cgi.ebay.com/5-Prolight-1W-H...66954QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262


26awg hookup wire: http://www.siriuselectronics.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=162

Rosin core 60/40 solder: http://www.buyhardwaresupplies.com/hardware_supplies.cfm?t=5&itemNumber=24636

heatsink: http://heatsinkusa.com/85quot-wide-profile-heatsi85.html

driver http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13691

and of course, a fan  : http://www.xsfan.com/index.php?main...id=221&zenid=8e68227636ded8929d2d66b80e04787b


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## youareafever (Mar 18, 2008)

http://www.nanotuners.com/index.php?cPath=71

howz bout these drivers?


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

I did not read the whole thread, but just to say my friend has led's over her 210 gal reef tank, with hard corals and others. The color of her corals is mind blowing. She has the Solaris, it has a computer so you can ramp the lights up or set it to the seasons, etc.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

yea, but its like 2000+, so i'll stick with diy, i cant change the brightness with this driver, but i think with a planted tank it shoudl be ok.


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

I was just saying, the potential is there. I realize the fixture from solaris is pricey. I think Led's are great is all I was saying. She has these cool Current LED's at her shop. They connect to each other, and I think you can run up to 4 together. They are neat looking, and inexpensive.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

i just love leds cuz they last 5 years of conitinuous use and use 1/2 the enrgy appr. of, say, PC


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

My husband has put led's on his truck.He does mobile tractor/trailer repair, so some are for emergency, some as worklights on the back, turn signals,markers. They are so bright you can't look at them.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

still nothing has been bought, im waiting to sell my wii for the money. the first thing i should probably buy is the leds, the wiring, then the heatsink, then the driver, and then the aesthetics (acrylic).


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

This project is being canceled, or at least on a 45p, I'm going to set up an experimental VIVARIUM, but i have no idea how high the luminous output will have to be to grow red bromeliads. maybe clwatkins10 can chime in?


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