# Diy led strips??



## Seofirosu Muramasa (Nov 24, 2018)

This is for a low tech aquarium (750l 200cm x 60cm width x 60 cm height) so I don't need very strong lightning but it is important for me to have a lightning that brings out the colors on my fish. Since I have some difficulty finding a decent and cheap led lightning in my country (Greece) the most suitable solution for me (in terms of colors-low energy consumption-easy to add in my current hood-doesn't produce a lot of heat-super cheap) would be to add some led strips. The main problem is, I heard that they lose their brightness over a medium period of time, is this true even with the latest led strips like 5630 or later? I wanted to avoid going for power leds if possible, just not sure how effective led strips are going to be for me (even with 6 strips on top).


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## Surf (Jun 13, 2017)

I am using 12V LED light strips in my aquarium. I installed them about 3 years ago. There has been no noticeable drop in brightness during that time. LEDs may dim due to damage. Most common causes of LED light strips dimming is:

corrosion due to water or moisture. Water proof led strips are available but they still require you seal or water proof the wire that connect to the strip. 

running too hot. The strip should stay at less than 50C. The cooler the better. 

, or poor voltage control, Strips are commonly available in 12V and 24V designs. You want a regulated power supply that will stay at exactly the voltage the manufacture specifies. The power supply should also prevent voltage spikes fro the utility power from getting through to the LEDs.

IF you avoid these problems they should last a long time. 

When I built my aquarium light I cut a sheet of scrap acrylic to fit the to of the aquarium I then cut a sheet of ridged aluminum to the same size. I covered the aluminum with clear packing tape to prevent the strips from shorting to the aluminum. i then attached the strips to the aluminum and then attached the two with screws and sealed the gap between the aluminum and acrylic.I then added a timer and dimer. The light is designed to produce high brightness in case I ever want to setup the aquarium that way. But currently it is operating at medium light condition. About 40% of full brightness. For a low light level you probably woulldn't need the aluminum. You could use plastic instead. 

To get the best color use strips that have a CRI (color rendering index of 90 or higher. 

Look for strips with a power (watts)r per meter or (foot). You need to know how much power you will need from your power supply .. You want a power supply that will put out doubt 110 % of the power your LEDs will consume. Also look on the specification sheet for brightness typically listed as lumens per meter ( or foot). That will allow you to estimate how much light you are getting.


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## Seofirosu Muramasa (Nov 24, 2018)

Thanks for the tips. I am aware that I need to keep them cool and with a proper power supply. Could you show me your tank at full brightness and some specs to get an idea of what to expect? My plan would be something like this.
2 led strips 5630 or better with 9k+ white (3000 lm per meter!!!)
1 led strip 3528 yellow or warm white
1 led strip 3528 red or grow
2 led strip 3528 blue
maybe 1 led strip 3528 green

I believe something like this would cover my needs, but I haven't decided completely on red or grow and if a green is needed. Is it ok to use low watt strips for the colored ones?


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## Seofirosu Muramasa (Nov 24, 2018)

I found a high output led strip 6400k 18w/m CRI>95. I put 2 rows (2m each) above the tank to get an idea of how sufficient the lightning is compared to my PC.
3x36 Power compact 8500lm









4m x 18w led strip 12000 lm









I was very pleased with the result, while keeping in mind that there will be 4 more strips. So I have begun preparing the chasis for the 6 strips but I need to make some choices before I start ordering. I am showing here a fellow aquarists tank from this forum so that I can show you what colors I like to see in the aquarium.
















1x6500k 1xblue 420 1xred 633 1xyellow 2700.

1.) What other led strips to add for a vibrant coloration and also helping out the plants. Something that I have in mind is 2 rows of 6500k 1 row of 3000k 1 row red 1 row blue and 1 row of either green or full spectrum. What would you suggest? I will have these on a TC420 to emulate sunrise etc.

2.) I was looking to keep the electric bill as low as possible (this is a low tec tank after all) and I was wondering if I could get away with lower powered strips for the colored ones. Instead of the usual 14.4w getting 7.2w to be precise. I think that this could work as most aquarium led lightnings have only 1/3 or less colored leds. But I would like to get a second opinion before ordering.

3.) Should I only get dimmable strips to dim with the TC420? The high lumen 6400k are not dimmable.

4.) TC 420 or 421? I know the difference is only the WIFI but I dont know if they are as reliable as the 420.


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

Seofirosu Muramasa said:


> 4.) TC 420 or 421? I know the difference is only the WIFI but I dont know if they are as reliable as the 420.


I have TC421. Its worth the extra $5 for the phone app to change the settings. Although do not expect much for that $5; it is a pretty horrible app. Besides the wifi, they seem otherwise identical.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Who says that the 6500k strips aren't dimmable? Do they contain driver chips on the strips? Plain jane resistor/constant voltage strips are.. afaict always dimmable.
Not too many people use the 421 but no bad reports, yet.

"Full spectrum" ribbons don't seem to be the same as full spectrum chips.. i.e phosphor converted blue. more like just red/blue diodes..
Keep in mind you will prob. prefer a 3:1 ratio of red to blue....


Think you are going to need a lot of red to get that pinky glow you like.




> as most aquarium led lightnings have only 1/3 or less colored leds.


most don't achieve that rich "pinky" glow you want either..
Unlike fluorescents, not sure you need any extra blue either...

This isn't easy to guess at.
I'd prob. start at 1/2 (or more) the wattage of the whites for the red.


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## Seofirosu Muramasa (Nov 24, 2018)

This is the 6400k led strip. It mentions not dimmable, and I have heard that if you dim non dimmable led strips that you are worsening the strip's life because of lower voltage.

https://www.v-tac.eu/led-lights-men...30-120-leds-high-lumen-6000k-ip20-detail.html

I would be more than happy to know that this is all wrong!

This is the full spectrum led strip that I have found on the internet.

on ebay search for: LED Grow Lights DC12V 5630 36LEDs LED Bar Rigid Strip Red Blue For Aquarium 10PC

Not sure yet on which colors to go with to be honest...


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

> Copper pads spaced every 3 LEDs. Cut only on the given cut line between the copper dots.


Not seeing anything where it "shows" they are non-dimmable..Looks to be standard series (w/ one resistor)/parallel (every 3 diodes) constant voltage ribbons.
I believe they might have been referring to an AC wall dimmer..

You would normally never change the voltage (and to be honest if you lowered it it usually increases their lifespan by creating less heat) but just 
"pulse" it.. PWM dimming just cycles on/off at the same voltage.. 

As to those hort. light bars.. I'd still lean to the highest Red/Blue ratio..5:1
#FF3358
https://www.color-hex.com/color/ff3358

3:1
#FF3371
https://www.color-hex.com/color/ff3371

Adding 2 "cool white":to one 5:1 r/b ratio
ff9bc2
https://www.color-hex.com/color/ff9bc2



> * MIXING LIST
> ----------------------------------------
> LED Blue (470nm) [120°] x1
> LED Red (620nm) [120°] x5
> ...


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## Seofirosu Muramasa (Nov 24, 2018)

Just got my led strips. I have available enough for 2 rows of these:
white 6400k 3000lm/m
red 1000lm/m
blue 1000lm/m

I do not know the exact nm of the red and blue ones, but these were the best performing 1000 lm/m with only 10 w/m. I have contacted the manufacturer but haven't learned anything yet, but I am not overly worried because the manufacturer makes high performance products and it's not OEM from China (same brand as the 6400k 3000lm/m 95>CRI).

Unfortunately the 3000k 3000lm/m strip will not be available for 2 weeks so i will go ahead with what I have now. My plan is to install properly the 2 row of 6400k and play with the red and blue till i find the desired look. At first I will try 2 red and 2 blue and adjust it if I need. I do have the extra space to add as many strips as I want but I was thinking to add only one yellow 3000k in the middle. This will be decided after I have finished with the current strips.

I will have 16000 lumen with these which is above low lighting and well into the medium lighting range. I might not need the yelllow strip after all, since I am never going to go high tech planted. Any thoughts before I begin the assembly? Of course I will post results in case anyone is interested in doing something similar in the future 

P.S. I have decided on getting the TC420 instead of 421 because on 420 you can change the values every minute while on the 421 you can only do it every 30 minutes, which is a huge disadvantage!


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Seofirosu Muramasa said:


> P.S. I have decided on getting the TC420 instead of 421 because on 420 you can change the values every minute while on the 421 you can only do it every 30 minutes, which is a huge disadvantage!



Not sure that is 100% correct.. 421 can be "laptop" programmed the same way as the 420..
you got me curious..




https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/tc420-421.50781/


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## Seofirosu Muramasa (Nov 24, 2018)

I saw a screenshot of the program on the seller and cancelled my tc421 order.


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## Seofirosu Muramasa (Nov 24, 2018)

Some first impressions... What do you think?


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## Seofirosu Muramasa (Nov 24, 2018)

I was looking to increase the green on the plants (especially on the stargrass) as it has now become too white. Should I be adding a green strip or a yellow one? As you can I had a very vivid green before adding the led strips


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

Seofirosu Muramasa said:


> I was looking to increase the green on the plants (especially on the stargrass) as it has now become too white. Should I be adding a green strip or a yellow one? As you can I had a very vivid green before adding the led strips


IMO, led lights need adjustable RGB channels to control the look. Your initial pictures look much better. Are these really 95cri strips?

You could try a green channel, but then see if you can make them adjustable to control the ratios. A green strip may be too much; you might only need half of a green strip. Its impossible to make recommendation on ratios of red, blue, and green because they all vary in intensity.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Seofirosu Muramasa said:


> I was looking to increase the green on the plants (especially on the stargrass) as it has now become too white. Should I be adding a green strip or a yellow one? As you can I had a very vivid green before adding the led strips


Well one thing .. take a sample out and look at it in "daylight"....
gives you a baseline of it's "natural" color

Natural color is only another standard and not really "real" either so to speak but it's more "even" in all of the spectrum.. 

Then you can determine if it's pigments or the light..

you can always "fake" colors w/ certain additions. 

you want more green.. add green..less yellow..
or eliminate white all together..Like this light:
https://aquaforestaquarium.com/products/solar-rgb-led-lighting-system









Note though that you sort of eliminate subtle shades of color..
Sort of a philosophy..


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## Seofirosu Muramasa (Nov 24, 2018)

I am going to connect the TC420 by next week so I will be able to tweak the colors but I am pretty sure I am missing either a green or maybe a yellow. Other than the plant colors I am very happy with the intensity of the lights and the coloration that is bringing to the fish (big difference). Also I noticed the side with the blue in front looks better so I am moving blues in front and reds in the middle. Can't wait to start playing with sunrise - sunset on the TC420.


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## moogoo (Dec 7, 2007)

cool stuff. 

this is interesting to me cause i've been curious if it's worth it to build my own LED lighting fixture vs. buying one or if it's better than a conventional CF bulb fixture. i definitely had much more success with CF fixtures though, but it could be that the LED fixture I purchased wasn't bright enough for my tank's depth despite it's claims of light penetration.

could you provide pictures and more specifics (e.g., schematics) as to how you built your fixture? i'd appreciate it! thanks!


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Seofirosu Muramasa said:


> I am going to connect the TC420 by next week so I will be able to tweak the colors but I am pretty sure I am missing either a green or maybe a yellow. Other than the plant colors I am very happy with the intensity of the lights and the coloration that is bringing to the fish (big difference). Also I noticed the side with the blue in front looks better so I am moving blues in front and reds in the middle. Can't wait to start playing with sunrise - sunset on the TC420.



What happened w/ the 3000k strips?
Lots of yellow there..
you really need them.. and your amount of blue is washing out some of the colors..


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

moogoo said:


> cool stuff.
> 
> this is interesting to me cause i've been curious if it's worth it to build my own LED lighting fixture vs. buying one or if it's better than a conventional CF bulb fixture. i definitely had much more success with CF fixtures though, but it could be that the LED fixture I purchased wasn't bright enough for my tank's depth despite it's claims of light penetration.
> 
> could you provide pictures and more specifics (e.g., schematics) as to how you built your fixture? i'd appreciate it! thanks!


All these type of strip lights follow a very simple pattern:
https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/20-diy/555106-diy-dimmable-led-fixture.html


just need to pick your "colors" 

Have all strips run the same voltage (choices are usually 12V or 24V)
The strips themselves are marked as to WHERE one can cut them
Attach to some aluminum bar.


About the trickiest part (besides the poor software) is matching the power supply amps to the number of strips (larger than necessary is always OK)


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## Seofirosu Muramasa (Nov 24, 2018)

moogoo said:


> cool stuff.
> 
> this is interesting to me cause i've been curious if it's worth it to build my own LED lighting fixture vs. buying one or if it's better than a conventional CF bulb fixture. i definitely had much more success with CF fixtures though, but it could be that the LED fixture I purchased wasn't bright enough for my tank's depth despite it's claims of light penetration.
> 
> could you provide pictures and more specifics (e.g., schematics) as to how you built your fixture? i'd appreciate it! thanks!


Because I have an aluminum top I used some bolts to hold 5 aluminum bars. On the bars I placed 6 led strip frames which can be removed or changed at any time with their clamps. Extremely easy and efficient to build. The cost was ridiculously low. If you need more detail I can gather some pictures for you.

Bump:


jeffkrol said:


> What happened w/ the 3000k strips?
> Lots of yellow there..
> you really need them.. and your amount of blue is washing out some of the colors..


I was delaying it until I got my hands on the TC420 where I can dim colors and make a better decision on what to add in the tank. I am between getting a 3k - yellow - green but this decision will come after I get my hands on the TC420.


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

Seofirosu Muramasa said:


> I was delaying it until I got my hands on the TC420 where I can dim colors and make a better decision on what to add in the tank. I am between getting a 3k - yellow - green but this decision will come after I get my hands on the TC420.


Any updates on your project? I was experimenting with RGB color balance and decided to start from scratch. My light has 6500K channel (80cri), 5000K channel (95 cri), 660nm Red, Blue, Green.

I noticed the same thing I am seeing in your tank; with a heavy representation of red and blue + 6500K (no green), the tank takes on a "brownish" cast. 

Adding green can mitigate this with careful balance, but what I found in the end looks the best (with mad pearling), was just 6500K + 660nm Red, without any blue or green. Apparently this is the strategy used by the Finnex Fugeray Planted+. Getting the White/Red balance is much easier. 

Maybe you could try to find a white/red balance by taping off some red leds and you won't even need a TC420.

The 5000K are too warm by themselves, imo if adding reds to a high-CRI 6500K channel, there is no reason to include a low-K white.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

ChrisX said:


> The 5000K are too warm by themselves, imo if adding reds to a high-CRI 6500K channel, there is no reason to include a low-K white.



There is one very cosmetic reason...
White >6440K -ish and red is always pinkish, not sunset/rise orangy...


you are right though. High K white and 660nm is a snappy color.
Buldmyled had this pattern for a Discus tank.




you could do better w/ like 635nm red..


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

jeffkrol said:


> you are right though. High K white and 660nm is a snappy color.
> Buldmyled had this pattern for a Discus tank.


The deep red is a perfect match with the 6500K. As soon as I tried it I knew it was a keeper. Then I remembered it was the same strategy used by the Fugeray, which is pretty highly regarded. Ive essentially built a high PAR fugeray.

I would go so far to say this is the "EZ button" solution for LEDs. 

I will experiment more with adding blue and green to see if it can be improved, but I suspect not. The issue is that if it is saturated with too much red, adding blue just makes it look "brown". Adding green can balance it out, but I haven't found anything that looks more natural than the 6500+deep red.

I'm motivated to add a UV channel now that I know I won't be using the 5000K anymore. I might also experiment with mixing in a 10K channel to raise the temp, instead of using blue.


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