Evening everyone,
I purchased a Fluval Spec over Christmas break to set up as a pico tank for our upstairs. Now that I've spent weeks reading about LEDs builds for my BC29, I am going to try my hand at upgrading the LED lights that come with this little tank first.
Here's what the tank looks like now with the stock clip-on light. The light appears to be enough to get the little blob of xenia on the live rock sprouting. The tank is approximately 2 weeks old at this point (water, sand & LR from larger tank). Please ignore the dying SPS in it, I was hoping to save it but I think it's a goner.
This picture shows the stock LED light (all white) that comes with the tank.
Now I am ordering through LEdsupply the following
2 - Cree XR-E Royal Blue Star
1 - Cree XR-E Q4 Cool White Star
1 - Wired BuckPuck, 700mA Output, DC Powered w/ Potentiometer
I have already the following:
-18.5V, 2.7A laptop power supply
-Heatsink with matching fan (blatantly stolen from scrap computers at work). I've attached of how I want the LEDs paid out (RB on the outside, CW on the inside). Cdn quarters are about the same size.
-one electrical journeyman to help me with other supplies and technical support!
-wood canopy made to fit
Seeing how I have zero electrical skills and after reading so many LED builds I wanted some input on this build. Would the three LEDs be enough or should I go to 3 RB & 2 CW? I've been reading a lot about the power supplies needed and I hope the one I am using would be sufficient for either 3 or 5.
If I go to 5 LEDs, I want to add a second buckpuck. Can both be 700mA for or should I upgrade to the 1000mA for both?
Deanna