LED lights

[Ron99]

I will start a build thread as soon as I start to build it

For heatsinks, I found some used ones on eBay. I bought three that were 12" by 15" in size so that will give me good coverage over 48" x 18". For your tank you will probably need something around 12 to 13 inches wide and 28 to 30 inches long.

And as Steve said, the number and spacing of LEDs along with what optics to use will depend on what your stocking plans are. I am using 4 rows spaced 3 inches apart front to back and then the LED spacing along each row will be 2.25" with 60 degree optics. That should give me similar or slightly better performance to a set up using 2 x 250W MH. You could go with 40 degree optics but then your spacing needs to be no further apart then 2" between LEDs in the rows and that would probably give you PAR equivalent to a 400W MH. Probably overkill in an 18" deep tank. I may use 80 degree optics in a few areas or set it up so i can dim it by sectors to have some lower PAR sections for LPS etc.

If I were setting one up for a reef in a tank your size I would probably do 4 rows of 12 or 13 emitters with 60 degree optics.

[PACMAN416]

thanks for the reply! i was thinking 4 rows of 12 as well. so 60 degree optics will give me the light i need to grow anything? (sps, lps, softies, clams, anemones)? I shall begin my planning asap if this is the case!


also, i wish i lived in BC! love the rockies!
also, also, I will definitely be watching your build! (I have a 75 gallon freshwater, that i may, in the future, convert to saltwater, once i get the hang of things on this 50G build)!

[Ron99]

Sounds like a good plan. Try to get dimmable drivers so you can adjust the lighting for acclimation etc. If you get ambitious you can make a controller to do fancy sunrise and sunset, cloudy periods etc.

BTW, where are you in Etobicoke? I grew up right around Dixon Rd. and Kipling. Been on the west coast for 18.5 years now so I guess I have assimilated.

[PACMAN416]

I'm technologically inept. a controller would be amazing, but i dont think i could do it. maybe in the future. Small world, I'm at Kipling and princess margaret!

[StirCrazy]

personaly I think 60 degree optics would be more about T5 lighting levels, to get MH levels I think you need to use 40 degree optics on anything over 18" deep.

Steve

[Ron99]

Originally Posted by PACMAN416

I'm technologically inept. a controller would be amazing, but i dont think i could do it. maybe in the future. Small world, I'm at Kipling and princess margaret!

Doesn't hurt to build it with the future expandability. Most reef controllers can output 0-10v signals for dimming so if you get drivers that are capable of being dimmed that way you are ready to add the controller in the future. And it is a small world. I went to High School at Martingrove not far from you

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

personaly I think 60 degree optics would be more about T5 lighting levels, to get MH levels I think you need to use 40 degree optics on anything over 18" deep.

Steve

Depends what set ups you are talking about. It's all comparing apples to oranges but evilc66's testing at nano-reef seems to show performance equal to MH set ups. I don't think he has made many PAR measurements of T5 systems for comparison.

[PACMAN416]

Originally Posted by Ron99

Doesn't hurt to build it with the future expandability. Most reef controllers can output 0-10v signals for dimming so if you get drivers that are capable of being dimmed that way you are ready to add the controller in the future. And it is a small world. I went to High School at Martingrove not far from you

yes i will definitely be using dimmable drivers (meanwells). So your using 3xheatsinks. I like the idea of breakign the heatsinks up, but how will you wire that? i assume you would run the clear whites separately from the royal blue LEDs using different drivers. but will you have, lets say, leds being connected from heatsink to heatsink on the same driver?

Yes i know Martingrove Collegiate H.S. I went to Michael Power though

[PACMAN416]

Originally Posted by PACMAN416

yes i will definitely be using dimmable drivers (meanwells). So your using 3xheatsinks. I like the idea of breaking the heatsinks up, but how will you wire that? i assume you would run the whites separately from the royal blue LEDs using different drivers. but will you have, lets say, LEDs being connected from heatsink to heatsink on the same driver?

Yes i know Martingrove Collegiate H.S. I went to Michael Power though

Ron, i think you missed one of my replies.

Can you provide a link to the heat sinks you picked up on ebay? I can't find anything with the appropriate width. maybe im blind?