Show Us Your LED Tanks

[martinmcnally]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

um.. thats a handy way to figure out how many gallons your tank is now how many LEDs you need. LEDs are based on coverage only so how many would you need to evenly cover a surface area not a volume.

Steve

I would disagree with that completely. As the guy with the 2 1/2 foot tall tank needs way more LEDs per square inch than a 6 inch deep nano tank.

You calculate what heatsinks you need based on the surface area but LED density is most definitely determined by volume.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by martinmcnally

I would disagree with that completely. As the guy with the 2 1/2 foot tall tank needs way more LEDs per square inch than a 6 inch deep nano tank.

You calculate what heatsinks you need based on the surface area but LED density is most definitely determined by volume.

actualy no.. the spacing of your LEDs depends on the lense your going to use on it. so in a very round about way yes the depth of the tank and your PAR requirments at the depth will determin the lense. then the combanation of the lense you use and the hight of the fixture above the surfface to give you even blending of the blue and white will give you the spacing of the LEDs. then the physical surface area will give you how many you need to use at that spacing.

now as for heat sinks, nothing to do with the surface area, but rather with the amount of watts dispersed per square inch. using a 3 watt LED on a star you want a heat sink that will disperce a min of 3watt / sq in I see most are up around the 6watt/sq in, and you can use air movment to increase this value.

if I use your fourmula it tells me I need 20 LEDs for my 30 gal tank, where from mapping my tank and projecting PAR values I know I need 36 to 48 LEDs (calculation was actualy 42) I can get away with 36 but might go 48 as I can get a kit with that number already. so your formula would have probably been find in my tank with no optics and low to med light corals, but not for a pure SPS tank with high light corals at all levels in the tank.

so I guess if it is bassed of one optic choice and now requirement for a specific par level at the bottom of the tank it would work..

Steve

[ReefOcean]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

now as for heat sinks, nothing to do with the surface area, but rather with the amount of watts dispersed per square inch. using a 3 watt LED on a star you want a heat sink that will disperce a min of 3watt / sq in I see most are up around the 6watt/sq in, and you can use air movment to increase this value.

Cree Leds are all over the map now for lumens. Some are 106, some are 230, some are 350. All are considered "3 watt". You can save money and get 3-ups. which I would cosider as 1 Led. So really, the amount you need depends entirely on the emitter you are using.

[KevinK]

are there more pictures, I sea lot of text

[mseepman]

I'm down here at MACNA right now and EVERYTHING is LED. Even T5 barely has any representation. The new Ecotech Radion was nice (see for yourself as their site is up to date with it) as was the new Maxspec. More LED vendors now than you can believe.

Kevin, nice job. Would love to see the complete build on this.

[Madreefer]

I picked up some AI Sols a few weeks ago. What you guys think? Sorry lottsa pics. I dont have a journal so i'll use this thread. Hows those frags look Wes?

Settings are
White 43%
Blue 50%
Royal Blue 55%

[mseepman]

Looks pretty darn good. wish my tank looked that nice

[Rice Reef]

Where did you get your AI Sol LEDs?