DIY LED questions

axe_man16 · #1 08-31-2012, 03:37 AM

Thanks for the responses. I have also thought about tilting the heatsinks so that they are not parallel to the tank and shine more at an angle therefore reducing the darkspots i may get from the leds pointing straight down.... So many things to ponder

The Grizz · #2 08-31-2012, 04:03 AM

There is a min & max to each driver, just make sure to stay with that & you will be fine. Martin has taken time to figure out kit but changing & adding more or different color never fails. If you use the right optics & space the LEDs out right you will not have any dark spots so no need to tilt the heatsinks.

lpsreefer · #3 08-31-2012, 04:10 AM

Depending on what u want in the tank would prolly only need maybe 18 3 watt LEDs to do sps. 48 gallon tank roughly. I just order this for one of my tanks.
http://www.aquastyleonline.com/produ...mable-Kit.html
Came to 120 bucks with shipping.
Just an idea.

mike31154 · #4 08-31-2012, 02:46 PM

I used 10 watt multi chips for DIY fixture. There are a few more builds out there using them these days & might be worth looking into. One of the main reasons I did this is there are individual heatsinks with fans for them allowing me to keep the weight down. Downside is more wiring for all the fans.

There's an extensive thread on RC about the multichip LEDs. Look for 'minimalistic' in the title. It's a long read though. Link to my build follows:

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=82206

I used a total of 27 ten watt chips on 3 rails. The outer rails are tilted 10 degrees inward. Dimming is manual so you'd have to use a different driver/power supply configuration than I have. You could cover your narrow tank with 2 rails nicely.