LED lighting - Std 10G tank

[fawkes]

I have built a LED fixture for a standard 10G tank (20 L x 10 W x 12 H). I used 3 watt Crees - 6 blue and 6 white, using 2 buckpucks and external pots for dimming.

I have two questions.

1) - I used the pots recommended on the data sheet for the pots - and frankly less than a 1/4 turn is required to go between min an max on the brightness. Will a different pot help? Recommendations on what to try?

2) This thing is bright. Given that it is less than 12 inches to the sand I worry that it may be too intense. Does anyone have experience with a similar arrangement? should I run these significantly dimmed? I think it will blind the fish :hypnodisk: ...

[XSiVE]

What are you keeping(coral wise)? are you running optics? I have a similar fixture over my 10g frag tank.

1.)yeah a different pot would probably help, a few questions tho. What is the current pot? When you say "1/4 turn" do you mean that the pot will rotate 100% but only 1/4 of that rotation actually adjusts the brightness?

2.) dimming may be necessary if you are running optics or depending on the distance to the water. my 12 LED fixture over my 10gallon is suspended about 2ft above the tank and i still get 350-400PAR at the bottom.


I have built a LED fixture for a standard 10G tank (20 L x 10 W x 12 H). I used 3 watt Crees - 6 blue and 6 white, using 2 buckpucks and external pots for dimming.

I have two questions.

1) - I used the pots recommended on the data sheet for the pots - and frankly less than a 1/4 turn is required to go between min an max on the brightness. Will a different pot help? Recommendations on what to try?

2) This thing is bright. Given that it is less than 12 inches to the sand I worry that it may be too intense. Does anyone have experience with a similar arrangement? should I run these significantly dimmed? I think it will blind the fish :hypnodisk: ...

[fawkes]

I am using a 5K linear taper pot - which is what Luxdrive documented for a 3023 buckpuck. Yes about a 1/4 turn is all that is required to dim/brighten. I can manage as it is, but it is less friendly than you might like.

I was going to build some sort of hood and put this near the top of the tank - about a foot. I have no optics at this point as I assumed that they might be a problem at close distances. I can order them if the seem to be necessary.

I might to a small clam (at least until size becomes a problem at which time I would move it to another tank). Other than that, a mixture of LPS, SPS, zoas and the like. It kind of depends on what I run into that looks like it might work.

[XSiVE]

I am using a 5K linear taper pot - which is what Luxdrive documented for a 3023 buckpuck. Yes about a 1/4 turn is all that is required to dim/brighten. I can manage as it is, but it is less friendly than you might like.

I was going to build some sort of hood and put this near the top of the tank - about a foot. I have no optics at this point as I assumed that they might be a problem at close distances. I can order them if the seem to be necessary.

I might to a small clam (at least until size becomes a problem at which time I would move it to another tank). Other than that, a mixture of LPS, SPS, zoas and the like. It kind of depends on what I run into that looks like it might work.

for the pot, I think you should wire an ammeter in series to see the amount of current that you are limiting by adjusting it.. if it is truly trimming 100% of the available current in 1/4 turn then you might be able to use something like a 2K linear pot to have more adjustability.

my 12 LEDs over 10g are run at 700mA, not the 1A max that you have for yours. I never took the optics off mine to test par, but if it was 1ft or less off the water then you could easily keep all that without any optics. :) nice to see yet another DIYer playinjg with LEDs :big_grin:

[2pairs]

I sure would like to see some pictures of these 2, 10 gallon tanks and their led setups. This is something I have been considering doing and am sure their are a lot of others that would like to see how it has been done. A couple of pictures will help a lot of us understand and decide if it looks doable.

[fawkes]

[QUOTE=XSiVE;

my 12 LEDs over 10g are run at 700mA, not the 1A max that you have for yours. I never took the optics off mine to test par, but if it was 1ft or less off the water then you could easily keep all that without any optics. :) nice to see yet another DIYer playinjg with LEDs :big_grin:[/QUOTE]

I am runnning 700mA buckpucks - so we are the same. Which optics did you decide to use?

[fawkes]

I sure would like to see some pictures of these 2, 10 gallon tanks and their led setups. This is something I have been considering doing and am sure their are a lot of others that would like to see how it has been done. A couple of pictures will help a lot of us understand and decide if it looks doable.


I have some pics of the tank, I will get some of the fixture as it is now and get them posted.

[XSiVE]

I am runnning 700mA buckpucks - so we are the same. Which optics did you decide to use?

ah, I must have misread on the buckpucks. I chose 45 deg optics on my xp-g whites and 40degree on the XR-E blues, but again, the heat sink is hanging at least 2ft above the water line.. I honestly think Im getting too much par in the tank, it's bleaching out any LPS that I try to keep if I get them anywhere near the "hot spot" in the center of the tank, even on the bottom... Ive gotta keep all of them out near the edges if I want them to keep any color.

here's a pic of my setup, though this was before I added the 4 last LEDs to get 12 total. I'll post a pic of it over the frag tank in a bit.

http://ryanensminger.com/gallery/d/4662-2/complete.jpg

http://ryanensminger.com/gallery/d/4678-2/unlit.jpg

[XSiVE]

here it is over the frag tank, nothing special

http://ryanensminger.com/gallery/d/5012-2/CIMG8512.JPG

[2pairs]

That helps give a idea of how they are setup, it is always good to actually see a setup or two.
It is looking more doable.

[fawkes]

Here is a pic of the LED array: http://www.proinnovation.com/images/10gled1.jpg

http://www.proinnovation.com/images/10gled2.jpg

I will try to get time to start another thread on the tank. It is a standard 10G tank that I partitioned to get an overflow and a chamber for a small skimmer.

[2pairs]

(I partitioned to get an overflow and a chamber for a small skimmer.)

That is sort of what I am thinking but a little different.
So without optics you are able to keep the the LED setup on the top of the tank? That would be more convenient, than having to suspend them 2 foot over the top.

[jolson10450]

(I partitioned to get an overflow and a chamber for a small skimmer.)

That is sort of what I am thinking but a little different.
So without optics you are able to keep the the LED setup on the top of the tank? That would be more convenient, than having to suspend them 2 foot over the top.

there should be a splash guard in place though so water doesnt get on the LEDS, and you dont get salt creep covering the leds and corroding them.

[2pairs]

(there should be a splash guard in place though so water doesnt get on the LEDS, and you dont get salt creep covering the leds and corroding them.)


Yup on the one I am planing it will have a glass top, I have found it helps with the evaporation and if kept clean doesn't block much light.

[redemer123]

uum kinda random but for that digital thermometer you have there, what kind of battery does it take because i have one just like it and i was wondering, nice setup by the way :)

[fawkes]

There is a piece of window pane glass covering much of the tank that is currently protecting the LED array. I treated it with Rain-X, but that has not been as successful as I had hoped. Now that LED unit is placed close to the glass, I get little condensation directly under the lights. Right now I have the LED unit sitting on two pieces of 1/2 inch square balsa wood slats. I will probably build a hood to contain all the electrical stuff - since it is in the office and it looks kind of messy right now. At that time I will probably give up on the glass and mount a piece of plexiglass using standoffs of some sort on the heatsink.

I am currently dimming, as I have absolutely no idea what this will do long term. It is not as bright once it is over the aquarium as it seems when you look directly at it. The shimmer effect is almost intoxicating... I use fluorescent lamps on the other tank and don't get the shimmer.

I hope to add a little Aqualife skimmer to the setup and a couple more fish. Right now there is one tiny naked clown. The coral is a piece of Green Star Polyp that I scraped off the glass of my tank at home. I took a piece of rubble and put a couple of drops of SuperGlue gel on it and stuck the GSP to it.

The battery is a little button battery as i recall. I will look to see what it is in the morning. Thanks for the kind words.

I am going to see if I can find a tiny clam and start stealing some LPS and Zoas from the tank at the house to get some more interest. Now if I could find a Threadfin or Gold Striped Cardinal fish locally...

[fawkes]

BTW... I tested the temperature on the back side (fin) of the heatsink today with a IR thermometer. If I was persistent, I could find "hot spots" at 77+ degrees. Typical was 73-74 degrees. I am not using fans.

[ROGERWILCO357]

is there one that will sit on the tank? or would that be too close and kill the coral?

[zenpytho]

love this thread i have 2 ten gallon footprint and have wanted to go leds one is a 22 tall and other is 16 tall r u guys running the blues and whites on same driver ? i understood u need to have on seperate drivers or can u if u turn ma down to 700

[2pairs]

What about a update on these two tanks.
How is everything working out and what changes have you made?
And a new pick wouldn't hurt.:):):):):):)