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 ...

[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 ...

[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

[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 [/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.

[XSiVE]

here it is over the frag tank, nothing special

[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.