DIY LED's!!

[Picassoclown]

Hey reefheads!, hope everyone had a nice weekend. So, I have been doing much research in the DYI LED department. What do you guys think of the following set-up. LED supply seems to have some really nice set-ups and great reviews. This is the kit I would like to use. My tank dimensions will be 72x24x24, I think 3 24inch ballasts would be sufficient as I can space them 2 inches from the side of the tank, as well as 2 inches from each other. You think this is overkill? Feedback/comments are appreciated.

http://www.ledsupply.com/led-kits/custom-length-reef-tank-led-kit

 

[Velcro]

I have to say that DIY led setups don't save a lot of money compared to some of the available options these days.

 

[Brew12]

Hey reefheads!, hope everyone had a nice weekend. So, I have been doing much research in the DYI LED department. What do you guys think of the following set-up. LED supply seems to have some really nice set-ups and great reviews. This is the kit I would like to use. My tank dimensions will be 72x24x24, I think 3 24inch ballasts would be sufficient as I can space them 2 inches from the side of the tank, as well as 2 inches from each other. You think this is overkill? Feedback/comments are appreciated.

http://www.ledsupply.com/led-kits/custom-length-reef-tank-led-kit

The only thing I noticed is the lack of channels/colors. I know the blue/cool white is where DIY LED's started but I would want a wider spectrum on my LED's.

 

[Picassoclown]

I have to say that DIY led setups don't save a lot of money compared to some of the available options these days.

Hey @Velcro When I compare the cost of 1 LED fixture with the same dimensions from a reputable company in the LED business, it's triple the cost. Can you please elaborate further for me why this is? Can you please share with me other options that are available? :) You are a well known member and I would love your feedback! Thanks!

 

[Picassoclown]

The only thing I noticed is the lack of channels/colors. I know the blue/cool white is where DIY LED's started but I would want a wider spectrum on my LED's.

Hey @Brew12 from what I am seeing with this driver is that there are 2 different channels, with the options to attach multiple in an array. What do you mean where there are not enough channels? I am pretty sure I can buy yellow and red spectrum LED's to throw into the mix. Any particular quantity/array you would suggest? I saw your build for your tank and I am impressed! I would love your feedback! Also, what DIY solution for your LED's did you use?

 

[Brew12]

Hey @Brew12 from what I am seeing with this driver is that there are 2 different channels, with the options to attach multiple in an array. What do you mean where there are not enough channels? I am pretty sure I can buy yellow and red spectrum LED's to throw into the mix. Any particular quantity/array you would suggest? I saw your build for your tank and I am impressed! I would love your feedback! Also, what DIY solution for your LED's did you use?

I had a DIY system that was white and blue but didn't care for it. I would want multiple blues along with the red, violet, and possible yellow.

I won the 16" version of this light in a contest and use it on my frag tank. It looks fantastic, works well, and I believe it would be cheaper than what you are looking at. It doesn't have the storm features or a slow ramp but it has a ton of programming steps that make you not realize it isn't actually ramping. If nothing else, you can look at it and get an idea of additional LED color options.
https://www.reefbreeders.com/shop/photon-24-v2/

I run a pair of these on my 72" tank and they provide plenty of light. The moonlight channel is also amazing. I did a wiring hack to it so I can control it from my Apex. It still uses the build in timers to turn the lights on and off (kinda annoying since I can't get them exactly in sync) but the intensity of both channels is controlled via the Apex. It really is a very nice fixture for the price. It is a little bulky, but I keep them on a canopy so they aren't visible. Again, if nothing else you can use it as a reference as to what modern fixtures use for colors.
https://sbreeflights.com/sbox-reef-lights/4-sbox-pro-32-timer.html

 

[Picassoclown]

Hey @Brew12 I am thoroughly impressed with the Photon LED's :O . The 36inch looks amazing and a sleek design. They have a nice sunrise, sunset feature along with dimming and good LED color array, comes with an amazing 2 year warranty, free shipping both ways, and mounting hardware. It is almost impossible to pass down a $1000 deal for a great set for a 72inch tank. Like you said, even if I DIY the price is around $800 with shipping. I will happily pay an extra $200 for a better LED array along with the other perks. Well played sir, well played haha!

 

[Velcro]

Hey @Brew12 I am thoroughly impressed with the Photon LED's :O . The 36inch looks amazing and a sleek design. They have a nice sunrise, sunset feature along with dimming and good LED color array, comes with an amazing 2 year warranty, free shipping both ways, and mounting hardware. It is almost impossible to pass down a $1000 deal for a great set for a 72inch tank. Like you said, even if I DIY the price is around $800 with shipping. I will happily pay an extra $200 for a better LED array along with the other perks. Well played sir, well played haha!

The photon v2 is what I use now and what I suggest. You get so much for your money. Hang it as high as possible.

 

[Picassoclown]

@Velcro @Brew12 Thanks guys for the input. You got me sold haha! Actually did you see they are making a new set of lights coming out later this year?! ;Wideyed

 

[Brew12]

@Velcro @Brew12 Thanks guys for the input. You got me sold haha! Actually did you see they are making a new set of lights coming out later this year?! ;Wideyed

I hadn't seen that!

Hopefully they will come up with a little less cumbersome way to program the new fixtures. That would be my only gripe with them is that it takes awhile to set up or change custom programs.

 

[Velcro]

I hadn't noticed that a new one is coming out. Where did you read that? I agree that the only improvement would be less cumbersome programming or apex compatibility but it's not a huge deal the way it is.

 

[bblumberg]

If you will have a canopy, you might consider doing 3 12" Makers heat sinks perpendicular to the long axis of the tank and put 2 Blue Acro Acrostar 20K Blue pro pucks in each, one at each end. With the reflector diffuser these will cost close to $80 each so ~$210 for each fixture. Add 2 x 4-up boards (or 3 if you want to keep wiring very simple and put boards on each fixture), the appropriate LDD-H drivers, a Bluefish mini controller and a high-efficiency Meanwell power supply. Still under $1k and you get complete programmability and wifi control.

Bruce

 

[Picassoclown]

@Velcro @Brew12 https://www.reefbreeders.com/supernova/ :O :O :O

 

[Velcro]

@Velcro @Brew12 https://www.reefbreeders.com/supernova/ :O :O :O

That has been in development for a couple years now. It has said coming soon for a long time :)

 

[Picassoclown]

:mad: @Velcro How dare they do this.... :\ . Lol thanks for telling me. I got all excited too hahaha

 

[Picassoclown]

If you will have a canopy, you might consider doing 3 12" Makers heat sinks perpendicular to the long axis of the tank and put 2 Blue Acro Acrostar 20K Blue pro pucks in each, one at each end. With the reflector diffuser these will cost close to $80 each so ~$210 for each fixture. Add 2 x 4-up boards (or 3 if you want to keep wiring very simple and put boards on each fixture), the appropriate LDD-H drivers, a Bluefish mini controller and a high-efficiency Meanwell power supply. Still under $1k and you get complete programmability and wifi control.

Bruce

Hey Bruce! Thank you very much for the info! I definitely like this as well. Everyone has been very supportive in this thread and I appreciate it! I was looking into the up boards, but I think I might be confusing it with something else, can you please elaborate? Also, would the LDD-H drivers and mini controller be used with an APEX controller? Thanks for the input Bruce :)

 

[bblumberg]

Hey Bruce! Thank you very much for the info! I definitely like this as well. Everyone has been very supportive in this thread and I appreciate it! I was looking into the up boards, but I think I might be confusing it with something else, can you please elaborate? Also, would the LDD-H drivers and mini controller be used with an APEX controller? Thanks for the input Bruce :)

Sorry to be confusing. There are a few ways to drive and dim LEDs. One way is to purchase a combination power supply/driver such as the Meanwell ELN series. You would use one of these on each channel and could accommodate some number of LEDs, depending on the sum of the voltage required (usually 12-13 individual LEDS for the 48v driver). These can be dimmed by 0-10V (Apex or potentiometer) or PWM (Bluefish and others), depending on which driver you purchase (a few of the higher cost ones can be dimmed by any of the 3 possibilities).

Alternatively (and perhaps more cleanly), you can buy a single power supply such as the Meanwell SE-350 and a board that has one or more Meanwell LDD-H drivers, one for each channel. A 5-up board has spots for 5 LDD-H drivers. You select the LDD-H for each channel based on the current capacity of the LEDs on that channel; the number of LEDs is determined by the maximum voltage the driver can output (- 3v for the LDD itself). That is, a LDD-H driven by the 48V SE-350 power supply has ~45V available for the LEDs on that string. These drivers are PWM and require either a PWM controller (Bluefish, Storm, Tyhoon, etc) or a 0-10V to PWM adapter to adapt to your Apex.

I started with a RapidLED Nanocube retrofit kit that used 2 x ELN48 drivers and potentiometers. This works, but basically runs as an on-off. The LEDs are old school, 12 royal blue and 12 cool white. These grow coral well, including birdsnest, montipora digitata, a no-name green acro, bubble-tip anemones and various LPS. For my next build, I selected individual LEDs (UV, hyperviolet, royal blue, blue, neutral white, cool white, warm white) put them on a RapidLED deluxe fixture and purchased a 4-up board and the SE-350 power supply above. This is above my 75g corner and is driven by a Storm controller. I get sunrise, sunset, automatic dimming which is nice. All sorts of corals grew - the tank is currently down for a new stand and rescape.

My newest build (150g 60 x 24 x 24) uses 6 x Acrostar 20K blue Pro pucks on a Makers 48" heat sink, driven by two 6-up boards made by O2surplus. I only use 4 channels on each board since that is all I need for the 4-channel pucks. This was intended to be controlled by my Apex, but I had some difficulty making it work so I punted and got a Bluefish mini controller. The Bluefish is VERY nice, far better than the Storm. Unfortunately, allowing the night light to follow the phases of the moon has caused my Pocillopora damicornis (that was no problem for a year in the 75g) to go completely berserk; there are now dozens of new colonies all around my 150g tank that I need to eliminate. This tank also has 4 x 80 W T5 supplemental lights, which may be a factor here.

At the end of the day, what matters is how complex you want the build to be and how flexible and/or updateable. If you do a DIY build, you can change it to your liking over time as you learn more about what your tank requires and your aesthetic preferences. I have swapped out individual LEDS on my 75g build to customize the spectrum a bit (replaced original deep red and green with first warm white and now neutral white and lime). Your upfront commitment in time, energy (and potentially frustration) is high but you will learn a lot and gain some satisfaction with a job well done.

With a commercial product, you have a warranty together with some degree of flexibility and customization (depending on which product you buy). You will probably spend more money (from a little to a LOT), although, some inexpensive imports cost less than a DIY build. You may do well with one of these or you may not. Experience is varied on the forums. Some people love the cheap imports and swear by them, while others have been burned repeatedly (failing LEDs, power supplies, controllers, etc) and switched back to the higher-priced established brands. I am a DIY guy so the choice was easy for me.

I hope this helped.

Bruce

 

[Velcro]

Hey Bruce! Thank you very much for the info! I definitely like this as well. Everyone has been very supportive in this thread and I appreciate it! I was looking into the up boards, but I think I might be confusing it with something else, can you please elaborate? Also, would the LDD-H drivers and mini controller be used with an APEX controller? Thanks for the input Bruce :)

I just wanted to chime in again. I've done the DIY route several times for previous builds and it always takes a LONG time to make as well as is very difficult to make a tidy installation in my opinion. If the reefbreeders are a bit pricey for you I would check out SBreef lights. They aren't nearly as aesthetically pleasing (as far as the fixture goes) and customer service isn't nearly as fast as Logan at reefbreeders, but if neither of those things matter to you then it's a cost effective option that is borderline impossible to beat if using high quality components for the DIY build. At the end of the day, what is your time worth and to how much of an extent will you go to make this look decent?

 

[bblumberg]

I just wanted to chime in again. I've done the DIY route several times for previous builds and it always takes a LONG time to make as well as is very difficult to make a tidy installation in my opinion. If the reefbreeders are a bit pricey for you I would check out SBreef lights. They aren't nearly as aesthetically pleasing (as far as the fixture goes) and customer service isn't nearly as fast as Logan at reefbreeders, but if neither of those things matter to you then it's a cost effective option that is borderline impossible to beat if using high quality components for the DIY build. At the end of the day, what is your time worth and to how much of an extent will you go to make this look decent?

I agree to some extent which is why I asked about a canopy. It is virtually impossible for the average DIYer to make something as aesthetically pleasing as the commercial fixtures like Reefbreeders, Kessil, etc. After my recent build with the BlueAcro COB LEDs, I have to disagree about the complexity of the build, though. They were dead easy. Screw onto heat sink, connect wires, peel cover off reflector, stick to puck, done.

Bruce

 

[Picassoclown]

WOW what an insane amount of information. Thanks guys! Bruce, I really appreciate your advice and the time you took to write this for me! I am also a DIY kinda guy, so this is something I will give a shot at in the future for sure. Would you mind if I contacted you when the time comes around?! Thanks again fellaz. Admin, can you make this a thread possibly? A lot of valuable information given from these gents!