LED Questions

1. I would do no more than 12 LEDs.
2. Dimming is not NEEDED, but I recommend it for a few reasons. First, you get the color exactly the way you want it. You can also lessend the light when adding new corals (however I've not seen this be a necessity)
3. For a biocube I don't recommend lenses. Are you retrofitting the original hood? If so, your LEDs will be close enough to the water that you won't want lenses.

 

Just as Bela said, you won't need or want optics if you retrofit in the hood. I retrofitted my 14g BC hood and I used 13 crees that gave me great color and good growth, so I don't know if would really need more than 12. The only thing I wish I had done differently was to use dimmable drivers. As Bela said, it is nice to be able to fine tune your colors and if you are tech savvy enough you can use a controller to set a cycle with dusk and dawn effects.

GL!

 

go with 6 cool white cree xp-g and 6 cree royal blue each string run on a meanwell 60-48p and it all driver controlled by a typhoone controller from boost led
http://www.boostled.com/collections/diy/products/typhon-led-controller-kit