?`s about LED Lighting

That's what I decided. In addition, I don't have the heat generation and overheating possibility. My chiller hasn't run since I installed the LEDs. It's a big savings on the electric bill.

Another big advantage is that there is no fan running under my canopy, so the room is quiet. My ballasts made a noise as well, and that's now gone too. I loved the MH light, but I also love the LEDs. They are different, but beautiful as well. I'm very happy with them and the support that Aqua Illumination provides as well.

 

I have a 58. I bought two of the AI units with the controller and the hangng kit.

 

Aqua Illumination. They're located in Iowa and have the best LED units currently available. http://www.aquaillumination.com/ I got the SOL Blues.

 

I'm in the middle of a DIY project right now. I bought them from Rapid LED(rapidled.com). I ordered them on Tuesday and they arrived today. I've been pretty busy, so haven't had a lot of time to try to get everything assembled. I'm no expert and haven't even gotten them running, so instead of telling you how to make them, I'll give you some articles to decide what's right for you.

http://www.aquaillumination.com/

http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/StoreFront

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1587273

http://www.reefcentral.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1672708

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/equipment/70719-leds-good-bad-just-another-addiction.html

http://www.acanlighting.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=144

http://glassbox-design.com/2009/aqua-illumination-led/

 

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1852268&highlight=led+growth+pictures

 

then you can add one of theses http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/...p?t=363432

 

anyone know how many of these http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/the-101/7-LED-PAR38-Bulb/Detail it would take to run a reef on a 120? its 4x2x2

 

I would say at least 8. They don't have much spread, so you'd need 4 over each opening IMO. You might be able to get by with 6(3 over each opening).

 

I just added a couple leds to my homemade fixture yesterday. Its actually very easy and was well worth it. Right now I am running 5 white leds and 4 blue Leds over my 29 Gal Biocube and the color is perfect right now for me. Just a shade of blue and with dominate white. I honestly would be willing to help some people out if they by the materials to help them build a fixture or build one for them.

 

Matt, what DIY LEDs are you using? I ordered from Rapid LED and I cannot seem to get the first string to light. I've got two Mean Well LPC-35-700W constant current drivers with 24 LEDs, 12 white, 12 blue. I'm using one driver to drive the blue LEDs, and the other to light the white LEDs. I haven't had much time to mess with it yet, but I got all the blues soldered up(+ to the next -) as per the online instructions, then wired the driver to the first and last LED. I installed them according to this build thread( http://www.reefcentral.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1672708 ) and when I plug in the driver= nothing.

I suck at soldering, is it possible to make bad solder connections, or do you think it might be bad wiring to the driver? I tugged a little on each solder connection and they all seem pretty secure, so I'm pretty unsure what to do next. I'll have time tomorrow to hopefully get the whole fixture going, so hopefully you can help me get it figured out by then!

 

Adam,

Take a multimeter to the connections to see if they are bad. It sounds like a bad solder connection on one of them. Since they are wired in series, it only takes one bad connection to make the whole string not work.

Joe

 

Good idea. I'll need to go pick up a multimeter today then. Do you suggest radio shack? I might pick up a new solder iron too, mine doesn't get that hot. Also, I saw a really cool "third hand clamp" on some of the YouTube videos I was searching to learn how to solder correctly, haha. I might need to make a shopping list!

 

Ok, I picked up a new soldering iron and a multimeter. I put the multimeter on 1K resistance and put the sensors on top of the soldered wires on each side of each led. I didn't get consistent results. I'm sure I'm doing this wrong, can you tell me the best way to check the connections with the multimeter?

 

Well I figured out the multimeter(enough anyways) and I removed all the wiring from the blue LEDs and just went with re-doing the wiring on the whites. The soldering iron I picked up at Radio Shack was a lot nicer, it came with some thin solder that worked much better than the crap I picked up at Ace. I bought the thinnest stuff I found at Ace, but it was still pretty thick. I watched a bunch of videos on YouTube about tinning the wires before soldering them to the circuit. Worked like a charm! I started at the beginning of the Monday Night Football game and I was done with the white LED's by half time. I took my time, but I think re-doing the blues will take half that time. I would do them tonight too, but I'm out of the thin solder. I had to make the last 2 connections with the thick solder and I could immediately "feel" the difference. I'm going to wait until I pick up some new thin solder tomorrow to do the blues. I'm picking up Craig's Par Meter in the morning, I'll try to get everyone some comparisons to my 400 watt radiums(keep in mind the bulbs are about 10 months old).

Anyways, thanks Joe for recommending getting a multimeter, if I hadn't done that I wouldn't have picked up the new soldering iron, thin solder, helping hands station, and I would still be trying to solder the LED's with the crappy thick solder.

Also, I'll be doing a DIY build thread on this after a while, showing people what not to do!

 

Mine is 4 Cree Xe Blues and & Cree Xe Whites with 900ma Buckpucks. I bought it, and then have added to it, and worked and learned to understand it. Love it, I wish I had a par meter to see what its like, adding two leds really brightend it up. Now I plan on making it just a tad bit bigger.