6.6 gallon pico reef tank build w/ DIY LEDs

Actually, these LEDs run very hot and you need to get a heatsink and have a fan blowing on them. If you notice in my picture, there is a fan on the top blowing into the fixture.

 

Probably more like 350 if you have 30 LEDs.

-5 buckpucks= $100
-30 crees=$190
-Power supply=$15
-Heatsink= $40
-Thermal pads=$3 i think
-Fixture(and mount fans into it)

Also you need tools imcluding soldering iron solder, 18-22 gauge wire, electric tape, and heat shrink.

MH fixtures run at around 270 at the least and only last 1 year though. These last 10 years if they are not running at high temps.

 

The step by step will be coming soon. My camera is dead at the moment and I cant find the charger.

Setting up LEDs is not as hard as it looks haha.

 

Sweet set up

 

yeah im going to research this more. id need alot of cooling, which is fine being that im not restricted to how much space i utilize in the 8'x8' aquarium room that houses my inwall tank. so perhaps a row of muffin fans on each side of an acrylic sheet that has the lights mounted to it. can height adjust.

im going to see if i can design a schematic that would allow for easy replacement if needed. with the amount of controllers needed for the lights i could make individual panels. maybe 3. that way if a panel has one go out i can do maintenance without having to ditch the entire light. i do small electronic kits and such for a side hobby so i have a little bit of knowledge when it comes to PCB soldering and such so i think i can get pretty crafty with this. make it a resalable fixture that i can reproduce, now theres something that would be awesome.

oh and duh yeah it'd have moonlight led's

sorry for semi-jacking your thread on your awesome lighting ideas! 8)

 

I wouldn't mount them onto acrylic. A nice big heatsink would be the way to go with some fans running over it. You can get industrial heatsinks on ebay for a good price. PM me and i will show you where to find all the imformation.

 

More pics coming soooooon!!!!!

 

My 2.5 gallon fuge pics and I mounted the fan that was setting on-top of the LED fixture into the LED fixture and it looks much more professional

 

New PICS of LED setup

You asked for them so here they are!

 

looks great! keep up the good work. im still debating my large version of this