Please teach me about LEDs.

BoBo65 · Mar 12, 2011

evolved said: ↑

I checked the dimension of a 46 bowfront before I answered, and my recommendation still stands. Here's why: Consider the light which is emitted from the LEDs has an "angle of projection", if you will. A fixture which is 3" from the end of your tank (36-30=6 6/2=3) will get plenty of light to that edge 3" away because of this. If you actually build a fixture 36" long over a 36" tank you'll be wasting half the output of the last diode on the end to the room.

Look at my build; I used 2 24" heatsinks on a 60" long tank. I left space inbetween them so I didn't get a bad shadow from the center brace.

They could be mounted to the tank somehow I'm sure. But this requires creativity from you to make that work. I hung mine to make it look a little "cleaner" and for the added benefit of being able to adjust the height they were off of the tank's surface.

If you do a canopy down the line you definitely won't want optics then. You could do fine without them now, as I said, unless you wanted to mount it really high above the tank. The purpose of the optics is provide better light penetration at increasing depth. Being that your tank is only 20" deep, you won't need them if the fixture is under12" above the surface of the tank.

Color temp, is inherent to the specific type/bin of diode. Those white LEDs have a specific range of color temp, as do the blues. You'll be able to control that mix/blend quite a bit if the whites/blues are independently dimmable. The links/parts I posted above would allow this.
Click to expand...

great advice and info evloved ;D I 2nd everything you have said lol

exactlyobp · Mar 13, 2011

^^ And I 3rd to it
Cant be clearer than what evolved posted. Just go with what he said.

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Please teach me about LEDs.

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Please teach me about LEDs.

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