12DX LED Build

[ryshark]

Those kits dont allow any dimming of the leds. Its better to buy everything separately and get dimmable drivers.

Those heatsinks may have the leds spaced too far apart if optics are to be used.

I use meanwell dimmable drivers (more $$$ but much easier to use and connect).

Matt

Isn't that what the third link is? 24 Ultra Premium LED DIY Kit with Dimmable Drivers

They sell heatsinks with no holes too, so I could drill wherever, if thats the way I decided http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/the-72/5.9"-x-9"-Aluminum/Detail etc, lots of sizes

 

[Ziggy953]

Those kits dont allow any dimming of the leds. Its better to buy everything separately and get dimmable drivers.

Those heatsinks may have the leds spaced too far apart if optics are to be used.

I use meanwell dimmable drivers (more $$$ but much easier to use and connect).

Matt

Second link he provided had dimmable drivers. I did buy everything separate and that kit would have saved me a lot of headache

 

[mrg02d]

Second link he provided had dimmable drivers. I did buy everything separate and that kit would have saved me a lot of headache

Oh I see now...They have dimmable. Before when I built mine, they didnt have them.

You might want to reconsider XP-G and XP-E leds. A lot of work is being done and suggest warmer whites are the way to go. I have XR-E 6500k and they are much more yellow. People are finding the lower kelvin leds to have better colors in the corals. XR-E are also cheaper!

People are way over doing it with the led powers used. XR-E are the most inefficient, but cheaper and better colors. They still provide enough PAR to seriously roast corals on the bottom of the tank.

Check out LED Aesthetics: What do really think of your color? - Nano-Reef.com Forums

EDIT: Buying separately, 24 xr-e leds with optics plus two meanwell dimmable analog is $226.00. Thats much cheaper than the kit with the over do it leds with potentially less color. The other random things in the kit are all over priced and can be bought at lowes or homedepot and radioshack for less. Kits should save a substantial amount of money, not cost more.

Matt

 

[ryshark]

EDIT: Buying separately, 24 xr-e leds with optics plus two meanwell dimmable analog is $226.00. Thats much cheaper than the kit with the over do it leds with potentially less color. The other random things in the kit are all over priced and can be bought at lowes or homedepot and radioshack for less. Kits should save a substantial amount of money, not cost more.

Matt

How is it way more than this: 24 Ultra Premium LED DIY Kit with Dimmable Drivers and you only pay shipping once. I don't get it.

And if you don't want the "over do it LEDs" there is this for less money:
24 Premium LED DIY Kit with Dimmable Drivers

I want to make sure to make the right decision, and I don't know tons about LED yet.

Sorry for kind of hijacking your thread Jim.

 

[mrg02d]

How is it way more than this: 24 Ultra Premium LED DIY Kit with Dimmable Drivers and you only pay shipping once. I don't get it.

And if you don't want the "over do it LEDs" there is this for less money:
24 Premium LED DIY Kit with Dimmable Drivers

I want to make sure to make the right decision, and I don't know tons about LED yet.

Sorry for kind of hijacking your thread Jim.

The first kit is $250.00, which is $24.00 more than just buying everything separately (24 xr-e leds with optics and two dimmable drivers) and using power cables that most DIYers have laying around.

The second kit is $235.00 which is still $9.00 more than buying separately.

You can buy everything separately from them and pay shipping once. (Which isnt that much either).

Seems to me that they ought to give a decent discount for buying all that together rather than maybe saving a buck or two if you didnt have some power cables laying around and some hook up wire.

If you really dont have any of the hook up wire and power cables, then buying the kit will pretty much just save you a trip to the hardware store.

Dont worry, DIY led setups are extremely easy and plenty of us here are more than willing to help! I believe 24 leds work well up to 29g biocube tanks.

Matt

 

[ryshark]

The first kit is $250.00, which is $24.00 more than just buying everything separately (24 xr-e leds with optics and two dimmable drivers) and using power cables that most DIYers have laying around.

The second kit is $235.00 which is still $9.00 more than buying separately.

You can buy everything separately from them and pay shipping once. (Which isnt that much either).

Seems to me that they ought to give a decent discount for buying all that together rather than maybe saving a buck or two if you didnt have some power cables laying around and some hook up wire.

If you really dont have any of the hook up wire and power cables, then buying the kit will pretty much just save you a trip to the hardware store.

Dont worry, DIY led setups are extremely easy and plenty of us here are more than willing to help! I believe 24 leds work well up to 29g biocube tanks.

Matt

Ok, so its really not that much more money for the convenience, especially considering I dont have any power cables or wires laying around. I have a lot bigger than a 29g, but my situation is a little different. I will put it on my build thread.

 

[Jimbo7]

dang I don't look over here for a minute and you guys go LED crazy. for what you are doing Ry I would go with the XP-G since you need all the power you can get. Those kits are really nice but do some back checking on other forums about them, I have a negative connotation associated with their site but I can't remember why.

 

[ryshark]

dang I don't look over here for a minute and you guys go LED crazy. for what you are doing Ry I would go with the XP-G since you need all the power you can get. Those kits are really nice but do some back checking on other forums about them, I have a negative connotation with their site but I can't remember why.

I will look into them thanks. Ya, for what I am doing, I need the light to penetrate through 3/4" thick x 10" acrylic center brace.

 

[Jimbo7]

I made the move to my apartment yesterday, with no casualties. Only damage thus far is my joe the coral was touching my green mille and the joe now has a slight burned tip.

I ordered a new RO/DI, salt and other essentials that should be here monday, until then I have to finish the stand its going on and figure out where im gonna put it.

Everything looks pretty mad right now, and I can't set up the sump till monday, so I'm hoping they do alright in the 7-8 gallons they are in now. I might end up going out to buy water and just plugging up the bulkhead to fill it. I'll be sparse for awhile, im stealing internet now as it is, pics as soon as I can.

 

[Ziggy953]

Glad everything has made it thus far.

 

[pat8you]

Not JOE. That's one of my favorites. Glad everything made it with out any problems.

 

[Jimbo7]

Yea I was a little mad about that too. Especially since it was my fault. I should have double checked to make sure no one was touching before I went to bed. Joe will recover though.... He's a fighter.

 

[mrg02d]

Yea I was a little mad about that too. Especially since it was my fault. I should have double checked to make sure no one was touching before I went to bed. Joe will recover though.... He's a fighter.

Lets hope so...
I just lost a mini acropora colony to RTN for some odd reason. Something might have done a bad touch. :-(

It was my least favorite, but still...

So how would you say your leds are working out for you? Corals coloring up well?

Matt

 

[ryshark]

Lets hope so...
I just lost a mini acropora colony to RTN for some odd reason. Something might have done a bad touch. :-(

It was my least favorite, but still...

So how would you say your leds are working out for you? Corals coloring up well?

Matt

Was it a maricultured or wild mini colony?

 

[ryshark]

Jim, I'm sure the Joe will recover over time. Do you have a little flow in there for them? Moving sucks. Good luck with the new apartment. I will be in Chicago for a few days next week for work. We are doing one activity at Navy Piers (dont know what that is) and another at the historic field museum(dont know what that is either) I just want to find good pizza and hot dogs. Oh, and we got tickets to a cubs game. I am looking forward to seeing Wrigley.

 

[Jimbo7]

Jim, I'm sure the Joe will recover over time. Do you have a little flow in there for them? Moving sucks. Good luck with the new apartment. I will be in Chicago for a few days next week for work. We are doing one activity at Navy Piers (dont know what that is) and another at the historic field museum(dont know what that is either) I just want to find good pizza and hot dogs. Oh, and we got tickets to a cubs game. I am looking forward to seeing Wrigley.

dangit! you would come into town days after i leave! My girlfriend lives literally a 5 minute walk from Wrigley, we totally could have met up for lunch or dinner.

 

[ryshark]

dangit! you would come into town days after i leave! My girlfriend lives literally a 5 minute walk from Wrigley, we totally could have met up for lunch or dinner.

Yeah, that would have been cool. Where did you move to?

 

[Jimbo7]

I go to school at University of Cincinnati, so if for some god awful reason you have to come to cincinnati or greater kentucky, lemme know.

 

[ryshark]

I go to school at University of Cincinnati, so if for some god awful reason you have to come to cincinnati or greater kentucky, lemme know.

Funny, every year a bunch of friends get together without the wives/girlfriends and meet at a mlb ballpark somewhere and call it mantrip. This year was St. Louis and next year is Cincinnati...... the visiting team always has to be the Dodgers (their choice not mine). I'm not sure if I'm going to go next year to cincinnati though. Last year we ended up in east st louis, illinois walking around at 2am.... it seems like its just a matter of time before something bad happens.

 

[Jimbo7]

Funny, every year a bunch of friends get together without the wives/girlfriends and meet at a mlb ballpark somewhere and call it mantrip. This year was St. Louis and next year is Cincinnati...... the visiting team always has to be the Dodgers (their choice not mine). I'm not sure if I'm going to go next year to cincinnati though. Last year we ended up in east st louis, illinois walking around at 2am.... it seems like its just a matter of time before something bad happens.

Haha! Well if you happen to make it down here, let me know! Just as a FYI, Cincinnati is NOT the place you can just wander late at night. We have some of the most dangerous suburbs, no joke.


On other news, I just got all my packages today which included my new RO/DI from BRS, magnetic frag rack, bone clippers, sand, some rock putty, tropic marin pro reef salt, and a hydor flo. I'm flushing the RO/DI out now and will be giving the tank a much needed water change later.

We are still trying to figure out internet at my apartment, so my activity will still be somewhat cut down for a few more days.