Sillyfishies
Aquarium Advice Addict
I want to make some DIY LEDs as its much cheaper then most light fixtures. Can some tell me the supplies I need and the total cost?
How to make a DIY LEDs
- Thread starter Sillyfishies
- Start date
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Nyghtryderz
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
This is what i just bought and recieved the other day for my 75 gallon tank:
38 RB
18 NW 5000k
2 quad dimming LED drivers
2 replacement dimmer knobs( Heard these break easily.)
2 8" x 15" heat sink with fins
1 switching power supply at 400w, 24V @ 16.5 amps
30ft solder
30ft 24gauge LED power wire
10ft 22 gauge driver power wire
30ft 8 strand 23 gauge cable (cat 6)
2 thermal adhesion
3 60mm fans (thought i need two and have one replacement)
These are Rebel Lexion by Phillips LED's
Total cost was $350
38 RB
18 NW 5000k
2 quad dimming LED drivers
2 replacement dimmer knobs( Heard these break easily.)
2 8" x 15" heat sink with fins
1 switching power supply at 400w, 24V @ 16.5 amps
30ft solder
30ft 24gauge LED power wire
10ft 22 gauge driver power wire
30ft 8 strand 23 gauge cable (cat 6)
2 thermal adhesion
3 60mm fans (thought i need two and have one replacement)
These are Rebel Lexion by Phillips LED's
Total cost was $350
abstract373
Aquarium Advice Freak
Check out superbrightled.com they might have what you need...
Saratj1
Aquarium Advice FINatic
All parts availible from eBay I would post links to everything but I'm using the app and it takes a while. Just search my part listings an find the cheapest or best for the money.
9x 10w hybrid led ~$ 80
1x led power supply that is rated at 36v 3000mA~ $40
1x potentiometer (dimmer) ~ $10
1x AC molex power supply ~$12
2x 120mm computer fans ~$12
1x three prong power cord $10
1x CPU thermal paste ~ $5
1x large heatsink aluminum ~$60
Misc wiring and soldering supplies. ~$20
this setup will be 90w of led, if you want 120w you could get 3 more emitters, and get a power supply that was rated at 36v 4000mA or 48v 3000mA
With a 36v 3000mA power supply you will run 3 rows of three emitters wired in series.
With a 36v 4000mA power supply you will run 4 rows of 3 emitters in series.
With a 48v 3000mA power supply you will run 3 rows of 4 emitters in a series.
If you have any questions feel free to ask.
You will end up with something like this-
9x 10w hybrid led ~$ 80
1x led power supply that is rated at 36v 3000mA~ $40
1x potentiometer (dimmer) ~ $10
1x AC molex power supply ~$12
2x 120mm computer fans ~$12
1x three prong power cord $10
1x CPU thermal paste ~ $5
1x large heatsink aluminum ~$60
Misc wiring and soldering supplies. ~$20
this setup will be 90w of led, if you want 120w you could get 3 more emitters, and get a power supply that was rated at 36v 4000mA or 48v 3000mA
With a 36v 3000mA power supply you will run 3 rows of three emitters wired in series.
With a 36v 4000mA power supply you will run 4 rows of 3 emitters in series.
With a 48v 3000mA power supply you will run 3 rows of 4 emitters in a series.
If you have any questions feel free to ask.
You will end up with something like this-
Do you have any specs for this LED's.
It would be a bad deal just to find out 3 month later that has now positive effect on coral or even worse to have negative effect on them.
Probably ok for fish only unless someone have experimented with this LEDs for a few month.
Also many eBay supplier somewhat inconsistent, pretty much they will sale you whatever you want to buy. Button line, I have purchased LEDs from eBay a few times and without guaranteed specs we all can have different result.
It would be a bad deal just to find out 3 month later that has now positive effect on coral or even worse to have negative effect on them.
Probably ok for fish only unless someone have experimented with this LEDs for a few month.
Also many eBay supplier somewhat inconsistent, pretty much they will sale you whatever you want to buy. Button line, I have purchased LEDs from eBay a few times and without guaranteed specs we all can have different result.
Saratj1
Aquarium Advice FINatic
They are epistar LEDs, I have been using that exact fixture for several months and am very pleased with it. I went from a 250w metal halide and have not looked back. As far as LEDs go there are only a few manufacturers of high power LEDs epistar, bridgelux, and Cree, and all of them are made in china, although cree are designed in the US they are manufactured by other companies in china, as far as ebay goes ive had positive experiences, but i understand if you have not had a good experience with eBay im just doing what rapid led or whoever is doing which is putting a bunch of chinese parts together to make a working light. What do you want to know about them. The color spectrum that these are is specifically meant for aquarium use, my tank has responded well. Thats all I can really say.
Here's a close up of the actual emitter:
Here's a close up of the actual emitter:
More than once I heard/read that semiconductors not meet specification or during testing had high number of failure occurred than that batch sold to other market wo name or sanded of names.
This is why you can buy $0.25 a 16GByte USB memory stick, and throw it away 2weeks later.
Have you been in mainland china, there are stores 5 level high selling electronics and semiconductors.
This is why you can buy $0.25 a 16GByte USB memory stick, and throw it away 2weeks later.
Have you been in mainland china, there are stores 5 level high selling electronics and semiconductors.
abstract373
Aquarium Advice Freak
All your leds come from china so you pick and choose hopefuly you get lucky its cheaper for them to make so thats why this is a 50/50 chance you take..do your math and look into what you buy..thats why i get all my stuff from superbrihtled.com they give you 2 year warranty minimum or better...good luck
I am missing something ?
XPE series Cree LED $10.95 ea at LED Lights, Bulbs & Accessories - SUPER BRIGHT LEDS
CREE XM-L Neutral White LED $9.00 ea at Rapid LED
CREE XM-L Neutral White LED $6.95 ea at LED Group Buy | CREE LEDs for DIY Aquarium Lighting
2x Neutral White XP-E High Efficiency LEDs $10.00 at http://www.ledgroupbuy.com
How is that makes superbrightleds.com the cheapest place to shop ?
Anyway ....
XPE series Cree LED $10.95 ea at LED Lights, Bulbs & Accessories - SUPER BRIGHT LEDS
CREE XM-L Neutral White LED $9.00 ea at Rapid LED
CREE XM-L Neutral White LED $6.95 ea at LED Group Buy | CREE LEDs for DIY Aquarium Lighting
2x Neutral White XP-E High Efficiency LEDs $10.00 at http://www.ledgroupbuy.com
How is that makes superbrightleds.com the cheapest place to shop ?
Anyway ....
Saratj1
Aquarium Advice FINatic
And you can build my whole fixture for what you will pay in emitters if you go the Cree route, and cree's highest color temp is around 7000k, which is not the most desireable color temp for white LEDs in reef aquarium. Your coral will not care what type of emitter so long as it gets the right amount / color of light, it will be fine, and as far as eBay LEDs go I've bought over 100 different emitters from eBay 1w's, 3w's 10w's and smd's and have yet to have one be defective in any way. I have ruined a couple myself though, so I'd reccomend to anyone building their first fixtures to buy a few extra emitters, especially if your getting them from china because you don't want to mess one up then have to wait 2 weeks to get another shipped over to replace it. I believe the the person with the problem with eBay didn't know what they were doing and bought incompatible LEDs and drivers and says its eBay and cheap LEDs fault they didn't work.
