idea for moonlights

[justDIY]

here's a diagram of how I think LED based moonlights could be constructed, in a manner which might survive saltwater for a good while.

all the parts you need for this can be had from www.bgmicro.com - i've ordered several times, always gotten great service.

they sell both blue leds and UV leds ... a combination might give you great effects on some of those fluorescent critters that live in saltwater.

check out the BIG 10mm high brightness led - it's large size makes it easier to mount and work with, plus it packs a big punch.

I didn't put in how much resistance you use, since it depends on the bulb you choose and how big a power supply you're using... I'd be happy to help on a case by case basis as much as I can - although it's been a while since i've done any circuits

Here's the diagram and some more comments:

Edit 8/15/03 - Added an additonal diagram with comments on wiring.

 

[justDIY]

moonlight fixture

oh - as I thought up in chat last night, an idea for mounting the LEDs in a more protective package

 

[Hara]

Here are what my moonlights looked like following this plan...sorry bout the crappy pics and of course, the beautiful shimmer is not shown in the photos.

 

[c-bass]

Hara, How are your string of moonlights mounted. Can you post a pic of the strip? How much did it cost to build the moonlights?

 

[Hara]

well, it is not that pretty, truth be told. I used silicone globs to mount each group of three. I have the plastic wraparound that is standard with oceanic, so my mounting choices were limited. I just went around the edge of the canopy and up the center braces and sliconed. I will try to remember to get pics the next time i have the wraparound off.

 

[jayfl77]

You could also get some of the Cold Cathode Lights that are made for PC's. They range from 6-20" long and hook them up to a 12v power supply.

 

[justDIY]

i do that now with my 30 gallon ... only problem with neon is you don't get the ripple effect from water turbulance.

They are also very bright which might confuse coral's breeding.

 

[Electrobes]

I have two oscars that will be going in a 100G tank, I want to use this as a kind of night light for them... would that be okay for the fish?

 

[peterp]

How hot do the leds get? Would it be possible to embed them in a pool of liquid acrylic?

If this would work my idea would be to lay out the lights in a shaow tray and flood it with the acrylic. You would end up with a solid clear bar that should be quite waterproof, only drawback is it is kind of oneway, if something dosen't work you are stuck.

Or maybe possible to have the leds stick out and only embed the wiring portion?

Me, electricity and water just don't get along.

 

[William]

I'd be leary about doing it to, peterp.

Electricity is NOT my friend, it has proven that many times over :?

 

[justDIY]

led's when run properly should generate no heat at all, as they are nearly 100% efficient, converting all energy in into light going out

there are many products out there similar to your idea with the led's set into a block of clear plastic

as long as you test your setup first, and then seal it in, your setup should be fine ... and LED's run for 100,000+ hours, so you don't need to worry about them burning out any time soon

 

[peterp]

That is sort of good to know, I was just going by the power led on my PC that gets quite warm to the touch.

 

[sumphead]

I have a normal output (NO) ballast that came with that tank I am sure I could find room for. I wonder what a simple 15W black light would do? ripple shimmer effect ...hmmm? Anyone knoe before I blow $30 on a 48" bulb I'll never use?

 

[peterp]

Found this site on how to wire leds and calculate the resistor size
White-Leds wiring guide

I picked up 2(all they had) Bright Blue Leds from RadioShack, forward voltage of 5v and 20ma draw. So for a 12v power source with these 2 leds put in series I need a 100ohm resistor. Just need to wait for them to get more stock

How many leds should be put over a tank? Actually 2 tanks totaling 8 feet in length. Um.. 10 feet if you include the betta tank.
Yea tank's are taking over my basement

 

[justDIY]

I have a normal output (NO) ballast that came with that tank I am sure I could find room for. I wonder what a simple 15W black light would do? ripple shimmer effect ...hmmm? Anyone knoe before I blow $30 on a 48" bulb I'll never use?

48" bulb would be 40 watts, not 15 watts

look for the "blue" blacklight instead of the "purple" blacklight I think the code is F40T12/BO instead of F40T12/BL

the purple one gives off too much UV and not enough visible moon light. the blue blacklight gives off a nice blue light along with UV

fyi real moonlight has almost NO uv

 

[justDIY]

How many leds should be put over a tank?

I would use at least 6 if not 9 leds for your tanks, either spaced out for even lighting or grouped in little bunches for the "spotlight" effect

 

[peterp]

Came across this idea for moonlights at the cichlids-forum DIY

I'll have to wait to go to town to find a shop that sells this stuff.
But if the marker strips are around 20$ each or so it would match what it costs me to make a one.
Here's hoping they are not outrageously priced

 

[dustybrannum]

Using LED1086 from www.bgmicro.com which are $1.95 each have a 15 degree spread, 6000mcd, 10mm, 3.5v forward drop. at 24" they spread about 6.5 " therefore i place them 3/4 of a foot apart on the horizontal spread and 1/2 a foot apart on the vertical spread. I am adding a 250 ohm resistor in the middle to consume the excess voltage and I am assuming approximately 1V drop due to the wire length on the long runs. This is just an idea. any suggestions are greatly appreciated. TIA

the red wire is positive and fuschia wire is negative, blue dots are LED's for a total of 14. Will this be too much light for the effect of moonlight?

 

[justDIY]

that sounds a bit too many ... maybe use a pot along with that fixed resistor, so you can dial in the brightness.

if you're looking for even, smooth and consistant moonlighting, rather than the 'spotlight' effect of a few specially placed bulbs, look into neon ... maybe there is a nearby DJ shop or party store, where you could get a blue neon tubes (standard 40 watt t12) ... one of those should be $15-20 and would do an excellent job for ya.

or how about EL film or tape ... inexpensive, easy to work with and has an erie blue glow

 

[dustybrannum]

i was shooting for full coverage, maybe have em all on timers like the moon is going over head through out the night lol
that would be a little much.
is it true that the neon does not give the shimmer effect?