Aqurium lighting

[ussmcdonald]

Has anyone built one? I am reading as much as I can. I have read about the Cree LED's. The heat seems to be the biggest problem, but it still is less then Metal Halide. Also, what distributor do you guys use? I would like to chat with someone about the setup or any Ideas........


Thanks in Advance....

James

 

[blasterman]

I would suggest visiting Nano-Reef.com where the lighting forum is full of advice about DIY or commercial high powered LED fixtures. Some of us also hang out here, but most of the discussion is about individual LED technology.

 

[Norm]

Have you tried the Google search box at the top of the page?
Made a LED Fish Tank Light - Pics included
Norm

 

[Codiak]

Aquariums make great heat sinks ;)

 

[consorts]

Aquariums make great heat sinks ;)

maybe so, but the idea is to display your fish, not cook them :duh2:

 

[ussmcdonald]

I will look at the google topic. I have read a few DIY lighting, but I have seen some awesome stuff here. I will be moding a flashlight. Is there such a thing as a beginners build? Easy, but will hook you into building more?

 

[VegasF6]

Check here too:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=3
It's really a great forum.

There is a very simple mod to a maglight called the Roar of the Penguin. For not much work (a simple bulb and battery change plus a new reflector) you mag will live a new life. It was really impressive 3 years ago and an awful lot of us cut our teeth there. I will say with the advance of LEDS since then, it's not as impressive. But then, most of us aren't as easily impressed anymore either :(
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?313270-Idiot-s-ROP-guide-please

*edit*
Hah, I meant roar of the PELICAN. Funny stuff there :O

 

[Norm]

Roar of the Penguin.

:D
Norm

 

[blasterman]

FYI - ReefCentral is not an open forum, and the info there is limited to specific builds. It would be like CandlePower banning anybody who modded their flashlight with anything other than Cree with no explanation.

Aquarium lights, unlike flashlights, typically don't use batteries and often involve much larger arrays of LEDs. Same concept - large scale.

 

[VegasF6]

FYI - ReefCentral is not an open forum, and the info there is limited to specific builds. It would be like CandlePower banning anybody who modded their flashlight with anything other than Cree with no explanation.

What? Can you elaborate a little? I mean, I have seen builds there with all different sorts of leds and drivers both. What sort of information do they limit? Understand I am not disagreeing with you, it's just the first I have heard of it!

 

[blasterman]

Reef Central has entire Web sites devoted to it's issues with censorship and commercial filtering. This isn't the place, and I'm sure people here could care less.

Nano-Reef or Reef Builders are excellent libraries for the topic of DIY lighting. It really depends on big/elaborate the OP wants to get. Bolting 3-4 LEDs to a piece of aluminum is pretty basic stuff we've covered here in detail.