LED refugium fish tank & aquaponics

[Zero_Enigma]

Ok guys. I just got a bit of data overload reading this thread. http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?p=2696020#post2696020

Right now I have someone asking me to build them a 3-6 LED light to place over a small fish tank so they can cheaply cultivate algae I think. Ahh ok I got their message here.

The application I have in mind is to light a refugium, which is effectively a planted area of a marine tank to grow algae in order to export nutrients. I'd like to do LEDs as the length of time that the area will be illuminated would be served nicely by LEDs.

I'd just like to know what you figure it would cost for the materials and your time for the fabrication of a lighting setup for the 18 x 4 space - effectively just a strip of LEDs, which shouldn't be too hard to put thogether. Doesn't have to be pretty either since it's going to be inside of a stand over a sump

I assume that's 18" x 4". Anyways, I'm familiar with the Cree Q5 and SSC P4 U-bin LED's so I'm thinking of using those for the build but need some help on how to do this.

My skill level is low but I do know how to use a soldering iron. I have soldered fan wire repairs for the computers, my trail riding MTB light and helmet light soldering the DX drivers and wires to a on off switch, and some electronic components for my dad. What I need help from everyone is what plug in the wall (Canada 120v I think) driver can I use to build this?

*--*--*-----[on\off]-----[driver]-----=
| |
*--*--*

It would be nice if there was a high and low mode on the light should the person wanting to keep the light on 24/7 on low mode but later want to move that to another tank but want to bump the lighting up they have a dual use function.


Also I am planning on building a small aquaponic setup myself but not like the aeroponic setup. My setup uses the fish water in the fish tank to grow my indoor veggies. In that thread I think they said you can't get tomatos out of CFL bulbs well I'm using 6500k bulbs and I got my Tiny Tim tomato plant which is growing like mad with a crazy root structure in my hydroponics setup right now. Tho fruit production probably isn't as plenty as if you had some HPS or crazy LED grow lights. I've grown spinish, lettuce, tomatos, with those 6500 bulbs before, The ones that did not work were strawberry. I still have a strawberry runner in the aquaponics system but it did not really grow to well. I'm using 2 x I think (23W or) 32W 6500k bulbs. I'm thinking of making some small aquaponics setup with a 5-10gal tank but considering using LED's for small veg crops as tomatos well I may have to use more lighting for them. My thinking is using 8 x Cree Q5 WC LED's all powered to 1000mA with a plug in wall driver. Can I get some help here on what driver to use and somelinks to help me out? Thanks.

 

[blasterman]

Easiest way to do this is get a driver like this, and simply solder half a dozen 3-watt cool white stars in series on a heatsink. It's that simple, and darn near newb-proof. Biggest challenge will be your heat sink since you'll need something long and narrow.

If you want dimming ability, you're going to need to get a bit more complicated. Check out the lighting section of the NanoReef forums for an infinate range of ideas. Personally I don't get why you need dimming for this application.

The other part of your post is more interesting because it confirms some of my observations with plants and lighting. I've found that 5500-6500k CFLs grow houseplants like crazy and am experimenting with LEDs to perform the same role. However, the million dollar question is if it's blue light or red light that's promoting the growth. Red light is supposed to promote fruiting and stem growth while blue is supposed to promote vegetative growth. The Japanese are all over this and are using red LEDs for agriculture along with NASA, but there's other research pundits showing blue is of importance as well.

For fruiting plants though, concensus is that red is the way to go.

Obviously you can just use uber bright white LEDs and get both red and blue, but it's a waste of energy...unless you want to show off the plants obviously. I'm testing some house plants with half a dozen blue Crees at 700mA, and after awhile the intense blue/cyan light gives you a headache.

But....if the 6500k white CFL does a good job with plants, then logic dictates that cool-white LEDs would do equal if not a better job. But....CFL phosphors tend to be weak in far red which kind of contradicts the red/fruiting pundits {groan}.

If you decide to drive at 1000mA, get some Cree XP-Gs at least.

 

[Zero_Enigma]

So far my 6500 CFL spiral bulbs are gowing 2 x Tiny Tim Cherry tomatos no problem. Granted they're growing slower then usual as I don't have enough light but I've got like 20 flowers already and about 6-8 mini tomatos right now with one already orange.

Well the diming thing is if the user wants to save money and use less light. Also the user is asking me to build it as they are not comfy with LED building but is well read on the heatsinking and LED's. Priciing is also another issue as I'll be competing with commercial units and I plan on getting my stuff for DX to save money and the SSC P4 and Cree Q5's have dropped $2-3 bucks since I first saw them back then.

Also because I have 6 x Cree Q5's on hand.

 

[blasterman]

I'm reading more and more that red light is the optimum for fruiting plants. Japan / NASA are going that route, so if you building something for your own terrestrial plants it seems the 3:1 red/blue mix is the way to go. Cool white CFLs tend to be weak with red spectra.

Bit different in the reef world where blue light dominates.

6 cool white Q5 should work fine for a refugium.

 

[Zero_Enigma]

Blaster,

Well I should note that the 6500k CFL is growing and flowering the two small tomato plants like mad. I've got like 50 flowers now. The think is I have to hand pollinate ALL flowers or else I'm not getting any tomatoes unless I enclose the area and seal it off with good chalking and release a few bees in there which is not what I had in mind.

I have heard that if you have fans across from each other (I have no fans blowing here) blowing at each other some people have had success as the plant is shaking while the pollen can possibly travel to the next flower and pollinate that way as well. I don't have a grow box. :mecry:I just have a small area in the laundry room that I use a car windshield sun reflector thing which works well for reflecting light back and shattering it around. You can find those windshield reflector things cheap now as it's off spring/summer season.

Based on my 6500k CFL experience I would go with 6500k LED's as it seems like an all-rounder light and add more of a color if you need it.