Calling on the DIY LED "Gurus"

[planbtypea]

So I am starting to price/piece together a Custom LED/T5HO setup. I am looking for insight, input, and/or ideas with what I have come up with. I have looked through numerous LED builds on various forums and decided the best input would be to post my build idea. Tank is a 125 Tall, 60x18x24. Fixture with sit 10-12 inches above water. With the setup evenly spaced over the tank, I should have enough light for about anything at full blast. Tank will eventually be a mixed polyp, mushroom, softy, SPS tank so full blast shouldn't be needed but with amount of LEDS should allow me to get whatever coloring I want/need. By doing it DIY, looking at about $100 per foot of tank including the controller. Already have the T5s, currently running a T5 and "cheap/low lumen" LED strip combo and I'm not happy with lack of growth and coloring.

SUPPLIES
V=Violets (5)
G=Green (4)
R=Red (4)
WW=Warm White (20)
CW=Cool White (10)
RB=Royal Blue (40)
B=Blue (13)
MEANWELL LLD-700 (7)
MEANWELL LDD-600 (2)
MEANWELL LDD-350 (1)
TYPHOON STORM-X CONTROLER - Anyone use(d) one of these, have only found a few reviews
POWER SUPPLY(S) ???
60 OPTICS (80)
90 OPTICS (14)
LDD-6 DRIVER BOARD (2)
HEATSINK(S) ???

STRIPS
COLORS - OPTICS - DRIVER - USE
#1 10xRB 2xB- 60 - LDD-700
#2 10xRB 2xB - 60 - LDD-700
#3 10xWW - 60 - LDD-700
#4 4xG 4xR - 90 - LDD-600
#5 5xV - 90 - LDD-600
#6 10xWW - 60 - LDD-700
#7 10xRB 2xB - 60 - LDD-700
#8 10xRB 2xB - 60 - LDD-700
#9 10XCW - 60 - LDD-700 - (PEAK/NOON)
#10 5xB - ? - LDD-350 - (MOONLIGHT)


LIGHT/STRIP & COLOR LAYOUT ( NOTES)
T5HO
#1 RB- RB- RB- RB- B- RB- RB- RB- RB- B- RB- RB
#3 WW- WW- WW- WW- WW- WW- WW- WW- WW- WW
#2 RB- RB- B- RB- RB- RB- RB- B- RB- RB-RB -RB
#4 &#5 V- R- G- V- R- G- V- R- G- V- R- G- V (2 DRIVERS)
#9&#10 CW- B- CW- CW- B- CW- CW- B- CW- CW- B- CW- CW- B- CW (2 DRIVERS)
#6 RB- RB- RB- RB- B- RB- RB- RB- RB- B- RB- RB
#8 WW- WW- WW- WW- WW- WW- WW- WW- WW- WW
#7 RB- RB- B- RB- RB- RB- RB- B- RB- RB- RB- RB
T5HO



-Mods, no hard feelings if this needs to be moved to another area. Couldn't decide whether here or DIY would be the best place

 

[xmas_one]

I don't know what your budget is, but you might look into a Photon 48.

 

[Six2seven]

There's a lot of diy LED "experts" lol so I'll just sit and watch. I don't think you need that many whites but I do love led builds. I like real heatsinks not u channel bars.

 

[planbtypea]

I don't know what your budget is, but you might look into a Photon 48.

I have heard the only bad thing with ReefBreeders is the ETA to your door (seems to only be with group buys though). Other than that, lots of good things.

There's a lot of diy LED "experts" lol so I'll just sit and watch. I don't think you need that many whites but I do love led builds. I like real heatsinks not u channel bars.

I'm not a fan of u channel either, I live in the desert and don't need anymore heat than we get... Multiple heatsinks? I think it would be better for heat dispersal than one huge heatsink, with a 60x18 tank . Trying to go for a 2:1 ratio with the CW for a 2-3 hour peak/noon increase.

 

[Six2seven]

I have heard the only bad thing with ReefBreeders is the ETA to your door (seems to only be with group buys though). Other than that, lots of good things.



I'm not a fan of u channel either, I live in the desert and don't need anymore heat than we get... Multiple heatsinks? I think it would be better for heat dispersal than one huge heatsink, with a 60x18 tank . Trying to go for a 2:1 ratio with the CW for a 2-3 hour peak/noon increase.

I have three separate heatsinks in my set up. Mainly because I wanted the black ones from rapidled that have a splash guard on them. It costs more but my diy was so that I can have my system customized now necessarily cheaper. Also my fixtures are all separate so that I can remove them via molex connections anytime I want

 

[h0ndap0w3r]

Thsts alot of whites I have 3 out of 21 leds

 

[Fly5150]

I have three separate heatsinks in my set up. Mainly because I wanted the black ones from rapidled that have a splash guard on them. It costs more but my diy was so that I can have my system customized now necessarily cheaper. Also my fixtures are all separate so that I can remove them via molex connections anytime I want

Did your splash guard fit? I went with ledgroupbuy Crees and with 90* optics, the plexi glass wouldn't fit.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SchnitzelReef]

Way too many whites. Remember it's a hybrid light, and fluorescent lighting will overpower your blue LEDs. I just built a DIY t5/led hybrid. I used 155 LEDs and I only used 10 whites. Probably would have been better if I went with 15-20. 2:1 ratio + t5, your tank will look very white.

 

[Six2seven]

Did your splash guard fit? I went with ledgroupbuy Crees and with 90* optics, the plexi glass wouldn't fit.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes it fit perfectly. I don't know if other brands of lenses would fit.

 

[planbtypea]

Thanks for all the info already. I hadn't thought about the T5 washing out the blue. Might just ditch the WW strings all together...

 

[xmas_one]

Thanks for all the info already. I hadn't thought about the T5 washing out the blue. Might just ditch the WW strings all together...

Ditch the CW instead.

 

[planbtypea]

Sounds like it will be better if I drop the WW strips (#3 and 6) and switch the CW for WW on #9. It would be 10WW and 0CW. That would put me at a 4.8:1 ratio, plus the 5 Violet. I guess you would count those in the "blue" spectrum so that would be 5.3:1 plus 2 80w T5. What T5 bulbs are you running on your hybrid Schnitzel? I couldn't find them on your build thread other than they are the 80w....

 

[SchnitzelReef]

Sounds like it will be better if I drop the WW strips (#3 and 6) and switch the CW for WW on #9. It would be 10WW and 0CW. That would put me at a 4.8:1 ratio, plus the 5 Violet. I guess you would count those in the "blue" spectrum so that would be 5.3:1 plus 2 80w T5. What T5 bulbs are you running on your hybrid Schnitzel? I couldn't find them on your build thread other than they are the 80w....

ATI Blue + and ATI Coral +. If your only running 2 bulbs, those would be the two I would recommend. Depending on how blue you like your tank, with a 5:1 ratio u will have to crank the whites down quite a bit to get a nice 16-20k look. Remember white LEDs and t5 bulbs will over power blue/royal blue LEDs. Would u rather have 10 whites running at 50%, or 5 running at 100% and 5 more royal blues?? Something to think about.

 

[planbtypea]

Thanks guys, looks like I am going back to the drawing board... Anyone heard of/used the Typhoon Storm controller(s)? Looking at the Storm X due to 16 Vs 6 Control points with the Storm....

What is the going opinion of Teal/Turquoise Leds on reefs? More just for the looks? I had a ATI Lagoon as one of my T5s (sucker only lasted 3 months though:banghead and liked the almost bluegreen hue it had in the tank...

 

[xmas_one]

A little bit of "teal/turquoise" goes a looooong way. Real easy to overdo it and achieve the "windex look".

 

[chizzle]

You should contact Dave at nanobox. He makes these retros for people. I have a custom fixture he made me on my 6ft tank and couldn't be happier.

https://m.facebook.com/NanoBoxReef?_rdr

 

[h0ndap0w3r]

Thanks guys, looks like I am going back to the drawing board... Anyone heard of/used the Typhoon Storm controller(s)? Looking at the Storm X due to 16 Vs 6 Control points with the Storm....

What is the going opinion of Teal/Turquoise Leds on reefs? More just for the looks? I had a ATI Lagoon as one of my T5s (sucker only lasted 3 months though:banghead and liked the almost bluegreen hue it had in the tank...

i use the typhoon from stevesleds... works great, no complaints

 

[planbtypea]

Power supply question. I know that it is capable of WAY more than I am going to be running, but should I go with 500w? Says it can run 10 LDDs @ 1000mA or 14
LDDs @700mA. Is it a good idea to run less than max with the power supply just like the LEDs themselves? I'm looking at a total of 8-10 drivers as of now, max of 700mA (x5-7@700mA, x2@600mA, and x1@350mA) with a max of 12 LEDs per driver. But it will leave me some room for expansion should I need more light later.

http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/500w-48v-10-4a-dc-power-supply

A little bit of "teal/turquoise" goes a looooong way. Real easy to overdo it and achieve the "windex look".

Good to know, was thinking 3 with no optics. Will probably put them on the back burner as an add-on possibly later.

i use the typhoon from stevesleds... works great, no complaints

Awesome.