Diy Led Hood Build

[dgwebster]

Another is gaffa tape the board where you are drilling, helps reduce splintering.

 

[Craig89]

Now I'm making a complete new hood for the tank but my problem is with the bracing bars currently on the tank. These are incorporated into the tanks current hood. They can be removed (for cleaning) as can the current hood.

When building the new hood frame is ok the replicate these brace bars in softwood ?

Hope that all made sense

 

[scalda]

Hi Craig89,

I've been following this thread for a few days and I've decided that I'm gonna make a hood with leds for my tank that i was given and i can't get a original hood for it.

I was trawling through ebay looking for drivers for the leds and came across this 60W LED Driver Power Supply for 12-20 x 3W LED 100-240V not sure if it would help you but I'm really considering using one.

Keep up the great work can't wait to see some more pictures as it comes together

Regards

Scalda

 

[dgwebster]

Id be tempted to just get a bit of 6mm glass and silicon it in as a brace. Job permanently done.

 

[Craig89]

Silicone it to the top edge of the glass ?

 

[dgwebster]

A little down imo. My 4ft for example has braces running their width, aboit a half inch down from the top. Stops bowing.

 

[gazeddy]

why not use an atx psu or even a laptop psu 19v at 5a is around 100w
allowing power for 20 3w leds with ample to stop it running at full tilt

 

[Craig89]

Yeah not a bad idea may look into this

 

[ripil]

im reading and loving the idea and the build. really wish i understood half of what your all talking about. think id end up blowing myself up or going through 1000s of leds as they keep blowing up. be nice to see pics of everything you need from plug socket to led as all these technical words are boggling my tiny mind. really hope its still going well. Richard

 

[Craig89]

I'll get a full list together and links of we're I got all the parts from for you.

Unfortunately things have ground to a halt for the time being as I still don't know what I'm doing tank wise. I really want a new custom tank from ND aquatics but that would mean selling mine to get the funds together plus I'm not happy with my current stocking do I've got a little bit of thinking to do plus I go on holiday in 2 weeks so I'm a little cash strapped

 

[ripil]

thanks mate. be great but its also knowing whats what and how to know if it will be bright enough. kinda in the same boat. got two 3 foot tanks but want a five foot one. always the way.

 

[Craig89]

The only thing holding me back Is my common plec, I've had him since I got my first tank 4 year ago but he just keeps outgrowing tanks, I really need to let him go to somebody with a big enough tank then I would sell up and start from fresh but just keep my breeding pair of angels in a breeding tank untill the new one arrived.

 

[dgwebster]

Totally understand the cash strapped: just got hitched last week and will be paying for it for a time to come still my black sand conversion shall need to wait.

 

[ripil]

can you convert your existing tube light unit to run leds? i run two 30w t8 6600k. be nice to run some leds off the unit and attach them in the lid just like the tubes are. there is only one switch to both tubes which stops me buying a blue tube for it. if i was to swap out the 30w tube does that mean i would have to use 10 3w leds or 6 5w leds? if ya see what im getting at......i barely do....lol

 

[Craig89]

It dosnt exactly work the same as the normal tubes there isn't an exact formula to working out how many LEDs are the equivalent to say a 30w tube as these LEDs.