DIY LED

[Munroco]

I have a rack with six 24*12*15 tanks which are currently lit with individual 20w led spotlights. I would like to build a light using LED strips running the length of the tanks ie 6ft. (the tanks are end on in the rack). The light frame would be about 6 inches above the tanks. While I don't need hugely powerful lights, all these tanks are planted so light must be decent. While I'd enjoy playing with the colour changing strips they may not be able to give me enough, or the right type of light. I'm thinking I probably need more than one strip so I could use a combination of colour types. What should I be looking for? Any advice will be gratefully received.

 

[Jan Cavalieri]

I'd be looking at lights advertised as full-spectrum. In LED's I've seen all white full-spectrum as well as some that include a few red, blue and green lights implying that made it full spectrum. I think the biggest problem will be covering them with an acrylic cover or glass cover. Water pumps spit - a LOT and even the enclosed lighting gets some condensation inside. Mine also get the edges covered in salt or other minerals - I leave the edges of that in place to act as an additional seal on the light cage. There are some on the market where they just sit in brackets on top of the tank. I've had great luck with that - but because I don't know how to make a hood around it - it just sits in the open. This increases evaporation and the risk of one of my fish jumping out. But again my biggest problem has been mineral deposits. I wipe off the surface every week or two as well to get good strong light. That seems far easier than designing your own full-spectrum lighting design and then wiring it somehow to the tank. My LED's that are just lightly wired constantly play the game of "will I turn on today or stay off today". Cheap covers and uncovered LED's. So if you could by the covered LED's and build a nice surround around it I think you could actually sell these and make a ton of money. It's what everybody wants and nobody has. If the cover has hinges, even better but you don't have much room to work with on some of the smaller tanks to do that.

 

[Munroco]

I think the biggest problem will be covering them with an acrylic cover or glass cover. .

This was my rack when I set it up a couiple of years ago. I'm basically planning on replacing the wooden strip holding the spotlights with a wooden hood type thing with LEDs inside. It will be a bit lower than the existing one but otherwise much the same. The tanks all have individual covers so there shouldn't be a condensation problem.

 

[greg c]

I use waveform 4 ft 98 cri led T8 tubes, looks like natural sunlight