Moonlight Led's, Ebay Style

[moochy13]

i want to get some moonlight going on in my tank, but dont have room for another bulb in the hood, so have been looking at the LED strips that are abundant on ebay. however im a bit confused as some say they need wiring to a plug, some come bare wired because they're meant to be for car batteries, some have 6 LED's yet some have 42 and cost pretty similar.

i just want one that i can buy and plug in. i have a 4 ft tank and guess i need enough to run the length of the tank ? i guess you stick them to the underside of the lid like a normal bulb. ive seen some that apparantly run off a 12V adaptor plug. i have a few of these as they power the effects pedals for my guitar, so being able to use them would save me a bit of cash.

any input from anybody appreciated.

 

[walkers101]

i want to get some moonlight going on in my tank, but dont have room for another bulb in the hood, so have been looking at the LED strips that are abundant on ebay. however im a bit confused as some say they need wiring to a plug, some come bare wired because they're meant to be for car batteries, some have 6 LED's yet some have 42 and cost pretty similar.

i just want one that i can buy and plug in. i have a 4 ft tank and guess i need enough to run the length of the tank ? i guess you stick them to the underside of the lid like a normal bulb. ive seen some that apparantly run off a 12V adaptor plug. i have a few of these as they power the effects pedals for my guitar, so being able to use them would save me a bit of cash.

any input from anybody appreciated.

thats exactly what i have done 2 strips of whites 60cm 30 leds and 2 strips of blues soldered to a 12V PSU

 

[ZoddyZod]

I got some eBay ones that were pre-wired to an adjustable output plug, allowing the brightness to be set. They simply stick on the underside of the hood with what appears to be double-sided tape (came with the kit).

I'm very pleased with them.

 

[moochy13]

have you got a link to the one you have above ? how wide is the tank?. it looks like its noticable darker round the edges, and i'd like my whole tank to be illuminated. have you had any problems with them coming unstuck due to condensation on the hood ? that is pretty much exactly what im after, how much did it cost if you dont mind me asking ?

thanks for the info guys.

 

[ZoddyZod]

I got them quite a while ago so the item is now 'dead' on eBay. They were around £14 if I remember.

The strip is about a foot long and the tank is 3 foot.

I did have an issue with them sticking at first. Make sure you really clean the hood before sticking them! But since I stuck them a 2nd time I've had no issues. Think I've had them about 6 months now.

 

[moochy13]

thanks, i just got soem off ebay as seen here

LED's

15 quid, 3 strips of 24 and they can be dimmed if need be. they are also already wired to a plug according to the listing. ill get back on the thread when they get here and ive got them in. looking forward to it.

thanks

 

[flix_cw]

I got some eBay ones that were pre-wired to an adjustable output plug, allowing the brightness to be set. They simply stick on the underside of the hood with what appears to be double-sided tape (came with the kit).

I'm very pleased with them.

Hi, where did you get that AC/DC adapter? I've been after one for ages but can't find one anywhere?!

 

[OldMan47]

I got a kit much like the one that ZoddyZod has but mine has only 4 LEDs attached. I set mine up over a 6 foot tank and find that it gives a nice glow, not what I would really call light, to that tank after the regular lights go off. It does not provide enough light to actually allow me to take any pictures but does let me see what is going on in the tank.

 

[DavenClare]

Can anyone post a couple of links?

After a while my LED's melted the transformer. I put an old adaptor from a router that was lying around and that only lasted a similar amount of time.

I had the lights mounted just above the surface of the water just above the water. They gave off good light but when back in I'll be mounting on the hood!

Dave

 

[Mikaila31]

Can anyone post a couple of links?

After a while my LED's melted the transformer. I put an old adaptor from a router that was lying around and that only lasted a similar amount of time.

I had the lights mounted just above the surface of the water just above the water. They gave off good light but when back in I'll be mounting on the hood!

Dave

IDK what kind of transformer or LEDs you are using, but that shouldn't happen. I don't think it is possible for LED's to melt their power source. They can be blown by a power source that is too strong. But a transformer puts out a set amps/ voltage, even if your LEDs need more they won't over work the power source. They will run "under powered", basically its what makes LEDs dimmable. LED's have a amp/volt rating if I remember correclty, its been awhile since I worked with LEDs. It is an ideal rating and coincides with the lifetime estimate. Runing it slightly higher will make the LED brighter and shorten its life. Running it lower will dim the LED and lengthen its life. LEDs run off what power their source provides, they can not increase or reduce the output of the transformer or inverter that powers them.

As far as finding ac/dc converter, they are all around you. You can buy them from electronics stores. The universal ones are actually kinda expensive IMO. If you are familiar with electronics you probably have a usable one in your house somewhere. Phone chargers and basically any powercord/supply that has a big blocky plug end is usually a AC/DC converter. Not all will work, but they give their output on them. Some may to too week to even light the LEDs, while other will fry the LEDs in a millisecond.

 

[moochy13]

i posted a link to the ones i brought a bit further up. they are now inthe tank and work pretty well. i got 3 strips of leds all attatched to the plug, although it was a 2 pin type which is a bit crap, but hey ho. i can adjust the brightness, but once in my tank i had to put them up to full brightness. i have stuck mine to the underside of my hood. the sticky stuff on the back of the led strips seems very sticky and im confident it will last.

as for the effect, well it didnt make the tank quite as bright as i had hoped. saying that, the lid of my tank is sloped, so i sould have placed the strips a bit closer to the water, and i also need to do a water change as the water is quite dirty and is tannin stained, so its possible that changing the water will let the light seem a bit brighter in the water. overall though, well worth the 15 quid.

 

[flix_cw]

As far as finding ac/dc converter, they are all around you. You can buy them from electronics stores. The universal ones are actually kinda expensive IMO. If you are familiar with electronics you probably have a usable one in your house somewhere. Phone chargers and basically any powercord/supply that has a big blocky plug end is usually a AC/DC converter. Not all will work, but they give their output on them. Some may to too week to even light the LEDs, while other will fry the LEDs in a millisecond.

Thanks for the info. I didn't mention however that i need an adapter with a socket in it to receive the plug from the light itself. This picture might clarify what i mean.

http/www.petland.com.au/images/dsc00143.jpg

I went into a Maplin with the LED unit and they didn't have a clue They had loads of units that have a wire coming FROM them, but none that will RECEIVE a wire.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Try getting These LEDs, I have and they seem quite effective.

 

[moochy13]

Try getting These LEDs, I have and they seem quite effective.

indeed they are the ones i linked to further up and that i purchased. pretty good for the money, i just wish they were a smidge brighter.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Try getting These LEDs, I have and they seem quite effective.

indeed they are the ones i linked to further up and that i purchased. pretty good for the money, i just wish they were a smidge brighter.

I havnt actualy installed them in my tank yet, thats a job for this weekend. They looked quite bright when I bench tested them. They are supposed to mimic moonlight so they are not going to be anywhere near as bright as your normal tank lights.