# LED array



## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

THis is actually for a new nano SW reef I'll be starting, but it should still be of interest 

288 LEDS with ~ 10% blues. Powered with a pair of 12watt LED drivers (Xitanium). There are 2 banks of LEDs for a sunrise sunset option with dual timers.

Comparison photo..EVERYING is identical...iso/aperature/shuttersheed/WB. The other light is a 2x13 AH supply kit with 6700k bulbs (with reflectors). Lights are about 18" from the wall (guestimating) at an angle so that I can get the photo. *I also took a photo with the lights off, and the photo came out black, so no room light in those photos.*

Top photo is LED. Bottom photo is 2x13 AHSupply with reflectors.









Below is the array:


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## matthewburk (Sep 27, 2005)

How do you build that array, and what are the costs? This is very interesting. I'm thinking with something like this I could do a mostly low light tank and put these above the few high light plants I want.


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

The array is consists of 36 strands of 8 LEDs in series. They are wired such that every other line is on a separate current source driver. Each LED is recieving just under 20mA. The drivers I had from another project. I think I got them for $20 each. The LEDs were from Besthongkong on ebay. I think I payed $51 for the 350 LEDs (used 288 in the above project)


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## adin (Oct 9, 2004)

so this is why i've been seeing you on the _other_ side recently 

looks great


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## JLudwig (Feb 16, 2004)

Too cool. I was thinking about rigging up something similar for some FW experiments, specifically I wanted to see if there are any statistical differences between the sunrise-style photoperiod and a flat line photoperiod with respect to plant growth (in the "can we push our plants too hard" context). Something like this would be perfect for holding the total number of photons constant and varying the intensity curve. Traditional lighting would require too large a system for a dinky experiment. Plus, I don't need anywhere near the number you have there so costs could be held lower.

Jeff


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