High Power LED - HELP!

dylant79 · 05/18/2010, 09:46 AM

Hi guys,

I'm planning on a DIY LED lighting system for my 120g tank. I found some very nice high power leds on ebay .. 10W (600LM), 20W(1000LM), and 100W(7000LM) .. they have the blue versions of those powers too (less lumens). How are these high power leds compare to CREE leds? Can I use these for my fish tank?

der_wille_zur_macht · 05/18/2010, 09:53 AM

The efficiency stats for those LEDs are about a third to a half what a typical best-of-breed Cree LED will do.

You can certainly use them if you choose, but you'll be getting significantly less light, more heat, and higher power bills.

dylant79 · 05/18/2010, 11:05 AM

Oh, so much for that idea. How many white and blue leds will I need for a 120g tank? As for the power supply, can I use the computer PSU?

der_wille_zur_macht · 05/18/2010, 11:09 AM

Speaking in terms of a typical build (XP-G R5 whites, XP-E or XR-E royal blues, 700mA drive current, etc.) a typical 120g aquarium might use 60 - 80 LEDs total. Probably in a blue:white ratio around 60:40. And with medium or wide optics, depending on height above the tank, etc.

der_wille_zur_macht · 05/18/2010, 11:10 AM

A computer power supply is likely a very poor choice. They typically have very low output voltages, and "correct" power supplies are pretty easy to get for cheap.

dylant79 · 05/18/2010, 12:57 PM

That is great information. Thank you.

dylant79 · 05/18/2010, 02:03 PM

I found these LEDs - are they ok compare to Cree XR-E?

Cool White ($3.71 each)
http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/...PWC1-0100.aspx

Royal Blue ($3.74 each)
http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/...PR01-0275.aspx

der_wille_zur_macht · 05/18/2010, 02:09 PM

Reasonably comparable. Keep in mind those aren't mounted on star MCPCBs (hence the lower price). I've used Rebels in several small builds - they are roughly comparable to XR-E LEDs in terms of efficiency.

dylant79 · 05/18/2010, 02:33 PM

Great! I will use these for the project. Guess I need to buy some really good adhesive thermal paste. Thanks again!

der_wille_zur_macht · 05/18/2010, 02:37 PM

They're not mounted on stars! Mounting them is not something most people would want to tackle at home, since it involves surface-mount soldering of pads underneath the part (i.e. you need a reflow oven or some way to fake one).

If you want to use Rebels, get them from a place that sells them mounted, like ledsupply.com

dylant79 · 05/19/2010, 08:32 AM

I see what you meant. I had work with LED projects before and still have some bare (without stars) Cree XR LEDs - I'll try to see if I can work w/ them first. Thanks for the advise.

05/18/2010, 09:46 AM	#1
dylant79 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 6	High Power LED - HELP! Hi guys, I'm planning on a DIY LED lighting system for my 120g tank. I found some very nice high power leds on ebay .. 10W (600LM), 20W(1000LM), and 100W(7000LM) .. they have the blue versions of those powers too (less lumens). How are these high power leds compare to CREE leds? Can I use these for my fish tank?

05/18/2010, 09:53 AM	#2
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	The efficiency stats for those LEDs are about a third to a half what a typical best-of-breed Cree LED will do. You can certainly use them if you choose, but you'll be getting significantly less light, more heat, and higher power bills. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

05/18/2010, 11:09 AM	#4
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	Speaking in terms of a typical build (XP-G R5 whites, XP-E or XR-E royal blues, 700mA drive current, etc.) a typical 120g aquarium might use 60 - 80 LEDs total. Probably in a blue:white ratio around 60:40. And with medium or wide optics, depending on height above the tank, etc. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

05/18/2010, 11:10 AM	#5
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	A computer power supply is likely a very poor choice. They typically have very low output voltages, and "correct" power supplies are pretty easy to get for cheap. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

05/18/2010, 02:09 PM	#8
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	Reasonably comparable. Keep in mind those aren't mounted on star MCPCBs (hence the lower price). I've used Rebels in several small builds - they are roughly comparable to XR-E LEDs in terms of efficiency. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

05/18/2010, 11:05 AM	#3
dylant79 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 6	Oh, so much for that idea. How many white and blue leds will I need for a 120g tank? As for the power supply, can I use the computer PSU?

05/18/2010, 12:57 PM	#6
dylant79 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 6	That is great information. Thank you.

05/18/2010, 02:03 PM	#7
dylant79 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 6	I found these LEDs - are they ok compare to Cree XR-E? Cool White ($3.71 each) http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/...PWC1-0100.aspx Royal Blue ($3.74 each) http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/...PR01-0275.aspx

05/18/2010, 02:33 PM	#9
dylant79 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 6	Great! I will use these for the project. Guess I need to buy some really good adhesive thermal paste. Thanks again!

05/18/2010, 02:37 PM	#10
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	They're not mounted on stars! Mounting them is not something most people would want to tackle at home, since it involves surface-mount soldering of pads underneath the part (i.e. you need a reflow oven or some way to fake one). If you want to use Rebels, get them from a place that sells them mounted, like ledsupply.com __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

05/19/2010, 08:32 AM	#11
dylant79 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 6	I see what you meant. I had work with LED projects before and still have some bare (without stars) Cree XR LEDs - I'll try to see if I can work w/ them first. Thanks for the advise.

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