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Aquarium LED Lighting

OK, new to this lark but have a basic idea what components do and I can solder etc...

I want to experiment and create some LED lighting for a 20 inch deep, 16 inch across, hexagonal aquarium. I want to use bright white LEDs and a few UV LEDs (helps bring out the colours of some fish). I will be using a project box (with resins to waterproof) but need to know how many LEDs (approximately) I will need to get acceptable lighting. I will be powering with either 12v or 9v (via AC /DC transformed supply through a DC power conector). The exact voltage I will use will depend on the amount of LEDs and power requirments of the LEDs. I may add a switch to independently use the UV LEDs but that is only a secondary idea. Can anybody point me to a schematic or other diagram that my give me some ideas or does anyonyone else have any thoughts.

Thanks

MC

Reply to
MC
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Firstly, do you know how to wire up LEDs in series / parallel strings with aresistors to a DC source and calculate the resistor value ( and wattage ) for the voltage of the DC and required current for the LED ? If not - please repost in sci.electronics.basics.

To get the required lighting level you will have to experiment. LEDs vary widely in brightness / efficiency. Not surprisingly, the more expensive are usually brighter for a given current.

Graham

due to the hugely increased level of spam please make the obvious adjustment to my email address

Reply to
Eeyore

On a sunny day (Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:32:20 +0100) it happened "MC" wrote in :

Youmay want to use LED strips, these ones have LEDs that each have a red, green, and blue emittor inside: ftp://panteltje.com/pub/col_pic/RGB_LED_strip_img0906.jpg

Runs on 12 V, you can make any color you want by adjusting the voltage on the 3 pins. There also exist color controllers for those strips. I got my strips here:

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look under 'LED strips', they also have waterproof strips.

One strip has about 270 mA at when full on, you can chain them together. Made the controller myself:

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Reply to
Jan Panteltje

Those poor fish. They will be, like, staring at the sun and suffering constant migrane headaches!

Hope you turn them LEDs off at night to let them sleep.

(how long do fish sleep?)

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Adrian C
Reply to
Adrian C

They sell a complete setup for something similar at Ikea. 4 strips, controller, interconnecting cables for about $40

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Paul Hovnanian     mailto:Paul@Hovnanian.com
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Reply to
Paul Hovnanian P.E.

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I love keeping fish, at the moment it's only guppies. Dwarf South American Cichlids are my favorite. I think of lighting as being mostly about keeping the plants healthy and growing. (To keep the aquarium balanced you need to remove plant matter at the same rate you add fish food.) I don=92t know how LEDs stack up in this regard (matching the plants spectral needs). Last time I looked there were lots of fish hobbyist web sites. I=92ll bet at least one of them has tried LEDs. I use fluorescent lights. I put as many as I can fit on top of my tank. Direct sunlight is 1kW/m^2 and that sets an upper limit. (But it=92s hard to match) My favorite aquarium book is =93Dynamic Aquaria=94 by Adey.

Have fun experimenting, George H.

Reply to
George Herold

...

There is probably at least one related active USENET group that might be a good place for an initial reaction, or to get references to any experiences.

It does sound like an experiment and a good reason to post in a fish group. Later, he can let them know if the fishes thrived, and if not, how long they lived.

Reply to
John Doe

Or post in a cannabis growing NG. I hear LED lighting is becoming popular

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Dirk

http://www.transcendence.me.uk/ - Transcendence UK
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Reply to
Dirk Bruere at NeoPax

On Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:07:16 -0700, George Herold wrote: ...

Is this the dawning of the Age of Aquaria? ;-)

Cheers! Rich

Reply to
Rich Grise, Plainclothes Hippi

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