DIY LED AI sol spectrum supplementation!

I'm thinking heavily of adding a diy LED strip to each of my AI SoL super blues. (4 over a 210g sps dominant system in my sig)

I want to add
3 True Violet 390-420nm
2 red 660nm
1 green 520-535nm

I am thinking of adding basically a 12" strip attached to the side of each of my AI's with this color combination. The thing is... I would really love to make each color independently dimmable... How difficult would this be? And does anyone know where you can buy something customizable but already built? (not very confident in my diy skills... I have never soldered anything in my life)

I know what I want... but not real sure where to start... I would love to control everything via my Apex.

 

Sounds like a great idea. Im sure you looked at my LED build, but my 2 kinds of UVs (398nm and 420nm), Cree blue and turquoise are all on one driver times two, but NOT dimmable.

Anyways, you want to add
-3 True Violet 390-420nm
-2 red 660nm
-1 green 520-535nm
on each light fixture, times four, correct? 12 UVs, 8 reds and 4 greens for total. I run all Meanwell ELN60-48D drivers to dim control. One driver handles 8~14 LEDs on each driver. So youd have enough UVs and reds to run by this driver, if you even wanna use this driver.

But personally, I really dont see the point of dimming UVs. Reason being, most of them in the market right now is not bright enough and they are not visible to human eyes. Since your tank is heavily stocked with SPSs, Id add more UVs on constant current.

I dont have any experience but I hear good thing about reefwerks for the custom LEDs.
Here is the thread about them.

Keep us updated with what you decide!

 

Yes I have been looking at your build!! Looks GREAT!! I am still learning what I want and what is necessary to run it. I'm not dead set on the green either, I may replace those with the Cyan you used in your build.

I really don't know what I need... I may just get a single constant driver and 1 12"x1.1" heat sink and see what it looks like over my frag tank with my current AI settings and just adding this collection of LEDs running constant... Does the additional mix sound good? Or do you think I should maybe add more UV diodes?

 

Thanks! I hope Im giving some idea to others who share similar ideas.

I was just admiring your 210 set up.. it made me sigh several times..

But yeah, I feel you. People are still in the phase of "if you wanna go with 14K look, you should use this and that." Sure, 1:1 royal blue and cool white have been growing corals like there is no tomorrow and look great, but Id like to look a little further. The reason why MH was/is successful light source is the full spectrum, just like the natural sun light, which both peak at around 500~505nm. Nothing beats the mother nature sun light, this is my theory behind my LED build. Not saying mine is full and enough spectrum, not even close, I know that. I love shallow SPSs, but growth is not the first priority for me, its the ripen color. If you give them UVs, they need to protect themselves from the harmful rays, so they color up, just like we get tanned. I was told that my LED looks really closed to the spectrum of MH by some respectful source.

It's still very early stage of LED lighting, but I know its gonna be the future of it as well. If we spread the word of necessity of wider spectrum long enough, they are gonna start making just like Radions.

Anyways, look into getting UVs for sure, and turquoise/cyan (around 500nm is really hit or miss. Mines are supposed to be 495nm, but I know its too green like 510nm, yet Im okay with that since the green nobilis acro is LOVING the greenness.) and maybe warm whites instead of red.

And I recently got a hold of Apex Lite as well. Dont have the VDM yet, but Im already dreaming about controlling LEDs, like the sunrise and sunset, cloud movements, tropical storm simulation and whatnot

 

I fully agree. I think that while Blue/white mix can and does grow great looking coral. I think a fuller spectrum is more aesthitically pleasing and will provide a greater coloration to the coral. Even if it's only the way the light makes the color look. Though I think there is much more to it than that.

I'm thinking of doing a 60'' heatsink 1/1/4" wide with roughly 48 LED's
24 UV
8 Red
6 Magenta
6 Yellow
4 Green

Jonathan at reefwerks and I are talking about it now. His customer service so far is impressive.

 

Zomg, its gonna be one kick ass full spectrum LED!

How are this piece and four AI Sols gonna be hooked up? Wow, it's gonna be awesome!!

 

Personally, I think you are shooting WAY too high with the UV diodes. There is no proof that it is beneficial to corals health or coloration. I noticed a change in a couple of my Acan's colors shortly after adding 3 UV diodes to my LED setup(could be coincidence). I think 24 will flood your tank with an unwanted and possibly harmful wavelength. I would take it down to 1 per foot. The color is very subtle.

 

Don't forget that the "UV" leds aren't actually UV. They are True violet. UV starts under 400nm. Mine will be mostly 420nm.

And I'm thinking you may be right... I will definitely have them dimmable. I may scale it to more full spectrum and do

18 UV
10 Red
8 Magenta
8 Yellow (or a very warm white)
4 Green

 

Currently my AI's are mounted like so.


I'm going to run this bar in the front of all of the current units on a angle so it faces back onto the rock work... if that makes sense... I may even remount the AIs so they are all parallel to the tank with the 60" light bar right next to the units.

 

Looking good