Where are all of the DIY LED builds?

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Who else here has a DIY LED build? I know you guys are out there! Lets see some builds!!!!

Post some information, pictures results and growth! Lets get some more people excited to try there own builds! I know from my build I was thrilled! Really want to see some cool builds!

Here is my setup

Coralux storm LED controller
350W 48V Power supply
4x Meanwell LDD 700H Drivers
4x Meanwell LDD 1000H Drivers

LEDs
12x 10W royal blue
4x 10W cool white
2x 10W UV
35x 3w cool white
5x 3w Green
5x 3w red

This build is overkill on my 75 gallon, but with the controller I don't even run any LEDs past 50% for now already bleached an sps colony. I can't really say much about coral growth as I am still a new reefer getting into SPS, had a problem with low alk but for a month now I have been seeing very nice growth after I started dosing. Very happy the way the build came along and how inexpensive and easy it was to build. I have a build thread on here, but all of the pictures are gone since the server crash.

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I'll post some picks as soon as I can but I have 2 makers led 12" heat sinks. Each heatsink has 8 3up stars 8 tv and 4 ocean coral white. I'm running 6 ldd drivers mounted to a coralux pcb board and controlled with a typhon controller. My tank is still in the set up phase. I'm in the middle of a 120 build. My power supply will be mounted outside the stand with a 40 mm fan in a project box. Then I have a 18/4 cable running to the drivers that are in another project box that will be mounted inside the canopy. Then I have the controller wires coming off that box down into the cabinet and each heatsink will attach via 22/10 cable with dsub connectors. If anyone is looking for good project boxes I got mine from polycases.com. I got mine with flanges for easy mounting. Good prices great boxes.
 
That sounds great! Looking forward to see your pics how do you like the 3 ups?

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View attachment 935this is the only picture i can find right now. i'm doing the build at work. i'll be finishing it on sunday and i'll upload more pics then. this shows one heatsink. the other is identical. however this was originally for a 65 gallon tank. now i'm building a 120 so i took all the lights from the second heatsink and put them on this one then ordered mor leds. i have two clusters per heatsink.

i like the 3 ups. it makes wiring a bit easier. i have the whites and blues on different channels so i solder blobbed the rb together so theres only 1 + an -. they also have the solderless but i'm cheap and dont mind soldering.

if anyone is wondering if this is hard. let ne say this is my first electronic build ever. i'm not an engineer of any sort i just did research on the internet. the lights work, i had this light operational for when i was going to do a 65 gallon. i was able to do sunrise and sunset via the typhon controller. it's not hard but be sure to respect the electricity. research wire guages so you don't start a fire. i'd be glad to answer any questions i can or where i bought stuff(again, i'm not an electrical engineer so i won't answer what i don't know). it's been a fun project.
 
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Looks great! My build was also pretty easy everything worked on first try. And I love these little controllers very simple with tons of features. The one thing I would do different with my build is the heatsink, definitely get a better heatsink less problems in the long run and your LEDs will last for years! My heatsink works fine now but needs 3 fans for them to keep under 100f

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Great thread, and great builds!

I modded my Nuvo 8 stock skkye lights with 3w crees. 4 royal blue, 1 UV and 1 warm white. The factory heatsink is more than adequate to handle what I've got, I've run them at full power for hours, and it's only warm to the touch. I was going for a super blue spectrum, as I want a martian looking setup, but just in case it gets to be too much, I decided to take a piece of 1/4" aluminum, bend it slightly, and add the stock 6 watt plate of white led's. With everything on, it looks like a nice 18-20k setup. The royal blue/UV are on a dimmer. I used the factory skkye power source for the moonlights to power the single warm white, and the factory power source to power the 6 watt plate. Everything was bonded with thermal adhesive, and I decided to use the soderless led's for ease of assembly. I still plan to grab some lenses, to help control light spillage.

Everything on.
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Just the blues and UV.
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Here's how the plate is mounted. Since the photo, I've tucked and sealed the wires to the plate with an epoxy.
12708382254_cbf14ee194_c.jpg
 
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Love the blue! You can never get enough blue. I made a nano led too 16blue and 8white for my nuvo 16 looks great. I used 1w leds

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Just checked out the price on those heatsinks! no wonder I went with c channels lol but well worth it I guess, for a lot less work.

gfd71 said:
View attachment 935this is the only picture i can find right now. i'm doing the build at work. i'll be finishing it on sunday and i'll upload more pics then. this shows one heatsink. the other is identical. however this was originally for a 65 gallon tank. now i'm building a 120 so i took all the lights from the second heatsink and put them on this one then ordered mor leds. i have two clusters per heatsink.

i like the 3 ups. it makes wiring a bit easier. i have the whites and blues on different channels so i solder blobbed the rb together so theres only 1 + an -. they also have the solderless but i'm cheap and dont mind soldering.

if anyone is wondering if this is hard. let ne say this is my first electronic build ever. i'm not an engineer of any sort i just did research on the internet. the lights work, i had this light operational for when i was going to do a 65 gallon. i was able to do sunrise and sunset via the typhon controller. it's not hard but be sure to respect the electricity. research wire guages so you don't start a fire. i'd be glad to answer any questions i can or where i bought stuff(again, i'm not an electrical engineer so i won't answer what i don't know). it's been a fun project.
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Yeah they were pricey. I've since found others that use the t slot. I took too long with this project. I always would find something else. I originally bought inventronic drivers then I switched to ldd wired drivers. Had it all hooked up and worked great. Then I decided to go with a bigger tank and found the coralux pcb board and switched to that. What I really like about the coralux is if the controller were to disconnect or lose power the pcb board has a pull down resistor or jumper whatever they called it that would turn the lights off. The way I had it set up the first time they would go to 100% power. I've seen some threads of people who have made some amazing acrylic enclosures for their heatsinks that have a factory finished look. I was jealous. That's the reason I went with the makers led even though my lights will be in a hood.
 
Yes that's the reason I went with the coralux board which is a rip of o2surplus idea on another forum but to get them printed it was easier to just buy it from coralux and I wanted their controller which controlls 6 channels compaired to the 4 on typhoon. I really like l the LDD drivers so cheap and so many more possibilities easy to control. I wish I could build an enclosure for mine but I have it under a canopy. I do find it annoying to move my whole build to get into the tank still have to work on that

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yeah i liked the storm controller but i had already purchased the typhon. although it would be an easy sell. i have an apex but i would have to convert the pwm signal to a 10 volt analog to use with the apex and i haven't researched how to control diy with the apex. that is the hardest part of diy. the possibilities are often endless.
 
View attachment 993View attachment 994View attachment 995View attachment 996View attachment 997View attachment 998View attachment 999View attachment 1000thought I would have it done today but I forgot some supplies at home. I have it set up so the power supply will be mounted away from any water or humid air. Then there is a 4 wire cable carrying the dc power for the lights and fans. The second project box will be mounted on the hood with two 10 cable wires attaching to the fixtures via dsub connectors for easy disconnect for maintenance. Then there is a cable going to the typhon controller which will be mounted either in the stand or on the back of the canopy. I haven't decided yet. I'll have more pics when I'm done and I'll probably to a build thread when it's time to set up the tank. Have to finish my kitchen first or my wife won't be happy. Plus I have to pay off the credit cards so I can pay money towards coral instead of interest.
 
I actually was looking to incorporate a dsub connector into my build, maybe i still can. Really like how you went all out with project boxes and such makes it look professional. your build looks great!
 
gfd71 said:
View attachment 993View attachment 994View attachment 995View attachment 996View attachment 997View attachment 998View attachment 999View attachment 1000thought I would have it done today but I forgot some supplies at home. I have it set up so the power supply will be mounted away from any water or humid air. Then there is a 4 wire cable carrying the dc power for the lights and fans. The second project box will be mounted on the hood with two 10 cable wires attaching to the fixtures via dsub connectors for easy disconnect for maintenance. Then there is a cable going to the typhon controller which will be mounted either in the stand or on the back of the canopy. I haven't decided yet. I'll have more pics when I'm done and I'll probably to a build thread when it's time to set up the tank. Have to finish my kitchen first or my wife won't be happy. Plus I have to pay off the credit cards so I can pay money towards coral instead of interest.
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Build looks great and YES gotta keep the wife happy :-)
 
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I was looking at your pics again and I like how you used the c channel. I was always curious. It looks like it worked well with the clamps and the terminal strips. Not to mention the color is awesome on the tank. I originally was going to have my fixtures visible which is why I used those heatsinks. Plus they are easy to use. I went the route of the dsub connectors for maintenance reasons. I figured if and when I need to get into the top for maintenance all I have to do is remove the two connectors and pull out the fixtures. I'm about to finish them up and I'm debating on how to mount the connectors on the heatsink. I think I might just drill into the side of the aluminum withe a dremel tool and mount it that way. I just get nervous about removing material. You can't put it back.
 
Your picture at 100% the color looks perfect can't wait to see it on your tank

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