LED Strip Lights for my aquarium - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 06:19:36 am
content: For my smaller aquarium I have bought LED lights like these:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00N7AKDCU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpageIt is a plastic tube, sealed at both ends, containing an LED strip, and there is a power supply and a IR remote to set the LEDs to different colours, flashign etc.For my larger aquarium there is nothing as long (I need around 110cm) or is very expensive.I was thinking of buying an LED strip, the large ones the 5050s and then place it inside a plastic tube and seal it myself.I am bit worried about heat - as the tube would be sealed it might heat up a lot and melt.Has anyone got those LED strips or done anything similar?Some people on Amazon have also complained about voltage drop along the length of the strip (granted it was 5 metres). Should I watch out for anything?

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 07:56:33 am
content: Quote from: akis on May 12, 2015, 06:19:36 amIt's unlikely to melt underwater.Quote from: akis on May 12, 2015, 06:19:36 amFor 1M you should be OK. For longer lengths you should connect power at both ends of the strip.OTOH you could save yourself a lot of bother and get multiple smaller strips like the one you already have instead of one big one.

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 08:00:55 am
content: It will stay cooler in water than in air, if it is going to over heat it will be due to the size of heat sink on the board and the volume of free air in the sealed tube.

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 08:10:23 am
content: Another question. There are two types of LED strips : those that are single colour, eg white, and those that are multicolour and have a remote control to select colour and effects. Which one produces stronger white light, as this is the colour I care most about?

author: picandmix
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 09:53:29 am
content: What kind of tank are you using them for, cold water ,tropicals or marines ?Are you intending to use them above your water or submerged( ...eek !)Have used ebay type 5050 blue leds over my tank as moonlights, but they only last a few months before their output drops dramatically.Afraid there is no cheap and simple alternative to decent led or fluorescent lighting, though plenty of diy threads out there to build your own led overhead lights from 1 or 3 watt leds with proper heasinks and fans.

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 10:42:32 am
content: Currently on my 180lt tank I am using ready made clear tubes with LED strips inside, as shown in my original post.These are fully submersible, I actually had one at the bottom of the tank until last evening. Now I have both LED strips at the top but they are still half or more under water. They are low voltage, so assuming the seals broke sopmehow, it would just be 12V (and I hope the adaptor would sort of current limit or blow a fuse better). But they are made to be submersible.The tank is tropical so it is at around 25C-27C, the water is tap or softened. I doubt that the seals are so fragile that the water (salinity or warmth) might eat through them.So far the light is adequate, maybe not as bright as with the fluorescent tubes but on the other hand I do not have 400V hanging 1 inch over water!You say the 5050s output drops, but why is that? What gives? Do the SMD LEDs get worn out? Or is it the PSU? Have you joined the strips together? People have complaint about very bad joints that need soldering.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 11:09:04 am
content: Quote from: akis on May 12, 2015, 10:42:32 amDamage to the LEDs (through overheating or whatever...)

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 11:11:02 am
content: Quote from: akis on May 12, 2015, 08:10:23 amThe multicolor ones have 3 LEDs (red,green,blue) in each 5050 casing. That's 60mA consumption per "LED", they'll obviously give out more light if you set them to 'white'. And more heat.

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 11:25:33 am
content: I had thought due to the physical size the RGB LEDs would be smaller... Someone on Amazon said that the ultra bright ones are hugely more powerful than the RGB ones, so I went and bought the white ones, 5M of 5050 LED strip.Now I will need to buy 2-4 tubes to put them in and seal them in, in 110 cm lengths.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 04:07:56 pm
content: Do you have the proper colortemperature?Ledstrips each led has a resistor, so you loose a lot of energy in those resistors.Pro led lighting has good drivers , leds in series and low losses.If you insist doing it this way at least stick the strip to an aluminium carrier so there is some heatsink, it will last at least somewhat longer.

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 05:21:28 pm
content: Actually you are right. I recently helped my son with his DT project to make some sort of desk lamp, with LEDs so he used 3 channels of 3 LEDs each, from 9V, best way to power them was in series so that each three only used one resistor to account for the voltage difference 9 - 3 * VledI think these strips use LEDs in threes and one resistor per 3, the groups of threes then in parallel, so they are not that stupid. It depends on the voltage drop of these LEDs, I have some LEDs dropping as much as 2.3V or more, and taking just 0.5mA to shine brighter than others at 20mA.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 09:28:56 pm
content: Just saying that you can calculate what is better for you.An aquarium uses a lot of light and much hours a day whole the year through, summer and winter making it one of the most expensive lighting applications energy wise.So do the math and it will not surprise me if a €250 high efficiency solution will pay itself back within a few years in contrast to a low efficiency ledstrip setup costing €50. Not to mention what others already mentioned shorter lifetime due to moist and overheating resulting in a more expensive TCO.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 10:47:40 pm
content: You need the correct wavelengths for a healthy aquarium, which a cheap RGB LED is unlikely to provide.