Help me chose a cob led for diy aquarium

dsmer

dsmer

Well-Known Member
hey everyone! i just wanted some opinions on choosing the right led for my project. This is for growing, but not MJ. I'm building a small aquarium but will be growing some underwater plants (think aquascape). The tank is about a little over 2 feet long so want to run 2 cob led's spaced equally. It doesn't have to be super bright but I would like it to be a cool white.

So heres my dilemma. I'm trying to keep this low cost as possible. I already have a brand new meanwell lpc-60-1400 driver that I've had for a while, but I want to run two chips off the one driver. So I need some opinions on what two chips would go well wired to this one driver and best way to wire them. I have some old heat sinks and pc fans as well so the only purchase I want to make for this project is the chips, if thats possible lol. thanks in advance.
 
dsmer

dsmer

Well-Known Member
hmm thanks for the reply supra. Do you think it would be better to save the meanwell driver for a mj grow light in the future and buy some cheap china drivers for my aquarium? I don't need crazy lumens just good coverage on the tank that will look nice, I'm not growing trees lol. I would actually prefer to have dedicated drivers for the led boards but I figured if I had the meanwell driver I could use that but maybe ill just pick up some cheap ones on ebay. Any good recommendations for a reliable cob/driver combo for maybe like 15-20 watts each?

This is more of a practice fixture I want to build as I will be converting to led for my mj grow in the future but would like to try these cob leds on a different platform first.
 
SupraSPL

SupraSPL

Well-Known Member
Sure you could go with a Vero10 setup and still get the same efficiency. The $3 "13-21" driver you can find on aliexpress and ebay is good for up to 3 Vero10s or Vero13s. The Vero is available in 5600K 90 CRI, I winder if that is geared toward aquariums?

The $3 "10-18" drivers are good for a pair of Vero10s or Vero 13s
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-10-18-1W-10-18W-LED-Light-Driver-Power-Supply-Current-85-265V-300MA-/281538479163?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item418d00443b

13-21 driver in a case for $4.30:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-3-4-5-8-15-13-21W-Constant-LED-Light-Power-Driver-Adapter-Newest-T41S-/391055369103?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item5b0cb7638f
 
dsmer

dsmer

Well-Known Member
Awsome guys thanks. I think I'm gonna end up going with a pair of vero10's and the "10-18" driver and see how that works out. If I need more i can always add more in the future but this is a good starting point.
 
SupraSPL

SupraSPL

Well-Known Member
Your math is correct although the driver might probably puts out 280mA at that voltage. The current output will drop as the voltage of the string is increased.
 
alesh

alesh

Well-Known Member
I recommend using 90CRI 5600K version. Your aquarium will have much nicer colors and it's a little cooler (which is desirable if I understand correctly).

I also recommend to seek help on a reef forum. These guys know a lot about LEDs - from a perspective which might not be offered there.
 
dsmer

dsmer

Well-Known Member
ill prob check out a reef forum, although its not exactly a hobby I'm trying to really pursue into much detail. its more of "im bored and this is a good place to start with diy led lol"

I just wanna build a few cheap led strings for my tank so i can be confident building a larger setup for a grow room. I guess im just trying to get a good grip on matching the boards with drivers and making sure the my math is correct as i was getting confused. I'm a professional fabricator and spent some time working for a company building lights but I never did the actual wiring or designing. just building the fixtures.

I thank you all for the help and suggestions and ill post up some pics when I make some progress.
 
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