# LED lighting upgrade



## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

So my tank came with LED lights that look great and my low light plants seem to like. Except that there are three 'pods' of LEDs one is front center and the other are on each side in the center. This causes the back center to not get much light. The pod that is there is the blue moonlight pod. 

So I bought a 3 foot LED strip that is rated at 6500K and can be cut every three LED's and added them to my lid. Old phone cable comes in handy 










Here is the original lighting :|









Here is the new lighting with the original lighting turned OFF :-D









Just for fun here is all of the lights on 









I am hoping for good results from the plants. Also I hope this will help show that LED's can be used for low/medium light plants. the eBay seller had brighter LED's so I guess they might work out for high light plants.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

Not a bad idea. I was actually thinking about doing something like this on the led hood of my 5 gallon aquarium. It only has one pod of 3 led lights


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## Picasso84 (Feb 11, 2013)

^+1 I was too 

Where did u get these LEDs & what is the brand name? How did u cut up a strip of LED lights & still have them work? I'm looking into doing this kind of thing  thanks, that is really awesome, it's good to know that something like this is possible


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

Should have made a diy!


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

I started thinking about the DIY about half way through but I didn't take any pictures until it was all done. So I might go back or ask this to be a sticky.

Here is the sellers store http://stores.ebay.com/the-jonvh?_rdc=1. Just search the store for '6500K' and look for the one that has '16 ft roll is 1600 Lumens'. That is the low power LED's that I used and they are plenty bright. The other listing is for more high power LED's that would be great for say 10 gallons and up due to the depth of the tank. Each purchase comes prewired with a 12v dc adapter and many length options are available.

The strip is marked every three LED's with a cut line that can be cut with household scissors. After cutting I took a razor blade and carefully cut away the sealent to expose two copper pads. They are labeled positive and negative so wiring is a no brainer. Just make sure you know how to solder small wires onto pads. I used my 15w iron and had no issues. Picture at the bottom shows the connections and size of everything in relation to a penny. Forget to mention that the strips have adhesive already on them so they are ready to just peel and stick.

The only thing I am going to do is go back and put a gob of aquarium sealent on all the connections just to make sure they are waterproof. Right now they are open to the chance of a condensation short. 

BTW, Picasso84, where in NC are you located? I live just outside of Charlotte


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

How many inches of led lights did you use in the tank. Its actually really self explanatory with it coming with the power supply an having the positive and negative labeled!


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

I purcahsed a 3 foot strip. Yeah I thought so too but I wanted to make it clear to Picasso84 that once the strip is cut on the lines that it is still labeled.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

I definitely liked the close up picture too! Very helpful. Did you use all 3 feet on the hood though?


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

yes, I used all 3 feet.


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## Stone (Jan 6, 2013)

Thanks for posting this info, I have a few tanks ummmm 6 of them with led lights, 2 of them need more lights and this will be a way cheaper fix vs buying new hoods or lights from the aquarium places that when you mention led light they automatically think of 100 dollars or more


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

yeah, I thought it would cost $100+ for LED's. This cost only cost $15.95 for 3 feet and the shipping was free. I am way happy with the results.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

You must have bought the last 3 footer in stock. He only has 1 and 6 foot now. I really would like to know numbers wise how this compares to a lamp suited to grow plants


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

the one foot 250 lumens for 13$ looks like a good option for a 5 gal. i could just get a glass cover and put the strip above it so the water cant get it.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

kyle89, if you need to order some now check the other listing for the more powerful ones. You might need to only order 1 foot instead of 3 since they are more powerful. Also since they are 'rated' at 6500k they should do the job.

I am just going off the listing info since it would take specialized equipment to really tell what color temp they are.

Marktrc. You can still place the strip on the bottom. Just be sure to seal the connections with aquarium sealent. If you don't have to cut it then sealing the one end is all that is needed. The one end that came connected to the wall wart on mine was already sealed.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

Any updates on how your plants are doing with the updated lights?


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

I have had them down from Sunday until last night. Had to go back and seal all the connections with aquarium sealant and also wire them in to the factory tank light switch. So they have been fine as far as I can tell.

Out of the plants I have in my tank the moneywort seems to be the one that is lagging behind in growth the most. The anacharis, compact swords and anubias seem to be holding steady in growth. They were doing good with the old light and I was hoping to see better and faster growth. So more time may be needed.

When I get home I will take some pictures and compare them to when I first installed the lights and see if they are helping


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

My apologies Kyle for the late update. Since this was taken I trimmed and regrouped my plants so the tank has a cleaner appearance. I opted to float my moneywort since it's recovery seems to be much slower then any other plant in my tank. Overall I am impressed with the $15 ebay strip light.

March 13









March 29


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

You just made me very very very very excited!!! I order mine on Tuesday an they should be at my girlfriends house waiting for me!!!!


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

I was just reading your other thread and remembered I had taken the picture but not updated this thread. what LED's did you decide to go with?


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

Same as you. I decided to save money an wait


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

good luck with the upgrade


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

Thanks. I'm really excited. I just got done dry fitting. I need aquarium silicone before installing. My lid gets a lot of condensation.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

So I take it that it came in already? I ran mine about 4 days before sealing the ends with no problems. I was too excited not to try them out. 

The only thing I am going to do now is upgrade the power supply. Not only am I running the strip I am running the factory LED pods on the small wall wort that came with the strip. I have noticed that the lights are not as bright so I have a more robust PS I want to try.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

Yeah. They came Sunday! I have exposed wire an a lot of condensation on the hood I would rather be safe than sorry. Do tell about the power source upgrade!


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

I 'aquired' several power supplies while working at my old job. They output both 12vdc and 5vdc. I have three of them and they are rated at 1500mA, 2000mA and 3500mA. 

I am going to start out with the 1500mA and see how it goes. The one PS that came with the strip is rated for 1000mA


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

Hmmmm. Not very electronic savy but I'm interested. Let me know how it goes man!


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

will do. Keep an eye on your lights too. If they start to dim you can probably find a more powerful wall wort on ebay. I hold on to things and have about 15+ wall worts in a box in my garage. Never know when you might need one.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

Any suggestion on what size wall wort. I have a few too


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

12VDC and greater than a 1000mA output. Just make sure it DOES NOT say 12VAC that will destroy the LED's since they are not rated for AC.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

My tank in the beginning with one small led








My tank with a temporary 80 dollar 8000k stunner led setup








My tank now with 3 feet of 6500k 4 wat LEDs off eBay


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

are these the same leds that infinite glory used and what size is your tank? is that a 5 gal? would like to see a pic of the lid with the lights installed pls.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

5 gallon tank same eBay lights


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

I just bought this the other day to upgrade the lighting on one of these. I was too lazy to get the strips you have to cut, though I'm not sure these LEDs are 6500k. 

I did get a http://www.creativelightings.com/Sample-LED-Flexible-Strip-12vdc-Waterproof-6in-p/cl-frs-sample.htm to light a bubble gum machine that I'm turning into a small planted tank. Can't wait to get that project finished!


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

What you bought is almost like the pods of LEDs on infinite Glory's tank and my tank.


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

kyle89 said:


> What you bought is almost like the pods of LEDs on infinite Glory's tank and my tank.


Yes, but mine don't need to be cut! They can just be stuck on and attached to a power supply (which I already have).


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

I mean the factory set ups. I really like the option of being able to select the length with the strips


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

kyle89 said:


> I mean the factory set ups. I really like the option of being able to select the length with the strips


Yeah, same here ... but these were cheap and my time is limited. Also, I checked, and they are the right color temp! Stoked, they should be here tomorrow.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

Nice. It actually only took me an hour to lay out the lights, cut them, expose the solder joints, solder them together, an silicone the connection joints


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

kyle89 said:


> Nice. It actually only took me an hour to lay out the lights, cut them, expose the solder joints, solder them together, an silicone the connection joints


Yes, but I have two full-time jobs, two kids, a wife, and full-time school. I'm crazy to even have a hobby to start with, lol!


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

I feel you. I have my own day time business an work nights now


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

Great job guys. Don't forget before pictures to see how your plants are reacting to the new lights. Hopefully tonight I can upgrade my PS for the lights.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

Can't wait too see picks of updated power source


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## wallywestisthebest333 (Nov 30, 2009)

Hey there! Sorry if this is a bother or anything but for some reason no matter how many times I reload this thread the pictures wont show up.
Is there a way you could link to the pictures?


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

@kyle89
Wasn't able to get PS upgrade accomplished and tonight I will probably be doing a vacuum because of the snails :roll:

@wallywestisthebest333
Are you looking for my pictures or everyone else's? A lot of people have all the pictures in their photo albums. Just click on the username and go to view public profile. On the right hand side you will see links to their photo albums. Here are mine

http://www.bettafish.com/picture.php?albumid=5642&pictureid=35987
http://www.bettafish.com/picture.php?albumid=5642&pictureid=35988
http://www.bettafish.com/picture.php?albumid=5642&pictureid=35989
http://www.bettafish.com/picture.php?albumid=5642&pictureid=35984
http://www.bettafish.com/picture.php?albumid=5642&pictureid=35985
http://www.bettafish.com/picture.php?albumid=5642&pictureid=35986
http://www.bettafish.com/picture.php?albumid=5642&pictureid=39441


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

No problem man an I have a album called led upgrade that has all of my pictures


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

tekkguy said:


> I just bought this the other day to upgrade the lighting on one of these. I was too lazy to get the strips you have to cut, though I'm not sure these LEDs are 6500k.
> 
> I did get a http://www.creativelightings.com/Sample-LED-Flexible-Strip-12vdc-Waterproof-6in-p/cl-frs-sample.htm to light a bubble gum machine that I'm turning into a small planted tank. Can't wait to get that project finished!


how do you know what power supply you need and where do you get it? this looks slightly easier then the one you cut.


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

marktrc said:


> how do you know what power supply you need and where do you get it? this looks slightly easier then the one you cut.


It requires a 12V power supply. The amps aren't nearly as important, though the higher the amps, the more light it can support. I've got mine on a 12V/2A adapter for testing. I haven't installed them yet, but I'd guess I could easily run up to 6 of these on 2A. I haven't stuck a multimeter on it yet after it passes through the strand.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

Sorry for the lack of updates. I updated my PS but didn't notice any brightness change. My wife says since I look it at so much that I may not see the difference. The PS does run cooler since it is more robust than the wall wart that came with the strip. I will post some pics of my plants later tonight.


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

so your ps is now a 12vdc 1.5a?


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

yes, that is correct. It can be confusing since some label it as 1500mA which is saying the same thing as 1.5 A. I do have two other PS's that are capable of 2A and 3.5A. So I can always put in a lot more light if needed 

And here is the picture that I promised a few days ago. I know its time to trim the anacharis again and I have some plants coming in the mail from another member.

April 17









April 18


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

Its a little brighter. I know my LEDs are working really great growing my jungle val Italian val corck screw val and free wendtii


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

How is everyone's LED's doing? Mine....not so well. I will post pics tonight to show how they look. I have two small LED strips that I am going to remove because the LED's are very dim and I think they are causing a draw on the system making everything dim. I am going to try and salvage what I have before investing in another type like tekkguy's


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

I was thinking the same thing with my set up. I thought maybe I didn't seal them right


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

I have a 6" strip near my HOB filter outlet and it gets splashed occasionally so that would explain why two quit there. but the other strip is right where the power feed comes in and is near a corner. Yes some condensation may build up under the lid but I think that shouldn't bother them.

I would hate to have to seal around every little strip.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

I did roughly around mine


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

i wonder how the led's that tekkguy ordered are doing?


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## Briz (Mar 22, 2013)

The LEDs you ordered did recommend that you seal around them for added security against condensation and splashing.

I got some of the same ones from him a month ago and they flicker occasionally from day one. Not sure if it's a poorly wired power source on our end or bad wiring in the LEDs themselves.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

Mine are just really dime they don't flicker


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

InfiniteGlory said:


> i wonder how the led's that tekkguy ordered are doing?


They are AWESOME. I don't have a photo of them vs. the stock lighting, but I'll try and take one tonight.

I do have photos of the installation. I didn't wire a switch in, so they have to be plugged, unplugged to turn them on and off .... I'll be re-doing some of the wiring to include a switch at some point.

I'll try and get the photos uploaded later.


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

Before installation:










After installation:










I'll try and take photos of the old lighting compared to the new lighting tonight.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

Briz, I did go back and read that too but I interpreted it two ways. One as sealing it from moisture and two sealing to make sure it stays put. 

Now that we have learned our lesson the hard way. I am going to try and salvage the one's that are still working and then seal everything.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

I got a response from the seller. He said he can send out replacements. I was thinking maybe going up in kalviens


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

How did you persuade him to send you replacements? I thought about that too, should have gone with the brighter ones.

just out of curiosity would you mind posting a pic of your LED's? I want to see how yours are compared to mine. I will post a pic of mine later on tonight.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

i emailed him and told him the problem, i did also ask for a brighter set up. i will take a pic tonight when i get home i dont have any with the lights off to tell how dim they are


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## Picasso84 (Feb 11, 2013)

InfiniteGlory said:


> I started thinking about the DIY about half way through but I didn't take any pictures until it was all done. So I might go back or ask this to be a sticky.
> 
> Here is the sellers store http://stores.ebay.com/the-jonvh?_rdc=1. Just search the store for '6500K' and look for the one that has '16 ft roll is 1600 Lumens'. That is the low power LED's that I used and they are plenty bright. The other listing is for more high power LED's that would be great for say 10 gallons and up due to the depth of the tank. Each purchase comes prewired with a 12v dc adapter and many length options are available.
> 
> ...



That's great! Thanks! Sorry, it took me so long to respond, been busy, but I live in Salisbury, so yea, I'm just outside of Charlotte myself!  where r u located?

Sorry the LEDs are getting messed up, I hope y'all are able to fix the prob & get replacements!


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

no problem, I know how life gets. I live just south of Charlotte in Waxhaw. It's a small one horse (aka stoplight) town but we like it out here.

Kyle89 emailed the seller and is getting a replacement set and hopefully the brighter one too. We will see how things turn out.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

Here is a full shot of everything. It is really easy to notice the three original LED pods are way brighter than everything else. This was not the case when I first did the upgrade.










First set where the power comes in and two LED's are dying









This set is near the HOB filter so I think it stays moist and has caused this.










But at least my tank is still doing well









Kyle89, do you think I have a shot too at getting a replacement set even though I only sealed the ends and not the whole pieces?


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

i get home in an hour and will throw some pictures up my plants still seem like they are doing well too


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

The first day with the upgraded LEDs only








The LEDs now








The LEDs now with the stock led on too


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## Tabby216 (Feb 20, 2013)

kyle89 said:


> 5 gallon tank same eBay lights


You have the same tank as mine. I want to do something like this, is it hard to put on and how long did it take? Also did directions come with your purchase?


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

they have 3 m double side tape on the back. the hardest part is after cutting them down resodering them together an nope no directions


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

Kyle, I can tell that your lights have gotten dim like mine did. Your plants definitely like them too

my replacement lights came in today. I am going to try and find a way to 100% seal them up. I thought about using flowable silicone since it is thin like pancake syrup versus the stiff putty regular waterproof silicone.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

mine came in yesterday. i hope i can get the sealed up good this time too. i ran a beed of silicone and than ran my finger over it. i probably wont do that this thime


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

Anyone have any updates on their tanks? Here is the latest I have from about a month ago. Plants are doing well and I have since added in floating plants. I had to switch back to my OEM lights due to moisture wreaking havoc on the strips.

I have not gone back and installed the replacement strips yet. I have been thinking about the one's that tekkguy installed since they are already fully water proof. Hopefully soon I will get the lighting thing figured out once and for all.


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

im looking at the leds tekkguy posted. im wondering how you wire it up? I see there are positive and negative on both sides. and then I guess a ps would have a positive and neg. how do you connect it all? could someone draw a simple diagram pls. 

sorry im an electric idiot. any help would be appreciated.


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

if i had to guess id say its wired in parallel. just connect one end to pos and neg of ps. on the other end of the led string is pos and neg. just insulate the pos and neg seperately? i dont know. lol...


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

the ones that tekkguy posted are already wired together. The only thing needed is the PS and it's just like you said pos to pos and neg to neg. Just make sure it's 12V DC and at least 1 amp or 1000mA output.


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## jasonwuzthere (Sep 16, 2013)

Hi. Long time lurker, just wanted to say thanks for this thread!! I have 2 small tanks I wanted to plant for shrimp but not spend $50 lighting.
Thanks!

P.S. Sorry for the zombie thread, but a lot of other folks may find this useful after hours on Google.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

Thanks. Glad to see that it is helping people do more DIY projects than spending crazy $$$ on LED lighting. 

I have some updates that I need to post but have not found the time. My original setup didn't last because it's not 100% waterproof, more like water resistant. 

When my stock LED's went bad the manufacturer replaced my whole hood for free under warranty. So I have another strip of LED's waiting to go in but I need to find a way to make them waterproof.


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## jasonwuzthere (Sep 16, 2013)

Did you say you used aquarium sealant, but you left some parts un-sealed? I was planning on covering it entirely with clear aquarium sealant.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

I assumed the strips were waterproof and only sealed the ends where I soldered the wires. But the water seeped in from the back of the strip and messed them up. 

Next time I am going to seal all around the strips with sealant. I found a flowable silicone sealant for headlights that might work better. I just haven't had a chance to test it out

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## jasonwuzthere (Sep 16, 2013)

Ah, okay. You wouldn't think water could seep through silicone like that. I may order some in the coming month. I'm talking to the seller right now about power supplies and making sharp turns.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

you would think that if they advertise it as waterproof it should be and not just water resistant.


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## jasonwuzthere (Sep 16, 2013)

Agreed. I may just try a smother the whole thing with aquarium sealant approach. I just picked up the Tetra 5 gallon kit from Walmart that looks to have the same lid yours does. If the lights end up as a go I'll post the results. Maybe it can help others to get this cheapo set a little more durable.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

what LEDs do you plan on adding to the lid? are they on a strip or individual pods?


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## jasonwuzthere (Sep 16, 2013)

The strips you originally posted. He said he had cables with clips for the tight turns, so I'll probably grab some in a few weeks and attach them to the lid with some epoxy or adhesive silicone, the slather aquarium sealant over every last inch of it and see how it goes.
Probably do the same for my 1.5 gallon, even though it has a splash guard and a raised lid. Like this but smaller and the older light bulb version. It will probably be a shrimp tank, though, so I may go with lower light to not kill the moss.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

sounds like you have it all covered. Let us know how everything goes. Hopefully I can get my testing done and see how it goes soon.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

InfiniteGlory said:


> Thanks. Glad to see that it is helping people do more DIY projects than spending crazy $$$ on LED lighting.
> 
> I have some updates that I need to post but have not found the time. My original setup didn't last because it's not 100% waterproof, more like water resistant.
> 
> When my stock LED's went bad the manufacturer replaced my whole hood for free under warranty. So I have another strip of LED's waiting to go in but I need to find a way to make them waterproof.


I actually gave up on the led strips and couldn't find a lighted hood to fit my 5 gallon so I got a 10 gallon at petsmart. I still have the second set of LEDs that where sent to me as a replacement. I'm thinking of building a glass lid for the 5 gallon and make a from for the LEDs to go over the glass lid so the are not water exposed and see how that works.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

it would be cool to see that. are you going with a DIY vacuum forming?

My replacement strip is out in my garage too awaiting to go back in the new hood that was repalced under warranty. I want to test out the flowable silicone and see if that will help seal the strip better.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

I used silicone on my LEDs and it didn't help. I'm looking to make something like this


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## jasonwuzthere (Sep 16, 2013)

Well, I ended up going a different route. I just can't afford for the LED's to start screwing up while I'm short on cash or something, so I ended up picking up two architecture lamps from Walmart and some 20 watt 6500k CFL's. It's not nearly as nice looking as the LED's, but it's easy to repair if needed.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mpws4ocenmwmcje/IMG_20131029_180552_417.jpg

My tanks are fairly new, so they aren't magnificent yet. hahaha


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

Jason
well, we all have to start somewhere.

Kyle
I would like something like that too but it's difficult to find something under 12" and fits my budget.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

I'm gonna make one like that that goes over a glass lid with the replacement set of LEDs I got off eBay. I will post pictures when I get it started but that will probably be in a week or so


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

I look forward to your project. It may inspire me to change my hood since it has limited space. The feeding door is right in the middle which doesn't leave much area to mount anything unless it is in a single strip form.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

Well tomorrow is pay day so I may go to Lowes and pick up a few supplies and try to get something started. The most expensive thing for me will be the lid because i already have the LEDs. I just need to build a housing for them


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

I started to look on Lowe's website and find small aluminum channel that I may try and use. It should allow me to make square LED strips that are completey covered in aquarium sealent so that the strips have a zero chance of getting wet.


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## sliderdkp (Aug 8, 2013)

*Fluval LED Lighting*

I upgraded to the Fluval LED lighting, with moonlight. It is much brighter than the light that came with the Fluval 5 gal setup. Any comments? Could it be too bright? Does anyone use moon light? Appreciate any replies.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

I almost have the plexi glass lid finished with my pictures I'm still trying to figure out how to house the led lights over the lid. I wanted to use a gutter extension but its a inch too short


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

Are you using the extension upside down as a reflector? That is a great idea. Even with end caps is the extension too short?


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

never really thought of that. i always was told leds are directional and dont need a reflector. i actually got a 15 inch pvc extension and a coupling and am gonna split it in half to make the housing. right now i have around 25 dollars into the project including the leds. i plan on getting the housing built tonight or tomorrow so by monday i should have a rough diy to put up on here and am excieted.


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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

I drew these pictures of what I'm trying to do
















It was just a quick sketch to give you a better idea. I plan on running 3 strips of 14 inch led lights on the inside


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

You're right, led's are directional and do not need a reflector. I guess reflector wasn't the right word but it was the only one I could come up with. But I see it is what I thought you were trying to do. I really think that your sketch and concept is going to be just fine

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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

A sneak peak at the light housing


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

Looking good

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## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

finally got it all done
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=306778


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