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LED questions

Discussion in 'Algae Scrubber DIY' started by d0lph1n, Feb 17, 2016.

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  1. I'm working on a new reef tank (25 gal, no skimmer). For a 8x10 inch vertical/waterfall scrubber (1 side only) with the LEDs positioned 1-3 inches away from ATS, 1-2 cube of food per day, please let me know:

    - how many LUXEON ES 3W
    - what kind of LUXEON ES 3W
     
  2. Turbo

    Turbo Does not really look like Johnny Carson Staff Member Site Owner Multiple Units! Customer

    Well let's back up a bit, is that 25 gallon or was that supposed to be 250 gallon? Because an 8x10 scrubber for a 25g is way too big.
     
  3. It's a 25g :) but no other forms of filtration (not even live rocks)..except one block 8 x8 x4 of MarinePure.

    So let me just say, the maximum ATS surface could be 8x10 (1 side only). i already have the 2 LED dimmable drivers.
     
  4. Turbo

    Turbo Does not really look like Johnny Carson Staff Member Site Owner Multiple Units! Customer

    Single-sided for 2 cubes/day would be 48 sq in, or about 7x7 so I guess you are not too far off. However, the factor here is the low tank volume. You would have an extremely high turnover rate so you could probably get away with less screen area. any reason you couldn't do 2 sided? If so, you could probably do 5x5 or even 4x4
     
  5. I'm building the ATS in the overflow box/wavemaker (5x18x18) in the back of the tank 918x18x18). I can install the LED box only on the back of the overflow box, and not in between tank & overflow box. There is no space to install an ATS in the sump area.
     
  6. The water goes in the ATS via outlets from tank (top one via surface skimmer and 1/3 from bottom). On the bottom of the ATS, there are the bean animal overflow pipes (3x 1 inch). The main pump is a Tunze 1073 (max capacity: 2,400 l/h 634 USgal./h) pushing water from sump. It won't push 643gal/h at that hight but at least 250gal/h on maximum setup. I'll measure the flow when I'm done buiding the overflowbox.

    There'll be 2 more pumps (closed loop and wavemaker) but it won't affect the ATS's waterflow.
     
  7. This is the overflow/wavemaker/ATS box.
    The vertical ports will be connected to the tank. I don't see how to install LEDs (with proper cooling) on this side (unless I go with water cooling, for example like cpu water cooling).

    The bottom right port will collect water and redirect it on top of the ATS. Also the top big port will be collecting water via surface skimmer and redirected on top of the ATS as well.

    IMG_7223.JPG
     
  8. So, so far, you suggested Luxeon deep red and hyper violet. How many?
     
  9. Turbo

    Turbo Does not really look like Johnny Carson Staff Member Site Owner Multiple Units! Customer

    Having a hard time envisioning this, where does the scrubber go?
     
  10. Imagine it inside the box..something like this:

    IMG_7223mod.jpg
     
  11. The left compartment is the wavebox, the ATS goes on the right compartment. IMG_7224mod.jpg
     
  12. The LEDs will be installed outside the tank (I have to drill hole(S) accordingly)
     
  13. Also, the pipes are not installed yet.
    On the bottom of ATS compartment there will be
    - 2 short pipes for the bean animal overflow,
    - 1 pipe for bottom bulkhead to the top bullkhead for the main pump's outlet (left side of the compartment)
    - 1 short pipe for the closed loop flow.
    - 1 pipe (right side of the compartment) that delivers water from bottom part the main tank on top of the ATS.

    On the left side there is wavebox outlet, 1 pipe for closed loop, and 1 bean animal long pipe.
     
  14. Turbo

    Turbo Does not really look like Johnny Carson Staff Member Site Owner Multiple Units! Customer

    You've got a lot going on in there. I've designed and installed many BA systems and I can't quite see how you're going to make that work, how are you going to fit in 2x double 90s for the siphon and open channel, and where is the emergency? Is that divider sealed at the bottom?
     
  15. There is enough space on the bottom of the overflow box to install the siphon 1 &2. The siphon 3's pipe will be taller than the diveder, or a little taller than the highes water level of the wavemaker. The diver is tall enough to accomodate the water volume of the waver maker. To complicate the things a little more, siphon 3 will also redirect electrical cables for waver & main light.
     
  16. if you are right and I'm wrong (very possible) and the siphon 3 is too high I could drill the divider and install a bulkhead of the proper height.
     
  17. Turbo

    Turbo Does not really look like Johnny Carson Staff Member Site Owner Multiple Units! Customer

    I see what you saying. If the emergency drain pipe (open top) is in the wave maker chamber but higher than the divider, that should be ok

    My concern is that the siphon and the open channel, which need to have a downward facing opening, there's not enough room for that. Basically both of those need a double-90 in that type of setup. I suppose the full siphon (tuned drain) would not "have to" have that, but the open channel definitely does.

    Then you have the smaller lines for returns, leaving little room for the scrubber. But I could be seeing it wrong also
     
  18. image.jpeg
    The box is 18x18x5. According to my calculations it should have enough space. In the worst case scenario the siphons will be behind the bottom part of the screen will be smaller and i would have to feed less or add a skimmer. Anyway 1-2 cubes of food for a 25gal is too much.

    Anyway, if i go with a smaller screen for 1 cube per day how many leds considering the distance from screen is 1-3 inch. I'm going to re-use the drivers (2) below. What do you think?
     
  19. Turbo

    Turbo Does not really look like Johnny Carson Staff Member Site Owner Multiple Units! Customer

    For the way my mind works I would have to see how you plan on running the plumbing for the BA and returns to understand if 1) it's going to work as expected and 2) how the scrubber goes in there

    Is that driver dimmable, as in current controllable? The range of drive current + voltage tells me that it's a CV+CC or "mixed mode" driver and I'm not 100% sure how that actually ends up working once you connect it up.

    For LEDs, I use the formula of one Deep Red LED for every 4-8 sq in of screen. Usually on each side, so if you're single sided I would go with one per 4 sq in. You could go with more and then dim them initially, and ramp them up as you get additional growth
     

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