My DIY LED light :)

I am going to be starting up this little project once I receive all the parts (most being shipped from LEDsupply.com). I've got 1 buckpuck, 2 heatsinks, a power supply, 6 3 watt cree LED's (3 white and 3 blue), a fan, and i need to get 2 switches so i can have 1 each for white and blue and I also want to get a lower power LED for a moonlight. I am going to worry first about putting the light together before I worry about making the housing for the light but I know I am going to use acrylic. If anyone has suggestions for my little project just let me know.

Hey Jenny,



What is the cost of what you have purchased so far?

Care to make a graphic of what you are planning and then maybe I or Thinkin Reef can make suggestions on the wiring and such? We're both sparky's

the total of what i purchased came to about 70 US. as for drawing up a graphic, i wouldn't know where to start. i know i want to have it like a pendant style light but i have no idea how i would go about making it. my dad knows how to solder and wire, etc. but tbh i have no idea how it's going to turn out LOL.

Welcome Jenny. Really cool project. Cant wait to see how it turns out. I think you could make it a pendent pretty easy, either with acrylic legs or by drilling some holes with hooks.

yea it is still a work in progress but i am definitely psyched about it. i am still waiting for my supplies tho.

Welcome to the site

Like too see this also. Keep us posted

okay so all the stuff i ordered came today. i was laughing at how small the buckpuck was but it's so darn cute! lol anyway. i still need a power supply and the stuff to make the housing but i'll worry about that after i put the light together. so it goes as follows:

power supply->buckpuck->led's->led's go on heatsink->drill and tap->and from here i have no idea what to do. anyone have suggestions on this whole process?

Cool keep us posted!

Electrical stuff is over my head Jenny. See what skinz or thinking reef have to say

I haven't the slightest what she has going on. I have never built LED lights. Pic's may help.

PM sent Jenny

lol yes i know, i am getting to it. i was going to do that yesterday but i was too busy so i will be taking pics soon of the pieces i have and i will post them up. btw, does anyone know how to properly dispose of dying corals? i have ammonia from out of no where and my xenia looks like it's going to go, also one of the heads of frogspawn i have and soon to be two are dying if not dead already. tank doesn't smell tho. my zoas are fine tho, not fantastic but at least open.

Yeah without a Schematic I am lost on those lights. I may have to try some someday.

On the topic of the coral, what are all of your params at?

Temp: 79
Amm: 0.1 ppm
nitrite: 0 ppm
nitrate: 0.5 ppm
Calcium: 700ppm or more (last time i tested i got 35 drops before it changed color and then you times that by 20. reason why is because i didn't realize that i was dosing too much of kent marine essential elements, i stopped this week before last)
ph: 8.1, alk. 4 meq/l

so for some reason my frogspawn bubbled and then died. that particular head was side by side with another and that one was dying also so i had to toss that one whole piece. i'll post a pic of the whole tank. (after all the work i had to do to get the small piece to break off without taking my other 2 heads (the one that recently split). the third and larger of them all is still pretty pissed at me. i'm hoping that one is going to be okay. and on the note of the led's i'll see if i can draw something up in paint lol

Can you get some pic's of what is left?

this one is in the worst condition:


and this one (two heads) seems to be okay:


and these are my sunshine zoas slowly opening up after the mess (with my scooter blenny in the background):


my dragon eyes have only started to open up a tiny bit just now.

Do you use RODI?

When is the last time you did a water change?

i stopped using r/o for a while, maybe a couple of months, dont ask me why i just had the biggest brain fart of my life and blanked on the fact that i should not be using tap. and the last water change i did was about 4 days ago with r/o and i am using it for my topoffs too.

How old are your test kits?

What do you use to test SG?