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Self Build Light Unit

BarryH

BarryH

Member
Joined
25 Feb 2017
Messages
608
Location
Derbyshire
I have a Juwel Rekord 60 tank that I'm not using and would like to try to aquascape it if possible. Rather than use the lid/light unit that came with it, I'd like to build my own if possible.

I've seen photos of light units that sit a foot or so above the tank and they look great. No problem with building a wooden structure to house the light unit but I've basically got no idea as to what lights to use, what power they need to be and how far above the tank I'd need to go. I've seen the security light units on Amazon and in Home Bargains, would these be a place to start?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
I've watched a few videos on YouTube where they build some great lights but it's beyond me at moment, as my knowledgable of electronics is limited

I guess it's like anything the more you spend the better the product will be and the more control you will have over it

So starting with a cheap light then I think the height etc will be down to trial and error unless you have an expensive light meter

Plus I'm sure whether you're going low or high tec will also be something to factor in



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There's no surround on the top of the Juwel Rekord Dean, the lid just sits over the top edges of the glass.
 
I've often wondered about standard Gu10 LED fittings. They throw out plenty of light for very low consumption. Could quite easily make a canopy or bulkhead over the tank and some will work with dimmer switches which solves the height above tank issues. Could easily be constructed in moisture resistant MDF, just make sure the spots are designed for use in bathrooms so they will be MR as well.
 
Thanks for the reply AWB. I've found quite a number of waterproof fittings that could possibly be used to make a canopy, it's just knowing what wattage I need to go for due to changing the height over the tank.

Don't want to fry the plants or starve them of light for that matter.
 
Just found this video on YT the tank owner is using two, 10 watt floodlights, the same as we can buy at Screwfix, Home Bargains ETC.

 
BarryH said:
Thanks for the reply AWB. I've found quite a number of waterproof fittings that could possibly be used to make a canopy, it's just knowing what wattage I need to go for due to changing the height over the tank.

Don't want to fry the plants or starve them of light for that matter.
Click to expand...
You can get various wattage ones from b and q for about £2.50 each. If you get the ones that dim your could go with the brightest and dim them down. I think have some 5 watt ones in my living room and some 3 watt in my dining room which pretty much lights up the whole room to the equivalent of having a 75-100 watt bulb running so I couldn't begin to imagine how bright these would be close together suspended say a foot above a tank but I reckon they would be quite bright.

Just managed to find a box I had, apparently they are 3 .3 watt, 260 lumens and 6200-6800k so the colour should be quite nice. These are the white light not soft ones which are much yellower and not dimmable. Supposedly equivalent to a 50 watt halogen. Again, if you fancy trying this make sure you get moisture resistant ones for bathrooms.

129e136c0245f6e3d0122d6156ef6fad.jpg
 
AverageWhiteBloke said:
Supposedly equivalent to a 50 watt halogen
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Naaaa no way near a 50W halogen. A 50W down lighter is generally about 900Lumens.

Below is the page from the Sylvania MR16 12V 50W halogen down lighters,
upload_2017-3-16_20-51-18.png


The best MR16 LED I have found is only 620 lumens and is significantly dimmer that the above bulbs, so sticking with 50W planet warming halogens in my kitchen at the moment, so I can see what I am doing.

Even a single 55cm fluorescent tube suitable for the Rekord is 1900lumens.
 
I have 8 x 11w GU10 leds over my 200l tank, just standard B&Q fittings and bulbs.
The lights are about 500mm above the water, no real issues although the stated 10 year life span seems a bit optimistic as I find some only last 6 mouths but other might be 3 -4 years old now.
I replaced one a few weeks back with the latest version Phillips 11w bulb and it is definitely the brightest of the bunch.
 
Thanks for the reply Foxy.

Do you have a link to the lights you used at all and maybe even a look at how you mounted them over the tank?
 
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ian_m said:
Naaaa no way near a 50W halogen. A 50W down lighter is generally about 900Lumens.

Below is the page from the Sylvania MR16 12V 50W halogen down lighters,
View attachment 104358

The best MR16 LED I have found is only 620 lumens and is significantly dimmer that the above bulbs, so sticking with 50W planet warming halogens in my kitchen at the moment, so I can see what I am doing.

Even a single 55cm fluorescent tube suitable for the Rekord is 1900lumens.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I think it might have been 25watt. The light was in a different box. If you look at the diall range of lights in b and q they're in sections of equivalent i.e led wattage and equivalent halogen bulb it would compare to.

I got 25watt eq in my living room and 50 watt for my dining room. I think the box there is out of my bathroom which came with the fitting.
 
Sorry I can't grab a picture at the moment ( on holiday in New Zealand) but there are some pictures on this forum, I use standard GU10 led bulbs, they are just the standard downligher fitting bulbs available everywhere.
You can get dimming ones or even coulour change ones.
Cost around £2-12 each depending on the wattage and if they are dimmable. I think the B&Q 11 watt non dimmable is around £7.50.
Basically I built a suspended hood and just fitted the bulbs and flush fit holders into the MDF.
 
Enjoy your holiday.

Looked in my local B&Q but could find anything rated at 11w on their shelves. Plenty of much lower wattage stuff but non marked 11w.
 
The Juwel Rekord tank I have to play around with is 60x30x40. It sits in a window recess that's blanked off so I could mount the unit anywhere above the tank.
 
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