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  1. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    Spider72: That's very cool. The light looks fine to me. There's more definition with LEDs than with the original lamp. A word of advice. There is 240V going into that driver. It's just a few inches away from the water, and the luminaire is metal. You might want to fix the driver to the wall...
  2. scottturnbull

    Eheim 2073

    Yea, mine is noisy for a few days after a clean. The prefilter seems to trap air. The noise is grating. Giving it a good thump seems to help. It's a good filter, though. I like the combination of media. The water always looks sparkling. The only thing I would urge caution about is the flow...
  3. scottturnbull

    More Journals? discuss.....

    I'm not an aquascaper either. The main reason for doing a journal is so other people can benefit. Rarely does everything go smoothly when setting up a tank. We all run into problems from time to time. If it's a problem you haven't encountered before, the internet is fine. But there's usually too...
  4. scottturnbull

    Whats the life span of your aquascape?

    I do it so I can grow something in the winter months without bankrupting myself with horticultural lighting. It's also easier to keep fish in winter. Up here it's cold and dark from about October to March. So I'd say six months is a good duration for keeping a tank running. In the summer, I'd...
  5. scottturnbull

    Eheim 2073

    I'll second that. I've got one. The only problem is no one stocks the foam inserts. I got my 2073 from Charterhouse. I emailed them in January - after spending about 500 quid with them over Christmas - and they said the foam would be in stock within a few weeks. They said they'd been too busy...
  6. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    If you can afford it, I'd get one of these. It drives up to 9 x 1Watt LEDs, and you don't need to worry about the voltages or transformers or anything like that. It senses the number of LEDs you are driving. It might seem more expensive than those ebay drivers, but those also require a...
  7. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    Re: Scott's boring aquascape Week 10 update: This is roughly what I envisaged when I started. The only difference being that it looks nothing at all like I imagined. The moss is too prominent. I would prefer it if it was more 'figure-hugging'. Other than that, the only other problem is keeping...
  8. scottturnbull

    The Henge part 2 MA @ eastbridgford

    This is the 21st Century. The information age. We're on the internet. The information super highway. This isn't a 1970s newspaper in East Berlin, you know. On a different tack: I like the scape. The punters who made the comments about it not lasting must be eating their words.
  9. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    The hot-spots definitely look good. It's an effect only LEDs seem to be able to produce. I take it you are playing around with the lenses because you anticipate problems with the coverage? Nice tanks AC. I'm getting pretty close to settling on a PWM controller. Once I've got it working I'll...
  10. scottturnbull

    Shrimp tank

    Did you paint those snails, or do they come like that? They look like you forgot to cover them with a dust-sheet while decorating.
  11. scottturnbull

    Anyone else tried these ?

    It runs straight off the mains. It will be a shocking experience if it gets wet.
  12. scottturnbull

    saintly's "Prairie Lands"

    Re: saintly's 120cm iwagumi It's perfect. I can't find fault with it.
  13. scottturnbull

    Planting for Dummies

    These videos should help get you started: Tropica tips and tricks for handling plants. UKAPS own George Farmer showing how it's done.
  14. scottturnbull

    CO2 in aquarium and atmosphere

    It would be interesting to force air through a diffuser, and see what ppm results. A normal air-pump probably wouldn't work. It might need a high-pressure air-compressor. I think you can buy them for Aeroponics. But even then, the oxygen might cause too much turbulence, and degas the water. If...
  15. scottturnbull

    My 60cm with Canon 50D

    With the increased photographic clarity the 'scape will need to be immaculate also, more so than usual. That's why I use a 1 megapixel camcorder. Seriously, though, the new camera does the 'scape justice. It has an unsentimental eye.
  16. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    Re: Scott's boring aquascape I think I'll have to thin some of this Hemianthus Micranthemoides. I'm experiencing the same problems George had - actually, it was his daughter - when trying the Aquaray LEDs. It seems even carpeting plants can block the light. Last week I thinned a section of HM...
  17. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    Re: Scott's boring aquascape I don't think I've lost many, if any at all. The first night they went for a ride up the filter intake. After that, I put gauze over the intake. cheers
  18. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    Re: Scott's boring aquascape For this week's instalment, some pictures of a fine cherry shrimp (one of Paulo's specimens). The second one is spooky. I'm not sure I like it when they stare head-on.
  19. scottturnbull

    Problem with Riccia

    Those numbers aren't nearly as bad as I thought they might be. I was guessing the soda water would be about 12-15 dKH. I don't know if the figures are extreme enough to affect the plants. The fish might suffer from osmotic shock, but that will only happen if you add too much soda water at...
  20. scottturnbull

    New Forum Rules and Guidelines

    The italicised part of rule 6 is a welcome addition. A good balance, in my opinion. You don't want to drive off investment, but you don't want the content of the forum to be compromised by vested interests. I look forward to seeing how it operates in practice. As for the italicised part of rule...
  21. scottturnbull

    Problem with Riccia

    I'm interested to hear how it works out. It's a neat idea for Nanos, if it works. Are you using regular bottled soda water? I did some reading, and could find very little information on the subject, apart from this. Best of luck.
  22. scottturnbull

    Very long hair algae

    That looks a lot like the Ulothrix I had. I didn't have as much at that, just the odd stray hair. If I let things slide, going away for the weekend, for instance, when I got back there would be very long, green hairs spanning the tank. When I was there to hassle it, it turned pale - almost...
  23. scottturnbull

    Problem with Riccia

    I've not heard of kH toxicity either. But I've never heard of people dosing Soda Water either. That's why I'm thinking it might be a problem, in this instance. It's the one aspect of the OPs tank that is out of the ordinary. I read wikipedia, sodium bicarbonate is added to neutralise the acidic...
  24. scottturnbull

    Problem with Riccia

    That's kind of what I said. GH just needs to be present. I was thinking more about kH toxicity, than deficiency. Adding soda water - for the CO2, not for the bicarbonates - without monitoring the kH could lead to high levels. I don't know what adding lots of bicarbonates would do to a tank...
  25. scottturnbull

    The old forest - nano project

    The first blue backdrop works for me. Cobalt blue, cold and analytical, very nice. Nanos are kind of like nature in a test tube.
  26. scottturnbull

    Problem with Riccia

    Clive, if you read his journal, he's using soda water to supply the CO2. I don't know that much about using soda water, but doesn't some (all?) contain bicarbonates? I'd imagine with certain plants it might be easy to overdo it. I remember reading somewhere that kH is the type of hardness that...
  27. scottturnbull

    Very long hair algae

    Do you have any photos of it?
  28. scottturnbull

    Very long hair algae

    Just because it is green and long and thin, doesn't mean it's spirogyra. It might be Ulothrix (which is hard to tell apart from Spirogyra, without a microscope). I had Ulothrix recently. Hassling it before a water change, to get it water-bourne, then syphoning it up, was how I handled it, in the...
  29. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    spider72: I bought some of those 1W Leds. Some of the lenses are scuffed (that's probably why they are so cheap). They don't seem to be damaged too much. They look like they've been lying around the floor or something. Just so you know, they aren't in perfect condition. For the heatsinks, you...
  30. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    I managed to find somewhere that sells the 700mA version of the Recom RCD-24. It should be able to power about 6-7 x 3W LEDs from a 24V supply. At a push, it might power 9-10 x 3W LEDs. But that would require almost 36V, which is more than most affordable supplies can source, and is also...
  31. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    Great work. You should go into manufacturing. I know what you mean about the lenses on the original tank. That's why I'm growing carpeting plants with my TMCs. I've got no other choice. 45° lenses might be better on a larger tank where the LEDs are spaced apart; or as you've done, just use...
  32. scottturnbull

    The Henge part 2 MA @ eastbridgford

    Re: The Henge part 2 Dogged, resolute, and back in amongst it after a set-back. Inspiring stuff. Good to see the 'kitchen scissors' method of planting HC being put to use.
  33. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    I was thinking along similar lines. I was going to cut holes in plastic trunking, or something similar, and seal the lenses, so the lens holder becomes a column inside the trunking for the star to sit on. The trunking lid could then be closed on top, with cutouts made for the heatsinks. It'll...
  34. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    Did you get them from Hong Kong? I've got some on the way, slightly held up by the Chinese New Year. I'm not keen on the optics I have at the moment. Too much light spills through the white plastic, and they don't stay in place all that well. I'm going to need an eye test soon, after staring...
  35. scottturnbull

    LED lighting question

    That looks like Osram emitters. Without a spec sheet I can't say for sure. I'm a little confused about the voltage. 12V won't drive 15 x LEDs @ 750 mA in series, unless there is a boost converter or something built-in. If each group of three is wired in parallel, then 12 Volts would work, but...
  36. scottturnbull

    saintly's "The Miracle Mire" scape over

    You've got a knack of leaving me lost for words. Hard luck mate. I enjoyed reading this thread.
  37. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    Here's some photographs of the LEDs I've been playing with. These are two 1W Luxeons with Batwing lenses, using 25° optics. They are powered by a Recom RCD-24 (the black box on the right half of the breadboard). The datasheet for the RCD-24 shows similar ICs capable of driving 3W LEDs, but I...
  38. scottturnbull

    Aquarium Controllers / Computers in the planted aquarium.

    I'm interested in using computers to control the environment for growing plants etc. The problem is that most systems don't actually make life easier, unless you are growing on a massive scale. For hobbyists the extra work usually isn't worth it. You end up replacing one boring chore with...
  39. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    Re: Scott's boring aquascape Week 5 update: As you can see, I removed the Wisteria. It was monopolising the light from the LED emitters, and blocking the light. The tank is going through a bit of a transitional phase at the moment, a bit like myself. I'm feeling deeply ambivalent about...
  40. scottturnbull

    Fixing HC to the ground

    On the tropica website, there's a video showing HC being planted with the rockwool still attached to it, to anchor it. The guy in the video - I think it's Oliver Knott - cuts off the bottom of the grow cube leaving 1cm of rockwool, then divides the plants by cutting them in half again and again.
  41. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    That only works with Microsoft OSs. I'm using Linux. It has a different procedure for ➧ ➨ ➩ ➪ ➫ ➬ ➭ ➮ ➯ ° :)
  42. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    The temperature of the heatsinks, and the ambient temperature inside the hood should give you a good indication whether they will last, or burn out. Are the heatsinks red-hot? You're looking for the actual LED junction to be around 60oC (too hot to touch for long, but not instant skin-graft...
  43. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    SuperColey: What's was the total cost (excluding breakages etc.)? I've seen a lot more electronics coming out that is geared towards running these LEDs. Only a couple of months ago, when this thread started, I could only find a couple of things. Now Rapid have a whole lot of different...
  44. scottturnbull

    Really really struggling to get sufficient CO2 diffusion

    If the filter is struggling to swallow CO2 bubbles at 1bps, maybe the diffuser is too close. My diffuser is to the side of the intake. About 2/3rds of the bubbles - the finest ones - are sucked into the filter, silently. The larger bubbles just percolate up to the surface. My filter doesn't even...
  45. scottturnbull

    Big filter... Small tank. Opinions please?

    I've got a 2073 (2075's little sister). I got mine from Charterhouse Aquatics. They seem to be the only place that sell them, not on advance order. The priming button is definitely solid, a big rubberised button. The new media also seems to produce better throughput. I'll leave it there. I...
  46. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    Re: Scott's boring aquascape I'm thinking of changing the title of this aquascape. While trying to come up with a title, I wrote a poem: If there's any Haiku purists out there, I apologise for any injury caused. Needless to say, I haven't come up with a title yet.
  47. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    Re: Scott's boring aquascape LEDs are still in early development at the moment. They work. I'm getting decent growth. Nothing is dying off and shrivelling. A couple of things need ironing out, though. The shadows cut off light to lower growing plants. And taller plants seem to gravitate...
  48. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    Re: Scott's boring aquascape I upped the photoperiod of each LED strip. They're still on for 10 hours in total, but now there's an 8 hour overlap instead of 6 hours. I also tweaked the surface agitation. The pearling has returned with a vengeance, probably due to increased oxygen. It was the...
  49. scottturnbull

    Metal Halides

    The LEDs on the Easy Life Paradiso seem to be there for aesthetic purposes. If you look at the brochure, the LEDs produce some amazing, deep-water style effects. It looks impressive, but so is the cost. When you add the price of the controller and lamps, it comes in around £1000. As for...
  50. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    Re: Scott's boring aquascape The planet catfish link is great, lots of detail. I was basing my ID on that website. I'm not getting as much pearling with LEDs alone, as I did with T8 combined with LEDs. (The photos above were taken after a water change, technically cheating.) I'm not sure if...
  51. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    Re: Scott's boring aquascape Here's an illustration of the light spillage with TMC Aquaray LEDs (for those who are interested): Sunrise (rear strip only): Sunset (front strip only):
  52. scottturnbull

    GH Levels

    The higher the reading, the harder the water.
  53. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    Re: Scott's boring aquascape You can see the algae on the Eleocharis Parvula on the right. There isn't a great deal of it. I've tweaked the CO2 levels, which seems to have helped. I'm going to spot treat the remainder with EasyCarbo. (Is it okay to overdose EasyCarbo with moss in the tank?)...
  54. scottturnbull

    Treating White spot....

    There's another thread called 'White Spot' further down. It might be worth a read.
  55. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    Re: Scott's boring aquascape Some more close-ups of Algae (magnified 1000x): I don't know what that brown thing is doing. The algae is super-fine, almost invisible. I have to crouch and squint to see it.
  56. scottturnbull

    the most resilient fish in the world

    I'm lost for words.
  57. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    Re: Scott's boring aquascape Two days ago I added four Otocinclus, industrious little things. They're making light work of cleaning everything. I'll post some updated pictures soon.
  58. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    Re: Scott's boring aquascape I'm experiencing a little die-back with the Eleocharis, producing some fuzz algae. Agitating the stuff seems to help disperse it, hopefully in the direction of the filter inlet. Excuse the speckly images. I've only got a cheap adapter for my Sony Camcorder. Here's...
  59. scottturnbull

    how many hours of illumination is too many?

    I've grown similar plants under long photo-periods. Tomatoes are very similar to the plants mentioned earlier, and during the initial growth period, can be grown in a 24 hour photo-period. It's debatable whether they actually benefit from the additional hours of daylight, or whether it's just a...
  60. scottturnbull

    Checking a leaking reg

    Fairy liquid and water, applied to the regulator joints, will produce bubbles from the leak, if there is one.
  61. scottturnbull

    Planted tank Blog

    I'd like to see a proper plant database. Tropica's website is okay up to a point. But they use terms like 'difficult', without giving any explanation. Sometimes 'difficult' means it requires a lot of light, other times it's the plant's delicate structure which makes it 'difficult'. There's no...
  62. scottturnbull

    Ray's 90cm - Growing Pains Over?

    Re: Ray's 90cm Asian Theme Journal - Look - No Aglae! Nice video. The Pogostemon Helferi looks really vibrant. And the fish look healthy. You've been through quite a lot. I'll bet you're looking forward to putting your feet up.
  63. scottturnbull

    How many LED lights for 60cm tank

    I'm using Marine White. The others produce a striped appearance. If you use either 'natural daylight', or 'full spectrum', it might be an idea to alternate them, to produce a checkerboard appearance. Or just use Marine White. I meant to update this thread. I got another strip yesterday. While...
  64. scottturnbull

    Christmas present quandry

    Have you seen the PFK Video Blog where George Farmer does Matt Clarke's aquascape? Matt's tank is a different size, but the species of plants, and the overall low-maintenance approach should be relevant nonetheless. You might have to register with PFK to watch it. It doesn't cost anything.
  65. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    Re: Scott's boring aquascape Not at all. Any point of view that originates from half-way between Glasgow and Edinburgh deserves serious consideration. If that's true - and you'll forgive me if I wait a while before congratulating myself - then it's due in no small part to reading the posts...
  66. scottturnbull

    Scott's boring aquascape aka 'undergrowth'

    This is technically the first aquascape I've ever done. It happened entirely by chance. I was having trouble keeping the tank going without substrate, so ordered some eco-complete, with the intention of growing various plants in pots, like I normally do. But with the tank emptied, and the plants...
  67. scottturnbull

    Seachem Excel - What about algae eaters?

    It only affects certain algae, black brush for instance. And it doesn't immediately wipe it out. It has an impact, but it's not a comprehensive algaecide. Algae eaters - with the exception of the SAE - don't eat black brush algae anyway. I wouldn't be too worried about your algae eater starving...
  68. scottturnbull

    Tropica TPN+ match using ammonium nitrate

    A couple of very fine questions. 'Ammonia in the presence of light causes Algae' isn't really a theory. The problem is, what do you replace it with? Several pages worth of hand-wringing, which won't be accurate either, and most people will fall asleep half-way through.
  69. scottturnbull

    Big filter... Small tank. Opinions please?

    I got the figures from a table on page 5 of the 2076/8 electronic manual. That's one thing I like about Eheim, they aren't afraid to publish the actual filter throughput, unlike a lot of other manufacturers who just provide idealistic pump max. specifications.
  70. scottturnbull

    CO2 Equipment - backflow

    I can vouch for this one. Although I got a faulty one at first, and had to get a replacement. It takes 10psi of pressure to allow CO2 through at all. But it seems to work. I don't see any water climbing up the hose.
  71. scottturnbull

    new 'tank'

    Are you talking about the Microjet pump? Swell gives the height as less than 5cm. Since they are more or less cuboid, I'd say 5cm in all dimensions would be a good guess.
  72. scottturnbull

    Where are you from?

    I'm from Glasgow, which probably makes everything clear. There's a cattle farm (of sorts) nearby, and woods with deer in them. You wouldn't believe it's almost the countryside. And yet . . .
  73. scottturnbull

    new 'tank'

    There probably is a pump small enough. You can get pretty small MicroJet pumps that are adjustable. I don't know where you would put it, though.
  74. scottturnbull

    Big filter... Small tank. Opinions please?

    The size puts me off buying one. I'm going to wait for the 2074e. It is basically the same size as the 2073 from the newer lower-power range, but it has the same power as the other electronic versions, plus USB, though I doubt I'll use that, unless I can hack into its metric data. I emailed...
  75. scottturnbull

    1st journal, 2nd scape

    The photo is maybe a wee bit dark. I can't see the bare-brick wall behind the tank, which I miss. The 'scape is looking good. Unique work.
  76. scottturnbull

    Digital Thermoelectric Temperature Controller Heat Cool

    An electric fan is an inductive load. The relay will be subjected to a high voltage spike when switching off. If the relay isn't designed for handling an inductive load, it will degrade quickly and need replacing. In the summer, the controller will switch the fan on and off repeatedly...
  77. scottturnbull

    Plant Question

    I used to feed plants with aquarium water several times a day. It is called aquaponics. I had an elaborate system of timers, with the aquarium water flooding a large tray of pots filled with clay pebbles. I grew herbs and lettuces and whatnot. There were plants in the aquarium, too. I dosed both...
  78. scottturnbull

    How many LED lights for 60cm tank

    According to the manufacturers two units would give the same output as 2 x 24W T5s. The problem is the light distribution, especially at the water-surface. Close to the LEDs, the light-beams are narrow. If you want good coverage, from top to bottom, three units would probably do better. The...
  79. scottturnbull

    Recycled drop checker...

    I'm not sure, either. I'm loath to correct it. The ambiguity appears meaningful. Whether it was the test kit or the solution that was fairly accurate, I don't know. The test kit claims a 0.3 +/- dKH accuracy. The 4 dKH water claims to be accurate to 0.01 ppm. Perhaps that helps.
  80. scottturnbull

    Recycled drop checker...

    You don't need much 4 dKH. And it isn't all that expensive. You can even make your own, with a decent KH test kit, DI water, and Sodium Bicarbonate. I recommend the Salifert KH test kit. I tested the 4 dKH water from AE and it was fairly accurate (that, or they use the same kit to mix the...
  81. scottturnbull

    Hydrolysis Unit

    Aquatics Online still sell replacement carbon blocks. The effectiveness apparently depends on the carbonate hardness. From the Tropica website:
  82. scottturnbull

    Temporary substrate that'll bed plants?

    Why not use Rockwool cubes to establish the cuttings? Then plant out when the roots begin to show. There's also the added benefit that if the cuttings fail, and the stems begin to disintegrate, you can easily remove the Rockwool, without getting decaying material between the substrate. On the...
  83. scottturnbull

    Aquarium Gardening

    Yes, I have some recent experience of AG. This morning, in fact. Eleocharis Parvula with BGA on rockwool. Bolbitis on the brink of death. Some fairly acceptable Vesicularia Montagnei. And a perfectly good Hemianthus Micranthemoides, which came with a Tropica label. None of the others had any...
  84. scottturnbull

    removing green spot algae

    By hand, using white filter floss. The perfect algae scrubber. You can usually buy a bag for less than a pound in your LFS.
  85. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    It looks like you're connecting the negative supply rail to the control input. Wouldn't you be better off with something like this? It's more expensive than a separate driver and power supply for each bank of 4 x 3W. But it is combined, with less hassle, and designed to run either 9 x 1W LEDs...
  86. scottturnbull

    What type of algae is this?

    I remember reading his thread before anyone even posted a reply. It hasn't changed since then.
  87. scottturnbull

    White spot?

    That's what I thought, too. However, according to the data from the Southern Regional Aquaculture Centre: "Typically, Ich cannot reproduce properly at water temperatures above 85F (approx 30C), so the parasite usually does not cause problems in warm summer months." Given that some sources...
  88. scottturnbull

    White spot?

    Rummy-nosed tetras can handle high temperatures (up to about 31C, according to some reports). Some species of Ich apparently struggle at high temperatures. If you have no other species of fish in the tank, raise the temperature to almost thirty degrees C (approx 29.5C). You can read more about...
  89. scottturnbull

    Scales for Dosing

    Ebayer fluidsensoronline sells dosing spoons, along with a fairly decent range of dry salts, albeit only in 100g bags. There's also a shipping discount if you buy more than one item, which always helps.
  90. scottturnbull

    What causes green spot algae,hair algae and some causes....

    You disagree. That's fine with me. You have your own theories. I respect them. I can see merit in some of them. I'm talking about increased numbers of micro-organisms (bacteria and protozoa etc.) as well as different types which aren't usually present in great numbers. Since it was a hunch, and...
  91. scottturnbull

    What causes green spot algae,hair algae and some causes....

    I've added some italics to my previous post to save you the effort of having to read it carefully.
  92. scottturnbull

    What causes green spot algae,hair algae and some causes....

    My own hunch - and this is just a hunch - is that when plant tissues are weakened, a localised micro-climate of different microorganisms, either feasting on decaying material, or feasting on each other, builds up around the tissues, creating a soup of microorganisms and organic by-products...
  93. scottturnbull

    Cloudy Water Conundrum

    How long has the tank been up and running? Is it cycled?
  94. scottturnbull

    Will this CO2 running into filter work?

    An airstone below the filter inlet might give you a fighting chance. I'm assuming the CO2 is just bubbling from a tube? The bubbles are probably too large for the filter to swallow. Large bubbles tend to float to the top. Smaller bubbles are more neutrally buoyant. Silly question, but did you...
  95. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    White are probably easier to deploy, by the sound of things, more like traditional lights. I was just making the point that the spectrum matters more with narrow-band LEDs than with fluorescents. What components are you planning to drive your LEDs with? I was thinking about trying a L165 opamp...
  96. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    Can you show me your references? Accessory pigment Xanthophyll 450-480nm (more or less blue). Beta-carotine around 200nm (basically ultraviolet). Chlorophyll a, peaks around 400 and 600 (blue and red). Chlorophyll b, peaks around 400 and 600 (blue and red). I think you're overstating the...
  97. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    While that's true for fluorescents and other traditional lighting, LEDs are capable of producing light at very narrow frequency ranges. The difference between a normal fluorescent and a plant growth fluorescent is minimal, with certain bands emphasised. Look at the spectral characteristics for...
  98. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    I'm using them to boost the weak performance of a 15W T8. The LED array is fitted to the flap of a Juwel Rekord 70. Close-up of optics and what looks like a current regulator, or something. Apart from a few resistors, there's little else in the way of components visible. Patchy light at...
  99. scottturnbull

    DIY LED lighting?

    It's still possible they are more efficient from a plant-growth perspective. You're talking about total light output vs current input. I'm talking about output at frequencies plants use most. The blue spike in the datasheet is pretty large for brilliant white, and comes at the expense of...
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