LED controling

[hunterfreeman1]

i need a way to control about 50 individual cree led's spread out in a 1 foot by 4 foot area like in the link can someone please help me

DIY LEDs - The write-up - Reef Central Online Community

 

[pasanlaksiri]

Looks like those are 5W or 10W Blue and White LEDs.

I don't think continuous current applying to the leds, is a good idea. In the data sheets of those high power LEDs they recommend PWM power supply.

Any how why you need to access LEDs individually?

 

[Hero999]

The LEDs should be fine as long as the heatsink is good enough and the current is within the rating.

In the image linked, the LEDs are connected in series and can't easily be controlled individually, as the power supply is constant current, you should short circuit the LEDs you don't want to be on but it isn't the ideal way of doing it.

 

[hunterfreeman1]

they dont have to be wired in a series thats just how that person made their fixture im going to use it for my coral reef fish tank and i wanted to simulate sunrise sunset and moon light

 

[Hero999]

Yes they did wire them in series, you'll need 24 buck pucks if you weant to control each LED individually.
**broken link removed**

Why not simply dim the LEDs?

You can buy dimable buck pucks.

 

[pasanlaksiri]

If you search ebay they have lots of high power LED drivers.

 

[hunterfreeman1]

Yes they did wire them in series

Why not simply dim the LEDs?

i was saying that he wired them in a series but i don't necessarily have to do it that way that was just one example

i want to be able to control the ammount of blue and white light seperatly and also only have a few blue and white on at night and have them fade in automatically and out every day

 

[pasanlaksiri]

In your case, I think its pointless access LEDs separately. You better buy two High Power LED drivers with dimming option and balance the color and brightness.

 

[Hero999]

Yes, buy one puck puck for the blue and one for the white.

I'd also recommend a timer: fish don't like 24 hour daylight and it's a must if you have an Octopus in your tank.
Octopus turns off the lights

 

[hunterfreeman1]

I'd also recommend a timer: fish don't like 24 hour daylight

that is not true the lights need to be on full for about 8 hours and then only a couple of them stay on called moonlights to imitate the light the moon produces on the reefs at night hence the name moonlights and what i was trying to do was create a controller so i didn't need a timer

 

[Hero999]

Just make sure your moonlight isn't too bright of Mr octopus might do something about it.

 

[hunterfreeman1]

i don't plan on having an octopus as he would eat my fish and that species of octopus actually tolerates light pretty well

 

[Hero999]

i don't plan on having an octopus as he would eat my fish

Wise choice.

and that species of octopus actually tolerates light pretty well

Are you sure?

He didn't seem to like it, going by the video.

Seriously it could be a fake but I've seem some pretty amazing octopus videos so it's definitely plausible.

EDIT:
Maybe it had to do with the bright lights being on in the night when the octopus expects and wants it to be dark? I know that would annoy me and it seemed to upset the little octopus, otherwise it wouldn't have turned them off.