How well do LED's handle heat

solastsummer · Feb 28, 2011

So i have a nanocube hqi and what i hate about it is no actinics, so i am thinking about adding 6 led's to the reflector, i would drill large enough for the bulb or optic on the led in the reflector and put all the wiring and such behind the reflector. Obviously it gets hot in there so I am wondering how they would work with the heat.

Thanks
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boehm742 · Feb 28, 2011

The stock biocube reflector? Not gonna work as a heatsink..

Troylee · Feb 28, 2011

Heat will cause them to fail rapidly!!! If it's to hot to touch in between your fingers it's to hot for the
LEDs...

solastsummer · Feb 28, 2011

not biocube, and there is room to mount 2 heatsinks behind the reflector which is what i would do, here is what im thinking, my insanely professional went-to-school for cad drawing.

solastsummer · Feb 28, 2011

bummer, so my options are to gut out the system and switch to complete led or add the nanotuners cf retro....

boehm742 · Feb 28, 2011

Im sorry, i read this as biocube not nanocube

. Im not sure what the reflector they use is made of but if its anything like the BC's i wouldnt do it.

Troylee · Feb 28, 2011

Ya that hqi is gonna kill them in a hurry!!!!

I would go all led it should be relatively cheap to get a kit from bill at reef led lights... A 24bulb kit would rock it althou a 12 would prolly get ya by...

solastsummer · Feb 28, 2011

I could sell a bunch of frags to afford the 24 kit... I wonder if i could just sell my hqi canopy and buy a stock canopy and do it in there....

Troylee · Feb 28, 2011

What's the foot print on the hood width and length???

solastsummer · Feb 28, 2011

The hood or the reflector?

solastsummer · Feb 28, 2011

Also troy im gonna be in vegas this weekend, what are some good LFS's to check out?

Troylee · Feb 28, 2011

Ya if you stripped the hood completely how much space you got?? Length and width wise... 2" centers seem to be good for diy kits... So say you have a 12"x12 area I would get like 24 to 30 LEDs..

Troylee · Feb 28, 2011

solastsummer said:
Also troy im gonna be in vegas this weekend, what are some good LFS's to check out?

Beyond the reef in Henderson and blue reef aquatics in north town... Only 2 worth checking out..

solastsummer · Feb 28, 2011

12" by 12" would be a good estimate without being at home and able to measure it.

solastsummer · Feb 28, 2011

The majority of my extended family live in vegas, so far i have been dissapointed by the ones i have checked out, I'll check out blue reef for sure.

Troylee · Feb 28, 2011

I would go with the 24 kit then... Should make a real nice..

I would just get 2 meanwell 40-68d dimmable drivers then you could control all the whites and blue separate... If ya wanted to save a few bucks you could run them on a single driver in parallel strings but then it's all on or off you couldn't separate them...