Fendy
New Member
There are various ways to calculate the number of LEDs you’ll need, and we’re always happy to recommend the correct kit for you. As a very general rule of thumb, for reef tanks without SPS you can use the following formula when using our LEDs:
(Length of tank in inches x Width of tank in inches)/22
For example, if you have a 40g breeder and your footprint is 36” x 18”, you would need:
(36” x 18”)/22 = roughly 28-30 LEDs
For tanks with SPS you can use the following formula:
(Length of tank in inches x Width of tank in inches)/18
For example, if you have a 75g tank and your footprint is 48” x 18”, you would need:
(48” x 18”)/18- = roughly 48 LEDs
For freshwater or planted tanks you can use the same formula, only divide by 35-40 instead of 18-22.
For example, if you have a 75g tank and your footprint is 48” x 18”, you would need:
(48” x 18”)/35 = roughly 25 LEDs
What Current Should I Run My LED’s At?
LED Type
Recommended Current
Maximum Current
Cree XP-E (Blue, Royal Blue, Green)
800mA-900mA
1000mA (1A)
Cree XP-G (Neutral and Cool White)
1200-1300mA
1500mA (1.5A)
Cree XM-L (Neutral and Cool White)
1600-2800mA
3000mA (3A)
Cree XT-E (Royal Blue)
700-1300mA
1500mA (1.5A)
Philips Cyan
800-900mA
1000mA (1A)
Philips Rebel Deep Red 660nm/UV
600-700mA
700mA (0.7A)
Moonlight
350mA
350mA (0.35A)
How do I know which drivers to use?
The first decision to make is whether you want a dimmable or a non-dimmable driver. Dimmable drivers have a few advantages:
i.Tweak color temperatures to your liking (if you have multiple drivers)
ii.Acclimate tanks more easily
iii.Compatible with many reef controllers (ie. Apex, Reef Angel, etc) for sunrise/sunset simulations
Once you know which type of driver you need, you’ll need to look at the current (mA) output of the driver. For non-dimmable drivers they will only output one current level. For example, the LPC-35-700 driver will output 700mA at all times, regardless of how many LEDs are attached to the driver (assuming you’re running one string in series off the driver, as opposed to say multiple parallel strings).
Dimmable drivers on the other hand have variable current levels. Please check the product description page and/or technical data sheets for the current range. For example, the ELN-60-48D driver outputs a current of 0-1.3A. Since the driver can output a max of 1300mA, this driver may be too powerful for some LEDs (ie. Red and UV LEDs can only handle 700mA) unless you dial down the maximum output current via the driver’s SVR2 knob (Mean Well drivers only).
To figure out how many LEDs a driver can run, you’ll need two pieces of information: the driver’s voltage range and the voltage required by the LED at the given current level that you would like to run the LEDs at. As an example, the LPC-35-700 driver has a voltage range of 9-48V. The XP-G Cool White LED requires 3.05V at 700mA (remember this is the current output of the LPC-35-700 driver). Thus, the minimum number of LEDs required is 9V divided by 3.05V. 9/3.05 = 2.95, thus we round up and the minimum number of LEDs is 3. For maximum LEDs, we divide 48V by 3.05V and get 15.74. We round down and get 15 LEDs. Typically we play it safe and thus on our product page we list the range on the LPC-35-700 driver as ~3-14 LEDs. Keep in mind the voltage required by each LED can be quite different so you may need to do these calculations for each of your strings.
What angle lenses should I use?
What angle lens you should use depends on a couple of factors, namely the height of the lights above the water, the height of the tank, and the spacing of the LEDs. As a general rule of thumb please use this table as a guide:
Tank Height
Lens Angle
Recommended Height Above Water
Up to 22”
80 degree
7-12”
22-30”
60 degree
10-15”
30”+
40 degree
15”+
What's the best color ratio to use?
This is one of our most frequent questions, and one that unfortunately we can't really answer since everyone has different preferences for light. Some people like their tank to look really natural and hate a blue looking light, while others love blue and want the 'windex blue' look. If you look at our Onyx fixture you'll see the colors and quantities that we used which we feel provide a balanced look. On that fixture, out of 28 total LEDs we are running 4 UVs, 1 red, and 1 green. For supplemental colors we feel this is a good ratio, especially on the reds and greens which tend to overpower other colors quite easily. If someone wanted to use 6 or 8 UV's instead that is certainly not incorrect. As for the ratio of blue/white LEDs, that is mostly a personal preference. 95% of people are in between a 1:1 to 2:1 (royal blue:cool white) ratio, which is in between ~13-20k.
Q: What’s the difference between the MeanWell ELN-60-48D and ELN-60-48P? What else do I need to dim them?
The difference between the two models of driver is the type of signal they accept for dimming. One accepts an analog reference voltage, the other a PWM waveform.
The "D" model accepts an analog 0-10V signal. This is simply a voltage applied across the DIM+ and DIM- wires between 0-10V. This can be accomplished with a 10V reference signal from our 10V AC Adapter, which outputs a 10V DC signal the "D" model accepts. If you want to vary the intensity from 10V down to 0V (or 0V to 10V), you can wire the adapter to a potentiometer, which when rotated, will vary the voltage from 0-10V and change the intensity accordingly. For example, 1V = 10% intensity, 5V=50% intensity, 10V=100% intensity. If you have a number of drivers you wish to control, you could try our DIY 2 color dimming kit.
The "P" model accepts a square wave, or PWM (pulse width modulation), signal. The PWM wave must be 0-10V also, but it is either at 0V or 10V, nothing in between like with the analog signal the "D" model uses. So, the PWM signal runs by a on-off-on-off pattern with on being 10V and off being 0V. Our DDC-02 lighting controller provides three daylight modes with sunrise and sunset and a manual intensity adjustment mode.
Q: What size heatsink do I need?
This depends on several factors such as how high from the water you’ll be hanging your lights, what degree optics (if any) you’ll be using, and the dimensions of your tank. Generally speaking you do not need the heat sink to be the same footprint as your tank. For example, if your tank is 48” you do not need a 48” heat sink. Keep in mind that light will be coming down at an angle towards the water, so there will be a good amount of spread to the light (obviously the larger the angle the better the spread). As an example, we used a 4.25” x 23” heat sink on a 30” x 18” tank at MACNA a few years ago using 60 degree optics at about 10-12” above the waterline and had no problem with coverage.
Q: My string lights up but I have a few LEDs that aren't lighting, does this mean my LEDs are bad? How can I fix this?
Not necessarily! If you have a multimeter, you can perform a continuity test, which will probably tell you why certain LEDs are not lighting up: they are grounded to the heatsink somehow. Continuity refers to two things electrically connected. For example, if two parts are connected by a wire, they are continuous.
To perform this test, set the multimeter to measure continuity (usually the 'diode' setting) and ensure no power is applied to your LED string. Next, touch one probe to the heatsink and the other probe to each solder joint of every LED, going around your string until all joints have been examined. If you hear a beep or get 0.000 reading at a particular joint, there is continuity (conductivity) between that joint and the heatsink (this means there is an electrical path between that solder pad and the heatsink, which we call grounding). This solder joint will have to be re-done since the LED string should be completely isolated from the heatsink electrically for the string to work properly.
(Length of tank in inches x Width of tank in inches)/22
For example, if you have a 40g breeder and your footprint is 36” x 18”, you would need:
(36” x 18”)/22 = roughly 28-30 LEDs
For tanks with SPS you can use the following formula:
(Length of tank in inches x Width of tank in inches)/18
For example, if you have a 75g tank and your footprint is 48” x 18”, you would need:
(48” x 18”)/18- = roughly 48 LEDs
For freshwater or planted tanks you can use the same formula, only divide by 35-40 instead of 18-22.
For example, if you have a 75g tank and your footprint is 48” x 18”, you would need:
(48” x 18”)/35 = roughly 25 LEDs
What Current Should I Run My LED’s At?
LED Type
Recommended Current
Maximum Current
Cree XP-E (Blue, Royal Blue, Green)
800mA-900mA
1000mA (1A)
Cree XP-G (Neutral and Cool White)
1200-1300mA
1500mA (1.5A)
Cree XM-L (Neutral and Cool White)
1600-2800mA
3000mA (3A)
Cree XT-E (Royal Blue)
700-1300mA
1500mA (1.5A)
Philips Cyan
800-900mA
1000mA (1A)
Philips Rebel Deep Red 660nm/UV
600-700mA
700mA (0.7A)
Moonlight
350mA
350mA (0.35A)
How do I know which drivers to use?
The first decision to make is whether you want a dimmable or a non-dimmable driver. Dimmable drivers have a few advantages:
i.Tweak color temperatures to your liking (if you have multiple drivers)
ii.Acclimate tanks more easily
iii.Compatible with many reef controllers (ie. Apex, Reef Angel, etc) for sunrise/sunset simulations
Once you know which type of driver you need, you’ll need to look at the current (mA) output of the driver. For non-dimmable drivers they will only output one current level. For example, the LPC-35-700 driver will output 700mA at all times, regardless of how many LEDs are attached to the driver (assuming you’re running one string in series off the driver, as opposed to say multiple parallel strings).
Dimmable drivers on the other hand have variable current levels. Please check the product description page and/or technical data sheets for the current range. For example, the ELN-60-48D driver outputs a current of 0-1.3A. Since the driver can output a max of 1300mA, this driver may be too powerful for some LEDs (ie. Red and UV LEDs can only handle 700mA) unless you dial down the maximum output current via the driver’s SVR2 knob (Mean Well drivers only).
To figure out how many LEDs a driver can run, you’ll need two pieces of information: the driver’s voltage range and the voltage required by the LED at the given current level that you would like to run the LEDs at. As an example, the LPC-35-700 driver has a voltage range of 9-48V. The XP-G Cool White LED requires 3.05V at 700mA (remember this is the current output of the LPC-35-700 driver). Thus, the minimum number of LEDs required is 9V divided by 3.05V. 9/3.05 = 2.95, thus we round up and the minimum number of LEDs is 3. For maximum LEDs, we divide 48V by 3.05V and get 15.74. We round down and get 15 LEDs. Typically we play it safe and thus on our product page we list the range on the LPC-35-700 driver as ~3-14 LEDs. Keep in mind the voltage required by each LED can be quite different so you may need to do these calculations for each of your strings.
What angle lenses should I use?
What angle lens you should use depends on a couple of factors, namely the height of the lights above the water, the height of the tank, and the spacing of the LEDs. As a general rule of thumb please use this table as a guide:
Tank Height
Lens Angle
Recommended Height Above Water
Up to 22”
80 degree
7-12”
22-30”
60 degree
10-15”
30”+
40 degree
15”+
What's the best color ratio to use?
This is one of our most frequent questions, and one that unfortunately we can't really answer since everyone has different preferences for light. Some people like their tank to look really natural and hate a blue looking light, while others love blue and want the 'windex blue' look. If you look at our Onyx fixture you'll see the colors and quantities that we used which we feel provide a balanced look. On that fixture, out of 28 total LEDs we are running 4 UVs, 1 red, and 1 green. For supplemental colors we feel this is a good ratio, especially on the reds and greens which tend to overpower other colors quite easily. If someone wanted to use 6 or 8 UV's instead that is certainly not incorrect. As for the ratio of blue/white LEDs, that is mostly a personal preference. 95% of people are in between a 1:1 to 2:1 (royal blue:cool white) ratio, which is in between ~13-20k.
Q: What’s the difference between the MeanWell ELN-60-48D and ELN-60-48P? What else do I need to dim them?
The difference between the two models of driver is the type of signal they accept for dimming. One accepts an analog reference voltage, the other a PWM waveform.
The "D" model accepts an analog 0-10V signal. This is simply a voltage applied across the DIM+ and DIM- wires between 0-10V. This can be accomplished with a 10V reference signal from our 10V AC Adapter, which outputs a 10V DC signal the "D" model accepts. If you want to vary the intensity from 10V down to 0V (or 0V to 10V), you can wire the adapter to a potentiometer, which when rotated, will vary the voltage from 0-10V and change the intensity accordingly. For example, 1V = 10% intensity, 5V=50% intensity, 10V=100% intensity. If you have a number of drivers you wish to control, you could try our DIY 2 color dimming kit.
The "P" model accepts a square wave, or PWM (pulse width modulation), signal. The PWM wave must be 0-10V also, but it is either at 0V or 10V, nothing in between like with the analog signal the "D" model uses. So, the PWM signal runs by a on-off-on-off pattern with on being 10V and off being 0V. Our DDC-02 lighting controller provides three daylight modes with sunrise and sunset and a manual intensity adjustment mode.
Q: What size heatsink do I need?
This depends on several factors such as how high from the water you’ll be hanging your lights, what degree optics (if any) you’ll be using, and the dimensions of your tank. Generally speaking you do not need the heat sink to be the same footprint as your tank. For example, if your tank is 48” you do not need a 48” heat sink. Keep in mind that light will be coming down at an angle towards the water, so there will be a good amount of spread to the light (obviously the larger the angle the better the spread). As an example, we used a 4.25” x 23” heat sink on a 30” x 18” tank at MACNA a few years ago using 60 degree optics at about 10-12” above the waterline and had no problem with coverage.
Q: My string lights up but I have a few LEDs that aren't lighting, does this mean my LEDs are bad? How can I fix this?
Not necessarily! If you have a multimeter, you can perform a continuity test, which will probably tell you why certain LEDs are not lighting up: they are grounded to the heatsink somehow. Continuity refers to two things electrically connected. For example, if two parts are connected by a wire, they are continuous.
To perform this test, set the multimeter to measure continuity (usually the 'diode' setting) and ensure no power is applied to your LED string. Next, touch one probe to the heatsink and the other probe to each solder joint of every LED, going around your string until all joints have been examined. If you hear a beep or get 0.000 reading at a particular joint, there is continuity (conductivity) between that joint and the heatsink (this means there is an electrical path between that solder pad and the heatsink, which we call grounding). This solder joint will have to be re-done since the LED string should be completely isolated from the heatsink electrically for the string to work properly.
