DIY: Actinic LEDs

Light up your tank and liven up your fish.

Actinic LEDs are those that give off a certain kind of radiance that causes chemical effects, and they can be used to simulate the glow of undersea coral. This fact makes such LED lighting sound like something only manufactured under industrial conditions, but a strip of these LEDs can also be set up at home. The LEDs need to be ordered from a company so that they are pre-wired into easy-to-connect bases, but the rest of the parts can be found in hardware and electronic stores.

Things You'll Need

• 12 LED kit (including LED stars, a driver, and a Leviton plug)
• Soldering iron
• Solder
• 48-inch aluminum bar (flat, 1.5 inches wide)
• 2-part thermal epoxy
• 3 self-tapping metal screws (3.5 inches long)
• Drill
• 48 inch 2-by-2
• 10 3-inch pieces of wire
• 4 2-foot pieces of wire
• 3 to 5 pieces of scrap wood (2 inches wide, approx. 1 inch thick)
• Measuring tape
• Marker

Instructions

Preparing the Bar

1. Measure 4 inches from either end of a metal bar. Mark this spot with an "X."

2. Make five more "X" marks, starting from each of your current marks and moving inwards. These marks must all be 3 inches apart. You now have two groups of six marks, each of which is 4 inches from either end of your bar and 4 inches away from each other.

3. Use your measuring tape to check that the middles of all of your "X" marks line up in a straight line.

4. Draw an "X" in the spot in the middle of the bar that is 2 inches away from both of your groups of "X" marks. Make one more of these marks on either side of your bar, 2 inches from each edge.

5. Drill a hole 2 inches from the end of each close group of "X" marks. Your bar will now have four holes in it for the wires to run through.

Attaching and Preparing the LEDs

1. Mix a small amount of the two-part thermal epoxy. Put some of the glue on one of your "X" marks in one of your groups of "X" marks. Quickly place an LED star directly onto the epoxy.

2. Continue to put down the epoxy and LED stars over the remaining "X" marks in the middle of your bar. When you are finished only the "X" marks near the edges of your bar and at its exact middle should be left uncovered.

3. Place a wire down on the negative contact of the first star in one of the two groups. Set some solder on top of the wire's end and solder it into place. Solder the other end of the wire to the next LED's positive contact.

4. Attach the rest of the LED stars together with wire, always connecting negative contacts to positive contacts.

5. Attach the wire from the last positive LED star contact to the positive contact on your driver.

6. Join the wire from the last negative LED star contact to the negative contact on your driver.

Finishing Touches

1. Attach the blue wire from your driver to the socket for the wide prong of the plug.

2. Connect the brown wire from your driver to the socket for the narrow prong of the plug.

3. Place your aluminum bar over top of your 2-by 2.

4. Put your 1-inch pieces of scrap wood between your bar and 2-by-2 so that all of the parts are balanced and flush together. Drill your 3.5-inch, self-tapping screws through the remaining "X" marks in your bar and into the 2-by-2, leaving enough space between them to easily pull out your scrap wood.

5. Check that all of your wires are securely attached to their contacts.

6. Turn on the power to check that all of the LEDs are working properly.

Tips & Warnings

• Along with your LEDs, your kit will likely include an aluminum bar, wiring, driver and plug, but you can use your own wiring, plug or aluminum bar if you prefer.

• Place your LED stars in place so that you set the bulb right on top of an "X" mark to keep your LEDs aligned with each other.

• You can use as many or as few LED lights as you want to on your bar. But, using too many (having any less than 1 inch between lights) will make your bar too hot and cause your LEDs to burn out.

• Try 18- to 20-gauge wire for the best results.

• Attach brackets to your 2-by-2 to connect it with the rest of your aquarium hood. Or you could use these brackets to hang it over your aquarium.

• You can paint your 2-by-2 to match the color scheme of your aquarium.

• Wear safety goggles and a dust mask while drilling through your aluminum bar. Metal dust can be harmful if it gets into your eyes or lungs.

• Thermal epoxy will dry within five minutes of being mixed, so only mix a small amount at a time.

• Always connect negative contact to positive contact when running wires between your LED stars. Any wires that run between two positive or two negative LED star contacts will make your lights short out, or may cause the power flow to stop.

• Make sure that all of the LEDs are connected before turning on or plugging in your driver. Do not connect LEDs while your driver is turned on or plugged in.

References

• Dictionary.com: actinism
• Reef LED Lights: How to DIY LED

Resources

• LED Aquarium: Aquarium Lighting Knowledge