DIY planted aquarium LED light

How to build a planted aquarium LED light the cheap and easy way.
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The king of DIY aquarium projects, tutorials, how to's.
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[@thekingofdiy]

Im airing this video a few weeks early for you guys! I rushed to get this done in time, but will revisit it with results. With that said, the fully DIY nano tank build will be out first showcasing this same light and the growth i get with it.

[@FlynnsFishForum]

Any plans on live streaming in the future. That would be cool :) thx for releasing the vid early!!

[@clearegtower9468]

Hello, Flynn. :D lol

[@MrCeo1978buddy]

this is my favorite channel ive ben watching this from the beginning keep up the good work

[@FlynnsFishForum]

Hi Josh :) LOL

[@moobinamir7807]

Thanks Joey! Really appreciate it!

[@RachelOLeary]

I am exceptionally geeked about this video. I want to try it on a lot of my tanks- seems like a really great solution. Thanks Joey!

[@The_Scriggles]

Rachel O'leary I have two 30 watters with cree leds on my 29 planted aquarium and my dwarf hairgrass covered the substrate in less than a month. the lights were only $21 a piece on Amazon and they are made by solla, same company that makes the one in this vid. they are just amazing!!

[@The_Scriggles]

Rachel O'leary love your species spotlights btw, can't get enough, and I was curious if you will always be doing nano type fish or if you plan on branching out to bigger species in the future. either way I will keep watching as long as you keep putting them out lol

[@NotrealoramI]

please, what light did he show seconed on the goldfish tank????

[@mashazalyvadna7311]

@@The_Scriggles long shot but do you still have the amazon link to the lights you got?

[@zorbaza]

Joey you make the hobby more fun and affordable for a lot of us.I just wanted to say thank you so much for what you have done for us!

[@PatriciaAnnLewisMacDougall]

This is exactly what I'm looking for my 35 gallon planted tank! Thank you for posting this. I'm looking forward to part two of this video.

[@bobbarker2404]

Been watching this channel from the start. This channel has also helped me with so much in my tanks. I had to get rid of my 75G and it killed me a little inside. This channel helps keep my fish urge under control.

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks for the video Joey! I have two 50w LED floods I was going to use on my 40g but I didn't have room to mount them on the shelf I have so I was planning to save them for my 60g build (I also need them to be water poof for what i plan to build on top of the tank). I need to get a PAR meter as I'm interested to see what kind of PAR these things will put out was which depth. Lux won't measure the actual light the plants get and uses but it's an idea. Very interesting you went with the flood light option!

[@thegoldfishwhisperer3868]

Thank you for the video! I'm enjoying these DIY planted tank options.

[@kristofmckenna6067]

Ever thought of building a paludarium? I know you're not familiar with frogs and reptiles but I'm sure you'll like a new experience. Try searching it up they look amazing!

[@bxmully]

I am into that stuff theres A LOT less maintenance with paludariums and vivariums when compared to aquariums. and you can get very creative

[@iberne6489]

Thank you for this idea Joey. I'm going to give this a try on my hang on back refugium!

[@Eduardosayshi]

Thanks for the video Joey, it gave me a nice DIY idea for my new 55 gallon aquarium. Big hugs from Brazil 🇧🇷

[@ObsidianGhostraven]

Having been busy with work and family, it has been a while since I've seen a video from you. I forgot how much of a fan I was until "Hi everybody. Joey here again and welcome back. " put a random smile on my face.

[@warcraftjinx]

I was really waiting for this video, thanks Joey! I would really love to see a diy solution for a reef tank though.

[@chevy1514]

I just bought one of those for my garage and was thinking the same thing. Thank you for answering the questions i was asking myself.

[@CaptainSavageAquatics]

Great video Joey! It was very interesting and informative! I was looking for a cheap way to grow plants with and led! I currently have a led grow light in the middle of 2 10 gallon planted tanks. This seems like a better option then running 2 grow lights to get adequate coverage! At $20 a Piece! Thanks for sharing!!

[@michaelmartinez459]

This video was great. I'm currently looking for DIY lighting for a new tank. And you gave me some great ideas. As alwas you channel is the best.

[@navedpatel9718]

surely you are the KING OF DIY

[@teamhex]

long live the king

[@ethand3694]

Your book is awesome.. Very simple but includes almost whatever your would need to build or want to do in the freshwater arena... Thanks for your videos and for your book!!!

[@ChristianJamesPhoto]

just got my first 50 W! love it! such nice shadows and color on my 125G, now I just need to get a few more

[@aylagriffin2005]

I have been looking for a pendant style light for a Nano aquarium forever. This is prefect! Keep up the good work. I can't wait to see what you start making after your visit with Brian Barczyk.

[@BLANKU2]

I realize this vid is from 2016 but I love the fact you keep such a diverse collection of fish. I mean you keep a exotic next to your basic fancy goldfish and it just has a harmony. :)

[@lane8932]

Again you are helping me build the BEST budget bioactive reptile vivarium . Thank you so much .

[@chrism2677]

I have to say that you make something, that most of us think is rather easy but like most of us we can't appreciate complexity of it. Your doing a fantastic job of engaging the under educated audience. A-side from me owning a fish tank as a kid I'm inspired to learn more and try and build my own tank. Keep doing what your doing.

[@MaLekElsharq]

I got 3 of these 15 watt on my planted tank and they do the job perfectly my tank is 120x45x45 cm man I'm even building on for my reef tank, maybe using 4 of 6500K and 4 of the blue colors led flood lights. in the near future, wish I could add a pic for my setup in here, but maybe I'll send it on Facebook or Instagram. keep up the good work man as I say always you are an inspiration

[@amorembalming]

never fail to be impressed by your videos. I never have owned fish or the like and generally speaking I'm not all that interested in them. I only mention this to highlight the quality of your output as you have me hooked! Thank you for doing what you do.

[@shantihietkamp924]

I did this DIY and used the 30w on my 15g tank. Its looking really good!

[@fatbuffdad]

thank you very much Joey. keep up the awesome work. you have helped many.

[@softstart100]

you always bring the best for the novice aquarist; thank you

[@Mikinct]

I wonder, I've added y splitter to hook up C02 into my tank by "sharing" the same tank that my grandmother oxygen tank is, so what if she has slightly more trouble breathing, my plants are worth it, no? just kidding folks, relax

[@msfaheem11]

Michael Piccirillo xk

[@ilikewasabe]

the diy light is brighter! man this will help me out allot!

[@ragoon75]

low budget and fantastic result great job joey~

[@amninabihah3795]

Thanks..this gives me a lot of inspirations and diy ideas for the light.😍💪💪💪

[@fishlaw1]

Awesome fun diy video Joey, thanks for sharing ! ! !

[@keithott247]

I would never have thought of looking for an led 6k floodlight. Tons of them on ebay. Thanks for that creative idea :)

[@justinsaquariums4451]

king of diy you make great videos you should make more videos a week.keep up the work

[@thekingofdiy]

+Snappy 6 thanks! I make 2 videos a week right now.

[@Nomimasubiru420]

Nice build! I just use one of the PAR20 5000k LEDs like you used on the Arowana tank with an inline dimmer. Still cheap and works great, probably a better idea for a really small tank like my 5 gallon since you can actually dim it.

[@bot-tp4nb]

Can we have an update on the Shell Dwellers? Love your videos and DIY Projects!

[@huuua2]

Pre-frank king of diy popped up on my feed? No prob. Miss the script, but at the same time I understand, seeing you smile and be real is priceless. 🙂😉

[@zaccharyhulsman7364]

hey joey, i dont know about the planted aquarium hobby but reef enthusiasts generally view a shimmer as desirable, as long as it doesnt create a discoball like effect. kessils have what seems to be the nices shimmer of any of the light i have seen

[@thekingofdiy]

I like it as well. But its $50... It did shimmer a lot more on the other aquariums.

[@vinishshetty8055]

the shimmer is achieved using point source LED, which is exactly what is used in the kessil.

[@vinishshetty8055]

the shimmer is achieved using point source LED, which is exactly what is used in the kessil.

[@DeeFromBrooklyn]

Great video. . i love the Amazon goose neck. . Can the kessil attach to the other goose neck?

[@sobujeravijanwithsubrata2810]

Plants and DIY king...love that combination..

[@1997debbie]

Very good video Joey and I'm looking forward to seeing more.

[@Aro-xt5hp]

There Are RGB flood lights available too with controllers that you can use to control the brightness as well as colour. Cheers

[@strider5119]

Those are not good for plants.

[@rancisgamer]

I was waiting for this 👍

[@brandon.raguz1]

If I have a 29g bowfront, do you think two 15w floods would work for a low-medium light tank? and could i wire the two lights together to one plug so i could put them on a single timer or would i need separate plugs?

[@royalspin]

Wow no replies in all this time ? Yes you can wire two together and use one plug as long as you do it safely and use shrink tubing etc like what he did for his plug and of course use caution and never have it plugged in as your doing this . Should be a no brainer on the whole safety thing,but had to say it anyways . Good luck with your project .

[@flipit27]

thank you for your videos, sir. im going to start my own aquarium soon and i think i'll start with bettas.

[@HigherPlanes]

Joey, you're an awesome builder!

[@dimitrisklonaris6733]

you are super A+. I've been searching this solution too. thank you awesome!

[@Raven-fc5vl]

Good video. Enjoy the dyi anytime can save money. Keep it coming and thanks for sharing.

[@raygiannamore]

Joey I love this video as I do all of your videos. Thanks for doing this. I have a question, did you ever consider a screw in type bulb allowing a larger choice of fixtures?

[@AkvaryumRehberi]

I need this:) Thanks joey.

[@bassjunkie4881]

I’m going too try this on the shrimp tank I’m starting, awesome idea man

[@malsearle]

great . do you have a vid on how often the led should be left on etc .... in a stocked tank

[@Iphoneaholic3g]

great video. I've been using three 100watt led fixtures for about a year very similar to the one you used. works great! Thanks

[@hbbkrtgl8764]

Marc Cardenas ffgyuiil

[@xSean145]

great video! I still dont think yous should replace the diffusor you have. Inline atomizer is amongs the best you can find.

[@jlantican85]

I was doing some research and i found this. You can buy different flood light depending on your tank. Color: Cool white (6000-6500k) Warm White (3000-3500k) High Color Temperature 10000k (used for coral reef or fish tank) High Color Temperature 20000k (used for coral reef or fish tank) Natural White (4000-5000k) Dark Red 660nm (used for plant growth) Royal Blue 445-450nm (for plant growth) 400-480nm(for plant growth)

[@vadertheking]

perfect timing i just finished the last episode

[@marcforonda3401]

Hey joey! Love your vids bro and I loved this series! Do you think this DIY light would would work for a reef tank?

[@abstractaquarist9637]

I got some 10 watt rgb flood lamps om amazon that are dimmable for this same purpose and they come pre-wired and work out great

[@vinzaquablog1366]

Nice Video. I have a such light on my 112l Brackish tank. I Just have a few plants in the tank. I just tried it out because it was cheap but I it will be my 1st joice in the future.

[@MilosStevanovic1]

DIY definitely keeps you in the hobby.

[@MrPhillipgraham]

Great video and what a good idea to use an LED floodlight. As an electrician can I just say though if you are going to wire this up yourself please be extra careful as these are mains voltage (230v in the UK 110v US) lights and what with being right above a tank full of water make sure you have an RCD or ground fault device? in the US on that circuit. I think purpose-made tank lights are ELV so 12v, so if something did go wrong this wouldn't hurt you like a mains voltage light! If in doubt please do not do this yourself if you are not confident. Now to give this a go myself off to the wholesaler lol.

[@AquaticLogic]

I'm so pumped these flood lights are on Amazon.ca! Thanks for the video :-)

[@billforigno]

This looks like a nice result. If you are ever up for it I would be keen to see a build using high CRI surface mounted device LEDs. I would recommend Yuji's high CRI emitters, however they appear to be sold in minimum 100 piece orders. Maybe something to think about?

[@pigeonplayz5253]

Nice video and thx for the help

[@aliceyang3603]

Love watching your videos! By the way, what happened to your Neon Tetras?

[@TemporaryINTER135]

For LEDs getting the right sceptrum can be hard for the single types. is this better than using mostly daylight chip leds and a few grow/blue/red leds in a DIY frame?

[@connorneary8450]

Hope you can add links to the description for future videos I think it would be very convenient. Great video though thanks for the cheaper alternative.

[@xxnose34xx17]

You should do a vid showing all the tanks and projects your doing

[@ryangraham1751]

That dont look horrible at all! This video helped tremendously. What size flood light would you recommend for a little 3 gallon planted tank

[@THAREAPER1000]

great video man.

[@soggyfries4347]

I just placed a $15 led desk lamp next tank. The occupants love it.

[@karthiksurya964]

How many of these lights would I need to light up a planted 55g?

[@drummking15]

At the end he said that this light would be efficient for every 24"

[@TheEmeraldAlfheim]

could i use the tetra glo led strip light? not the blacklight but the daylight.

[@robertl6711]

Really waiting on an update. I have the lights in my amazon cart ready to buy. Just want to see how they are doing for you. need cheap grow lights for my 130gallon

[@Mackillerblades]

Hi Joey, just wonder how long does it usually take for you to complete a tank build? (I know it will be different depending of the size of the tank)

[@pvr1103]

Hey Joey, Can you provide a link for the particular lights you're using? I would love to use this kind of lighting (and the LED Strip lights you made in previous videos) for my Fishroom racks. Thanks again!

[@Sublogics]

Jesus, your videos (at least this one) are superhectic so i can easily use already the first second as a jump scare :D

[@drduncanhouston5367]

Hey Joey! I was just wondering are the cool white LED lights just as good as the RGB LED lights for planted aquariums? I saw you can get flood lights in both and forums have different answers as to what works.... I'm a bit stuck!... also what clamp do you use for the microphone gooseneck to the aquarium? Thanks heaps!!!

[@SSJChar]

i think i'll try this. how do you recommend using two or more lights? each on their on power cord or is it permissible to put multiple on one cable?

[@Lazy_White_Boy]

I have a 19 litre (~5 gallons) fish tank spare and i wanted to start doing aquascaping, could you give some ideas on what to do please as i'm stuck right now

[@toycarfoushboy]

Cool video Joey! How about the full spectrum LED's purchased off eBay? I mixed mine with white LED flood lights for great effect, and growth.

[@TheRetroBross]

Great show. Thanks .

[@JediSuPhu]

Hi Joey! If I wanted to add a light switch to this DIY light, how would I go about doing it? Would it be a specific 120V switch or any switch will do?

[@jonaustin2139]

love the video u could make the flood light dim just add i dimmer to the wire where u cut to hook up the light :)

[@bshenanagins]

Another good cheap option for nano planted tanks are GE Reveal LED bulbs. Very cheap, and have excellent CRI ratings. The reveals complement plants with color as opposed to just an all green planted tank

[@corzahazard444]

I just transferred (two months ago) my reef tank from a 10gal to a 40gal, when I was looking into lights I chose the Kessil A150W for the nano because of the shimmer, spectrum and reviews, the main reason was because I wanted the shimmer (imagine swimming in the ocean, you get the shimmer across the sand), I think for a planted tank you may not want that as it doesn't seem natural, visually anyway, I need another light for my reef tank now and I might consider this for my next one, a helluva lot cheaper, just hope it works for a reef system, how's the saltwater build coming along anyway? I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes :) Take it easy mate, love your channel, long time watcher but new subscriber :) Corza

[@blixvapes5602]

what would be the par rating on these lights? I have a 125 that I'm setting up and thought about getting these.

[@bradley2427]

What is the little horn thing stuck to the left side of the tank call and what is it used for?

[@christianhebert8037]

google " Glass Drop Checker ". It's used to see if the Co2 level in the tank is at the right level. Geen mean good co2. blue low, yellow too high.

[@ryhco2223]

it looks cool

[@gamingbluemoon]

Oh my gosh you just uploaded this. I thought the 360p was something wrong with youtube or your video! xD

[@petenorman9429]

hi I'm looking to buy these lights for my 6x2x2 aquarium I'm planning on having it planted how many and what wattage should I get cheers

[@martinwelters370]

As it happens, I already have 3 LED flood lights above my planted tank for 6 or 7 months, and they are doing great for me too.

[@coreyc3802]

Sir what branches can I use in my tank like in your tank with the branches going into the tank

[@JR-ig3ie]

hey joey, do you add any fertz etc into your planted tank? or just the co2

[@giveberg14]

I like your video very much.

[@JeezeJack]

i think i love this man

[@johnmcgaa9380]

Awesome - nice video

[@bashibashi1]

Could you continue on the planted cube episodes? Perhaps a DIY on some acrylic inflow & outflow pipes?

[@UncannySense]

Some of the other manufacturing types have a denser LED chip cluster, that would provide a more definitive 'shimmer' effect. I have managed to get 3x 10w 6500k for less than $5 on Ebay. and RGB versions are also available. From what research I've done on LED floodlight in the aqua hobby, the ratted wattage is overstated. with most operating at less than 50% stated wattage to provide longer LED lifespan. 10w are ok for smaller/nano tanks with up to 15" depth. 20/30w will manage plant growth between 15"-30". over 2ftsq you will need 50w+. (For Plants) I have also seen reef keepers use these in the 10000k-20000k (more expensive) in saltwater and RGB in Refugiums. For longer tanks its probably best to purchase more smaller wattage floodlights to spread light footprint, also helps if 1 light decides to die it can be replaced without removing all light source. However there is no doubt that these can grow plants.

[@deepaks4077]

I have a 39 gallon l 36, h 15, w 16.....I'm planning to use led flood light....can u please tell me what watt led to use for my tank....I have java moss and anubias plants....with co2