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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[@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?

[@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!

[@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!

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@navedpatel9718]

surely you are the KING OF DIY

[@teamhex]

long live the king

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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. :)

[@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.

[@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)

[@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

[@lane8932]

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

[@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!!!

[@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!

[@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

[@Eduardosayshi]

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

[@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. 🙂😉

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@keithott247]

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

[@franklinmichael671]

1:50 the kessil shimmer is unmistakable

[@Mikinct]

I noticed that shimmer effect as well. Wonder what is in the Kessil lights that make it do that so much better? Joey mentioned that the Kessil lights are more focused beam hitting a lot deeper into the bottom layer of the tank. While the over the counter LED has more of a spread etc. Question is: Has anyone found a LED Flood Light that has more of a focused beam to equal or just about come very close to the Kessil lighting that doesn't set one back 200-600 bucks? Anyone experimented with all types of DIY brand name single bulbs that are great at "shimmering effect"? CFL bulbs GE LED FLOOD Lights I have noticed myself that a cheap & simple screw in incandescent bulb at decent wattage that "has a clear glass bulb" does offer decent shimmer effect compared to any "soft white or daylight frosted or coated bulb" In my experience. Any input from anyone is welcomed.

[@billforigno]

Google "aquarium" "building a LED Fixture". The result from Advanced Aquarist has an overview of a build that covers most of the spectrum and produces shimmer without obvious color shadows.

[@AndyP126]

If you place the light closer to the top of the tank, you'll get the shimmer. I have one of these resting on the glass on the top of my tank and I get plenty of shimmer.

[@vinishshetty8055]

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

[@AndyP126]

My solla flood light shimmers just fine and cost a whole $20. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N11QSW0

[@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

[@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

[@ilikewasabe]

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

[@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!!

[@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.

[@anthonyragan2696]

I'm not a big DIY guy, but this one was seriously useful. Good LEDs off the shelf are so expensive...

[@michaelboot]

I’ve used these floodlights for a few years and although they worked great for that time, they’re prone to fail after 3 years because these lights work by converting AC power to DC with some cheap diode and then feeds the 110-220DC power to the dozens of led in series! The diodes become hot just as the leds and the heat causes the whole metal casing become hot (45C).. heat is bad for electronics and caused the diodes to ultimately fail.. that is the poor design.. in the long run it’s better to have an separate inverter that feeds power into the light because whenever the power inverter fails, you can easily swap it without having to replace the entire floodlight! Or stick with LED lights that come with separate power inverters such as chihiros etc.

[@michaelboot]

Btw I admire your videos!

[@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?

[@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

[@sobujeravijanwithsubrata2810]

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

[@ryanlacdao5415]

The plants look like they need fertilizers. The light looks to be on the high side which requires that tank to be fertilized properly. The bottom of the stem dying is a good indication of the macro nutrients are lacking which is your Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. Which a higher light the plants are being pushed to grow more and thus require all the different plant nutrient to be available in the tank or water column.

[@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.

[@The52brandon]

Just a small tip from a DIY "maximum efficiency" nerd... a very simple way to make sure you're getting the most out of your lights is to make sure they're heatsinked effectively. It looks like the rear of those lights is already a massive heatsink. If you grab some really efficient thermal compound (I think I found 25g of 5+ w/mk for $6 on amazon) and slap it between the light and heatsink, it will transmit the heat MUCH better (most cheap solutions like that use awful thermal compound, if they use it at all. And often they don't even attach the heat-generating component to the heatsink, defeating the purpose entirely). You can also get a cheap light dimmer (or motor control knob) for it to adjust the brightness easily. Even possibly getting one that gives you a little room over 100% to really max out the brightness. And since it's now heatsinked properly, itwill last longer @ 110% than if you left it stock. (sorry that was so long. Just wanted to properly explain myself)

[@MilosStevanovic1]

DIY definitely keeps you in the hobby.

[@xxnose34xx17]

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

[@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.

[@soggyfries4347]

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

[@amninabihah3795]

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

[@patricktorres1445]

its normal for the inner plants of rotala to die off. its never really going to stop. so just keep triming like you normally do and it will look better over time

[@bassjunkie4881]

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

[@shaynegadsden]

ok im pretty good with lighting so to keep it simple the penetration of light is affect by the depth of water , colour spectrum and distance from the source both lights will penetrate the same is the lux at the water surface is equal and the same 6000k spectrum moving the light further or closer to the tank makes a huge difference 75% of the lux is lost per meter or a bit over 3 foot

[@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"

[@malsearle]

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

[@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.

[@HigherPlanes]

Joey, you're an awesome builder!

[@Ryevin]

Joey, couldn't you wire a potentiometer on that flood light? I don't fullly understand LEDs since its been 15 years since college but I would think that there is a device like a potentiometer to be able to control the LEDs brightness.

[@flipit27]

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

[@thegoldfishwhisperer3868]

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

[@alpha1172]

one thing u should mention is in most of the cheap led flood lights the ground wire isnt hooked up to anything in the light, which is something you need to check for/fix

[@bentlikeitsmaker]

if you had chosen the ones with leds similar to the kessel aka point source would cause more shimmer and penetration for deeper tanks it was cause the leds were spread out not a single point source like some of the others are

[@iberne6489]

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

[@vahagnmelikyan2906]

You can add to your diy light some extra LED lights for growth, the red-pink light, by selecting specific nm led diode, that way you can get best results for growth. Also since you're only using that aquarium for plant growths, transform it to be extra food source for your fish. Grow Daphnia, ghost shrimp, cyclops. Bring some of the brine shrimp... add some live daphnia and they'll start breeding...

[@Melkbaard]

Take your time man, you put out quality content and people need to respect that it might take a while before you can make a video for us. Keep up the great work!

[@bot-tp4nb]

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

[@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.

[@SonnyBurnett2012]

Hey Joey, thx for the video.... How many watts has the flood light used on the video? How many lumens? Thx in advance

[@DeeFromBrooklyn]

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

[@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 :)

[@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.

[@KnoVic0617]

low budget and fantastic result great job joey~

[@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 .

[@FazeedTv]

Hello... I have planted tank same as urs above... L w h... 22* 12 * 13 inch... Here we have flood lights as well as led 💡. ...how much Watt I should use in both cases. Please let me know. Thanks.

[@InomayWolf]

do you think 2 15w ones would work for a 22in tall 37gal? a corner dose get natural sunlight so more light hungry plants go there. its a low tech tank.

[@pedramrayan3002]

I'm using the floodlights on my cichlids tank. they are great solutions, however they speed up algae growth on the walls (due to the fact that the light spreads). I just turn it on for about 4-5 hours a day

[@bashibashi1]

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

[@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.

[@bentlikeitsmaker]

for cords at home depot they make a grounded 9 ft power tool relacement cord for cheep with one end just bare the other a male connector for 9 bucks insted of chopping up cords

[@KyleChou52362788]

Hey will I be able to use it for my coral/reef tank its a small tank? Plzz reply... My tank is around 30g

[@gamingbluemoon]

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

[@adrian-ef3ws]

its nice but why not make it with power led's? You can add also full spectrum power leds to make your fishes and plants way more colourfull. As always great episode. Keep it that way! Cheers!

[@thekingofdiy]

50 bucks doesnt get you far. Trying to accommodate everyone. I already have a video on power LEDs too.

[@adrian-ef3ws]

The king of DIY epistar diode is cheaper than cree and result is very good for the price. buy some with 45 mil chip 1w. You can find something like this on amazon. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[@dankerns1558]

Kessil is on the right it has more shimmer nd is alittle bluer the flood lights alittle more Orange

[@nextplanet7100]

You’ve improved a lot with your speech and dialogue :)

[@VyvienneEaux]

You can get better schlieren with a point light source. This is why the Kessil lights achieved more shimmer and have that funny looking spherical lense. I don’t think they’re necessarily better at penetrating deeper water; if anything, multiple adjacent light sources would be better at penetrating to depth than a point light source.

[@xSean145]

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

[@JeezeJack]

i think i love this man

[@noahasistin5030]

what size do you think would be good for a standard 10 gal?

[@Melleefrase]

I would love to see more videos on your shell dwellers

[@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.

[@warcraftjinx]

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

[@aznpanther98]

do you have any issues with heat? i got mine on ebay brand name Solla 30W and looks excactly like yours, mine is just sitting on top on some glass and i went to move it so i could work on the tank and it was pretty hot to the touch, a lil too hot and i had the bracket folded down so had to wait a few minutes for it to cool down to be able to touch without burning myself

[@gardengnomejay4122]

You can also create a even cheaper light by using LED light strips preferably water proof ones.. They are only 12v and come in a variety of colors and some even a remote to control strength. They have a adhesive side that can be stuck to anything you want.

[@thekingofdiy]

+GardenGnome Jay you can't grow plants with them. I already have 4 videos on them.

[@gardengnomejay4122]

+The king of DIY Even if you use the red and blue ones to get the color spectrum?

[@pez4]

I have already tried using the LED strips for a planted tank, the problem was that they don't last much, in about one year only half of the led lights were working.

[@eisenklad]

yep... color led strips lack penetration... coz i tried growing dwarf hairgrass with a cool daylight and actinic blue leds... java fern and christmas moss is growing fine though. the other plant that sort of melted at first was the broad-leaf amazon sword plant(i think... the shop didnt label it) my tank is i'm considering replacing the CFL tube in the other old light with a warm daylight LED strip, maybe combine the strips from the DIY corrugated plastic box and re-purpose the strips of plastic for more light spreading modifications...

[@fatbuffdad]

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

[@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?

[@Dextrizzle]

It would be awesome if you linked to this light or a similar one, so that we could see what it was that we were looking for. There are a plethora of lights and I've found one that sounds similar, but I am not sure of the specs of this light to compare it.

[@christianhebert8037]

I have be looking on these before and was wondering if it was worth it. Only down side i was reading, was peoples complaning that it only last them like 6 months. But for the price ... it's really cheap.

[@yabinuh]

bagus 👍 pencahayaan yang cukup bagus...

[@THAREAPER1000]

great video man.

[@cyclingdiaries4105]

i want to see a saltwater aquarium next...yay..:D

[@johngriffin5446]

I have been using flood lights on my planted tanks for a long time and they grow plants like crazy. I have to trim a aquarium full of plants every month

[@JayBacay]

hey joey do use any ferts on your planted tank??