8x HLG QB120 DIY

Xcoregamerskillz

Well-Known Member
I have, I was just keeping it simple. Using two strips in series was a bad example, because then you have to compensate for voltage loss on the first one and that's a whole new ball of wax. It has been a long time since I did the basics.
As long as you're using a constant current driver with enough forward voltage to run the strips it's ok. R is additive in series.
 

raratt

Well-Known Member
As long as you're using a constant current driver with enough forward voltage to run the strips it's ok. R is additive in series.
However, with two equal resistances in series, each one will drop half the applied voltage, so if I need 10V to run a strip, I would need 20V to run 2 in series.
 

Xcoregamerskillz

Well-Known Member
However, with two equal resistances in series, each one will drop half the applied voltage, so if I need 10V to run a strip, I would need 20V to run 2 in series.
Yes. I should have clarified that you need enough voltage to run all the strips. The risk of thermal runaway is less with series, but honestly, I haven't heard anyone have that issue at all with either COB or strip builds. Don't know, exactly, how big that risk is. I think, personally, I might do a strip build without heatsinks in the near future. Plenty of people are running strips just fine that way, especially if they aren't over-driven.
 

raratt

Well-Known Member
Aluminum transfers heat pretty well, and most people use that as frames, so I think in a way those act as the heat sinks. I have not built one yet, but I am researching them. I like your puppy, we have one that is almost 15, she is moving slow recently.
 

Xcoregamerskillz

Well-Known Member
Aluminum transfers heat pretty well, and most people use that as frames, so I think in a way those act as the heat sinks. I have not built one yet, but I am researching them. I like your puppy, we have one that is almost 15, she is moving slow recently.
Yeah, was going to go with U channel to act as frame and heatsink.

That's my baby right there. She's almost 7 now. Puts up with our human kids really well. Protects the house while I'm gone, too.
 

raratt

Well-Known Member
They used to be called nanny dogs in the past, before people bred them to fight. Mine has always watched out for the grandkids, and her bark makes strangers worried, but she would probably lick them, unless they tried to hurt one of us.
 

Nishiki

Member
Hey guys, here are the steps needed to make your own ferts at a pretty huge discount. The basics are that you will be using dry fertilizers(salts) which are the raw components that go into the solvent(water) to create your own grow juice.

The easiest way to do this is to buy the fertz either in bulk(50lb) bags or to go off of some quality lab suppliers etc.

I have some leftover fertilizers from my aquariums. I use them to grow exotic and tropical plants.

Hydrobuddy Calculator(USE THIS TO MAKE STOCK) - This will do all the chemistry and math for you.
https://scienceinhydroponics.com/2016/03/the-first-free-hydroponic-nutrient-calculator-program-o.html

Where to Buy Dry Fertilizers - This is where I used to buy my fertilizers for my tropical tanks, this is not the most efficient way to do this, but is magnitudes cheaper than buying all the 420 marketed bullshit.
http://greenleafaquariums.com/aquarium-fertilizer.html




LEARNING ABOUT PPM AND CHEMICAL WEIGHTS
Basics to PPM
- This will help if you want to understand
https://barrreport.com/threads/calculating-ppm-from-dry-fertilizer.14035/

The Math Behind PPM

https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/dry-ferts-please-help-me-with-the-maths.29707/
PPM Calculator
http://www.aquariumcalculators.com/parts-per-million/

SOME IDEAS THAT COME FROM IT
Advance Hydro Dosing
- You can use an ebb and flow setup and the basics of auto dosing to extend your water changes out to 1-2 months or even longer. I have gone an entire cycle without changing out the water in my retention tank.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f20/diy-auto-doser-build-143431.html



TLDR - SHOW ME
The basics are as follows -
Find your favorite fertilizer brand and their chemical breakdown. This can be done by simply looking at their composition on the label. If you can get a full breakdown this will be even easier.

Lets say that we want to replicate Foxfarms Bloom formula... https://www.tindaraorchidsupplies.com/fertilizer-nutrients-and-supplements/Fox-Farm-Tiger-Bloom-Plant-Food - Now we have it. This isn't the best way, but we can get pretty far doing this. Let's also say that we need some dry fertz(this would be a good start)
http://greenleafaquariums.com/products/pps-pro-aquarium-fertilizer-package.html.

Now we need to figure out the following:
How much NPK + Micro we need.
What weight of dry fertilizer we need to add to our solution.
*There is a bit more to it than that, but I gotta go soon.

Using the tiger bloom I am going to rip out nitrogen BEFORE I HOP ON MY FLIGHT

We have a 16 oz bottle
2% is Nitrogen
This means that we need to use a chemical(from the dry that we have) to find our percentage of nitrogen to match this weight out of the total weight in the bottle(2%)

Look at the upload for the logic behind this. The aforementioned links make this all very easy. One even does this all for you!
Quick Example.JPG


I have to hop on my flight and probably won't be back on the forum for a bit again... sorry.

Shoot me some requests on fertilizers you like and I will create a separate thread with more details when I get some time.
 
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