Mutant Action: led in the terrarium of carnivorous
Taken from the blog Mutant Action
Use LED lights for growing plants when sunlight is not available? 
This lighting technology can be very advantageous for terrariums: efficient, low energy consumption, little heat and last much.
How do they work?
Each plant pigment absorbs certain colors of light better than others. Chlorophyll absorbs red light very well and the blue, but not the green as the plants use chlorophyll for photosynthesis, the process is more efficient with red and blue light than with the equivalent of green light.
The classic growth lamps (HID, incandescent, fluorescent), used for indoor cultivation, producing a light with a wavelength of 380 nm (UV) to about 880 nm (infrared lamps).
Plants use wavelengths from 400 nm (blue light) to 700 nm (red light) then all the normal growth lamps emit a large proportion of light that plants do not operate effectively.
There are also some disadvantages in the use of standard lamps:
- heat output that prevents to place the light source too close to the plants
- the high energy consumption
- the duration of the light source (neon should be replaced every year because they lose their brightness)
For the past few years are experimenting with crops indoor lamps with LED (Light Emitting Diode), NASA also used them to light hydroponics in space!
They do not have all the disadvantages of conventional lamps, but many benefits:
- very low power consumption (you can save up to 90% compared to a standard incandescent or fluorescent)
- time high (8 to 15 years old)
- little heat output (thereby avoiding overheating problems, allowing you to place lights near the plants)
- low supply voltages, such as 12 Volt
- uniform coverage of surfaces illuminated by the projection angle of the light
- opportunity to experiment with different combinations of colors (varying proportions between red and blue lights)
For sale you can find panels of LEDs constructed for this purpose, relatively cheap (a panel from 900 LED mixed about 120 euros). Just a simple search on the internet (search for "LED grow lamp").
For my small terrarium I decided to build two small LED panels, so you can experiment with this innovative lighting technology on my carnivorous plants.
Here's what I used for the construction of a panel of 48 bright LEDs powered at 12 volts:
- a perforated circuit board
- 12 LED blue high-brightness (3.3V) with a wavelength of 465nm (nanometer)
- 36 LED high brightness red (2 V) with a wavelength of 650nm (nanometer)
- 4 resistances of 120 ohms
- 6 1 ohm resistors
- a power supply 12 V DC
- a mechanical timer to manage on and off lights
- soldering iron, wire and tin
To calculate the circuit resistance and I used a handy online tool with which you can design other variations.
As a support for the luminous panels I have recycled a chandelier Ikea, which has the advantage of being equipped with two door lamps adjustable in every direction and movable on the guides of support, which serve also to bring the 'power supply. The security system is guaranteed by the low voltage used, 12 volts, we get power from the transformer which is governed by simple and inexpensive mechanical timer.
After little more than a week after completion of the terrarium and the commissioning of lighting carnivorous plants seem to like very much the lights.
See you soon for updates!
To see the original pictures and comment by the author visit Blog Action Mutant
Related Articles:
Tags: DIY , cultivation , gardening , lighting , LEDs , materials , carnivorous plants , products , cultivars
