Flippers reef 125 gallon

West1 · Nov 4, 2017

Flippers4pups said:
Thank you. I got them from eBay.

I don't know how to shop for LED's, what did you search for? Specific brand, color or?

Flippers4pups · Nov 4, 2017

West1 said:
I don't know how to shop for LED's, what did you search for? Specific brand, color or?

For these black boxes, they use 3w diodes. I was after the SB reeflight diode layout, so changing them to mimic them. Brands to look for are bridgelux and epistar. The led diodes are cheap.

Easily replaced:

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/led-diode-replacement-–-instructional-article.380/

Flippers4pups · Nov 4, 2017

Decided to throw my UV back on the tank, as my water looks a little cloudy even with a sock on the system for a couple of days. Thinking it’s a small bacterial bloom. Well see.

Charlie brown · Nov 4, 2017

Quick question does putting lights higher from water really affect how deep the light reaches the bottom I have a tall tank and I have 2 300w leds hanging 6 inches from water but I have a darker spot in the middle of my tank I know raising lights would take care of that but I'm worried the light won't reach bottom of my tank as good But is it really a huge difference enough to affect it drastically really don't like the dark spot but just worried about light not reaching bottom enough

Flippers4pups · Nov 4, 2017

Charlie brown said:
Quick question does putting lights higher from water really affect how deep the light reaches the bottom I have a tall tank and I have 2 300w leds hanging 6 inches from water but I have a darker spot in the middle of my tank I know raising lights would take care of that but I'm worried the light won't reach bottom of my tank as good But is it really a huge difference enough to affect it drastically really don't like the dark spot but just worried about light not reaching bottom enough

While lenses do help light penetrate deeper, the only way to know how much light is reaching the bottom is with a lux or par meter. It’s the only way to know for sure.

Pulling lenses helps with shadowing or can eliminate it all together.

Flippers4pups · Nov 4, 2017

Found some older pictures of the build that i couldn't find when i started the thread. Its like going back in time all over again!

"Old 125 gallon" sump. pulling out the overflows!

Base of DT stand.

Framed DT stand.

Skinned.

Trimmed.

Flippers4pups · Nov 4, 2017

Some more:

First coat of paint

White Paint inside

Doors

Flippers4pups · Nov 4, 2017

Now this next picture has some explaining to do! It was very hot here at the time i started painting the DT stand and i had just finished the canopy and i had both in the garage. Now the wife looked at the canopy and the DT stand and said " the finish looks different on the stand than the canopy". After she said that, I realized she was right. So, being it was like 100+ degrees in the garage, i ran out and shot the DT stand once again. After that coat it matched the canopy.

What i didnt realize was this:

It took her (god bless her soul!) an half hour to scrub my feet clean! Tickled like the heck the whole time! lol

West1 · Nov 4, 2017

Flippers4pups · Nov 4, 2017

This is how Flipper does his water changes!

User · Nov 4, 2017

Love the bucketless water change. I have the same plan for my 125 gallon basement sump (180 Dt in room directly above- in wall between office and living room).

Question about your sump- looks like it’s 2 chambers? Nice wide bubble trap for the heaters (awesome idea) Leading into a huge return section with live rock. Do you run a remote fuge in addition?

Have you enclosed the sump into a fishroom or is it open to the rest of basement? Any worries about added humidity and saltwater corrosion of tools etc stored down there?

I’m going to be walling my equipment off and plan to have an in-line vent fan exporting humid air directly outside.

Cheers!
Thanks for any info.

Flippers4pups · Nov 5, 2017

neilp2006 said:
Love the bucketless water change. I have the same plan for my 125 gallon basement sump (180 Dt in room directly above- in wall between office and living room).

Question about your sump- looks like it’s 2 chambers? Nice wide bubble trap for the heaters (awesome idea) Leading into a huge return section with live rock. Do you run a remote fuge in addition?

Have you enclosed the sump into a fishroom or is it open to the rest of basement? Any worries about added humidity and saltwater corrosion of tools etc stored down there?

I’m going to be walling my equipment off and plan to have an in-line vent fan exporting humid air directly outside.

Cheers!
Thanks for any info.

No remote refugium. Basement is wide open, unfinished. No issues with humidity.

User · Nov 5, 2017

Combined refugium and return section?

Thanks again

Flippers4pups · Nov 5, 2017

neilp2006 said:
Combined refugium and return section?

Thanks again

Yes, I can convert it to that as needed down the road.

Flippers4pups · Nov 12, 2017

Update, while back I put the UV on the system and the next day water was crystal clear. Have kept the UV on line, but with the lamp off just in case I need to fire it back up. All is good.