Occ_motorcycles 2.5 nano build

[occ_motorcycles]

What do y'all think of allowing the heater to be on a timer so that it will not reach those high temps but maintains the 80degrees?

 

[occ_motorcycles]

Well tonight I have been working on the LEDs for this build. There were a few issues with te light(crossed wires, bad driver and no housing.). I have gotten them working and have realized that they are massively to bright for my project but I am sure that they will work if I bypass a few of them and make them bluer (more blue).

The two photos are of my work area with and w/o te led lights on. And te last one is a close up to the current set up.

 

[alberthiel]

What do y'all think of allowing the heater to be on a timer so that it will not reach those high temps but maintains the 80degrees?

Does that heater not have its own on/off control when it reaches the temp you set it for and if it is off, find out by how much and then set it using the difference to decide on what F degrees you need to put it for ... if you want 80 and it is off by say 10 degrees higher than that, set it for 70, and you should end up with 80

 

[alberthiel]

Well tonight I have been working on the LEDs for this build. There were a few issues with te light(crossed wires, bad driver and no housing.). I have gotten them working and have realized that they are massively to bright for my project but I am sure that they will work if I bypass a few of them and make them bluer (more blue).

The two photos are of my work area with and w/o te led lights on. And te last one is a close up to the current set up.

You could use dimmers to reduce their intensity ...

 

[occ_motorcycles]

Does that heater not have its own on/off control when it reaches the temp you set it for and if it is off, find out by how much and then set it using the difference to decide on what F degrees you need to put it for ... if you want 80 and it is off by say 10 degrees higher than that, set it for 70, and you should end up with 80

Two things. First. It's on it's lowest setting and still running a weee bit high. 80/79. And that's without the lights.

And the second is the lights are not dimable.

 

[alberthiel]

Two things. First. It's on it's lowest setting and still running a weee bit high. 80/79. And that's without the lights.

And the second is the lights are not dimable.

Well I guess you need a new heater and on the lights can you put screens in front that reduce the intensity ?

BTW I am signing out for the evening ... NITE

 

[occ_motorcycles]

I think I can raise it up feet or a little less off the tank. Yes there will be tons of light anyway but it shouldn't matter case this will be totally sweet !!!

 

[alberthiel]

I think I can raise it up feet or a little less off the tank. Yes there will be tons of light anyway but it shouldn't matter case this will be totally sweet !!!

That should help indeed, play with the height till you get it to be what you want ... good idea.

 

[occ_motorcycles]

I think I can raise it up feet or a little less off the tank. Yes there will be tons of light anyway but it shouldn't matter case this will be totally sweet !!!

Well after looking at the supplies I have left over I actually have enough LEds to build a new less powerful light for this build. So I will make a good post on how I built it for those who care.

 

[occ_motorcycles]

Just a quick update.


The temp is stable but I still have to top off daily.


I am going to finish the lights tonight and tomorrow.


Then once I get lights on ill stock it and we will rock and roll.

 

[occ_motorcycles]

Corals all look nice and the brown are diatoms .. You can use Aluminum oxide to reduce the silicates and stop them from growing. Siphon out as many diatoms as you can as if you blow them around they are still in the water and they will just regrow, usually overnight.

Looking forward to your updates

I have been siphoning however it doesn't seem to work.

Where is the best place to get aluminum oxide. That's not exactly something I have sitting around.

eBay has several things containing it but I have beer bought this so I have no idea what to look for or how much to use.

 

[alberthiel]

I have been siphoning however it doesn't seem to work.

Where is the best place to get aluminum oxide. That's not exactly something I have sitting around.

eBay has several things containing it but I have beer bought this so I have no idea what to look for or how much to use.

There are two kinds of PO4 removers and one of them, white balls or granules is Al. oxide and besides removing PO4 it removes silicate as well. One brand is "Phosguard" by Seachem and that will do it for you, but their are other brands as well, but they are all Aluminum oxide if they have the white material in the container. Anyone of those will do it for you. Rinse before using in a baggie and put in area where water flows through it well, but place after your mechanical filter,

Hope this helps

 

[occ_motorcycles]

There are two kinds of PO4 removers and one of them, white balls or granules is Al. oxide and besides removing PO4 it removes silicate as well. One brand is "Phosguard" by Seachem and that will do it for you, but their are other brands as well, but they are all Aluminum oxide if they have the white material in the container. Anyone of those will do it for you. Rinse before using in a baggie and put in area where water flows through it well, but place after your mechanical filter,

Hope this helps

This does. Thanks.

 

[occ_motorcycles]

I have finished the fixture and I think I like it. I am going to build an open top mount for the light. This will probably happen off the left side of the table it is sitting near.

Here are a few photos to show how amazing this is becoming.

 

[occ_motorcycles]

I have finished the fixture and I think I like it. I am going to build an open top mount for the light. This will probably happen off the left side of the table it is sitting near.

Here are a few photos to show how amazing this is becoming.

Sorry I forgot the photos

 

[alberthiel]

Sorry I forgot the photos

Nice job and keep us posted ... looking good

 

[occ_motorcycles]

Nice job and keep us posted ... looking good

Thanks. As you can tell I am reusing the heatsinks

 

[alberthiel]

Thanks. As you can tell I am reusing the heatsinks

Running good heatsinks and not running the LED's at full power will not only prolong their life (which is very long anyway) but you will not have a loss of intensity (LED droop)

If you want to read about it here is link for you: http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/optoelectronics/the-leds-dark-secret/0

Nice work ... Waiting to see how it looks when you are all finished with it ! Should be a real excellent DIY one.

 

[occ_motorcycles]

Well the light is completed hung and is running.


I went with a new design that I have never done to allow for greatest airflow across it.


I picked up a small zoa frag today for $5 and I had to purchase a bracket to hold the light mount together. It's hidden where it is but I used scrap wood from my neighborhood construction trash dumpster. I used maybe 4' of 2x4 and a few 2.5 inch course thread drywall screws.

The tank is coming together nicely and has a good color.

 

[occ_motorcycles]

This is the light and all before I put the coral in.