Organize and hide ballasts and wiring.

danreef55 · Dec 29, 2023

I am considering a quad blade system with 5 Radion 30s.
Any suggestion on organizing ballasts and wiring?
Any feedback would be appreciated.
Dan

SPR1968 · Dec 30, 2023

You can try and keep it neat and tidy, it looks very smart, I did to start out, but you also need to remember you need to be able to access and move things from time to time, and tying it all together nice and neat can make this much more difficult.

I eventually just let the wires hang were they can’t be seen, as although it’s not as neat, it makes it easier for maintenance etc. just don’t let it get to tangled!

I have the Radions, 4 of them, and the wires are actually neatly tied to the rear of the tank as they were one of the first things I installed

DanyL · Dec 30, 2023

I’m not using the Radions, but the ReeFi Uno (which you should check out before making a call, they are simply put - better, at half the price).

That being said - you can still use 2040 as a mounting arm like I do, or build a frame from it and use the tunnels to hide the cables, I also 3D printed a small insert that I can rotate to lock them in place while easily release them when needed.

For the PSUs - in my case, I had the options to yet again use T-Slot profiles to mount them in my cabinet with a small fan cooling behind them, this was possible thanks to the screw holes the PSU has.

But I also mounted simple PSUs for other equipment I own by 3D printing a mountable cage for it, it does not transfer heat and a bit harder to get out, but does work.

danreef55 · Dec 30, 2023

Thanks to you both.
Planning on building a substantial size fish room.
I wish I knew how to do a rendering in 3D because that would really help.

Tank 84 x 30 x 24
Sump 72 x 24 x 24

danreef55 · Dec 30, 2023

Front concept. canopy would slide up

The_Paradox · Dec 30, 2023

I run all my wiring through tank tracks that run up each side and down the center from the PDU. Something like this might work for you:

DanyL · Dec 30, 2023

The_Paradox said:
I run all my wiring through tank tracks that run up each side and down the center from the PDU. Something like this might work for you:

Was about to suggest the same thing for the canopy.

It is widely used in machines where you have moving parts like CNCs and 3D printers.

I would mount this right into the wall with a hole large enough to pass through the cables to the fish room behind it and use standard cable rails that lead to a peg board - where you can easily DIY a holder to mount the PSUs with.

I’ve seen something similar in a random tank review I watched over YouTube and it looked quite clean.

Alternatively, if the canopy is big and ventilated enough you can build the frame from T-Slot profiles like I suggested earlier and mount the PSUs right next to the fixtures themselves.
IIRC that what WWC or Tidal Gardens does in their farm.