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Ai Nano mount on a Biocube 29 Hqi (pics)


Naturalreef

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I thought there may be some interest since this question was asked and figured I would start my own thread on mounting the AI nano to a Biocube 29 Hqi. I have a busy week and will start the mount in a few days. I threw some pics together to give everyone an idea on how this will work. Surprisingly, this looks like it will work with minimal modifications.

 

The two minor Mods are #1) turning the drip tray upside down in the center back of the filtration area and using black silicone to seal drip tray to back of false wall and back of tank lip. This will reinforce the false wall so the nano bracked is secure. and #2) a small straight cut on each back cover to accomodate the nano bracket to give it a nice stock look.

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Thank you for posting these pictures! That does look like it will center the light very well there.

 

One issue I see that I may have is reinforcing the wall. I am discarding the drip tray as I will be running inTank media baskets in the middle chamber, so I will need to think of a different way to strengthen the back wall. Welcome to any suggestions you may think of!

 

Sorry to be highjacking, I look forward to more pictures as your build progresses!

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No problem... I just used the drip tray because of the ease in making it work. You could also just cut a strip of lexan or other plastic and silicone it to the back. The fixture is pretty light @ 2 lbs so it shouldn't be difficult.

 

 

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Thank you for posting these pictures! That does look like it will center the light very well there.

 

One issue I see that I may have is reinforcing the wall. I am discarding the drip tray as I will be running inTank media baskets in the middle chamber, so I will need to think of a different way to strengthen the back wall. Welcome to any suggestions you may think of!

 

Sorry to be highjacking, I look forward to more pictures as your build progresses!

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Sorry for taking so long to post pics, busy work week:) I finished trimming the back lids to fit around the Nano bracket today. Fit and finish came out really nice. This light and bracket actually looks like it came stock with the tank. I really really love this light!

 

I'll post some more pics soon on the drip tray mod to mount the bracket to the false wall, but in short....the drip tray is cut in half and rests against the false wall and the back of the tank. The light bracket fits over the tray and false wall for a solid mount. It will make more sense when I post the pics. The nice thing is, nothing is permanent...you can unhook the light and lift the tray right out.

 

Here is some pics of the finished product...

 

 

Ai_Nano_5.jpg

 

Ai_Nano_4.jpg

 

Ai_Nano_3.jpg

 

Ai_Nano_2.jpg

 

Ai_Nano_1.jpg

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This is my lighting plan for my regular BC 29 which I have made rimless. Plan on making a DIY clear mesh cover for the top out of BRS clear mesh and clear acrylic rods which I will bend. Never thought of mounting to the false wall. So basically the false wall needs to be reinforced? I planned on making a DIY black acrylic raised box to cover the rear chambers since my tank is rimless. Thanks for the pics

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Could I get some pics of what you did on the inside of the false wall? I am confused when you say drip tray? I have a regular BC29 rimless and would love to see your setup! Thanks

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Could I get some pics of what you did on the inside of the false wall? I am confused when you say drip tray? I have a regular BC29 rimless and would love to see your setup! Thanks

 

 

 

Hey Jdk,

 

You got it, first thing in the morning I'll take pics of the modded drip tray and false wall. Thanks for being patient! Just got back from a trip tonight, catching up on the forums:)

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Hey Jdk,

 

You got it, first thing in the morning I'll take pics of the modded drip tray and false wall. Thanks for being patient! Just got back from a trip tonight, catching up on the forums:)

 

Awesome THANKS Im pretty handy but I knew going into this light the mount would be an issue on a BC 29

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Hey! I'm waiting too! JK, I don't think anyone sharing info/pics should apologize for having a life. You are helping us out and we are thankful for it!

 

This is my lighting plan for my regular BC 29 which I have made rimless. Plan on making a DIY clear mesh cover for the top out of BRS clear mesh and clear acrylic rods which I will bend. Never thought of mounting to the false wall. So basically the false wall needs to be reinforced? I planned on making a DIY black acrylic raised box to cover the rear chambers since my tank is rimless. Thanks for the pics

 

I am interested in more info on how you are going to make the clear mesh cover. I am planning on making one, but am stumped on how to handle the curved front. Do you have a thread with more details or pics on this?

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Thanks Guys!

 

 

I took some pics of the modified drip tray installed with the AI nano bracket. When I say drip tray, its the tray that the biocube filter sits in. Since I make my own filter tray out of lighting grid, I decided to use what I had available to make the light bracket.

 

Cut the tray in half so that it fits snugly from the back of the false wall to the back of the tank wall. Make sure you use the side of the drip tray that has the small edge which fits the AI bracket perfectly. You will see the tray has a small side and a big side in the pics. You want the tray snug enough that it "catches" under the lip of the plastic rim. This way the tray has no movement and provides a very secure fit for the AI bracket. I just used black aquarium silicone to make a square with a piece of scrap plastic so the tray is rigid.

 

When the silicone is dry, position the tray against the false wall and under the plastic trim against the back wall and slide the AI bracket on. It is so secure that I didn't have to use the AI bracket screws, even though I will. The nice thing is, this comes off in a matter of seconds in case you need to work on the back area of the tank. Downside is, you can't have a skimmer in the middle compartment like I used to...I purchased a Hydor slim skim and will have to fit it in the first compartment later. I'm very happy with how this turned out and I think the AI nano is a perfect light for a cube of this size.

 

I hope this all makes sense with the pics as it's really a simple mod. Please let me know if I'm not clear on anything or you need a different pic. If for some reason you cut the tray too short to fit underneath the tank trim, just slide the scrap piece of plastic out a bit further before you silicone it to the drip tray. I'm sure a thick piece of plastic siliconed across the back of the false wall may also give the same desired result. Just showing my version. Happy Reefing:)

 

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looks nice. I currently have my Ai Nano mounted to my 10g, I had to remove some of the plastic on the rim and add some new holes on the mount to move the nano back so that it was overhanging.

 

However I am planning on upgrading to something like the Biocube 29 so its nice to see how it would look mounted.

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Thank you very much for posting more pics. Your drip tray is a lot different than the one that came with my non-HQI biocube, the one in my biocube is not just a "frame" like yours, but has a lot of "grating" in the middle. But, seeing what you were talking about has definitely given me a better idea of how to go about bracing the wall, so thank you very much.

 

It looks like your mod is serving two functions here, bracing the false wall and providing a spacer for the mount to better attach to.

 

 

As far as your skimming plans...I had originally planned on going with Hydor slimskim nano, but read that it would not fit in the first chamber of the biocube, so I am going with the Aquaticlife 115. Others may need to weigh in, but I just wanted to mention it as I would hate to see you buy a skimmer and not be able to use it.

 

Thanks again and keep up the great work!

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Did you end up selling your mh setup ? I was kicking around the idea of ditching the mh and going with the larger ai fixture but the nano looks great over the biocube.

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Thanks!

 

Bymers- I already purchased the hydor slim skim...I have to trim the first chamber a bit, but it should fit:) thanks for the suggestion and comments! Post some pics of your setup when able.

 

 

Jam- I did sell the MH setup that came with it. It is a night and day difference, I love having full control of the lighting:) The nano is perfect for the biocube imo.

 

Thanks for the comments everyone!

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Amazing how something so dinky can put out so much light and cover such a large area. Very cool and VERY sleek and clean!

 

Thanks for posting, I'm partially considering one for my BC14

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Amazing how something so dinky can put out so much light and cover such a large area. Very cool and VERY sleek and clean!

 

Thanks for posting, I'm partially considering one for my BC14

 

Thanks Idream!

 

You would love this light for a biocube... Buy a controller to go with it and you may get arrested for fondling it too much:)

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I still have my nano-tuners MH in my BC29 hood.

 

Al-Sol looks nice and I have been considering one, but I like the sleek look of the hood.

 

I have 2 concerns:

 

1.) Am I ready to go topless?

 

2.) Will this be enough lighting to support my SPS corals?

 

Decisions...... Decisions :huh:

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randythefishdude

i might get the bio cube hqi i just wanted to know how was the stock lightg --it wasent bright enoth or what was worng that you had to change it but i like the mod light u added it looks good if not better :)

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I still have my nano-tuners MH in my BC29 hood.

 

Al-Sol looks nice and I have been considering one, but I like the sleek look of the hood.

 

I have 2 concerns:

 

1.) Am I ready to go topless?

 

2.) Will this be enough lighting to support my SPS corals?

 

Decisions...... Decisions :huh:

 

1--> I think that is a personal preference to each individual. I have an LED retrofit in my BC14 and really like that it still looks stock, but upgrading to the AI Nano as I switch to a BC 29 is worth losing that look to me. To some it may not be.

 

2--> YES!!!

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I am interested in more info on how you are going to make the clear mesh cover. I am planning on making one, but am stumped on how to handle the curved front. Do you have a thread with more details or pics on this?

 

Will be doing the build this week. Basically my idea is this...... I have clear acrylic rod and clear mesh from BRS. I am gonna make a template of the inside of the tank. Basically an outline of the curve and sides and back of the tank using stiff cardboard. The acrylic is 1/2 inch thick so that needs to be subtracted from the dimensions of the template all the way around so the formed rod will fit on the inside rim of the tank. Then I am going to stack multiple pieces of cardboard in the same outline on top of one another until they are 2 inches thick maybe more maybe less idk.

 

Glue them or tape them together so it is one piece. Then to form the acrylic rod I will heat it up with either a hairdryer or heat gun and it should mold to the outline using gravity as my friend (for the curved part). The straight 90 degree corners Im pretty sure I can just measure and bend by hand while heating.

 

I then plan to use clear plastic tabs probably will need 4 of them. They will be fastened to the inside rim of the tank with clear silicone so the acrylic rod frame can sit on top of them. The mesh I will then curl over the rod to the underside of the frame where I will superglue it all the way around.

 

At least this is how it all plays out in my mind..... We will see. The main Idea is that I hate the idea of a rimless tank with a mesh cover that is made out of black window screen frame. The whole purpose of rimless is for clear lines. This was my idea to solve that problem.

 

Hope that helps, will post pics once I start the project.

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Thanks for the comments! MH was overheating my tank, the color and changing of the bulbs is what turned me off. Ever since going aqua illumination led's, I have been thrilled with them and they are money well spent. I love being in full control of dimming and color. The thunderstorm mode is cool to watch and a conversation starter.

 

 

I just finished filling the tank, adding salt and new Pukani dry rock from BRS which was another good buy and played around with the controller for the last hour:) more pics in the morning

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I have 2 concerns:

 

1.) Am I ready to go topless?

 

2.) Will this be enough lighting to support my SPS corals?

 

Decisions...... Decisions :huh:

 

1. Go for it. If you go hoodles I would remove the black rim from the glass. There are a bunch of threads (in the DIY forum) about how to make your BC29 rimless. It took me about an hour and a half with a hacksaw and about 30 fresh razor blades. It makes the tank look 100X better IMO. I will post some pics when I start a build thread.

 

2. Absolutely enough light. Check the PAR readings

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