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Cultivated Reef

My Fluval Edge PICO Aquarium 2 Years!


dstruong

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@drufornano - nope, not yet, I know little about lighting other than LEDs are excellent lights, but dstruong helped me out and I mimicked his lighting pretty much word for word as I liked how it looked in his Edge. However, I'm currently in the market for some actinic lighting that I could mod into my edge, perhaps build a larger hood that could accommodate the 8" actinic strips.

 

I will probably start a thread though just to keep an update on my tank as it runs, i.e. I think the tank is almost done cycling, so on to the next!

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Ok I completed the hood. It is made out or 1/8" thick acrylic painted matte black. I am very happy with the end product. I threw 2x 50/50 coralife 20 watt 8 inch bulbs The extra coverage on the hood greatly improves the light spread. I added an extra half inch to the hood so i could tilt the arm up half in inch for even better coverage.

 

Hood demensions: 11.5 x 9.5 x 4

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here are better pictures.. I just got my blue leds in the mail and will be installing them after this post! the lighting is so bright it kind of hurts my eyes =) All the coral are thriving like never before! I'm very happy with this set up. Im monitoring the temp and it got up to 84 today. I may have to try drilling some holes through the top and adding a fan.

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sweet mother of god...that's more Lumens than most 50g sw. best to put some ventilation, 84deg is gettin up there.

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haha.... not quite... but i think im finally happy with the output.

 

sweet mother of god...that's more Lumens than most 50g sw. best to put some ventilation, 84deg is gettin up there.
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SmileyFace69

Do you think its possible to turn the back part into a sump! like a tiny 1?

 

and can u post the URL's to the LEDS u are currently using

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I think someone has already replaced the filter and build some type of overflow sump.

 

link to the lights

 

http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index....p;productId=537

 

links to blue leds

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...e=STRK:MEWNX:IT

 

Do you think its possible to turn the back part into a sump! like a tiny 1?

 

and can u post the URL's to the LEDS u are currently using

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SmileyFace69
I think someone has already replaced the filter and build some type of overflow sump.

 

link to the lights

 

http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index....p;productId=537

 

links to blue leds

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...e=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Yeah the only problem i see with that is, it doesn't keep the same fluval design!

and if it was anyone i bet you could create it :)

Maybe you could make the back of the fluval larger? :)

Maybe make it the whole back side of the fluval, that might look cool & be efficient to store macro algae's

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haha probably could, and stick a whole power strip in there and not have to worry about wires lol... But im not sure of the cost will make it worth it =P

 

this is getting very expensive to do!

 

Yeah the only problem i see with that is, it doesn't keep the same fluval design!

and if it was anyone i bet you could create it :)

Maybe you could make the back of the fluval larger? :)

Maybe make it the whole back side of the fluval, that might look cool & be efficient to store macro algae's

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easy there tesla, haha.

Did you have your mr16 sandwhiched bagged and ziptied? It was hard to see in the video. Nice job on the coralife placement and mod, everything looks very clean and well thought. Only thing was I agree what someone said above about maybe widening the sides to create a cleaner look of proportion to the new top. That would look oh so fresh.

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easy there tesla, haha.

Did you have your mr16 sandwhiched bagged and ziptied? It was hard to see in the video. Nice job on the coralife placement and mod, everything looks very clean and well thought. Only thing was I agree what someone said above about maybe widening the sides to create a cleaner look of proportion to the new top. That would look oh so fresh.

 

 

several coats of clear nail polish is holding up well on my MR11's....4months and no sign of salt creep/rust

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i only had the mr11 sandwich bagged. the mr-16 have multiple layers on nail polish which is holding up nicely. my other mr-11 with the nail polish went missing??? i think my cats hiding it! I don't think i will be extending the sides! too much work =P

 

P.S. not quite a tesla yet...

 

easy there tesla, haha.

Did you have your mr16 sandwhiched bagged and ziptied? It was hard to see in the video. Nice job on the coralife placement and mod, everything looks very clean and well thought. Only thing was I agree what someone said above about maybe widening the sides to create a cleaner look of proportion to the new top. That would look oh so fresh.

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Just watched your video. Looks Great!!!!! Do you have a sq.cm left that doesn't have a light in it!?!??! :)

I just connected up a canister filter so I might be able to put two 20w coralife bulbs length wise in the stock hood. We'll see.

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Just watched your video. Looks Great!!!!! Do you have a sq.cm left that doesn't have a light in it!?!??! :)

I just connected up a canister filter so I might be able to put two 20w coralife bulbs length wise in the stock hood. We'll see.

 

actually the hood could of been 11 inches instead of 11.5, so i did waste a little space. the light with the socket measures 8 1/4" and the original hood is 9 inches long so that would work if you were using a canister filter. you could easily place 3 maybe even 4 of these lights in there. You would need a fan or some type of cooling system so your reef doesn't bake. I think 3 of these lights would be perfect for this tank without needing any type of supplemental lighting. i thought about it, but i don't have any where to put the canister filter. do you have pics?

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SmileyFace69

ahh i see :)

Smartie pants!

i still pondering the idea of a fluval edge.. because it costs so much , or if i should just go with a plumbed 20gal long :D

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If i could do it all over i would have never done this tank. too much $$$$ i could of done a real nice 40 rimless with what i have spend so far. but anyhow, my girl friend really likes it it will not let me get a bigger tank b/c she knows how much I have spent so far, and she is looking at the price/gallon and terrified what a larger tank would cost.

 

ahh i see :)

Smartie pants!

i still pondering the idea of a fluval edge.. because it costs so much , or if i should just go with a plumbed 20gal long :D

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SmileyFace69
If i could do it all over i would have never done this tank. too much $$$$ i could of done a real nice 40 rimless with what i have spend so far. but anyhow, my girl friend really likes it it will not let me get a bigger tank b/c she knows how much I have spent so far, and she is looking at the price/gallon and terrified what a larger tank would cost.

 

LOL well ive already had a 50g & 75g reefs setup at the same time, and am currently setting up a 180gallon reef :) (in the making,, need plumbing + sump)

 

But i just want a cool little nano for my room, instead of having 3 freshwater tanks... Maybe 1 small, and a nano

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I can't wait to buy my first house and put a huge tank in it! Renting sucks!

 

LOL well ive already had a 50g & 75g reefs setup at the same time, and am currently setting up a 180gallon reef :) (in the making,, need plumbing + sump)

 

But i just want a cool little nano for my room, instead of having 3 freshwater tanks... Maybe 1 small, and a nano

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If i could do it all over i would have never done this tank. too much $$$$ i could of done a real nice 40 rimless with what i have spend so far. but anyhow, my girl friend really likes it it will not let me get a bigger tank b/c she knows how much I have spent so far, and she is looking at the price/gallon and terrified what a larger tank would cost.

 

 

ahhh my young Padawan...first lesson in reef keeping is never tell girlfriend/wife/significant other the true cost of this hobby:

 

Step 1. Burn all receipts or keep them at your office

 

Step 2. Low ball all prices at least by half

 

Step 3. Redirect their attention by any means necessary

 

LOL

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SmileyFace69
ahhh my young Padawan...first lesson in reef keeping is never tell girlfriend/wife/significant other the true cost of this hobby:

 

Step 1. Burn all receipts or keep them at your office

 

Step 2. Low ball all prices at least by half

 

Step 3. Redirect their attention by any means necessary

 

LOL

 

im 15 i dont have that issue :P

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ahhh my young Padawan...first lesson in reef keeping is never tell girlfriend/wife/significant other the true cost of this hobby:

 

Step 1. Burn all receipts or keep them at your office

 

Step 2. Low ball all prices at least by half

 

Step 3. Redirect their attention by any means necessary

 

LOL

 

hahaha problem is we share bank accounts. I try to sneak everything onto my credit card that i buy online so she wont notice and pay cash when when i go to the lfs. I already low ball prices to 1/3 of what they are=P Its all the trial and error thats killing me. Ive been through atleast 10 bulbs already =P half of my live stock was apparently "donated" to me by a co-workers. But its ok after we buy a house, ill wait for my wife to buy a purse and slip in a 125 gallon or something =) i need to find a new way to extort money! haha

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