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Fluval Edge with DIY LED lighting, overflow, sump and stand


salto

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Hey everyone

 

Starting to document my fluval edge tank DIY project thingee. I was given a fluval edge by a friend and wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it - I have had large and small planted tanks before but no longer have anything so went searching online and saw Minh Tran's beautiful fluval tank. So.. apparently I'm inspired! And… now venturing into the world of salt water reef tank and fish keeping.

 

I hope to document the path I am going on and hopefully someone out there can gain some joy, knowledge or entertainment from this as I am myself.

 

The Tank

Fluval edge

6 gallons

6.9" L X 10.25" D X 8.75" H

 

I have removed the stock LED lighting and filter as I am going to create a sump system and DIY high power LED system

 

Sump System

Due to the extremely small volume of the Edge I decided it was in the tanks inhabitants best interests if the volume of water was increased. A sump will assist in the following functions not afforded to the Edge alone:

- Reduce chemical fluctuations by increasing water volume

- Creating more space for live rock etc..

- Provide a space to have a refugium- Allow a space to have a skimmer

- Allow a space to have a strong pump for water flow so I don’t have to have anything ugly in the display tank – size is at a premium!

- Let me put my hand in without the tank overflowing. Unaltered edge tanks will overflow if you don’t take water out before putting your hand in!

 

The sump I chose is a basic 20gallon tall tank.

 

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Design for sump

 

 

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Baffles cut by local hardware store for me

 

 

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Marking out placement

 

 

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Placing

 

 

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Making sure baffles are straight and held firm

 

 

 

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How to put middle baffle for bubble trap in

 

 

 

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The sump complete with baffles

 

 

 

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Complete sump in cabinet

 

You’ll notice that the overflow is slit – some to the skimmer half and some across to the right to the refugium. I limit the flow to the skimmer half and let the rest go through to the refugium this serves two functions

1) the water going from the overlow to the sump is silenced as the intake pipe is always covered because I meter back the flow to the refugium (there is a second overflow emergency pipe)

2) reduced flow through the fuge to allow detritus settlement, slow water flow so copepods don’t all get swept away

3) Allow slow water turnover so hat the deep sand bed has greater time with the water to allow for efficient denitrification

 

 

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Overflow

 

Overflow was a challenge but I pretty much and totally happy with what I have. Could I do it differently, could it have been easier if I bought hang on back overflows etc… yes… but nevertheless I have something unique and whats more sleek which was the whole point.

 

So the edge tank now overflows from the tank to the stock back piece and down through a bulkhead then through the cabinet to the sump

 

Constructing

 

Putting in bottom piece to close up back cover piece

 

 

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View from above when all closed up

 

 

 

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I clamped it up and used weld-on #16 then went over that once dry with silicone just to be sure

 

 

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Finished overflow

 

 

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I was going to make my own cabinet but I realize that my skill as a wood worker is far from the level required for me to enjoy creating it, so I decided to go the easy(?) route and visit IKEA... 4 hours later I now am the proud owner of three flat packs waiting for my construction. There is one issue that I found which was the internal support of the cabinet would not allow for the sump to fit in without modification.

 

Cabinet Modification

I went with the IKEA Bestå which is a TV cabinet

 

I used the legs which have metal running along the full length of the tank for strength

 

I offset the middle sectioning peice to fit in the sump - I also drilled some bi holes through it at the top so and electronics could have their wires fed through the hole to the right side where the power supply will be

 

 

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LIGHTING

 

Stock lighting of the Edge sucks

So I decided to make my own with DIM4 and other supplies from LEDgroupbuy.com and they were pretty helpful, but their DIY build info was the best so I used them.

 

Setting up placement (which now I think I need to change.... more on this later)

 

 

Sticking on LEDs with thermal sticker! Who doesn’t like stickers?!!!

 

 

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Wiring up Led’s

Scheme is

BBB

VWV

WVW

BBB

 

B=blue

V=violet

W=warm white

 

 

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Continued....


Now connect to DIM4 module

 

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Power connection to DIM4... I couldnt find out how to do this anywhere so I thought I'd post a pic of it specifically. It is a 4pin molex plug to 2xFan connection

 

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Powering up and setting up sunrise/sunset... Then Light test!!!! (at lowest settings)

 

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Placement of light on top of tank and view how wires go down back part of stand

 

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How plumbing and wires go through stand
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As you’ll see this is unsightly so I had a back cover made to slot over this, which defeated the whole purpose of using the stock stand back piece but hey… its still looking good…

 

Because I decided to make this adjustment I also modified the stock cover so that it is lengthways oriented and non of it covers the overflow – this allowed me to have a bigger heatsink, and more lights and greater coverage (which is the problem with this little tank) The overflow is now covered by the ABS black plastic cover I had the local hardward store fix up for me – it slots perfectly over the back part and looks like the original piece!

 

 

 

All lit up!! Looks so sleek and elegant! .. (bring on the algae infestations… :P)

 

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I'll continue to post on how the tank is doing but I'm not sure where I should post that - anyone know the best place to do that?

 

Thanks for reading! Any feedback would be GREATLY appreciated!!



Big thanks to Ben Wagoner from LED groupbuy you're awesome and I wouldnt have been able to do this without your help :)

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Sweet... i did mine overflow just like that, but i added a teeth baffle on the tank overflow after mine royal gramma made a trip down the sump. That's a sweet tank you got there, any fish in mind yet?

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So an update - I've had everything in it and its fully cycled - which was greatly accelerated by using pre-cured live rock and all live sand.

 

I'll post a few pics but unfortunately the light is so strong my camera doesnt take well to shooting with it :( and suggestions on using an iPhone for tank shots?

 

So far I have:

2 x astrea snails

2 x margarita snails

1 x nassarius snail (+ 1 in refugium)

 

2 x tank raised ocellaris clownfish

 

1 x piece of live rock with 4 types of unknown zoanthids.. there are

purple with green center and small sized

purple tentacles orange center

purple tentacles green center

brownish purple

 

Also added 1.5 units chemi pure elite to sump

 

Thanks for the interest!!

 

What do you think of the aquascape - I'd like to keep things along the lines of 'negative space' where I dramatize the beauty by lack of content and flashes of color, dramatic rock placement etc..

I dont feel I have it quite right yet..

 

Sorry for the slow replies! I'll keep this thread of progress going if there is interest.

 

Cheers

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test values so far.... whats your take on the values?

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An update on the tank and its inhabitants....

 

Well its been a hard week here 1 fish did not make it and the other one is not looking good. Unfortunately the scumbag LFS where I bought the fish from also sold me a potent does if ICH :( the one fish who is left shows signs of recovering but until her recovers looks like no more fish for this tank...

 

So.. I went out and got some more corals and a peppermint shrimp for the aptasia 'problem'

 

If anyone can identify the coral names I would LOVE THAT!!! Because I am not sure what they are called exactly...

 

Some zoanthids, a hammer coral and some LPS trumpet looking thing

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Now I need some help here! I have this brown slimy/oozy looking carpet growing all over my sand

 

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What is it?
I'd appreciate any responses regardin the Ich, the brown slime stuff, the coral names or anything else you spot... :)
Peace
Salto

 

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  • 1 year later...

I know this is an old thread, but I was wondering how things are going with this tank? I am wanting to do something very similar to this and I LOVE how you did this!

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