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DIY quad nanobox hybrid T5 build *now LED/MH/T5 hybrid*


gus6464

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Convinced my wife to setup a reef on what used to be my CAD 90P planted tank but have a strict budget of $300 for the lights and have to support SPS. So this is what I came up with:

 

The tank is 36x18x18 so hopefully this will be enough light.

 

Stuff I already had -

24" long 4.850" heatsink from heatsinkusa

LDD 8-up board

LDD to SCW converter from O2Surplus

48V 7.2A power supply

LDD drivers of various currents

fans

Typhon

SCW05C-12

 

Stuff I bought -

4x nanobox 13-up pucks

2x 24" sunblaster T5HO with nanotech reflector

http://www.sunblasterlighting.com/nanotech-t5ho-reflector.php

 

Those T5HO lights are super cheap at my local hydroponics store @ $32 ea and have a really nice reflector. They come with clips that I am going to mount on aluminum bars which are going to act as arms from the main fixture which will contain the LEDs. They can also be daisy chained.

 

I should have pics of the wood housing today which will be painted the same color as my stand which is a deep red.

 

Still don't know what bulbs would go well with the nanobox pucks. I am looking for something that is not very blue as I prefer a light in the 12-14K range.

 

I may go with a 120mm PWM Noctua fan connected to one of the channels of the Typhon depending on how loud my current fans are.

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I got my pucks today (thanks Dave!) so now I just have to cut my heatsink to size and drill and tap. I also was wondering for you DIY gurus the following. I have some rapidled 4 core violets from my freshwater light and was wondering if I should supplement with those in between the nanobox pucks. I have 6 to be exact so was thinking about putting 2 in between each puck. This are the LEDs.

 

http://www.rapidled.com/total-spectrum-violet-uv-led/

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I got my pucks today (thanks Dave!) so now I just have to cut my heatsink to size and drill and tap. I also was wondering for you DIY gurus the following. I have some rapidled 4 core violets from my freshwater light and was wondering if I should supplement with those in between the nanobox pucks. I have 6 to be exact so was thinking about putting 2 in between each puck.

You can, but the 13-ups already do have violets in them. I'm not sure if those LEDs use the type of primary lenses that do not degrade over time (which is often the case with violet LEDs). Also keep in mind that those are about half as efficient as the LEDgroupbuy hyperviolets (13.5 Vf @ 350mA resulting in 850 mW of light vs 3.4Vf@700mA resulting in 880mW meaning one LEDgroupbuy HV@700mA = that 4 LED chip@350mA). I would like to say that Dave's violet LEDs use a lens that will not degrade in a few months of use.

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Just wanted to show you guys the sunblaster t5 strip lights with the reflector. Couldn't ask for a better quality reflector for $30 per light. They can be daisy chained and come with all the hooks and clips for different types of mounting installations.

 

IMG_20140914_111513.jpg

 

Reflector is parabolic as well.

IMG_20140914_121809.jpg

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Almost there. Just need to prime and pain the wood housing the same color as the stand and also put a 1.5in spacer on the T5's to lower them as the light hits the housing.

 

DSC_1355.JPG

 

DSC_1356.JPG

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Are those the controllers for the new Jebao pumps?

 

Yeah I have 2 RW-4's. My local reef forum did a group buy and they were pretty cheap so I figured what the hell and tried them out. They are dead silent and can push some serious water.

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If that wood canopy is your LED housing, may I make a suggestion.

 

Make that in acrylic or aluminum, it will look a lot nicer.

 

The skill set and tools are almost the same as woodworking.

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Looking good, following.

I see you on the local forum and may have even run into you outside asd for pick up on the group buy. Nice to see another local reefer, fts.

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Looking good, following.

I see you on the local forum and may have even run into you outside asd for pick up on the group buy. Nice to see another local reefer, fts.

 

Yeah I was the first one that talked to Sancho when he got there. People swarmed him pretty quickly so I just left right after I got my wavemakers.

 

If that wood canopy is your LED housing, may I make a suggestion.

 

Make that in acrylic or aluminum, it will look a lot nicer.

 

The skill set and tools are almost the same as woodworking.

 

I thought about that but I hate working with acrylic and I wanted to the housing to match the color of my stand. Plus with the wooden legs to lower the T5's the fixture will look like a spaceship which I dig.

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I hope you're not planning on having that wood box to house the 13 up pucks. IMO, it kind of destroys the look of your entire light build (industrial, aluminum build) and also, with that tall wood box in the middle, it seems it would block the spread of your T5HO light, defeating the purpose of having it in the first place (T5 is good for spread)

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I hope you're not planning on having that wood box to house the 13 up pucks. IMO, it kind of destroys the look of your entire light build (industrial, aluminum build) and also, with that tall wood box in the middle, it seems it would block the spread of your T5HO light, defeating the purpose of having it in the first place (T5 is good for spread)

Like I said I am making legs to lower the T5s. As far as the housing the pucks are going in there. The wood housing will be the same color as my stand which is deep red.

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Why are you guys trying to impart your aesthetic preferences on him? It's his light, his tank, and his choice. As long as it all works, and is providing good light for the tank, why the hell should you care what it looks like? Once it's painted, who cares what material it was made from.

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Yeah I was the first one that talked to Sancho when he got there. People swarmed him pretty quickly so I just left right after I got my wavemakers.

.

I think I was the second guy to swarm him. I was in my work clothes (construction get up) carring the bucket of salt to my truck. Didnt you also pick up a dc12000? If so, how do you like it? Thinking of picking one up myself.
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I think I was the second guy to swarm him. I was in my work clothes (construction get up) carring the bucket of salt to my truck. Didnt you also pick up a dc12000? If so, how do you like it? Thinking of picking one up myself.

 

Nah I just got the 2 RW's. The guy right after me though picked up a ton of stuff including the DC12000 I think. I am running my tank sumpless with just a Tunze 9004 w/ purigen in the bottom compartment.

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Why are you guys trying to impart your aesthetic preferences on him? It's his light, his tank, and his choice. As long as it all works, and is providing good light for the tank, why the hell should you care what it looks like? Once it's painted, who cares what material it was made from.

Hey, this is an open forum. Everyone has their opinion and are entitled to it. Were just giving our ideas, if he doesnt like it, or has something else planned, well good for him. No one is being disrespectful here.

 

Dont get your panties in a bunch here.

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And there is light. Testing out my wiring job with a manual dimmer board right now and seeing how hot the heatsink gets with only 1 fan. I did an initial PAR reading and my DIY meter has to be off because I am only getting 150 PAR with the T5's on the top portion of the rock in the middle. I don't think it's very good with blue light. Blue is at 75% and white is 60%.

 

Ditched the purple+ and went with a Wave Point Superblue so now I have Coral+ in the front and Superblue in the back. The color mix of these pucks is outstanding.

 

DSC_1374.JPG

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Final version complete. Added 4 of the rapidled quad core violets I had from my freshwater setup. They are running at 500ma when at 100%. Was able to borrow an apogee from the local club as I didn't think my DIY meter was putting out correct PAR for the blue channel and I was right. Adjusted for error correction I am getting the following PAR. This is based on 1000ma for blue, 700ma for white, and 500ma for violet and the 2x T5's.

 

I also bought 2x Noctua NF-P12-1300 fans and they are dead silent while keeping the heatsink barely hot to the touch.

 

Light is 25" from sand bed.

 

Blue 80%

White 65%

Violet 80%

 

PAR - 300 at the sand bed.

 

Now the real test begins with adding some coral.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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