Stoneys Nano. A moded 12 DX

[ereefer]

I already have the piccilo shipped from the UK. I guess I jumped the gun a little bit.

[shao-lin nano]

hey ereefer, when you get the skimmer to work in your 24g make sure I'm the first one to know.

 

also, where or what site did you order the skimmer on?

 

thanks.

[ereefer]

I bought it from

www.aquatics-online.co.uk

It was about 30 US dollars shipped, and you will be the first to know

and I will post pics... etc.

you and stoney have been awesome for my DIY ideas, I really appreciate it.

[ereefer]

Oh yeah I forgot,

Also i am now debating whether to mod the cube or the skimmer???

The crazy part of all this is that I am not completly draining the tank for the mods either

[PaulP]

If you're not draining the tank, the only decision can be to modify the skimmer. I did drain and tear mine down. I was surprised at how much gunk I got into the tank as I Dremel'd the back lip.

 

Bear with me, I'll post some pictures this weekend. I am familiar with the Picollo and it should be able to be modified in the same way. The only difference is it hangs from the lip while the Lee's is able to stand on the bottom. I see that as a big advantage in keeping everything in the same spot.

 

I'm off to the shop to take pictures.

 

Paul P

[embryoguy]

great idea Paul. please post pics.

[stoney waters]

Here is a pic that shows how the piccolo sits in the second chamber. I modified the hanger a little to get it to fit in the middle chamber. I had to shorten the cross supports by a 1/2". It don't know if it would be necessary in 24 gallon.

 

 

The little rectangle piece that the hanger is clamped to is a small black lego. I sanded off the nipples (can I say nipples?) and glued it to the dividing wall. This keeps the skimmer in place.

 

 

Here are some more pictures of the skimmer mod.

 

 

 

[shao-lin nano]

What kind of pumps are you using?

 

Does it require a powerhead and an air pump?

[stash98]

just needs an air pump. I just ordered a piccolo from the UK. I also got a rena 300 to drive the stone.

 

Stoney helped me out with good info on the piccolo.

[stoney waters]

I am running MJ 606s in chambers 1 and 3. The skimmer is solely air driven, no pump required.

[stoney waters]

stash

 

I used a Rena 300 for a while it worked just fine, but I wanted a larger air pump to extend the life of the airstones. I just recently upgraded to a dual pump with an electronic rheostat.

The pump alone is too large for skimmer even with the rheostat set at its lowest level. I hooked up an inline air valve and use the rheostat for fine tuning. I now have more precise control of the skimmer and the power to drive the stone when it starts to get old.

 

Stone

[StephG]

Can you tell me the diameter of the collection cube and tube for that skimmer? I'm wondering if I've got enough room for it in my sump.

[stoney waters]

The collection cup is 2" tall and 3" in diameter. The riser tube is 6" long and 2" wide. You will need at least 1" clearence between the bottom of the skimmer and the bottom of the sump. Mine sits 4" into the water.

[stoney waters]

Well, this is the weekend I plan to upgrade my lighting. I have been waiting to do this for months now and I finally have all the components. I will be increasing the output from my current 68 w to 122 w. I will also be replacing the stock fans and adding two additional cooling fans. I hope everything goes smoothly. I am sure I will have plenty of questions.

 

Stone.

[stoney waters]

Had lots of fun during the down time. I was able to get the whole upgrade done whith no snags. I now have nearly twice the lighting and I am loving it.

 

 

3-32w pc driven by an icecap 430 ballast

 

2-T-5s driven at 13w each with a Pony ballast. Used for dusk and dawn.

 

122w total.

 

 

I aslo replaced my LEDs with brighter spots and replaced the stock fans.

 

 

Ballast and switch box for LEDs and cold cathode.

 

 

 

Splash shield back in place.

 

 

 

I will snap and post some tank shots later today.

 

Stone.

[diablobryan]

Holy smokes, was it tough to do all the wiring/etc? I'm a total newbie at electronics/wiring, would I be able to figure things out or was it a nightmare? Looks great btw!

[nanojake]

Where did you find the t5's? I didn't see them at nanocustoms/nanotuners...

[stoney waters]

It wasn't to bad. I had time to figure things out before I started. Color coded wires are a help and the wiring diagrams are usually on the ballast. I was able to download the diagram for the IceCap online. Getting everything to fit right was the biggest pain.

 

nanojake

 

The T-5, are the same ones that they sell at Nanocustoms. I used them before but the internal ballasts kept going bad. I think the heat in the hood was too much for them. I decided to use only the end caps and drive them with a remote ballast. They seem to burn a little brighter. Time will tell how long they last.

[stoney waters]

Here are some pics under the new lighting.

 

 

Under all 122 watts.

 

 

 

More

 

 

 

Zoos under moonlight spot.

 

[nekomi]

Looking good, Stoney!

 

Would you mind posting some more information and pics on your Iceprobe mod? I'd like to do the same mod on my 12g nanocube. What is the diameter of the hole? Did you epoxy the chiller into place, or what? Also, is that a bit of the chiller's tip sticking into the main display?

 

A step-by-step would be fantastic. I'm sure there are lots of folks who would love to incorporate one of these into their systems. Thanks!!

[stoney waters]

Thanks nekomi,

 

Although the Iceprobe has worked wonders in my setup, there may be other more practical solutions for lowering temps in these cubes. Upgrading fans and replacing the stock pump are the first steps that should be taken to reduce temps. The ICA from Nanocustoms is another alternative for those who feel uncomfortable drilling the back glass. With multiple pumps and upgraded lighting combined with high ambient temps I had no other alternative. The ICA was not in production and it would not have fit anyway because of my skimmer mod.

 

That being said; here is how I did it.

 

The Ice probe requires a 1" hole in the glass. It is held in place with a large nut on the inside of the tank. The outside is sealed with a large silicone washer. The black mask should be cut out to create a clean surface for the seal. Next comes the hole. Because of the rear chambers there was no way to support the rear glass. That made traditional drilling out of the question. I decided to go with the dremmel method. I used a dremmel and two different bits. Did it over the kitchen sink with the hand sprayer taped to keep the water flowing. I first used a ball tipped diamond bit to scribe the pattern and drill the initial hole. I then used a tapered diamond bit to cut out the circle. It took a while, about 45 min for a 1" hole.

I was a little worried at first, but once I got started I wasn't scared at all. The back glass is much thicker than the front, about 1/4". I practiced on a piece of thin picture frame glass and it worked, so I figured I wouldn't have any problems with the tank. I didn't, it just took longer. The hole does not have to be perfectly round it will still seal nicely.

 

Once the hole was finished I tried to fit the unit into the tank. I found that the end of the probe hit the front wall of the chambers and I still needed about another 1/8" of clearance. I then drilled a 3/4" hole in the plastic wall with a cordless drill and a spade bit. The unit now fit all the way in and I was able the tighten the nut and seal. The end of the probe barely protruded into the tank from the back wall. I glued a 1" PVC cap over the hole to prevent water from entering the rear chambers. I only wish I could have found one in black.

 

I do not have many pics of this procedure, but here are a few. Some are pasted from the beginning of the thread.

 

 

Cutting the holes with water flowing.

 

Both holes finished.

 

Unit installed.

 

 

1" PVC cap. I ground it down with a disk sander so that it would not protrude as far.

 

 

 

I highly recommend purchasing the temperature controller with this chiller. That way the chiller can be set at a specific temp and it will not be competing with the heater. I have mine set at 78 and to be honest I don't think that my heater has ever kicked on. These are great chillers. It has preformed flawlessly for over six months. It has kept my temps in the low 80's at times when they could have easily reached 90. However I do not think they would be much help in any tank over 12 gallons.

 

Hope this is helpful.

Stone.

[shao-lin nano]

hey stone, very nice FTS. How's the entire setup working out with the lights and dual hydor and etc?

[nekomi]

Stoney, I wasn't aware that there is a temperature controller. Where can I purchase one? I just purchased a used IceProbe from the classifieds and I don't know if it came with one or not. Can it be purchased seperately?

[shao-lin nano]

The temp controller can be purchased seperately but I think it's a little pricy. Here's a link to one on marine depot:

 

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=CW1113

 

You can probably find it cheaper elsewhere or you can hook it up to a Reef Keeper which is a little pricy but you can controll so many other things with it.

[stoney waters]

nekomi

 

They are pretty pricey, but worth the investment. I wouldn't feel comfortable running a unit without one. AuquaBuys has cheapest price I've seen.

 

shao

 

The system is working perfectly. I was a little worried about heat with the lighting upgrade, but it turns out I actually dropped 2 or 3 degrees. I guess the upgraded fans and modified heat shield vent the hood better. I doubled my wattage and got lower heat as a bonus.

 

I think this tank is just about moded out. I would like to put in a fudge but don't see how I'd find the room. Maybe I could hook up a ReefKeeper. Or I could spend the money on new corals.

 

Stone.