My LED Biocube 8

[EliPhant]

It's been a while. Been busy and neglected the tank for a while and cleaned it up this week. Still battling massive numbers of flatworms but the cyano has subsided. My clownfish has gotten big and he's going to have to find a bigger home soon. Here are some pics:

 

[Primeval]

I always like when someone gets rock besides boulder fiji

[EliPhant]

Parts/equipment:

4x Cree XR-E Royal Blue LEDs

4x Cree XR-E Cool White LEDs

24v 6.5A Potrans Power Supply

2x Dimmable BuckPucks with potentiometers & metal knobs

7.75inch x 4.5inch heat sink

Thermal pads

80mm <14dbA 32cfm Silenx iXtrema fan

 

Total cost- About $175 including the cost for misc supplies like a solder iron, wires, etc.

 

[EliPhant]

Ok so its been a while.. heres the bc8 in its current state.

Side shot (i like it better than the front shot, placed most of my corals on the side for now since I view the tank more from the side)

 

 

I hope my clownfish eventually takes to the torch; would be really nice to see!

[mikej]

Working off of your parts list I got everything I needed together and just finished attaching, soldering, and testing the LEDs on my BC8 mod. The brightness is astounding - just unreal (I'm super glad that I trusted your buildout and went with the dimmable buckpucks).

 

I'm curious, though, how you ended up securely attaching the heatsink to the hood. I can't seem to think of a way that doesn't involve drilling holes, which I don't want to do as the screw holes in the hood don't line up with the fin gaps.

[Nanobuds]

very cool tank!

[EliPhant]

Working off of your parts list I got everything I needed together and just finished attaching, soldering, and testing the LEDs on my BC8 mod. The brightness is astounding - just unreal (I'm super glad that I trusted your buildout and went with the dimmable buckpucks).

 

I'm curious, though, how you ended up securely attaching the heatsink to the hood. I can't seem to think of a way that doesn't involve drilling holes, which I don't want to do as the screw holes in the hood don't line up with the fin gaps.

 

Yeah these LED's are bright. A lot of people feel that 8 leds just isnt enough.. but for this size tank it's really more than enough. I run them at around 25%-30% and I keep sps fine. Its borderline "too much light" for some corals I have (big green palys, nuclear green palys, and clove polyps). Everything else is loving it.

 

I went to Lowes and bought a strip of aluminum to make 2 brackets. It was like $4 for like 3 feet long, 3/4 inch wide or so. All I could find that would work. I cut and bent the strip to fit the width of the heatsink and drilled holes to screw into the existing screw holes in the hood. Then I drilled holes into the heatsink and screwed it to the "brackets".

 

very cool tank!

 

Thanks!

[Reef Diver]

I really like the build. Do you find you miss the moonlights at night? I'd love LEDs in order to color up my softies/lps (and not changing out the bulbs!) rather than SPS. Think it would be worth it? The colors on your corals seem to just pop!

 

I hope your clown hosts it too! Your torch looks really good. I would try one but gosh darnit the amount of room it needs doesn't bode too well with my rockwork. What kind of other stock do you have going on in there?

[EliPhant]

I really like the build. Do you find you miss the moonlights at night? I'd love LEDs in order to color up my softies/lps (and not changing out the bulbs!) rather than SPS. Think it would be worth it? The colors on your corals seem to just pop!

 

I hope your clown hosts it too! Your torch looks really good. I would try one but gosh darnit the amount of room it needs doesn't bode too well with my rockwork. What kind of other stock do you have going on in there?

 

I don't really care much for the moonlights really. I usually end up going to sleep before or soon after the lights go out at 2:30am. I definitely think LED's are worth the money. My biggest issue was heat and evaporation since I don't have an ATO. I go through a gallon of R/O water very slowly; I don't even keep track of how long it lasts lol. I still get some heat issues since the tank is so small and my room is always around 80 degrees during the day, so I prop the lid open slightly with a frag plug. Also, being able to dim the lights helps a lot in case you need to acclimate a new coral to the light.

 

Yeah the torch does take up a lot of room but to me its a good thing, lol. I dont need to try to buy more corals to fill up that space! The torch usually opens up really big but lately it isnt puffing up as much, maybe because my cleaner shrimp marches all over it and eats the tips off, lol.

 

As far as other corals, mostly just small frags that I am trying to grow out:

 

Softies:

8 kinds of zoas, a few ricordeas, 2 leathers, green center clove polyps, a lot of xenia i just got for free

LPS: torch, hammer

SPS: Green slimer, birdsnest, setosa, green pocillopora i think

 

Not the best looking tank, but here is a FTS.

 

 

My hammer is being a bad boy. lol.

 

[Tyron]

where did you get your heatsink from and how did you mount it?

[EliPhant]

[knoxvegas]

Nice. Still digging the 8 LEDs decision and what % running at now? FTS, maybe.

[Gromit1710]

Nice tank! What have you done for filtering in the back? Cheato?

[erok_8g]

Awsome setup.i would like to use it in my tank.think u can help?

[EliPhant]

Nice. Still digging the 8 LEDs decision and what % running at now? FTS, maybe.

 

The LED's are running @ around 40% or so. Updated FTS is on the first post, first pic. I'll snap some more photos tomorrow when the lights are on.

 

Nice tank! What have you done for filtering in the back? Cheato?

 

in the back I put cheato and purigen in the 2nd compartment. Then eggcrate over the water that holds some filter floss in place. I'll snap a pic if i can get a good one.

 

Awsome setup.i would like to use it in my tank.think u can help?

Yea just shoot me a PM.

[erok_8g]

pm sent

[erok_8g]

what is the current output on those buckpucks?