Another fine BC29 Update R2D2

[klarion]

Nice thread.

 

There is something to be said for posting pictures. Personally, I could just look at them for hours if they're nice and clear. I guess it gives an idea of what we'd like to see in our tanks, looks wise.

 

later,

b

[Deano]

Nice thread.

 

There is something to be said for posting pictures. Personally, I could just look at them for hours if they're nice and clear. I guess it gives an idea of what we'd like to see in our tanks, looks wise.

 

later,

b

 

Thanks... Appreciate you looking.

 

I am like you I troll for pictures. Love seeing other peoples ideas in the works.

 

Like the old saying a picture is worth a 1000 words.

 

A New Yorker... My dad was born in raised in Syracuse New York ended upun Kansas of all places thanks to the Air Force.

[Anjiro]

I know you havent updated in a few days, but I wanted to pose a question or two. I think that this is how I want to mod my cube.

1. So for starters I read all four pages but I'm curious if there are any fan options the same size with the same better air output

2. What length was the light you put in? I assume the following: [18 inch 1x96 Watt (Quad-Bulb) Current USA PowerCompact SunPaq Retrofit Kit]

 

3. How does the new light sit in there. Is it just resting on the splash guard? If so does it not overheat the acrylic in any way?.

4. How did you move the lights around so that you could get it to fit in the front like that?

 

 

Thanks for your time!

[Deano]

Its been quite some time since I have updated this build thread. Needless to say this tank is not what it once was. I had it at my office, move it home due to the closing of that office. It seat for about 6 months empty. Finely I got ambitious and refilled it a year ago and added a couple false percs. With the intention of adding a LTA. The problem was I needed all new light bulbs and I just wasn't willing to spend $100 for more worthless PC bulbs. I admit I am a MH junkie. Then I found the Odyssey $99.00 150 w MH fixture with T5s. I was willing to take my chances on this light although the reputation is a bit tainted. So far the fixtures reputation hasn't let me down. Within 3 days the MH ballast took a dump. It took the on-line store I bought it from 2 weeks to get me a new one. But know that it is up and running, here is the results.

 

1st off I bought this tank because I love the clean look of the close top. Of course heat is a big issue and one reason I did not go MH from day one. Inspired by the new BC29 HQI I kind of made my own interpretation on how to handle this mod.

 

Basically I cut a rectangle hole the size of the lights glass right in the middle of the hood and bolted the 150w fixture to the hood. I left one of my 36 watt PC mounted over the fans and cut the factory slash shield in half to cover the pc bulb for splash protection. The MH and T5s have there own splash shield built into the fixture.

 

I call it R2D2. What do you think?

 

 

 

As you can see by the thermometer so far heat is not an issue. 80 degrees

 

 

Now to find me a nice purple LTA. See a member here had one but already sold it.

 

 

 

 

My appolgize to the last poster. Hope he or she found the answers.

[Deano]

Well my temp started to move up to 82 degrees at the end of the MH light cycle for the last few days so I mounted x2 50mm fans on the RH and LH side of the canopy blowing into it and the x2 60mm fans mounted in the factory positions blowing out. Hopefully this will increase flow of fresh air into the canopy and pressurize it a bit to help force out the hot air. We'll see at the end of today’s MH light cycle. I guess it is a good thing I don't have this in my office it sounds like R2D2 on oxgen life support. Once I have a handle on the cooling I think I will add some potentiometers to adjust the fans speeds as low as possible while maintaining my desired temps.

 

Hmmm guess I shouldn't have sold my chiller.

[Deano]

Well, Temps have stabilized at 82 degrees. I can live with that I just need to add some pots to adjust the fans speeds a bit to reduce the noise.

[tmn_3]

I am in the same boat as you. I like the finished, complete look of the biocube but I want to add MH lighting. I am looking at the same unit that you added to your tank and I think you did a good job of still making it all look like the same unit. I was wondering if think there is some way that you could have built the unit into the hood with out having to cut a square into the top? Could the unit be gutted and move all the electrical and bulbs into the hood?

[Deano]

Thanks for checking out my tank!

 

IMO! There is no way you could mount the whole fixture into the hood or in this case under the hood of the BC. The lights glass would be way to close to the water surface. That is the reason I put it on top. This gave me plenty of room between the wate surface and the lights glass. Plus having it higher above the tank helped with the light spread.

 

Also leaving the MH fixture in tacked and under the BC hood would cause way to much heat because I couldn't see any efficent way to get the heat out of the fixture and then out of the hood.

 

If you are going to maintain the hoods outside apperance your only method would be to mount the MH reflector into the BC hood without the original fixture. Checkout Nanotuners they offer a MH retro kit. Here are the instruction they might help you. Nanocustom 150 W MH instructions

[Deano]

I am in the same boat as you. I like the finished, complete look of the biocube but I want to add MH lighting. I am looking at the same unit that you added to your tank and I think you did a good job of still making it all look like the same unit. I was wondering if think there is some way that you could have built the unit into the hood with out having to cut a square into the top? Could the unit be gutted and move all the electrical and bulbs into the hood?

 

I reread your post and to added to my previouse post. You could gut the Odyssea fixture and place the guts into the BC hood. But you would want a heat sheild between the reflector/bulb and the top of the BC hood that it is mounted to. I provided the Nanotuners instructions as a helpful guide.

[tmn_3]

I reread your post and to added to my previouse post. You could gut the Odyssea fixture and place the guts into the BC hood. But you would want a heat sheild between the reflector/bulb and the top of the BC hood that it is mounted to. I provided the Nanotuners instructions as a helpful guide.

 

I'm guessing that the purpose of the heat shield is to prevent the heat from the lamp melting the plastic of the hood? Do you think the the metal that the PCs are currently mounted to would be considered a heat shield?

[Deano]

You are correct and no the stock shields would not be thick enough. You need something that will help to dissipate the heat.

[Deano]

Tank update.

 

I added a very nice Solon Red Head Fairy wrasse and a Coral Beauty. The Coral Beauty was suppose to go into my 135 since my original one I got in 2006, transferd from the BC29 to my 135, jump out and I found it DOA on the cross brace of my 135. But when I added the Coral Beauty to my 135 my 6 line wrasse wanted no part of the Coral Beauty in the 135 and literally chased it out of the tank. Luckly into the over flow. Needless to say it is now in the BC29. I guess I will have to get something bigger and meaner then the 6 line to add to my 135. I am thing a Powder Blue tang. Just one problem I already have a Purple Tang in that tank so I don't know if the Purple tang will allow it.

 

Haven't gotten to excited about adding any additional corals still looking for a nice LTA to add to this tank. Adding a LTA will pretty much take up the whole tank and leave no room for corals.

 

FTS

 

Here is the crew looking at you!

 

 

As for my heat issues I added 2 50mm fans one on each side of the hood. This along with replaceing the 60mm fan attached to the back cover has lowered my tank temps to 81 degree's.

 

 

Tank is still fan loud but I can live with it since the tank is in what my family calls the fish room. It is a complete room in our basement that houses 3 tanks, 2 massive deer mounts from my bow hunting days and my desktop CPU.

[TYSDADI]

Awesome tank Dean. One day I hope to get my tank to look that nice.

[Deano]

Awesome tank Dean. One day I hope to get my tank to look that nice.

You will just be patient and follow reliable sources for your information.

 

Thanks for looking!

[Rcplain123]

Nice looking tank. It's a shame the quad PC mod went to waste but the MH looks nice. So how many fans do you have running in your tank? 5?

[Deano]

Nice looking tank. It's a shame the quad PC mod went to waste but the MH looks nice. So how many fans do you have running in your tank? 5?

 

thank you

 

technically 6 because the Odyssea light has fan on it. Yes it sounds like it is on oxygen life support. But it works out for me. If I had the tank in my office or somewhere else in my home it would be to loud.

[Deano]

Update:

 

This tank is doing great. Since adding the MH the tank looks better then ever. I resently got a Phenoix 14 k MH bulb. I like the color but this bulb just doesn't produce a crisp light, plus I lost most of my MH shimmer with this bulb. I will stay with it but when it comes time to replace this bulb I will most likely try something else.

 

Here are some pictures of my resent additions. Maxi Mini Nems. These are awesome creatures.

 

 

 

My 3 eyed conch. It is actually in my 135 gal tank. I do have a Fighting conch in the BC29.

 

[Megoony]

Where did you purchase your Odyssea lighting system? You mentioned it was a 150W MH for $99.00 . . . Is this system discontinued? I can't seem to find it anywhere- also how long is it? I'm getting a BC 29 in a few days, and really want to upgrade my lighting in the future. Your mod is awesome!

[Deano]

I purchased it from aquatraders.com but I was recently on there website and did not see it. You could call them and see if they stll have some. I have seen it on ebay, you might try there.

[Megoony]

Yeah, just checked- looks like they are out of stock right now, but I found a review on the product page that was from about December 20th . . . so hopefully they will just get more in soon, cuz I'm on a budget and want nice lights but am def. not willing to shell out 300-400 bucks :-/. They do have a 250W 24" MH system for $128, but is that overkill? I want a lot of softies and don't exactly want to focus on SPS,but I want the option of having some . . . I also don't know how I'd mount it to my biocube

[Deano]

I am happy with the light and would recommend it, hopefully they get more in.

[rO.oster]

your tank looks great, I really enjoyed reading your thread. the vividness of the Oct 10 pictures are certainly lost, but things still looks awesome!

[Deano]

your tank looks great, I really enjoyed reading your thread. the vividness of the Oct 10 pictures are certainly lost, but things still looks awesome!

 

I appreciate you looking, I do love this tank. But am afraid, as we are discussing over in Mushroom boys thread, that my fish bioload is going to be a bit much in the near future.

 

I think the Goby, Shrimp and Blenny combo is the future for this tank and smaller.

[bravo1resq]

I just read through the entire thread and really enjoyed it. Your DIY skills are top notch! Do you have any updated pictures (FTS etc). I would also be interested in pictures of the plug system you have in the cabinet and how you did that.

Great build, gives me ideas for my own plans of a BC29/NC28.

 

 

Respectfully,

 

Kevin

[Deano]

I just read through the entire thread and really enjoyed it. Your DIY skills are top notch! Do you have any updated pictures (FTS etc). I would also be interested in pictures of the plug system you have in the cabinet and how you did that.

Great build, gives me ideas for my own plans of a BC29/NC28.

 

 

Respectfully,

 

Kevin

 

I appreciate you checking out my build. If I can be of any help let me know.

 

I will try and get some updated photos today. Since I am at work right now and we have a major blizzard here in the mid-west, I will most likely head home soon.

 

As for the electrical plugs I did that back in early 2007 and I don't have any additional build photos. But it was very simple to make. I used 1x4's for the the top and bottom rails to hold the plastic electrical box's. These are are common house electrical box's that you can get from the hardware store. You can use 2 plug or 4 plug sockets. Screw the plastic boxes to the top and bottom of the 1X4 mind the spacing for the outlet covers. Install the sockets and then wire them all together using 1 heavy duty wire with plug.