stoney waters Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 After many months of planning and building I am finally getting around to starting a thread on my latest tank build. Of the dozens of tanks I have had in my life, this one is no doubt the most ambitious. Everything from the lighting to the sump will be customized or modified to fit into my vision of the ultimate small reef aquarium. The Set Up 1. 40 gallon AG aquarium. Bottom plumbed center overflow with pair of drilled returns. Closed loop with additional pair of drilled returns. 2. 20 gallon sump. Chambered and baffled with refugium. Protein skimmer and DIY ATO. 3. Custom DIY stand. 4. Lighting DIY pendant with dual 150w metal halides and T-5 actinics. All ballasts separately controlled and timed for true dawn to dusk effect. Moon lighting. 5. Automated system controller. All system functions controlled from one central operating unit. I am almost a year into this project and each component is in a different stage of completion. As each is nearing completion I will post pics in this opening post. I would also like to thank everyone on this forum for their helpful information and insight. This journey has just begun. Custom DIY MH and T-5 pendant. LED moon lighting. System controller DIY Stand Sump Durso and closed loop. DIY ATO. Pendant hanging on a sliding track system. DIY kalk reactor. Aqua scaped and cycled. 11-24-07 7-15-08 11-12-08 More to come. -Stone Link to comment
stallen Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Can't wait to see how this turns out!!! MORE PICS!!! Link to comment
stoney waters Posted December 28, 2006 Author Share Posted December 28, 2006 Can't wait to see how this turns out!!! MORE PICS!!! I have pics coming out my ears. I might need to get a Premium Membership. Link to comment
Duncan Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Wow! Great DIY skills! The pendant has a heavy industry look to it. What do you plan to keep? Link to comment
stoney waters Posted December 28, 2006 Author Share Posted December 28, 2006 Wow! Great DIY skills! The pendant has a heavy industry look to it. What do you plan to keep? I seems like a long way off, but I guess whatever I feel the system will support when I am finished. I'm hoping just about anything. Softies and LPS for sure, some SPS and possibly a clam. Suggestions would be welcomed when I get to that point. Link to comment
rickjg Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 I was always a fan of your NC12, looking forward to the new “Experience” -Rick Link to comment
RayWhisperer Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Looking good Stoney. You've got the skillz. Link to comment
travisurfer Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 The lighting system alone is one of the most impressive i have seen in a long time. great diy skills. Link to comment
stallen Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 That is an awesome pendant. Looks like you are going to hang it with chains. What do you think about using nylon coated stainless steel cable instead? That would give it a really clean look. Just a suggestion. I'm not knocking it. That's better work than I could do! Link to comment
stoney waters Posted December 28, 2006 Author Share Posted December 28, 2006 The original plan was to just drop a couple of halides in the stock fixture and hang it. I thought some actinics would be nice so it just kept evolving. More pics That is an awesome pendant. Looks like you are going to hang it with chains. What do you think about using nylon coated stainless steel cable instead? That would give it a really clean look. Just a suggestion. I'm not knocking it. That's better work than I could do! Thats a good idea. I might pick some up and see how it looks. Link to comment
stallen Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 Very professional looking work. Let's see the main tank! Link to comment
stoney waters Posted December 29, 2006 Author Share Posted December 29, 2006 Very professional looking work. Let's see the main tank! The tank is just sitting unmodified. Its an All Glass 40 g breeder, a Petco dollar a gallon special. I don't even have any pictures of it. How about something more interesting. Here is the progress of my stand. I'm going to try to finish it up this weekend. Link to comment
stoney waters Posted January 2, 2007 Author Share Posted January 2, 2007 I recieved my MH order earlier last month and finished wiring the control panel. It works! Link to comment
Peterpan Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 ...dude i'm dead jealous about your light'Z.......anyway good work though .. Link to comment
stoney waters Posted January 4, 2007 Author Share Posted January 4, 2007 Finished putting the last coat of poly on the stand last night. Link to comment
stallen Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 CHEESE and RICE!! Nice control panel. Amazing work. I'm not even sure what I'm looking at I guess those four white boxes are timers. Are those red lights just telling you when the timers are on? And I suppose those are all of the ballasts. Link to comment
Carinya Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 CHEESE and RICE!! Yeah. What he said. That's mighty nice. Link to comment
warr40 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 Nice lighting........where did u get that box for the control panel Link to comment
stoney waters Posted January 4, 2007 Author Share Posted January 4, 2007 Thanks Carinya. Stallen and warr40, I'll explain further. The box is an electrical enclosure I found on ebay. I painted the door black. The four white switches are in-wall timers. The first one controls the left halide, the second controls the right halide and the third controls the T-5 actinics. Together they create a dawn to dusk sun motion. The fourth timer controls the far right set of outlets. I will most likely plug the fuge light into this. The small lights under the timers just indicate on or off. The top four sets of plug-ins are independently switched by the lighted rockers below. This allows certain pumps or other equipment to be turned off for feeding or maintenance without having to unplug or switch off an entire power strip. The inside contains all the ballasts and transformers for the lights and fans. The unit is connected to the pendant light by a 14 wire multiconnector with a quick disconnect. The entire system will be hardwired or pluged into this one unit. Its kind of like a poor mans Reef Keeper. One more of the light in action. Link to comment
stoney waters Posted January 9, 2007 Author Share Posted January 9, 2007 Set the tank on the stand and snapped some pics. Can't wait to get it upstairs into its final spot. Still a lot of work to do. I dug out my old drill bits so I can start drilling the tank (fingers crossed). Link to comment
EnFuego Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 I love that light. How did cut the metal for the fixture? I seems very precise, so I'm assuming CNC, but I know very little about this type of stuff. Also are you planning on replacing the glass cover over the MH bulbs? It just looks like it isn't all that clear. Link to comment
Duncan Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 Wow... You are the MAN! You know plumbing, carpentry, electrical, electronics and so much more! Great job! Link to comment
oogie Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 Man... such a great work! Your light looks incredible. Very Very nice idea! Can't wait to see this progress! Link to comment
the_anti_honda Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 Now don't screw it up by putting whack stuff in the tank. LOL any way that light is just too amazing. Love the setup thus far. Link to comment
stoney waters Posted January 10, 2007 Author Share Posted January 10, 2007 I love that light. How did cut the metal for the fixture? I seems very precise, so I'm assuming CNC, but I know very little about this type of stuff. Also are you planning on replacing the glass cover over the MH bulbs? It just looks like it isn't all that clear. The two aluminum end pieces were cut on a water-jet. The shop that cut it does a lot of work for my business. The question about the glass shields is a very good one. They are clear (not frosted), but have a hammered texture like the reflectors. I ran the light for a short time with one shield down and there seemed to be no visible difference. I don't want to replace them if I don't have to. Maybe others have some thoughts. Man... such a great work! Your light looks incredible. Very Very nice idea! Can't wait to see this progress! Thanks oogie. If it turns out half as nice as your Oceanic cube I'll be thrilled. Thanks not_honda. Good luck with your new tank Duncan. Link to comment
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