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MadDevil's BC14 (Retired 7/4/2013)


Maddevil1

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July 4, 2012
DSC_04441.JPG

August 13, 2011

DSC_04441





Updated July 4, 2012

Equipment
Oceanic BioCube 14
10lbs CaribSea SeaFlor Special Reef Sand
25lbs Fiji LR
FishNeedIt 150W MH (Phoenix 14K), modded with fans 5/22/2010
1 True Violet LED for moonlighting
Tunze Osmolator ATO

Chamber 1
50W Visi-Therm Stealth Pro Heater
Flow mod between 1+2 chambers and false floor removed
PinPoint pH Probe

Chamber 2
Stevie-T's Media Rack
Filter Floss (Top)
Kent Marine Reef Carbon (Middle)
Purigen & Phosguard (Bottom)

Chamber 3
MaxiJet 1100 upgrade
(Removed Sponge)
Tunze ATO

Clean-Up Crew
2x Trochus Snails
2x Margarita Snails
2x Emerald Crab


Inverts

Corals
GSP
Mushrooms
Ricordea Mushroom
Zoas
Bird's Nest
Green Apple Montipora
Yellow Hornet Zoas

Fish
Sunrise Pseudochromis 9/13/10

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I am now starting the LED Retrofit with the help of Waterproof,evilc66, and crs2k

post-44019-1240409897_thumb.jpg

 

Heatsink (HeatsinkUSA.com) in hood, just to see what it looks like. Its not bolted down yet.

 

post-44019-1240409885_thumb.jpg

 

80mmx80mmx15mm SilenX iXtrema 11dBa-18CFM Fan - Checking for clearance

 

post-44019-1240410162_thumb.jpg

 

Fan installed. Decided to cut a hole in the hood instead of drilling holes like crs2k did. The fan is pretty quiet. I am going to remove the screws and place the silicone-composite fan mounts instead to see if it make a difference with noise. I picked up the grill at Fry's for $1.99. There is another piece that goes on top of the grill but decided to leave it off. The other piece gives the grill a higher profile.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Maddevil1
Did you take out the false floor in chamber 1?

 

Sure did. I also took the bottom tray from chamber 2 and replaced the top tray with it. I will put the filter floss on top of the tray and run purigen and chemipure elite below this. I will also replace the stock pump with a MJ900 and put the hydor flo nozzle on. I will not use the 90 degree elbow and replace it with 2-45 degree elbows to make a smoother flow for the water. I have been thinking about not doing any of this and incorporating my refugium that I had with my 46 gallon tank. Need to think about this some more.

 

Just waiting on the LEDs to come in from the group buy so I can finish my lights and get this tank up and running! :happydance:

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  • 4 weeks later...

Buckpuck drivers in the project box

post-44019-1243812966_thumb.jpgpost-44019-1243813101_thumb.jpg

 

Moonlights installed in the hood

post-44019-1243813110_thumb.jpg

 

 

Hopefully the LEDs will be coming in late next week so I can finally start building it! fingerscrossed

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  • 2 weeks later...

LEDs have arrived! omgomgomg I did a check-out of every LED and they all work and are very bright. Will post pics when I get the LEDs installed on the heatsink. :happydance:

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Glad you got them. ETG does nice work don't they?

 

 

Overall yes! There were about 4 LEDs with some kind of silicate around it. Just took some tweezers and removed it, no biggie. They were freaking bright! Took a while for my eyes to adjust after I tested the first one. LED retro should be completed by this weekend!

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Hey, there you go :) Time for some action shots. Don't forget to add your project to the list in the lighting forum.

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That looks great. Nice job. Is it a brand new tank? If not, what do you have in it already? I'm still playing with the dimmers as I think my zoas don't like soooo much light. I just haven't quite found the happy medium yet.

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Very cool. This is exactly what I want to do for my 12g nanocube. Let us know what the rough cost was for parts. Does the tank look alot more bright? I'm still trying to figure out how many LEDs to use.

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If you don't mind me asking, how much did everything cost when it was all said and done?

 

Screws and Nylon Washers (Lowes) - $10

Solder and 22 AWG wire (Radio Shack) - $12

Tap, Drill Bit, and Aluminum Bar (Ace Hardware) - $13

Expandable Sleeving (Fry's Elec.) - $18

SilenX Fan and Grill (Fry's Elec.) - $20

Project Box and 4 DC Plugs\Jacks (Radio Shack) - $20

Heatsink (heatsinkusa.com) - $24.38 (includes shipping)

2 Power Supplies and 2 IEC Power Cords (MPJA.com) - $43.50 (includes shipping)

2 Buckpucks and Artic Silver (LEDsupply.com) - $51.97 (includes shipping)

16 LEDs (only used 12 - bought in GB) - $92 (includes shipping)

Misc :unsure:

Total: ~ $305

Doing it yourself - PRICELESS :wub:

 

Things that I didnt purchase that was key: Dremel tool and drill press attachment; Soldering Iron

 

Let me know if you have any questions.

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That looks great. Nice job. Is it a brand new tank? If not, what do you have in it already? I'm still playing with the dimmers as I think my zoas don't like soooo much light. I just haven't quite found the happy medium yet.

 

 

Thanks! And thanks for helping me! Yep brand spanking new. After Hurricane Ike wiped out my 46 gallon, decided to do a nano tank. I am in the process of trying to find a stand, I heard that the BC14 stand isnt that stable. LFS says it wobbles when you clean the glass. :scarry: After that, still need to get all the other bells and whistles before I start the cycle process. I already got StevieT's media rack. I want to do all the basic mods before I start.

 

Not sure if you noticed, but I reversed the Royal Blues and Whites from what you have in your design. I am hoping that when there is water in the tank, it looks more like 14K. Right now, it looks more white. When I first turned the lights on, I forgot I had the dimmers all the way down, I thought it was bright then! :o

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Very cool. This is exactly what I want to do for my 12g nanocube. Let us know what the rough cost was for parts. Does the tank look alot more bright? I'm still trying to figure out how many LEDs to use.

 

 

I think 12 LEDs should be fine. If I am not mistaken, the 12g Nanocube is very similar to the BC14. If so, with the 12 LEDs, you can keep anything you want under the lighting. If you do more than 12, then you have to get another buckpuck and more LEDs and maybe a bigger heatsink. So, is the additional cost worth it? I dont think so, but thats my opinion. I cant really speak if its brighter or not (in comparison to the stock lighting). This is a brand new setup and I basically gutted the hood as soon as I bought the tank.

 

very very nice sir. is that the cold cathode mod?

 

if not, what is that moonlight?

 

thanks

 

d.

 

 

Thanks! LOL, no cold cathode mod. Its the R2 Solutions Mooonlight. Its awesome! Here is a link to it:

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~cat...y~FILTFIML.html

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Hot looking system you got there. I have seen a lot of people do that same LED set up now. I think there should be a step by step tutorial by now. :D "wink, wink"

 

But any how that's really cool. Nice work. I can't wait to see your tank with some life.

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Hot looking system you got there. I have seen a lot of people do that same LED set up now. I think there should be a step by step tutorial by now. :D "wink, wink"

 

But any how that's really cool. Nice work. I can't wait to see your tank with some life.

 

 

there already is search for diy highpower leds the author is waterproof

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So a drill press is actually required? I don't have access to something like that. I think I'll have access to a regular hand drill at best...

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So a drill press is actually required? I don't have access to something like that. I think I'll have access to a regular hand drill at best...

 

 

A drill press isnt required, just makes drilling easier..

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  • 2 weeks later...
Maddevil, nice work, it looks really slick and clean. Id like to replicate what you did here and was hoping you could elaborate on a few things. I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to all of this, so trying to piece everythign together from all of the threads here.

 

Thanks! Ask away, I read many of the threads over and over as well as asked many questions myself.

 

can you explain more about the project box? like where do the dc plugs go, and how is it wired etc.

 

The DC jacks on the project box are two different sizes, M and N, N being the bigger size. Looking at the pic of the top view of the project box, you see the size N dc power jack, the power switch (scavenged from the hood), the pot from the buckpuck, and then the size M dc power jack (not in pic). The dc jacks I bought (from Radio Shack, panel mount) have 2 prongs to attach your wires to, some have 3 is why I mention this. One prong is for the inner diameter and the other is for the outer diameter. Make sure to wire your hot to the inner diameter and return to the outer diameter. I soldered the wires on. When you attach your wires to the dc plugs, make sure to the wire them the same way, hot to the inner diameter and return to the outer diameter. Also use small heat shrink tubes on the dc plugs so the hot and return do not touch. I soldered these as well. So from the power supplies, I attached the size N dc plugs. From the LEDs, I attached the size M dc plugs. The buckpuck as 6 wires, 2 for the pot, 2 to go to the power supply and 2 to go to the LEDs. If you want to connect the switch like I did, you'll have to connect the hot from the dc jack and the hot from the buckpuck (to power supply) to the switch. I hope I answered you questions on the project box. If you have any more, let me know.

 

Also, can you put a link to the power supplies and cords you bought. (2 Power Supplies and 2 IEC Power Cords (MPJA.com) - $43.50 (includes shipping))

 

Power Supply

http://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=16854+PS

Power Cords

http://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=7378+WI

 

Would i be able to just take two computer power cords, and cut off the end that plugs into the computer and use those?

 

Yes

 

How did you wire the fan? is it wired onto one of the power supplies for the LEDs? I'm assuming you are using 1 PS for each color LED to do a dusk/dawn effect?

 

The fan is wired to its own 12V PS. Yes, I have the cool whites wired to one PS and the royal blues wire to the other.

 

Let me know if you have any more questions.

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any suggestions for the 12v PS for the fan?

 

You can use any 12V PS as long as its rated for enough amps to run the fan. I had one laying around that I bought from Radio Shack. I say the cheapest one you can find that fits your needs.

 

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.js...oductId=2552559

 

Did you mainly use the switches for an easy kill switch?

 

Yes, wanted to have the option to turn the lights off without having to unplug.

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