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Coral Vue Hydros

Fluval Edge Tank Thread


fcruz420

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My girlfriend and I decided to start our first SW with the fluval edge. It has definitely been a learning experience, but it has been fun. Currently:

 

Filtration:

 

1 x Stock filter with Purigen

10 lbs LS

7 1/2 lbs LR

 

Equipment:

 

2 x MR11 led (covered with plexiglass and a thick layer of silicone)

1 x Coralife 10w 50/50

1 x Blue LED cluster purchased from Autozone

1 x Marineland heater

1 x Koralia Nano

 

Livestock:

 

1 x Tank-raised B&W Oc. Clown (had a wild caught orange but died from Brook)

1 x Cleaner Shrimp

4 x Hermits

4 x Snails

3 x Zoa frags

2 heads of frogspawn

 

These pictures were taken before any of the corals were added and before the orange clown passed. We wish we would have scaped a little lower because trying to get around the high rock is a complete PITA. Also, we are stuck between doing a DIY LED mod or just adding a Current USA T5...Any ideas or advice? Thanks...

 

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@KBCTime. It looks like your off to a great start! Thanks for sharing.

Your right that lighting is especially difficult in this tank.

I believe you have enough to keep zoo's and mushrooms, but not much else.

T5's will undeniably be better but will ruin the stock appearance of the edge. Which is why we all get them in the first place right ;)

A lot of people on this thread are doing some really impressive things by fitting immense amounts of light in the stock hood!

Your first SW tank looks to be alot better the most people's first in terms of setup. The only thing I would change is to replace the Purigen with some Chemi-pure elite. Purigen is great as an addition to carbon or to give a stable tank a little extra filtration. But if it came down to one or the other, I personally would always choose high-quality carbon. IMHO :)

Edited by Dustin11
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I have hated my fluval edge but I am taking it back in and going to use it as an experiment tank for my office.

 

Goal will be something like...

 

6g Fluval Edge, drilled with a DIY overflow. (Nearly complete)

10g Sump/Refugium

Revamped hood with DIY LED fixture, 6xLED.

Keeping as close to the STOCK look as I can.

 

I am not much of a DIY'er but lately I have started to and getting pretty addicted to new projects. The LED will be a first attempt of anything like that. I am not sure if LED will be the route I will go yet as coverage is a major concern.

 

I have to finish my 40B first though. I plan to get water in it by the end of the month and then work on my Edge closer to Christmas time.

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hello every1,

 

also am planning to get a edge... regarding the lightning... i want as much plug and play as possible... i was thinking of adding two of these:

 

mr 11's http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index....p;productId=541

 

but read here that they suck... if i want to use

 

mr 16's http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index....p;productId=537

 

i would need some kind of adapter right? is this hard to attach and can be done without modifiying the stock hood? if i use two mr11s + a coral 50/50 or mr16's with a coral 50/50 would it be a big difference regarding future population?

 

kbctime... you added blue led strips... how do you connect and attach it to the power supply?

 

about the pump... k nano or vortec... the vortec has no wire? didnt understand that...

 

by the way great forum... totally new to this... learning everything from reading through here.

Edited by classic
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ok first off i just want to say hello and that this thread has been a lot of help. i just got my edge a couple days ago and i was brain storming ideas for the lighting and this is what iv come up with so far. so im thinking led is the way to go for this tank and i was looking at the ecoxotic stunner strips. there 6w strips about 12.5 inches long so i would make a modified hood to fit them. so i figure 3 8000k, 2 453nm blue, and 1 403nm uv. i hope this will be enough lighting to support some sps and maybe a BTA but u tell me what u think.

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hello every1,

 

also am planning to get a edge... regarding the lightning... i want as much plug and play as possible... i was thinking of adding two of these:

 

mr 11's http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index....p;productId=541

 

but read here that they suck... if i want to use

 

mr 16's http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index....p;productId=537

 

i would need some kind of adapter right? is this hard to attach and can be done without modifiying the stock hood? if i use two mr11s + a coral 50/50 or mr16's with a coral 50/50 would it be a big difference regarding future population?

 

kbctime... you added blue led strips... how do you connect and attach it to the power supply?

 

about the pump... k nano or vortec... the vortec has no wire? didnt understand that...

 

by the way great forum... totally new to this... learning everything from reading through here.

 

If you plan on using MR16 leds on your edge you can just squeeze them into the socket and they will fit after a couple of try.

 

Just remember once you squeeze MR16 into the socket you won't ever be able to use MR11 bulbs again.

Edited by Neet
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hello every1,

 

also am planning to get a edge... regarding the lightning... i want as much plug and play as possible... i was thinking of adding two of these:

 

mr 11's http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index....p;productId=541

 

but read here that they suck... if i want to use

 

mr 16's http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index....p;productId=537

 

i would need some kind of adapter right? is this hard to attach and can be done without modifiying the stock hood? if i use two mr11s + a coral 50/50 or mr16's with a coral 50/50 would it be a big difference regarding future population?

 

kbctime... you added blue led strips... how do you connect and attach it to the power supply?

 

about the pump... k nano or vortec... the vortec has no wire? didnt understand that...

 

by the way great forum... totally new to this... learning everything from reading through here.

 

I just found an old 12v cell phone charger that I had laying around and I wired it up to that. My girlfriend and I are about 95% sure we're going to do a DIY LED setup...This little hobby gets expensive, but its legit!

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MR16's generally have wider base pins than the MR11's. You can fit them in the Edge, but you have to use pliers and pull the pins apart a bit. I'm considering gutting the stock light fixture and putting a heatsink on the swing arms with about 12 LED's on it, probably 5 CW and 7 RB Cree's. The DIY led's aren't difficult, but you need at least a little bit of experience with electronics to pull it off, I would say.

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MR16's generally have wider base pins than the MR11's. You can fit them in the Edge, but you have to use pliers and pull the pins apart a bit. I'm considering gutting the stock light fixture and putting a heatsink on the swing arms with about 12 LED's on it, probably 5 CW and 7 RB Cree's. The DIY led's aren't difficult, but you need at least a little bit of experience with electronics to pull it off, I would say.

 

 

Where is the best place to get all of the LED stuff?

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hmm, I have a modded lid (extends almost to the front of the tank) but still keeps stock feel. As of now I only have 2 MR16 LEDs and a few BLUE LED strips, going to put in 2 coralife 50/50. But I would love to keep some SPS. Wondering if I can put in some high power, yet compact booya under that lid... hmm

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It is a nice aquarium but its been tough to figure out as its really a "form over function" issue.

 

regardless i've been working on a hood mod where i've added another stock hood to form a T looking from top down ( if you can imagine the I in the T is a stock hood covering the back of the stand and filter, cut in half and mated with another hood that sits lengthwise to the tank ( this is the - in the T ), therefore it will give me better light spread since the - in the T sits farther forward on the top of the tank. This will include a heatsink that incorporates 12 3W crees ( half royal blue/half white)

 

yesterday i finished modding this hood ( with 4 bolts in plastic sleeves mounted at each inside corner of the hood so i can slip in my heatsink ( one hole drilled at each corner of the heatsink ) and fasten with 4 nuts ( which gives me the opportunity to play with the height of the LED assembly inside the hood. As i added a hood turned 90 degrees i am adding to the lateral spread and forward spread, not as much as a double hood config which to me would make it look top-heavy. I truly believe with my config and filling the main hood with a heatsink with a 3x4 led configuration i will have the needed spread ( crosses fingers ) while maintaining the desired top view to the coral. the light array will be tweaked via the 4 posts to sit as low as the acrylic splash guard we have on the top or...tweaked higher for a better spread or tweaked at an angle from front to back and get some leds to be closer to the glasstop ;-) proof will be in the pudding as they say.

 

In this configuration i also have added a 120mm x 12mm fan which will sit on top of the heatsink ( with 4 10mm standoffs so the fan doesnt actually sit on the fan but rather "floats")

 

the 24 volt power supplies will sit outside tucked away in a cabinet, but both dimmable buckpucks will be inside the hood ( i believe i have enough space ) 12 LEDs is a high amount but since i can dim them i'd rather be safe than sorry ( coverage is the key with this PITA reef tank ). both buckpucks have a potentiometer so i'll make two holes for them behind the hood with knobs so i can tweak.

 

I've added photos in the gallery under my username to give you an idea.

 

here is an example:

post-55210-1285681200_thumb.jpg

Edited by senoufo
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and with heatsink mounted on the 4 posts. LED's should be mounted by end of week. buckpucks have loads of room between heatsink and top of hood so they will be cooled by the fan there as well, should help reliability.

post-55210-1285686798_thumb.jpg

Edited by senoufo
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i am planning to buy the fluval - just change the stock lightning and use 2 mr16's and a little moonlight - and use a knano or mp10.... plus a 50w rena heater probably...

 

about the water changes is there a way to install a ato system without having to mod too much?

 

with this setup would i be able to have just some softies in the center?

 

a20 filter and alot of liverock would be enough for filtration?

 

not planning to keep more than one single fish.

 

cheers,

classic

 

p.s. saw the reefmax and the fuval edge today... fell in love with the fuval edge...

Edited by classic
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I am using a CPR CS50 HOB overflow,. I capped the bulkhead since there is not a sump, and just put a RIO 50 as the return. It makes a great place for a mini fuge and fits perfectly with no mods to the tank. Also makes for a great place to put a float valve for an ATO.

 

could you explain it to me in more detail... sorry still noob... is it possible to make a mini fuge out of the ac20 and put a float valve for ATO?

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led's installed:

 

now powered up, i swear the FAA called and said not to point towards the sky...very very bright! ( the pix doesn't do it justice.

 

now with lights/heatsink installed in custom hood, 2 pots to dim each color have been installed in the back of the hood:

 

all in all a worthwhile build, i will get my hands on a par meter to verify , but shadow lines and spot lighting are non-existent and i'm getting the coverage required to make this tank reef ready :-)

 

The whole things runs with little heat buildup and putting my hand in the tank while LEDs run showed me no heat radiation downwards, so less likely of water evaporation.

 

I will add a clear lexan plate to cover the uppermost u opening so as to protect the first row of LEDs from splash and salt creep.

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post-55210-1286105173_thumb.jpg

Edited by senoufo
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much appreciated!

 

in the next week or so i'll add my build thread with more pictures so as its clear as a template to base ideas on.

 

I'm at the burn-in phase now of 72hrs lights on at a time, now on to pimp the filter with intergrated heater and adding a MP10.

 

cheers!

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led's installed:

 

now powered up, i swear the FAA called and said not to point towards the sky...very very bright! ( the pix doesn't do it justice.

 

now with lights/heatsink installed in custom hood, 2 pots to dim each color have been installed in the back of the hood:

 

all in all a worthwhile build, i will get my hands on a par meter to verify , but shadow lines and spot lighting are non-existent and i'm getting the coverage required to make this tank reef ready :-)

 

The whole things runs with little heat buildup and putting my hand in the tank while LEDs run showed me no heat radiation downwards, so less likely of water evaporation.

 

I will add a clear lexan plate to cover the uppermost u opening so as to protect the first row of LEDs from splash and salt creep.

 

could you please list the parts you used for your DIY led. i have extended my hood a while go but im not sure what i need for dy led set up

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