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Cultivated Reef

Beware the Shallows


jedimasterben

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jedimasterben

So one of my goals with shifting my lighting around was to reflow the violet LEDs on the NBR boards off and my separate LEDgroupbuy violets on - this way I would not have to mount and solder 20 extra LEDs. Well, I got my extra violets in today, so I had a new NBR array here that was to replace the one I shorted the white channel out on.

 

I used one of my stovetop burners and an aluminum plate (the top of one of the OG Nanocustoms driver boxes) and got busy. I made a mistake, though, and cranked the burner up on high heat, which is WAY too hot for reflow, it basically burned the solder mask on the boards, and although when I soldered it up and EVERYTHING ACTUALLY WORKED, when I went to remove the temporary driver, the solder pads came off of the board, too. Whoops.

 

 

And after basically destroying that board I remembered that I had an IR thermometer that I could have used to get the temperature exact. FML

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So one of my goals with shifting my lighting around was to reflow the violet LEDs on the NBR boards off and my separate LEDgroupbuy violets on - this way I would not have to mount and solder 20 extra LEDs. Well, I got my extra violets in today, so I had a new NBR array here that was to replace the one I shorted the white channel out on.

 

I used one of my stovetop burners and an aluminum plate (the top of one of the OG Nanocustoms driver boxes) and got busy. I made a mistake, though, and cranked the burner up on high heat, which is WAY too hot for reflow, it basically burned the solder mask on the boards, and although when I soldered it up and EVERYTHING ACTUALLY WORKED, when I went to remove the temporary driver, the solder pads came off of the board, too. Whoops.

 

 

And after basically destroying that board I remembered that I had an IR thermometer that I could have used to get the temperature exact. FML

So I don't know what a lot of this means, but it doesn't sound good :) So, how are the fish doing in the QT?

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jedimasterben

So I don't know what a lot of this means, but it doesn't sound good :) So, how are the fish doing in the QT?

Basically it means that I'm putting my own violets on Dave's boards and I can do it and it works - but I ruined one board in the process. No biggie, Dave is sending me another :)

 

Fish are all ok, except I lost the little clown. I still haven't added the chloroquine yet, was waiting to make sure that they were all still eating, etc. I'm feeding them pellets lightly and rinsed mysis at night when they'd normally get frozen. I feed them with a pair of tweezers and they all seem to like that :)

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Aww that's too bad about the little clown. Once the yet out of QT, they're all going to be some spoiled fish wanting you to feed them with tweezers. I think that would make an awesome JMB reef video.

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jedimasterben

Modwork on the Sunpower is progressing. Not quite where I want it to be, though, unfortunately.

20150607_111836.jpg

 

 

Reflow of the violet LEDs on the Nanobox boards is actually really easy. I burned a board up accidentally but that was my first shot, now it's a snap.

20150607_111756.jpg

 

 

20150607_111829.jpg

 

 

20150606_104617.jpg

 

 

The unfortunate part, though, is this.

20150606_142053.jpg

 

 

The LED on the far left is a new 410nm chip with a soft silicone lens. The others are the first batch of 410nm chips and their lens is much harder, meaning it is PMMA plastic, which degrades when exposed to high-energy near-UV light. Sigh. There is $45 in violets into the garbage can, and on top of that I still need to wait at least until Thursday or Friday to get the new ones in. Double sigh. I can't get the LED boards epoxied in place, or wired at all until I get those LEDs in and onto the boards.

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jedimasterben

I thought we were past the point of violet LEDs with crappy lenses. What gives?

I thought so, too. Apparently the manufacturer flubbed it up. The other LEDs in that order all had silicone lenses, just that one run of violets didn't.

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With all the work that goes into them, not really lol.

 

Lol well you didnt have to redo your light like 100 times :lol:

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fredfish01

I thought so, too. Apparently the manufacturer flubbed it up. The other LEDs in that order all had silicone lenses, just that one run of violets didn't.

Hmm, so do a poke test on all violets. Hard = bad = return to sender?

 

I wonder if the vendor involved will be doing this going forward?

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jedimasterben

Looks like a heck of a project Ben.I can't wait to jump into mine once I get things underway :).

Yeah, it's still spread all over my table lol. The last replacement array from Dave hasn't shown up yet, this place is like a mail black hole. Had an Amazon package disappear, too.

 

I see Dave sent you some Beam strips.

Mebbe. :P

 

 

So I ordered a bunch of stuff for the QT tank to step it up a bit. An Aquaclear AC70 (since it was a couple bucks more than buying an AC20, gives MUCH more room for floss and biomedia), a big sponge filter, an Ammonia Alert, and a new 20" top (the only ones I have on hand are 24" so it doesn't sit in the rim.

 

Well, the AC70 was cracked. :angry: So I am sending it back, luckily Amazon is good about that kind of stuff. I bought another one from a user on NR for $20 that should hopefully be here today or tomorrow?

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Hey Ben where would be a good starting point for intensity for my Duo when it comes in currently I run a razor nano 16k over a 30" long tank,whites at 75% and blues at 85%,they ramp to full between 630a-1130a then fade to 1% blues by 830p.

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jedimasterben

Hey Ben where would be a good starting point for intensity for my Duo when it comes in currently I run a razor nano 16k over a 30" long tank,whites at 75% and blues at 85%,they ramp to full between 630a-1130a then fade to 1% blues by 830p.

IMHO a Duo isn't going to cover that length any better than the R420R. It will look better, but you're still going to have darker edges.

How are the QT'd fishies doing?

All of them are doing well, but they have all been with more for six months or more (betta for six months, rabbitfish and clown for more than a year, the watchman for 3+). They're eating whenever i come up to the tank.

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Mr. Microscope

Wow! Well done! Sorry to hear about the reflow disaster, but it looks like you've done some awesome work there.

 

Well, I got my extra violets in today.......and got busy.

 

Yeah, this is pretty much what I think about when it comes to you and LED's. lol ;)

You da man Ben!

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Dave said the duo would be just enough :/ I figured it would spread more than a nano razor. Crap

I have the razor nano and it puts out some serious spread I have it over my fusion 40 and sps on top softies and lps middle to bottom with no issues at all. Im thinking about adding a second nano so I will have less shadowing.

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I have the razor nano and it puts out some serious spread I have it over my fusion 40 and sps on top softies and lps middle to bottom with no issues at all. Im thinking about adding a second nano so I will have less shadowing.

Good deal if you do lemme know I'll sell ya mine

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jedimasterben

Ugh, the array didn't arrive from Dave today. FML. Off to Home Depot to grab a couple more CFLs to light the tank with in the meantime.

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