Shao-lin's 24g nanocube

[shao-lin nano]

Hey Mike,

 

My appt runs pretty warm and during that one week of 100+ degree heat I didn't want to leave the AC on all day with the energy cost so high so I opted for evap cooling. I thought that since I kept most of the cube looking stock with all the mods, why have an unsightly clip fan hanging over the open lid.

 

The AquaMedic chiller I have is the thermoelectric one so it's decent but not great. I've only had small success with it. I've also read that you have to get the flow just right to maximize cooling so that's what I'll tinker with next. Can't go wrong with the ICA or a chiller but this was the only one I could afford at the time I got it and it was a great deal for a slightly used one that actually broke and AquaMedic was kind enough to send me another free one.

 

Now that summer's ending I don't think I'll be using all the cooling mods I did all at once...time to get a Reef Keeper to keep track of everything.

[Micro-Reefs Aquariums]

Thanks for the reply Shao,

 

I ran my chiller for the first time today and got results that make me smile. My reef stays at 77 degrees and the chiller is hardly on. Turns on maybe twice a day for about 1 hour.

 

I haven't had my lights arrive so we will see when they arrive. I made sure to go over the specs to ensure a good ratio on the chilling.

 

I also think that the movement has to be on target to the specs that the manufacture request. I had to up-grade my pump to the Mag 12 in order to get the performance I was looking for.

 

Well, just a matter of one more week and my lights arrive... Been waiting a while but I've learned to be patient in this hobby a virture that is broken one too many times...

 

Mike

[gjones]

Those mods are crazy, your tank looks awesome.

[artarmon42]

Shao,

 

Great work! I've been away for awhile (busy with the kid ) and your tank has grown to be a monster since I've been gone!

 

How's the SPS? Any pics to show growth rate?

[shao-lin nano]

Hey mike, I'm so jealous that you've got your temp all dialed in but you're testing w/o lights so good luck on temps once everything is setup.

 

Thanks gjones

 

Nice to see you back artarmon. No pics yet. My tank is a mess right now. Went on a shopping spree the past couple of weeks and havent organized it yet...just frags laying everywhere and numerous colonies of acan and blastos waiting to be fragged.

 

The first acan lord I have has doubled in the number of polyps since being introduced from about 4 to now 8+. Red/orange monti cap and green hydno is growing well too. Only problem I've had is with a hammer.

[ReefWreak]

Hey Shao, nice frickin cube!

 

One question:

 

Does anyone (yourself included) sell a kit to do a similar high wattage setup, or anything more than what nanocustoms has, since they've only got the +36w mod for $90? I'm perticularly interested in getting a MH setup, but there are really no DIY walkthroughs that I have been able to find with the 24g.

 

Anyone have any ideas?

[trekbear]

Shao-lin,

 

Okay you have had time to organize.

 

I am really interested in seeing a FTS with your lighting phases. Your tank is Modded to the Hilt but you maintained its simple elegance. You are 1 gifted modder.

 

Great Job!

TrekBear

[shao-lin nano]

ReefWreak: I didn't document my process because I wasn't sure how the project would turn out and didn't want to document something that came out looking like crap. Plus, my original mod was 4X36W PC and then switched it to the current setup...so it was actually a mod to a mod and would have been impossible to follow my work as everything was trial and error and a little luck.

 

If you want me to go over what I did with you PM me for my AIM SN and we can talk it over.

 

trekbear: "Time to organize" Ya, I had my tank for about 5 months before adding LR, LS, and SW. I had quite some time to get it just the way I wanted it but there's sitll a couple of minor things to add like ATO and moonlights. My float switch is almost here, maybe I'll document the installation process. If I can get a hold of a camera that can take good enough pictures to show my light period I'll post a progression of my lights on/off.

[ReefWreak]

Shao,

 

I looked all over your profile and some posts and such, but could not find your AIM SN. I'm always on AIM, so feel free to contact me. I've just got some questions about how/where to mount a MH kit, even though it's currently way over budget for me, having just started freshman year in college and the supplies and the books, Oy!

 

SN is sunsurfandskate2

 

Friggin beautiful tank. You bastard

[shao-lin nano]

Here are a couple pics of my light period progression:

 

 

A larger shot:

 

[shao-lin nano]

Forgot to mention the different lights in each shot.

 

1: 2x9W PC actinics

2: 2x9W PC actinics + 36W PC actinics

3: 2x9W PC actinics + 36W PC actinics + 2x36W PC 50/50

4: 2x9W PC actinics + 36W PC actinics + 2x36W PC 50/50 + 70W 20K MH

[asiankidd2]

the pics doesnt do justice for the 70watt mh upgrade....seeing it in person is a whole different picture...keep it up!

[reefin300]

nice job man!

[stoney waters]

Shao

 

Are your 50/50 PCs part blue or actinic?

[shao-lin nano]

the pics doesnt do justice for the 70watt mh upgrade....seeing it in person is a whole different picture...

 

Ya, a better shot will show the true intensiy of the MH but not with the camera I used. You can barely tell that the 3rd and 4th shot has a difference of a 70W MH.

 

Stoney:

 

The two 50/50 bulbs used are the stock JBJ ones. I think they're 10k + blue. For sure not actinics.

 

I have another actinic 36W bulb; do you think it'll be better to replace one of the 50/50 bulbs with it or just leave it as is? If I do replace it I'll only have half a 36W bulb that's 10k and I've always thought that 10k was best for coral growth...correct me if I'm wrong.

[stoney waters]

I think you have a pretty good balance. In your case the PCs could be used to achieve just the right color that suits you. Your tank probably has all the spectrum and intensity it needs with just the MH. I found that I can change the color of my tank by rotating the bulbs into different positions. I like to have the actinics up front shining at the front of the rock wall, but then I feel I'm depriving that part of the tank of intensity. Its a difficult decision.

 

Stone.

[asiankidd2]

Originally posted by shao-lin nano

 

I have another actinic 36W bulb; do you think it'll be better to replace one of the 50/50 bulbs with it or just leave it as is?  If I do replace it I'll only have half a 36W bulb that's 10k and I've always thought that 10k was best for coral growth...correct me if I'm wrong.

 

dood you have more than enough wattage and intensity of the mh, use those pcs to make it look good now, not that its not ready good but you cant go wrong with the actinic especially since your 20k isnt that purple already...

[shao-lin nano]

My first concern would be coral health and second would be aesthics. I just want a good balance of light spectrum and intensity. Playing around with the placement of the PC bulbs would be a good idea to try out.

[shao-lin nano]

I finally got a fish! Thanks to all that suggested a 6 line wrasse in the begining, I actually went with the 4 line and am very happy with it...actually a friend got it for me.

 

Seeing how wrasse like to jump I also finally installed my feeding lid with the 2 80mm fans and it works amazingly. The weather has gotten cooler but these fans work way better than the clip on fan I had before...and much quieter as well. It has also reduced the amount of times that the chiller comes on now.

[Philtur]

One note about fans: they are always more efficient at pulling air than pushing it. How did you finally set yours up?

 

I'm getting a 24 nano soon, been on order for a few weeks now. I like your light upgrades. I just upgraded a couple of eclipse hoods and realize that it isn't that difficult. I was thinking that the lights on the deluxe hood would be plenty, but now I'm thinking about putting MH in there. Maybe two 70s inbetween the supplied PCs. I could use the PCs as the actinics. Would that be too much for the tank? (Is there such a thing?) Would the heat be too much for the fixture?

[MadTownMax]

I just got my 70W halide up and running - thanks much to this thread - I'm slowly increasing the time period 1/2 hour a day as this is on a stocked tank, but I don't anticipate any heat issues using a 3" radial exhaust fan.

[freakintiger]

Did someone drop a credit card in the tank?

[shao-lin nano]

Philtur:

One note about fans: they are always more efficient at pulling air than pushing it

 

I don't quite get it...do you mean that it's better to exhaust the air out of the hood than to blow air into it?

 

2 70W MH in between sounds possible. Just note that the position of my MH is in the part of the hood that is furtherest away from the waterline but it sits a little towards the back. To have the MH sit closer to the front (curve) it'll be closer to the water...I also chose to have it at the highest point because heat rises and the theory is that it'll escape through my extra vent imediately instead of stayin in my hood and having to rise. Heat is never an issue if you have a way of removing it

 

MadTownMax:

Glad you found my mods useful. I'm sure there are still lots of possibilities as far as lighting goes...someone just has to be creative enough to get it working. What are radial exhaust fans? Is that the same as those scroll/blower fans?

 

Did someone drop a credit card in the tank?

Haha...it's maxed out from all this coral and modding business so why not put it to good use while I wait for NanoBobs skimmer

[MadTownMax]

Originally posted by shao-lin nano

 

MadTownMax:

 What are radial exhaust fans?  Is that the same as those scroll/blower fans?

 

yup

[Philtur]

Shao-Lin:

 

The fans are a lot like a centrifugal pump in their operation. They can pull a suction and exhaust pretty well. When you pull a suction on an enclosed compartment, it creates a pressure differential between the canopy and the outside air. Outside air comes in towards the negative pressure through whatever openings there are. If you turn the fan around and push the air into the canopy, the fan is working against a back pressure and can't push as much air. The air pressure inside the canopy increases and the air must leave before the fan can put more in. The back pressure at the impeller is the difference, and the fan does a little better job pulling it from a space rather than pushing it into the space. There isn't a huge difference between one orientation or the other, but there is a difference.

 

The other thing to consider is where the fan is located. If it is in the top of the hood, you must consider what you want to do with the heat. You are going to create air flow patterns and turbulence inside the canopy with the fans. If they are blowing into it, you are going to push heat at the top down towards the water and it will do some funky current pattern until it finds its way out. Even though you may have a vent at the top, all of the hot air isn't going right out of it with the fan blowing in. The cooler air is entraining the hot air with it as it enters (through a couple of different mechanisms)and pulling it down with it, causing mixing of the air rather than replacing all hot with cool. During this period, it is exchanging its heat with the cooler water, heating up the tank. You may increase the tank evaporation rate this way, but I think the latent heat of vaporization removed through increased evaporation will be less than the heat you are putting into it by putting the hot air closer to the water. If I were going to do this method, I would consider a shroud on the outlet of the fan so that it exhausts the air just above the surface of the water. That would help keep the hot air at the top.

 

If the fans are blowing out, they are blowing the hot air at the top of the canopy directly out of it keeping it further from the water. The cooler air can then enter at the openings that are lower in the hood. You will still get some turbulence in the hood and eddies mixing the hot and cool air and putting some hot air closer to the water, but I don't think as much as with air flow pointing down, into the canopy. The heat is removed from the lights by convective heat transfer with the air. The air can then go right out the top of the hood instead of to the water. You will still have heat transfer into the water by radiation from the lights, especially the MH, but there's not a lot you can do about that.

 

Hopefully this is as clear as mud. I think it would be an interesting experiment to try the difference ventilation configurations and see what the results are with the canopy temps and water temp. The differences could be so small that they don't matter, or large enough to warrant consideration. Thanks for the tip about the curve to increase distance. I still haven't received my tank, so I don't know much about it yet, other than what I've been reading.