Rebuilding Pirate's Reef
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I think it was like $160.Grabloids said:
They will also let you plan out your own lights, picking out individual colored LEDs and where you want them positioned on the strip. I just went with the 20k option.
http://www.bmlcustom.com/custom-led-strip/
http://www.bmlcustom.com/custom-led-strip/
Dimmable?
Hi Kirk,Kirk_M said:
Yes, they are dimmable with the use of a $15 plug in manual dimmer, or they sell a special cable for the same price that connects up to two lamps into one of the V1/V2 or V3/V4 ports on the APEX controller.
Neat, I was using this one on my 5 gallon nano...
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... cadevice=m
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... cadevice=m
I didn't look at a lot of lights. If the Kessil wasn't going to work (I couldn't mount it high enough), then I felt like I wanted to go with the Build My Own light. I already have one for the remote fuge that I haven't finished yet for my 140. I liked the way it was built and thought I would go with them. I'll give it a try and see what happens. I do still have room to add a couple of 24" T5s if I am not liking the BMO alone. But, I stuck a small tank under the light and I am thinking it will be fine by itself. We will see.
One thing's for sure, Gary...you'll never have heat issues on the little tank due to lighting.
Got some new "authentic chest hardware" to dress the chest up a bit and installed that last night. I think I also may have found a handle for the lid, but it didn't come in yet. This is something I wanted to do originally when I built the chest, but couldn't really find what I was looking for.
I am still struggling with method of water movement for the inside. The original tank had a closed loop. The goal for the original was to have as little obvious equipment inside the display as possible. While I do have an MP-10 that I can use in here, it will definitely stand out in a 7 gallon tank. Rethinking the closed loop option with a different SCWD than what I originally had. I think the alternating flow was nice to have in the other tank. So, some testing and tinkering to follow.
I do have the new LED hooked up to my old APEX controller. It has no internet link (that I can establish anyway) and will likely be a glorified timer for a number of things in the tank. I am pretty sure there is something wrong with the old APEX control unit. That is why I moved it off of the 140 and bought a new one. It works fine.
I am still struggling with method of water movement for the inside. The original tank had a closed loop. The goal for the original was to have as little obvious equipment inside the display as possible. While I do have an MP-10 that I can use in here, it will definitely stand out in a 7 gallon tank. Rethinking the closed loop option with a different SCWD than what I originally had. I think the alternating flow was nice to have in the other tank. So, some testing and tinkering to follow.
I do have the new LED hooked up to my old APEX controller. It has no internet link (that I can establish anyway) and will likely be a glorified timer for a number of things in the tank. I am pretty sure there is something wrong with the old APEX control unit. That is why I moved it off of the 140 and bought a new one. It works fine.
Redfish
Peacock Mantis Shrimp
The new hardware looks pretty darn good on there 
Thanks! If you are going to be over the top, might as well go all out.Redfish said:The new hardware looks pretty darn good on there
I might have found a handle for the lid. We will see how it looks when it gets here. Also have the corner pieces for the rear of the chest coming.I played with SCWDs yesterday and decided that they are as I remembered them when I had one on here before - junk. The original SCWD and a new one both worked equally poorly and are now at the bottom of my trash can.
So back to square one with water movement. May end up with the MP-10 after all is said and done. I just wanted to see if I could limit visible equipment inside the display. I have one or two other ideas that I will try, before settling with the EcoTech.
But that would be too easy. :twitch:Grabloids said:
Right now I am still in closed loop mode in my thinking. Maybe two external pumps fed by one drain hole. I have an extra Eheim 1048 laying around. 166 gph might be just right. I would just have to get a second one. I have an old Red Sea Wavemaster Pro wave controller that could cycle those two pumps and two other small powerheads in the fuge area. Yes, there is a sump too.
Install a DerKroon Mechanics Flow Wolf and be done with it, already...sheesh.
Kirk_M said:Install a DerKroon Mechanics Flow Wolf and be done with it, already...sheesh.
Don't think it hasn't crossed my mind. But, every man has got to know his limitations. I am trying to use some of this unused aquarium junk around my house.The thing to have would have been the 2-way Squirt Compact from OceansMotions. But, Paul only makes the big 4-Way Valves now. I had a 4-way Super Squirt, but it fell off of the table onto the tile floor and split the housing. :( It would have worked perfectly for this project, if I would have capped off two of the ports. A dead silent, compact (smaller than a SCWD), no minimum flow rate, motorized valve which would have run forever.
Also, I hope everyone reading this thread realizes that I am just doing this for fun. I really have spent very little money on this project. Mainly recyling old components that are just laying around my house. The sump is an old 20 long that has been around my house forever. The skimmer will either be the old EuroReef (the one from my 75 gallon that I re-used on the first nano) or the LifeReef skimmer. I am thinking the Orca 200 is a bit too large. Ha! Maybe I can make a nano out of the Orca skimmer! Now that would be unique. :twitch:
Ha thats what makes it so awesome, that you have spent so little money.
Well, I suppose I should say that it did cost me money originally. Maybe I should just say I am re-purposing used equipment.dwebster86 said:
The new stuff for this system is the glass to build the tank ($30), the Build My Own LED light, a 5 gallon tank for an ATO reservoir, a fuge light, a Glass-Holes nano overflow, the chest hardware, a couple of 4 outlet DJ switch boxes and a small Eheim return pump. Everything else is from the old Pirate's Reef, my old 75 gallon, old equipment from my 140 and a 45 gallon that I once had. I never throw anything away and I don't usually sell my old equipment. I still have stuff up in my attic from my 200 build - and that was in 1986.