new light

[lil'salty]

well i ordered a 400w retro kit from hello lights
going to put the 20,000k xm on my 29g
i have to build the canopy for it
but i can't wait

[thedogofwar]

:eek: 400W on a 29? Don't forget the fans.

[jerryc]

are you going to have a canopy are hang them above
seems like U would need a good separation far 400
on a 29

[jokerswild]

wow thats alot of light!!!! I'd keep a close eye on the temp. of the tank

[Scuba Dog]

lil'salty
Cool now you should be able to keep anything and be shure to put all new corals on the bottom,that musch new light will really be making hot lava ....but there are a few things you can keep in mind....a coulple 4in cooling fans are a must perhaps more....on your canopy if you can rig a way to raise and lower the lights would be very bennifical...but that way hopefully you can get away with out having to use a chiller....

[lil'salty]

well i have a 400w setup on it already
sounds like alot
i have a house fan on the timer
no prob with heat just evaporation lol
also gonna put a sump on it and a scwd based return system
i will keep you all updated with pics
as this progress

[Scuba Dog]

lil'salty
cool sounds like its going tobe very very nice.....that 20k will really bring out some vivid colors....

[lil'salty]

you betcha

[Kayo]

Good luck lil'salty. I had 3 10K 96 watt bulbs on my 60 gallon tank. I had to build a new hood (12 inches high) with 2 fans to keep the temp okay. I pick up my MH's this week and may need to build a new hood if these things heat it up too much.

Anyone needing a dual ballast Electro-Lites Model 23296
http://aquarium-lighting.com/ordering/lighting_CustomSea_Electro.html

[lil'salty]

well i got the frame for the canopy done today
i figure the light will be about 8-9 inches above the water maybee 7 hard to tell till i actually have the reflector mounted
i am planning on using 1" square slats to cover the top about 1 and a half inches apart lenght wise
will leave the back open
planning to put 2 fans in
one on each side blowing in
this should create enough airflow to keep the temp down
still have to make the front door as well
if anyone can get 6 in fans let me know

[Kayo]

It's hard to tell how it will work. With the top having openings the heat should escape that way. When I originally built mine I left the back open (thinking that there was more opportunity for air to flow out). The temperature in the tank ranged from 78-82 (my heater is set to 78). The LFS told me to seal the back entirely off. Once I did that, the temperature started dropping instantly. He said with the back open the air just swirled around and really didn't help.

I am seriously considering a chiller. This time of year the weather can surprise you and I have too much invested.

Good luck.

[Scuba Dog]

lil'salty
I can go find a guy out of OHio that makes 4 1/2 in varable speed cooling fans....i bought two from him, just havent installed them because i dont have any tools....id have to cut two new holes in my canopy lol I try to stay away from DIY because i end up tearing it up and making things way worse and end up costing my self misery and more money lol....

[Scuba Dog]

oh they the fans are half the cost of Ice cap varable fans and actually the same quality....

[lil'salty]

like 20 bucks a fan?
that would be sweet
i'm sure it might take a little while to make it work ,but i don't think i will need a chiller
i keep my house at 70 degrees all year
so with the fans it should cool enough to make a heater usefull
we will see
my light should be here at the end of the week so i hope to have it done by the middle of next week

[lil'salty]

you wanna sell your fans?

[Scuba Dog]

lil'salty
I need to keep them ill just pay some one to put them in...but i can go back and get the guys email addy for you....just will take some time sifting through the sea.org DIY page....to find the old posts the guys handel was seeker....I remember that much

[lil'salty]

don't go to any trouble
i can get icecaps here in town for 45 or so

[lil'salty]

[img]http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=29601&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500[\img]
i think this will be happier

[lil'salty]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=29601&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500

[lil'salty]

is it loading for you guys
all i see is a link

[Scuba Dog]

lil'salty
it will grow like a weed then...just keep the alk up around 10 to 12 dhk and the ca over a 400...keep the nitrates and phosphates way down, and keep some curent going ...and it will shoot up like a sky scraper, mine is finally starting to take off since i got my alk up from a 9 dhk to about 11 dhk....

[lil'salty]

so who thinks im crazy

[Scuba Dog]

lil'salty
So you are already running a 400 halide, if not you will need to slowly aclamate your corals to this new light, ir you may bleach them...or burn them.....it can be controled by limiting at first the photo period or by raising the lights higher then back down....but clams and acros will love that light....would make a killer sps/clam tank...

[lil'salty]

hopefully it will be a frag tank eventually
for growing out sps frags and zoas

[Scuba Dog]

well it will definitly grow out the sps thats for shure, and it should really bring out the great colors..Im..not experience enough with zoa enough to know how they will do....but it stands to reason more par more energy faster growth...

[thedogofwar]

Originally posted by lil'salty
so who thinks im crazy
Honestly? I do. :) I think it's overkill unless you're doing mostly SPS or clams. Watch those zoas, some colors don't like the light all that much.

Roy I have a 4" hole saw. I could cut those holes for you in about 5 min.

[lil'salty]

all i know is that we don't have lights that are anywhere near as strong as the sun
so if a little thought is taken with placement i should be able to have a much fuller tank, and greater variety of livestock
i'm going out to mom's tonight to pic up the digi cam to take some pics
i bought the rest of the materials today
more wood, paint, urathane, hinges, etc.
hope to have fully asembled today,
and fully painted by friday
i still have yet to figure out my fan situation

[lil'salty]

http://www.nexfan.com/blcoca80fan.html

i just have not been able to figure out how to power them yet
i don't know enough about computer power supplies to make it work plug and play
if anyone has any ideas please let me know
with the fans so cheap i could put up to 8 of them on my tank
should stay nice and cool
that would be 260 cfm
i don't know if i need that much so might only go with 4 fans
if i can make it work heat will no longer be an issue

dog of war 400w mh is only 100w more than what you have on your tank so who is crazy?:fun2:

[lil'salty]

oops here is the link http://www.nexfan.com/blcoca80fan.html
jk dog

[lil'salty]

they also have these cool fan covers http://www.nexfan.com/fanguca.html
i like the dragon and atomic ones
i think these would be a nice touch if i can make it work
very custom

[jerryc]

lilsalty Just go to radio shack tell them you need a plug in 12v/dc
converter then you can just cut off the Ind with adapters
And connect fans to the end be sure to waterproof if your
not sure take a fan with you

[lil'salty]

any idea about price

[jerryc]

not really shouldn't be expensive not more than a few dollars

[lil'salty]

cool i think i will order them then

[jerryc]

If you call You're order in you might ask they may have some
they can ship with the fans

[lil'salty]

hope fully i saw computer power supplies
but nothing i could make work lol

[lil'salty]

thought about putting one of these on as well
http://store.yahoo.com/nexfan03/54poblfanco.html

[jerryc]

Would be neat except not sure you would ever see it using it
to control your fans probably be off with fans off. They don't
give much info for it to no how it works

[thedogofwar]

yeah, just a 12v converter. I got mine from radio shack, I think it was $12 or so.

Fan controllers in that price range normally controll the RPM of the fans. Nice but cheaper to just add resistors. You can even add a potentiometer for adjustable speeds. If my fans run at full speed, my temps drop so it can be valuable.

If you run enough 12v equipment, a cpu power supply is a great idea. There are alot of cpu controllers and such you can add to a PS to accomplish just about any cooling task, depending on what you want to spend. They aren't complicated to use, its the older ones that need a wire jumped. Whats really nice is that it's a complete wiring harness with all the quick disconnect fittings already installed on most of the fans and other accesories.

Check out this place. A bit more expensive but they have great stuff. I've delt with them multiple times. http://www.xoxide.com/

[thedogofwar]

Originally posted by lil'salty
all i know is that we don't have lights that are anywhere near as strong as the sun
so if a little thought is taken with placement i should be able to have a much fuller tank, and greater variety of livestock


:rollface: no but it's not 6" off the water and the ocean isn't only 18" deep. I don't think it will gain you more variety, enough is enough and we don't keep any organisms that "need" more than 250W for 18" I'm not saying it's a bad thing, you'll probably have exceptional growth with photosynthetic organisms. Just my .02

BTW the link i posted, they have the cheap converters for $7 too.

[lil'salty]

cool thanks
got the rest of the frame asembled and waiting for the molding on the top to dry alittle before i nail it together and start running the longitudinal slats on the top
i know i could get something cheaper than the led fan controller
but that one looks really cool
im a sucker for cool

well the idea is to make a shelf of rock about half way to 3/4 of the way up in the tank so that maost off the tank will actually be shaded by it
that way i will get good growth out of sps and can put lower lite stuff in the shade

[jerryc]

salty the neat part of DC is U can control the speed of the
fans almost any way you want to its more volt tolerant
if you check at RadioShack they usually have some variable
resisters they work great

[Scuba Dog]

lil'salty
I can take some pics of the fans i have there about the same, if the lil big blak box you plug in is the converter thn thats what i have....i think the guy that put mine together had them wired to one unit insted of two like my ice cap fans are...
And dont worry about the halide debate lol its allways been one...i would love the 400's but when san jay released his data on the 250Hqi's thats when I decided to go that route...about the same PAR lbut less energy consumption and heat....but for a grow out it will be sweet....now you can get the screaming blue acro's like the blue tort and a several others...

[lil'salty]

ya i know
but i figured this way i wont ever need to upgrade
even if i go to a bigger tank this light will always be up to the job
well back to the saw mill i think the glue should be dry enough

[Scuba Dog]

lil'salty
Id be ticked pink to have a 400 halide around to play with lol

[thedogofwar]

with 75G I'd like to have a 400 too.

So what size fans are you putting in? I've got 2 5" in my puter, the thing sounds like a jet. Those fans move some serious air though. The fan will hover on a flat surface.

[lil'salty]

im going with these fans http://www.xoxide.com/quadligblule.html
four of them ran through this http://www.nexfan.com/54poblfanco.html
with a converter from xoxide
like 45-50 bucks for a four fan system seems okay
i hope it works as well as i want it to

[lil'salty]

here is a pic of my canopy so far

[lil'salty]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=2600783
just trying something out with this one

[lil'salty]

i still have to make a door for the front
and 2 panels for the sides which won't go in till i get the fans and the controller
i will spray paint it black after i sand
2 or 3 coats black enamel
then sand and seal with polyurethane
i hope it turns out the way i want it to

[Scuba Dog]

lil'salty
Cool salty thats shaping up to be a real super sweet system....

[thedogofwar]

does the top stay uncovered like that? That will let alot of heat out.

if you end up having any troubles, talk to lunchbucket. he has a 400 on a 20H

are you still using that adapter they have there? Will it handle 4 lit fans and the controller?

[lil'salty]

let us hope so if not then i will have to rig a computer supply
up to it instead but you don't know if you don't try
i figure that with 4 fans they won't need to be on full blast
so i am crossing my fingers an hoping the surge protector with keep it from frying if something happens
the supply is only 7 bucks it say it can run 2 devices at once
hope it works

[thedogofwar]

well I've got several laying around if you need to.

[lil'salty]

ya the top is sloted for heat exchange
can't decide if i will use the 55w pc that i have so i can run a dawn dusk cycle
also i am going to check into moon lights after awhile
first the sump and returns though

[lil'salty]

hey thanks

[lil'salty]

well just finished final modification to the subframe
now if i need to have alot of acess to the tank
the whole top and front will hinge up out of the way including the light
so it will be almost completely open
i also started painting
i will need to get 2 more sets of hinges but i think the extra work
will more than pay off in the end
now just to make the door on the front paint and do final install
well when my fans and light get here any way lol

[Scuba Dog]

lil'salty
We used a brass lookin piano hinge on my canopy works real well and looks good....

[lil'salty]

cool the ones that i still need will be hiden so looks not important so much

[lil'salty]

will be 3 sets of hinges

[Scuba Dog]

LOL not a construction expert but i have to put my .o2 cents worth in once in a whyle lol....snap some pics when ya got it done, would love to see how that 400 20k looks

[lil'salty]

thanx though
i just hope i can finish in time lol

[lil'salty]

well i just got my retro kit in last night
so i guess my fans will be here monday or tuesday
today i will make the door and finish spraying
tommorrow i will install the reflector and wire up the ballast
man the ballast is heavy like 20 pounds lol
if any one can get an empty ballast box let me know
well i have to see if my light came in
hope to have every thing goin buy tuesday
i will post some pics when i am all done

[jerryc]

salty if you need a box to locate the ballast in go to a electrical
supply and ask for a pull box they make them almost any dimension you want just get one at least double the dimensions
of the ballast So you have room to work
You can also have one made at a sheet mental shop

[lil'salty]

i did not think about sheet metal
maybee i will just make my own, the sheet mental shop is scary lol
i got my fans and the supply works
so now i just need my bulb
i can't wait

[lil'salty]

i still can't find a power supply
i have a computer power supply, but it does not provide constant power
you have to turn it on i guess
if any one has any ideas let me know
also i cant find a big enough ac dc converter
i have found a 500ma but that will only run 2 fans
still need to run 2 more and the 12 leds on the controller
any way besides that things are looking pretty good
i still have yet to finish the front door and 2 side pieces
but the reflector is in and the top is attached
i will post some pics in a little while
also has anyone wired a magnetic ballast from hello lights
i could use a nudge in the right direction

[saltaddict]

Hey freeman, give me a call and I can tell you how to do it. Does yours have the capacitor, or is it just the ballast?

[thedogofwar]

you'll need to jump 2 of the wires on the power supply for it to work if it's an older atx. Green and white I think but I'll have to dig to make sure. it's been awhile.

[lil'salty]

if you could tell me how to power my fans it would help me alot
going to radio shaq today for a capacitor for my light and some wire

[thedogofwar]

Originally posted by lil'salty
if you could tell me how to power my fans it would help me alot
going to radio shaq today for a capacitor for my light and some wire

what can you tell me about the power supply? anything? do you know if its an ATX?

[lil'salty]

here is a pic

[lil'salty]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=2650034

[lil'salty]

i dont know much about power supplies

[thedogofwar]

look at the large connector on the power supply. it should look like this

http://inf33-www.informatik.unibw-muenchen.de/infothek/computer/tutorial/eprmhtml/eprma/pic/pcpwr2a.gif

connect pins 13 & 14 with a toggle switch between them.

[lil'salty]

what if i dont want a switch
could i wire them straight together so i could use a timer

[jerryc]

Salty First you need to find out the volt amp rating of
your transformer to no if it can handle all 6 fans and
the Draw of your fans you may need to split the fans or
get a bigger transformer

[lil'salty]

the computer power supply would work if i can get it to power up

[thedogofwar]

you plug the supply into a timer, you don't need the switch but I would put it in. it's 5 min and $2 but thats just my opinion, you don't need it. If it has a power switch on the backside then don't put the toggle in, it basically already has one.

[lil'salty]

no power switch i pulled the supply out of an old computer

[thedogofwar]

ok, you don't need it to make it work but I think it's a good idea, maybe add it later because I know you're dying to get it going.

[lil'salty]

already dead lol

[thedogofwar]

Originally posted by lil'salty
already dead lol

:confused: huh :confused: whats dead?

:o doh , nevermind I got it. :o

[lil'salty]

lol thanks for the info dog
it works like a charm
i got all my wire today
now i just need to find a 400v capacitor
i think i need one does anyone know for sure on that
the fans are really goin good to
should be perfect
hopefully my bulb will come in tommorrow
so tonight i will make the side panels and try and fit the fans and controler in
tommorrow wire it all up and see what i got
freeman the zombie reefer

[lil'salty]

oops
well i found the capacitor
it was buried under 2 feet of styro peanuts lol
glad i checked the box again
anyway thanks to dog of war my fans are now running
and my light gets here friday
i can't wait
thanx for all the help guys

[thedogofwar]

Originally posted by lil'salty
oops
well i found the capacitor
it was buried under 2 feet of styro peanuts lol
glad i checked the box again
anyway thanks to dog of war my fans are now running
and my light gets here friday
i can't wait
thanx for all the help guys

NP, enjoy the sunshine and cooling breeze! Can't wait to see completed pics

[lil'salty]

it works
my light did not blow up
no just gotta put the door on and install the fans
but this is so sweet
i have 3 different blue zoas that are blue
and some orange tentacle with pink faces that are so cool
i can't believe the difference a light can make lol
thanx for all the help
any way i gotta go drool over my tank
i think my eyes are gonna fall out