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08TRDOFFROAD's 45 Gallon Build

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    Posted: May 26 2012 at 10:22am
Yeah, I noticed last night that they looks like they are now coming into contact with each other down near the base of the leather (the hammer has grown a ton in the last few weeks). I need to figure out somewhere else to put the hammer! I am just nervous about moving it because it looks so good right now!

Edited by 08TRDOFFROAD - May 26 2012 at 10:22am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote builderofdreams Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 26 2012 at 9:14am
Very nice build and it looks FantasticThumbs Up.
One question: Is your Hammer physically touching your leather.
Hammer has a nasty sting and leather has a nasty toxin that is released when irratated.
Might want to seperate the two. Just a thought.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kaiden32 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 26 2012 at 7:51am
That's awesome man! My clowns wont host anything in my tank. I want to get an anemone and maybe the will host that haha.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BillyC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 26 2012 at 7:22am
Very cool man! I like that first picture with the clown hanging out between the torch heads.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 08TRDOFFROAD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 26 2012 at 7:16am

Last night while my wife and I were eating dinner, I noticed something "fishy" going on in the tank! I will let the pictures do the explaining!

My clownfish are hosting my Torch Coral!!!! Not exactly what I was hoping them to host, but it works for be! It was very cool to see just have playful their antics are with the Torch! Now hopefully eggs aren't too far in the future!



Edited by 08TRDOFFROAD - May 26 2012 at 7:18am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hogie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 17 2012 at 4:24pm
I just read through the whole thread and, wow! That was pretty cool. It gives hope to a newbie like me to see the whole process and different stages of emotion of excitement, panic, despair, frustration, satisfactions and contentment. All the pictures are awesome! You build your own LED's?! Man, that's way out of my range. Thanks for all the work to do tell the story!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 08TRDOFFROAD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 17 2012 at 6:43am

I took some new updated FTS and coral shots. I had a really hard time getting the camera to focus last night, so forgive some of the blurry shots, the Point and shoot didn't want to cooperateve very much! And these were taken right after I did a water change so some of the corals aren't at their happiest moments!

FTS






Rose Bubble Tip Anemones




Torch Coral


Hammer



Nuclear Green Candy Cane

Idaho Grape Monti

Pink Monti

Orange Digitata

Kenya Trees

Green Star Polyps

Zoanthids







Horizon Palys

Purple Palys

Green Toadstool Leather (not very happy)

Skunk Cleaner Shrimp pair


I have noticed the monti's have lightened up a bit since picking them up from Burt, so I dialed my led's back just a touch yesterday to see if I can get them to brighten up again!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kaiden32 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 16 2012 at 5:16pm
Yeah in the past I have had problems taking pics of my tank with the LEDs. I don't really know why they make the camera freak out, but they do..
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 08TRDOFFROAD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 16 2012 at 1:46pm
Rufessor, to be honest I am just using a cheaper point and shoot Panasonic camera, I shoot with the white balance on auto and it just adjusts on its own. I usually don't even use the flash as it seems to wash the colors out a bit. But even the pictures I post are not an accurate rendering of color!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rufessor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2012 at 4:16pm
Nice JOB!  +1

So how the heck do you get pictures that look anything like reality with the LEDs on.  I have a Nikon D200 and a selection of lenses to choose from but I usually get crazy colors under the Blues and although the mixed shots are sorta kinda Ok... they basically SUCK.  I really want to post pics but am so afraid of the pictures I have I have not posted anything!  WHAT do you do for white balance?
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57 Gallon RImless build in progress check the thread before if becomes boring and just full of nice pictures of colorful coral!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kaiden32 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2012 at 3:57pm
Nice job with the LEDs! There's no way I could have done that haha.. Your tank is looking awesome.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 08TRDOFFROAD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2012 at 12:26pm
Thanks! I am very happy with the way it turned out.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jeromy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 03 2012 at 10:46pm
Looking good! Great job on the led fixture.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 08TRDOFFROAD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 03 2012 at 9:57pm

And a final update, that will bring the tank to it's current status.

I picked up a bunch of stuff from Burt's "Going out of business" sale! Ha ha!
 
First, one of my favorite new additions. The Torch Coral!






These pictures don't even do this Torch justice! The longest sweepers are probably 6-8 inches long! It has the brightest green tips I have ever seen! I suspect it is an Austrailian variant...Burt, can you confirm or refute this? All I know is I haven't seen anything near this nice in any of the LFS....ever!!!!

Orange Digitata

Idaho Grape Monti

Pink Monti

Zoa's

Purple Paly's




Edited by 08TRDOFFROAD - May 04 2012 at 12:25pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 08TRDOFFROAD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 03 2012 at 9:54pm

I woke up a bit early this morning and fired up the LED's to give the corals enough time to open up and look "purdy" before I left for work!

It's picture time!

We'll start off with the Rose Anemone's! These have put on some size over the last few months!

With flash

My Nuclear Green Candy Canes are looking much better than they were! With your guys help I brought them back from death's door step!

With Flash

My Horizon Paly's have been doing great! I started with one polyp a few months ago. The pictures explain the rest.


Next up is the Kenya Tree "frags". They are much a frag anymore, more like mini colonies!

On to my Hammer Coral, it is looking much better down near the sand bed than it has in a few months! I think it was just getting too much light. It seems to be darkening up a bit more now too!


The Green Toadstool still seems a bit bleached, but I'm not sure how much longer I will keep it.

My zoa's are finally starting to multiply. Here they are at random. (My new frag blew off the plug and I am currently trying to get them to attach to the rock work, so there are no pictures of them this time)


The Green Star polyp frag that I was hoping would quickly cover my back glass is only growing slowly but surely!

A mystery coral that came on another frag, I believe it is a clove of some sort. I have seen noticeable growth in these as well over the last few months.

And, last but not least! My ever growing coralline spot!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 08TRDOFFROAD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 03 2012 at 9:51pm
I added some SPS and lost most it. I struggled to get my alkalinity, magnesium and calcium to stabilize. I switched to Aquavitro Salinity, which seems to have curbed the problem.
 
Once I got the issues straightened out, I began adding more stuff.
 
I went with my wife yesterday to Bird World/Pet Village in Bountiful, which is a bit of a drive so we don't make it there very often. I saw a few things I HAD to have...I couldn't help myself!!!
Some zoa's (I believe they are either Aquaman or very nice strain of radio active dragoneyes)

 
A Green Birdnest

 
And a Bali Red Starfish (he was hiding behind my overflow box this morning, this is the best picture I could get)
 
My Bali Red Starfish poked out from my overflow box the other day. I was able to snap a few pics. These are the best pictures of him I have to date!
 
I also snapped a pic of my candy canes. They are showing signs of improvement!


 
This is what they looked like on February 24, 2012, right after I moved them to the sand bed in the shade.

 


Edited by 08TRDOFFROAD - May 03 2012 at 9:53pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 08TRDOFFROAD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 03 2012 at 9:46pm

I put the lenses on my LED's!

After talking to Mike at Rapid I picked up some plastic epoxy from my LHS.

I mixed equal parts of the two and spread it out as a thin layer for easy dipping of the lenses.

I then dipped the lenses and placed them on the the LED's.

I then used two "books" as a weight to hold the lenses nice and level/flat against the LED's while the epoxy set. I did half the fixture at a time. I left the books for 20 minutes to allow for cure time. (per the epoxy instructions)

I then repeated on the other side.

Here is one side complete!

Here is a before and after comparison to show how the lenses focus light down in to the tank!
Before:

After:

A few FTS after the lense install!

While I was waiting for the epoxy to set I did a water change! Here is my water mixing! (I was bored so I took pictures)

I also drilled syphon break holes in my loc-line finally!

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 08TRDOFFROAD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 03 2012 at 9:44pm

Once again sans drum roll I plugged the blue driver in and….

I soldered my multimeter in line to adjust the voltage from the driver.

I set the blue driver to 750 mA. 

I turned the dimmer down with the meter still attached. It would dim down to 30 mA before the led's would shut off.


I unplugged the driver, waited several minutes and unsoldered the leads and resoldered the wiring.

Then it was on to the whites! I plugged them in and as expected it looked like high noon in my kitchen.

I soldered the leads in the exact same way I did on the blues.

I adjusted the SVR2 to run the driver at 1000 mA.

The whites don't dim near as low before they turn off. I didn't have the meter on so I can't tell you exactly how low they go mA wise.

Here is my fixture in all its glory! I definitely should have worn sunglasses!

Next was mounting it in the canopy. I used the eye bolts that were previously screwed in/installed for the halides. I installed the other eye bolts that I pulled out of my halides that were used to hang them from the rope.I then cut the 3 feet of chain I purchased into 1 foot length.

I fed the chains through the eye bolts and hung the fixture using the "s" hooks I picked up.

I used Velcro to mount the drivers and the dimmer control for easy removal, for some reason these pics didn't make it on my thumb drive, but I will add them later.
Here is everything mounted on the stand. (I still need to find a way to tidy up the wiring a bit)

I forgot to take a pic when I tested the moonlights, but here is one lit up!

And now for what I am sure you have all been waiting for…

FTS's!!!!!! Sorry I didn't realize they are so blurry...I really need a Nikon D5100!

Moon lights only

Royal blues only

Whites and blues

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Next was the wiring the drivers. I repeated these steps for both drivers.

I started by stripping the insulation off the cord to be attached to the driver.

Then I soldered the connections and heat shrunk them to prevent a short or fire.

Then a final heat shrink to make it nice and pretty!

I did this for both drivers.

Next, I finished up the DIY Dimmer wiring.

Final assembly completed.

Dimmer Kit wired to driver. Like above, I soldered and heat shrunk the connections for protection.

All the wiring is complete and it is time for the moment of truth! Plugging them in and adjusting the SVR2! I have to admit, I was a bit like Clark Griswold at this point, although nobody else was there to give me a drum roll as I plugged in the drivers! Much like Clark's experience, the led's did not light…

Nothing happened…nothing lit up…nothing did anything! I quickly unplugged the driver hoping I didn't screw anything up! After several seconds of the driver being unplugged the led's would flash! I was so frustrated at this point after hours and hours and hours of work, it was the biggest let down!!!

I carefully checked each connection on the every led, checked for a ground somewhere on the heatsink and could not find any issues! After more than an hour of tinkering and still not getting the led's to light up I had all but given up when I looked across the counter and say the 10v adapter still in the plastic! I hadn't plugged the 10v supply in so the driver's weren't receiving a signal from the dimmer circuit! Ah ha! I thought, quickly plugged it in and then plugged in the drivers. Still nothing!!!!!!! I was ready to throw the fixture across the room! But, instead I calmly sat and double checked the wiring on the dimmer circuit…somehow I had crossed/confused the +/- dimmer circuit coming from the drivers and had wired the dimmer circuit backwards! I heated up the soldering iron and in a few minutes my stupid mistake was resolved. Hours of frustrations for something so stupid! Ha ha!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 08TRDOFFROAD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 03 2012 at 9:36pm

I started with the blues. I followed the pattern posted earlier in the build for LED layout.

B NW RB CW RB NW B || RB CW B NW B CW RB
--------- ML --------- || --------- ML --------
CW RB NW B NW RB CW|| NW B CW RB CW B NW

The blues attached.

You don't need very much thermal grease when attaching them to the heat sink. If you use too much it just oozes out and looks like crap! (I learned the hard way) I had to take off the led's once and repolish the sink because I used too much and the ^ happened.

Just the right amount!

Way too much! Ha ha!

Next it was the wiring and soldering, sorry to disappoint but there are no action shots as I only have two hands! ;)

The whites on and wired! Along with the moonlights screwed to the heatsink.


I finished up the wiring on the moonlights and the long runs on the leds to the drivers.


I used an insulated rubber disconnect on the wiring from the led's and the drivers to allow the easy removal of the led's/canopy without having to remove the drivers and dimmer switch.

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