paenian

actually, you can dim LEDs by adjusting the current; in fact, they are significantly more efficient at lower currents. You can also combine current sources, i.e. half-drive two strings with one driver for an hour, then switch on the next driver for higher brightness. Paul

I want to turn an old 10g tank into a decorator crab tank. Plan: 10g tank, back painted black, rim cut off. Mangroves along back wall, getting light form the window behind the tank (the back will be shielded from sun/heat) Live rock 2" sand bed Koralia nano circulation Small zoas, green star polyps, sponges, feather duster, etc - filter/photo feeders. Small light, probably LEDs. I'm not sure if I want to make an inner wall (all in one style) or not. It'd be a place for the heater, and to hide a return pump (not using the koralia in that case); how small can I make it? I feel like mangroves will suck nutrients out quickly enough to support a single crab, but it never hurts to have an extra little filtration area. Thoughts? Paul

Another option: Drip system with automated top off? Just set up a slow drip irrigator, and when it gets low, use a normal mag whatever to fill it again. You should be able to do it with a spring switch, too, i.e. switch closes when the drip reservior is heavy, opens up again as it gets lighter. Of course, that's only ever as accurate as dripping, but it should be somewhat lower maintenance anyways. For calc, if you set the pump up right it'll stir everything for you as well. Paul

I've got PERL code to extract exif data... all the data you could ever want, but it's not exactly user-friendly, and you'd have to download the pictures and run the script. Paul

I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. (kidding - F&F is a great store!) I've used that quote (it's from Aliens) in every meeting I've had all week. I think my coworkers are catching on, but I'm going to give it another week. Paul

You probably can even cure cancer by lowering the blood sugar and then cooling the body or raising the temp. and lowering the salinity of the body. Not, let’s nuke’em with chemicals and watch their hair fall out and they die anyway. Thanks? Certified Grade A Crazy. Paul

I've been running custom LEDs for several months now - 72 white, 36 blue 1-watt Luxeons, buckpuck drivers, giant rectified transformer feeding those. Full post on the build: http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?show...&hl=paenian There is no supplemental lighting. My tank has changed since then, and I lost most everything in the move. Back up and running for several months. In terms of hard corals (softies are doing great), sunset montipora, a pseudo-chalice (ask the wife) and a blue-tipped staghorn frag are all doing well, and a hammer coral. Also have a lot of coraline algae growth. Colors are not what I'd like; the blue LEDs are either not powerful enough or don't have a broad enough spectrum. I plan to rebuild using T5 actinics & brighter white LEDs, but life keeps getting in the way. If you are interested in DIY, though, let me know - group buy on LEDs might lower the cost significantly. Paul

I'd recommend you add a reflector, but no lenses - the viewing angle on the CREE LEDs is quite large. I used some aluminum flashing to just reflect the side-spill back towards the tank. In fact if you're interested you can have my leftover aluminum flashing. Paul

External overflow.

I think I'm going to wait for the next phase of fancy LEDs, then buy a bunch - would be great for a group buy, but most of these electronics places don't price break until you get 50 or 100 components.

I've got LEDs on my tank, homemade. Planning to upgrade them eventually, but not really rushing to do so. I don't have them on a dimmer, just a few minute soft-start system. Paul

The brace doesn't have to be too complicated. A 2x4 with slots in it (one for the front glass pane, one for the back) would hold just fine. For looks, of course, I'd use a couple pieces of glass across the middle of the tank, one from inside pane to inside and one above the rim from outside to outside. That way the silicone bond area is 2*(glass thickness)*(brace width). Eurobracing should work fine too, but it'll never rival a center brace cost-wise. Make sure you consider overflow access, too. And finally, to answer your question, I've always gotten good prices from Circle Glass in Fairfax - smooth ground edges are included, polished costs extra. Paul

I'll be there as well. Paul

Broke down the tank a while back to refinish the floor - carpeting back to the old wood underneath. I also really want a Mantis shrimp, that'll be under way eventually, once the reef is back up and running happily. I'm behind on pictures, but here's a shot of the stand with the tanks in place: We've added a glass pane to the right of the 40g for an overflow, plan to use that section as filtration. 30 gallon high sump, with refugium on the right and a turf filter on the left, return pump in the middle. Stand is 2x8s with a 2x4 nailer in each corner; it's 18.5x72.5 inches, I think 42 inches tall? I don't remember exactly. Sanded, stained and painted by my wife Ruby, including the gold leaf band around the top. We're classy like that. 40g breeder on the left, 3/2" bulkhead, but the plumbing's been reduced to 5/4" - I'm still not sure if it should be smaller, or if we should upgrade the pump - there's a lot of air going down, and related noise issues from surging water. Any suggestions to that regard are welcome - I'll take some updated pictures so you can see the plumbing in place. Return pump is a Quiet One 3000 going through one of Bruce's WAVs (you can sorta see it under the stand) - 780gph max, probably about 500gph once it gets to the tank. We plan to add a Koralia or something of that nature. The 20g on the right will be served by its own pump, and house a mantis shrimp with some zoas or something.

Instead of pushing, you might be able to use a winch - chain winches are cheap, and it'd move the tank an inch or two at a time. The major problem is where to attach the other end of the chain - if you have a handy sturdy pillar, great, but usually that doesn't work so well inside the house.