My LED build on 12g nano retrofit

[thewire]

I figure i will post this here too lol since I am an attention *****! maybe will help someone as people help me.

April 25, 2010 FTS

 

Parts:

Cree Q5 CW XR-E LED Qty = 6 $46.74

Cree RB XR-E LED Qty=6 $35 (price included 1 Buckpuck)

1 700mA Buckpuck Qty=1 $20

1000mA Buckpuck Qty=1 $included with the royal blue LEDs

Potran 24V@ 6.5A Power Supply $15

Thermal Paste $9 (use like 10% of it LOL)

5k Potentiometer Qty=2 $6.50

Stainless steel 4-40 screws and nyloc nut Qty=24 $3.50

Project box - $1 box from Dollar Tree

Cables - free

4-40 Drill and Tap $4

Mothers Aluminum polish -$5.23 (use like 10% of it too LOL)

Heatsink $30

 

Total Cost $170.74 included shipping.

 

Tips for myself in future:

1) Use W40 or any kind of non-flammable oil during drilling and tapping to make life easier. I spent approximately 2.5 hours to drill and tapped 24 holes. I broke one of the drill bit but luckily my friend has one extra.

2) Polish your heatsink with Mothers Mag and Alum polish. I use a power drill with a cloth attached to it and add some polisher onto the cloth. I spent only about 20 minutes total including cleaning the heatsink after.

3) Mushrooms and yuma hate LED lol

Soldering wasn

[Novi]

Love it! Everything looks amazing. Where did you get LED kit from to make this yourself if you dont mind?

[thewire]

Love it! Everything looks amazing. Where did you get LED kit from to make this yourself if you dont mind?

 

 

Hi there

There are couple places you can get the parts from:

I bought mine from rapidled.com before they raise the price a little bit. There are a couple group buys at Nanoreef forum and also members selling the leds. As for buckpucks, you can order it from ledsupply.com. MPJA sells cheap power supply.

[gmubeach]

HI I use leds too the problem I've been having is when I put wild stuff in my tank like a head of frogspawn it didn't react well...I keep rics and shrooms easly...but they shrunk a bit during acculmtion to the leds now they are coming back....anyway love the tank!

[Coral Hind]

Nice job on the project and a nice looking nano too.

Edited May 4, 2010 by Coral Hind

[thewire]

HI I use leds too the problem I've been having is when I put wild stuff in my tank like a head of frogspawn it didn't react well...I keep rics and shrooms easly...but they shrunk a bit during acculmtion to the leds now they are coming back....anyway love the tank!

 

thanks

Ya i heard about that. Did you have dimming on your system? I think the intensity sort too high for corals that are used to the lower light? Then again who knows..i aint expert either.

I want to rescape...

 

 

I just added a cheap ATO

 

1) float switch $6 for 2 from ebay

2) 1g container

3) plastic tubing

4) plastic around the house

5) clip

 

will post picture later

[thewire]

I have added

1) Pink ring zoa

2) Garf Bonsai

3) a Robokiki chalice

Some updates

Zoas are growing..so are the sps (over a span of 1 month)

Before

 

After

 

Before

 

After

[jason the filter freak]

Why does the heat sink need to be polished?

[Coral Hind]

To reflect any light that might bounce back up from the waters surface. Plus, it just gives it a cleaner appearance.

 

 

[Coral Hind]

thewire,

Nice growth rates for only a month. Also nice polype extension.

[thewire]

Why does the heat sink need to be polished?

 

Heatsink is polished to give a better heat transfer and also look cool! :)I have a lot mothers polish leftover

 

 

 

Coral Hind:

 

thanks!

Edited July 15, 2010 by thewire

[neilthepirate]

wow everything is digging that light

[thewire]

wow everything is digging that light

 

 

thanks man!

[epleeds]

we need pics of the ATO

 

thanks

Ya i heard about that. Did you have dimming on your system? I think the intensity sort too high for corals that are used to the lower light? Then again who knows..i aint expert either.

I want to rescape...

 

 

I just added a cheap ATO

 

1) float switch $6 for 2 from ebay

2) 1g container

3) plastic tubing

4) plastic around the house

5) clip

 

will post picture later

[thewire]

we need pics of the ATO

 

Sorry I completely forgotten about this...

It basically using pressure feed. The air pump is connect with the float switch. When the water level is low, it switch on the pump and it will pump air into the 1g jug. The air intake end is only 3" from the cap. The other end is laying all the way at the bottom of the jug.

 

Gallon jug with battery operate pump behind

 

Float switch with the other end of tube

 

CLose up