tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86727992885242268582024-03-13T07:43:55.370-06:00Idaho ReefUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-63071843863624672182016-05-05T23:42:00.003-06:002016-05-05T23:50:41.883-06:00Long Overdue PicturesWell, that was a relaxing twenty-month break from posting. Thankfully, there's been <i>some</i> progress in the meantime.<br />
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Anyhow, I posted some photos to the <a href="http://idahoreef.com/photos/">photo page</a>, and updated the info on the <a href="http://idahoreef.com/inhabitants/">inhabitants page</a>. Here's a small sample of what I've got going in the tank.<br />
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Check them out!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_gHdNAghmP-fS1xyUsbADrGclImNxoaMmGsU6mtsJ9YtKhBLj273REU4_LwRUCXPxPe5bS3MB-hW8sxg7vnnXcTF-aceprciG63uLJmyHpi8DINLZ9ZztnYO-CZBfKUesSGs2f9IUSaA/s1600/2016-05-05-at-14-25-19_2400.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_gHdNAghmP-fS1xyUsbADrGclImNxoaMmGsU6mtsJ9YtKhBLj273REU4_LwRUCXPxPe5bS3MB-hW8sxg7vnnXcTF-aceprciG63uLJmyHpi8DINLZ9ZztnYO-CZBfKUesSGs2f9IUSaA/s200/2016-05-05-at-14-25-19_2400.jpeg" width="200" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRdd7LKzhdOqOtN0UZDWGSKrOCI2mFd6T89DDlGHm0d6sii773ThLCJYhUmKIX5fp3o9x5lAKYpK6IJSksuuNzTSfIUVLFSyr57I-4QrrzYMQjyQl5sJySycEfzdgXwEcrwHBmLuEHebx/s1600/2016-05-05-at-14-22-03_2400.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRdd7LKzhdOqOtN0UZDWGSKrOCI2mFd6T89DDlGHm0d6sii773ThLCJYhUmKIX5fp3o9x5lAKYpK6IJSksuuNzTSfIUVLFSyr57I-4QrrzYMQjyQl5sJySycEfzdgXwEcrwHBmLuEHebx/s200/2016-05-05-at-14-22-03_2400.jpeg" width="200" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YbhNkIaNRLF6i8r9NROYw8Q2oZLEXbT3W_AKBOcwcQZ2IcXiPyvlQ0mWCCzivvr2NOvAGod8_V-_pNHFPD-dlkgyX8S4yFwWYs7GkBrRtFRK-FopVATS9wFODt1HEfOJweZCKHmQym_v/s1600/2016-04-22-at-17-27-22-1_med_hr-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YbhNkIaNRLF6i8r9NROYw8Q2oZLEXbT3W_AKBOcwcQZ2IcXiPyvlQ0mWCCzivvr2NOvAGod8_V-_pNHFPD-dlkgyX8S4yFwWYs7GkBrRtFRK-FopVATS9wFODt1HEfOJweZCKHmQym_v/s200/2016-04-22-at-17-27-22-1_med_hr-2.jpeg" width="200" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyqava1dmpHbDfgCykqGSKTEeCR6lhGaCWOwF9ly0HeH-YqKhLW1x0IbE5GX6XhNPjdvdG2PUmm0dEI6-_hMpDRdwHb3EEsVjGrwQJ0QF6JZnZfC4iWNcjw6IwNe1QXFO5ygw8hOKTcj6/s1600/2016-04-22-at-17-20-53-1_2431.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyqava1dmpHbDfgCykqGSKTEeCR6lhGaCWOwF9ly0HeH-YqKhLW1x0IbE5GX6XhNPjdvdG2PUmm0dEI6-_hMpDRdwHb3EEsVjGrwQJ0QF6JZnZfC4iWNcjw6IwNe1QXFO5ygw8hOKTcj6/s200/2016-04-22-at-17-20-53-1_2431.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-83932257038046553022014-08-01T18:00:00.000-06:002016-05-05T20:58:37.024-06:00Tank up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkupxeW5Y9E96CsEpJ1-3QwLqQ_Dc73G5L_vqAppO4yG5cvrI7-lR0XvyqS0IiXTmxErFZgFW7qHtDVJKtwvn4ahXMlW47_Vb9q97UXrW1i7D58Q7h8Ie_OQYopbUmotO6Vx84aowOJhTI/s1600/IMG_0700+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkupxeW5Y9E96CsEpJ1-3QwLqQ_Dc73G5L_vqAppO4yG5cvrI7-lR0XvyqS0IiXTmxErFZgFW7qHtDVJKtwvn4ahXMlW47_Vb9q97UXrW1i7D58Q7h8Ie_OQYopbUmotO6Vx84aowOJhTI/s1600/IMG_0700+(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The tank is on the stand!<br />
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It took a crew of six men and two hoist lifts to get the tank from the garage to the home office and onto the 40" high stand. There were, naturally, some nerve racking moments, but thankfully, no incidents. Now it's time to start plumbing and water testing.<br />
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And the world's slowest tank build continues ...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-56731057080075160282014-05-29T18:00:00.000-06:002014-05-29T14:34:51.907-06:00More Tanks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPgbsjickM_Q_eVlDOWEbQIGM9fvDnTsgrfCfYv1BCAqTTfWBK8W5DebfotlIgp8qqbC7sQB9PPnpKYuB8QwAVZ_a8KV1fPIqNe2fHT8R9m7BKW9HUJXL3iLDx9gOMJxwvMoqCyhaXyid/s1600/Water+Storage+Tanks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPgbsjickM_Q_eVlDOWEbQIGM9fvDnTsgrfCfYv1BCAqTTfWBK8W5DebfotlIgp8qqbC7sQB9PPnpKYuB8QwAVZ_a8KV1fPIqNe2fHT8R9m7BKW9HUJXL3iLDx9gOMJxwvMoqCyhaXyid/s200/Water+Storage+Tanks.jpg" /></a></div>
The RO/DI water storage tank, and the NSW mixing / storage tanks have been delivered!<br />
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Fortunately, I found a local manufacturer of polyethylene tanks, <a href="http://www.customroto.com/" target="_blank">Custom Roto-Molding, Inc.</a>, so I was able to obtain these beauties without incurring enormous shipping charges.<br/>
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The 310 gallon tall tank is for RO/DI storage, which will gravity feed the two 100 gallon tanks for new salt water mixing and storage. I'll plumb the two 100 gallon tanks together near their bottoms with a ball valve, so that I can empty one into the other, and use the empty tank to mix new water. Once the new water has settled, I can open the valve between the tanks to provide a single 200 gallon storage container for the automatic water change system to draw from.<br/>
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Time to get plumbing!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-7763503633703445152014-05-12T15:52:00.000-06:002014-05-27T10:11:27.776-06:00We've got water!... in the quarantine tank. While I wait for contractors to finish renovating the home office so that I can install the new display tank, I've set up and began cycling the quarantine tank in the laundry room. I'm using a 40 gallon breeder tank, with a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002DJLFK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002DJLFK&linkCode=as2&tag=eagree-20&linkId=KGKYUUQSCP6HWUVS">Penn Plax Cascade 600 Internal Filter</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=eagree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0002DJLFK" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> for biological filtration and water movement (it's got a nice spraybar that fits perfectly across the top of one side of the tank). I'll be cycling the tank without a fish (since there's no way I'm putting any damsels in my display tank), and will keep the first fish I buy here for a good long while (where my 3-year-old daughter can easily see it) until the display tank is installed, cycled and cured.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-81102174847672773322014-04-22T18:00:00.000-06:002014-05-15T15:28:06.417-06:00Yesterday I got tanked<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6sjxBOFdFDPy_rGECEEcFE6ueONUwjAoYOxB7Te_dQ_ekLmCrva_Zpv0YAb0neU9gAdDYYiKzhx5mN4sN4DMaTAmzP1yugb437ma1w1td4ROJkRnhfTUrEFno_kBeU-yGGr76muME_Ws/s640/blogger-image-33541372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6sjxBOFdFDPy_rGECEEcFE6ueONUwjAoYOxB7Te_dQ_ekLmCrva_Zpv0YAb0neU9gAdDYYiKzhx5mN4sN4DMaTAmzP1yugb437ma1w1td4ROJkRnhfTUrEFno_kBeU-yGGr76muME_Ws/s200/blogger-image-33541372.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
With apologies for the quality of the iPhone photo, I'm happy to announce I got tanked yesterday! There the tank sits, in all her glory, next to a GMC Yukon XL for scale. This thing is huge (and heavy)!<br />
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I was a bit disappointed to find that My Reef Creations neglected to drill two of the bulkhead holes in the front panel of the overflow. They assure me that it will be easy for me to do it myself. All I have to do is buy a hole saw, and locate the center of the overflow, and start cutting away without doing any harm. :-/ <br />
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The tank will have to sit in the garage for just a little while longer -- while the tile floor in the office is largely complete, as is the drain line, I still need my electrician to run a dedicated 20 amp branch circuit to the wall behind the tank before I move it into place. Speaking of moving it, I think I'll need to hire a local moving company to help with that. It's still on the pallet used to ship it, and can be rolled easily enough with a pallet jack, but lifting it onto the nearly 40" stand will be a task for more than a few people.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-47166068155789162802014-04-09T18:00:00.000-06:002014-05-15T15:58:49.532-06:00Payment complete!Well, I just paid the balance and freight on the tank. Can't wait to see it!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-63541553524320479442014-01-27T18:00:00.000-07:002014-05-15T15:58:42.108-06:00Fabrication complete!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjaM6jhRAiMt31f6qnzFQm0SHl5b2WgqWf-OQi8b-kerHcOfP4c3HvcEd9w6BFvztnEmbdR47F5NW5bhS2PoW4gxJ53DgNdIJajOPyn3cuH1pT4_JHOY14eihePev3yC4OZtG_IElmuvE/s1600/image002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjaM6jhRAiMt31f6qnzFQm0SHl5b2WgqWf-OQi8b-kerHcOfP4c3HvcEd9w6BFvztnEmbdR47F5NW5bhS2PoW4gxJ53DgNdIJajOPyn3cuH1pT4_JHOY14eihePev3yC4OZtG_IElmuvE/s1600/image002.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
At long, long, (very) long last, the tank has been built! Just as soon as I can get a freight quote, I'll make the final payment and the tank will be on it's way!<br />
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Here's a teaser picture to keep you (and me) holding on:Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-471490317825868452014-01-02T18:00:00.000-07:002014-05-15T15:58:32.107-06:00Fabrication (finally) underway!I received word today, that fabrication has begun! At this rate, I'll have fish swimming in time for (next) Christmas! :-)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-57143786345610085082013-11-25T18:00:00.000-07:002014-05-15T15:38:24.944-06:00The final design<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7UqYWaUGx7FWTXg78aJKj4VTQPR12TqCBEzlpCRXFJlFkX4h7kgo9O2SI5a0OqW1b1GN8vc5Lj0UJFFtQC0XacjiRQPJszZs0I_jtSKxkb-M4nro8B-5Lcs99TI1UrKiXng7M5cUcsA5/s1600/final+design.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7UqYWaUGx7FWTXg78aJKj4VTQPR12TqCBEzlpCRXFJlFkX4h7kgo9O2SI5a0OqW1b1GN8vc5Lj0UJFFtQC0XacjiRQPJszZs0I_jtSKxkb-M4nro8B-5Lcs99TI1UrKiXng7M5cUcsA5/s200/final+design.png" /></a></div>
After much communication back-and-forth with My Reef Creations (passed, back-and-forth, through Southeast Aquariums), we have arrived at a final tank design. The external dimensions have not changed, but due to spacing requirements the amount of plumbing inside the overflow has been reduced. In this final design, there will be six 1.5" bulkheads in the floor of the overflow (one closed loop input, three drain lines, and two return lines), with two more 1.5" bulkheads in the front panel (to pull water from the display and feed it to the closed loop input in the floor of the overflow). Six additional 1.0" bulkheads will be located in the floor panel of the display area, for closed loop outlets.<br />
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Hopefully fabrication can begin soon on this, the most drawn-out tank build ever. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-54763333660825297492013-07-29T18:30:00.000-06:002014-05-15T15:24:33.962-06:00Much assembly required<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjbLS6ok7DxC14KBUDcKaDo42hG6tkut_MHkToRaoDPRlefdwppwHq-qBi5H9kaqut8HQjKKWpVeBqfMXOKG9pboZ4F8Ti2KKl_A4o07S8OvxJahfGtUEgkzSyVt9xuS4bMoEMIqWvVRN/s1600/IMG_3902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 1em;"><img style="margin:0; border:0; padding:0;" border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjbLS6ok7DxC14KBUDcKaDo42hG6tkut_MHkToRaoDPRlefdwppwHq-qBi5H9kaqut8HQjKKWpVeBqfMXOKG9pboZ4F8Ti2KKl_A4o07S8OvxJahfGtUEgkzSyVt9xuS4bMoEMIqWvVRN/s200/IMG_3902.jpg" width="200" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnb2ywz6yVd7vWwvfj1VGO15UqUgvbRtux4suZl6oalwGecyI5_XtmCzKvu4f4TFqNw3dJeRVBwTchkpc3LbKr5iOOJWIpwQfDZvdDZlNtFdCN5FY2hICV_ktaFeMPMrnlUEbYLrg29qHz/s1600/IMG_3908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 1em;"><img style="margin:0; border:0; padding:0;" border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnb2ywz6yVd7vWwvfj1VGO15UqUgvbRtux4suZl6oalwGecyI5_XtmCzKvu4f4TFqNw3dJeRVBwTchkpc3LbKr5iOOJWIpwQfDZvdDZlNtFdCN5FY2hICV_ktaFeMPMrnlUEbYLrg29qHz/s200/IMG_3908.jpg" width="200" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1e6xX2Js60wvdPAo2omN4XbYSzvyR9vO31CDUjOucHwVglvnFlWi-7-9kKa3_Y4G3beRgKicItpSr8wT9P4KRJUJke2MmcWBUwInJlnr8aCJEmnfR3LYitl3TjOzWbhXaMax5hbMbIIa_/s1600/IMG_3911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 1em;"><img style="margin:0; border:0; padding:0;" border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1e6xX2Js60wvdPAo2omN4XbYSzvyR9vO31CDUjOucHwVglvnFlWi-7-9kKa3_Y4G3beRgKicItpSr8wT9P4KRJUJke2MmcWBUwInJlnr8aCJEmnfR3LYitl3TjOzWbhXaMax5hbMbIIa_/s200/IMG_3911.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The lighting build continues, slowly, as I grab an hour here and there to solder. I don't <i>think</i> I've screwed anything up too bad -- all eight breakout boards are all assembled, and the LED strings are lighting up as they should as I finish soldering each one. At this point, though, I only have four strings wired up on one of the 48" heat sinks. Each 48" heat sink will have 12 strings, and each 24" heat sink (which finally arrived via UPS today) will have 10. So, not counting the PCB assembly, I've got about 9% of my soldering done.<br />
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Some things I've learned along the way:<br />
<ul>
<li>Molten solder is hot</li>
<li>Molten solder sometimes goes flying into the air for no reason</li>
<li>Eye protection is a good idea when soldering</li>
<li>The surface of your eyeball doesn't have any nerve endings (thankfully)</li>
</ul>
In other news, My Reef Creations (MRC) doesn't provide final design schematics for review and approval. They will, however, talk through your design over the phone to confirm it, so if you can foresee any unforeseen problems with the design at that phase, they can't ensure they get corrected. :-/<br />
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Time for a leap of faith, and to hope I designed my glass box well.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-83235242512824567802013-07-22T18:30:00.000-06:002014-05-11T15:31:48.256-06:00The first step<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1gLY3bG_27jMv44JFjJlXhVgvSjrHVBpUYcHWetdR3LZYqj5J1aSZeDiL2S_mAKXk7ABO3eiLTH9JeAUsrLqj1boit4cVquWKn2HluFTU3TuXC9DQWvgQn3j9xLCx3qLGJ4T-fzl8mcJ/s1600/fixtures+underway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1gLY3bG_27jMv44JFjJlXhVgvSjrHVBpUYcHWetdR3LZYqj5J1aSZeDiL2S_mAKXk7ABO3eiLTH9JeAUsrLqj1boit4cVquWKn2HluFTU3TuXC9DQWvgQn3j9xLCx3qLGJ4T-fzl8mcJ/s200/fixtures+underway.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 48" LED fixtures underway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Finally, something tangible to show for all of this effort!<br />
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Nearly all of the components for the lighting build have arrived (LEDgroupbuy.com managed to ship the 48" MakersLED heat sinks, but forgot to send the 24" ones), so we've started building. After much trial and error, we figured out how best to evenly space the stars on the heat sinks (pro tip: cut a block of wood or a piece of copper sprue to exactly the length between adjacent stars, and use it as a spacer), so the second assembly went much quicker than the first.<br />
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Even though attaching the stars to the heat sinks <i>before</i> soldering them (or even tinning them) isn't recommended, I'm confident that the way-oversized-for-the-project <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006FA481G/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006FA481G&linkCode=as2&tag=eagree-20" target="_blank">soldering station</a> that I bought on Amazon should still be able to heat the pads faster than the sink can wick the heat away. If not, I guess I get to assemble it all over again. But, since it gets over 100 every evening this month, the work bench in the garage is no place to spend an evening soldering. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-23674490701526981282013-07-15T18:30:00.000-06:002014-05-11T15:32:09.123-06:00The (updated) sump systemWhile I wait for all of the components of the lighting system to arrive (I had to cancel my order for the MakersLED heat sinks from LEDSupply.com, when they demanded an extra $50 worth of shipping <i>after</i> I had placed my order, and re-order them from <a href="http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/" target="_blank">LEDgroupbuy.com</a>), I've been spending some time trying to nail down the final details of the filtration system that will be concealed within the stand of the tank. I've come up with a few modifications.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK1IT1PnhGvJ89uTsz-s2hqZzP9jP6-D94EekpYOuY0JW5-Y65w1R7tChSWUSD1hLN7UKqH60KokG5QboDj6o7vcEhp7zQjtUuSr-WvshTx4ch0KWniQejgDQwyF4rFfGBZ3O2y6hyAhS/s1600/sump.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK1IT1PnhGvJ89uTsz-s2hqZzP9jP6-D94EekpYOuY0JW5-Y65w1R7tChSWUSD1hLN7UKqH60KokG5QboDj6o7vcEhp7zQjtUuSr-WvshTx4ch0KWniQejgDQwyF4rFfGBZ3O2y6hyAhS/s200/sump.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The updated sump layout</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first modification is to the partitioning of the sump. Rather than an L-shaped return section (which would be hard to implement), I've decided to extend the refugium all the way to the bubble trap. This will require that the skimmer section be much deeper (otherwise the height of the tank would be largely wasted), but if I use a recirculating skimmer, then the depth of the skimmer section won't be an issue. The flow going through the refugium could be controlled with an adjustable panel that would raise or lower the height of the overflow from the bubble trap to the refugium. This would allow me to eliminate the feed line for the refugium that was teed off of one of the drain lines, and controlled by a gate valve (tees and additional gate valves on the Bean Animal drain didn't seem like a great idea). The front-to-back dimension of the refugium has been reduced to ensure that enough volume remains in the return section to handle drainage and back-flow from the tank in the event the return pumps lose power.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsljXXm1tvzvlWgEhVprItNqCeUrhPgexTN4RZDprD8W9x0zdzAqFcDvSpbRPf03_OjoFK_0VLww9hqCGYZDGRxQWhKM-luM4dmPrQ6t6DQEpi-I2DLQjPfc8dxiKeuOQG1zYp0IuO7KS/s1600/filter+layout.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsljXXm1tvzvlWgEhVprItNqCeUrhPgexTN4RZDprD8W9x0zdzAqFcDvSpbRPf03_OjoFK_0VLww9hqCGYZDGRxQWhKM-luM4dmPrQ6t6DQEpi-I2DLQjPfc8dxiKeuOQG1zYp0IuO7KS/s200/filter+layout.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The filtration system layout</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: both; float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Tu87uDaQJilI3PIdmkNRoIpBK7QTaCw7AM_dh1KaXNDbEFBatA0cJixy7PqU4ByzwPdXj_usoKvuknUvM6r7L7FLj_duMp9gCFOzsnWfePZUijZUyjfgBUGqqYZ-55nXd8Vl87fuVrm-/s1600/filter+flowchart.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Tu87uDaQJilI3PIdmkNRoIpBK7QTaCw7AM_dh1KaXNDbEFBatA0cJixy7PqU4ByzwPdXj_usoKvuknUvM6r7L7FLj_duMp9gCFOzsnWfePZUijZUyjfgBUGqqYZ-55nXd8Vl87fuVrm-/s200/filter+flowchart.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The filtration system</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next modification was to the number, kind, and layout of the media filters and other associated hardware. Some online window shopping has illustrated the enormous cost of granular ferric oxide (GFO) filtration media, and renewed my interest in bio-pellet reactors for the control of phosphates (and nitrates). In keeping with my enthusiasm for a uniform aesthetic and the challenge of DIY, I'd like to use another AVAST Marine media reactor (the self-assembled kind) for the bio-pellets, hopefully modified to incorporate a small recirculation pump. The current plan is to use a GFO reactor at first, until the tank is well stabilized, then to add a bio-pellet reactor, and eventually to re-purpose the GFO reactor as an air dryer (filled with desiccant beads, and plumbed between the air pump and the ozone generator). The first image to the right illustrates a complete layout of all the reactors, if I ran them all at the same time, and didn't re-purpose one into another (from left to right, the external hardware includes an air dryer, an ozone reactor, a carbon reactor, a GFO reactor, a kalk stirrer, a bio-pellet reactor, and a skimmate locker). The second image shows the movement of water through the sump system, since illustrating the manifold and airline connections in SketchUp seemed a bit excessive, even for me.<br />
<br />
I wonder if the folks at <a href="https://www.avastmarine.com/" target="_blank">AVAST Marine Works</a> offer bulk discounts?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-41316761833355877412013-07-08T18:30:00.000-06:002014-05-15T15:24:57.996-06:00That's a lot of soldering<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXMpjtUHORPNF5Ky_DpbZAwv826219cdvAJxRK03xOiitxQ-tDuVnobmS3r_dRNvM5OLNAxCaJXMjQfeJyEF5Rnupf52L1SNt3xieTP3JSALudYgfLa8iNGH9WTiAE7QjhlSQUMaIPDWU/s1600/soldering.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXMpjtUHORPNF5Ky_DpbZAwv826219cdvAJxRK03xOiitxQ-tDuVnobmS3r_dRNvM5OLNAxCaJXMjQfeJyEF5Rnupf52L1SNt3xieTP3JSALudYgfLa8iNGH9WTiAE7QjhlSQUMaIPDWU/s240/soldering.png" height="187" width="240" /></a></div>
Today was a big shopping day for the Idaho Reef. After all the meticulous planning for the lighting system, it felt good to finally get the build underway. When I saw that <a href="http://shop.stevesleds.com/" target="_blank">Steve's LEDs</a> was running a 15% off sale to celebrate their expansion, I knew it was time to pull the trigger; $200 off is nothing to sneeze at. And the first purchase always makes each subsequent purchase easier, so I also ordered the LDD breakout boards, various miscellaneous electronic components to assemble them, solder, wire, <i>etc.</i>, <i>etc</i>.<br />
<br />
I did a little back-of-the-envelope math to determine just how much soldering there will be in my future -- with 84 single-emitter LED stars and 84 triple-emitter LED stars, just wiring up the heat sinks will require soldering 672 connections. Add in the ~100 solder connections on each of the 7 breakout boards, and there's nearly 1400! Hopefully a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068IJX6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00068IJX6&linkCode=as2&tag=eagree-20" target="_blank">pound of solder</a> and almost <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003AVMRR0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003AVMRR0&linkCode=as2&tag=eagree-20" target="_blank">half a pound of thermal compound</a> will be enough. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-37606523815339418192013-07-01T18:30:00.000-06:002014-05-15T15:25:29.869-06:00Controlling the lights<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiymnZPUSQSWiDt57ROJrSssMrRaxBOPHqPMgKTdrGzMqHrqzDCwQwiDe9PI3HlXzJATsl-aR_7TG-7HXMWKacMkKsyTiUuazcpnbqZR6phgRYLVgIIWQUpn2QZYGg3SGjhO_MStWDIoN7/s964/Lighting+System.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiymnZPUSQSWiDt57ROJrSssMrRaxBOPHqPMgKTdrGzMqHrqzDCwQwiDe9PI3HlXzJATsl-aR_7TG-7HXMWKacMkKsyTiUuazcpnbqZR6phgRYLVgIIWQUpn2QZYGg3SGjhO_MStWDIoN7/s200/Lighting+System.png" height="176" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lighting system</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
The lighting system for the tank will involve a large number of separately-controlled color channels, spread out over a number of separately-controlled lighting zones. As <a href="http://eaglereef.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-many-leds-is-too-many-with-tank.html">previously described</a>, there will be four fixtures suspended over the tank. These four fixtures will be divided into three lighting zones -- left (or East), center, and right (or West). Each zone will have 8 color channels (royal blue, 5000K white, 2700K white, violet, indigo, cool blue, turquoise and red).<br />
<br />
Given the number of LED emitters, drivers, color channels, heatsinks and power supplies, it's easier to visualize all of this graphically. The "mind map" on the right (made with <a href="http://freemind.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">FreeMind</a>) helps to illustrate all of this.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIWgGJ1rrita7MKjArzmMPHogTk2gEyPNQSucX9LMBokWBhoS9EfKfuZWaGyFekKrPdxqI-FCsdqt-2EDPf5uO_hFsRCcRiFQ1g1ttToUDR_bLo7r5pSbuQnH1kQDKEpV90m_wH0UkdMB/s795/6up-LDD_H_1.7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIWgGJ1rrita7MKjArzmMPHogTk2gEyPNQSucX9LMBokWBhoS9EfKfuZWaGyFekKrPdxqI-FCsdqt-2EDPf5uO_hFsRCcRiFQ1g1ttToUDR_bLo7r5pSbuQnH1kQDKEpV90m_wH0UkdMB/s200/6up-LDD_H_1.7.png" height="200" width="122" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The driver breakout board</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The "Driver Breakout Boards" referenced in the mind map have been a time-consuming project recently. Because all of these LEDs will require a total of 42 Mean Well LDD-H drivers, it would be a rats nest under the tank if there weren't some way to wrangle all of these circuits into order. Inspired by the work of others on <a href="http://www.reefcentral.com/" target="_blank">Reef Central</a>, I decided to try my hand at printed circuit board (PCB) layout using the free version of <a href="http://www.cadsoftusa.com/" target="_blank">Eagle</a>. After many, many revisions (and much trial and error), I've arrived at version 1.7 of the board design, which I will shortly have fabricated by <a href="http://imall.iteadstudio.com/open-pcb/pcb-prototyping.html" target="_blank">iMall</a>. It permits six of the Mean Well LDD-H LED drivers to be cleanly mounted to a circuit board, which can in turn be mounted in a plastic enclosure to keep everything tidy and reasonably protected from the saltwater environment around the tank. These boards will also require a good bit of soldering know-how to put together, which I completely lack, so I ordered several spare boards to practice/make my mistakes on. I've also got a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006FA481G/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006FA481G&linkCode=as2&tag=eagree-20" target="_blank">combination soldering iron / hot air re-work station</a> on the way from Amazon.com--I'll throw myself into any project that will give me an excuse to by new tools.<br />
<br />
If anyone is interested in downloading a copy of the breakout board design, I'll be happy to post it up.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-62567269474270272802013-06-28T18:30:00.000-06:002014-05-15T15:26:14.235-06:00Keeping it moving<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVh-fFPOjcfkjV-zD1_jZKaHAXfam7eDsjTUwnqjGV0-zfCf3M9FsB901pY3eSUA8mUy09pAh_BWeLLDmnMRFM7USNnAMCrRVrsR0vVI9_Zwv6SpxpavzbEXWfvAdipKd1KYzw5r61eWoC/s792/tank.design.closed.loop.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVh-fFPOjcfkjV-zD1_jZKaHAXfam7eDsjTUwnqjGV0-zfCf3M9FsB901pY3eSUA8mUy09pAh_BWeLLDmnMRFM7USNnAMCrRVrsR0vVI9_Zwv6SpxpavzbEXWfvAdipKd1KYzw5r61eWoC/s200/tank.design.closed.loop.png" height="171" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The closed loop system</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I spent weeks debating whether the tank should be plumbed with a closed-loop system. A closed loop would provide water movement while keeping unattractive pumps and wiring out of the display, but committing to fixed output locations was intimidating - once the output bulkheads were drilled, there would be no going back. In the end, the desire for an aesthetic display tank with concealed equipment won out over the desire for design flexibility down the road. Besides, I can always add powerheads later to complement the closed loop.<br />
<br />
The original closed loop design called for locating both the pump and the water distribution device beneath the display tank. With that design, it would have been necessary to include even more bulkheads in the bottom panel of the tank within the confines of the overflow box. Eventually, I realized that I could plumb the pump in the stand, and the distribution device in the canopy, with only two additional bulkheads in the floor of the overflow. This design is illustrated in the rendered image, above.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Two 1.5" bulkheads (protected by spa intake covers) on the center line of the tank will be plumbed to the intake of a controllable DC pump, which will be plumbed in turn to a water distribution device. Originally, I planned on using an <a href="http://www.oceansmotions.com/" target="_blank">OceansMotions</a> diverter, which relies on a high-torque, low speed motor turning a drum to distribute water among its four outputs in a cyclic fashion. But then <a href="http://www.derkroon.com/" target="_blank">derKroon Mechanics</a> announced their new FlowWolf, which uses a high-speed stepper motor to distribute water among its four outputs in a programmable, or even pseudo-random fashion. The desire to have computer control over every aspect of the system was too strong to ignore, so the derKroon it will be. The distribution device is plumed to four bulkheads located in the angled walls of the trapezoidal overflow, to hopefully generate some turbulent whole-tank current.<br />
<br />
According to the engineers at derKroon, the FlowWolf uses an Atmel AVR 324 in its proprietary controller, so it should theoretically be possible to connect the distributor to / control it from a <a href="http://reefangel.com/" target="_blank">Reef Angel</a> controller. I look forward to the challenge of getting these two devices to communicate.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-32259762306038048772013-06-27T18:30:00.000-06:002014-05-11T15:32:41.497-06:00Keeping it clean<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYkcVaPTaE2I-XBPNs5LWZmaDQvo1kNhLR4PQoduRRW0dWPWerOzAJESpN7aSV7pQFjJviWWC71h9NWEdz9n60sWOKFNzbhn-rEhIPk0fiEuZIwAU2m9Nn-QVfhTT9mv4oKhbIb_odiss/s753/tank.design.sump.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYkcVaPTaE2I-XBPNs5LWZmaDQvo1kNhLR4PQoduRRW0dWPWerOzAJESpN7aSV7pQFjJviWWC71h9NWEdz9n60sWOKFNzbhn-rEhIPk0fiEuZIwAU2m9Nn-QVfhTT9mv4oKhbIb_odiss/s200/tank.design.sump.png" height="183" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sump and filters</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While waiting for the tank and stand to be built and delivered, I continue to plan and shop for the other components of the system. To that end, I've designed a filtration system that uses a standard 75 gallon glass aquarium (with some added baffles) as a combination sump and refugium.<br />
<br />
As shown in the rendering to the right, the <a href="http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx" target="_blank"> "BeanAnimal" overflow</a> will drain water from the display tank to two different sections of the partitioned sump - a refugium section and a filtration section.<br />
<br />
The (illuminated) refugium section will be stocked with <span class="prodScientificName">Chaetomorpha</span> algae for nutrient export, and live rock rubble to provide an environment for breeding populations of zooplankton (pods) to thrive. Flow through the refugium section will be controlled by a gate valve
plumbed off of the primary drain line--enough so that the <span class="prodScientificName">Chaeto</span> in the refugium tumbles well, but not so much as to flush it over the refugium overflow and into the return pumps.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>The filtration section will have a constant water level to support a submerged protein skimmer, and a separate pump for supplying water to the collection of media reactors. The skimmer will be one of the larger open-volute designs with a controllable DC pump, either an <a href="http://www.rlss.ca/" target="_blank">RLSS</a> DB-12i or a <a href="http://www.reefoctopus.com/" target="_blank">Reef Octopus</a> POV-DC3. The media reactors will include an ozone reactor, a carbon filter, and a granular ferric oxide filter (courtesy of the nice people at <a href="http://www.avastmarine.com/" target="_blank">AVAST Marine Works</a>). The ozone filter will be supplied with ozone by an <a href="http://www.ozotech.com/" target="_blank">Ozotech</a> Poseidon 200 mg/hr ozone generator and the quietest air pump I can find (TBD).<br />
<br />
The water will overflow from both the refugium section and the filtration section (through a bubble trap) into an 'L' shaped return section, where two submersible return pumps will return the water to the display tank. By using controllable DC pumps, it will be possible to alternate the return flow from one side of the tank to the other, thereby inducing more water movement in the display tank.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-11111123113774293232013-06-26T18:30:00.000-06:002014-05-15T15:26:58.622-06:00 How many LEDs is too many?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwwsCFH89C9g1A6Ca_2AF9nH5qpOW_yYNQQ8Uc7p07_QQJGsCqeKfqwvCPacEZFu7QUbdZ8QOPCG_LA2cY65gi6PEgdcvQJG9gQnusAp2iw1O42DmFKFF4r7sYAN3HfHY-hrODyKZn5Th/s1600/tank.design.lighting.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwwsCFH89C9g1A6Ca_2AF9nH5qpOW_yYNQQ8Uc7p07_QQJGsCqeKfqwvCPacEZFu7QUbdZ8QOPCG_LA2cY65gi6PEgdcvQJG9gQnusAp2iw1O42DmFKFF4r7sYAN3HfHY-hrODyKZn5Th/s200/tank.design.lighting.png" height="200" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The heat sink layout</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With the tank underway (or at least under deposit), it's time to start assembling all the hardware I'll need to set it up as soon as it arrives. Since there is no light fixture on the market that will do everything I'd like, I'll have to build my own custom fixtures, if I want to:<br />
<ul>
<li>Have sufficient photosynthetically usable radiation (PUR) to grow corals/clams anywhere in the 40" tall tank</li>
<li>Include multiple channels of control to fine-tune the light color for optimal coral growth, attractive coral and fish appearance, color-accurate photography and color-changing sunrise/sunset simulation</li>
<li>Provide illumination from different angles to further simulate time of day (<i>e.g.</i>, from one side of the tank in the morning, from all angles during the day, and from the other side of the tank in the evening)</li>
<li>Dim all the way down to 0% for appropriate levels of moonlight illumination</li>
<li>Include an independently-addressable red channel for night viewing</li>
<li>Include powerful illumination in the violet and indigo wavelengths for optimal fluorescence</li>
</ul>
With that in mind, I've mocked up some fixtures that should do all of this and more. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>The plan calls for two 48" fixtures suspended lengthwise over the center of the 72" tank, with the fixture closer to the front being tilted towards the back of the tank, and two 24" fixtures suspended perpendicular to the tank on opposing ends, tilted in towards the center. The fixtures will each include 8 channels of LEDs, with the following colors / LED emitters:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzLJvJxK6FUcsQdYo65cgQfzFKSUJfPvD036967zIbXKsnydGIbUSRXKEEZWZVRdtFT_zzJgZKKZlq-B5BfsxlIuJWX2HgcegygPfj0mjWYu1z5kHnSb_4X4CwHz3BgWU7PSnRog8d28v/s1600/tank.design.lighting.layout.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzLJvJxK6FUcsQdYo65cgQfzFKSUJfPvD036967zIbXKsnydGIbUSRXKEEZWZVRdtFT_zzJgZKKZlq-B5BfsxlIuJWX2HgcegygPfj0mjWYu1z5kHnSb_4X4CwHz3BgWU7PSnRog8d28v/s230/tank.design.lighting.layout.png" height="103" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The emitter layout(s)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ol>
<li>5000k Neutral white (Luxeon Rebel ES)</li>
<li>2700k Warm white (Luxeon Rebel ES) </li>
<li>400-405nm Violet (Exotic "Hyper Violet")</li>
<li>415-420nm Indigo (SemiLED "True Violet")</li>
<li>440-450nm Royal Blue (Luxeon Rebel ES & Luxeon M)</li>
<li>470-480nm Cool Blue (Luxeon Rebel ES)</li>
<li>495-505nm Cyan (Luxeon Rebel ES)</li>
<li>660-670nm Deep Red (Luxeon Rebel ES)</li>
</ol>
Each of these eight channels will be separately addressable on the left fixture, the center pair of fixtures, and the right fixture, for a total of 24 channels. The good folks at <a href="http://www.reefangel.com/" target="_blank">Reef Angel</a> are working up a pair of custom dimming expansions with 16 pulse width modulation (PWM) channels each to handle this number of channels.<br />
<br />
All told, there will be 308 three-watt emitters and 28 twelve-watt emitters suspended over the tank. All of the Luxeon Rebel ES emitters will be distributed across a variety of custom 3-up "Tristar" metal-core printed circuit boards (MCPCBs) available from <a href="http://stevesleds.com/" target="_blank">Steve's LEDs</a>, and all of the channels will be distributed over the tank as evenly as possible, either in tight clusters or evenly-spaced rows (as illustrated above). The twelve-watt Luxeon M emitters on the royal blue channel will include LEDiL Minnie 63° secondary optics. Whether the three-watt Exotic and SemiLED violet and indigo emitters will include secondary optics is still up in the air, as is whether or not I'll be able to find optics that work with Steve's LEDs' custom Tristar MCPCBs.<br />
<br />
Three Mean Well SE-600-48 power supplies and forty-two Mean Well LDD constant-current drivers (as soon as <a href="http://powergatellc.com/" target="_blank">PowerGate LLC</a> gets them back in stock) will power these emitters, and two 48" and two 24" <a href="http://makersled.com/" target="_blank">MakersLED</a> heat sinks will dissipate their heat.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3esSvNKmwAyzHYuMm4JuEjmf0elqLAEsEdHZUB9gO2Mv9mdFp2x9bTQgkgmX9uxhZgHmNsp8bNcgXEHQtzT9ju0daOeuD-o9NQqYM1XJ6UKUZdcf6CkAvliqxDKS9E4LiijINE8DhZjF/s1600/tank.design.illumination.percentages.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3esSvNKmwAyzHYuMm4JuEjmf0elqLAEsEdHZUB9gO2Mv9mdFp2x9bTQgkgmX9uxhZgHmNsp8bNcgXEHQtzT9ju0daOeuD-o9NQqYM1XJ6UKUZdcf6CkAvliqxDKS9E4LiijINE8DhZjF/s280/tank.design.illumination.percentages.png" height="221" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The power distribution</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If all the emitters were run at their full power, there would be 1200 watts of LED light pouring into the tank, with the following distribution:<br />
<ul>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">252.0W 5000K</li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">115.5W 2700K</li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">70.6W Violet</li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">100.8W Indigo</li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">404.6W Royal Blue</li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">138.6W Cool Blue</li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">81.2W Cyan</li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">39.2W Deep Red</li>
</ul>
Of course, I'll need to learn how to solder, first. And then how to program a Reef Angel controller to drive all 24 of these channels to simulate sunrise, sunset, and the lunar cycle. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672799288524226858.post-89617329486151167132013-06-25T18:30:00.000-06:002014-05-11T15:32:56.030-06:00 A tank is born! <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-_CWVR0FENkJQ6gnd54cAxFBd8eWYg4Y8uo2_mPnX-zOqaWf1BKIzfGU4NWyMsSA3YJ8wqMe3-t9K4dsx5TaJq7fbJ7A3TC9lGCmUcJgvRqBHHjgSs4PN1_YNzB33s13envF8Gw_RjcJ/s1600/tank.design.plumbing.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-_CWVR0FENkJQ6gnd54cAxFBd8eWYg4Y8uo2_mPnX-zOqaWf1BKIzfGU4NWyMsSA3YJ8wqMe3-t9K4dsx5TaJq7fbJ7A3TC9lGCmUcJgvRqBHHjgSs4PN1_YNzB33s13envF8Gw_RjcJ/s200/tank.design.plumbing.png" width="183" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plumbing the tank</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After many years, my dream tank is finally underway. I put down a hefty deposit for a custom tank and stand from the folks at <a href="http://www.myreefcreations.com/" target="_blank">My Reef Creations</a> (via <a href="http://www.seaatlanta.com/" target="_blank">Southeast Aquariums</a>), and can hardly wait to start building.<br />
<br />
The design is not completely final, but the tank will be a low-iron glass / PVC hybrid tank measuring 72 inches long, 40 inches tall, and somewhere between 30 and 33 inches deep (<i>i.e.</i>, front-to-back). The final dimensions remain in flux until MRC can work out how deep the tank can be without increasing the size of the
glass panes from which it will be cut. Between 30 and 33 inches should put the volume of the tank in the neighborhood of 375 to 410 gallons. With the planned 75 gallon sump, and backing out the volume of rock, sand and equipment, the working volume of the tank should be somewhere between 300 and 350 gallons.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXE-0KrnWLu3hzWYYyX9rUw1muj2N2IvlvvTxwE0rMpWHnKHxHLH4ckQfQhj_C2mTyicb3TzTfT1gpxJva1wj2JthV0NBSGmkKJNkUJ4WRoajU4QIaNlCthVA9flU7FJAwIdwFOpRHJ4oz/s1600/tank.design.overflow.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXE-0KrnWLu3hzWYYyX9rUw1muj2N2IvlvvTxwE0rMpWHnKHxHLH4ckQfQhj_C2mTyicb3TzTfT1gpxJva1wj2JthV0NBSGmkKJNkUJ4WRoajU4QIaNlCthVA9flU7FJAwIdwFOpRHJ4oz/s200/tank.design.overflow.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The oversize overflow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The tank will include a large internal overflow to accommodate the plumbing necessary for a <a href="http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx" target="_blank">"BeanAnimal" overflow</a> with dual returns (<i>i.e.</i>, five 1.5" bulkheads), a hidden closed-loop system (four more 1.5" bulkheads for an intake and a return line, and four 1.0" inch bulkheads for the various output lines) and a dry raceway to carry electrical power and signals to the canopy (one more 1.5" bulkhead). This design was driven by my desire to have the tank rest flush against a wall in our home office, with unobstructed viewing panels (of low-iron glass) on all three visible sides.<br />
<br />
There's still a little design work left to do on the tank. The design for the top bracing of the tank is still wide open (but largely unconstrained, since it will be concealed by an enclosed canopy, and screened to keep the jumping wrasses in. Also, the placement of the closed loop output bulkheads is not set in stone, although I'm not sure how I'll know if I've gotten them right until it's too late to make changes. Hopefully, MRC and Southeast Aquariums can sort these remaining challenges out soon - visiting <a href="http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden" target="_blank">Diver's Den</a> with nowhere to put the fish and frags is an exercise in unbearably-delayed gratification.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com