My 150 from the ground up

Those are clamps for Carlon conduit. I got them at the Depot in the electrical isle. I am contemplating screening the top. You can get window screen parts at a home center store as well. BRS sells clear 1/4 screen instead of the black bird netting that is available at a home center.

 

Thanks for the info. I know about the screen material, I've already built some. I guess I'm going to have to make a "notch" in the screen to get the returns through. I'm not sure I understand how you ran your electrical either. I can see that you put outlets all around the inside, but how do those get power?
Thanks for your help.
DJ

 

I just pigtailed it in from outside the cabinet. A couple of outlets are switched some are not. Just have to be mindful of the total load.

 

Nice build. You have some serious skills. I'm just a bit jealous.

 

Killer build man. I hope to get mine going very soon

 

Thanks all.

Just a quick update. I could never get that one Rio 26 to quiet down so I returned it for a Mag 18. The Mag will move a little more water and probably be a little more reliable pump. The Jager went out the third day I had it. The thermostat failed open so it went back also. I may be stupid but I am going to replace it with another Jager, just a 300 watt model. I am just sick of reading contradictory heater reviews and the Jager seems to have about the best ratings I can find. Plus, I have had good luck with these heaters in the past. At some point I will get a controller to be safe.

Now for a question. Has anyone used LED's from this place? Wholesale 3W blue high power led lamp 440nm~460nm for the aquarium light,3.0 3.6V really cheap but I hate to get ripped off squeezing the nickel. I was referred to this place by a guy in town that built his light with these and had good reviews about the emitters. A buck something for a 3 watt emitter is an insane price. I will probably not get driver's from this place instead get Meanwell drivers, but I am still shopping. I saw a guy that built his heat sink out of two different sizes of aluminum U channel and riveted the mess together with aluminum flat stock. I am thinking about doing something similar, rather than buying a extruded heat sink. If I get some positive feedback about the Chinese emitters I will start acquiring parts for the light fixture.

 

So I fanally got around to putting togther the light for this thing. Heat sink from Heat sink USA and an Aqua Style kit, figured I would give it a try.

 

Here is the tank with the lights up five months after first seeing water. Not a ton in there, four fish and a CUC.

The shade is something I tossed together yesterday. My wife didn't want a full hood. Probably a work in progress till I find something we can both live with.

I will need a couple of fans for the fixture, but it's a lot better than the surplus twin T-5 fixture I had. I will frag off some things out of my small tank and see how they respond with the new lights.

 

Amazing build my friend, super jealous! Your wife sounds alot like me...the desision maker bahaha (or i like to think so anyway lol)! i love your stand also, it looks exactly like my store bought one...only better! ) wish i had friends who would just drop off big tanks at my house haha! Oh and on the canopy...they give a much cleaner look and hide the lighting, but i find mine to be a pain because i have to take it off everytime i need to reach in the tank because im too dang short lol, maybe you can find a way to do a canopy where you can fold back the front half on hinges (imagine opening and closing a giant book haha) so you can easily reach in without having to take it off???

 

How are the coral responding to the light? it looks like those are bridgelux LEDs?