12g nano mod series

[davidryder]

ok, it has begun... i have a 125g reef with blah blah blah but my interest has shifted to my nano lol.

right now i have two mods moving at the same time. 1) refugium light and 2) auto top-off

with all the money i spend on these aquariums you think i would be able to afford a digital cam.. but you choose your battles, right? so i am taking pictures with my phone, so forgive the lack of clarity.

let's get down to it!

for the refugium mod i wanted a 13w ballast and a light, so i bought a 13w house light and disassembled it. there was a 13w ballast in there with a light attached, so i used them both. i removed the casing to conserve space.

<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/903940311060155a.jpg"><BR>
this was the 13w compact flourescent from lowes disassembled

<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/903940311060155.jpg"><BR>
this is the switch i installed for the refugium light

thats all i have for the refugium project for now. it's pretty simple. i just wired the new light into the hood with the new switch in the picture. i used the factory power supply to the hood for the light. if i have a problem with a heat i have spare fan that i can mount later. i will post more pics as i move forward

here are some pictures from the auto top-off

<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/903940311060152.jpg"><BR>
this is the float swith i got from aquahub.com

<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/903940311060153.jpg"><BR>
this is the float switch mounted in the refugium

<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/903940311060154.jpg"><BR>
this is what the tank looks like from the front with the switch mounted. i would like to have something covering it.

i haven't completed either project but here is what i have for the auto top-off:

<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/903940311060212dd.jpg"><BR>
i got the relay from radio shack. it's operated with 9vdc and has 120v running through the actual switch. it actuates an air pump that pressurizes a 5 gallon watercooler jug. the pressure is relieved by transferring water from the jug to the tank. as the water level rises the switch turns the air pump off and water flow stops. a low power solution without the use of powerheads. pm me for more details

this is what a similar top-off looks like (from my 125):

<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/586/9039430mar0502.jpg">


i think setting up a nano the way i want it is going to take more effort than my 125g... but less $$!!!

david

 

[davidryder]

ok, i bought an 18w CF light from hellolights <a href="http://www.hellolights.com/92x9wcomiaqc.html">http://www.hellolights.com/92x9wcomiaqc.html</a>

I wanted to take the lights and ballasts from that fixture and put it over my nano, but the electical components were taking up too much room. so i went ahead and moved everything but the switches to a large project box:

<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/903940403061400a.jpg">

i also removed one fan and installed a rheostat to control the speed of the remaining fan:

<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/903940403061400.jpg">

you can see the two white ballasts for the new lights.

here's another shot:

<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/903940403061437.jpg">

the factory ballast is on top, the dc transformer for the LEDs on the bottom left, power distribution board on the middle right, and two 9w ballasts on the bottom right for the new lights.

that was fun! now i have to find a way to pattern some cooling vents... it gets a little warm in there!

 

[davidryder]

forgot to mention it, but the auto top-off and fuge light are completed:

<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/903940331060256.jpg">
this is a picture of the float switch out of the water

here is my 1g reservoir lol i might upgrade in the future:
<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/903940331060254a.jpg">

and here is everything mounted:

<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/903940331060251a.jpg">

everything is working great. i go through about a gallon of water a week. salininty is now stable, and temp stays at a constant 81 through the day and night.

i also added some grape caulerpa to the fuge, which is doing well. i added some feather caulerpa to the tank, and i should have waited on that. it whithered away in about 4 days. grape caulerpa is thriving though. i'll wait probably another month for another shot at the feather caulerpa.