ASpec
New member
Aspec's Coralife Biocube 29 with Radion XR30w in the factory hood.
First and foremost, why?
1A) My wife had several restrictions on the placement of this tank. It's in our living room sitting on built-in shelving which runs floor to ceiling. I had very tight dim's to work with already, and beyond the dim's she would not let me hang a light over it (and I don't think it would be possible to hang anyways due the shelving/structure) and finally she asked it be a closed top/hooded system to keep salt from creeping. Talk about restrictions! :lolspin:
2B) I like a challenge, and I really wanted a Radion since I have an Apex controller and with the upcoming Fusion release I can control it directly with the WXM module, wirelessly. I've seen and used other LED lighting in the past -- nothing really compares to the EcoTech as far as programmability and it's high output. I'll be able to grow just about anything under this fixture.
Meet the Biocube 29. The HQI version would not work, the light fixture caused the height to exceed the 21" I had to work with.
While Coralife did add the LED strips to the hood, power compact lighting is just not my cup of tea. I've used in the past with a NanoCube 24DX -- it works for some lower light corals placed high in the tank and that's about it. I know some people have success with power compact, but I'm building a mixed LPS/SPS reef so it was either MH or LED.
I looked around and could not find much information on getting a Radion in to the factory hood. I found someone do it on a 28 gallon Nano Cube -- and I found many people asking about doing this to a Biocube, most were followed with comments "don't do it, will never fit, won't work, heat issue, etc."
Well, as you're about to see it does fit, it does work, and heat is not an issue.
To get started, remove everything in the factory hood. Leave all the factory stand-off's in place. I left the factory fans installed and re-wired them to use a variable 12V DC transformer should I need them later down the road.
Next, you need to remove some plastic from the factory lenses cover to allow the Radion room.
I found this metal plate at my local hardware store and secure it to the factory hood stand-off's. Next I found some Scotch heavy duty fasteners. Packages states it will hold 2 lbs per 1 inch. I used 4 2" strips to give me 16 lbs of holding force. Worked perfectly. 1 other option here: use some of the factory stand-off's along with zip-ties and "eye rings" to secure it.
Installed. Couple of notes. Once I "dry fit" everything together I used a 2-1/2" hole saw and made the hole for the fan on the Radion. I placed 2 (only 1 is visible) pieces of 1/2" x 1/2" weather stripping/closed cell tape on the light. This allows the factory lenses cover not to sit directly on the light and helps secure the Radion even more in the hood.
Final thoughts and notes: It's not a quick project... It took me about 2.5 hours from start to finish. I dry fit everything together and routed the Radion power cable and USB out the rear of the hood before securing it all. I checked the temp's using an non-contact infrared IR temp gun. Based on my schedule and a intensity of 45%, at 10 hours into my 10.5 hour light schedule the inside of the lenses cover was 76F. The Radion fan is drawing air from the front mounted vents on the hood and pushing the warm air out the factory fan locations. I don't think I will need the factory fans, however, I do have them wired and ready to go. My installation also does not modify the Radion fixture itself in any way, besides some adhesive being applied to it's casing. I can re-use the light later down the road should my tank/needs change.
I am in the processing of moving all my equipment and live stock over to the Biocube from my IM Nuvo 16. I'll post a FTS in the coming days. I have the Apex WXM module and an Ecotech MP10-WES ordered. Next up, after the transfer, order a media basket from inTank.
First and foremost, why?
1A) My wife had several restrictions on the placement of this tank. It's in our living room sitting on built-in shelving which runs floor to ceiling. I had very tight dim's to work with already, and beyond the dim's she would not let me hang a light over it (and I don't think it would be possible to hang anyways due the shelving/structure) and finally she asked it be a closed top/hooded system to keep salt from creeping. Talk about restrictions! :lolspin:
2B) I like a challenge, and I really wanted a Radion since I have an Apex controller and with the upcoming Fusion release I can control it directly with the WXM module, wirelessly. I've seen and used other LED lighting in the past -- nothing really compares to the EcoTech as far as programmability and it's high output. I'll be able to grow just about anything under this fixture.
Meet the Biocube 29. The HQI version would not work, the light fixture caused the height to exceed the 21" I had to work with.
While Coralife did add the LED strips to the hood, power compact lighting is just not my cup of tea. I've used in the past with a NanoCube 24DX -- it works for some lower light corals placed high in the tank and that's about it. I know some people have success with power compact, but I'm building a mixed LPS/SPS reef so it was either MH or LED.
I looked around and could not find much information on getting a Radion in to the factory hood. I found someone do it on a 28 gallon Nano Cube -- and I found many people asking about doing this to a Biocube, most were followed with comments "don't do it, will never fit, won't work, heat issue, etc."
Well, as you're about to see it does fit, it does work, and heat is not an issue.
To get started, remove everything in the factory hood. Leave all the factory stand-off's in place. I left the factory fans installed and re-wired them to use a variable 12V DC transformer should I need them later down the road.
Next, you need to remove some plastic from the factory lenses cover to allow the Radion room.
I found this metal plate at my local hardware store and secure it to the factory hood stand-off's. Next I found some Scotch heavy duty fasteners. Packages states it will hold 2 lbs per 1 inch. I used 4 2" strips to give me 16 lbs of holding force. Worked perfectly. 1 other option here: use some of the factory stand-off's along with zip-ties and "eye rings" to secure it.
Installed. Couple of notes. Once I "dry fit" everything together I used a 2-1/2" hole saw and made the hole for the fan on the Radion. I placed 2 (only 1 is visible) pieces of 1/2" x 1/2" weather stripping/closed cell tape on the light. This allows the factory lenses cover not to sit directly on the light and helps secure the Radion even more in the hood.
Final thoughts and notes: It's not a quick project... It took me about 2.5 hours from start to finish. I dry fit everything together and routed the Radion power cable and USB out the rear of the hood before securing it all. I checked the temp's using an non-contact infrared IR temp gun. Based on my schedule and a intensity of 45%, at 10 hours into my 10.5 hour light schedule the inside of the lenses cover was 76F. The Radion fan is drawing air from the front mounted vents on the hood and pushing the warm air out the factory fan locations. I don't think I will need the factory fans, however, I do have them wired and ready to go. My installation also does not modify the Radion fixture itself in any way, besides some adhesive being applied to it's casing. I can re-use the light later down the road should my tank/needs change.
I am in the processing of moving all my equipment and live stock over to the Biocube from my IM Nuvo 16. I'll post a FTS in the coming days. I have the Apex WXM module and an Ecotech MP10-WES ordered. Next up, after the transfer, order a media basket from inTank.
