Kasey's Kube
- Thread starter kaserpick
- Start date
Hey you may have posted this in the LED build (won't open on my end today) but what LEDs did you go with?
Oh and thanks for helping me with my LED choice.
I went with a PAR 38 from Rapid.
:lmao:
Sorry you were having issues but I think in the end it will be all good.
Have you considered cardinal fish instead of chromis?
Oh and thanks for helping me with my LED choice.
I went with a PAR 38 from Rapid.
:lmao:
Sorry you were having issues but I think in the end it will be all good.
Have you considered cardinal fish instead of chromis?
moga
Active member
Thank you very much!I bought the conduit and fittings at Lowes; it's all 3/4". It's like fitting PVC together, very easy.
Great tank again ..
I am looking to get the stand like yours..I am about to hang 24 x 8 ATI powermodule..
I was about to bend the conduit. but i like yours better..
did you cut the conduit? how did you fit the conduit to fittings? did you make the nipple to it?~
let me know.~
kaserpick
Keeping it Simple
You crack me up, Mike. :lmao: Always glad to help show you what direction to not choose.
I think you're right though; in the end, it'll work well. I have a PAR38 on standby if I ever get fed up with this. 
I went with Cree XP-E's and XP-G's: 3 Neutral White, 3 Cool White, 4 Blue, and 8 Royal Blue.
I have thought about threadfin cardinals. Here's my main concerns with them: They don't ship well, and they don't move a ton. I'm not a big fan of the bangai or PJ's, either. The ones that I seem to like don't usually ship well. But, even if they did, I'm still stuck on the fact that they give little movement. While chromis are super common, I like the simplicity they offer with good movement. Let me know what think, and thanks for the idea! :thumbsup:
Thanks, Moga! Wow, a 24 x 8 ATI PM is an AMAZING light! If you haven't used it yet, you will LOVE it.
I cut the conduit with a hack saw. The fittings were bought at Lowes (any decent hardware store should have them), and there was no need to make nipples. I just cut the 3 pieces that you see in the fixture and put them in the fittings. The fittings have a screw that you tighten to lock them in place and keep them from slipping. On that note, if you decide to do it the same way I did, you'll want to make sure you drill a hole through the fitting and conduit that bends off of the first (largest piece) of conduit. Then put a scew through the hole. This'll ensure that it doesn't twist, making sure your light doesn't end up in the water. I did this with my fixture, and it doesn't weigh half as much as your PM does. Those things are build like tanks, very very nice lights. :thumbsup: I hope this makes sense. Please, feel free to ask anymore questions!
moga
Active member
Thanks, Moga! Wow, a 24 x 8 ATI PM is an AMAZING light! If you haven't used it yet, you will LOVE it.
Hi Kasey,
thanks for the detail response.
I did try make with one piece like you , but ended up with two because the light itself is too heavy it just gets twisted. so I made two pole and rest of them is like your ways.. yes, I love this light.~
What can I say? I just enjoy your builds and POV on reefing.
Honestly I have been banging my head about lighting ever since I started my build last year.
MH and T5 are great in every aspect except bulb replacement costs. Energy costs are minimal when talking 100 watts vs. 20 watts for 8 - 10 hours a day. I really don't want to spend $80+ for bulbs every 6 months is my issue. Then if you read about LEDs they are great except that if you would just wait until NEXT month all the issues will be solved and you can save an extra half watt per 100 of PAR reading. It sounds like what is available to day won't grow a weed and if it did it would just be brown.
I don't have the desire or the time to sit down and make a sexy hood like you did. I really do like how you mounted your LEDs because it answered one of my main issues of how to "spot light" a small tank without it looking like a flashlight is being used.
Yes I see your point about chromis vs. cardinals. The chromis are attractive, active, good shippers and available throughout the year.
There is one other fish that I have read about that could be a contender. If I can find it I will throw you another wrench.
How is the pH level coming?
I saw your sps post them thread so I have an small idea of what you are going with in this build.
Oh and did ninjafish's old cube influence you at all?
He seems to be one of the OG reefers when it comes to cubes and no equipment.
It is the dwarf dartfish, Aioliops megastigma.
They are very small < 1 inch but they simply group like FW tetras bumping forward and then drifting plus I wonder if your flow would be too much for them.
Oh well.
They are very small < 1 inch but they simply group like FW tetras bumping forward and then drifting plus I wonder if your flow would be too much for them.
Oh well.
kaserpick
Keeping it Simple
Exactly, if one pole doesn't work, then going two is the way to go. Nice job! :thumbsup: Got any pics?
kaserpick
Keeping it Simple
What can I say? I just enjoy your builds and POV on reefing.
Honestly I have been banging my head about lighting ever since I started my build last year.
MH and T5 are great in every aspect except bulb replacement costs. Energy costs are minimal when talking 100 watts vs. 20 watts for 8 - 10 hours a day. I really don't want to spend $80+ for bulbs every 6 months is my issue. Then if you read about LEDs they are great except that if you would just wait until NEXT month all the issues will be solved and you can save an extra half watt per 100 of PAR reading. It sounds like what is available to day won't grow a weed and if it did it would just be brown.
I don't have the desire or the time to sit down and make a sexy hood like you did. I really do like how you mounted your LEDs because it answered one of my main issues of how to "spot light" a small tank without it looking like a flashlight is being used.
Yes I see your point about chromis vs. cardinals. The chromis are attractive, active, good shippers and available throughout the year.
There is one other fish that I have read about that could be a contender. If I can find it I will throw you another wrench.
How is the pH level coming?
I saw your sps post them thread so I have an small idea of what you are going with in this build.
Oh and did ninjafish's old cube influence you at all?
He seems to be one of the OG reefers when it comes to cubes and no equipment.
Thank you very much for kind words, Mike.
I enjoy the ideas that you share.I know what you mean about the LED's. It was something that I've been wanting to try for quite some time, but I kept waiting since something 'better' was always on the horizon. I simply had to act, otherwise I would have been waiting and waiting. I knew the build would take FOREVER (sense the frustration? :lmao
, so I started and then chose what was available. We'll see how it grows those Millepora's. 
Yes, Ninjafish's old cubes were a HUGE inspiration. I think he did a great job with what he wanted to do. I'm not a huge fan of his coral choice, but everyone's different.
Thanks for the idea of the Dwarf Dartfish! They definitely seem interesting; while they don't move a ton, their small size probably doesn't add much to the bio-load. I really like some of the small fish, like the Neon Goby. It would be cool to have 3 Chromis with a small group of maybe 3 small fish. They just might fit the bill. Thanks again! :thumbsup: Do you know a good vendor that would carry them? Also, any idea as to how well they ship?
Also, I haven't test the pH, yet. I need to run by the LFS tomorrow for a kit, and then we'll see what the news is.
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Yes "I feel your pain"!
As far as dartfish I have no info on them. Sorry I cannot come through everytime!
I just remember reading about them and they stuck in the back of my mind.
Maybe the reef fish forum could help out.
Well less talky talky and more ping pong!
As far as dartfish I have no info on them. Sorry I cannot come through everytime!
I just remember reading about them and they stuck in the back of my mind.
Maybe the reef fish forum could help out.
Well less talky talky and more ping pong!
kaserpick
Keeping it Simple
Thanks! Where do you buy your livestock?? In Va. Beach, I had a few decent stores to choose from. Do you have a thread for your tank? Nice to know there are others in this area; it gets kind of lonely.
moga
Active member
moga
Active member
Looking good! Thanks for posting the pics.
That's a beast of a light; I miss my PM very much.
I don't know if i want to cut it or not..~.. should I?
i think it's bit weak due to the weight of ATI PM.. so i may put some steal strings to ease off some weight.~
Fortunately, there's a stair handrail right above the tank.~
kaserpick
Keeping it Simple
It already looks great, but I think that cutting it would help ensure that the attention is always drawn to the tank. If you can cut 45 degree angles, then you could take the pieces you cut from the front and make them braces for the 90's in the back. You'd have to drill some holes and put a couple of bolts through them, but it would still look clean yet give all the support you need. Just some thoughts; hope they help.
Here's an illustration to show what I mean (I find pics are always nice.
):
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nauticac4
Baby Fish Wrangler
Thanks! Where do you buy your livestock?? In Va. Beach, I had a few decent stores to choose from. Do you have a thread for your tank? Nice to know there are others in this area; it gets kind of lonely.
It'll remain lonely cause there are only a couple of us.
There is a store off of Firetower Road thats very hit or miss and not that great. I typically mail order or drive to Raleigh or Plymouth. PM me if you wanna get together sometime.
