My 500 + gallon system. Last 13 years to now. Build, Aquascaping & more. Lots of pics

The light mounting system is going to work great!

Here is the pile of hardware and a Kessil. The aluminum pieces are to mount the articulating mount to the light rack. You can also see the components of the articulating mount. There is a base plate, the clamp mechanism and the ball.
image_zps30759113.jpg


These are the bottom plates with the PEM nuts installed as well as the top plates which together will sandwich the light rack in between the mounts allowing me to slide the light back and forth on the rack in addition to being able to angle each light as needed to get the best coverage for any given area in my tank.
image_zps84fc8162.jpg


This is the Kessil with the ball installed into the threaded hanger hole on top of the light.
image_zpsa656beaf.jpg



All the pieces assembled. The aluminum extrusion between the aluminum clamp is the material that my light rack is made out of.
image_zps4e08d6a2.jpg


image_zpsecdfc9ed.jpg
 
Last edited:
pmrossetti said:
Hi Scott. I was just wondering what type of power back up you have for your tank.
Thanks
Click to expand...

I have a Honda EU1000 generator should I ever need to power the tanks pumps. It's never been an issue thus far. As long as I pay my power bills, over the last 17 years my power stays on other than the very rare power outage. If the lights and pumps are off for a couple hours, no big deal. There's plenty of dissolved 02 to keep the fish happy for hours on end. Besides, it would save me on my electric bill! :lol2:

I don't bother with battery backups. I have no need for them and one to run my tank would be way to costly. About the only thing practical to power from a BBU on my tank would be my Tunze's but it's not something I ever needed nor is something that I want to replace batteries on every year to maintain amp hours.
 
that gorilla mount looks fantastic. its the ideal tool for max flexibility. i use those mounts for my customers to mount pos monitors (touchscreens etc.) to their cash-desks etc. they work great and even after years dont loose their clamp strenght which is important if you mount heavy duty items on it. one thing i was wondering : if you use the 0-10v input for the vdm and apex can you still override the settings with the color and intensity knobs of each kessil or are those disabled as soon as the light detexts theres something in the 0-10v jack?

looks great. keep on rockin.
chris
 
chris_kitedude said:
that gorilla mount looks fantastic. its the ideal tool for max flexibility. i use those mounts for my customers to mount pos monitors (touchscreens etc.) to their cash-desks etc. they work great and even after years dont loose their clamp strenght which is important if you mount heavy duty items on it. one thing i was wondering : if you use the 0-10v input for the vdm and apex can you still override the settings with the color and intensity knobs of each kessil or are those disabled as soon as the light detexts theres something in the 0-10v jack?

looks great. keep on rockin.
chris
Click to expand...

Thanks Chris. I'm pretty pleased with the mounting solution. Having used these on a couple of my Reeftech's, it was a no brainer to put them to better use with the Kessils.

To answer your question, the knobs are automatically disabled when 0-10v is in use. My guess is that the ground provided from the controller via the jack is the trigger that disables the functionality of the knobs. Once the light is plugged in, it doesn't matter where the knobs are. Intensity and color will be determined by the signal or voltage coming in to the control port. My plan is to power them via a power bar controlled by my EB4 on the light rack. The outlets power will be set to following lighting hours so even if the Variable Speed port or VDM module fails or the control cable becomes disconnected during power off hours, the lights would remain off.
 
Been reading through your thread. Very inspiring. I think our 24 gallon is tough to maintain. So cool to see a big tank that is so healthy.
 
IM24TankTeam said:
Been reading through your thread. Very inspiring. I think our 24 gallon is tough to maintain. So cool to see a big tank that is so healthy.
Click to expand...
Thank you. In my experience, the bigger the tank, the more stable it is and the less maintenance it requires to keep it stable. With a larger tank, you also have the advantage of having a larger biological bed to create a more natural eco system. This can help immensely with stability as well. Also, smaller tanks tend to have more temp fluctuation and tend to be more sensitive to chemistry changes where as a larger system has very slow chemistry changes.

In my case, I don't dose anything. I just keep up on automated daily water changes which is currently at 5 gallons a day or roughly 25% a month with the occasional larger water change. That seems to keep my tanks chemistry in check and and livestock happy and healthy despite my heavy feeding and large number of fish.

One of the biggest things in keeping a tank healthy is consistency. Consistent temps without large fast fluctuations, consistent water chemistry which is augmented by the biological filtration and regular water changes. Regular replenishment of things like calcium, Mg etc which again can be supplemented through regular water changes depending on how fast things are getting exhausted and how much water you are changing a month. Granted, I don't keep SPS which plays a role in how fast my tank consumes certain elements like calcium which in some cases would need to be supplemented though dosing or reactors.
 
I was reading up on some old threads about light lifters and found that you use a winch system to raise/lower your lights, but you had mentioned you were planning to switch over to a linear actuator. Did you ever switch over or still using the winch system?
 
805reef said:
I was reading up on some old threads about light lifters and found that you use a winch system to raise/lower your lights, but you had mentioned you were planning to switch over to a linear actuator. Did you ever switch over or still using the winch system?
Click to expand...

I'm still using the same winch that I've used for the last several years. I never found a good reason to move to the linear actuator because the winch I have works great. The only downside to my winch is noise but as often as I use it, it's a non issue to have a bit of noise for a few seconds.. Truth is that I'm reasonably certain that the winch is infinitely more reliable in the long term than the actuator would be so changing over could result in decreased reliability due to the weight of my light rack.

If you are ever out this way and want to check out my light lift, send me PM. You are welcome to come by anytime. I will update the thread with some new photos of it when I get the Kessils installed tomorrow.
 
I definitely plan to stop by your place whenever we head your way. Hopefully soon, probably next month.

I have a 10 bulb 36" ati powermodule that I want to rig up a lifter for. I was thinking of using this: http://www.firgelliauto.com/product_info.php?cPath=104&products_id=147

Just add a couple pulleys and I should be set. I already have the fixture hanging from the ceiling so I would just need to install the actuator/pulleys in the attic and run the wire through the holes in the ceiling. I'm still trying to figure out what I could use as a wire guide in the ceiling though.

I think this project is a few months away so I'll hopefully see your system in person and get some ideas before I move forward with mine.

Good luck with the kessil install, can't wait to see the pics!
 
That's the same actuator I was considering. In reality, it would be fairly easy to swap the winch for the actuator on my tank but I like the fact that my winch is bullet proof and could lift a horse if I needed too. I wouldn't have the same confidence in the linear actuator.
 
So for someone putting in a light lifter from scratch would you recommend a winch or the actuator? I want to feel confident about my choice so that I'm not constantly worrying that wether or not my lights are going to come crashing down

Kenargo said he used an actuator from that company and has been using it for many years. http://www.kenargo.com/lightLifter/ I'm just trying to get input from knowledgable people. :)

Sorry to derail your thread here...
 
805reef said:
So for someone putting in a light lifter from scratch would you recommend a winch or the actuator? I want to feel confident about my choice so that I'm not constantly worrying that wether or not my lights are going to come crashing down

Kenargo said he used an actuator from that company and has been using it for many years. http://www.kenargo.com/lightLifter/ I'm just trying to get input from knowledgable people. :)

Sorry to derail your thread here...
Click to expand...

I've seen that page. I do like his setup. I'd have no issue going with the actuator on a new build. It's certainly quieter and many have good luck with them. For me, it was more about messing with something that is working well and having to add a dual pulley setup to reduce loads as my rack is fairly heavy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
Another Reefer back from a 13 year Hiatus
Replies
9
Views
639
EchoVetEcho
E
Brian60077
Great reasonably price light system
Replies
0
Views
84
Brian60077
Brian60077
jay505
Is STARS still an active club
Replies
3
Views
64
griss
griss
C.Eymann
Finding the "final boss" of coral pest hitchhikers, and how it turned into our beloved pet.
Replies
11
Views
590
griss
griss
T
Back at it after a 13 year hiatus.
Replies
7
Views
560
griss
griss
Back
Top