Pete's 110 build

[Taqpol]

Thats quite a zoa collection! It looks like you got the shimmer you wanted, but how are you liking the color? LEDs make it notoriously hard to photograph because they don't just alter the white balance, they alter the 'tint' as well.

 

[psteeleb]

Thats quite a zoa collection! It looks like you got the shimmer you wanted, but how are you liking the color? LEDs make it notoriously hard to photograph because they don't just alter the white balance, they alter the 'tint' as well.

I do like the colors but may try replacing my VHO Super actinics with some other T5's next time I buy bulbs. Maybe something in the purple/red spectrum

I did get the shimmer I wanted, not a lot but I don't have much surface aggitation. Water circulation may be something I upgrade next starting with changing my MAG 9 out with something a little more powerful

As for photographing with LED's, my experiance to date is one picture, the Dendro I posted last night.

 

[drummereef]

Pete, how exactly did you mount the LEDs to the heatsinks/aluminum shield?

 

[psteeleb]

Pete, how exactly did you mount the LEDs to the heatsinks/aluminum shield?

Brett I'll have to see if I can describe it

1) the LED's are attached to the heatsink using the thermal tape provided with the heatsink

2) the optics snap in place and are then sandwiched between the heatsink and aluminum angle to keep them from being knocked off.

3) the heat sink and angle are then drilled and connected together using pop rivets, repeat step 1-3 for all LED's creating the light bar

4) a 1" wide section of what was scrap 90deg aluminum angle is bent to 75%
(15% degree from perpendicular) to make a mounting bracket

5) the bent mounting bracket is screwed to the hood sides using stainless screws

6) a 1/4" dia by 1/2" long bolt is attached to the mounting bracket and held in place with a nut with the threaded end sticking out to form a stud (repeat 4, 5 and 6 to create 2 mounting brackets for each light bar)

7) the light bar is then attached to the mounting bracket studs using wing nuts for easy removal.

 

[damcnutt]

psteeleb have you noticed any high temperatures from the heatsink using small 1.5" pucks instead of a larger 5-8" heatsink? Where did you find those small heatsinks at ive been looking for weeks.

 

[psteeleb]

psteeleb have you noticed any high temperatures from the heatsink using small 1.5" pucks instead of a larger 5-8" heatsink? Where did you find those small heatsinks at ive been looking for weeks.

At first I tested them for about 30 -45 minutes outside of the canopy, no heat issues, only warm as I could hold them with no problem

I then ran them for several hours installed in the canopy, put my hands on the heatsinks and still they were only warm, not hot to the touch. The warmth may have even come from the other lights as the T5's were hot

I found them on ebay, then looked up the model numbers on line just to confirm size etc - I'll see if I can find the seller

 

[psteeleb]

here is the link to what I bought
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...63993&_sacat=See-All-Categories&_fvi=1&_rdc=1


I didn't find any others listed with this seller but look around there are others that sell them

 

[Rickyrooz1]

Following along

 

[psteeleb]

hey Ricky - thanks for tagging along

Brett
here is a diagram I did for the led light bar mounting

 

[drummereef]

Awesome Pete, thanks for the great description, pics, and schematics. :thumbsup: Is the mounting bracket bent to 75% so the LED's/optics are pointed where you want? I.E. towards more center in the tank?

 

[psteeleb]

Awesome Pete, thanks for the great description, pics, and schematics. :thumbsup: Is the mounting bracket bent to 75% so the LED's/optics are pointed where you want? I.E. towards more center in the tank?

Exactly "“ I had first wanted to make an adjustable mounting bracket but ran short on time. And as this build is more a set once design the bent approach works just fine. If someone wants to use this design and have an adjustable bracket it would be pretty easy to cut out 2 pieces of the angle and bolt them together with a star lock washer and wing nut.

 

[psteeleb]

I just ordered 5 Acans a favia and a pink Chalice on ebay

 

[psteeleb]

here are the other 2

 

[psteeleb]

The new corals came in today and everything looks great - I'll post more picturs later but here are a couple I took this morning after they were in the tank for an hour or so

here is duncan I got from a freind that rescued it from a tank crash

and a blasto

I picked up this candy apple zoa as a single polyp 5 months ago (it's in a video earlier in the thread)

 

[psteeleb]

here are a few more coral shots from yesterday

here is a SPS that a freind gave me - kind looks like a chips acro but the color is a little different

the Sunset Monte may take over the entire tank at the rate it's growing

the Rainbow Stylo is doing well - it started out as two smaller frags on this plug but now they have grown together

this is still one of my favorite rics - pink with aqua skirt

the pink birdsnet that has always been more a tanish color with purple polyps is now turning pink on pink, not sure why but may have to do with the light intensity from the new LED's

the Dedro continues to look great and continues to grow

the Montepora Undata has just about completly grown over the mounting plug

another nice ricordia

the meteor shower has grown a bunch of new polyps, got it's blue shade back and has completly encrusted it's mount (picture under actinics only)

 

[Taqpol]

Amazing coral shots! I love all the SPS. My pink birdsnest has also never been pink, even with the LEDs.

 

[psteeleb]

thanks Alex

here are a few more pictures taken with my video camera as it seems to have the better optics

Blasto

Turaki

ORA Pearlberry

Candy Apple Red Zoas

One of the new Acans

And just for picture comparison, here is the pink birdsnest again but from the vid cam

 

[drummereef]

Geez Pete, the pics get better and better. I agree the vid camera definitely takes great macro shots. Love them!

 

[crvz]

great new additions, Pete.

 

[psteeleb]

thanks guys
here are a few more from today

the new favia

undata

$500 Efflo

Tyree Pink Lemonaide

rainbow stylo

pink ric

pnik birdsnest

chips

some more zoas