Show me your electrical power centers

dots

dots

Premium Member
I want to see your electrical configuration. I have a spagetti wiring mess that is a hazard at best.

Now that I have a little more time and money, I need to start fixing all of my "Oh Ill just wait to do this right when we move out of apartment hell", "temporary" set ups.

I really would like to see those who have DJ panels wired in with outlets, much like melev's seen here. I am thinking about doing somthing not unlike this, but with the added twist of being portable when I finaly do move along with some storage, foot lockerish per se.......I have my ideas, but would like to see if anyone has something neato slickum they would like to share.

http://www.melevsreef.com/power_system.html
 
This is exactly why I wanted an electrical discussion at one of the meetings, because I too want to set up something like what melev did. I've got a couple of the DJ power strips, just haven't taken the next step in wiring them to plugs and switches in a nifty box.
 
Here's mine. Basically it's three power centers stacked on top of each other. The top two run to a 20 amp GFCI. The bottom one runs to a normal outlet. I'm putting my return pump, and frag pump on the bottom one so there is system turnover if the GFCI pops. There is a large hole on the left side for access. If I need to get behind the power strips, I just pull them out. Some of the cables (from the lights, etc...) are run along the top of the inside of the stand and held there with plastic cable holders.

Picture2011-1.jpg
 
Im to embarrassed to show mine lol. You would think being an electrician id have some fancy set up. NOT the case i have a mess under my stand of cords and powerstrips. But its this id rather work on other peoples stuff then my own. I hear about it from my wife when she shows off my set up about the mess i got under there. I guess ill have to break down and wire it up clean. Maybe tomarrow.
 
Here's some what of a similar thread..
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1218003&highlight=dc20

And here's my setup
itstarts.jpg


newdc20.jpg


plugs.jpg




White Leds
Blue Leds
MH
PC
Heater 1
Heater 2
ATO pump
Tunze 1
Tunze 2
Pump for UV
UV Light
Skimmer
Light under the stand
Doser
Return Pump
Heat fan in sump
Refugium Light
Power supply for controller

Well that's 18 Plugs for my 30G tank..

Almost every plug has now been used.. These pics were taken right after I put the controller on the tank.. I have MUCH more stuff on it now, as you can see from the list above
;)
 
I was going to add up my load today to see how much I am using and how much I have left. I procratinated instead.

Why you ask? You see, to really do this right, (and I hate even starting something if you can't do it right), is that these tanks really should have a dedicated circuit running from the breaker box, and be the only thing on it. Being in a stinking apartment, I don't have that luxury of customization and neato slickumness. I hope that circuit doesn't have anything else on it, because its not like I run to the fuse box and pull breakers on friday nights to watch the tank suddenly go black, thats not my idea of a good time, in fact quite stressful.......being out of town and having the power go off for an extended time is my worst fear and would hate for that to ever happen..........wait, it did.

I am not even going to "show off" my rats nest, as I know it will be an example of what not to do and don't need the abuse. Funny how a "fishtank" grows and grows until this massive electical hungry beast.....kinda sneaks up on you. But when your a college student, you are perpetually broke, lack time and money for "luxuries" as this.

What I really want, is to build a box that will match my stand, foot lockerish in dimension, ever be it so ugly but matching, wire up a daisy chain of outlets switched as such with the DJ panels, add an accessible place for a controller, a little room for some storage, maybe a timer for the pump circuit, some UPS action, and plug the whole dang box into the wall while all the time hiding the cords off the ground in a conduit. Everything isolated in its own dry area, with no water around and high enough for floods and covered from splash and spray.

Which reminds me, has anyone taken the time to legthen thier cords to avoid extension cords?

I am just dreading a can of worms that I am sure to find......
 
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Do know what else is freaking me out lately, my avatar. If you look at the lower corralite, you see a little brown oval spot.

Every time I see it, it gives me the chills.

You guys just getting into SPS think its all calming and pretty when you get a couple of pieces going and you can just sit back and enjoy all your hard work.......wrong......you turn into a paranoid crazy AEFW hunting freak, thinking every brown spot or trick of the eye is a monster. You end up getting up in the middle of the night with a coal miner's light strapped to your head looking for signs of trouble, and are more paranoid than a diabetic bumming a needle from a heroin addict to dose your insulin.

Sounds tranquil, therapeutic and calming doesn't it? Oh yeah, I'm calm.....
 
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I am looking into starting a 120 and you guys are freaking me out with the complexity of some of these things. ok, cut a hole into the wall to plum for water, add support under the house for the ton of weight that is going to be added. ok, run a new circuit for the tank, shouldn't they make a tank that comes with its own power and water and where structural support is already covered.

Oh yeah, the ocean.

Hey dots, I freak out every time my anenome decideds to close. Every time he does I check the rest of the tank to make sure nothing is wrong. I think the tanks are calming for others, just not the caretaker.

Brian
 
Brian, most of that stuff is unneccessary (especially with a 120). I'm renting our house for just a few years so building a fishroom/cutting multiple holes in the walls for my 150g isn't an option for me. My plumbing is totally self contained in the stand (look at my gallery) and will be relatively easy to move. I added a 20Amp circuit just for piece of mind if I need to run a chiller, but the circuit isn't 100% needed. These projects are usually only as complex as you want to make them. A lot of the local tanks I've seen are similar....I haven't seen a fish room or through the wall plumbing yet and I've been to five or six houses with large/multiple tanks.
Just my .02,
Mike
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11615638#post11615638 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sparkss
I prefer this all-in-one solution from Chauvet (there is also a version from DJ Lighting.. both companies make almost identical products)

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=10262180#post10262180
Click to expand...


EDIT : Cheaper in the long run also :)


EDIT 2: Grrrr, meant to edit the original post and ended up quoting it instead.. and didn't notice it until I had already posted.. *sigh*
 
Jeremy, thanks for the posted link of 8ball's solution. I might have enough room between tank and wall to implement something like that! That would be awesome to move the power center out of the stand! You got me all excited. I wanna run home and grab a tape measure.
 
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