Ultimate 20G Setup Journal - Pic Intense

FWIW, I was thinking the same thing. At least some sort of non-combustible insulator in between the top of the fixture and the wood. If I am not mistaken, at least some of the manufacturers of these pendents advise against using them inside of a canopy.

Another thing I would highly recommend is putting some good sized fans (like 4") on opposite ends of the canopy. One blowing fresh air in and the one on the opposite side blowing air out of the canopy. Doing it this way will give you the best ventilation to disperse the heat.
 
Nanokeeper, thank you so much for the link. That looks like a great way to silence both the sump and overflow noise using a very simple approach. I'm definitely going to give it a try. I'll post some pics showing progress and comments on how it works once I have it in place.

Dog/Coral, thanks for the advice. I have considered this, but really don't think it will be an issue. I had a 70W Halide mounted directly to the wood inside of an enclosed hood. It did get warm, but never enough to cause me concern. I'm almost positive that PFO says that these pendants can be installed inside of hoods. I remember specifically checking into that. However, I looked at A LOT of pendants, and I've been wrong before so I better go double check ;)

I am planning a couple Ice Cap fans, which should help to pull out a lot of the heat. In the end there's only one way to know. I'll run it for a bit and keep a close eye. If it gets too hot then I'll have to switch to over to using something like aluminum bar.
 
Great work DSparks! I also think you should be safe with the Ice Cap fans these puppies work great. There shouldn't be an issue once there installed. Keep us posted.
 
Really nice! I'm setting up a 20H also but not nearly as nice and creative as yours. Don't have that type of money or resources. Massachusettes doesn't have anything good. I shall tag along and get some ideas from you for my tank. Just kinda borrow them..... then running off into the distance. *cough cough* Anyway, go on.
 
I just found this thread today. Very cool setup. I'll be following along. This has even got me considering buiding a nano-reef. It might be just what I need for my sanity until I can start my big tank.
 
gab24m3, do you run Ice Cap fans? How many are you running?

Mike, if you are willing to roll up your sleeves then most of what I've done can be accomplished fairly cheap. For instance, paint the stand and you can use MDF. Go with an American DJ power panel and save yourself the cost of all the electrical stuff. I say go for it man. It makes the hobby so much more fun.

Sterling, let us know if you decide to take the plunge and throw a link our way if you start your own thread.
 
Time for a quick update...

Here's a pic of the tank now that the dust has settled.

TankShot112006.jpg


Also, I implemented the method for silencing the drain found in the link that NanoKeeper posted above. It worked like a charm. Basically, you install a ball or gate valve in the drain and throttle back the flow. This causes the water level to rise above the standpipe and no air enters the drain. This keeps both the overflow and drain in the sump dead quiet. Amazing. It's important that you ONLY do this if you have a backup drain pipe installed. Check out these pics and the link above for a better understanding of how it works.

SilentDrain1.jpg


SilentDrain2.jpg


SilentDrain3.jpg
 
They are gone. What you see is how it's running. There's no longer a need for Durso or Stockman style standpipes. I checked it late last night and so far it's working great.
 
I was just looking at the pics of the new valve. Does it still allow your media tray to be installed on your skimmer output? It looks like it might be in the way.

I like the apparent operation of this system. I'm guessing that if the second standpipe ever becomes active you would get the "flushing" noise, thus alerting you to a problem automaticaly?! I'm insterested to know if my guess is correct. Have you tryed "clogging" the short pipe to see what happens?
 
I have pfo pendants with icecap fans built in... there is a huge difference with them on and off. If you put two fans on each side of your canopy to circulate the air i'm almost sure you'll have no issues.
 
Sterling, you are correct. The secondary pipe drains above the sump. This gives me the flushing noise at the overflow and splashing at the sump. Basically it's a built in alarm. I have tested a failure. The secondary pipe handles it easily since it is not throttled back in any way.

BTW, you are very observant. The valve is going to cause me problems with the media tray. It's just too tight of a fit. I'll have to either mod the tray, or come up with an alternative method for handling filter media.


Gab, thanks for the feedback. I'm glad to head that they make that much of a difference. Do you by chance know anywhere to get them at a bargain? They are pricey, but well worth it from what I've read.
 
You might want to look at these. They are 4.7" A/C ball bearing fans that put out 85cfm at 2750RPM (the ones I use) at 13 watts and are rated at 45db sound level, which is comparable to the IceCaps - but they cost $13.50. I have used these for a few years and they hold up well. These are metal frame fans. You can get them in 3100RPM also, but they start to get a little louder.

It also lists the finger guards, grilles and air filters that go with them. This is a little extra, but only a few dollars.

Orion A/C fans
 
Looks like a few posts were wiped out somehow :(

To summarize, I received my IceCap ballast yesterday. Today I picked up some stuff from Radio Shack to build a ballast box. Hopefully by the end of the weekend I'll have my lighting put together and ready to go.

My website is down, so my pictures aren't linking correctly. Hopefully that won't last too long. I may need to move the pics somewhere else anyway...
 
Nice rockwork on that 125 Pure...

I was finally able to put together my lighting today. It wasn't the smoothest operation (can someone say "first time soldering"?), but in the end everything came together. I have pics, but my website will probably be down until late tomorrow, so I'll wait and post all the details then.

Do you guys and gals think that having aluminum in my hood (not near the water) will be any big deal? I'm trying to rig up something a little nicer to support my lighting.
 
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