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ds4x4's Perfecto 220g Build

D

ds4x4

I'm researching my options on lighting.. I want to use a single 400watt MH pendant with an e-ballast on a light rail.. now I'm looking to borrow from hydroponics, they use grow lights mostly in the 6500k spectrum. but they use alot of vented pendants
HFDayStarAC07300.jpg

(I know the reflector on that model sucks but it is just a reference for the vent system)
This picture will give you an idea of what i would like to do..
HFDayStarInline500.jpg


I don't know weather it would be better to use a setup like that with a blower on the one side and then use a vent tube to exhaust the hot air to the outside or just build a canopy that is airtight and use intake/exhaust fans to send the air outside.

any thoughts?
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
That's either one heck of a lot of actinic supplementation in that video or a VERY VERY dim MH bulb. The whole tank looks bright no matter where the bulb is. Now a 40g breeder may not be enough to notice illumination differences, but I'd think that on a 120 (4' let alone a 6' 220) even with the best reflector (3' throw?) you're going to have dark spots when the mover is at the ends...
 
D

ds4x4

Oh yea.. no doubt.. But the great thing is that it takes 20mins for the light to travel the 6 foot of the track with an adjustable 0-60second pause at each stop.. The light will make 4 passes an hour over the tank for the entire duration of the day. Figure that all day one 400Watt MH will be moving back and forth covering the whole tank. I don't know enough about the biology of the corals and say if a coral on the end would be traumatized by not having a constant light over it.

It's purely a thought at this point till i actually get to purchase such a setup.
 
Baxreefs

Baxreefs

Eric Boreman spoke at the Swap on how much natural light varies on the reef. I am going with a light mover on my next home reef project and I am betting the traveling light will not be a problem in keep healthy corals. Maybe there will be some compromise on growth or color, but I think the operation cost savings may be worth it. I am also hopniog the at the T-5 supplement will help minimize or balance out the color/growth I may loose. I am going to try a single 250 with 4 x 54 watt T-5s over a 25" tank. If that doesn't do it, I'll switch to a 400 watter. 8)

On the venting issue. If I remember, you have a basement window right there, I'd just pull in one end and out thru the window on the other and make the whole light box your vent.
 
D

ds4x4

I may go that way.. then the VHO's will be vented as well.. Should i supplement with some 10K VHO's or only the actinic ones?
 
L

Lord Viper

Well You have a great mentor in Bax so you should do fine. I am thinking that the Luan is not going to hold water very well ;D
That is a Beauty of a tank I have some 3/4 inch plexi if you want to make youre own sump. Bobb
 
D

ds4x4

i'm buying a 40gal sump from Joe (theguyfromnj) who built it then decided it was too PITA to move everything and switch it out :) Bax had some great idea's for this tank
 
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ds4x4

Updates..

picked up a 40 gal long sump (thanks Joe!).. going to use this as a sump only then use a 10 or bigger for a refuge just above it. i will have a t coming off he return pump trickling water into the refuge then gravity feeding the sump...

Lighting.. I think that the light rail may be out.. Talking to some people and my own worries. The light rail takes 20mins. to go from one end to the other. So, to travel the 6 foot from the right side to the left and back would be about 45mins for the right side not to have lights. Some guys at Premium Aquatics DE also wondered the adverse effects of this on Corals. I may just use 250w halides at least two of them and then the 6ft VHO actinics. Price wise to do two halides on a rail going back and forth to opposite side of the tank is pretty high and then power consumption comes into play vs the actual benefits of doing such.

Canopy will be sealed almost air tight then the hot air will be pumped outside. the tank stand is getting shortened today since i only have a 1' 1/2" space above the tank at current height.. Then on to the leak test tonight and i will have to wait to get things circulating till i get a return pump.


I personally think that the light rail is a great idea but, it seems that a shorter tank would benefit from it more sice the light would always be somewhat on the corals. mine would not and there would be total darkness once at the end of the rail.. I haven't given up totally on it yet though
 
Baxreefs

Baxreefs

You could still do the rail with the two lights. The benefit is two vs three fixtures. The rail costs about as much as the third fixture without the wattage. Just a thought.
 
D

ds4x4

we started at 11am and it's 530pm now.. we took the tank off took the stand apart, shortened it and put it back together.. put the sump underneath, plumbed the overflows to the sump. and came up with an idea for the plumbing on the returns.. now i'm thinking of using a Mag drive return pump. not sure what size yet. the returns T at the top and have 3/4" Pipe Thread. i'm thinking of using these flow accelerators http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4585+19714&pcatid=19714 ...

can anyone recommend a size for the mag drive?

also the tank is full of water no salt just yet..
 
D

ds4x4

I'm getting a little list together for things to get next week just to get some saltwater in the tank and circulating.. I ended up using some flex tubing, it turned out to be MUCH easier.. 1" inside Diameter is what i went with.


-The List-

bucket of IO salt
Heaters- Which kind/how many?
Mag 18 for a submersed return pump
4 ea. 3/4" pipe thread flow accel.
Sand, (Maybe)
PVC fittings to make some sort of stand for the rock
Karalia 4 (at least one)



I'll be posting a poll here soon so I You guys/gals can decide which Rockscape to go with.. I'm not sure but need to know so i can make a shelf system to keep the rock off the bottom for any sand dwellers
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Heaters: 3 watts per gallon. 220 at least 660w of heat. Preferably 3 heaters to lessen the possibility that any one heater could take out your whole tank with a failure. 3 250w heaters. Your temp probe should be in the same body of water of the heater element if you have a separate thermostat on them.

Mag 18 may be too much for 2 600gph overflows (so be prepared to T it off and have the excess go elsewhere).

The heat of a Mag 18 may be too much for your tank.

Skip IO, go with RC, Red Sea Pro or GetTanked (lots of people rave about this salt, I don't have an opinion personally).

Skip the 4 Koralia 4s you'll need in a 220 and get either Tunzes or Vortecs.

Good luck with the rockscape!
 
D

ds4x4

this is what i was looking at for the Mag 18

1375 GPH at 4.5Ft of head.. which is close to mine and 3/4" inlet/outlet and everything is in the basement. The tank had water in it that was 50F with no heater or anything so i think the heat issue will be null for this size and a plus is less i have to use the heaters if that is the case


anyone have a price on the Get tanked salt? i guess i should use the heaters on some sort of controller?
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Ideally you'd put your heaters on an aquacontroller (III, Pro, Junior) or a temp controller (Ranco, etc), in addition to their own thermostat. I've had the won brothers fail in the off position (luckily). They can also fail in the ON position. Ouch. The controller would cut the power to them and prevent them from frying your tank, though the cold end of the spectrum would need an alarm to sound.
 
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