Very VERY COOL! Tagging along.

So I have lots to update!

Stand is built, tank is all plumbed and in place, and I went and got some temporary LED's until my CREE's arrive.

Stand under construction:
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0308-00460.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0308-00462.jpg

Stand framing complete:
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0308-00468.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0308-00470.jpg

Then I painted the inside white and the outside black
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0309-00474.jpg

Tank and sump in place
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0310-00481.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0310-00488.jpg

Door painted and put on (used velcro)
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0310-00483.jpg

Overflow cut into tank. 1/2" loc line return in place
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0310-00478.jpg

Plumbing from bottom
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0311-00496.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0311-00495.jpg

Water testing... Nice even flow from the overflow.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0311-00494.jpg

And how I drained the sump! lol
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0311-00497.jpg

So for the lights, I went to ikea and picked up some LED lights to use until my CREE's arrive.

I have ordered another tank topper so that I can lengthen the top canopy. I will fuse the teo together and make a longer one. Right now, I have cut the rear off the current one, and here I will show you where the lengthened hood will stay.

Original Location:
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0310-00485.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0310-00484.jpg

And this is where it will sit when the two are fused together:
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0310-00487.jpg

Attached the LED's to egg crate and siliconed it into the canopy:
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0311-00489.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0311-00492.jpg

Blue only Lights on:
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0311-00493.jpg

50/50 white and blue:
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0311-00491.jpg

Looking good man. You think the lights are gonna be enough coverage?

Well those lights are very temporary. I think they are about 3W each LED stick, so at 8 of them, it's only 24W of crappy LED's lol. I highly doubt those would even grow corals, but who knows.

As far as the spread of lights, since that photo, I tilted two of them to shine towards the ends of the aquarium. But coverage should be good, it's stupid bright.

I have ordered 12 3W CREE LED's - 6 RB and 6CW. couple of drivers, heat sinks and 80 degree optics, so that should do the trick for sure.

use reflextive tape within th hood area it should add more reflection i have thought of doing this for my niece i ike what youve done great work

Very cool build...what is the livestock side of things going to look like?

My stocking vision looks as follows:


Fish/Inverts:
2 Picasso Clowns or 2 Purple firefish (undecided)
Shrimp/Goby pair
2 Sexy shrimp
Emerald Crab
White Porcelain crab
Some tiny little hermits
5 astrea snails

Corals:
Mainly LPS and softies, but when the good LED's come in, I will try some SPS:

Pink/Purple Birdsnest SPS
Couple colors of Monti's SPS

Hammer coral
Torch Coral
Mushrooms
Florida Ric garden
Zoa Garden

One or two small clams as well.

wow, should become a very nice nano :) Of course the water volume will allow you to do more...hmmm now you have me thinking of adding a sump to my 10 gallon, damn you! haha