Grant's Fluval Spec V - Nano Build

[ghbrewer]

Alright, after being given a little motivation, I have decided to start a build thread that will cover my Spec V build. (I have really wanted to do one of these after referencing so many.)

Theoretically, this is my second reef tank, but first nano. I am new to the marine hobby, and have been bitten badly by the reef tank bug. My other tank is a 58 gallon Oceanic that has just finished cycling and its only inhabitants are the Clean Up Crew (CUC), a neon yellow leather finger coral frag, and a frag of palys.

As for my new tank, I picked up the Spec V from a few weeks ago (got a REALLY good deal on it). My original intention was to move everything over from my planted tank at work, but the more I looked at the empty tank on my desk the more I felt that a reef would just do it more justice. So, off to the races I went in search of what others have done with these tanks. There are a few others listed here on RC, as well as other forums, that are just wonderful. Just do a quick Google search (or whatever search engine you prefer) for “Marine Fluval Spec V” and you will end up with some really stunning results.

Here are links to a few (please do not be offended if your tank is not listed, I am just listing the tanks I found that inspired this build):

Giovanni's - Fluval Spec V Build - On Reef Central

x3thelast's - Spec V Crazy - On Nano-Reef

eklikewhoa's - Our Little Jetty - On Nano-Reef

I have taken bits and pieces from each of these designs to incorporate into mine. I have already siliconed (the aquarium approved stuff) up all the holes that will allow for correct overflow and skimming as well as siliconed a plate to the back of the overflow to raise the water level to my liking (leaving about ½ to ¾ inch of grill for overflow).

Probably the most intensive and required modification to this tank is to the lighting. It is just not suited for reef tank use, maybe fish only (barring any anemones or other invertebrates that require good lighting). I looked at each of the designs and found that a custom DIY LED setup would provide me the most flexibility and bang for the buck, so taking Giovanni’s lead I turned to RapidLED.com for my lighting needs. There are other sites where you can pick up LED lighting components (i.e. StevesLEDs.com, etc…), but I found that RapidLED had just what I was looking for, and at a decent price IMO. Also, RapidLED sells the non-solder led modules; I felt that these would allow me the most flexibility when it comes to mounting as well as being a snap to replace if necessary. I consider myself to be a pretty handy guy and I have a pretty well stocked shop, so DIY does not scare me all that often.

Here is the invoice of items that I purchased from RapidLED:

0-10V Dimmable Nano Driver with Potentiometer x 1 = $30.00 USD
Moonlight driver (350mA) x 1 = $10.00 USD
36" Driver Jumper x 2 = $6.00 USD
Solderless CREE XP-G Neutral White LED (Wire Length: 1.5") x 2 = $10.20 USD
Solderless CREE XT-E Royal Blue LED (Wire Length: 1.5") x 2 = $7.00 USD
Solderless CREE XT-E Royal Blue LED (Wire Length: 6") x 1 = $3.50 USD
Solderless CREE XT-E Royal Blue LED (Wire Length: 4.5") x 1 = $3.50 USD
Solderless Philips Rebel ES Cyan LED (Wire Length: 4.5") x 1 = $4.25 USD
Solderless UV LED (Wire Length: 1.5") x 2 = $9.50 USD
Solderless LED Plug x 2 = $1.50 USD
Single LED Aluminum Heatsink x 9 = $27.00 USD
Thermal Grease (5g) x 1 = $5.50 USD

Subtotal: $117.95 USD
Shipping: $7.00 USD
Grand Total: $124.95 USD

As you can see, the total came out to be $124.95. The lighting that I purchased will not provide me with full spectrum lighting (see uglybuckling’s – Full spectrum LED layouts on Nano-Reef, as well as its companion thread on drivers here), but it is close and the colors that I feel I will like the most for the corals that I will be getting. I did not go for 3ups since I did not see any that were non-solder. (If anyone knows where I can pick one up please let me know!)

There are other options for lighting, with Panorama Pro’s and Stunner Strips seeming like the next logical alternative. I was just about to purchase a Panorama Pro (white/blue) and two stunner strips (a UV and a Magenta/Blue). By the time you purchase the lights, reflectors, 3-way splitter, and power adapter the price gets to be comparable to some of the larger pre-built LED units for larger tanks, and you do not get near the flexibility as a DIY setup. From looking at the success that Giovanni had with his tank, I think that I will be satisfied with this purchase.

I will be mounting them on an arm similar to the stock arm, except it will be made entirely of Aluminum. I might even be able to get Giovanni's if I am lucky But nevertheless, I will make one if necessary. I might even make it a bit taller, say like 6-7 inches from the water. I read that this is a good distance for a setup like this somewhere, but do not remember where.

My thoughts on the configuration of the LEDs are that I want all but two of the royal blues to be on the dimmable nano driver, with the two of the royal blues on the moon light driver. I will be able to setup a day/night cycle with the assistance of either timers or a controller. This leads me to the next consideration, a controller.

I did not originally consider purchasing a controller. I have an Apex on my 58 gallon DT, but did not think that it would be necessary on a nano tank. Many of the nano reefs and their owners out there do not utilize controllers and have been very successful in their endeavors, but I am a bit of a gadget guy and really like my Apex. So, today I purchased a Reef Keeper Lite Plus off of a local Atlanta Reef Club (ARC) member (he still has another RKL plus for sale as well as a couple other systems – here’s the link). I have really wanted to try out the Reef Keeper Lite system and compare it to my Apex Jr. that I have at home. The unit does not have the NET module, but I will be looking for this shortly. The unit that I purchased is the Plus version that comes with the display, base unit, sl-1 module (ph, orp, temp, and switch ports), probes, and two pc4 outlet modules (since RK utilizes the daisy chain system I will end up with a total of 7 usable controlled outlets). The only other components that I can see myself purchasing would be the NET module, as stated previously, as well as the Lighting Controller RKM-ALC module that would allow me to control my dimmable driver for the main LEDs. If I go for both of the previous modules then I will most likely have to give up one of the PC4 controlled outlet modules, which is something that can be done since I will be running the whole system on an APC battery backup center (the one that my workstation is hooked up to at work, just one of the benefits of my line of work). I will just run a timer controlled surge protector to anything that does not have to be controlled by the RKL (i.e. Fluval pump, moonlight driver, and maybe even the nano driver since the lighting module will control the dimming aspects.)

Here is a list of the other components that I have already purchased for the system:

1. Aqua Via Titanium 50 watt heater w/ LED display (heating element fits nicely inside the return chamber with room to spare, still trying to figure out where I want to put the temp probe though)
2. Hydor Koralia Nano 240 (should be more than enough flow, but may upgrade to an MP10 or see how one of my WP25s look in there)
3. Tom’s Aqualifter Pump (for use with an ATO system, I will cover this some more below)

Other items that will be purchased tomorrow:
1. Filter media
a. Chemipure Elite – Smallest size
b. Purigen – 100 ml bag
c. Bonded filter pad – For polishing

I will layer these atop a 1-1 ½ inch thick piece of filter sponge that I already have from another project, starting with Chemipure, then Purigen, then Bonded filter pad on top.

Probably the only other consideration that I am fighting with right now is how to setup up an Auto Top Off (ATO) system, do I rig my own switches up and tie it to the RKL or do I do a mixture of off the shelf system as well as a safety switch on the RKL. Many of the commercially available systems utilize float switches that are too big to fit into the return chamber with the heater and return tubing. I definitely want at least two switches, like in my other tank (I use an Autotopoff.com system in my 58 gallon tank, and really like it, aside from the noisy relay clicks now and then). One will be for top off; the other will be a safe guard against overfilling in case the first switch fails in the on position.

The only off the shelf unit which seems like it would fit within the return chamber would be either the tsunami or spectrapure systems that utilize water deplacement/vacuum sensors. These units utilize a tube that will activate a controlled outlet for a dosing pump such as the one that I purchased. But these systems do not have much of a backup, which is very important IMO. So, even with an off the shelf unit I will still need to hook up a float sensor to the RKL.

Here is where I would really like some feedback, if I go with 2 float sensors and rely on the RKL to manage them and a controlled outlet, I will save some money as well as have bit of peace of mind. The kicker is that I am going to have to come up with some sort of sensor holder that will allow me to place two sensors inside the return compartment. I only have an area of about 1” x 1” to work with, so I am thinking of purchasing a couple of micro-float switches and somehow mounting them inside a piece of perforated piping. I have seen micro-float switches that are 5/8” in diameter at their widest points, so I should be able to place them inside a length of ¾” i.d. schedule 40 pvc pipe. I am thinking that I could slice some holes in the sides of the pipe, place a washer inside, and mount the float switches to the washers. As long as the tops of the float switches are water tight, I think that it will work. Please provide any feedback or comments that you may have on this. In the mean time I guess I will just manually top off or use a timer, but I would really like to get this figured out since this tank will be at my office and I cannot always be there.

I will be posting pics as I get things done, so please stay tuned.

Thanks, Grant.

[ghbrewer]

Just realized that the link that I posted for the ARC member who has a few Reef Keeper systems for sale is not working.

Here is the link: http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forum...-%20post880348

[ghbrewer]

Here is a pic of the stock Spec V with the stock light on top:



The light is not secured tightly with the set screw, so it looks a little weird.

[ghbrewer]

Here are some pics of the modification that I made to the overflow:





As you can see, I just siliconed a piece of black plastic that I had laying around onto the back of the overflow. The top of the piece of plastic is approximately 3/4-inch below the top of the overflow grill.

[ghbrewer]

Here are a few pics of the holes that need to be plugged, at least IMO:

Hole beneath overflow

Here I siliconed another piece of the plastic that I had laying around. I figured the plastic will help ensure the fix to last, rather than just relying on silicone. Others have used just silicone or even coral epoxy, I guess it really just comes down to personal preference and what you have laying around.

Here is the hole that is on the divider between the filter area and the return area
I ran out of spare plastic, so I just used silicone. I will keep my eye on it and see how it does. Not really that big of deal due to the fact that it is only keeping water from bypassing the filter media. Since both compartments are open on the bottom, the water level remains the same across both.

[ghbrewer]

Here are is a pic of the filter and return compartments for reference. The heater has been placed in the return chamber so you can see how much room it takes up.

[toky916]

Nice build ! Can't wait to see it.
I'm going minimal simple gear just to keep ricordia and zoa's.

[Reloadeddevil]

Tagging along

[JillNairn]

Any updates? Am stuck for a while without being able to set up a tank, and am thinking this is a good alternative to have something to fiddle with.

[terrypercula]

Great thread very informative! Can't wait to see this thing up and running.

[ALN]

any update to this build? im running a spec V also and have the thread on nanoreef still sorting out some growth issues with some corals. love to see what your gunna have in it

[shinosuke]

This was such a promising start. Any update on it?