Nano Cube 28 Intermediate - Want to add dawn/dusk lights, need suggestions.

Goldndoodle · 12/23/2013, 06:38 PM

I use to have a nice little Nano Cube 24 setup, that I had running for 4 or 5 years. Then my life got crazy - lots of travel for work, and moving a couple of times - so I ripped it down, and sold off everything (LR, livestock, tank, etc.). My life is once again much more normal, so I just bought a Nano Cube 28 Intermediate. I'm looking for a way to add dawn/dusk lighting to this setup. I bought a Current Ramp timer, but unfortunately JBJ didn't use the standard LED plug for the daylights, so I can't use that timer for them (that would probably be the ideal situation if I could modify the standard daylights to use the Ramp timer).

I'm thinking of adding some blue/white strip LEDs between the moonlights on each side of the hood, then connect those to the Ramp timer. I would then have the Ramp start up/shut off 20 minutes before/after the daylights to simulate dawn/dusk.

Has anyone attempted this type of mod on an NC28I?? If so, any advise on LEDs to use and how to mount, would be greatly appreciated!

Texan78 · 12/24/2013, 03:29 AM

Are you referring to the Current USA Ramp Timer?

Goldndoodle · 12/24/2013, 06:14 AM

Yes - Current USA Ramp Timer. It uses the male/female plugs, and it looks like JBJ integrated the fans and lighting together into the standard wall plug. I haven't pulled the splash guard off of the lid yet to see if the LED transformer in there has the male/female plug.

Though from what I'm seeing so far with the stock lighting, it looks like I need some more blue in there, so I'm thinking about some Ecoxotic Stunner LED strips. I'm thinking a 12k White / Magenta in the back, and an Actinic Blue up front. They use the male/female plugs that will work with the Current USA Ramp timer, so I should be able to do what I want with the Stunners, with the added bonus of dumping some more blue light into the tank.

Goldndoodle · 12/30/2013, 06:02 PM

Amazon shipped a magenta stunner, instead of the white/magenta I ordered. These actually look really nice though, so I'm going to keep them.

The Current USA single ramp timer works very well. It's got a nice gradual linear ramp up/down that nicely mimics sunrise/sunset. This is doing exactly what I wanted it to do.

I have the actinic blue stunner LED strips connected to the timer for the daylights - they have added a lot of much needed blue to the tank.

The Ecoxotic Stunner LED strips are great products!! The only complaint I have with them, is they seem to have a very narrow projection angle on the LEDs. They seem to just shine straight down. I ordered 3 reflectors for these, from what I've seen online it looks like the reflectors will widen the projection angle to fill in the tank even further.

12/23/2013, 06:38 PM	#1
Goldndoodle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Monroe MI Posts: 576	Nano Cube 28 Intermediate - Want to add dawn/dusk lights, need suggestions. I use to have a nice little Nano Cube 24 setup, that I had running for 4 or 5 years. Then my life got crazy - lots of travel for work, and moving a couple of times - so I ripped it down, and sold off everything (LR, livestock, tank, etc.). My life is once again much more normal, so I just bought a Nano Cube 28 Intermediate. I'm looking for a way to add dawn/dusk lighting to this setup. I bought a Current Ramp timer, but unfortunately JBJ didn't use the standard LED plug for the daylights, so I can't use that timer for them (that would probably be the ideal situation if I could modify the standard daylights to use the Ramp timer). I'm thinking of adding some blue/white strip LEDs between the moonlights on each side of the hood, then connect those to the Ramp timer. I would then have the Ramp start up/shut off 20 minutes before/after the daylights to simulate dawn/dusk. Has anyone attempted this type of mod on an NC28I?? If so, any advise on LEDs to use and how to mount, would be greatly appreciated!

12/24/2013, 03:29 AM	#2
Texan78 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 125	Are you referring to the Current USA Ramp Timer?

12/24/2013, 06:14 AM	#3
Goldndoodle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Monroe MI Posts: 576	Yes - Current USA Ramp Timer. It uses the male/female plugs, and it looks like JBJ integrated the fans and lighting together into the standard wall plug. I haven't pulled the splash guard off of the lid yet to see if the LED transformer in there has the male/female plug. Though from what I'm seeing so far with the stock lighting, it looks like I need some more blue in there, so I'm thinking about some Ecoxotic Stunner LED strips. I'm thinking a 12k White / Magenta in the back, and an Actinic Blue up front. They use the male/female plugs that will work with the Current USA Ramp timer, so I should be able to do what I want with the Stunners, with the added bonus of dumping some more blue light into the tank.

12/30/2013, 06:02 PM	#4
Goldndoodle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Monroe MI Posts: 576	Amazon shipped a magenta stunner, instead of the white/magenta I ordered. These actually look really nice though, so I'm going to keep them. The Current USA single ramp timer works very well. It's got a nice gradual linear ramp up/down that nicely mimics sunrise/sunset. This is doing exactly what I wanted it to do. I have the actinic blue stunner LED strips connected to the timer for the daylights - they have added a lot of much needed blue to the tank. The Ecoxotic Stunner LED strips are great products!! The only complaint I have with them, is they seem to have a very narrow projection angle on the LEDs. They seem to just shine straight down. I ordered 3 reflectors for these, from what I've seen online it looks like the reflectors will widen the projection angle to fill in the tank even further.