thebanker's Fluval Edge Reef

[VGT]

Best lighting you could ask for.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...t_11447wt_2050

[thebanker]

I like the nanocustoms. I can't bring myself to spend the $200.

[thebanker]

Here was the tank on Friday, everything is happy.

Today, I came back to see one of the MR11 lights had burned out. It looks like salt creep got this one, some water must have splashed right onto it and shorted it out. After the bad luck I've had with the previous set of LED's getting fried, I think I'm going to try a new approach.

[thebanker]

The open circuitboard LED's seem to have their days numbered when put in a system like this. I want to try a different route, I've been eyeballing some at Home Depot that might work.

[Markdiego]

Maybe a splash guard would help.

[thebanker]

It certainly would, but at this point I am going to scrap the stock fixture and go with an 8 watt Wavepoint

[Patricklong]

Oh wow, I see what you mean. Have you considered a piece of plexiglass or acrylic to separate the water from lights?

Apologies if that has been asked before.

[thebanker]

I considered it, and I still am considering it!

[thebanker]

Time for an update. I totally gutted the stock light fixture, and bought the Wavepoint 8-watt Micro Sun high output fixture.


Fresh from the store.

I affixed it to the inside of the hood with industrial strength velcro, for now. I'm going to reinforce it too, so the velcro isn't the only thing holding onto the light.


I flipped the hood around, so the little spikes are in the front. They are almost the perfect size to keep the fixture wedged in place. As you can see, there are 8 x 1-watt LED's. Two are cool white, the others are royal blue, I believe. They certainly look like royal blue. I removed the armiture that comes screwed onto the fixture, I didn't need it here.


Just the fixture, with no supplementary lighting. Keep in mind the camera makes it bluer than it really is, IRL. It doesn't look this Windex-y.


Nice actinic pop



This is with my T8 under-cabinet lighting on. The tank is on my desk, and for once the cabinet lighting works with the aquarium lighting.


The view from my desk. It's even harder concentrate on my job with that gorgeous thing!


Next I am going to take the remnants of the stock fixture and rig the sockets into the hood, to add some white spectrum. The light looks amazing, but I really do want more white. I'm planning on using the MR11 sockets and some 4000k Philips LEDs, or another water-resistant LED. No more open circuitboards, that just doesn't work.

[VGT]

You don't need a splashguard for those. Spray them with automotive clearcoat ($5 for a can), and let them dry before powering back on.

[RVANANO]

Looks great Mikey!


at the tags below

[thebanker]

Originally Posted by VGT

You don't need a splashguard for those. Spray them with automotive clearcoat ($5 for a can), and let them dry before powering back on.

True. My first set lasted longer because I used clear nail polish to seal them. Still, I don't like having to do that, it seems like it gets a bit peely, maybe from the heat.

[thebanker]

I'm going to try adding two of these to the mix. They will be on a separate timer for sunrise/sunset.




Here is another Edge reef lit with these bulbs, I like the white they produce (rated 4000k, which in reef metal halide terms, looks like 10000k.

[gemini aquarius(t)]

I really like those other bulbs. I think that mix will make for a really nice 20k look when fully lit! Keep us posted buddy

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Update por favor

[Clownedge]

Great looking tank. love the look. I would recommend the Fluval edge Ultrabrite Led system from ebay. Fully sealed with a great spread.

[silverwolfabyss]

Using this thread as a sort of guide to recover my nanoreef fluval edge and would absolutely adore an update if possible

[PhxRob]

Great retros on the lighting. Ones mind always come up with ways to do tasks. Tank looks great

[thebanker]

I will update this tomorrow as I have time.

[ST1Doppelganger]

Well its past tomorrow and I'm curious to see the update pics
Lol.

[Modern-Revolution]

Guess this is old but I was wondering how difficult access is with the top glass? Can you get your hand in there to scareglass or wwhatever? Also does the design eliminate shimmer effects as there is no surface water breaking? And on that note how is the water airated? And finally does that mini sun grow sps any good? Was it easy to retrofit? How many chambers are in the back pump area?

[thebanker]

Access is difficult and a pain in the ***. You can't get your hand in the tank without draining water to make room for your hand's displacement, which is what drives me nuts. There is still shimmer on the water because of where the tank opens within the light housing box. The Mini-sun grows SPS very well, but I speak from my father's pico tank that has SPS under a mini sun. It hasn't grown much in my Fluval Edge. The retrofit was easy. The "back pump" area is basically a Hagen Aquaclear 20, concealed within the tank's stand, nothing more than a simple hang-on-back.

I like the tank but it is the biggest pain of any reef tank I've ever had.




Nice Rex. I have a 2013 WRX hatchback, absolutely love it.

[cody6766]

I'll second Mikey's frustrations with this tank. I have one running and finally cut off the top. I got tired of not being able to work in the tank and clean things well. Ditched the stock hood and filter in favor of an AI Nano and Koralia nanos long ago, so the look is actually better now. I still use the stand, so it's basically a cool rimless tank instead of a cool novelty design. I really like it now.

[DesktopReefer]

Very cool tank for an Edge, well done!