Super 8

Joe Lydon · Feb 9, 2014

I've been busy and away for quite some time, but I can't quite kick the urge. I just placed this order tonight. Planning to go with some eye popping colors on some lps, montipora and zoas. Not sure what fish I plan to get, maybe a bluespotted jawfish and some shrimp. I'm gonna chisel and bond some rock into a 1 piece minimalistic scape. Wish me luck!

Innovative Marine AUQA Gadget CustomCaddy 16 - Media Basket

Innovative Marine AUQA Gadget Spin Stream - Return Nozzle

Innovative Marine 8 Gallon Nano Aquarium w/ 8 Watt 14000K Skkye Light Clamp LED Light - Black

Cobalt Aquatics MJ600 Multi-Purpose Powerhead/Pump

Boyd Chemi Pure Elite 6.5oz

Boyd Chemi-bags - 2/pk 5 in x 11.5 in

CaribSea Tropic Isle Tahitian Moon Sand 20lb

Marine Depot Aquarium Refractometer

Poly Filter 4 x 8

Seachem Laboratories Reef Salt - 50 gallon mix Bag

ViaAqua Titanium 50 Watt 13 Gallon Aquarium Heater

SkullV · Feb 9, 2014

Make sure to get a better light as well, those skkye LEDs are pretty weak (even for LPS/Zoas). Aqua-tecture.com just got a big CeramEco order in too if you are looking for a really nice single minimalistic rock.

Joe Lydon · Feb 9, 2014

SkullV said:
Make sure to get a better light as well, those skkye LEDs are pretty weak (even for LPS/Zoas). Aqua-tecture.com just got a big CeramEco order in too if you are looking for a really nice single minimalistic rock.

For sure, I was thinking a par38 from coralcompulsion, or maybe just build an led arrangement on my own.

Funlad3 · Feb 9, 2014

He's back! Joe, shoot me a text and we can catch up and talk about getting you set up again in style.

- Ben

SkullV · Feb 9, 2014

Joe Lydon said:
For sure, I was thinking a par38 from coralcompulsion, or maybe just build an led arrangement on my own.

Coral Compulsion Par38 would be a good choice.

Joe Lydon · Feb 9, 2014

AACorals said:
He's back! Joe, shoot me a text and we can catch up and talk about getting you set up again in style.

- Ben

Benjamin! I am back with a baby reef! Don't have a lot of time and space, so I wanted somethin compact and easy. Still debating on keeping spongodes, but definitely some acans, fungi, a couple heads of some ultra euphs, favia, shrooms and zoas and pallys. I'll hit you up soon!

Funlad3 · Feb 9, 2014

Joe Lydon said:
Benjamin! I am back with a baby reef! Don't have a lot of time and space, so I wanted somethin compact and easy. Still debating on keeping spongodes, but definitely some acans, fungi, a couple heads of some ultra euphs, favia, shrooms and zoas and pallys. I'll hit you up soon!

Let me help you out with the scape! I have tons of awesome rocks that you're more than welcome to.

Joe Lydon · Feb 10, 2014

I'm down, like James Brown! I might modify the stock light and throw one of these in. I want a blue blue blue martian tank, so I like this idea. I can probably get away with drilling some holes on top to get some convection cooling going on. Kinda excited. I checked out your site! Look atcha go!

http://m.ebay.com/itm/151217554301?nav=SEARCH

Joe Lydon · Feb 10, 2014

After lots of consideration and advice, the lighting problem has been worked out. I'm going to outfit the stock Skkye heatsink with some cree leds. Thanks SkullV and others who chimed in.

Ordered and ready to ship!

1 x Arctic Alumina Thermal Adhesive
4 x Solderless CREE XT-E Royal Blue LED
(Wire Length: 3")
1 x Driver Jumper
1 x Solderless LED Plug
1 x 0-10V Dimmable Nano Driver with Potentiometer
1 x Solderless CREE XP-G Warm White LED
(Wire Length: 3")
1 x Solderless UV LED
(Wire Length: 3")

SMACKERS4 · Feb 26, 2014

Joe Lydon said:
After lots of consideration and advice, the lighting problem has been worked out. I'm going to outfit the stock Skkye heatsink with some cree leds. Thanks SkullV and others who chimed in.

Ordered and ready to ship!

1 x Arctic Alumina Thermal Adhesive
4 x Solderless CREE XT-E Royal Blue LED
(Wire Length: 3")
1 x Driver Jumper
1 x Solderless LED Plug
1 x 0-10V Dimmable Nano Driver with Potentiometer
1 x Solderless CREE XP-G Warm White LED
(Wire Length: 3")
1 x Solderless UV LED
(Wire Length: 3")

JOE! i got 2 SKYYE lights im looking to do the same thing as you and modify them, PLEASE let me know how that works out! and lets see some pictures of the modifying for petes sake!

Joe Lydon · Mar 1, 2014

Small update : Lights are finished and work beautifully. I've posted photos in the diy led thread, but I'm going to repost here, as to keep it within my build. The crees alone are very, very blue, so I decided to take the aluminum 6 watt white skkye plate, and add it to the fixture, using a 1/4" thick piece of aluminum and slightly bending it, to aim the light inward. After mounting the cree LEDs, the cover plate did not go back on so well, so I had to cut off the rear portion of it and ditch the protective shield all together. If you plan to mod the light, choose the 6 LED's that you need, because you won't be able to fit more than that. I'm very happy with the outcome, and I can make just about any color spectrum I'm looking for.

I have 3 separate power sources. The blues and UV are on a dimmer, the single warm white is using the skkye moon light plug and the 6 watt plate is using it's original plug.

Please excuse the slightly less than symmetrical configuration, I wanted to make sure I had room for wires, and there was a little sliding going on while mounting the led's.

This is the scape that I'm leaning towards, or something near it. Since the photo, I've soaked in a bleach solution for 2 days to break down any organics, followed by a solution of muriatic and RO water, to help release any Po4 that might have been bound into the rock. I'm going to look for 1 nice, cured live rock to put on the right side of the tank, to seed it. Nothing big, just a small mound to grow zoas out on.

The tank should be wet soon. I'm going fishless, with inverts only.

SMACKERS4 · Mar 3, 2014

Joe Lydon said:
Small update : Lights are finished and work beautifully. I've posted photos in the diy led thread, but I'm going to repost here, as to keep it within my build. The crees alone are very, very blue, so I decided to take the aluminum 6 watt white skkye plate, and add it to the fixture, using a 1/4" thick piece of aluminum and slightly bending it, to aim the light inward. After mounting the cree LEDs, the cover plate did not go back on so well, so I had to cut off the rear portion of it and ditch the protective shield all together. If you plan to mod the light, choose the 6 LED's that you need, because you won't be able to fit more than that. I'm very happy with the outcome, and I can make just about any color spectrum I'm looking for.

I have 3 separate power sources. The blues and UV are on a dimmer, the single warm white is using the skkye moon light plug and the 6 watt plate is using it's original plug.

This is the scape that I'm leaning towards, or something near it. Since the photo, I've soaked in a bleach solution for 2 days to break down any organics, followed by a solution of muriatic and RO water, to help release any Po4 that might have been bound into the rock. I'm going to look for 1 nice, cured live rock to put on the right side of the tank, to seed it. Nothing big, just a small mound to grow zoas out on.

The tank should be wet soon. I'm going fishless, with inverts only.

Very cool Joe, Looks fairly easy to mod!

CoralN00b · Mar 12, 2014

Joe, I like the scape. Nice minimal design. This is going to be a sweet little reef.

Joe Lydon · Mar 26, 2014

Small update : It's wet and has live rock. I picked up some great live rock from Reefwise, yesterday, and they were very generous in giving me more than I originally intended, for free! I received so much, so, that I had to scrap my original scape design, to fit it. I think it will look good, once it's filled in with coral. The two risers allow for a nice valley between them, with a good amount of floor space, and lots of wall mounts for more light hungry corals.

View attachment 1382

SkullV · Mar 26, 2014

Lookin good man. Glad you decided to scrap the PVC frame thing, this will look and function much better I think.

Joe Lydon · Mar 26, 2014

Thanks! I still might take a hammer and chisel and turn the rock on the left into something more manageable.

maidia · Mar 26, 2014

Beautifulllllllllllllllllllll...Don't ever tell me to get out this hobby again...

Funlad3 · Mar 26, 2014

Joe, you just can't decide whether or not to stay in or not! I hope you do; your attention to detail is fantastic.

Joe Lydon · Mar 26, 2014

AACorals said:
Joe, you just can't decide whether or not to stay in or not! I hope you do; your attention to detail is fantastic.

My fiance slapped me up-side the head with some verbal abuse, mentioning how unwise it was to throw over $200 out of the window, on something I just bought, and never used. She later came home with RO water, and told me to set it up. So, here I am! I'm just gonna have to setup an ATO and premix saltwater for her to do water changes, while I'm away.

Funlad3 · Mar 26, 2014

Keep her!

When you're ready for some coral, I've got you covered.

Super 8

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