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AI Hydra Light shade (standard, 26HD and 32HD)

ludnix

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Sitting down next to your beautiful reef tank and getting blinded by your glorious Hydra 26HD LED? No more! I made a light shade that simply slides over the top of the hydra. This is designed with vented grills for unimpeded cooling and length specialized to cut off the light about halfway down the glass on a 24x24 cube tank with about 10" of light distance. No hardware or screws necessary, you don't even have to turn your light off.

Compatible with the AI HMS single arm mount AI Flex arm mounting solution.
Fits on the AI Hydra 26, Hydra 26HD and Hydra 32HD


Asking $29.99 per unit shipped to anywhere in the USA. Outside of the US please contact me for more information.



Before and After courtesy of our member Barb St.Onge

Stock Hydra26s with HMS mount:
barb_front_fts_stock.jpeg

Hydra26 with HMS mount and the 3d printed Hydra shades:
barb_front_fts_with_shade.jpeg


On the AI flexible arm which has the largest mounting bracket:
2 (1).jpg

*Please note current models have a 2 rows of larger ventilation holes rather than 3 rows of smaller holes.

20190422_112844.jpg


20190422_112939.jpg


Print information:
  • Printed at 0.1mm layer height
  • Print time: 22 hours
  • Print material: Hatchbox Black PLA

If you need a different shade length to accommodate higher or lower mounting options post here and we can see if we can make you a custom model.

If you already have a 3d printer and want to print it yourself let me know and I will provide free STL files for the model. This was made back in May of 2017 so if it's familiar you might have seen my build thread!

1 (1).jpg



Shipping information:
I ship Monday-Friday. All US orders ship via Priority mail with tracking number and insurance. You can find your tracking number on the paypal receipt or in your Inbox here on R2R once I have shipped.

1 Available in inventory!
 
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ludnix

ludnix

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Can you do one for 52?
I can extend the model for the 52 but unfortunately it is larger than my build area and would require two parts to be joined or to be printed on a larger printer. I will work on it and try to get a quote for outside print cost.

If anyone has larger format printer and would like to offer their services they can PM me and we can work out the cost.
 

Barb St.Onge

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FD72BF69-82A8-4DC8-A0AB-714D4AC80B92.jpeg
613019FE-D586-4860-97BF-4D8321A65F89.jpeg
Sitting down next to your beautiful reef tank and getting blinded by your glorious Hydra 26HD LED? No more! I made a light shade that simply slides over the top of the hydra. This is designed with vented grills for unimpeded cooling and length specialized to cut off the light about halfway down the glass on a 24x24 cube tank with about 10" of light distance.

This is specially designed with a cutout on the back to allow the use of the Flex-arm mounting kit.

Asking $29 shipped to anywhere in the USA. Outside of the US please contact me for more information.

2 (1).jpg

1 (1).jpg



Currently available colors include solid black PLA. More colors and material options available for custom orders. If you need a different shade length to accommodate higher or lower mounting options post here and we can see if we can make you a custom model.

If you already have a 3d printer and want to print it yourself let me know and I will provide free STL files for the model. This was made back in May of 2017 so if it's familiar you might have seen my build thread!

If you want a version that is printed with a higher quality printer, let me know. Costs are closer to $60-80 for a version printed with nylon and higher print resolution.
Hi Eric,
We just started the process of setting up our reef tank, and have 2 hydra26 HD lights that we’d love to get a few shades for. I was so happy to Google this and find your solution! Our mounting arms are a little different than yours, but that shouldn’t affect the fit of the shades? Not sure if we should purchase your original design or the nylon. What material is the original made of?
Thanks so much,
Barb
 
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ludnix

ludnix

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FD72BF69-82A8-4DC8-A0AB-714D4AC80B92.jpeg
613019FE-D586-4860-97BF-4D8321A65F89.jpeg

Hi Eric,
We just started the process of setting up our reef tank, and have 2 hydra26 HD lights that we’d love to get a few shades for. I was so happy to Google this and find your solution! Our mounting arms are a little different than yours, but that shouldn’t affect the fit of the shades? Not sure if we should purchase your original design or the nylon. What material is the original made of?
Thanks so much,
Barb
Hi Barb, I can adjust the width of the slot for the mounting arm or location for whichever type you have. I think your using the same arm as James is in the post above you which had no special modifications.

These prints have been made in black hatchbox PLA plastic. I dont think the type of plastic is very important for this particular part since its not in contact with water or under any physical stress. How it is printed will affect its surface finish though. I use a small FDM printer which results in small horizontal lines across the object and occasional imperfections, I wont ship a part that doesnt meet my standards but an externally printed SLS nylon version would hide the horizontal lines, have less imperfections and look more like an injection molded part. It may also have a matte finish rather than the glossy dark black the PLA provides.
I can provide some close up photos of these small horizontal lines I am talking about, but the difference in plastics is almost entirely aesthetic in this parts use case.

Thank you!
Eric
 
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ludnix

ludnix

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The quotes I have received for the SLS nylon version in black is $130 each shipped. This is much higher than I had previously been quoted but these are from reputable manufacturers with less than a week of manufacturing time.

Below I have attached a photo demonstrating the difference between standard PLA and SLS nylon aesthetically:
fdm_sls.png

The SLS nylon would be significantly stronger and dishwasher safe, but I personally do not think those are particularly helpful with a light shade. It's really a big cost difference for the finish quality but I'm happy to offer it as an option to anyone who is seeking perfection.

The measured width of the opening on the back of the standard light shade is 125mm or (4.9"). This fits the widest mounting option I have seen which is the flexible arm. I believe the HMS mounting you have doesn't require such a wide opening but isn't hindered by it either. If you provide the measurements of the width of the arm I can narrow the gap a little to provide a perfect fit, but the existing model would work well to as in Jame's photo above.
 

REEFIN RIOS

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I just saw that in your thread it answers my original question. Does this affect the spread of the light by any chance?
 
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ludnix

ludnix

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I just saw that in your thread it answers my original question. Does this affect the spread of the light by any chance?
It does affect the spread by design, the goal is to block the light spillage and limit the effective area to 24x24" at 8-10" of mounting height. This can be customized to your particular mounting height. An easy way to figure out how long the shade should be is to slide a piece of paper down the side or front of the light and see how far you can lower it and have the shadow cast onto your glass but not your sand or tank bottom.

I can also make one side wall shorter on the left or right side, if requested, to expand the beam for tanks with more than one Hydra. This isnt strictly necessary as James tank illustrates but it's a simple modification I can provide for those who think they might need it.
 

Barb St.Onge

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FD72BF69-82A8-4DC8-A0AB-714D4AC80B92.jpeg
613019FE-D586-4860-97BF-4D8321A65F89.jpeg

Hi Eric,
We just started the process of setting up our reef tank, and have 2 hydra26 HD lights that we’d love to get a few shades for. I was so happy to Google this and find your solution! Our mounting arms are a little different than yours, but that shouldn’t affect the fit of the shades? Not sure if we should purchase your original design or the nylon. What material is the original made of?
Thanks so much,
Barb[/QUOTE
Hi Barb, I can adjust the width of the slot for the mounting arm or location for whichever type you have. I think your using the same arm as James is in the post above you which had no special modifications.

These prints have been made in black hatchbox PLA plastic. I dont think the type of plastic is very important for this particular part since its not in contact with water or under any physical stress. How it is printed will affect its surface finish though. I use a small FDM printer which results in small horizontal lines across the object and occasional imperfections, I wont ship a part that doesnt meet my standards but an externally printed SLS nylon version would hide the horizontal lines, have less imperfections and look more like an injection molded part. It may also have a matte finish rather than the glossy dark black the PLA provides.
I can provide some close up photos of these small horizontal lines I am talking about, but the difference in plastics is almost entirely aesthetic in this parts use case.

Thank you!
Eric
hi Eric,
Ok, I’ll order 2 of the same as James did.
Thanks,
Barb
 
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ludnix

ludnix

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Thanks Barb, I have updated the thread with more quantity available, I think there was only one left when you placed your order but you can go ahead and reorder for the second I will ship them together. The first shade is ready and the second is on the printer!
 
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ludnix

ludnix

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Your two light shades have shipped Barb! You should have received a paypal email with tracking number but if didn't receive it or have any other questions or concerns feel free to PM me!
 

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