DIY 30x30x18 rimless cube!!!!

sexycorals · Jun 28, 2011

Nice pics man.. And nice meeting you and misses Troy!

Troylee · Jun 28, 2011

I have to say hands down that is the nicest "sexiest" piece of coral I have ever layed eyes on hands down just plain insane!!!!!! I can't get enough of it!!You have to see it to believe it!!!! Btw nice meeting you and Annette also mike..;) thanks man love that thing!!!!

BayCorals · Jun 28, 2011

Dang...that's a lot of light for that tank. Do you think it will be too much or is it actually better?

Hung

Troylee said:
Got them mounted...:xd: I'm in love!!!!! Wow the color is incredible I finally got the color I have been after for years!!!! I have played with everything from mh,t5, LEDs only etc.... And played with almost every bulb!!!! Anyways this is the hot ticket!!!! Awesome color I love it!!!!!
So know my fixture is as follows....
18 three watt Cree xpe royal blues
Back t5s purple plus, blue plus..
Center phoenix 14k 250w mh
Front t5s blue plus, blue plus
18 three watt Cree xre LEDs.....
Insanity!!!! Haha just a little excited....

.Before shot....

After LEDs...

Troylee · Jun 28, 2011

I love me sticks as long ad everything is Aclimated correctly all we be fine!!!! The stuff I put in from the beginning is really taking off and looking sick the color is awesome and growth is okay for the time being once it settles in watch out!!!!!! I'm so proud of this build it will be my last for a real long time!!!! Haha

Tabasco1 · Jun 28, 2011

Super sweet signature nems! And two of em! Baller!

Tabasco1 · Jun 28, 2011

Oops. Sorry, just read through and saw that was a replacement nem.

Still looks sweet and you are still a baller!

Troylee · Jun 28, 2011

Haha thanks Tabasco yeah I wish it was a second... I think I should let this grow for 2 years and keep propagating it and removing corals as I go... By that time the cube will be a huge disco ball with that nem only like 40 of them just lighting the tank by it's self with the reflection off it haha....

Reef UP · Jun 29, 2011

Nice man wish I could meet the sexy haha great nem man glad to see that tank really rockin it's purpose haha Keep up the hot work!

ToXIc · Jun 30, 2011

hey Troy... with your strips, did you have to turn it down or are they on full blast..

Troylee · Jun 30, 2011

There running full blast, I Am not running optics as of yet since I wanted the spread.... Most people don't run optics like myself when there just supplemental lighting although I most likely be adding them soon..... I tried to get away with no optics and everything is great except the lights spills so bad in that room and makes every thing a bright blue.... The misses don't like it so I will be ordering optics or makin a a shield on both sides of the heat sink to keep from seeing the actual diode..... The drivers I got meanwell Lpc 35-700 can't be dimmed or controlled it's 35 watts and 700ma constant current..... I run 3 drivers and 36 royal blue xpe LEDs all compliments of bill at reef led lights...;) hth

ToXIc · Jun 30, 2011

is it too much blue in the tank.. or just enough for an accent light..

Troylee · Jun 30, 2011

I think it's perfect myself.... I'm using it to supplement a phoenix 14k it's really not blue at all the pics look like it but in person it's still a crisp white with a nice blue tint it's not really blue IMHO..... I would say it looks like a xm20k with no suppliments in person just has 4 times the par haha...

Reef UP · Jun 30, 2011

Troylee said:
There running full blast, I Am not running optics as of yet since I wanted the spread.... Most people don't run optics like myself when there just supplemental lighting although I most likely be adding them soon..... I tried to get away with no optics and everything is great except the lights spills so bad in that room and makes every thing a bright blue.... The misses don't like it so I will be ordering optics or makin a a shield on both sides of the heat sink to keep from seeing the actual diode..... The drivers I got meanwell Lpc 35-700 can't be dimmed or controlled it's 35 watts and 700ma constant current..... I run 3 drivers and 36 royal blue xpe LEDs all compliments of bill at reef led lights...;) hth

Hey Troy just wanted to bring up a little thing we did last night with my friends LEDs we used flashlight reflectors instead of optics, it cut down big time on overspill and I couldn't tell the difference on the spread meaning it didn't look like we lost any wish I knew where he got them forgot to ask but it turned out pretty sweet we painted the outside of them black really turned out hot!

swannyson7 · Jun 30, 2011

Those DIY stunner strips look great Lee! I might have to try my hand at a few of those. Was buying the aluminum stock cheaper than buying a prefab heatsink, or was it just because you had some scrap sitting around? Also, what did you use to cut the aluminim? Would I be able to rip them on a table saw with a dado stack with spacers to rip all the louvers at once?

Troylee · Jun 30, 2011

I made the heat sinks because I couldn't find any pre made ones.... I made the entire heat sink on my table saw so yeah
It's possible just be care full haha... Use lots of wax and set the depth and keep your fingers out of the way.... I made like 3 passes on each one because my saw was bogging down going any deeper and making the strip so hot I could barely hold on to it.... Just count your fingers before and after and make sure you come up with the same number haha....

Troylee · Jun 30, 2011

Reef UP said:
Hey Troy just wanted to bring up a little thing we did last night with my friends LEDs we used flashlight reflectors instead of optics, it cut down big time on overspill and I couldn't tell the difference on the spread meaning it didn't look like we lost any wish I knew where he got them forgot to ask but it turned out pretty sweet we painted the outside of them black really turned out hot!

yeah I was checking those out on some candle power forums there nice.... I actually posses a led fixture my work ordered to replace those 1000w flood lights that light up the big buildings here in Vegas.... It contains 36 LEDs with reflectors and man is it bright!!!!! I lit it up on my table and the beam shoots a good 30 feet with a nice spread it would fry a tank haha.... There pretty cool thou!!!

Reef UP · Jun 30, 2011

Troylee said:
I made the heat sinks because I couldn't find any pre made ones.... I made the entire heat sink on my table saw so yeah
It's possible just be care full haha... Use lots of wax and set the depth and keep your fingers out of the way.... I made like 3 passes on each one because my saw was bogging down going any deeper and making the strip so hot I could barely hold on to it.... Just count your fingers before and after and make sure you come up with the same number haha....

Rapid led has the skinny heat sinks fwiw ;) but I like yours too Troy:)