Isaac's Cadlight 70 Gallon Artisan II Build

[Isaac Alves]

Just as an FYI, I do post daily updates via Instagram if anyone follows this thread and uses that service. https://www.instagram.com/theloneaquarist/

I'll post my staining of the AquaticLife fixture here. As well as the full install. Instagram is just for short videos that I don't want to take the time and upload to youtube.

 

[Isaac Alves]

Starting my stain project for the AquaticLife hanging fixture i built. I'm going to try these wipe on stain clothes from Minwax. Let's see how it goes...

 

[Isaac Alves]

A good sanding and wipe down... Before stain.

 

[Isaac Alves]

After stain.... [emoji52], I'm a bit meh. I'll let it dry a bit then clean up metal parts... Maybe it'll lighten up or grow on me.

 

[Isaac Alves]

Ok.... Now I'm having the frame without the AquaticLife fixture in place. I had to remove my Hydra 52 and that stand.... Which i love.

Seriously keep imagining the whole thing crashing down... [emoji23]... Ugh.

 

[Isaac Alves]

Ok... Installed the bulbs....

Blue plus
Actinic
Blue plus
Purple plus

And I have a left over Coral Plus.... Hmmm

 

[Isaac Alves]

I got a couple ecotech diffusers to possibly match the "feel" of the t5.


So, installed that now...

 

[Isaac Alves]

Now.... I think... [emoji848]


You need to unscrew these feet from the Radion XR15s to attach to the AquaticLife fixture. Let's see... These feet don't seem to secure anything anyways...

 

[Mal11224]

Great job. I like the hanging fixture. Should look real nice with the lights on.

 

[Isaac Alves]

I'm wrong.... Those little feet hold on the cover....

But i think i can screw through it and keep it secure...

 

[Isaac Alves]

AND.. you don't take off the feet... Use these little buggers to tap into the feet.... There are threads in the feet !
....

 

[Isaac Alves]

Also, use the hanging screws that come with the Radions. Probably obvious to most, but I, tried my own screws first. It works, but it's easier to adjust on the AquaticLife fixture with the thumb screws for the Radion hanging kit.

 

[Isaac Alves]

Ok.... Lights are in.... Cords are too short.... Oh well... I think it's looking good.

 

[Isaac Alves]

The bane of my neglected APEX electrical cabinet. I fear opening your guts and hooking up these lights.

 

[Isaac Alves]

Alright, the AquaticLife hybrid fixture is all setup, Radion G4 pros are updated and connected to APEX and the T5s are on their own apex outlet.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Looking good!

 

[Isaac Alves]

Running my NYOS 160 airline to the outside world. First, to keep my wife from getting cranky about having to close windows that I open, second, to see if my pH increases, or even just stabilizes at around 8.2.


Here's what I did:

Got a half inch 14" long masonry bit. Drilled a hole from the inside to the outside of the house. This allowed me to ensure a clean exit hole on the outside of the house.

Note: be sure to check your studs, check for metal, check for A/C power, and pinpoint the location of the holes so you know where your exiting to the outside.

Inside hole drilled to the outside.

I'm using a water line .5" thread to nipple and attaching it to a solid Black Steel floor flange. I got one flange for the inside and one for the outside.

I'm using a. 5" hard drinking water line to run through the wall.

Fits snugly into the threaded side of the nipple:

The outside hole was perfect.

I carefully slid the hard pipe from inside the house through the wall and out the other side.

Cut to fit:

The outside connects into another steel floor flange with .5" fittings oriented to keep water out.

This, I simply used adhesive silicone, a lot of it, to ensure a tight seal and adhesion for the flange to the stucco wall. This will ultimately be painted to match the wall. I leaned a metal sign to continually apply pressure until it cures.

The inside is secured and positioned into place.

Finally, I wanted to attach a critter screen on the outside opening.

These metal screen door repair patches are great and only cost $1.50.

I cut a small piece of .5" PVC to wrap the screen mesh onto them used a mallet to pound it into a coupler.

I could only get one layer of this screen to secure like this. The others I cut out .5" circles that I pressed into the interior of the pipes. Luckily, they popped into the seam where the coupler meets the pipe. This allowed me to insert two more screens to create a nice small grid.

I used a razor blade to cut the excess wire screen.

I cut the connecting slip into a short stub and attached it to the outside intake.

Now to secure the inside with screws, silicone adhesive, and insert the air hose.

Then with the curtains back it's like, where is it?

Attached to NYOS skimmer:

Current pH is reading 8.19. Let's see if this air line setup changes my pH values over time.

I'll paint later.

[emoji846]

 

[Isaac Alves]

I got my @joshporksandwic signed poster in today. Looking forward to getting this framed and displayed in my office.

 

[Isaac Alves]

Trying out a much more controlled water change this time. Mixing water at the tank, and adjusting its alk and pH to match tank. I'll be honest...much easier on the back than hauling 5 gallon jugs from the mixing station. Might do it this way again next month.
Well, if it helps keep my SPS alive. Already lost three acros and losing an RTN'ing birdsnest.

 

[Mal11224]

Wow. What are you doing to match your tank levels? I found that getting a salt closer to my tanks parameters helps a lot as well as doing smaller water changes more frequently. RTN can be caused by a few things. Are you starting your sps down low to acclimate them to the lights? Do you dose alk and calcium? I was definitely more successful when I was able to keep my chemistry tight.