10 Gallon Frag Tank Build with Refugium and LED's

So i'm making my own frag tank with a built in refugium in the back. it going to be 19.5 inches x 18 inches x 6.5 inches tall. Im thinking about making the refugium in the back (sort of like a biocube filtration). I'm making the refugium section 19.5 inches long x 4 inches x by 6.5 inches tall. Its a little narrow, but plant of length for chatemorpha and the water to pass through.

Here's the basic layout. Water is going to flow through the overflow box cuts, up and over acrylic into the mud, sand, and cheat. Go through the refugium to the main pump where it's going to exit out into one of those Y shaped values. In the main section I will have egg crate with tons of coral (thinking 3 - 4 inches tall egg crate stand). I'm going to buy some LED lights so I can grow anything. It's less heat and water evaporation. The tank itself is going to be made out of 1/4 inch glass, and the refugium is going to be made out of acrylic. 

I ordered my glass and I should have it in by Thursday. As for now i've gotten all the supplies I need. I got the silicone, acrylic, values, pump, egg crate, zip ties, sand, (need mud still)

im assuming my pump is fine. It's a aqua vitro 820 pump which will do 220 gph. Plenty of flow for a 10 gallon

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelerjp98 

Where are the lights going to be located? Have you decided which lighting you want?

 

Well i'm putting a light over the refugium for the chaeto in there, and 'm going to get an led light and put it over the center of the tank. less evaporation, less I have to worry about. Since its all open on the top, I had a fear of lights burning it too much

Quote:

Originally Posted by acrylic51 

Looks good....Might need to bump flow depending what your going to keep/frag in the tank though......

Well I'm going to have a little of everything. What pump should I get then? My section for the pump is only so big, so i'm very limited. Maybe 300 gph?

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelerjp98 

Very cool! Glad I got to this build early! I agree, you might need more flow...

like what? how many gph?

I was also contemplating on whether or not I should put a center brace. I figured since it's 10 gallons with double thickness glass I should be fine. Any thoughts? The aquarium volume calculator said something like 1/8 or something but I figured better safe than sorry so I went a 1/4. I'm assuming since its double in thickness I won't need a center brace

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2Quills 

Should be fine without a brace for that height.  The only concern I have from looking at your design would be the very small and shallow return chamber.  I'd think you're going to need a constant supply of water to keep up with the evaporation in order to not run your return pump dry.

Yeah, I thought ahead on that. Thats why I wanted leds.

I was looking at those diy kits that you showed me last time.

Is this okay?

• 6 Solderless Cool White CREE XP-G LEDs

• 6 Solderless Royal Blue CREE XP-E LEDs

• 12 XP-E/XP-G Lenses (Choose from either 40, 60 or 80 degrees with white or black housing)

• 1 Mean Well LPC-35-700 driver

• 2 Plug-n-Play 7 LED Terminal

• 1 Driver Jumper

• 1 Terminal Plug

• 1 Terminal to Terminal Jumper (2")

• 1 Terminal to Terminal Jumper (8")

• 1 Arctic Alumina Thermal Adhesive or 1 tube of Thermal Grease

• 2 water repellent wire nuts

• 1 power cord (US + Canada orders only)

Is this good for ANY coral? LPS, SPS, Clams, everything? lol

Remember my dimensions and the coral I want

Quote:

Originally Posted by cameraman954 

Yeah, I thought ahead on that. Thats why I wanted leds.

I was looking at those diy kits that you showed me last time.

 

Is this okay?

 

 

• 6 Solderless Cool White CREE XP-G LEDs

• 6 Solderless Royal Blue CREE XP-E LEDs

• 12 XP-E/XP-G Lenses (Choose from either 40, 60 or 80 degrees with white or black housing)

• 1 Mean Well LPC-35-700 driver

• 2 Plug-n-Play 7 LED Terminal

• 1 Driver Jumper

• 1 Terminal Plug

• 1 Terminal to Terminal Jumper (2")

• 1 Terminal to Terminal Jumper (8")

• 1 Arctic Alumina Thermal Adhesive or 1 tube of Thermal Grease

• 2 water repellent wire nuts

• 1 power cord (US + Canada orders only)

 

Is this good for ANY coral? LPS, SPS, Clams, everything? lol

 

Remember my dimensions and the coral I want

Any I really like those 2:1 ratio LED's. I like when the tank is more bluer than white. The terminal support 14 bulbs, so I was wondering if I could get tow more royal blues. Maybe make it 9 Royal Blue and 5 White? Is this okay?

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2Quills 

I'd probably look at going with just a little more light personally.  Maybe 10 royals, 6 xpg neutral whites and probably 4 osram 660nm reds.  No optics.  It's a better growth combination for a frag tank and for cheato.  I like the idea of dimmable drivers for acclimation purposes.  Should be able to grow anything with that.

So now I'm looking at the 24 LEd Kit. Since your saying I should get more LED's. What would be a good ratio for this one? it comes with 12 and 12, but I could always just add some red ones. I'm thinking connect all the blues to one driver, and connect the white and reds to another. Lets say I do 12 blue, 8 white, and 4 red. 

12 blue to one driver, I can do the sunrise, sunset effect since it can be on a timer

8 white and 4 red together I can have separate to come on a different time

Thinking making it on a 5.9 x 16 heatsink.

Here is the basic layout for the lead's. Red less in the corner, and the white and blue in a pattern across the heat sink. The blue can be on a timer, as stated earlier, for a sunrise and sunset effect. The white + red combo can be on another driver.

If I make them dimmable drivers, I can change the intensity because its probably going to be 6-7 inches above the tank.

And make them 40 degree optics so it's a little spread.

Sound good? lol

Had to rig my return pipe lol

The pump uses an 1/8 tube and I had to somehow make it fit over basically an inch hole.

The bulkhead I'm using is a 1/2 inch, but the back part it about an inch.

So you see my problem 

So, I did what I could. I put a 1/2 tubing over a 1/4 tubing, and a 3/4 tubing over both, and the 3/4 tube into the bulkhead.

I had to sit and think for like 15 minutes on how to do this lol You with think rio would give you accessories to go up in sizes but no.

Here's a picture

You can see the tube within the tube within the tube within the bulkhead lmao.

Some silicone around the tubes, no leaks, AWESOME 

Anyone know how to color acrylic?

The loses near me only has clear acrylic, I was hoping to have black acrylic so you don't see the refugium. Is there any paint that is water safe or know something I can do? Remember cost needs to be kept to a minimum, so I don't want to bother on ordering anything. Or maybe black background for aquariums some how stuck on the acrylic? 

And no glass today, hopefully its here Friday. (technically today)