Tower258

Thanks for the suggestions, I have some black paint on standby for when its finalized! I have not soldered before, but I did some research and got everything I need (including the heatshrink). I don't have the tools or know how to add a box to the cabinet in any sort of seamless way. I could lengthen the wire from the fixture, run it through an existing whole in the back of the stand, and put the box on the inside... I'll have to play with it a bit. I considered the moisture issue before and decided that I would be better off not sealing it and maybe even venting the PVC. Anything I do to keep moist air out will also keep it in, and if it condenses and sits in the PVC it could be an issue. Because the bulbs screw in, the fixture will never be water proof (fully insolated). A coupler is a good idea as it will cover the wire connections to the base. as for the legs, want to leave the couplers on. it is very stable as it is and I don't want to change that haha. I will cut off the excess PVC thought.

Finally have time for my projects again. The reseal has been holding water for over 6 months now so I'm confident in the job I did. The hard scape is looking great under the light I've built, the crystalline structure of the rocks shines just like I hoped it would under water. I have almost no experience aqua scaping so I'm feeling really good about it. One thing I need to figure out are plants. I definitely want some, but the substrate is black diamond blasting media. I would like to do a little vallisneria (maybe jungle val, the tank is just over 2ft tall), some moss and java fern on the wood, and maybe some floating plants. Anyone have ideas on pots for the Vall? Another issue is the light. The gap between the pvc and the bulb holder isn't great, the open wiring is dangerous, and the free hanging dimmer is... Ya... It's a fine example of redneck engineering. I tossed it together more to see if I could than anything else 😅. Any suggestions on making it look alittle more professional would be appreciated 🙃. Filtration is the next choice. I have 2 spong filters laying around, an in opened aqua clear 110 that came with it, but I kinda like the diy thing I have going... Let me know what you guys think and any input you have is welcome!

what website is that? I'd love to see how the math for lux compares to an actual sensor! And that's interesting, I hadn't come across YPFD so ill have to look into it also here is the little excel sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WMN5YVej_MwAP72kPZ4-lF3MrTvBFo3nUJpyJ3FOZqk/edit?usp=sharing

Hey all, thought this picture I took may be a good reference to those new to the hobby and wondering what the "little white dots" moving on the glass are

Of course! Granted I have no idea how accurate it is... maybe someone with a PAR meter will test it for me😃. I also forgot units, The height is measured in Meters and make sure you are using the trig functions of degrees and not radians. I have a google sheet that I used for my current project, if I think about it and have some time I'll clean it up and put it on here as well

Hey all, So I'm a total nerd and went down a 2 day rabbit hole when I decided to do DIY lights for my 60 Hex project. My big thing is that I had no idea how bright "low", "medium" or "high" light actually was. When I looked it up, I always found vague lumens/gallon or just PAR values. Because I don't want to spend the money on anything that gives a PAR values, I had to figure them out. Most common white LEDs are phosphor-converted type LEDs and they all have a similar spectrum assuming the color temp is the same. This is why this can be done without knowing the specific spectrum of the LEDs you are using. The equation is as follows: PPDF=Fa(lumens/(H(Tan[Φ/2])) (PPFD is what we think of as PAR) Lux*Fa=PPFD Fa-factor from reference link Lux=lumens/area Area= Pi(B/2)^2 B=2H(tan(Φ)) H-Hight of light from substrate. Φ- angle of LED reflector (total angle from side to side) Phosphor LED factors based on color temp; Less than ~ 3000K = 0.017 Between ~ 3000K to 4000K = 0.015 Greater than ~ 4000K = 0.014 Because this is an estimate, I plan to also estimate the angle of the LED reflector, thought down lights will sometimes give them. A source of error in this method is that it assumes 100% of the photons emitted from the LED will hit within the designated area (This also assumes the reflector will absorb no light), Therefore this estimate will likely be on the high side. The equation is best used for a single light, however, if you have a few that are close together it could still be an alright estimate given that the distance between the lights is relatively small compared to the area they are shinning on (most LEDs use this idea). If they are far apart, you can add the values where they overlap (like a Venn diagram). This equation could be changed to estimate a light bar by using B to find Area with a different equation. I'm tired now but will show this if anyone has interest Hope this helps someone save a few bucks! Who says you'll never use trig after high school?

I just finished my first reseal project (a 60 hex) and am thinking about doing both of you above #1s. I was also thinking about doing sand but have read that it isn't a good plant substrate because it compacts too much. is that not the case when you are only using it as a cap? Also I really liked your original scape. the light gravel and open space in the front had a nice contrast with the dark substrate and plants/decor in the back

I never took it all the way apart, I am also not brave enough to rebuild a hex!

I'm planning to give it a week or 2. it LOOKS good, but I'm well aware I'm a novice!

Thanks, I was little nervous because the silicon was a pain to get out the first time. Root like wood with jungle val is a good idea. This is my first tank deep enough for jungle val so I would like to try it.

I finally got around to resealing my 60 gal hex and I'm pretty happy with the job I did. the vertical seams look great! and the bottom... well that gets covered with substrate haha. The next few things to think about are scape, stock and the possibility of leaving it rimless. I have top trim for it but kind of like the rimless look. I've never owned a rimless tank, are there any draw backs that I may not immediately thing about?. As for stock/scape, the dimensions are little odd for a hex. Its wider(27.5 in from face to face) then it is tall (22.5 in) (with 16 in faces). This gives me a large foot print with 55 gal height but 20 long length. I was thinking angel community but would love to hear other ideas. I am a total novice when it comes to scaping. I have seen some pretty amazing looking tanks using the "island" style. I'm imagining something with sand up front, transitioning into a built up kind of forest look. viewable from 4 of 6 sides. My wallet hurts just thinking about it (granted I have an endless supply of bronze crypts from my dirted 20 long). I definitely want to do plants, but I'm a DIY light kind of guy and I like to keep things low tech (i hear C02 is expensive up front). in conclusion, I'm super excited about this tank as I think it could be something beautiful and unique! but I would love to hear stocking ideas and see some of your low tech scapes and hopefully find some inspiration! (the above pic is not the final location of the tank) Thanks!!

Hey all, I'm looking for a little advice I recently bought a used Oceanic Systems 60gal Hex and I'm planning to reseal it. The last owner also resealed it (did a sketchy job by the looks of it), and he had it running for something like 20 years. As I was cleaning off the old silicon, I noticed that the seams had little bubbles in them but were not foggy at all. With a tank this old I would opt for a rebuild, but given that its a hex and was very high quality, I'm not sure if that is necessary. I've attached pictures showing some of the seams, they are all in similar shape. The tops are worse then the bottom, but I will be adding the trim back on. What do you guys think? Has anyone rebuilt a hex before? Thanks! bonus pic of my 40 breeder