60 hex fit and finish

[Tower258]

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!

 

 

 

[BuzzDaddy21]

On 12/12/2021 at 1:15 AM, Tower258 said:

The gap between the pvc and the bulb holder isn't great, the open wiring is dangerous,

That light setup would scare me.

I like the look of your tank, I can`t help with plants.

Good luck with this project.  

 

[kahjtheundedicated]

If you are attached to the pvc setup, I would look for some pvc couplers that the bulb holders will fit inside, and will fit in or over the existing T fittings. You may be able to use some O rings over the bulb holders for a tight fit and to avoid excessive ingress of moisture, if not maybe use some silicone and hope you won't need to service it. For the dimmer switch, I would add an electrical box to the cabinet. Also I would solder the connections instead of wire nuts and use marine grade heatshrink over the solder joints. At the very least, glob a bunch of "liquid electrical tape" on/ in your existing connections. It's an aquarium, I'd plan for things to get wet.

To make it look more professional, black paint will help a lot. For the legs, I would remove those bottom couplers and notch the tube so it sits on the inside of the rim, as long as there is sufficient rigidity in the structure to prevent it from falling in. You can utilize a bit of flex in the legs or structure so that it will sit firmly on the inside lip, pressing outwards onto the vertical face of the rim for stability.

Good luck!

[Tower258]

On 12/12/2021 at 11:40 AM, kahjtheundedicated said:

If you are attached to the pvc setup, I would look for some pvc couplers that the bulb holders will fit inside, and will fit in or over the existing T fittings. You may be able to use some O rings over the bulb holders for a tight fit and to avoid excessive ingress of moisture, if not maybe use some silicone and hope you won't need to service it. For the dimmer switch, I would add an electrical box to the cabinet. Also I would solder the connections instead of wire nuts and use marine grade heatshrink over the solder joints. At the very least, glob a bunch of "liquid electrical tape" on/ in your existing connections. It's an aquarium, I'd plan for things to get wet.

To make it look more professional, black paint will help a lot. For the legs, I would remove those bottom couplers and notch the tube so it sits on the inside of the rim, as long as there is sufficient rigidity in the structure to prevent it from falling in. You can utilize a bit of flex in the legs or structure so that it will sit firmly on the inside lip, pressing outwards onto the vertical face of the rim for stability.

Good luck!

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.