135g build!

Hey all! I have been dreaming of upgrading from my BC14 for years, just as soon as I got my own house. Well, that recently happened, and I'm finally doing it, in a big way! I'm in the process of getting a 135g tank (72x18x24). I'm putting together a list of all the things I will need to upgrade. Has anyone done a DIY LED fixture for one of these? I think I have a good grasp of how it work, but before I jump the gun, I have questions, mostly looking for confirmation from people with large tanks:


1) I'm curious what you use for color ratio, seems like 1:1 RB to CW is pretty standard


2) Are optics necessary? Just one angle or a mix for different depths? Someone recommended 60 deg


3) How many LEDs will I need. I've been seeing around 100, or every 2" for this length and width, but those seem to be "theoretical", what have you gotten away with in reality?


4) Probably go with two appropriate size Meanwell drivers, one for whites, one for blues. Do most people use PWM or analog to control color mixing and intensity? I will be using a controller that has both capabilities.

 

This tank is 10 minutes from me and I already h ave some of the stuff I need since I've been building up to this for so long. Also, I have some cool ideas I want to incorporate into this build (shh, they're still secret in case they don't work!) And that way, I get that special sense of accomplishment

 

Will be picking up the tank on Monday. Looking at two of the 48 LED kits on RapidLED here: http://www.rapidled.com/copy-of-48-solderless-led-retrofit-kit/

 

What are peoples opinion on LED color ratios these days? It looks like 50/50 RB & CW is losing ground in favor of adding some additional colors, but not sure in what quantities. Right now I plan on having 6 UV, 6 Green, 6 Red, 39 RB, and 39 CW for a total of 98 LEDs over a 6' 125g. So basically 1 of each new color per foot, and the rest 50/50

 

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This is the stand I have designed. It is going to be a peninsula between my living room and dining room, with doors on both the front and back for access to the space underneath and behind the tank. Under the tank is a 40B sump and calc reactor. Behind it is a small 10g frag tank and a gravity fed ATO. DT and frag tank have MakerLED for lighting. The very right hand door in the bottom picture will house the Reef Angel and electrical panel, as well as have shelving for test kits, dry food, etc. Notice the sump area has no braces between the doors, and the doors are actually removable. Instead of using hinge mounted doors (they always seem to sag and break) these will be removable panels with the push to release magnet catches you find on entertainment stands. Directly below this spot in my house is the garage, where there will be a mixing station and QT tank. For water changes, the DT will drain directly through the floor to the garage drain and pump water from the mixing station up to the sump.

 

And now the skinning starts!

 

And I realized sometime along the line that its actually a 125 gallon, not a 135. I really needed those 10 extra gallons...

 

ah, i was hoping no one would notice. I've been going back and forth over that. Originally i had a different design and there was plenty of room. By switching to a RocketEngineer stand, but not making it taller I lost that room. I didn't think of it until I had it put together. I think I can add another 4" there and still be able to clear the ceiling with the hood I plan on using. I don't have a truck, so getting the lumber is such a hassle for me. Ideally i shouldn't have to do much in the sump, and I could have limited access to pumps and plumbing from the back

 

I added 4" of height this weekend. I can't add any more because of the hood I will be putting on the stand, the lid needs to clear the ceiling when it swings open. I think I should have enough room to get in there now. Time to paint the frame, and then start skinning

 

The old shelves are out of the way, and the tank on stand is almost in place. Now begins the skinning of the stand and building the rear cabinat and hood.