FarmerTy

Looking forward to the tweaking and all the ridiculous things you're going to tell me to tweak! Sent via Tapatalk

I usually observe STN on my SPS and sometimes melting of some zoas. Sent via Tapatalk

Dry test fit. I'll work on actually attaching the sides and adding trim soon enough. I'll also work on blocking out any light bleed from the MHs. Interesting that my chiller, clip on fans, and ceiling vent fan (on low setting) have kept the temperature from rocketing up. Another interesting observation is the CaRX effluent pH shot up right when I enclosed the stand and canopy.

All great advice that has been given. Sent via Tapatalk

I'm sorry sir, I don't accept anything with data gaps. Hmmm... secretly planning how to one up you... Sent via Tapatalk

Well, when you don't have a vent fan to play with anymore, you got to do something with those idle hands! Got all my panels for the stand and canopy primed and painted. 2 layers of primer inside, one layer of primer and two coats of white paint on the outside. Not sure if I want to do the work of installing the side panels with magnets (via drilling holes and gluing magnet in the hole) or just using velcro. I'm leaning to velcro honestly. The weight of the side panels will mostly be on the bottom since it's sitting on the ground so whatever is holding it to the stand/canopy will just be keeping it from tipping over.

Yeah, bummer sums it up perfectly. I'm working with their customer service while I wait for my clients to arrive. Looks like they'll be sending me a replacement and it'll come sometime next week. Vent fan experiment... delayed!

Just for kicks, I held the battery to it and activated the SSR prior to turning it on and it did not inhibit the MH light from coming on... nor did it shut it off when I removed the light. I think it's safe to say I got a dud.

I did that on the off chance that maybe I bought an SSR wired the opposite of what I wanted, but I had the MH light on, and then touched the 9V battery to it, saw the LED light indicating that the switch has been activated via the 9V battery, and the MH light still stayed on. Thanks for double-checking me on due process though Jim. Any other scenarios or potential test ideas are much appreciated.

It stays in low mode when the red wires aren't connected. When they are connected, it completes the circuit and activates high mode. When entirely left alone and on, the fan is in low mode to answer your question Jim.

Don't say the "E" word Jim! Well, running down that train of thought and not being able to let things go. I removed the SSR from the sheet metal and totally isolated it. Then put the two red cables back in and it triggered "high mode" again. This is without any other cables attached but just the two red cables. I think I have a malfunctioning SSR! The two VAC terminals are not isolated. To confirm this, I put it in-line with my MHs and before I could even put the 9-volt battery to activate the SSR to open the VAC connection, the MH light had already come on... despite the supposedly closed switch. Bummer, I'll have to get a replacement. At least I'm not crazy... Sent via Tapatalk

A little more poking around and I've figure it out. Connecting the SSR to the junction box completed the circuit via the metal of the junction box. Somehow, the bottom of the SSR contacting the sheet metal of the junction box connects the two VAC terminals of the SSR. I will need to isolate the SSR from the junction box for this to work. Unfortunately, it will have to be later because I need to run to a showing. To be continued... Sent via Tapatalk

I may have foiled our plans! I got the SSR to switch on/off via the Apex cable as the corresponding LED on the SSR (and the volt meter confirm this). The issue is the two red signal wires from the vent fan. I hadn't noticed this but the entire time, it was on high mode. Somehow, having both red wires on the SSR connected completes the circuit, irregardless of the activation from the Apex VDM cables. It can be on or off, either way, the red wires have a complete circuit and set the fan to high mode. Interesting.

I send people your way all the time for your Apex Jaebo cable... maybe I should head up marketing.

Let me start mass producing it then. Can I count on you to man the production line? Jim can be quality control?

Double post

I'm actually contemplating making one because my chiller pulls in 8 amps when it runs so it almost overloads my EB8 with other equipment on the load as well.If I make an "EB1", I can isolate it's huge amperage draw to its own relay basically and still be able to control it. Hmmmm.....

Yeah, when looking up how they wired the VDM ports, I thought someone must have been on something to configure it that way. The thought occurred to me too... I was like, did I just make a 1-port EB8?

I should have said a light bulb went off in my head... sometimes I fail at being pun-ny.

I guess that makes sense from a battery perspective! My TV remote will never work if I put the batteries in backwards! Thanks for the epiphany this morning Jim! Sent via Tapatalk

Thanks Jim! You read my mind. I was going to do the 9-volt battery test that you sent me a link to yesterday just to test the SSR side of things now that it's already hooked up to the fan. I didn't think it would matter which cable I have used for the negative or positive but from your description, maybe it does. I'll give that a test too and just see if I have the wires switched on the SSR coming from the Apex. BTW, for those jumping along for the ride, JimH and Victoly have been my secret mentors in the installation of this fan... helping me not screw it all up! The "brain trust" is much appreciated!

I was going to leave them in place Jeremy but when I went to clean everything before installing, I noticed they looked like they were wearing down a little too much so I didn't put them back in place. I just remember to close the valve before shutting down the pump and it usually takes care of it.

Decided to mount the solid state relay on the junction box steel as a way for it to passively dissipate heat Added a little thermal silicon grease to help with the contact surface While I was feeling handy, decided to put together a Cat5 cable to use for the Apex VDM port to communicate with the SSR Final resting spot. I'll have to find a smaller gauge blade connector for the ethernet cable, for now I did the old hook loop method. Still have to troubleshoot the signal coming from the Apex. I'm thinking I didn't set the wires in the right order so my Apex line is not powered right now. I'll attack it again tomorrow night.

Well, I can turn it on/off via the Apex... and that's about it. I have to get back up there with a volt meter to see what's going on. I suspect I wired the VDM cable wrong (using the wrong wires from the Cat5) and it's not triggering the solid state relay (SSR). That'll have to be another night. The wife is done with me playing in the attic tonight and frankly, my imagination was getting to me in that dark attic, just two nights before Halloween! What's that noise?

Not to take the easy way out, but the guy's words on flow is true to a certain extent. You just have to get your powerheads in there and just start experimenting with flow. I equate it to aquascaping. Sure, there are some generalities that you can follow but until you get the rocks in there and start placing them about, you're not going to know what will work best. We can at least address the flow in regards to your livestock choices. Seeing as how you mostly have softies and LPS, with a splash of SPS in there, I would aim to keep your SPS towards the upper part of your tank (they'll appreciate the higher light as well) and aim to have the zoas and LPS towards the lower end of the tank. That way, you can also influence the flow to have more towards the top of the tank and less at the bottom. Perhaps you can put the power head opposite of the return pump effluent and aim it towards the return flow. It'll create the chaotic environment you were aiming for and what most corals enjoy more, instead of the laminar flow. Have you looked into options to rotate or deflect your return pump flow? I remember when I had my nanocube, I added a Hydor rotating deflector and it spun around and around, changing the output of the flow from the return pump. Maybe the combination of that and you randomizing the flow from the Jaebo will give you what you are looking for? Let me know before you go live with the LEDs if you can. We can address light acclimation at that time since your corals will be coming from PC lighting to a full LED system. At least being able to dim the LEDs should make the transition much easier! Sent via Tapatalk