Darko's 6g Edge

I got a happy surprise last night when I got home from work, a new 6g Fuval Edge. No I have not take it all of the way out of the box and taken pics but they will be coming soon. Originally this was going to be an office tank but until the big for sale sign is taken down and I know if I will have a job, its going to be a kitchen tank :-) because as some of you know yes there is like 20 fish tanks in my house and the kitchen has a vacancy...



The obvious first mod is the light, this is a plug and play option, these bulbs fit the existing fixture and I have found some that use this and an LED moon strip 2nd link. probably the easiest to do. People have sucessfully kept soft corals & low light stuff...

LEDwaves.com: LED Light Bulbs: Deluxe: MR-16 Series: Illum MR-11 LED Light Bulb 2-Watt (Cree® XLamp® XRE LED)

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=63196

I want to build and LED light that will fit within the hood, because if I can get rid of my stock light / swing arm thing I can upgrade the filter (it came with an aqua clear 10) but if you take the stock lights out the aqua clear 20 will fit (from what I am reading). I will convert it to a fuge. I have been reading about lights pretty much the ALL DAY and it doesn't look that hard, I have rewired a whole car I should be able to figure this out. I have not priced everything out yet but it doesn't' seem that expensive.

My next thought is should I use black sand? Tank is the black one, is that to much? I know it shows a lot of crap but I am sick of white. The whole concept behind this build is more aesthetic than function obviously with the choice in tank. I have been collecting LR for a little while, I have about 10lbs EXTRA in my sump that is not all going to fit in this tiny tank... I am going to take the water from a WC on my big tank and hopefully not have to cycle this one since everything is already established. The only thing that will be new is the LS... BLACK or WHITE?

Donna, if you are wiring up an LED and you figure out something good.... I'll pay you to make a second one for me. Seriously.

I also replaced my Halogens with LED but i used these. I have no idea how they compare to yours, but here they are.
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002L4L606/ref=oss_product]Amazon.com: Brightest MR11 12 Volt AC DC 10 5050 SMD LED Bulb Wide Angle 140 Lumen 2.1 Watt, Warm White, 1113WW: Kitchen & Dining[/ame]
They are definitely brighter than the stockers. And the beam is a wider spread, not as spot lighty as the halogens. I still need to get the blue led that you linked to.

Will probably order my TBS package soon. We'll have brother/sister threads. :D

Congrats on the new set-up...I think you should go with the black sand, it will look better IMO. Since everything I established and the bio-load will be minimum, the sand won't get dirty and unpleasant looking. So go for it :)

Plus if you get colorful corals in there, they'll stand out more and look even brighter

I wonder if it would look stupid if you tried to do a sort of a blend with the black and white...Not like a salt an pepper look but a white in front that fades to black in the back? Or if something like that is even possible. It would be a pain in the ass to get it perfect, but it's only 6g. If youdon't like it you dump it out and go grab another 6g from one of the 20 tanks you've got laying around.

Or you could use the white and balck and do a zebra stripe pattern.

I do like the idea of black. It gives it a really differnt look.

Go with Black! Besides once you go black you'll never go back. :lol:

wait wait, wait... david.... is that your tank?!

d2mini said:

Donna, if you are wiring up an LED and you figure out something good.... I'll pay you to make a second one for me. Seriously.

I also replaced my Halogens with LED but i used these. I have no idea how they compare to yours, but here they are.
Amazon.com: Brightest MR11 12 Volt AC DC 10 5050 SMD LED Bulb Wide Angle 140 Lumen 2.1 Watt, Warm White, 1113WW: Kitchen & Dining
They are definitely brighter than the stockers. And the beam is a wider spread, not as spot lighty as the halogens. I still need to get the blue led that you linked to.

Will probably order my TBS package soon. We'll have brother/sister threads. :D

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That will be cool, are you going to adjust the filtration at all? I think those are the same lights I was looking at just 1/2 the price. score! I think that I am going to do that and than work on my LED's that could take a while.

tankedchemist said:

wait wait, wait... david.... is that your tank?!

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Its not his tank... lol its the one he pretends is his ;)

tankedchemist said:

wait wait, wait... david.... is that your tank?!

Click to expand...

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:


Yes it is (was). I have posted that pic of my Red Sea Max many times before. (There are also pictures of my Zero Edge on my Zero Edge thread) Anyways......

This was my Red Sea Max before I got the Zero Edge and transferred everything over to it. I have since changed the substrate, and it is a FOWLR tank (except for the Xenia garden).

SeattleDarko said:

That will be cool, are you going to adjust the filtration at all? I think those are the same lights I was looking at just 1/2 the price. score! I think that I am going to do that and than work on my LED's that could take a while.

Click to expand...

Except yours had an option for cool white, where these are kinda yellow.
Works fine for freshwater, but not sure if the blue led's will be enough to make it the right saltwater color.

So far i haven't figured out a way to adjust the filtration. I wish there was a protein skimmer that would fit in there where the 3 filter media things are, but i haven't found anything. I think the best thing is going to be to do weekly 50% water changes or something like that. Which is only less than 3 gallons (when you figure in displacement from sand and rock) so it's not like it's a big deal.

Oooooooooooo...I'm jealous! I've been looking at the Fluval Edge at my LFS for my kitchen counter. I just don't think I can handle another tank with 4boyz! :) Can wait to see :camera:'s!!!

d2mini said:

Except yours had an option for cool white, where these are kinda yellow.
Works fine for freshwater, but not sure if the blue led's will be enough to make it the right saltwater color.

So far i haven't figured out a way to adjust the filtration. I wish there was a protein skimmer that would fit in there where the 3 filter media things are, but i haven't found anything. I think the best thing is going to be to do weekly 50% water changes or something like that. Which is only less than 3 gallons (when you figure in displacement from sand and rock) so it's not like it's a big deal.

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Yeah really the only thing I found that will fit on it and make it have more options is an over flow....not sure about going that crazy...

U4BOYZ said:

Oooooooooooo...I'm jealous! I've been looking at the Fluval Edge at my LFS for my kitchen counter. I just don't think I can handle another tank with 4boyz! :) Can wait to see :camera:'s!!!

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Yeah I have been looking at them for months too... apparently she picked up on it :)


4 Boys NO WAY!!! My GF has 2 kids I was Mom at the end of last school year while she went back to night school, she only has a boy and girl.... I don't know how many time I called my mom and dad up just to say I was sorry. Kids are way more work than any 40hour a week job!

OK so I am going with the black sand... I am not sure where its going to go now. The spot I wanted to put it will not work, I would have to make the hood a slide on and off instead of the lift on and off.

That looks awesome already! Can't wait to see it all filled up! :)

Going to pickup some BLACK sand after work... I have been working with the media basket, I am going to have the bottom filled with LR rubble, top with chateo. I am also thinking about a DIY skimmer but then I was looking at the bio cube skimmers I know they are nothing great but for $5 off e-bay I can get what essentially I would make but it will look nice. I know the skimmers are nothing great but come on its 6g, people use them on 29g tanks? At this point its that or nothing because NOTHING FITS....

I have been looking at fish too, I am thinking one yellow watchmen and some sexy shrimp for sure :) I was also thinking about a pistol shrimp too I use to have one in my 46g until his cave...caved in.

Will the pistol shrimp get along with ornamental shrimp? Ive been thinking of adding one but I worry about it eating other shrimp

SeattleDarko said:

Going to pickup some BLACK sand after work... I have been working with the media basket, I am going to have the bottom filled with LR rubble, top with chateo. I am also thinking about a DIY skimmer but then I was looking at the bio cube skimmers I know they are nothing great but for $5 off e-bay I can get what essentially I would make but it will look nice. I know the skimmers are nothing great but come on its 6g, people use them on 29g tanks? At this point its that or nothing because NOTHING FITS....

I have been looking at fish too, I am thinking one yellow watchmen and some sexy shrimp for sure :) I was also thinking about a pistol shrimp too I use to have one in my 46g until his cave...caved in.

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Donna, so you are removing the stock filter media all together?
Do you (or anyone else) think the rock and chaeto is better than the sponge, ceramic bio things and carbon pack? How will the chaeto grow with no light?

And where are you putting the skimmer?

I think the chaeto rock would be better than stock media if you can get a light in there. That way you'll have the chaeto to help with the nitrates and also have a small place to grow pods if you wanted them. With the stock media you'll still have the maintenance issues and possibly cause a nitrate spike down the road. You may also want to try and add filter floss in too, I have some to catch small debris frombeing recirculated into the tank. I don't have to clean it, I just replace it when I see it getting cruddy.