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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Waterproof Laser Module For Burning Pest Anemones In My Fish Tank

Joined
Feb 28, 2009
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So I figured I would show the build of my waterproof laser module to kill past anemones in my saltwater fish tank. I have used a laser before to kill them but from outside the tank through the glass but I figured if I can get closer it would probably do a better job of killing them.

So my plan is to have a handheld module with the driver inside and for it to be waterproof so I can get as close to the anemone as I can. The batteries and the power switch stay outside of the fish tank in a separate hand held module.


************YouTube video of it in action. If you listen to the video closely you can here the anemones crackling and popping. http://youtu.be/cAer8C8KwOA ************
Thanks for checking it out.

This first picture shows the module parts.
From left to right, glass lens, diode and Lens holder, driver heatsink, module housing, tail cap.
B197135A-53C2-4A66-9369-E7EEC837218C_zps8hb9tjd4.jpg


Glass lens with aluminum ring.
70D377D1-1CBE-46D9-B619-708122873F34_zpsyfs8q3pu.jpg


Laser lens and diode heatsink.
CC06AB95-15DB-4CD1-98D8-8412C2287D3E_zpslo8rkyux.jpg


Driver was thermal pasted to the driver heatsink.
1D63769B-B995-4269-AE80-E26F500301E7_zpslzzmopow.jpg


Tail cap
502E9490-2091-4931-A361-D82681F543B2_zpslityalyk.jpg


Finished module.
4A0D5DD6-F24F-4116-9D10-187118F1B746_zpsj15glmjg.jpg


Battery tube and power switch.
D910BDD4-3A54-4628-A564-700088A36B95_zpsz1z4l2ph.jpg


D86F541D-3DC9-424B-8BF7-8031BF786C6E_zpsvlrqvprn.jpg


BF74B473-9AD2-44C0-980C-4BEF587CA6FD_zpsitrrshzq.jpg
 
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Gabe

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Awesome, I've never seen this before! I like how the beam flouresces in the water, giving it a greenish colour. Unless it's just a camera effect, though.
 
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Yeah it's looks green in person as well even though it's a 445nm.
 
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Mar 11, 2009
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Super cool design. Will you be making more to sell and wanted to ask what the black material is you use to seal the wires?
 
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Super cool design. Will you be making more to sell and wanted to ask what the black material is you use to seal the wires?

That is electrical tape for waterproofing a set screw, just something temporary for testing.
 

ionize

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Mar 1, 2012
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No kidding! It was actually my aquarium interest that led me to lasers and sparked a new hobby lol. I never had aiptasia in my tank but I wanted to kill some mushrooms and green palys that kept popping up. I was tired of mixing kalkwasser and thought I'd build a 445nm and give that a try.

If your using your laser to zap aiptasia you should know that they can squirt out gametes when they retract (they're way of spawning) also any little piece that "gets away" is likely to regrow a new nem. So if you blast one there's a good chance it will grow more. I tried killing a few in a friends tank and I though they were too transparent for my blue laser.

By I'll tell you if you want to kill corals Zoas or palys w precision a laser is the way to go. I had some Rastas growing over a prized acro and one by one I culled them back without damaging the acro, I've also used it to remove a encrusted monti cap I no longer wanted in my tank. I have a few vids up on YouTube under icycoral.

Nice build btw!!!
Stay reefy and stay ionized man!
 
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Mar 21, 2011
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A conventional high powered 445 doesn't need to be waterproof. I can easily blast Aiptasia in decent sized tanks from outside by simply focusing my 2watt 445 to the proper range.

Doesn't work anyways. You can incinerate the heads, but the pests simply retract in the rocks and grow back. My success rate with lasers it probably less than 10% at nuking Aiptasia. Conversely hitting them with a blast of vinegar or kalk from a plastic syringe, and then hitting their hiding hole with the same substance is about 50% at keeping them from growing back.

Nice build though....
 
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A conventional high powered 445 doesn't need to be waterproof. I can easily blast Aiptasia in decent sized tanks from outside by simply focusing my 2watt 445 to the proper range.

Doesn't work anyways. You can incinerate the heads, but the pests simply retract in the rocks and grow back. My success rate with lasers it probably less than 10% at nuking Aiptasia. Conversely hitting them with a blast of vinegar or kalk from a plastic syringe, and then hitting their hiding hole with the same substance is about 50% at keeping them from growing back.

Nice build though....

Yeah if want it to work you have to hit them every day.
 
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Can you build me a laser like the one you built for your saltwater tank and if so, how much would it cost?
 
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I can't believe there are others who had the same idea! I may have to show this to my dad, he has a major problem with these in his tank and quick shots of various things have done nothing...
 




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