chucelli

FWIW, mounting them >4 feet above the tank bottom creates pretty good spread while getting 187

Hey David, you are right that spreading these out would create more coverage. However, I wanted great versatility and create the most powerful spot that I could and avoid color separation. I figured there were enough ways to control intensity if needed (ie. hanging them higher up, using wider angle optics both increase cover and decrease intensity proportionally. Also, for those interested in mounting them close in a closed hood/canopy, optics can be removed for a more traditional lighting effect (much greater coverage). I am getting many messages as well as posts regarding cost. *** removed pricing *** Just for reference, here are some Japanese spots using 7 1.5w LEDs. http://www.aquatouch.com/products.html My above build uses 24 3w LEDs. Admins, please remove this post if it is not allowed. Thanks, -Robert

heatsinkusa. If you know of a cheaper place, please do tell

thanks Justin, I am trying to keep costs low, so no manual dimming on this unit (dimmable power supplies can be used in place of the non dimmable. The actual pendent unit remains unchanged. However, costs of the dimmable PS are about 2X the cost of non-dimmable. Also, IMO, manual dimming of either color to tweak overall color is inefficient, since you are essentially turning down one or the other to get the desired color. It would be more efficient to adjust color temp through the use of different numbers of LEDs (more blue or more white). The two colors are powered separately however. I did not take pics of actinics only, since I couldn't get my camera to pickup the true essence of this blue. Color temp can also be adjusted through a combination of different optics. For example, a mix of 40˚ optics for white and 60˚ for blue will yield a whiter color temp on center. The reverse holds true if the end user wants a more blue color temp. Intensity can be adjusted by array mounting height also. I will be mounting these arrays >4 feet above my display. Even at that height, there is less light bleeding into the room than the current MH... Noobalicious, The life expectancy of these is something like 11 years when run continuously at recommended specs. More data can be found here: http://www.cree.com/ Active cooling is not necessary with the size heatsink I chose, but I decided to run one anyways to increase life expectancy further. Thanks Ranado. PAR numbers finally!

Finally completed testing on my LED pendent. The plan is to put this pendent on display at one or more LFS. I will build these to order. Anyone interested, please PM me. If you are interested in attempting a build yourself, there is a very comprehensive thread on RC. Also feel free to comment on my testing methods, (improvements, etc.. ) within reason of course, since I have a two year old and work full time, not every test scenario can be covered Majority of readings were conducted out of water for baseline, since it provided for a more controllable test environment. A few readings were then taken in my display for practical purposes. First, some views: Top: bottom: notice the absence of exposed wires. side: low profile close up of optics: some pictures taken during PAR measurments: Some in tank measurements: (flash was used to expose the LCD display on the Quantum Meter) FTS with array >4 feet from tank bottom For reference, here is a FTS with 3X250w 14K MH (notice how much light is being thrown onto the wall behind the display. And finally, the PAR measurements: In tank measurements are not consistent I believe due to the difficulty in sensor placement. However, it does show that little if any light is lost through water of this depth (One reading read more than when measured outside water). -Robert

If we are talking about using power tools for fragging, why not use a Dremel with a cutting bit? For very thick skeletons, you can carve a shallow cut then apply force to break it where you want it.

IME, two hours with good water movement is enough to get rid of them when using Interceptor. And, Interceptor is the only thing that works. I've tried two different kinds of iodine based solutions and both to no avail. Iodine dips are actually quite harsh on the coral. I've noticed no adverse effects when using Interceptor.

you can also use a pair of tweezers and crush them one by one. Then the normal hermits will clean them up.

Fazio92, did I read correctly that your overall PH went UP with the addition of a calcium reactor? You mentioned that you were dosing kalk before as well as after the reactor addition. That seems to be opposite of what most people experience regarding PH. Any idea what might have contributed to the PH rise?

I forgot to add, that I had one of those Coralife thermometers. When I finally got rid of it two years later, it was reading more than 10 degrees off.

ditto on those Coralife thermometers. The worst thing about them is not their initial lack of accuracy. It is the fact that they drift over time, and you think you are compensating correctly in your calculations, but you're really not. I don't know why this company hasn't gone bankrupt. To answer your question, a couple degree fluctuation is perfectly fine. If you've ever been diving on a reef, you will notice large temp changes diving within the same reef.

I spoke to a vet that wanted to charge me $75 new patient fee and have me bring in a redbug so he can examine it before he would agree to prescribe Interceptor.

what are the specs of your mogul LEDs? What is the wattage of your unit? I see there are 28 LEDs in each unit. You say the par readings were disappointing. Did they not live up to the claim of being comparable to 175w halides?

Redbugs are definitely no cause for concern or panic. They don't usually kill the coral either. Interceptor is actually one of the safest treatments out of the many reef related ailments you could have IME. Corals don't seem to have any reaction to it, unlike other iodine based dips. The only things you should remove prior to treatment are any crustaceans you want to live. This includes any ornamental shrimps and crabs you may have. Your pod population will suffer a bit, but will come back in time.

Amphipods do not lay eggs. One treatment is enough for redbugs. It is the easiest reef pest to treat for. A couple hours soak with water movement is enough to prevent them from entering your system. It's the nudibrachs and flatworms that definitely require quarantine.

that is not an egg. The picture shows the amphipod's profile. It probably curled up like that when you removed it out of water. In fact, that is probably one of the better profile pictures I've seen, which would also help the whole copepod vs amphipod debate. Definately looks like an amphipod there.

Keep it in your sump. Just make sure you have plenty of flow around it, otherwise, it will just heat up the surrounding water volume and turn off, leading to inaccurate temp management. Also make sure if you are putting it in a plastic sump, that you rest the heater on some kind of tile. If the heater fails in the on position, it could melt through the plastic causing a flood.

omg you guys, stop it. These are pictures of barnacles. FWIW, they are harmless to the acros they live in.

MicroBacter7 is not hard to find. You should be able to find it at any LFS which carries Brightwell products. It introduces "beneficial" bacterium strains to your aquarium. Follow the directions for "high nutrient dosage" on the bottle and you should start to see a change within 2-3 weeks. It's not a quick fix, but quick fixes are seldom good.

Try out Brightwell's MB7 for a few weeks. The bacteria strains will out compete the cyano for nutrients. Seems to have worked for me. I think I did not have enough different bacterial strains due to dosing vodka for so long. This seemed to have fixed it. I don't have any scientific evidence however..

That thread at RC is perhaps the longest thread I've ever seen. Haven't finished reading it yet... Definitely some good info. I wouldn't say Soundwave is growing sps like weeds yet, since most of what he is growing seems to be montis and one banzai. Like I said, I haven't reached the end yet. Makes me want to try it out though.

These are the only 420nm LEDs I could find anywhere: http://www.superbrightleds.com/specs/v1015_specs.htm These have a slight peak in the red spectrum as well, which adds alot to coloration. However, output is dismal. This, combined with equal numbers of 470nm blues is what I have over my tank now. The color is perfect but too weak to contribute anything.

Not all LEDs will create shimmer. I ordered one of the LED tubes from ebay just to see what it was like. The color was wrong and the output angle was too wide. It did not create the shimmer I was hoping for. So far, these cree 3 watters seem most promising, but the need for active cooling puts limits on design... It is very hard to find blue LEDs with color spectrum under 470nm. IME, anything 470nm and above does not supply the correct blue spectrum light, and also will not bring out the fluorescent greens and reds like true actinics will.

yes it was a lot of soldering. My neck hurt for days after. Color is very nice when the halides are off however.. And you get that glitter that you don't get with fluorescents

The standard LED blues do not contribute anything to coloration once the halides are on. Adding blue color without par is useless, which is why those standard LEDs usually don't work. They are not in the correct spectrum range. I currently am running 72 DIY 420nm standard LEDs. At the time, the Cree X-Lamps were not available and all other blues were in the 470nm range. While they look nice by themselves, they might as well be off when the halides come on. The Cree royal blues provide a much better spectrum than the other high wattage blues with more punch than my 420s. It would be ideal if someone can come up with some high powered 420nm leds. They will probably be available as soon as I build the royal blue setup... Here is a shot of my current LED setup: