GaryL January 5, 2014 Share January 5, 2014 ok so i will be setting up a new tank hopefully soon, and i am getting my laundry list together. so i will start with surge/wave devices: are they still around? can they be controlled with an apex? do they contribute to tank seam failure? LED lighting: i am starting with t5 and MH because that's what i have until i have until i get the funds for LED. Which LED is best for the money that is controllable (sun up/sun down/actinic) for a 75g ~90g thanks in advance for your replies. i am looking forward to setting up another large tank...i miss my old sailfin tang...but may settle for the smaller ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 January 5, 2014 Share January 5, 2014 The newer programmable powerheads are supposed to create a wave in your tank. I have seen these waves in action and believe that it probably would stress a glass seam over time but they are pretty darn cool. I think most brands are compatible with most controllers with the right attachments, although some of them have their own as well (can't speak to this with any experience, however). Older wave timers really do the same task, just with less control. That said, not many use these any longer that I know of. Oceans Motions and Sea Swirls seem to also have lost a lot of popularity as well (my opinion on the Sea Swirls has always been low, but I love my OM). I have not seen many surge devices but am personally a fan. With these, though, I think the tank and stand take some abuse over time. Biggest problem with a surge device for me is the amount of bubbles introduced into the system and the noise. That said, my favorite tank was the one I put a surge device on. You can control these using a controller on the fill pump, by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryL January 5, 2014 Author Share January 5, 2014 Thanks Dave, i still have some old tunze streams with the controller but they are huge and I think only one works. time to test em out i guess. lol i do like the ecotech but I am Ballin on a budget. so may have to deal with wires for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime January 5, 2014 Share January 5, 2014 I would think you could get LEDs pretty cheap compared to the cost of a one time fixture purchase and then bulb replacements. Don't know about what size tank you're looking at, but the evergrows seem relatively cheap, and to be the recent flavor of the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryL January 5, 2014 Author Share January 5, 2014 Thank YHS I see they you can dim the ever glows, I think the tank I have is 28" deep (I'll have to recheck) I think I am looking for something I can control the light cycle just by set it and forget it Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveS January 5, 2014 Share January 5, 2014 Welcome back Gary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime January 5, 2014 Share January 5, 2014 Thank YHS I see they you can dim the ever glows, I think the tank I have is 28" deep (I'll have to recheck) I think I am looking for something I can control the light cycle just by set it and forget it As far as I know, they are all dimable. The fixtures that I have, the Photon 32' or the IT2080's have 2 channels, and programmable capabilities. With my two, I have them programed to sunrise and sunset, from left to right, right to left. They can increase/decrease at half hour to an hour steps. I've found them to be extremely easy to use (like set and forget.) I should do a video one of these days to show the easy use of the features, and the success I've had with them. I also decided to use LED's because I am in an apartment, and even one MH kept me from having to turn our heat on last winter during the day. You're a ways away from me, but if you're ever in the area, you're welcome to come check them out. I just recently found out about wavemakers. I've only seen them on one persons tank, and they were breaking it down. With the MP's by Echotech you can get a nice amount of flow and waves, but another flavor of the year are the JB's, which at a quarter of the price produce some nice waves with ease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryL January 5, 2014 Author Share January 5, 2014 Welcome back Gary! Thanks Dave i will start a thread in the dedicated forum when i get more stuff together Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryL January 5, 2014 Author Share January 5, 2014 The fixtures that I have, the Photon 32' or the IT2080's have 2 channels, and programmable capabilities. With my two, I have them programed to sunrise and sunset, from left to right, right to left. They can increase/decrease at half hour to an hour steps. I've found them to be extremely easy to use (like set and forget.) I should do a video one of these days to show the easy use of the features, and the success I've had with them. I also decided to use LED's because I am in an apartment, and even one MH kept me from having to turn our heat on last winter during the day. You're a ways away from me, but if you're ever in the area, you're welcome to come check them out. i will look into the IT2080s i think i saw these last night but was so tired i was just staring into the light... no pun intended haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw January 5, 2014 Share January 5, 2014 Hey Gary......good to have you back!! I've got the D2040s over my tank that is 27" tall and I can grow SPS on the sandbed. They do not have true dimming capability, but the blues and whites are on different switches and the intensity on each channel can be controlled. For sunrise/sunset I just do the blues on light 1, then 2, then 3 about 10 minutes apart and then the whites on light 1, then 2 then 3 about 10 minutes apart. For sunset I just reverse it. You'll pay an additional $100+ to get more granular control. Let me know if you ever get up the Woodbridge way and want to take a look at them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryL January 5, 2014 Author Share January 5, 2014 Thanks Steve I work at the Carmax in woodbridge... But get off at 5, not sure what your schedule would be but would love to check them out Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryL January 5, 2014 Author Share January 5, 2014 BTW who sells evergrow around here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw January 5, 2014 Share January 5, 2014 Talk to Marcos (monkiboy). He can give you all the information you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime January 5, 2014 Share January 5, 2014 BTW who sells evergrow around here? Get in touch with Monkiboy, or Richard at Exotic Reef Creations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Ford January 5, 2014 Share January 5, 2014 Send exotic reef creations a pm about evergrow fixtures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbowdeep88 January 6, 2014 Share January 6, 2014 I also love the idea of surges, but didnt want the spray. I had a friend w a surge and nothing seems to compare with the force and effect of several gallons intermitintly surging across the reef. Plus it means less electronics in the water and fewer places for critters to get shreded. So I found some plastic, stainless, and silicone 3/4" gravity fed solenoids on amazon for like $15ea and hooked up some digital timers to make a surge unit with 5 outputs. Each would surge every 5 min from two pillars of water (since height adds force). It was mostly a prototype but I am satisfied enough with the results that I plan to incorporate a beefed up design into future tanks. Surge with no bubbles. I did a build thread on another local forum I could probably find the link... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryL January 6, 2014 Author Share January 6, 2014 That would be awesome Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now