Jerel's ELOS Midi - GHL Controlled

[Jerel]

Welcome! I've been absent from the hobby for a few years, but i have a 15 year history with marine aquariums. I think you'll find that i enjoy the aspect of constructing a system and caring for my inhabitants. So - I am excited to enter the hobby with a new tank or two   

Follow along as i build a complete GHL controlled system for my ELOS Midi Diamond 36. 



Tank Equipment 

Custom D.I.Y 12" x 12" x 16" Sump


GHL ProfiLux 4 Controller
GHL Mitras 7206 Pendant, GHL Flex Mount
GHL EcoTech Vortech Controller
EcoTech Vortech MP40 with QD driver upgrade - Possibly a Tunze Stream 3 in the future
Fluval E100 heater, x2
GHL PropellerBreeze 3
GHL Doser 2 (4)Four Head Unit
-Tropic Marin Balling A,B,C and Freshwater ATO
*Three(3) Vertex 2.5L Libra Vessels
GHL Doser 2.1 (2)Two Head Unit
-AWC Fill and Drain
Tunze 1073.050, Return Pump
Pax Bellum A.R.I.D. N18 Reactor

BlueLounge Cable Management Cable Boxes
Apple Airport Express - Tank has its own network

Salt Mix

Tropic Marin Pro Reef

Fish Tank Utility Room

GHL ProfiLux 3.1t Controller

Avast Marine Barrel Tender V2

SpectraPure CSPDI-90 with Aquatec Diaphragm Pump
>Zeta-Zorb 0.2 Micron Sediment Filter
>0.5 Micron Carbon Block Filter
>SpectraSelect Plus 90-GPD RO 99 Percent Rejection
>SuperDI SilicaBuster Multi-Layer DI Cartridge

Frag Tank

3/4" Acrylic 30" x 23" x 10.5" 
(4) GHL Mirtras Lightbar 2 70's, Deep actinic, Actinic 
Skimz Monzter SM163 Skimmer

Quarantine Tank

Vertex Illumilux Marino Bianco, LED lighting
Avast Marine Digital Top-off Kit

Testing Equipment

Apogee SQ-520 Full Spectrum Quantum Sensor
Hanna Hi 96822 Digital Refractometer 
​

Edited May 28, 2017 by Jerel

[Jerel]

Plumbing for this system will consist of sch80 Georg Fischer piping, fittings and valves. The valves shown are a pair of 1/2" 514 series manual diaphragms. These will play a part in regulating the flow to my PAX-Bellum reactor and GHL Measurement Cell. 

Other equipment - Like a GHL Flow Sensor(Not shown) will be added to the 3/4" union located at the top of the 3/4" to 1/2" reducer tee fitting.

[khh27]

Wow talk about no expense spared. This should be a sweet setup for sure

 

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[Jerel]

Wow talk about no expense spared. This should be a sweet setup for sure

 

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This will be quite the showpiece, and indeed.

[Jerel]

Today, working in the gunk section of my basement - You know.. The area where you have Christmas ornaments and stuff that has accumulated over the years. I think it's time to move the stuff on out and position my aquarium equipment(The Lab). 

Relocated my eleven year old SpectraPure RO/DI unit 

Installed the new Avast Marine Barrel Tender V2, which needs to be wired to my ProfiLux 3.1T Controller via a DB9 'Female' Terminal Block and PLM-ADIN Expansion Card. I'm curious to see the amount of control i have with this unit.

[AlanM]

Wow! Coming in strong with the first posts. It is always awesome to see someone doing one with no compromises. Beautiful set of equipment you have there.

[Jerel]

Wow! Coming in strong with the first posts. It is always awesome to see someone doing one with no compromises. Beautiful set of equipment you have there.

Why, thank you !?

 

[Origami]

Great start. I can't wait to see a few pictures of this build as it comes along. 

 

And... welcome to WAMAS!

[Jerel]

Great start. I can't wait to see a few pictures of this build as it comes along. 

 

And... welcome to WAMAS!

 

Origami,

 

I appreciate your manner of hospitality.

 

You'll find that I'm quite generous when it comes to providing content

[roni]

Following along, interested to see the Avast barrel tender in action.  First I've heard of it though been off the boards for a few months.  

 

Very nice build and attention to detail so far!  

[Jerel]

Following along, interested to see the Avast barrel tender in action.  First I've heard of it though been off the boards for a few months.  

 

Very nice build and attention to detail so far!

 

Much appreciated !

 

I'll see if I can make a time lapse of the Barrel Tender functioning within a couple weeks. The install and programming will be done tonight.

[AlanM]

I'm really interested in hearing how you end up liking the Profilux, especially with the Mitras lights.  I run ReefAngel because I'm a tinkerer and enjoy having access to the source code, but I saw the new Profilux 4 at MACNA 2016 and am still a bit tempted to buy in to it.  Apex didn't do what I wanted to do when I jumped from it to ReefAngel a few years ago, but maybe it does now. 

[Jerel]

I'm really interested in hearing how you end up liking the Profilux, especially with the Mitras lights.  I run ReefAngel because I'm a tinkerer and enjoy having access to the source code, but I saw the new Profilux 4 at MACNA 2016 and am still a bit tempted to buy in to it.  Apex didn't do what I wanted to do when I jumped from it to ReefAngel a few years ago, but maybe it does now.

 

You must have talked to Marco and Cristina at the GHL booth?

 

I'm fairly involved with offering support regarding GHL equipment 'ProfiLuxOS' on Forums - Official GHL, ReefCentral and Reef2Reef. I really like the system but there is no coding involved. It's quite simple as selecting your programming via a drop-down dialog box and inputting numeric values. Is there something specific that you'd like to know? I plan to create a lot of content regarding setups and programming on this thread. My ProfiLux 3.1t and Doser 2 has been online for about three years on a dummy system(Test Bench).

 

Ha- I like technology too? Don't get me started..

[AlanM]

You must have talked to Marco and Cristina at the GHL booth?

 

I'm fairly involved with offering support regarding GHL equipment 'ProfiLuxOS' on Forums - Official GHL, ReefCentral and Reef2Reef. I really like the system but there is no coding involved. It's quite simple as selecting your programming via a drop-down dialog box and inputting numeric values. Is there something specific that you'd like to know? I plan to create a lot of content regarding setups and programming on this thread. My ProfiLux 3.1t and Doser 2 has been online for about three years on a dummy system(Test Bench).

 

Ha- I like technology too? Don't get me started..

 

Couple nice Germans, I think.  I lost his card.  

 

I've played with the Profilux demo online, but it all seemed very generic, so partially I wondered if it would be possible to make it feel like it was controlling "My" aquarium or if it would just be pushing numbers into a very generic user interface of rigid profiles most of which I wouldn't be using and such.  

 

Also, does it control the newish QD Vortechs or the Vectra?

 

I can tell you what I like about the ReefAngel.  On the ReefAngel, I like:

 

- Multiple temperature probes

- 12-bit PWM output for dimming my DIY leds based on Meanwell LDD drivers

- 10V analog outputs I can use as powerhead profiles with lots of flexibility  

- on-off sensor inputs I can use to detect power outages and other things

- outlets I can program to stay on or off based upon any event I want

- ability to write custom functions, like one I use where I enter in the measured alkalinity in PPM and it runs my alk doser for long enough to bring it to my desired setpoint

 

On Apex, it always seemed like the 10V powerhead profiles were dumb on-off profiles where you could adjust the height or pulse width, but not have a ramp.  I liked to run my powerheads on left-right with one side gradually ramping up to full speed while the other side was off, then ramping down to off before the other side started ramping up to full speed.  I never liked jarring changes in the tank.  They give you VDM ports with variable 10V outputs and then only let you ramp if it's a light, not if it's a powerhead.

 

On my new 180g tank I am using ATI dimmable T5 lights and vortech pumps, so I'm not using dimming or pump profiles from the ReefAngel.

I can tell you what I like about the ReefAngel.

[Jerel]

Couple nice Germans, I think.  I lost his card.  

 

I've played with the Profilux demo online, but it all seemed very generic, so partially I wondered if it would be possible to make it feel like it was controlling "My" aquarium or if it would just be pushing numbers into a very generic user interface of rigid profiles most of which I wouldn't be using and such.  

 

Also, does it control the newish QD Vortechs or the Vectra?

 

I can tell you what I like about the ReefAngel.  On the ReefAngel, I like:

 

- Multiple temperature probes

- 12-bit PWM output for dimming my DIY leds based on Meanwell LDD drivers

- 10V analog outputs I can use as powerhead profiles with lots of flexibility  

- on-off sensor inputs I can use to detect power outages and other things

- outlets I can program to stay on or off based upon any event I want

- ability to write custom functions, like one I use where I enter in the measured alkalinity in PPM and it runs my alk doser for long enough to bring it to my desired setpoint

 

On Apex, it always seemed like the 10V powerhead profiles were dumb on-off profiles where you could adjust the height or pulse width, but not have a ramp.  I liked to run my powerheads on left-right with one side gradually ramping up to full speed while the other side was off, then ramping down to off before the other side started ramping up to full speed.  I never liked jarring changes in the tank.  They give you VDM ports with variable 10V outputs and then only let you ramp if it's a light, not if it's a powerhead.

 

On my new 180g tank I am using ATI dimmable T5 lights and vortech pumps, so I'm not using dimming or pump profiles from the ReefAngel.

I can tell you what I like about the ReefAngel.

ProfiLux Online - I trust you're speaking of MyGHL Cloud? I'd say MyGHL is a work in progress that currently offers monitoring and basic functions, manipulate/override switch channel outlets, change assigned sensor settings, initiate maintenance modes, pump control (Except Vortech EcoSmart Modes. However, ProfiLux has custom profiles to create waves/surges/variable flow)

 

GHL Control Center- Windows Operating system(No MacOS Support) is required to run this software. This is where you have full control of your system or systems. 

 

GHL Control Center *Only* QD VorTech pumps communicate via a Vortech Controller(11 pump configuration) and EcoSmart modes can be assigned throughout the day, including flow output... Vectra pumps are not supported - EcoTech would need to supply GHL with an updated firmware to add support. I doubt that will happen, even for Apex.

 

-----------------

 

I'll have to test a few of my Tunze DC pumps to see how they operate under wave function.

[Jerel]

Apogee Instruments has pushed out a few firmware updates regarding my SQ-520 quantum sensor these past couple of weeks, one of them being a fix for "Random but significant data spikes" and that did affect readings. The sensor appears to be more stable after the update.. So- Why not test my GHL Mitras pendant !? 

• Quantum Sensor positioned eight inches below the light source

• Pendant configured to High-Output

• All nine color channels operating at 100%

• All nine LEDs are operating at 100%

Readings

Around 950, 8 inches
Around 720, overflow weir 



Initial impressions.. It appears that the reflectors within the pendant do an amazing job at maintaining a balanced(quite natural) output of light, regardless of which kelvin temperature/illumination program you are trying to achieve. You'll also observe how the light is focused and not unstable by illuminating a whole room. 
 

[Jerel]

In the process of setting up my ProfiLux 4 to monitor ambient temperature and humidity. This requires a PLM Humidity+Temp expansion card (PL-0278) and a Humidity+Temp sensor(PL-0279). The plan is to have my ProfiLux send me an email(capability- coming soon!) when my room temperature reaches a point to where it affects the water temperature. I can set my controller to react by turning on a cooling fan for evaporative cooling, supplementation to my programming for water temperature control.

Edited April 8, 2017 by Jerel

[DCReefer1964]

OMG Tagging along !!!!

[Jerel]

Gotta love cable management .. I'm going to attempt to hide most of these cables within the BlueLounge Mini CableBox, along with a Apple Airport Express. 

The Doser and ProfiLux are held by blind shelf supports https://www.woodcraft.com/products/blind-shelf-supports-pair




Did you notice the 1/2" hole located on the right of the shelf? Can you guess what i'm working on to control my cabinet lighting   

[Jerel]

Welp, attended today's meet and i must say.. I was feeling a bit down because i couldn't bring home any of those photosynthetic gorgonians, acro's and stags from our sponsor Pacific East Aquaculture. This was quite difficult as i haven't been near corals in years.. I'm ready to dive straight in 

Edited April 23, 2017 by Jerel

[DCReefer1964]

Lol

 

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[DCReefer1964]

You can enjoy mine.

 

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[Jerel]

Ha! Thanks !? You're running a calcium reactor and two different dosers ? 
 

You can enjoy mine.

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[Fishie]

very clean setup , great work already

[Jerel]

very clean setup , great work already

You have a clean system yourself, scape looks familiar too!