EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Tim
I didn't know that you had actually seen them. Frank asked me for AquariumLEDs web site to give to you so I thought you didn't know about them. Are you saying the color is not good?
Thanks
Englishrebel's 260 Gallon System Build
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Tim
I didn't know that you had actually seen them. Frank asked me for AquariumLEDs web site to give to you so I thought you didn't know about them. Are you saying the color is not good?
Thanks
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Frank
Don't forget that my tank is 12" longer than yours
(I have 24" between the AI modules). Wouldn't I need a fixture with actinics as well as MH to fill that space? Most of my rock structures are at each end but eventually I will maybe want to put a coral or clam in the sand in the middle.Jeff and Tim please chime in too.
Thanks
Alan:
Yep - familiar with the fellow that sells the screw in multiple LEDs. Same ones I saw at MACNA. The color - to me, and like many areas of this hobby, this is a subjective opinion- was bad. Lower than the claimed Kelvin. Again, it appeared to me to be closer to a 5K bulb. It would take quite a bit of actinic to bring up the color to an aesthetically pleasing look.
I e-mailed you and Jeff the contact info for Aquatinics. I have never personally seen, or felt a cooler running MH and T-5 fixture. Almost room temp on top of it, which generally would burn you with other manufacturer's fixtures. They are designed to sit on the top of a tank - and not raise the t
Temp enought to require a chiller.
Yep - familiar with the fellow that sells the screw in multiple LEDs. Same ones I saw at MACNA. The color - to me, and like many areas of this hobby, this is a subjective opinion- was bad. Lower than the claimed Kelvin. Again, it appeared to me to be closer to a 5K bulb. It would take quite a bit of actinic to bring up the color to an aesthetically pleasing look.
I e-mailed you and Jeff the contact info for Aquatinics. I have never personally seen, or felt a cooler running MH and T-5 fixture. Almost room temp on top of it, which generally would burn you with other manufacturer's fixtures. They are designed to sit on the top of a tank - and not raise the t
Temp enought to require a chiller.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Thanks Tim, I will look at them.
reefconcepts
New member
Alan. I am aware that your tank is 12" longer than mine, the reason for my post was that you said I had a 150 watt. I just wanted to clarify that mine is a 250 watt, that's all. Now for your water line showing, an easy fix would be to install a strip of acrylic or PVC or whatever you have in front of or on the backside of your overflows. Once you get the water height to suit you, you can permanently attach the strip at that height
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Frank
The reason I mentioned about the extra length was to see if I needed something other than a single MH to get the coverage. Jeff looked at the tank and said that a single 250 with a good reflector should do the trick. However I just learned that the LED bulbs are ready to ship today or Monday -- decision time.
Thanks for the tip on the acrylic -- hadn't thought of that. Coming to think about it, it was why I was out with the dimensions -- the restriction on the overflow was why the water level was higher.
I just have to get it back to where it was without restricting the flow which is why it wasn't skimming properly. An acrylic strip will raise the water level without restricting flow.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
LED bulbs arrived today so I'm in the process of making up a support structure. I purchased a couple of extra extruded aluminum rails from AquaIllumination. I have the mogul bases for the bulbs but need to figure out how to mount them to the rails. Stay tuned -- I will post pictures when I get it figured out.
Sounds good.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Tom
I fired them up and they are quite bright. Just have to get them installed but I've got plenty of time (the benefit of being retired).
You bet, you even get to tolerate soap operas.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15038523#post15038523 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
You bet, you even get to tolerate soap operas.
SOAP OPERAS!!!! UGHHHH. Thanks to modern technology I can record the shows I want on my DVR then skip the ads.
Do you have the means to measure PAR, Alan? I'd like some initial readings if you can do it when you get them installed.
nanoreefbro
New member
WOW Alan your tank looks great!!! Excellent job on the stand. How deep is your sand bed? I know you said you bought 160 lbs but your sand bed looks pretty deep.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Thanks nanoreefbro. I used the sand bed calculator on RC but must not have used the right density as it said I needed 240lbs. (6 bags) for 3-4" bed but I only used 160 lbs. The bed varies from about 1-1/2" (due to the Vortech pump scouring the front right corner) to around 5" in the middle.
Tom
I'll try and get hold of one. Did you see the readings on their web site? They did readings in a bare (no water tank) and then in a reef tank.
Here's what they state (caveat emptor):
Our PAR Readings: Apogee Instruments Quantum Meter
Wet Setup: Bulb mounted 14" above bottom of tank, 2" above water surface with 10-11" water in tank
PAR Reading: Center 220-230 ppfd
6" Off Center (Left and Right) 205-208 ppfd
Dry Setup: Bulb mounted 14" above table surface
PAR Reading: 90-95 ppfd
Not sure why the wet readings are higher than the dry.
That has me confused too Alan. It would be interesting how water absorbance did not decrease the reading. Then again, if the speed of light is a constant, then why does a refractometer work?
nanoreefbro
New member
Exactly that's why I was asking. I was getting a different reading as well. I'm setting up my 233 gal tank this weekend and the RC calculator said I needed 225 lbs of sand for a 2" sand bed. I already bought 150lbs of sand. So I should have enough already. My tank dims are 72x30x25
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15040018#post15040018 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
Then again, if the speed of light is a constant, then why does a refractometer work?
I always though that scientists invented constants so their calculations would work.
I can imagine Einstein standing in front of his blackboard with the equation E=M and scratching his head muttering -- 'darn (or the German equivalent) that won't work -- energy can't just equal matter. I know -- I’ll just put a constant in there -- no make that a constant squared.' :lol: :lol:
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EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Mine is 60x30 so that's 1800 square inches. I have an average of say 3" (my rockwork sits on acrylic dowels so the sand is not displaced) so that’s 5,400 cubic inches. I used four 40lb. bags or Aragonite plus about half of a 40lb. bag I left over.
So that's 180lbs. which gives me 0.0333 lbs per cubic inch or 58 lbs./cubic foot. If I use 58 in the RC calculator it comes out at 180lbs. For some reason they recommend 90-110lbs./cubic foot for Aragonite.
If you're using the same sand as me then you would need around 145lbs. To double check can you make up a 1 cubic foot box, fill it and weigh it?
Hope this helps.
nanoreefbro
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15045352#post15045352 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EnglishRebel
Mine is 60x30 so that's 1800 square inches. I have an average of say 3" (my rockwork sits on acrylic dowels so the sand is not displaced) so that’s 5,400 cubic inches. I used four 40lb. bags or Aragonite plus about half of a 40lb. bag I left over.
So that's 180lbs. which gives me 0.0333 lbs per cubic inch or 58 lbs./cubic foot. If I use 58 in the RC calculator it comes out at 180lbs. For some reason they recommend 90-110lbs./cubic foot for Aragonite.
If you're using the same sand as me then you would need around 145lbs. To double check can you make up a 1 cubic foot box, fill it and weigh it?
Hope this helps.
Yep that is the same sand I am using. I bought a 150lbs lbs so far. I think I will stop there. I was going to get a bag or two of live sand. Maybe I will just get a small bag...
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