marinelife
Active member
Thanks I was at Menards and they have Velux tubes. I am reading over this thread.
gone solar
- Thread starter hobogato
- Start date
jdhuyvetter
SWFMAS Event Coordinator
Those are the ones that I had put in. I went with 4, 14-inch tubes. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1574694
marinelife
Active member
Thanks I read over your thread and have been watching it. So far those look the best, I do see velux has a flex tube version that would make it cheaper but I am sure would cute the light down. My biggest issue is the vaulted ceiling they are coming thru, at one point there is about 8' to the tank so that is alot of tube showing, I am not sure how to cover them.
jdhuyvetter
SWFMAS Event Coordinator
Same problem. I am boxing it in with the same wood that I had the stand and canopy made from. It will have a floor to ceiling cabinet look when done.
A friend of mine has the same tubes. He boxed in the tubes with drywall and painted it to match the room. His tank is a peninsula tank. Looks good.
A friend of mine has the same tubes. He boxed in the tubes with drywall and painted it to match the room. His tank is a peninsula tank. Looks good.
marinelife
Active member
yeah I may have to box them in, seems to be the only way a cabinet over the tank to the ceiling would look crazy.
marinelife
Active member
I do not want to go the ceiling with a cabinet, I do not think that would look good in my situation.
Reefski's
Active member
thank you.
i do have a PAR meter. every reefers friend.
PAR values are getting up to 1700-1800 for a while on a sunny day.
i may be home all day tomorrow and if so i will take some meaurements over the day. it is supposed to be mostly sunny tomorrow.
the light bounces around the shaft such that one part is bightly lit and others are not. then later in the day is it brightly lit again. starting about now in the year the sun is directly overhead enough that light goes straight down the shaft into the tank for a few hours, at least part of the tank is in direct sun.
here is the best FTS i have. i don't have a good camera right now.
you can see my build thread by clicking on the little red house. there are a lot more pictures there.
i do have a PAR meter. every reefers friend.
PAR values are getting up to 1700-1800 for a while on a sunny day.
i may be home all day tomorrow and if so i will take some meaurements over the day. it is supposed to be mostly sunny tomorrow.
the light bounces around the shaft such that one part is bightly lit and others are not. then later in the day is it brightly lit again. starting about now in the year the sun is directly overhead enough that light goes straight down the shaft into the tank for a few hours, at least part of the tank is in direct sun.
here is the best FTS i have. i don't have a good camera right now.
you can see my build thread by clicking on the little red house. there are a lot more pictures there.
conorwynne
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14785909#post14785909 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefski's
if you are going to box them all the way in floor to ceiling why not open the whole footprint of the tank to make a shaft and line it with reflective ananod?much more light can be transmitted.
I'm so jealous! That's deadly so it is.
I showed it to the wife as a proposal over "our" tank, and she rejected it as the roof is slanted and far too high up.
Can we have a FTS as well please?
Reefski's
Active member
respectfully, your wife is wrong, this room has a very high ceiling and the tank is on the uphill side. the shaft is at least 13 feet from the roof to the tank. the cost savings is dramatic. no bulbs to replace, no equipement to buy. of course i do have some equipment but the lights are only on a couple of hours in the evening for my pleasure.
it has probably already paid for itself and is now FREE.
part of the planning of the tank and getting such a large tank was the fact that i would not need like 3000 watts of lighting. this allowed the larger tank.
i am getting more light than 3000 watts of halides or whatever artificial lamps.
many people like the 20K blue light look and the sunlight is only 6500K. this may not be for them. or they could have a supplemental 20K bulb in the evening for their viewing pleasure.
tell your wife to call me.
the full tank shot is above.
here is a full room shot from a few months ago before the top of the tank was enclosed with the doors you see above in the full tank shot. i think it is important to have the reflective material all the way to the top of the tank. a lot of light was spilling out and being wasted.
it has probably already paid for itself and is now FREE.
part of the planning of the tank and getting such a large tank was the fact that i would not need like 3000 watts of lighting. this allowed the larger tank.
i am getting more light than 3000 watts of halides or whatever artificial lamps.
many people like the 20K blue light look and the sunlight is only 6500K. this may not be for them. or they could have a supplemental 20K bulb in the evening for their viewing pleasure.
tell your wife to call me.
the full tank shot is above.
here is a full room shot from a few months ago before the top of the tank was enclosed with the doors you see above in the full tank shot. i think it is important to have the reflective material all the way to the top of the tank. a lot of light was spilling out and being wasted.
conorwynne
New member
"respectfully, your wife is wrong...Tell you wife to call me"
Hilarious! She has never been wrong before, at least that's the impression I get
I remember your tank now, I didn't realise the extent of the setup until I read back a bit. That sump system is amazing. Well done.
Hilarious! She has never been wrong before, at least that's the impression I get
I remember your tank now, I didn't realise the extent of the setup until I read back a bit. That sump system is amazing. Well done.
carlosngloria
Active member
nice set up u got there reefski
