Lets Go Solar

Thanks reefski. I have followed yours since you started. :fun4:

So I just cut the opaque filter that came with the snap on covers and like it much better with just the clear acrylic lens.

I also just purchased a large 24" plastic planter from lowes and I am going to make some reflectors. Right now the tubes termiate 24" above the water I think its to high. I am getting par readings of 1000-1800 right at the tube but just 12" down it drops to 500 and then 1" under water its only 100-120. I will need 180-200 at 6" to match my readings right before my halides came down.
 
every time i go to one of the reef things like MAX or reefapalooza i talk to the controller manufacturers about adding a solar sensor that would monitor PAR over 15 or 30 minute average and turn tank lights on or off at what ever PAR value was set. they are interested yet. not enough of us out there. more than one has told me how easy it would be but...

after all, my car can do it when i go into a tunnel or underground parking lot.

Carl
 
vegaskid11 said:
Thanks reefski. I have followed yours since you started. :fun4:

So I just cut the opaque filter that came with the snap on covers and like it much better with just the clear acrylic lens.

I also just purchased a large 24" plastic planter from lowes and I am going to make some reflectors. Right now the tubes termiate 24" above the water I think its to high. I am getting par readings of 1000-1800 right at the tube but just 12" down it drops to 500 and then 1" under water its only 100-120. I will need 180-200 at 6" to match my readings right before my halides came down.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the Solar Club......If I were you I'd add another 12" inch extension to the end of the tubes. That would put yours just like mine at 12" above the tank. I get 200 Par on the bottom of parts in my tank.
 
This has to be the ultimate in reef obsession, someone who cuts 3 huge holes in their ceiling and roof! That is crazy or pure genius . I guess only time will tell.
 
Looks great, but I have not seen any threads with the tubes so high off the tank. I would extend them as soon as possible. Good luck and I am looking forward to following this.
 
took a video with and ipod of my tank today. I'm going to take another later on tonight when it get dark so that the colors will pop more with the actinics.
 
Cool. I got a price on 4 10 in system from Lowes for about $600 minus extensions, your tank is really making it hard for me to hold off. NICE>>>>>>>>>>>
 
The video looks great. Im gonna try the reflector I made tomorrow and see what happens. If it doesnt do much then Ill just extend the tube down some more.

Algae enjoys full spectrum lighting just as much as coral do. :rollface:
 
Wow, the reflector I made makes a seriouos difference. I didnt even paint the inside yet. I am getting par readings of double from under one reflector. The problem is that they look huge and funny....lollol Lets see what the afternoon does.
 
Some of us cut 4 holes!! http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1574694

Welcome to the club. I'm now at 14 months. However, this past winter I did not quite have enough light to maintain good color and I am in the process of switching the PC actinics supplements to 250w HQI w/T5 actinics. I plan on running the HQI's for 4 hours in the winter. Corals still grew well over the winter. But, the high light montis and acros browned out.
 
14 months and the only algae problem I have had is my current outbreak of cyano. But, this is due to lack of cleaning on my part (dosing system issue, followed by a drop in kH over the last week on top poor skimming, cleaning issue too). Fixed as of yesterday.

What I did notice was much faster coral growth and an explosion in green zoanthids and various palythoas. So bad, that I have pulled out about 75% of the palythoas and the remainder will be out by Memorial Day. They were literally choking out everything!!

Zoas are in a position where they can't really hurt any corals.
 
sslak said:
It's the exact spectrum that the reef gets in the real ocean...:spin2:

With good flow and water quality, it shouldn't be an issue.
Click to expand...

the reef also has a few feet to 20+ feet of water over it that filters out many parts of the light changing the spectrum deeper you go. with that said good water quality and a good cleanup crew it shouldnt cause any long term algae problems.

i think a few shots from different times of the day are needed to keep this thread viable
 
chilwil84 said:
i think a few shots from different times of the day are needed to keep this thread viable
Click to expand...

Ill have some additional pictures this weekend of shots throughout the day. I built a reflector from a large plastic planter and painted the inside with reflective paint. It added about 20% more par at the water line but I dont like the look of the planters. Today I went and bought some additional 24" lengths of the solatube material and I am going to make some sliding extensions for the tubes. That way I can slide them up and down for intensty change.

I was really surprised at how quickly the par level dropped. I was getting readings of 1600-1800 right at the end of the tube but at just 12" it dropped to the 500s. I think the sliding tube will allow me to play with the height throughout the year.
 
it just seems odd because the general advice on new tanks is avoid setting them near a window so you can control the light spectrum hitting them and thus not feed the algae. That said my tank gets sunlight from 2 sources since it is in a wall and gets sunlight from 2 rooms. So maybe it's not such an issue after all.
 
I have heard that in the past as well. Its probably due to the lower overall kelvin of full spectrum lighting. The thing is, corals grow better with that light too :idea:
 
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