new 200 peninsula

[frogg21]

Seeking Input: Like, "what I wish I knew before my setup!" kinda stuff..
About to pull the trigger on a equipment purchases.
Upgrading a 46 bowfrnt to a 200 gal. Leemar starphire peninsula..

Goal mixed reef, definitely SPS capable.
Dimensions 60x30x28 steel stand
40 gal dedicated fuge (on display) tank
40 to 50 gallon sump

Lights, 250w DE and moslty DIY cree's 60% RB 40% CW (already have these on a arduino controller, LOVE it! awsome auto sunrise/sunset effect)
Skimmer: Super Reef Oct. 3000 or 5000 skimmer (which one?)
Return Pump: Water Blaster 7000 OR a RLSS Waveline DC 10000 (which one?)
In Tank Circulation: 2 Koralia Magnums 6 or 7 on wavemaker

My main questions:
1. Assuming 260 gal total volume, should I go with SRO 3000 or 5000??
1.5 Anyone running WaterBlaster returns? how do you like it? whats the heat output like? Are you running internal or external?
2. What angle of lenses to have lights 12" above water surface and 18 to
24" above the corals. Is 90 deg good at that height?
3. How big of a deal is Sch 80 bulkheads, I wanted them for my 1" return lines, but Leemar says they don't have the hole saw for 1" sch 80, only sch 40.. should I just do it all in sch 40 and not worry about it?
Where can i find some 1/4" black acrylic in Phx to make an overflow? Don't really want to buy a sheet!

Thanks and appreciate any input advice.. Will check the thread about colored LED's and diversity of spectrum..

 

[jimlundborg]

DIY cree's 60% RB 40% CW (already have these on a arduino controller, LOVE it! awsome auto sunrise/sunset effect)

Can you give me some details on this? I have build a simple fan controller with a temperature sensor with an arduino. (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2169560) It allows me to change the set temp with a remote control and it does a great job on my nano. I'm using the Panarama modules but I've been thinking of changing to cree's.

 

[frogg21]

LED control

LED control

Sure, the arduino works as a poor mans reef controller. I have an Arduino Mega, which has pins that give off a PWM (pulse width modulation) signal. This signal is what is used to tell any dimable LED driver how bright to make the LEDs. My drivers are CAT 4101 chip based and can dim very smoothly from 0 to 100% So if your arduino has PWM outputs you are able to connect them to you driver and have full controllable dimming just as some reef controllers provide. You can look around and find code others have written to do this, or, if you learn to write some basic code, you can program your arduino to do just about anything:
http://www.reefprojects.com/wiki/Code_Version_1.0

 

[jimlundborg]

I would code it myself as I've already got quite a bit of code for the remote control and temp sensor monitoring. I think I would have to switch from an Uno to the Mega though. Do you use it as a timer as well and if so are you using a Real time clock?

Sorry I hijacked the topic of the tread.

 

[frogg21]

No problem, there isn't much (or any) response to divert so far..

Your Uno has pwm outputs, so you'd only need to change if your running out of pins to connect things to. (note: you can run two LED channels on the same pin, just jam 2 wires in the one pin hole)
I do use it for timing, protecting from overheating etc. By connecting this relay board to a power strip you can control up to 8 sockets.. http://arduino-direct.com/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=180