Rapid LED Build Complete - Need Par Meter

[MattM3]

Hi everyone!

My brother and I recently finished his lighting system for his 75 gallon tank. The guys over at Rapid have been a lot of help, and we are really happy with the quality of everything. It wasn't exactly easy putting all of this together, but I think it was worth it! We still have some bugs to work out with the dimming functions on the apex controller and few lights we burned learning how to properly solder, but we are very happy with the look.

Since we have had the lights up a couple of Zoas and mushrooms haven't been too happy. I was wondering if anyone has a par meter we could rent and potentially show us the proper way to use it so we can adjust the intensity of out lighting system.

Thanks!

 

[hqaquarium]

+1 setup is unreal

 

[rovster]

Same happened to me when I installed my rapid retro in my nano. Zoa's were puking their guts out. I would just dim them down (or raise them up) as far as you can and slowly acclimate them.

In my case, it was on a biocube hood, non-dimmable, non-raisable. What I did is just shortened the light period substantially, it was like 6 hrs blue, 2 hrs white. I just added a little at a time to the blues first until I had it to 8 hours, then the whites. Took me like 2-3 months. Since yours are dimmable should be easier.

Looks really nice BTW :thumbsup:

 

[JOHN4AVIATION]

if your setup is dimmable start at %50 power and reduce the light period of a couple of weeks to acclimate.

 

[MattM3]

Thanks guys!

 

[littleoceanjam]

Hey MattM3! When you dim your lights all the way down do they turn off? I'm asking because I bought one recently and one set of my lights will dim down and turn off, however the other set of LEDs wont turn off when i dim them down. Thanks

I LOVE THE SET UP BTW! Looks tight, i like it!

 

[hqaquarium]

Hey MattM3! When you dim your lights all the way down do they turn off? I'm asking because I bought one recently and one set of my lights will dim down and turn off, however the other set of LEDs wont turn off when i dim them down. Thanks

I LOVE THE SET UP BTW! Looks tight, i like it!

Depends on the number of leds and what ballast you have them connected to. atm some strands turn off and some flash when below a certain number. ie my moonlights flash under 55%. We plan to solve that issue by adding zener diodes(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zener_diode) to the strings that need to draw more power at a lower %. My T5's however will not turn off at 0% so I have them programmed on the energy bar to turn them off after sunset has completed.

 

[hqaquarium]

this is the program i've been running until i get a par meter

Outlets

Sunrise
If Sun 000/-065 Then ON
If Outlet Daytime = ON Then OFF

Daytime
If Sun 060/-060 Then ON

Sunset
If Sun 000/360 Then ON
If Outlet Sunrise = ON Then OFF
If Outlet Daytime = ON Then OFF

Nighttime
Set ON
If Sun 000/240 Then OFF


DoCloudy
OSC 000:00/037:00/313:00 Then ON
If Time 19:00 to 10:30 Then OFF


WhitePwr
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Outlet Sunrise = ON Then ON
If Outlet Daytime = ON Then ON
If Outlet Sunset = ON Then ON
If Outlet Nighttime = ON Then OFF
If Temp > 82.0 Then OFF


BluePwr1
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Outlet Sunrise = ON Then ON
If Outlet Daytime = ON Then ON
If Outlet Sunset = ON Then ON
If Outlet Nighttime = ON Then OFF
If Temp > 82.0 Then OFF



Blue Pwr2
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Outlet Sunrise = ON Then ON
If Outlet Daytime = ON Then ON
If Outlet Sunset = ON Then ON
If Outlet Nighttime = ON Then OFF
If Temp > 82.0 Then OFF


T5sPwr
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Outlet Sunrise = ON Then ON
If Outlet Daytime = ON Then ON
If Outlet Sunset = ON Then ON
If Outlet Nighttime = ON Then OFF
If Temp > 82.0 Then OFF



BLUES
Fallback OFF
Set BlueDn
If Outlet Sunrise = ON Then BlueUp
If Outlet Daytime = ON Then BlueUp2
If Outlet DoCloudy = ON Then CloudyBlue
If Outlet Sunset = ON Then BlueDn

WHITES
Fallback OFF
Set WhiteDn
If Outlet Sunrise = ON Then WhiteUp
If Outlet Daytime = ON Then WhiteUp2
If Outlet DoCloudy = ON Then CloudyWhite
If Outlet Sunset = ON Then WhiteDn

T5s
Fallback OFF
Set ATIDWN
If Outlet Sunrise = ON Then OFF
If Outlet Daytime = ON Then ATIUP
If Outlet DoCloudy = ON Then ATIClouds
If Outlet Sunset = ON Then ATIDWN

Moonlights
Fallback OFF
Set MoonDown2
If Outlet Sunrise = ON Then MoonUp
If Outlet Daytime = ON Then MoonDown2
If Outlet Nighttime = ON Then MoonDown


Profiles
ATIUP
Ramp 15min
Start 0
End 100

ATIDWN
Ramp 15min
Start 100
End 0

BlueDn
Ramp 15min
Start 15
End 10

BlueUp
Ramp 15min
Start 0
End 10

BlueUp2
Ramp 1
Start 10
End 15

MoonUp
Ramp 0
Start 0
End 15

MoonDown
Ramp 15
Start 15
End 10

MoonDown2
Ramp 15
Start 10
End 15

WhiteDn
Ramp 15min
Start 20
End 0

WhiteUp
Ramp 15min
Stat 0
End 10

WhiteUp2
Ramp 5min
Start 10
End 15

CloudyWhite
Ramp 1
Start 5
End 0

CloudyBlue
Ramp 1
Start 10
End 0

ATIClouds
Ramp 1
Start 100
End 50

 

[MattM3]

Hey MattM3! When you dim your lights all the way down do they turn off? I'm asking because I bought one recently and one set of my lights will dim down and turn off, however the other set of LEDs wont turn off when i dim them down. Thanks

I LOVE THE SET UP BTW! Looks tight, i like it!

Certain ones do and certain ones don't, and honestly I'm not too sure why or which ones do. I wish I knew all of that before we ordered them, but I just kind of assumed they did.

 

[DRThompson]

this is the program i've been running until i get a par meter

Outlets

Sunrise
If Sun 000/-065 Then ON
If Outlet Daytime = ON Then OFF

Daytime
If Sun 060/-060 Then ON

Sunset
If Sun 000/360 Then ON
If Outlet Sunrise = ON Then OFF
If Outlet Daytime = ON Then OFF

Nighttime
Set ON
If Sun 000/240 Then OFF


DoCloudy
OSC 000:00/037:00/313:00 Then ON
If Time 19:00 to 10:30 Then OFF

Are these virtual outlets? I've been playing with virtual outlets and switches but havnt thought about using them for clouds and sunrise/sunset.

Cool stuff

 

[hqaquarium]

Yes. some virtual outlets and profiles. lot of if this outlet on then off/on kind of stuff.

 

[hqaquarium]

OSC 0:00/4:00/7:00 Then ON
will run clouds in short (4-minute) periods of lower intensity (simulating heavier clouds) at 11-minute intervals.

OSC 0:00/37:00/313:00 Then ON
cloudy period to occur most days, and twice on some days. Each cloudy period will last 37 minutes.