Rebuild and recovery of a dead tank

[jason2459]

All the LEDs are working and playing with the color combination. The coverage is amazing. Two rows of fixtures + T5 and there is most definitely full coverage and absolutely 0 shadowing from my braces. Its awesome. I have them going up to 15% to start for the max peak for the day to start. I'll try to get par and pur measurements later.

I decided not to pull the lenses on the red and greens. With the 100 degree lens and two rows the alternating red green and the flip red green on the other side works out very well and spreads nicely. I have no disco effect or spot lighting at all even with just reds or just greens on. Again, it's awesome.

This wasn't cheap (but not nearly as much as "higher end" fixture) and getting so many LEDs was not about brightness but about spread and full coverage on top, sides, and under the corals. I think I've succeeded.

The remote and programming seems easy for someone absolutely new to programing LEDs. I really like as going through the custom programming it actually tells the lights to do whats on that hour so no guessing what it looks like until after saving.

 

[jason2459]

I did get a quick par reading last night. I have a MQ-510 Apogee par meter on hand that I used and will get more readings and comparisons vs. the Seneye reef monitor.

Right in the middle of the tank on the sand (~3" of sand there) Par was about 160. That's pretty awesome as I have a LOT more power to move that up very very easily. I'm glad the Photon v2 can go up in 1% jumps and not 10% jumps I've seen some Chinese LEDs do.

Right now, if my memory serves me right, at peak my settings are

Red Channel 1: 2
Green Channel 2: 2
Royal Blue Channel 3: 18
White Channel 4: 10
Cool Blue Channel 5: 18
Violet Channel 6: 18

That is not going to be my final ratio as I'm still playing around with the colors. That's just to give what was producing that Par above. Plus there's the two 80 watt T5's down the middle which are right now ATI Coral Plus bulbs. I'm liking the angle of the LEDs so far but will see more about that as I test out different channels individually and par measurements and will really see how the angles effect things.

I'm thinking I might be able to play around with Blue Plus and True Actinic's now. The White's on the Photon seem more Yellowish or warm white to me. Which with the Red's and Green's actually not spot lighting anymore I could turn those up for those colors that the Coral Plus bulbs provides.

I'm very happy I have some options now to play around with, power to drive the brightness (Par/Pur), and some amazing spread. Which I certainly hope so as I decided to shotgun it and put up 288 LED's and two strips of T5's down the middle.

Which I really feel that putting the T5's down the middle is better then supplementing them on the outsides. You don't put Baby in the corner... lol
This really softens and blends everything together nicely with still a hint of shimmer from the LEDs. LEDs seem to be so focused on a certain wavelength while the T5 blends smoother from one wavelength to another in a single bulb stretching the entire tank. Very different looks in lighting but when put together really creates a perfect blend. IMO.

 

[biecacka]

jason any pictures of the tank running with the lights on? i would like to see the beauty in action.

corey

 

[jason2459]

jason any pictures of the tank running with the lights on? i would like to see the beauty in action.

corey

I will get some but right now it is far from beautiful. I don't think I've ever been so disappointed in a purchase as I am with the SB Reeflights. It looks like total crap right now. Corals are very pale and were reaching. Even the bubble tips are pale. Cyano and Dinos seem to have taken advantage of the situation and did much better under the dim lights. Over all very sad looking. :sad1:

I had to make this lighting change and do it quick before it got worse. I gave SB Reeflights time to get it right but he is still working on it but my corals just couldn't wait any longer.

Like Bud said the Lighting is such an important part to a reef tank.

 

[biecacka]

yes lighting is an important part. that is part of the reason i went with halides. proven, simple. i also considered t5 also proven and simple.

corey

 

[jason2459]

yes lighting is an important part. that is part of the reason i went with halides. proven, simple. i also considered t5 also proven and simple.

corey

I keep thinking of MH and was very very close going that way.

 

[jason2459]

Just got my new (used) Apex 2016 in. Going to work on getting it setup tonight.

And why in Sam Hell are these not labeled.

 

[jason2459]

So, here's what crapy lights can do in a month. But the lighting now looks much better and hope to see a turn around with the corals but realize it could take a few months.

Everything is pale and cyano seems to love it

This was a nice green and now almost white

This was a nice red...

 

[jason2459]

Here's end of 2014 after loosing all the corals and inverts to the mold and mildew remover and beginning of 2015 I started restocking.

Same time I got the Ocean Revive 3 16" fixtures. You can see the shadowing from the braces with that which there is 0 of now.

 

[jason2459]

I did some par measurements earlier with the seneye reef v2 firmware vs apogee mq510 and was very impressed with the seneye. I may start a thread just for it.

 

[biecacka]

looking good Jason. I am checking my apex this saturday as its the soonest i can get around to it. from there i will let you know buddy!

corey

 

[jason2459]

looking good Jason. I am checking my apex this saturday as its the soonest i can get around to it. from there i will let you know buddy!

corey

ok cool. Hope they get you working.

 

[jason2459]

Here's the PAR shootout thread I started


PAR Shootout! Seneye Reef Monitor v2 VS. Apogee MQ-510 Full Spectrum Underwater Meter
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2626700

 

[jason2459]

I also decided to give my Photon v2 setup it's own thread.

*Reef Breeders Photon v2 and T5 installation, testing, and review*
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2626683

 

[jason2459]

I'm going to try and finally clean this mess up. I'm terrible at organizing things

Going to attempt it with this

 

[jason2459]

I really dislike organizing. But so far better looking then it was. Pretty soon I'm sure I'm going to fail at this and it's going to look like a jumbled mess again.

About half way done

 

[jason2459]

I completely lack this skill. There are some amazing looking sump areas and equipment rooms out there and every detail is perfect.

This is not one of them

But for me it's a start. Which means also the finish. I'm glad I put those huge holes in there. They may look terrible but very functional in that I can get most my hands in there and move things around and easily pull cable. I guess I'm much more about function.

I actually had a lot of stuff scattered around and screwed into what ever or just laying on something. Like that huge power brick for the waveline pump and the waveline controller were just resting on top of the lid to my 55g new saltmix brute. lol This really helped consolidate it all to this one area.

 

[jason2459]

And a HECK of a lot better then this disaster when I was trying to unravel some cord to remove a pump. Posted this picture a little while back as I was building out my new sump room

That new setup doesn't look so bad now huh! [emoji1]

 

[SeaMonkee]

And a HECK of a lot better then this disaster when I was trying to unravel some cord to remove a pump. Posted this picture a little while back as I was building out my new sump room

That new setup doesn't look so bad now huh! [emoji1]

That is one hell of a comparison. Nice work on the reorganization, I'm betting it feels a lot better.

 

[jason2459]

That is one hell of a comparison. Nice work on the reorganization, I'm betting it feels a lot better.

Thanks, It's certainly easier on the eyes. :jester: