Rod's Gyre flow, Natural light, SPS dominated Reef

[Rickyrooz1]

I like the color of your corals with the natural lighting

 

[Rod the Reefer]

Thanks Ricky.

Rod. :thumbsup:

 

[Western_reefer]

Amazing tank!! :eek2:

 

[jdhuyvetter]

I've got solatubes too. I've got 4, 14-inch tubes over an 8-feet long tank. I framed in around the solatubes. I put a piece of cardboard over the tank while I was doing some drywall work and took the picture shown below.

This is Rod's light distribution with straight tubes and no dome on the roof.

This is my tank with 2, slightly bent elbows to accomodate ceiling trusses (no straight shot from the sun to the tank). I also have domes with reflectors on the roof. Big difference in light distribution. My pic was taken around 2 pm, under full sun.

 

[theisdept]

Question Solar Tube/natural lighting in different geography - Arizona

Question Solar Tube/natural lighting in different geography - Arizona

Hello Everyone

Rod Nice tank design :thumbsup:

I want to pose a question to you Rod and even to jdhuyvetter who just posted on the 29th since your in Florida. Anyone else that as input please feel free. I want to learn all I can and do this right.

See I'm in the process of doing my own new build. Currently have a 120 and have purchased a used 250gal glass. I'm building my own sump and overflow box. And if I can figure out details possible builtin Wave boxes on the sides of a center overflow box (with removable tunz 6100 and a custom controller (from another thread here at RC) to create the wave action.

My question is about Tubular Solar Skylights and condition related to geographical location.

I'm in Arizona, about 100 miles north of Phx. 5000+ elevation, I've asked some of the more knowledgeable persons working at different location in the Phx. area and there really isn't anyone who knows much about using natural lighting and only one said he has seen it done but that the light is to intense here in Arizona.

Whats your opinion? What is your elevation? Being at 5000 ft+ is cooler but also closer to the sun and less atmosphere. Do you thing it would be more or less intense then Phx or where you are? And who else mite have input?

What do you think Rod
And how about you jdhuyvetter sence your in Florida.

 

[melev]

theisdept,

[welcome]

What fish store do you shop at in Prescott? Or do you drive up to Flagstaff or down to Phoenix?

 

[theisdept]

Melev Thanks

We goto Phx. mostly, at AuquaTouch near Highway 51 and Cactus or Aquarium Arts down in Chandler on Baseline and S. Pennington (east of S. Dobson Rd.) if you know Phx. Though we've done some collecting ourselfs. We're also going to ge scuba certified so we can do more.

I've seen and read your website on DIY Sumps and your posts on the DIY/Build a sump thread and some others on the DIY- "Pins" method of gluing acrylic.

I'm am starting my own customer build and the info is vary helpful and appricated, THANKS!!

In the future I will be starting a post on my new Tank build, going from a 120 to a 250 (plus sump) gal.

 

[tonyf]

Thought it was about time I got some pics of this guy for you;

Cool huh?

My wife wants to give him a name and can't decide what.

Rod. :thumbsup:

Beautiful specimen, Rod :fish1: How do you get such perfect focus ... I'm really struggling with the concept

Tell me more about it?

BTW, "Charlie" sounds to be a fitting name ! :wildone:

Tone

 

[NaClH20NMYVEIN]

Hello Everyone

Rod Nice tank design :thumbsup:

I want to pose a question to you Rod and even to jdhuyvetter who just posted on the 29th since your in Florida. Anyone else that as input please feel free. I want to learn all I can and do this right.

See I'm in the process of doing my own new build. Currently have a 120 and have purchased a used 250gal glass. I'm building my own sump and overflow box. And if I can figure out details possible builtin Wave boxes on the sides of a center overflow box (with removable tunz 6100 and a custom controller (from another thread here at RC) to create the wave action.

My question is about Tubular Solar Skylights and condition related to geographical location.

I'm in Arizona, about 100 miles north of Phx. 5000+ elevation, I've asked some of the more knowledgeable persons working at different location in the Phx. area and there really isn't anyone who knows much about using natural lighting and only one said he has seen it done but that the light is to intense here in Arizona.

Whats your opinion? What is your elevation? Being at 5000 ft+ is cooler but also closer to the sun and less atmosphere. Do you thing it would be more or less intense then Phx or where you are? And who else mite have input?

What do you think Rod
And how about you jdhuyvetter sence your in Florida.

I have heard other people make the very valid claim that although Phoenix does have very intense sun that the areas these corals some from near the equator have more intense sun. Seems to make sense. I have tried to find someone in Phoneix who has used solar tubes and although I have heard stories of people using them I have never seen it,just like the lock ness monster and bigfoot I'm planning on having mine installed within the next year over my tank that I'm currently building. If your not planning on putting yours in right away your more than welcome to check out mine when they are completed. If you end up getting your sooner I would love to come up there and check them, and it would give me an excuse to visit my parents up there

 

[jdhuyvetter]

Before I had my tubes installed, I called the local solatube dealer and went to a store that had the exact same tube that I wanted to get. I took a PAR meter with me to get some readings. You may want to try the same thing.

 

[sfsuphysics]

Whats your opinion? What is your elevation? Being at 5000 ft+ is cooler but also closer to the sun and less atmosphere. Do you thing it would be more or less intense then Phx or where you are? And who else mite have input?

Well you're not really much closer to the sun, less than 1 mile closer out of 93,000,000 miles. So that removes that part of the intensity. Less atmosphere is true, but again not much less, telescopes are put on top of mountains on the order of 10,000 feet to get away from the atmosphere (and people), they are noticeably clearer but this if for very faint light sources and is more along the lines for resolution issues, I doubt it would mean anything with something as big and bright as the Sun.

The only difference I could see is maybe you'll have a bit more cloud cover due to the lower temperatures, and that would negatively impact your total output. Perhaps slightly elevated IR radiation, but I doubt much at all.

IMO, you probably would be on the same footing as anyone in Phoenix though as far as how much intensity you get.

 

[Rickyrooz1]

Are the dimensions of your tank 72"x28"x28"?

 

[theisdept]

I have heard other people make the very valid claim that although Phoenix does have very intense sun that the areas these corals some from near the equator have more intense sun. Seems to make sense. I have tried to find someone in Phoneix who has used solar tubes and although I have heard stories of people using them I have never seen it,just like the lock ness monster and bigfoot I'm planning on having mine installed within the next year over my tank that I'm currently building. If your not planning on putting yours in right away your more than welcome to check out mine when they are completed. If you end up getting your sooner I would love to come up there and check them, and it would give me an excuse to visit my parents up there

Thanks for the input.
Ya the intenseness of the sun at the equator would be greater (closer).
I was originally only going to put in three 14 inch tubes, but now I'm considering four now that I saw that shot of jdhuyvetter 4 tubes lighting up his tank and I think its also a 250.

I'll probable be putting my tubes in before you, so ya your welcome to come and check them out.
When I ge

 

[Rod the Reefer]

Thanks guys.

That's interesting jdhuyvetter! I'll have to try putting some cardboad on top of my tank to see if there's any difference.

Hmm, not sure theisdept.

Beautiful specimen, Rod :fish1: How do you get such perfect focus ... I'm really struggling with the concept

Tell me more about it?

Tone

Hey Tone, thanks mate. I'm not sure about the perfect focus. :hmm6:

For fish shots on the Canon I use the Sport mode. I usually take about a hundred shots and one is bound to be ok. :eek1:

Are the dimensions of your tank 72"x28"x28"?

Yes it is. Although I have set my weir at 24" which gives me a bit extra glass at the top to help cope with salt spray etc.

Rod. :thumbsup:

 

[Reefski's]

i too have a solar powered reef and would do it again in a second.

you can always shade the tank if it is getting too much light. and it will.

last week on the equinox the light was 150-350 par at 10am and at 1pm was 300-750 par.

some of my lps corals got too much sun and bleached.



Carl

 

[henrystyle]

The best feature of your old and new tank is still those solar tubes. I have never seen that before.....I love the look. Are there reflectors inside those tubes that reflect the light downward? Your stags are growing nicely....Good job... Do you run any Carbon or GFO? Maybe I missed that in the thread...

 

[Rod the Reefer]

Thanks guys.

The best feature of your old and new tank is still those solar tubes. I have never seen that before.....I love the look. Are there reflectors inside those tubes that reflect the light downward? Your stags are growing nicely....Good job... Do you run any Carbon or GFO? Maybe I missed that in the thread...

There are no additional reflectors. Just the highly reflective tubes.

No, I don't run any carbon unless there's a problem.

Rod. :thumbsup:

 

[hkyeo72]

What do you fed your corals.Any special recipe to maximise the coral growth. The tank is very pretty and neat. I hope one day I can drop by and have a look at the real thing.

 

[ptr13]

I love the idea of using sun as the source of lighting with the T5s and such an energy effecient tank,tank looks great. The system is well thought out,wish we had that much sun because we live in chicago.

 

[Rod the Reefer]

What do you fed your corals.Any special recipe to maximise the coral growth. The tank is very pretty and neat. I hope one day I can drop by and have a look at the real thing.

I have actually never target fed any of my corals. I do however feed the tank, I usually feed the fish quite a variety of foods and normally add in some Cyclop-eeze, rotifers etc.

Are you planning a trip to Australia? You'd be very welcome to come have a look.

I love the idea of using sun as the source of lighting with the T5s and such an energy effecient tank,tank looks great. The system is well thought out,wish we had that much sun because we live in chicago.

Thanks. You could always move to sunny Aus!

I am planning on making this tank much more energy efficient in the near future.

Rod. :thumbsup: