SolaTubes for reef tanks

[stevelkaneval]

what if you live in wi and the sun is further away? will this still work i was thinking about doing 2-3 in the house we are building for a really big tank.

 

[stevelkaneval]

oops i meant in the winter months

 

[Reefski's]

28 feet is a long way. how would you get it through the rooms above without it being obnoxious in the rooms above.

of course it will be less in the winter months.

Steve, when you build that new tank think of putting a skylight shaft over it not just a couple of tubes.

here is what i am working on.
<a href="http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/reefski/?action=view&current=DSC03636-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/reefski/DSC03636-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/reefski/?action=view&current=DSC03638-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/reefski/DSC03638-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/reefski/?action=view&current=DSC05372.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/reefski/DSC05372.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Carl

 

[conorwynne]

That's amazing looking. Well done. I imagine you wont need any supplimental lighting with that setup.

Aside from night time viewing that is.

Regards
Conor.

 

[rogergolf66]

won't need night time veiwing either. Natural moon light will look great in there.

 

[conorwynne]

I suppose you guys get little or no cloud cover then?

Cannot wait till its all up and running... holidays, get to work...

Looks fab.
Conor.

 

[rogergolf66]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11464130#post11464130 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by conorwynne
I suppose you guys get little or no cloud cover then?

Cannot wait till its all up and running... holidays, get to work...

Looks fab.
Conor.

A lot less cloud cover then you get in Irland. I love your country the grass is so green. I went to golf there in 1998 it was great.

 

[Earl87gta]

the house is gutted out above the tank so I have plenty of room to get it down to it Im adding a bath room up stairs and I can make the new plubing wall big enough to get the 10in tubes in to the basement.

 

[JCTewks]

I think it would look great, but probably wouldn't suffice for primary lighting. Maybe the solatubes and some T5's would do the trick. The moonlight at night would definitely be something to see

 

[JMBoehling]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11465741#post11465741 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Earl87gta
the house is gutted out above the tank so I have plenty of room to get it down to it Im adding a bath room up stairs and I can make the new plubing wall big enough to get the 10in tubes in to the basement.

I've got (02) 10" tubes on my reef. I have to supplement with (04) T5's.. Probably get away with (02) T5's but I could never get the color I liked with just (02) bulbs and the Natural Sunlight.

My tubes run approximately 14 ft from the roof to the water surface of my reef. I personally think the 10" tubes are too small. I would size up to 16" if you can make them work.. Also, you will loose some intensity from the light refracting off the tubes, so even bigger I.D. tubes would be better for your reef.

One thing I did on my install was to NOT install the domes on the roof, instead I used some flat sheet Plexiglass. The intensity of light was much better with the flat surface than the dome. I picked this idea up from a reefer in Australia that did this before me.

I personally like the natural light, and my SPS do as well. Good luck with your project. Can't wait to see some pics.

Later,

Jim

 

[salty joe]

[i here is what i am working on.

Hey Carl, you have your roof on and that big skylight flashed by now, don't you?

How is the project coming along?

I'm interested because what I planned is very similar to what you are doing.

Joe

 

[Reefski's]

you can follow the progress here.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=11467136#post11467136

not roofed yet. watertight but no shingles. the roofers house is only able to be worked on when other jobs permit.

water going in the tank tomorrow for hydrotest of plumbing of closed loop.

Carl

 

[BrokenReefer]

OT - Nice shingles!! We don't see much Certainteed Presidential's up here in IL, I gotta see a pic when the roof is done. Possibly one in it's current state?? Lol!! Roofers pr0n is a well done roof, sad to say isn't it?


Anyhow, this is an interesting concept your working on with the anolux skylight shaft. Any concern for light overrun or possible reflection issues with the seating or other housing arrangements?

 

[Reefski's]

i love the Presidential shingles. i will post some pictures when it is done.

the part that is open around the tank may get doors so i can have the reflective material all the way to the tank so no light spills out. i am not worried about the furniture. there won't be anything near the tank.

Carl

 

[JMBoehling]

Couple updated shots:

Couple Top Down

Later,

Jim

 

[conorwynne]

Hi,

How many watts do you run for lighting then?
What was the cloud cover like when you took those shots?

I see its cold in your area currently..:
http://www.accuweather.com/forecast.asp?partner=heraldsun&zipcode=23219

Conor.

 

[JMBoehling]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11988110#post11988110 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by conorwynne
Hi,

How many watts do you run for lighting then?
What was the cloud cover like when you took those shots?

I see its cold in your area currently..:
http://www.accuweather.com/forecast.asp?partner=heraldsun&zipcode=23219

Conor.

216 watts of T5 (4 - 54 watt T5HO's)
200 watts of Halogen bulbs

That's 416 watts total plus the PAR from the skylights. I run the Halogen (not Halide) bulbs in the evening or raining days when I want to appearance of the natural sun shimmer in my reef.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[conorwynne]

Cool, not that much then.

I had the lads from solatube in to see about fitting for my new reef. Alas, due to the design and placement of the house, my only option would to place the tank in the attic convertion.

Which is now my daughters room. I had a discus tank there for a few years, and it was a royal pain doing WC's.

If I do decide to go down this road, I would likely avoid supplemental lighting altogether, maybe just adding one actinic?

No funds as of yet as wife wants a new car. looking at a prius -- they are ugly though.

Later
Conor

 

[mborn]

Tank's looking great!

 

[JMBoehling]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11997550#post11997550 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mborn
Tank's looking great!

Thanks! Took me a few years to realize that water chemistry and water flow are equally as important as light spectrum in the aquarium.

This should be a fun summer with some really good growth. I hope other Skylight users will contiunue to post their pics to this thread.

Later,

Jim