Sun Powered Reef
- Thread starter vitor pestana
- Start date
thanks for sharing. wish i could have one too, that would save me lots of $$$ from electic bills. keep it coming! 
conorwynne
New member
Think I want to move to Portugal now, love the tank.
Should we not be calling it a pond though?
I wish the weather in Ireland would let me do something similar, the summer months would be fine, but winter would make the electricity bills sky-rocket. My only option would be via solatubes - something I have considered (but not acted on) for some time.
More pics please. ;-0
Should we not be calling it a pond though?
I wish the weather in Ireland would let me do something similar, the summer months would be fine, but winter would make the electricity bills sky-rocket. My only option would be via solatubes - something I have considered (but not acted on) for some time.
More pics please. ;-0
vitor pestana
Member
Hello conorwynne.
If you have about 20.000 lx (Sunlight intensity) throughout the year, you can have a tank just like this, the only problem is the cold winter, but if you have a fine layer of air betewen the top glass and the water and some isoleted material in the top glass throughout the night time, you should not have a problem.
The watts neded to heat up the water would be just the same like if the tank was at home.
Never the last i recomend you that to make a test with a underground tank before you tempt the real thing.
Regards
Vitor Pestana
vitor pestana
Member
Hi edwinn
Just lik Rafiq said, the sunligth Vs algae issue it's a mith, you only get algae if you have a high nutrient level, the same thing happens with T5/HQI associated to a heavy nutrient level.
Regards
Vitor Pestana
vitor pestana
Member
Hi Guys!
The Luxmeter as arrive.
This way i can really pinpoint the amount of light.
Direct sunlight:
100 x 1010 = 101.000 lux, it's way too much light.
Now in the shadow:
444 x 100 = 44.400 Lux and the corals are doing fine.
I think that the right amount of light so the colors became more intense is between 50.000 and 60.000 Lux,higher this number the corals get sunburn.
This is the ammount of light for this kind of system, if i didn't had the top glass, i'm sure that the light should have more difficult to get inside the tank because of the water mirror of the surface.
All the best
Vitor Pestana
The Luxmeter as arrive.
This way i can really pinpoint the amount of light.
Direct sunlight:
100 x 1010 = 101.000 lux, it's way too much light.
Now in the shadow:
444 x 100 = 44.400 Lux and the corals are doing fine.
I think that the right amount of light so the colors became more intense is between 50.000 and 60.000 Lux,higher this number the corals get sunburn.
This is the ammount of light for this kind of system, if i didn't had the top glass, i'm sure that the light should have more difficult to get inside the tank because of the water mirror of the surface.
All the best
Vitor Pestana
2frosty4u
New member
I just sat here and read every post in this thread on all 11 pages and was truly impressed with what you have accomplished, Keep up the great work and updates. I was wondering about your DIY Chiller. The Refrigeration part I understand but, what did you do to make the heat exchanger portion of the system. Since saltwater is so corrosive what did you use and how did you build it? I have friends that are refrigeration technicians and I would like to build my own but I can't seem to figure out a good way to construct a heat exchanger that wont fail or cause problems with the tank occupants. Any help or advice would be appreciated Vitor.
vitor pestana
Member
Hi Guys
Yesterday i forgot to show you another update, i've been having a humidity problem during the night, so i solved the problem this way:
Hi 2frosty4u.
I didn't bilt the chiller, it was a friend, i'm going to tell him, so you can talk by PM or in another thread, he works in the AC business, very nice guy.
Best Regards
Vitor Pestana
Yesterday i forgot to show you another update, i've been having a humidity problem during the night, so i solved the problem this way:
Hi 2frosty4u.
I didn't bilt the chiller, it was a friend, i'm going to tell him, so you can talk by PM or in another thread, he works in the AC business, very nice guy.
Best Regards
Vitor Pestana
chrisqueenz
New member
Great idea!
batguano
New member
Hey Vitor! I like your tank set up and your name: Is it short for Vitorio? It means "winner." Your tank set up is incredible. It is brilliant for its use of as many available natural resources as possible. It is growing quite beautiful in the short time that you have had it. I didn't like the ring of live rock at first, but now that the mantipora is getting big, it is looking good. You will be fragging that soon.
As you can see from my profile, I dismantled my system. I like my vacations too much and things start to go wrong and die when you are away from the tanks. Good luck and all the best with your outdoor system.
As you can see from my profile, I dismantled my system. I like my vacations too much and things start to go wrong and die when you are away from the tanks. Good luck and all the best with your outdoor system.
conorwynne
New member
Hi Vitor,
Why glass and not pond style? Surely one of those "indestructa" ponds would work great non?
It would be far cheaper that an all-glass display.
All I'm really posting for is new pics.
Come on my friend!
regards
Conor.
Why glass and not pond style? Surely one of those "indestructa" ponds would work great non?
It would be far cheaper that an all-glass display.
All I'm really posting for is new pics.
Come on my friend!
regards
Conor.
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