Sun Powered Reef

[vitor pestana]

Hi!

I have just install a wavebox, the results are amazing, it's a petty that you guys can't see the movement in the photos, never the less i leave you with some pics:

Also i install a sulfur reactor, the water passes in this reactor before it enters the calcium reactor, this way some nitrate is consumed and the pH drop to 7,5 and i can save some CO2.

 

[vitor pestana]

OK, Now for some new pics of the tank and some new corals. hope you enjoy:

 

[vitor pestana]

 

[hatfielj]

Awesome!! Its so great you are able to do this with natural sunlight! It saves you so much money! Not only on electric bills, but lighting equipment too! Everything is beautiful and looks like its growing great!

 

[melev]

Since you have a solid surface, the only area where you can see the actual wave is in the upper section, correct? Still, the corals must sway somewhat beneath the viewing panel, I bet.

I love how the plate coral is smiling.

Lots of great pictures! :thumbsup:

 

[vitor pestana]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10973269#post10973269 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Since you have a solid surface, the only area where you can see the actual wave is in the upper section, correct? Still, the corals must sway somewhat beneath the viewing panel, I bet.

I love how the plate coral is smiling.

Lots of great pictures! :thumbsup:

Hello Melev!

Yes, that's correct, i can only see the wave is in the upper section, but the coral movement is the same.

 

[Ken Sellick]

Thank you for sharing

This is very cool

 

[berniekyle]

Just read this thread from beginning to end. Must say this is the coolest thing I've seen on reefcentral. Has me thinking of adding a sun room to my house.

 

[vitor pestana]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10978080#post10978080 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by berniekyle
Just read this thread from beginning to end. Must say this is the coolest thing I've seen on reefcentral. Has me thinking of adding a sun room to my house.

Hello berniekyle!

The most importante lesson about this setup is power efficiency and that it works, the only change is light source, do you realize how much money is spend in lamps and power to imitate the real thing?

Another thing i forgot to say about this setup is that no light timers are necessary... i only use the natural rotation of the planet... LOL

Regards

Vitor Pestana

 

[berniekyle]

Hello Vitor Pestana!

I currently run 3 250 watt and two 175 watt metal halides
between my display tank and frag tank. Plus about another 550
watts for my VHOs. Can't imagine how much I could save
between electric and bulb replacement

Also this year I bought a profilux II plus to be able to simulate the moon phases, red dawns, clouds, storms.......and so on. Wouldn't need to simulate them any more because I would have the real deal.

What a truely inspiring idea!

 

[Rossini]

AWESOME!

 

[jkhchris]

Those frag tanks are unbelievable.

 

[vitor pestana]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10981642#post10981642 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by berniekyle
Hello Vitor Pestana!

I currently run 3 250 watt and two 175 watt metal halides
between my display tank and frag tank. Plus about another 550
watts for my VHOs. Can't imagine how much I could save
between electric and bulb replacement

Also this year I bought a profilux II plus to be able to simulate the moon phases, red dawns, clouds, storms.......and so on. Wouldn't need to simulate them any more because I would have the real deal.

What a truely inspiring idea!

Hi berniekyle!

You have more that 1650 Watts/h.... that's a lot of power only with light, i can't imagine how much money you spend.

Why don't you try T5 bulbs? To me this is the best aquarium light system, you could save power and colling. Almost everybody in Portugal uses T5 with exelentes color and growth results.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10985045#post10985045 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jkhchris
Those frag tanks are unbelievable.

Hi jkhchris!

Take a look at his thread:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1215102&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

All the best;

Vitor Pestana

 

[PaulKlein]

Hi Vitor,
very nice tank.
Can you tell me how many sun hours you have in Portugal in summer and in winter?
Last year i had a tank in front of the window face west. So, only afternoon and evening sun. Everything did ok but a bit difficult to clean the tankglass on the windowside so stopped the experiment. A tank built in the ground and covered by a kind of greenhouse would be an idea because of the wintercold here.

Greetz,
Paul

 

[vitor pestana]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10989579#post10989579 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PaulKlein
Hi Vitor,
very nice tank.
Can you tell me how many sun hours you have in Portugal in summer and in winter?
Last year i had a tank in front of the window face west. So, only afternoon and evening sun. Everything did ok but a bit difficult to clean the tankglass on the windowside so stopped the experiment. A tank built in the ground and covered by a kind of greenhouse would be an idea because of the wintercold here.

Greetz,
Paul

Hi Paul!

There is no limit of sun hours, the corals will adapt well to a diferent envoirament, this setup even work without direct sunlight.

Where i live the Sun is getting down on the horizon until the winter solstice 21 of December, now i only have about 4 hours of direct sunlight and coral are doing fine.

In Netherlands the sun must be even lower in the horizon, but you can allways pass that problem by adding mirrors to re-direct the sun back to the tank, matter afect that's what I’m planning to do next month after i finish my sunpowered refugium.

Regards

Vitor Pestana

 

[mrme]

This is a Beautiful tank, and a perfect idea.

 

[mulbroc]

wow that a great setup u have there vitor

 

[woodycb]

That is definately unique, very nice setup.

 

[dinhoriginal]

Vitor

I have no words to describe your tank,just perfect!!!!

Regards

 

[chujai]

still one of the most impressive tanks ive seen.