Vertex Illumina Club

Just joined the ranks of being a vertex owner. Switched from 2x250w and 4x54w to a 260. Running a 12 hour cycle. Peaking at 70/65/40(RB/B/W) on a mature tank...been running a week with no issues.

You all running 12 hour cycles?

I have heard the uv modules provide good "pop"...any comments on them??
 
I have 4 uv and 3 multi-color aux modules, I can't see the "pop" during daytime when most of other lights are at their highest. At night when only the blues are there and intensities are not that high and also the uv setting is high enough, then I will see the "pop".

By the way, I am running 11 hours cycle.
 
Whats ur max uv setting at this point? Planning to go any higher?

Was talking to a retailer a while back and his take was the uv was the best add on and provided some good "pop". Was also saying this module, like the other extra colors, was more for our viewing benefit than for the corals...what's ur opinion?
 
I once set the UV t0 75% when there was no multi-color modules installed but found that some of my LPS didn't like it. Since after installing the multi-color modules, I initially set it to very low at 20%, I have been ramping up to at the moment 37%. I will stop at 50% for a long while before may be going higher to 65% max.

In my opinion, some extra colors (such as the uv from these modules) are good for the corals, while the red is for the viewing.
 
I just purchased a used 12" sr360 with a uv aux module, I've only had the fixture a day, already played with the light studio, other than literally having a friend hold it over my tank, I haven't truly been able to see the colors.

Before I set this up permanently, do you suggest swapping out the uv module out with a multicolor module?

I only paid $550 for the fixture shipped, light was used three months, that included the module and v-limk, and I'm hoping some one would purchase the uv module for $30-$40 if removed.

Tank is in my office, so I will be looking at it all day.

Appreciate any advice and experience, just stinks I'm stuck with one slot. BTW tank is a 24x24x24 cube.

Thanks again!
 
OK all i just got the 24inch 200 series for my 65g 36x18x24 tank.

Tank will be a softie/lps reef.

Aquarium is cycling at the moment and looking for advice on how to do my lighting as far as how long and percentage. Just looking for info on if this was a new soft tank what to run them at...

I have a 12 hour light schedule total.

RB:
starts at 1% at 9 a.m and ramps up to 38% by noon.
from noon to 7 p.m. at 38%
from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. it ramps from 38% to 1%

Blue:
Starts at 10 a.m. and ramps from 1% to 38% by noon
noon to 5:30 at 38%
5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. ramps down from 38% to 0%

Whites:
start at 10:30 a.m. ramps up to 25% at 12:30 p.m.
12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. from 25% to 31%
4:30 p.m. 31% down to 10% at 5:30 p.m.
and ramps down to 0% by 10p.m.

I know its kinda hard to get a visual but have no way of taking a pic at the moment...

Just looking for any info on what to run them at or how long to run them at etc.... First dable in led and is a very in depth one lol but loving the light so far :P

any help would be amazing!

thanks
Tim
 
I just purchased a used 12" sr360 with a uv aux module, I've only had the fixture a day, already played with the light studio, other than literally having a friend hold it over my tank, I haven't truly been able to see the colors.

Before I set this up permanently, do you suggest swapping out the uv module out with a multicolor module?

I only paid $550 for the fixture shipped, light was used three months, that included the module and v-limk, and I'm hoping some one would purchase the uv module for $30-$40 if removed.

Tank is in my office, so I will be looking at it all day.

Appreciate any advice and experience, just stinks I'm stuck with one slot. BTW tank is a 24x24x24 cube.

Thanks again!

I would highly suggest swapping out the uv for the multicolor module for sure. The multicolor module has uv, indigo, and violet along with red, green, and warm white to really balance out the colors to give you the stunning visual appeal. The added spectra will have a positive effect on the corals as well IME as long as you don't induce light shock by turning up the light intensity too high and too fast. Keep in mind that your SR360 is 40% brighter than the SR260. You will mostly not ever have to turn anything up to 100% for the depth of your tank.
 
OK all i just got the 24inch 200 series for my 65g 36x18x24 tank.

Tank will be a softie/lps reef.

Aquarium is cycling at the moment and looking for advice on how to do my lighting as far as how long and percentage. Just looking for info on if this was a new soft tank what to run them at...

I have a 12 hour light schedule total.

RB:
starts at 1% at 9 a.m and ramps up to 38% by noon.
from noon to 7 p.m. at 38%
from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. it ramps from 38% to 1%

Blue:
Starts at 10 a.m. and ramps from 1% to 38% by noon
noon to 5:30 at 38%
5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. ramps down from 38% to 0%

Whites:
start at 10:30 a.m. ramps up to 25% at 12:30 p.m.
12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. from 25% to 31%
4:30 p.m. 31% down to 10% at 5:30 p.m.
and ramps down to 0% by 10p.m.

I know its kinda hard to get a visual but have no way of taking a pic at the moment...

Just looking for any info on what to run them at or how long to run them at etc.... First dable in led and is a very in depth one lol but loving the light so far :P

any help would be amazing!

thanks
Tim

Your light schedule looks great, and the percentages are conservative enough to not have to worry about anything getting burned by the light intensity. Given that you have the SR200 model, you can safely bum it up 3 to 5% every 5 to 7 days without any issues. If you ever decide to get either the uv or the multicolor modules, I would go really easy with the uv to start at either 20 or 25% and adjust them higher at a much slower pace to prevent light shock. You will love this light.
 
Ok...so about 3 weeks into the switch to this illumina 1200-260. Have a couple sps, namely a green tipped birdsnest and a green digi, that are struggling a bit...tips are polyped out, but down in the coral polyps are not out.

I know a lot of time we talk about leds bleaching corals, but I really feel I am dealing with maybe the opposite. Not enough light.

Keep in mind this led has no optics. I was running 2x250 watt metal halides and 216 watts of t5 all at the same time....6 inches from the water.

My reef is mixed...and my lps and softies show no ill effects from the leds. That is my biggest hint that maybe I am underpowering.

Was at 65/60/35 on rb/b/w....went up to 80/75/50...and my lps and softies still show no issues...out fully and soaking it up.

Could it be that I was running such a high par before that I really can crank this light up? What do you think?
 
Let me share another observation which may be contributing to some stress on a few corals. My custom settings are not being followed in my fixture. I use the vlink. I looked at fixture display...custom settings are there, but my fixture jumps to some other program during course of day.

Am I missing something on programming? I have the latest firmware updates. Is "copy to light" enough to make the program work? Did I need to hit another button too?

Full of thoughts and questions tonight...lol!
 
Well, I answered part of my own questions today. My custom settings were not sticking with my fixture because of a firmware update issue.

Probably been discussed before, but make sure if you update your fixture to latest firmware that you do a "complete update" and not just a "necessary update".

If you don't, only the first module gets updated and even if you don't add other color modules, it will mess up the communication between original modules big time. Now I got a consistent setting...no wonder a couple corals were struggling a bit!
 
Need some advice!
I've been running my vertex 260, 3ft model since February 19th 2013 with two color modules and already one has stopped working. I would like to hear from Jamie@vertex to see if I can maybe reset it through a diagnostic? I bought the unit from Bulk Reef Supply.
 
DiazE,

I bought a fixture and multicolor modules in Feburary as well and the UV channel on one of the multicolor modules seems dead. When I email BRS they told me to talk to Proline Aquatics who is the US distributor. I am currently working with them to try to reset the module.
 
That does not make any sense. We bought and spent money at brs. I expect at least a exchange on the bad color module if no reset is possible. I would like to hear from anyone at Vertex about our problem.
 
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