[2Sunny]

Hey Pat,

Sorry about the leakage. That was the first time I tried to pack inside a thermos, and I should have repacked when I knew it was too tight instead of simply screwing down the cap. Anyways, glad that they made it o.k. otherwise, and looking forward to hearing about growth! I've ordered new heat packs so next time when I send some of the good stuff you asked for I can send it without using the thermos trick, and will be able to use my usual double bag system which is much safer.

I believe the ReefBrites are 420-430 nm, but I can't find a good source for that info right now. I'll send an email to them as they are usually very responsive.


Joe

 

[Shar]

PJR, I'm developing some LED lights for my tank. I was wondering if I can check your tank out? I live next to the Oakland Mall and seems your only 45mins away. I would love the advice for my LED design. Got a starter prototype up that I can bring over if your interested. And I hear your tank is beautifull!!! A new reefer like me is dying to see


Kon

 

[pjr]

Joe, it was all great! You never know what will happen with shipments this time of year between the weather and the occasional slip-up by the courrier services.

And Kon, you're welcome to check out the lights. Feel free to PM me....

 

[Shar]

I have a stupid question. Since blue light at 635nm-670nm roughly is what helps produce chloraphyll A. Can't you use color lenses say purple or pink to dye the color and give a different effect yet still keep the benefits to your corals? That way you can use like 10kalvin light source pass it through purple dye lense and stilll get the health benefit to your corals with a purple effect? Someone explain to me why this isn't done. I'm new and unclear in this area. So some of you pros clear me up on this

 

[pjr]

Well I finally mounted the frags late week. Previously I had them high in the tank getting indirect LED lighting. Ther are now in the rockwork with direct light about medium high in height. So far they are doing great! The a. nano looks awesome.... it is thriving and I swear glowing purple! The pink Seriatopora had a tiny bit of recession but looks great now and I hope will thrive as well. More to come!

Other arcos are growing well. The bonsai and green slimer are off the hook in growth. Other acros doing just fine too.

On another front, I finally implemented Reef Status... it is 3rd party shareware software that allows remote access to the Profilux II contrroller. Really, GHL/Profilux should have released something like this own their own. but whatever... it works and I can control things from my iPhone. I'm good with that!

 

[slapshot]

Come on Pat, you know better. Where are the pictures!!!!!!:3195:

Well I finally mounted the frags late week. Previously I had them high in the tank getting indirect LED lighting. Ther are now in the rockwork with direct light about medium high in height. So far they are doing great! The a. nano looks awesome.... it is thriving and I swear glowing purple! The pink Seriatopora had a tiny bit of recession but looks great now and I hope will thrive as well. More to come!

Other arcos are growing well. The bonsai and green slimer are off the hook in growth. Other acros doing just fine too.

On another front, I finally implemented Reef Status... it is 3rd party shareware software that allows remote access to the Profilux II contrroller. Really, GHL/Profilux should have released something like this own their own. but whatever... it works and I can control things from my iPhone. I'm good with that!

 

[Oompala]

Very Nice!

 

[pjr]

Well... Sunbrite released a new lighting product which at $249 makes LEDs affordable to everyone. It is called the Slimline and looks like a slimmed-down AI. It kicks tons of PAR from all reports.

The just announced it last week; I got one to test since I am one of their "Super Users." It arrived last night and it looks sweet. I think I'll try to set it up on another tank soon!

For BIG tanks, like anything wider than 24", the T10 tubes are still more cost effective. But for anything else, this looks like a real killer. It ends the need to do DIY stuff or paying $2000 to $3500 to light a reef with LEDs.

Pics here: SUNBRITE LIGHTING SYSTEMS INC

 

[tszetela]

Well... Sunbrite released a new lighting product which at $249 makes LEDs affordable to everyone. It is called the Slimline and looks like a slimmed-down AI. It kicks tons of PAR from all reports.

The just announced it last week; I got one to test since I am one of their "Super Users." It arrived last night and it looks sweet. I think I'll try to set it up on another tank soon!

For BIG tanks, like anything wider than 24", the T10 tubes are still more cost effective. But for anything else, this looks like a real killer. It ends the need to do DIY stuff or paying $2000 to $3500 to light a reef with LEDs.

Pics here: SUNBRITE LIGHTING SYSTEMS INC

That looks nice! Of course I just finished attaching my LED to the heatsink! Then again whin I'm done my RSM will still look factory.

 

[pjr]

Set it up... Pretty cool! It comes nicely packaged,seems very well built. It has 12 leds, all 3 watt cree designs. Comes with a remote control That let's you adjust color temp to 16k, 12k, 22k, 6.5k, blue, or moonlight. It also allows custom settings.

I've clamped it to the back of this 15g for demo purposes. But you don't have to use the mount... It easily detaches. And it is so light that suspending it should be easy.

 

[zenpytho]

im gonna have to check that out for my 16 tall was gonna do diy for about same price without all the controls lol

 

[gfox]

Leds

What size tank would a Slimeline light up?

 

[pjr]

im gonna have to check that out for my 16 tall was gonna do diy for about same price without all the controls lol

You are welcome to come on by and check it out!

What size tank would a Slimeline light up?

From what I understand, a single unit will serve either a 20'x20" area up to a 24"x24" area. I have had conflicting reports so far!

- PJR

Mixed reef: 6' wide 130g, driven by 100% LEDs Sunbrite T10, and stuffed with SPS, chalices, other LPS, and a few softies.
Blog: PJR's Reef

 

[pjr]

Well, back to my main tank.... where I have experienced a setback.

A few weeks ago, my Ph, which always peaks at 8.3 each day, started rising rapidly. My ProfiLux gave updates to my iPhone, but I stupidly ignord them. I had been fussing in my sump that morning, so I assumed that I knocked the probe out of calibration.

Wrong.

Within 36 hours, my Ph rose to 9.1. I knew soemthing was really wrong when my large green montipora cap colony was 50% browned out. I check my parametrs, and not only had ph risen from 8.3 to 9.1, but Alk rose from 8.0 to 9.0.

The problem was not technology, but a bit of sloppiness on my part. When I had topped off my Alk container for my 2 part doser, the Alk formula (sodium bicarbonate) was not mixed very well. As a result, the formula being drawn up thru the doser was way over saturated as it was being taken up from the bottom of the container.

I would up turning off the Alk portion of the doser for 8 days until levels returned to normal. It's been about two full weeks, and the green cap has significantly recovered and will hopefully return to its former glory. Amazingly, all my acros look fine, like nothing happened.

However, the huge Idaho Grape started to bleach out a few days later. It looks bad.... I'm hoping the Idaho grape comes back. It is literally a part of my reef structure; it keeps the rocks and the huge Blue Chalice in place on the left side of the tank. Fingers crossed, but it is not looking good.

 

[slapshot]

Just a question, admittedly I am unfamiliar with ProfiLux but why don't you have a stop on it. I use a Neptune Jr. and I have programmed stop....if PH > 8.5 then doser off. So that when the PH hits and upward or downward limit it stops? Just a thought.

 

[pjr]

Good question... But it isn't a profilux doser, and I don't have it controlled either. Never would have anticipated such a ph problem with using 2 part!

 

[slapshot]

I would be shocked Pat if you could not control the doser. We should start a thread of backups. It is so painful when you make one tiny mistake and you wipe out years worth of work. Glad things are coming back.

 

[pjr]

Yep, I am really careful about redundancy.... but this was outside of my plan. A reactor accident, yes, but not a 2 part doser!! Just pure stupidity.

I don't have have a lot plugged into my P II -- just sump, skimmer, heater, and moonlights (not counting the Tunze into the L port, the LAN cable to the network, and the Ph and temp probe, of course). The doser isn't next to the tank.... it's below it in the basement, where the 2 part is stored.

Unfortunately, I have no open electricial outlets on the P II analog power strip. Maybe I should realign things...

 

[pjr]

Pics of the damage First, the Idaho Grape. I grew this from a quarter-sized frag, It was a two-tiered colony, a very cool shape. In total, about 14x14 in size. Now -- bleach city:

And a green cap, also quite large, has damage but is coming back strong.

Everything else -- acros, fish, LPS -- all unaffected. Very strange, but I was lucky. It could have been worse/

 

[2Sunny]

That really stinks. I hate to hear about stuff like that as I always know it could've been me.

I hesitate to ask, but how are the frags I sent doing?

I have to tell you, I'm running a fancy LED light in my basement and so far the frags are not looking so good. They seem slightly pale even when I put them on the bottom of the frag tank and move the LEDs higher.


Joe