My 500 + gallon system. Last 13 years to now. Build, Aquascaping & more. Lots of pics

[worm5406]

Looking good. Like the way the mounts let you angle the lights.

Did you test PAR in the episode too?

How are the sea swirls holding out?
I purchased 4 for my 265 last year, just waiting to start that build.

[slief]

Originally Posted by worm5406

Looking good. Like the way the mounts let you angle the lights.

Did you test PAR in the episode too?

How are the sea swirls holding out?
I purchased 4 for my 265 last year, just waiting to start that build.

Thanks! We didn't do any PAR testing. It was more about getting the lights installed and running through setting them up on the network and in the GHL program as well as with the My GHL(GHL's cloud interface).

I have to work my way up on the intensity anyways since this is a major lighting change and I can't afford to risk damage to my corals as a results of the change.. Truthfully, I've learned that PAR numbers are just for bragging rights and aren't as important as people make them out to be when it comes to coral growth. At least when it comes to higher end lights. They are much more powerful than meets the eye and produce the right spectrum that corals need for growth. I learned that with the Kessils long ago. That is where the whole PUR Vs PAR debate comes into play. At this stage, the only thing PAR numbers will be useful for is getting a gauge on where my Kessils are as far as intensity goes and using that number as a reference point as I work my way up in intensity with the Mitras and work my way down in intensity with the Kessils. The numbers will be somewhat useful even if they aren't all that accurate. The there is the fact that my PAR meter is the MQ-200 and not the MQ-510 means my meter won't be very accurate with the blue spectrum anyways. I do need to send my MQ-200 into Apogee for an upgrade to the MQ-510 which I may do this week. I already have the RMA number and Apogee has a very reasonable upgrade program which is nice.

[cpllongjk]

I found it.

What bracket are you using to mount your Mitras? I currently have my ATI Hybrid mounted by two wires from the ceiling, does the Mitras have a similar hanging kit or would I need to make one?

[cpllongjk]

When can we expect the youtube video to be published?

[slief]

Originally Posted by cpllongjk

I found it.

What bracket are you using to mount your Mitras? I currently have my ATI Hybrid mounted by two wires from the ceiling, does the Mitras have a similar hanging kit or would I need to make one?

The Mitras don't included a hanging kit but they do offer a hanging kit separately like what you are using now. That said, the Mitras use an M4 screw in the top of the light for the mounting point. I don't recall what the AI's use but I think it's an M5 thread. You could probably get a M4 die at the hardware store and cut the threads down to M4 on our hanging kit.

My articulating mounts are designed for light racks and canopy mounting can be found here:
http://aquariumledmounts.com/product...x7-series-leds

[slief]

Originally Posted by cpllongjk

When can we expect the youtube video to be published?

The LA Fish Guys Youtube video will likely go online in the next week or two and will be posted here. Jim has a lot of editing to do which he does in his spare time. I will share it here once it's uploaded.

[serenity]

Looks so clean!

[slief]

Here is a video update on the tank. This was shot with the new camera. Best if viewed in 1080p on Youtube.

[VanJuKy]

Always loved this tank!

[GoVols]

Slief, Looks great.

Seems like your BTA is doing very well under your Leds

[deaclauderdale]

Scott do you have a GHL doser?

Reef keeping is life!

[slief]

Originally Posted by deaclauderdale

Scott do you have a GHL doser?

Reef keeping is life!

I do. It's a Doser 2. I use it to feed coral food on the frag tank but will be moving it over to the newly setup 100 gallon tank once I need to start dosing it. There won't be a Ca reactor on that one.

[deaclauderdale]

I just ordered one so I may need to pick your brain once it arrives.

Reef keeping is life!

[cpllongjk]

Slief are you using the GHL controller or the Apex on your display?

I'm about to call Neptune tomorrow because I am seriously fed up with my Apex EB8. I have owned Neptune products for a very long time but this is the 2nd EB8 that has had issues.

My sockets keep dying or not supplying the correct amount of power which turns my devices off. I first noticed it on my last EB8, a socket would randomly just die or not supply any power. It would switch on and off just no power. Then I notice a different socket was supplying power just not enough to power anything. Essentially it was dimming the socket.

I had the EB8 serviced literally 12 months ago and have already had socket 8 die and now socket 5 is doing the "less power thing." I was wondering what was wrong with my skimmer because it was connected to socket 5 and low and behold power was being supplied just not enough.

I will definitely call Neptune tomorrow to figure out why this keeps happening and what they will do to help.

If you use the GHL Controller, does their powerbar have this issue? If Neptune keeps having this issue for me I will probably switch to GHL down the line if their product is more stable. It just really sucks because I have so much invested in Neptune just to drop them.

[yifan917]

How is the shimmer compares to the other brands of LED that you have seen or used?

Your tank is fantastic!

[slief]

Originally Posted by cpllongjk

Slief are you using the GHL controller or the Apex on your display?

I'm about to call Neptune tomorrow because I am seriously fed up with my Apex EB8. I have owned Neptune products for a very long time but this is the 2nd EB8 that has had issues.

My sockets keep dying or not supplying the correct amount of power which turns my devices off. I first noticed it on my last EB8, a socket would randomly just die or not supply any power. It would switch on and off just no power. Then I notice a different socket was supplying power just not enough to power anything. Essentially it was dimming the socket.

I had the EB8 serviced literally 12 months ago and have already had socket 8 die and now socket 5 is doing the "less power thing." I was wondering what was wrong with my skimmer because it was connected to socket 5 and low and behold power was being supplied just not enough.

I will definitely call Neptune tomorrow to figure out why this keeps happening and what they will do to help.

If you use the GHL Controller, does their powerbar have this issue? If Neptune keeps having this issue for me I will probably switch to GHL down the line if their product is more stable. It just really sucks because I have so much invested in Neptune just to drop them.

I have both on my main system but the Apex is my primary due to the fact that I have had the Apex since they were first released in 2010 and my Apex system is insanely large. . I am surprised to hear about your issues. I've got 6 EB8's and 5 EB4's on my system and never had an issue with any of them. Are you using a low current device on the outlet that won't turn on? How much amperage does it draw on that outlet?

I've had no issues with the Profilux either. They are GREAT controllers!

Originally Posted by yifan917

How is the shimmer compares to the other brands of LED that you have seen or used?

Your tank is fantastic!

There is shimmer but it's not Kessil shimmer. I've yet to see another light that generates the shimmer that the Kessils do but some people like that, some don't . The Mitras do put out a decent amount though and because the amount of power they can produce in such a small form factor, the Mitras shimmer is better than most of the other lights I've played with such as AI's and Radions or the Reeftechs that I ran years back.

[slief]

Originally Posted by deaclauderdale

I just ordered one so I may need to pick your brain once it arrives.

Reef keeping is life!

Join the GHL User Group on facebook. There are a few GHL US reps there as well as the guys from Germany and it's monitored 24x7.

[deaclauderdale]

Thank you.

Reef keeping is life!

[cpllongjk]

I assume it's low amperage since its just a DC skimmer and the controller
box. I would assume everything is only 20 watts max. The thing that shocks me though is that the switch doesn't go off or on, it's always on and I use the feed mode on the controller to turn the skimmer off/on. And the power is being supplied since the lights on the controller box are lit but there isn't enough to drive the pump.

I just got off the phone with tech support and they want me to send it in. Last time it cost almost 150 dollars. I might as well just buy a new one for that price.

[slief]

Originally Posted by cpllongjk

I assume it's low amperage since its just a DC skimmer and the controller
box. I would assume everything is only 20 watts max. The thing that shocks me though is that the switch doesn't go off or on, it's always on and I use the feed mode on the controller to turn the skimmer off/on. And the power is being supplied since the lights on the controller box are lit but there isn't enough to drive the pump.

I just got off the phone with tech support and they want me to send it in. Last time it cost almost 150 dollars. I might as well just buy a new one for that price.

Obviously the outlet is set to auto in the control panel? I assume this is just one outlet on the EB8 that is acting up? The reason I asked about the current draw of the device is that really low consumption devices such as peristaltic pumps or other things that are under a few watts can have issues when connected to the triac outlets and instead should be connected to outlets 4 or 8 which are the relay outlets. It doesn't sound like that is the issue though. Have you tried connecting an incandescent light to that outlet or something else to see if the outlet is truly not working right?

[cpllongjk]

Originally Posted by slief

Obviously the outlet is set to auto in the control panel? I assume this is just one outlet on the EB8 that is acting up? The reason I asked about the current draw of the device is that really low consumption devices such as peristaltic pumps or other things that are under a few watts can have issues when connected to the triac outlets and instead should be connected to outlets 4 or 8 which are the relay outlets. It doesn't sound like that is the issue though. Have you tried connecting an incandescent light to that outlet or something else to see if the outlet is truly not working right?

I will do that tonight. I found this out late last night and couldn't go hunting for a older light bulb or I would wake up the family.

[slojim]

This is a heckuva thread. Way back at the beginning, you show putting eggcrate on pvc pedestals with a little flow underneath to support your rock off the tank floor. I have put eggcrate down directly and I didn't like how it worked out. I was thinking of a pedestal - and you've done it. Any regrets or thoughts? Or is it one of those things that is there, but hard to tell if it is having any impact?
I know the rock should be fine on the glass, but I just don't like it. My other plan was just to silicone down some extra pieces of glass, but something like regular sheet glass from a frame shop or hardware store is pretty thin and brittle and I think it will just crack and produce sharp edges, so I'd need to get some thicker stuff from a glass shop. plastic sheet or acrylic would not stick well and I think I'd risk getting stuff trapped under there, eventually causing me grief.

[slief]

Originally Posted by slojim

This is a heckuva thread. Way back at the beginning, you show putting eggcrate on pvc pedestals with a little flow underneath to support your rock off the tank floor. I have put eggcrate down directly and I didn't like how it worked out. I was thinking of a pedestal - and you've done it. Any regrets or thoughts? Or is it one of those things that is there, but hard to tell if it is having any impact?
I know the rock should be fine on the glass, but I just don't like it. My other plan was just to silicone down some extra pieces of glass, but something like regular sheet glass from a frame shop or hardware store is pretty thin and brittle and I think it will just crack and produce sharp edges, so I'd need to get some thicker stuff from a glass shop. plastic sheet or acrylic would not stick well and I think I'd risk getting stuff trapped under there, eventually causing me grief.

That egg crate pedestal is long gone. It was removed when I redid my aquascape about 16 or 17 years ago. In my case it wasn't needed for a couple reasons. One because my tank is acrylic and two because I have a PVC manifold under my rocks surrounding my overflow that's connected to my closed loop pump and pushes water out from under my live rock to prevent detritus from settling down there. Also, when I redid my aquascape, I kept much more open space along the bottom of the tank though it's hard to see that because of all the coral.

In my 100 gallon tank that I just setup a few months ago, that tank is glass and I have a sheet of 1/2" pvc material on the bottom below the rock. Others have used tile to protect the bottom which is something I would suggest with a glass tank. The PVC egg crate pedestal is nice provided you have flow down low in the tank as that can help prevent detritus from settling down there which was the original intent of my egg crate pedestal.

[slojim]

tile sounds like a great idea, and I have some spare tile in the attic. I found a few threads that referenced it, recommending a silicone border. !/2 sheet pvc - doesn't that want to float? Did you glue it down? I'm sure the rocks keep it from floating, and I guess 1/2 is pretty rigid, so the ends don't lift to allow detritus underneath? Is that why you went with such a thick sheet?
Sorry if you covered this, I really have looked through the thread, but at 84 pages, Im still working my way through.

[slief]

Originally Posted by slojim

tile sounds like a great idea, and I have some spare tile in the attic. I found a few threads that referenced it, recommending a silicone border. !/2 sheet pvc - doesn't that want to float? Did you glue it down? I'm sure the rocks keep it from floating, and I guess 1/2 is pretty rigid, so the ends don't lift to allow detritus underneath? Is that why you went with such a thick sheet?
Sorry if you covered this, I really have looked through the thread, but at 84 pages, Im still working my way through.

That was never covered in the tank. Honestly, I don't know if it would have floated but I don't think so. When I bought the tank, the guy I got that tank from had the PVC sheet already so I used it. I put the rock in before adding water but there is very minimal rock in the tank so I don't think floating was an issue. As for detritus under it.. I don't think that's an issue either. It's flat on the bottom and the tank is bare bottom too. I'm not worried about a small amount of detritus under it even if some got under there. If I hadn't acquired the sheet of PVC with the tank, I would have gone that route anyway to protect the bottom fo the tank. That or travertine or some other kind of tile. Ultimately the bottom will be covered in coraline and have some corals on the bottom so I am not really concerned what the bottom looks like as it will be overgrown with stuff before long.