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Unread 04/24/2009, 08:06 PM   #101
Jay03GT
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That looks great! What time was that pic taken? I'm really considering doing this for my next setup.


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Unread 04/24/2009, 08:12 PM   #102
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I took it at 6 pm after I got home. At that point, the PC's were on. They come on at 4 pm and start going off at 930 in about 15 minute increments until 1030 ish. (Still tweeking the timers)


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Unread 04/24/2009, 08:20 PM   #103
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How are the corals adjusting?

They look good from a far.


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Unread 04/24/2009, 08:59 PM   #104
jdhuyvetter
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Chalice and montis responded almost immediately. Better polyp extension and growth. Acros "tanned" at first and then the color started to come back. Growth rates have improved too.


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Unread 04/26/2009, 09:57 AM   #105
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Quote:
Originally posted by CRASHJT
Very cool ....do you get the MH shimmer with that setup?
Now that the canopy is up, you don't get the glare in the entire room from the tubes. The shimmer is pretty intense. This pic was yesterday at noon. It's hard to catch the shimmer on a still photo, but look at how bright some of the tank is. With the tubes, you tend to get more of a shimmer line (at least I do). More like you would see diving or snorkeling. None of the supplemental actinics are on at the time the pic was taken.




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Unread 04/26/2009, 10:11 AM   #106
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This is a VERY nice way to reduce electricity. Your craftsmanship is awesome too!


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Unread 04/26/2009, 11:04 AM   #107
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Sadly, I can't claim credit for any of the craftsmanship. A friend at work builds furniture as a hobby. I gave him the stand design and he built it. As for the box out above the tank. That was more of a work in progress design (still is, we still have to put up the corner and edge trim). I just helped on that!

I do know my limitations.....I'll play with the PVC and liverock....need to find someone else to play carpenter!


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Current Tank Info: 300 gallon stony reef, 300 gallon softie tank, 120 gallon FW/Orchid tank
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Unread 04/26/2009, 01:46 PM   #108
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Quote:
Originally posted by jdhuyvetter
Sadly, I can't claim credit for any of the craftsmanship. A friend at work builds furniture as a hobby. I gave him the stand design and he built it. As for the box out above the tank. That was more of a work in progress design (still is, we still have to put up the corner and edge trim). I just helped on that!

I do know my limitations.....I'll play with the PVC and liverock....need to find someone else to play carpenter!
Is that African Mahogany that you had the stand made with? Regardless of the builder, it looks nice.


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Unread 04/26/2009, 01:47 PM   #109
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Awsome looking reeftank, you did a great job over there.

What happened to all those theories that direct sunlight where bad for reeftanks?

I guess this proves it wrong...

Congratulations on such a beautyfull tank


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Unread 04/26/2009, 02:01 PM   #110
jdhuyvetter
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Quote:
Originally posted by MeuserReef
Is that African Mahogany that you had the stand made with? Regardless of the builder, it looks nice.
Yes.


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Unread 04/29/2009, 09:49 AM   #111
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^


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Current Tank Info: 300 gallon stony reef, 300 gallon softie tank, 120 gallon FW/Orchid tank
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Unread 05/19/2009, 05:28 PM   #112
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What a beautiful project. I just finished reading the entire thread.

I didn't see it, so I was wondering if the PAR levels changed when you extended the tubes a few more inches closer to the tank. Did you see an increase, or perhaps a decrease because of the longer travel time?

It looks like it is going to work out really nicely, and I was really impressed with the final woodwork over the tank. When you said plywood, I wasn't thinking it would be something as pretty as when you ended up with.


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Unread 05/19/2009, 06:15 PM   #113
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No change in the PAR at the bottom of the tubes. The PAR at the water line went up about 100.

It is plywood. African mahagony veneer...but still plywood. $55/sheet. Natural finish. I put 4 coats of clear semigloss poly on it.


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"Great things happen when you start to add more light. The heavens open, angels sing and there is Peace on Earth" RockDoc

Current Tank Info: 300 gallon stony reef, 300 gallon softie tank, 120 gallon FW/Orchid tank
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Unread 05/19/2009, 08:12 PM   #114
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Great tank!

How has the light output held up the last couple of days with the rain & clouds? (Assuming that you have seen the same endless rain that G'ville has had)


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Unread 05/19/2009, 09:22 PM   #115
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it gets cloudy for days on end in the tropics too!


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Unread 05/19/2009, 09:45 PM   #116
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has anyone put a filter on the tubes to only let the higher spectrum through. off hand i cant think of a translucent coating that can stand up to the sun long term.

the color doesnt do it for me but i like it overall.


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Unread 05/20/2009, 12:37 AM   #117
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Quote:
Originally posted by BrassMonkey
has anyone put a filter on the tubes to only let the higher spectrum through. off hand i cant think of a translucent coating that can stand up to the sun long term.

the color doesnt do it for me but i like it overall.
Someone just tried out one with blue gel:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...4#post15041254


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Unread 05/20/2009, 06:09 AM   #118
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i have considered a blue tint on my system but don't want to limit the input to one wavelength. and now i like the natural sunlight look which is not what most are used to.

i was at the wholesalers this past weekend with a friend in the business and saw corals being unpacked just off the plane from Fiji. these acros were maricultured in shallow water with full sun and they were very colorful specimens. so the spectrum of the light doesn't make the corals less colorful. of course running only high K bulbs will change the perceived color of the coral but not its actual color.


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Unread 05/20/2009, 06:50 AM   #119
jdhuyvetter
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I put the acrylic back in the tubes, but left the diffuser off. With both I was losing almost 30% of my PAR. With just the colored acyrlic, I am losing about 12%. On a sunny day, without actinics, the tank still has a slight yellow tint, but not like before.

This was the lightest blue I could find locally.




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Be kind to animals.....kiss a shark!

"Great things happen when you start to add more light. The heavens open, angels sing and there is Peace on Earth" RockDoc

Current Tank Info: 300 gallon stony reef, 300 gallon softie tank, 120 gallon FW/Orchid tank
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Unread 05/20/2009, 06:52 AM   #120
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Quote:
Originally posted by ScottBev
Great tank!

How has the light output held up the last couple of days with the rain & clouds? (Assuming that you have seen the same endless rain that G'ville has had)
Pretty low. I haven't checked the peak PAR (at work when it occurs). Coral don't seem to mind.


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Current Tank Info: 300 gallon stony reef, 300 gallon softie tank, 120 gallon FW/Orchid tank
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Unread 06/18/2009, 06:42 AM   #121
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I paid the power bill last night. $120 less than the same time last year. So, for 3 full months with solatubes, I am averaging just over $100/month in power bill savings.

Unfortunately, a couple of the acros still don't look that good under natural sunlight (shades of fall acro and efflo are still brown.). My Oregon blue tort on the other hand looks even bluer and is growing faster! Growth rate on all corals is as good or better than MH's.


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Current Tank Info: 300 gallon stony reef, 300 gallon softie tank, 120 gallon FW/Orchid tank
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Unread 09/15/2009, 09:34 AM   #122
David - Miami
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Any updated pictures? Great thread.


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Unread 09/15/2009, 09:51 AM   #123
jdhuyvetter
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No, I need to take some this weekend. I've tore into two sections of the tank and pulled out a bunch of LR that was completely covered with palythoas. They had completely encrusted the rock and were stinging the SPS colonies from the base up. I've got one more section to go, but no more room in the frag tank.


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Be kind to animals.....kiss a shark!

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Current Tank Info: 300 gallon stony reef, 300 gallon softie tank, 120 gallon FW/Orchid tank
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Unread 09/15/2009, 10:04 AM   #124
NaClH20NMYVEIN
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Looks great! I have a few questions for you. Are you venting your canopy for heat & humidity? Are there any covers over the bottom of the solartube where the light exits? If not is there condensation forming in the dome? Any chance of a roof shot? Final question, Now that you have gone through a summer with these did you notice any hot spots where the solartube was focusing light in a very direct area and burning the corals? Another solartuber mentioned he was having this problem. Thanks!


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Unread 09/15/2009, 10:40 AM   #125
jdhuyvetter
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No, I'm not venting the canopy. It is open underneath up to the ceiling. I sealed the tubes at the ceiling line.

I put acrylic diffuser in the very bottom of the tubes to cut down on the "yellow". No condensation has occured to date.

I haven't had any problems with the summertime lighting. I've got two elbows on my tubes and they come into the tank at a slight angle. So, at no point do any of my corals have direct sunlight. It is always deflected off of the inside of the tubes. Also, I live in SW Florida. At the peak of the day, we start to get partly cloudy as the afternoon thunderstorms start to build. I'm far enough inland (about 25 miles from the beach) that this is almost a daily occurrance. If I was on the beach or in a state like AZ that gets intense sun with minimal clouds, this might be a problem.

As for a roof shot, I'll try to get some this weekend.


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Current Tank Info: 300 gallon stony reef, 300 gallon softie tank, 120 gallon FW/Orchid tank
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