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Nano Box Hybrid Owners Thread


Sully375

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I'm so excited to get my Hybrids in and hope it's ok to start this thread. Just curious how the few that have this light have it setup.

I'm going to be running two of these over my new build but until that tank gets here (7-8 weeks) I will replace my two Radion XR15's above my 30L with one of them. Since I'm in the planning phase I was just wondering how others have them setup so I can order my T5's.

 

Type of tank (LPS/SPS/mixed)

Size of tank

T5 combo

LED settings

schedule

 

My tank will be mixed but primarily SPS.

68x20x22 so I will see how well these light it.

Not sure on the combo yet.

I guess I will try to mimic the Radion settings?

I'll find out the schedule when I see how the tank reacts.

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B26FC1C8-7C25-4A0C-B939-CDB97AEFA268_zps

tank%20hybrid%202_zpsysbhgmaj.jpg

 

Tank is 24x16x16. LPS right now but will start adding SPS soon.

 

2 6700k t5 bulbs. I'm out of town, so I will come back with the LED settings.

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Anyone running their T5's on a timer yet? I am considering using my Apex for the T5 plug....

I am. Just on one of those regular power strips that has a timer built in. My apex is full :\

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Steensj2004

I am. Just on one of those regular power strips that has a timer built in. My apex is full :\

Yeah, I'm down to one plug left.... Dunno if I want to waste it...

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I've been looking for a used EB8, looks like I will just have to bite the bullet and order a new one before the light gets here.

 

Anyone manage to tinker with the settings and bulb combos yet? I'm going to order some bulbs and trying to decide what to get.

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Steensj2004

Running a few junk atinics from petco as I smooshed and broke my Giesemann bulbs..... Actually get good color, from these bulbs. I had one coral in the tank, an acan, the thing looks better than any coral over ever owned under this light. Color, extension, amazing. Grabbed a frogspawn and acid reflux zoa today, will see what they look like tonight when I get home.

 

Ordering the Giesemann bulbs again, so I'll see how that goes. I'll wait to change them till these ones crap out, changing bulbs will be a pita.

 

I only used one port on my apex for this light. The rest are on a power strip, the t5 use the controller for a timer, the LEDs run off bluefish. Anyone know of a good camera that works with bluefiah for a live feed?

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Get 6700k bulbs

 

I will be home in a few hours to give my settings. But I'm using my storm x, so not sure how that differs from the other controller.

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  • 1 month later...

Figured I should add these here instead of the other post since I started this one.

 

So I got one of my two hybrids in and hung it with mounts from a Dual computer screen holder I got off of Monoprice. I will be lowering it with wire later but this setup was both a test run before I mount above my new 130 when it gets here and to start acclimating corals to the new light before the move.

 

Here are my Radions hanging above my IM 30L from about 10 months ago when I first set it up.

 

14945477237_329a89baf8_c.jpgUntitled by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr

 

This is with the Hybrid of course:

 

18454517455_ebfc2aaa21_c.jpgUntitled by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr

 

18450273852_7f9512749b_c.jpgUntitled by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr

 

18456315111_a1c2500b11_c.jpgUntitled by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr

 

18444482635_6dc780aae8_c.jpgUntitled by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr

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Hey all! I'm new around here, putting together a new build and just wanted to ask some questions to people who are already using their Hybrids.

 

My Hybrid just came in yesterday, 4 LED Array + 4 T5's. My tank is scheduled to arrive Monday so I can start setting it up, until then I won't have any photos and I haven't even plugged the light in but I do have some questions I'm curious about that my fellow owners might be able to answer that I didn't realize until after I saw the unit in person. Obviously I already bought the unit so none of my questions are meant to shed any negative light on it (pun intended!), more just to ease my mind in that I made the right choice.

 

This is my first tank in about 5 years, my previous tank was up for about 3 years and I lit it exclusively with T5's, so I am really ignorant when it comes to LED setups. When it came to choosing my light for my new build (custom Miracles 70g 36x21x24) I spent probably 6 weeks doing nothing but reading about lights and researching all of the options. At the end of the day I knew I wanted a hybrid LED/T5 setup and it came down to the Nanobox Hybrid or the Pacific Sun Pandora Hyperion R2+. Obviously I chose the Nanobox and it was for multitude of reasons. With all of that said, now that I have had the unit in-hand I have some questions to those who already have them in use:

 

  • Will the lack of dedicated T5 bulb reflectors in favor of the milled aluminum negatively impact performance at all? I didn't even think to ask if the Hybrid had bulb reflectors and just assumed it did. The aluminum looks ok but it not nearly as reflective as what I am used to seeing.
  • Are the T5's controlled by an internal timer mechanism/integrated with the BlueFish or do I need to use a dedicated timer for the those?
  • Does the lack of optics on the LED's matter? I don't know enough about LED technology to understand the impact/purpose of the optics but I know almost all other LED fixtures out there have a variety of optics you can use (90 degree, 120 degree, etc). I don't know if optics are meant to just control the spread of the LED's or if they help "focus" them for better light intensity.
  • Since it only has the two holes for hanging via the cables, has anyone had a problem with it not staying properly balanced? I can imagine in some cases it wouldn't stay perfectly level the way it will be hung and I'm not about to go drilling holes in it to hang it a different way.
  • Can anyone tell me more about the LED array? I was honestly pleasantly surprised to find the NanoBox logo on the PCB. I was expecting it to be more of an "off the shelf" unit that Dave was using. What makes the NanoBox V3 array different from the competition?

I think that's all of my silly questions for now!

 

Thanks in advance, and by the way, my Hybrid came out GORGEOUS and it is an extremely well-built and solid feeling unit. It it much heavier than I imagined and it just feels like a high quality unit.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nanoboxreef/17295685315/in/photostream/

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Paleoreef103

Hey all! I'm new around here, putting together a new build and just wanted to ask some questions to people who are already using their Hybrids.

 

  • Will the lack of dedicated T5 bulb reflectors in favor of the milled aluminum negatively impact performance at all? I didn't even think to ask if the Hybrid had bulb reflectors and just assumed it did. The aluminum looks ok but it not nearly as reflective as what I am used to seeing.
  • Are the T5's controlled by an internal timer mechanism/integrated with the BlueFish or do I need to use a dedicated timer for the those?
  • Does the lack of optics on the LED's matter? I don't know enough about LED technology to understand the impact/purpose of the optics but I know almost all other LED fixtures out there have a variety of optics you can use (90 degree, 120 degree, etc). I don't know if optics are meant to just control the spread of the LED's or if they help "focus" them for better light intensity.
  • Since it only has the two holes for hanging via the cables, has anyone had a problem with it not staying properly balanced? I can imagine in some cases it wouldn't stay perfectly level the way it will be hung and I'm not about to go drilling holes in it to hang it a different way.
  • Can anyone tell me more about the LED array? I was honestly pleasantly surprised to find the NanoBox logo on the PCB. I was expecting it to be more of an "off the shelf" unit that Dave was using. What makes the NanoBox V3 array different from the competition?

I think that's all of my silly questions for now!

 

Thanks in advance, and by the way, my Hybrid came out GORGEOUS and it is an extremely well-built and solid feeling unit. It it much heavier than I imagined and it just feels like a high quality unit.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nanoboxreef/17295685315/in/photostream/

Hi! Welcome to the website!

To answer your questions for you.

1) The four T5s won't compete with the output of an ATI 4 bulb model in terms of output, but they will still put out plenty of light. It's pretty hard to put reflectors into that form factor and sometimes sacrifices have to be made. That being said, they're going to be much better off than lights that lack individual reflectors and the ballasts are excellent. They will add a good amount of PAR, but really they are to smooth out the look and distribution of the LEDs.

2) You can control them with Bluefish.

3) Nope. It's better for blending that they lack optics. Optics focus the light from the LEDs. You ever play with a maglight? You can adjust the optics on the maglight to give you a wide beam or a stronger, narrow beam. The problem is that this leads to color shadows if not done correctly. More and more manufacturers are moving away from optics for LEDs.

4) I'm not positive, but this doesn't seem to be a major issue with the light.

5) Dave uses a mix of Luxeon T, Luxeon ES, and Semi-LED violets. They are top of the line LEDs. There are two things that separate Dave's LED arrays from most other units. The first is that he uses warm and neutral white leds instead of cool white and discrete red diodes. This provides better LED color blending and top-notch color for warmer colors (reds and oranges are often washed out in other arrays that depend on cool white LEDs). The second thing is the use of Lime LEDs. Lime LEDs provide a visual brightness that many LED units lack. They're kind of hard to explain other than it gives the light an almost metal halide feel. After getting used to your unit, you'll immediately be able to tell when a unit you see in person lacks these limes.

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jedimasterben

Hi! Welcome to the website!

To answer your questions for you.

1) The four T5s won't compete with the output of an ATI 4 bulb model in terms of output, but they will still put out plenty of light. It's pretty hard to put reflectors into that form factor and sometimes sacrifices have to be made. That being said, they're going to be much better off than lights that lack individual reflectors and the ballasts are excellent. They will add a good amount of PAR, but really they are to smooth out the look and distribution of the LEDs.

2) You can control them with Bluefish.

3) Nope. It's better for blending that they lack optics. Optics focus the light from the LEDs. You ever play with a maglight? You can adjust the optics on the maglight to give you a wide beam or a stronger, narrow beam. The problem is that this leads to color shadows if not done correctly. More and more manufacturers are moving away from optics for LEDs.

4) I'm not positive, but this doesn't seem to be a major issue with the light.

5) Dave uses a mix of Luxeon T, Luxeon ES, and Semi-LED violets. They are top of the line LEDs. There are two things that separate Dave's LED arrays from most other units. The first is that he uses warm and neutral white leds instead of cool white and discrete red diodes. This provides better LED color blending and top-notch color for warmer colors (reds and oranges are often washed out in other arrays that depend on cool white LEDs). The second thing is the use of Lime LEDs. Lime LEDs provide a visual brightness that many LED units lack. They're kind of hard to explain other than it gives the light an almost metal halide feel. After getting used to your unit, you'll immediately be able to tell when a unit you see in person lacks these limes.

Actually, a couple of these aren't completely correct.

 

1) The ballasts used right now are Fulham Workhorse 3 models. These are instant-start ballasts, which are unfortunately incorrect for use with T5HO lamps. Users will note black 'burn marks' on the lamp ends, which is phosphor that is essentially burned off by the high voltage applied to the lamp without first heating the cathode. This reduces the total possible number of lamp restrikes (how many times it can be turned on) and for our reef purposes it significantly reduces the usable phosphor lifespan down to around 6 months, so the lamps will need replacement sooner. Think of it like the ballast forcing the lamp to start instantly by shoving buckets of power into it. That information and more here: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/403576/5614590/1265215321607/Ballasts-Advance.pdf

 

Ballast specifications: http://www.fulham.com/PDFs/SpecSheets/WH3-120-C-2006-21SP.pdf

 

2) The T5 cannot be controlled by the Bluefish Mini at this time unless you wire in a 3.3v 3mA relay.

 

4) The entire housing is milled aluminum, so it is very heavy and solid, so with the mounts being directly in the middle, unless you have the power cord pulled tightly from it, it will hang evenly :)

 

5) What Paleo said. More info on the arrays: http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/355869-nano-box-v3-array-lime-luxeon-t-uv/ Some sample photos of my tank under them: http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/360629-jedimasterbens-nano-box-reef-ati-sunpower-retrofit/

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Paleoreef103

Actually, a couple of these aren't completely correct.

 

1) The ballasts used right now are Fulham Workhorse 3 models. These are instant-start ballasts, which are unfortunately incorrect for use with T5HO lamps. Users will note black 'burn marks' on the lamp ends, which is phosphor that is essentially burned off by the high voltage applied to the lamp without first heating the cathode. This reduces the total possible number of lamp restrikes (how many times it can be turned on) and for our reef purposes it significantly reduces the usable phosphor lifespan down to around 6 months, so the lamps will need replacement sooner. Think of it like the ballast forcing the lamp to start instantly by shoving buckets of power into it. That information and more here: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/403576/5614590/1265215321607/Ballasts-Advance.pdf

 

Ballast specifications: http://www.fulham.com/PDFs/SpecSheets/WH3-120-C-2006-21SP.pdf

 

I thought you had talked him into programmed start ballasts and I remember seeing someone with their T5s controlled. I suppose most programmed start ballasts are longer than the driver box Dave uses. Ah well.

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jedimasterben

I thought you had talked him into programmed start ballasts and I remember seeing someone with their T5s controlled. Ah well.

Dave is still working on the proper ballasts. HEP wholesale is apparently a joke in the US, but he is on it like white boy on a chinese company that probably likes rice :)

 

 

I was planning to control my T5 but haven't at this time. I have the stuff ordered to do it, though, so hopefully it'll arrive this weekend :)

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Hey all! I'm new around here, putting together a new build and just wanted to ask some questions to people who are already using their Hybrids.

 

My Hybrid just came in yesterday, 4 LED Array + 4 T5's. My tank is scheduled to arrive Monday so I can start setting it up, until then I won't have any photos and I haven't even plugged the light in but I do have some questions I'm curious about that my fellow owners might be able to answer that I didn't realize until after I saw the unit in person. Obviously I already bought the unit so none of my questions are meant to shed any negative light on it (pun intended!), more just to ease my mind in that I made the right choice.

 

This is my first tank in about 5 years, my previous tank was up for about 3 years and I lit it exclusively with T5's, so I am really ignorant when it comes to LED setups. When it came to choosing my light for my new build (custom Miracles 70g 36x21x24) I spent probably 6 weeks doing nothing but reading about lights and researching all of the options. At the end of the day I knew I wanted a hybrid LED/T5 setup and it came down to the Nanobox Hybrid or the Pacific Sun Pandora Hyperion R2+. Obviously I chose the Nanobox and it was for multitude of reasons. With all of that said, now that I have had the unit in-hand I have some questions to those who already have them in use:

 

  • Will the lack of dedicated T5 bulb reflectors in favor of the milled aluminum negatively impact performance at all? I didn't even think to ask if the Hybrid had bulb reflectors and just assumed it did. The aluminum looks ok but it not nearly as reflective as what I am used to seeing.
  • Are the T5's controlled by an internal timer mechanism/integrated with the BlueFish or do I need to use a dedicated timer for the those?
  • Does the lack of optics on the LED's matter? I don't know enough about LED technology to understand the impact/purpose of the optics but I know almost all other LED fixtures out there have a variety of optics you can use (90 degree, 120 degree, etc). I don't know if optics are meant to just control the spread of the LED's or if they help "focus" them for better light intensity.
  • Since it only has the two holes for hanging via the cables, has anyone had a problem with it not staying properly balanced? I can imagine in some cases it wouldn't stay perfectly level the way it will be hung and I'm not about to go drilling holes in it to hang it a different way.
  • Can anyone tell me more about the LED array? I was honestly pleasantly surprised to find the NanoBox logo on the PCB. I was expecting it to be more of an "off the shelf" unit that Dave was using. What makes the NanoBox V3 array different from the competition?

I think that's all of my silly questions for now!

 

Thanks in advance, and by the way, my Hybrid came out GORGEOUS and it is an extremely well-built and solid feeling unit. It it much heavier than I imagined and it just feels like a high quality unit.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nanoboxreef/17295685315/in/photostream/

Bryan,

Dropped you an email back. Just got back in town!

 

Everyone else thanks for responding!

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