NanoTopia's ZEOvit 80L [ ]

[Kayleen]

As always very nice shots. Your photos made our tank looks bad..

[Bello]

Looks great Christine! Beautiful pics

[zzl630]

 

This is what happens when you get a little carried away with filtration

 

 

 

 

 

 

All this for 20 gallons of salt water, I need help omgomgomg

Very nice! Really like your setup!

 

A little bit confusing here (didn't go through all posts), are you running Zeovit reactor without carbon reactor? I am new to Zeovit.

 

Are you still using bio-pellet reactor?Thanks

[NanoTopia]

I now run GAC in the Zeo-reactor (mesh bag).

 

No bio-pellets, only Zeovit.

[Hexadron]

I was staring at your setup photos yesterday. 'I just love what you've done with the place'

 

How are those Vertex Vessels? Would you reccomend them? I know it's basically just a container, but i'm planning in the future to start Ca, Alk, and Mag if I plan to keep SPS seriously, and they seem great!

 

I am debating between the 2.5L shorties or the 5L tall. Is the 5L just overkill for nano systems?

How long does the 2.5L shorties last before you refill your elements?

 

Thanks

[NanoTopia]

I was staring at your setup photos yesterday. 'I just love what you've done with the place'

 

How are those Vertex Vessels? Would you reccomend them? I know it's basically just a container, but i'm planning in the future to start Ca, Alk, and Mag if I plan to keep SPS seriously, and they seem great!

 

I am debating between the 2.5L shorties or the 5L tall. Is the 5L just overkill for nano systems?

How long does the 2.5L shorties last before you refill your elements?

 

Thanks

Thanks Jordon, all the Vertex Vessels leaked in one place or another, so I would not recommend them. I like the look of them so I fixed all 4, not something you should have to do for the price I paid. There are other alternatives including DIY with acrylic. The 2.5 L are big enough for a nano, 5 L is overkill, come to think of it I wonder why I didn't go with the 5 L ones

 

I get 3 months before I need to refill Ca/Alk. 6 months for Start3 and the Mg. Like I said, 2.5 is big enough.

[nicholc2]

I've never dosed before so I'm curious. Do you have it set up to automatically add a certain amount every day or does your reef keeper actively monitor parameters and add as needed? Or is it a combination of both?

[1reefluvr2]

Jesus that looks like a drug lab! Great pics tho

[NanoTopia]

I've never dosed before so I'm curious. Do you have it set up to automatically add a certain amount every day or does your reef keeper actively monitor parameters and add as needed? Or is it a combination of both?

Yes, I program a set amount to be dosed 6 times a day for Ca and Alk, twice a day for ZeoStart3 (carbon source) and once a day for Mg. I wish what you suggest was possible, controller sense Alk is getting low then dose appropriately, at this time I don't think that is possible. However, if someone was to invent a continual ALK and Ca probe it theoretically could happen.

 

You basically figure out your daily usage for each element then program the doser to deliver that amount in however many doses per day you want.

 

Jesus that looks like a drug lab! Great pics tho

It is...

 

 

 

Drugs for my corals

[Hexadron]

Thanks Jordon, all the Vertex Vessels leaked in one place or another, so I would not recommend them. I like the look of them so I fixed all 4, not something you should have to do for the price I paid. There are other alternatives including DIY with acrylic. The 2.5 L are big enough for a nano, 5 L is overkill, come to think of it I wonder why I didn't go with the 5 L ones

 

I get 3 months before I need to refill Ca/Alk. 6 months for Start3 and the Mg. Like I said, 2.5 is big enough.

 

Oh man, that's a bummer about them leaking. I really like they way they look as well. Probably not possible that you got 4 duds, so it must be a quality control issue. Not something you see too often from Vertex.

 

DIY+Me=Disaster The ones that Deckoz uses are pretty nice, from eBay, but I like the cylinders. Looks more 'science lab-esque' I am trying to keep color scheme to Black, White and/or red accents. May sound silly, but I hate when things mismatch haha.

 

That's pretty good. I would probably get even more mileage before refilling for a system my size.

 

Thanks for the info. The research continues...

[NanoTopia]

Millepora growth over 1.5 months for reference

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrWgNY7gJgI

[Polarcollision]

Did you see this: http://reefbuilders.com/2013/05/17/ai-hydra-led-coming-hot-95-watts-399/

[NanoTopia]

Did you see this: http://reefbuilders.com/2013/05/17/ai-hydra-led-coming-hot-95-watts-399/

Just had a look through, nice price, the retailers wont be able to keep them in stock when they come out. 95 watts with 415nm spectrum for $400, if Ai can build them as fast as they are selling they will put some other LED manufacturers into receivership, LOL. If I read it correctly these lights are better suited to LPS rather than SPS because they are a bluer spectrum...maybe-maybe not.

 

Nice to see the LED fixtures coming down in price but I'm still going to be looking for T5 for my next upgrade. Now I hope this somehow drives the price down on other LED fixtures in Ai's line and in other brands as well. I'm in the market for a small fully controlled LED for my ADA 7 gallon build in progress. I was looking/considering the Ai Nano or Maxspect Nano Razor for that, I would like to see the prices of those fixtures come down in price but I don't think they will. I think Ai is doing very good business these days, kudos to Aqua Illumination!

[nicholc2]

Just had a look through, nice price, the retailers wont be able to keep them in stock when they come out. 95 watts with 415nm spectrum for $400, if Ai can build them as fast as they are selling they will put some other LED manufacturers into receivership, LOL. If I read it correctly these lights are better suited to LPS rather than SPS because they are a bluer spectrum...maybe-maybe not.

 

Nice to see the LED fixtures coming down in price but I'm still going to be looking for T5 for my next upgrade. Now I hope this somehow drives the price down on other LED fixtures in Ai's line and in other brands as well. I'm in the market for a small fully controlled LED for my ADA 7 gallon build in progress. I was looking/considering the Ai Nano or Maxspect Nano Razor for that, I would like to see the prices of those fixtures come down in price but I don't think they will. I think Ai is doing very good business these days, kudos to Aqua Illumination!

I've seen from some reefers on here that the bluer spectrum is good for keeping some of the blue/purple sps because the UV light makes them keep their color for protection. I wouldn't see why these wouldn't be just fine for SPS. Plus with the AI controller you could really change a lot of the spectrum (kind of) if you needed to say bump up the whites and keep the UV on the lower side. I can't wait to see someone put these to the test!

[Polarcollision]

Just had a look through, nice price, the retailers wont be able to keep them in stock when they come out. 95 watts with 415nm spectrum for $400, if Ai can build them as fast as they are selling they will put some other LED manufacturers into receivership, LOL. If I read it correctly these lights are better suited to LPS rather than SPS because they are a bluer spectrum...maybe-maybe not.

 

Nice to see the LED fixtures coming down in price but I'm still going to be looking for T5 for my next upgrade. Now I hope this somehow drives the price down on other LED fixtures in Ai's line and in other brands as well. I'm in the market for a small fully controlled LED for my ADA 7 gallon build in progress. I was looking/considering the Ai Nano or Maxspect Nano Razor for that, I would like to see the prices of those fixtures come down in price but I don't think they will. I think Ai is doing very good business these days, kudos to Aqua Illumination!

Do you still run the WHT/BL/RB LED with 403nm stunner lighting combo on this tank? You have great coral colors despite everything I've read about wavelength spectrum making THE difference on color. Beginning to question whether coral coloration and vibrance has more (or at least equal) to do with nutrition than spectrum.

[NanoTopia]

Do you still run the WHT/BL/RB LED with 403nm stunner lighting combo on this tank? You have great coral colors despite everything I've read about wavelength spectrum making THE difference on color. Beginning to question whether coral coloration and vibrance has more (or at least equal) to do with nutrition than spectrum.

Yes still running the Vertex Led's, one is RB/BL, I have it at around 40% as well. So my overall spectrum at peak is 12K I would guess.

 

I think many things contribute to coral colours, both perceived and actual. With the adjustable spectrum led's you can make corals "look" the way you want to some degree but intense coloration is a combination spectrum, low nutrients, trace elements, food, flow, and what ever else you can think up. It's hard to get it right for all the corals at the same time, one colours up while another bleaches. I don't think I have it right for all corals in my tank but most are pretty happy and colouring up nicely.

 

Ever look at you tank with just bright natural light coming from the windows? If you see vibrant colours you got it right. Even diving on reefs at depth the corals look somewhat bland if not completely colourless, that is until you shine your LED light on them, wow, they colour up real fast. I think a lot of it is what the eye perceives. If a coral is healthy and growing and it gets the right nutrition, you can make it colour up with the right spectrum.

[NanoTopia]

I've seen from some reefers on here that the bluer spectrum is good for keeping some of the blue/purple sps because the UV light makes them keep their color for protection. I wouldn't see why these wouldn't be just fine for SPS. Plus with the AI controller you could really change a lot of the spectrum (kind of) if you needed to say bump up the whites and keep the UV on the lower side. I can't wait to see someone put these to the test!

Blue light makes blue bluer

 

Is the coral more colourful or does it look more colourful ?

 

The debates on spectrum don't really interest me any more, you can't keep all of the corals happy all the time with any one spectrum. In a mixed reef tank, what most people keep. I shoot for the middle, around 10-12K. Most corals seem to tolerate it and even grow a little.

 

Some corals will do better than others under this light, as with most lights. I can see this light being scooped up in numbers by people wanting a cost effective way to light BIG reefs and aquaculture.

[NanoTopia]

Dosed ZeoSpur2 tonight for the first time, will be interesting to see the results in 24 hours. Recommended Zeovit dose is 1mL for 25 gallons water every 8-10 days, I went conservative and did 0.25mL for my first try at it. OD of this product can be tragic, better to play it safe

[jedimasterben]

If I read it correctly these lights are better suited to LPS rather than SPS because they are a bluer spectrum...maybe-maybe not.

 

I've seen from some reefers on here that the bluer spectrum is good for keeping some of the blue/purple sps because the UV light makes them keep their color for protection. I wouldn't see why these wouldn't be just fine for SPS. Plus with the AI controller you could really change a lot of the spectrum (kind of) if you needed to say bump up the whites and keep the UV on the lower side. I can't wait to see someone put these to the test!

 

To shed a bit of light (pun intended ), all corals, not separated into LPS, SPS, etc, need the same blue light for both growth and fluorescence, and a little bit of the rest of the spectrum to regulate photosynthesis. Strongest at 428nm (chlorophyll a, 90%), less at 448nm (chlorophyll c, 10%), and less at 455-475nm (peridinin/neo-peridinin, which transfers up to 95% of its energy to chlorophyll a through a PCP chain). They have the ability to absorb small amounts of red light in the 660nm range thanks to the shoulder peaks of chlorophyll in that range, but I have yet to read any peer-reviewed data saying that they do.

 

Ultraviolet light (sub-400nm) has nothing to do with making corals healthier, it actually puts them on guard so-to-speak with a slimy clear coat that contains zero pigments and actually costs the coral energy to produce. Think of it like the UV plates put under halide bulbs, they cut out about 60% of the UV light that the halide puts out, the corals' clear coat does the same to prevent damage.

 

The four LEDs on the new AI fixture that emit in the violet spectra are dismal, at best, as they will have very low output and as soon as any other channel is activated, all fluorescence from them will be lost. To have an appreciable effect, very high output LEDs must be used (over 600mW or so at full current) and in numbers nearing those of the royal blue LEDs (which have output around 1500mW at full current). Having so few and so little output, they'd be far better off to simply put more royal blue LEDs, which will give higher growth potential since the output of the XT-E is around triple or quadruple that of the violet LEDs they are using.

 

Unfortunately that light isn't going to be any different from the current Vega color, which still doesn't have great color rendition from the stock unit thanks to the low-CRI cool white LEDs they use - you need to purchase four of the new pucks using a neutral white base at $50 apiece. They're also trying to trick people into thinking they're covering more 'spectral' ground by adding in Osram deep blue LEDs, which are just Osram's name for royal blue, and covers the same spectrum as the XT-E they are using, but at a higher cost and far lower output, so you're getting much less for your money.

 

My two cents.

[BadCrab]

I used to think I knew about LEDs, lol.

[nicholc2]

To shed a bit of light (pun intended ), all corals, not separated into LPS, SPS, etc, need the same blue light for both growth and fluorescence, and a little bit of the rest of the spectrum to regulate photosynthesis. Strongest at 428nm (chlorophyll a, 90%), less at 448nm (chlorophyll c, 10%), and less at 455-475nm (peridinin/neo-peridinin, which transfers up to 95% of its energy to chlorophyll a through a PCP chain). They have the ability to absorb small amounts of red light in the 660nm range thanks to the shoulder peaks of chlorophyll in that range, but I have yet to read any peer-reviewed data saying that they do.

 

Ultraviolet light (sub-400nm) has nothing to do with making corals healthier, it actually puts them on guard so-to-speak with a slimy clear coat that contains zero pigments and actually costs the coral energy to produce. Think of it like the UV plates put under halide bulbs, they cut out about 60% of the UV light that the halide puts out, the corals' clear coat does the same to prevent damage.

 

The four LEDs on the new AI fixture that emit in the violet spectra are dismal, at best, as they will have very low output and as soon as any other channel is activated, all fluorescence from them will be lost. To have an appreciable effect, very high output LEDs must be used (over 600mW or so at full current) and in numbers nearing those of the royal blue LEDs (which have output around 1500mW at full current). Having so few and so little output, they'd be far better off to simply put more royal blue LEDs, which will give higher growth potential since the output of the XT-E is around triple or quadruple that of the violet LEDs they are using.

 

Unfortunately that light isn't going to be any different from the current Vega color, which still doesn't have great color rendition from the stock unit thanks to the low-CRI cool white LEDs they use - you need to purchase four of the new pucks using a neutral white base at $50 apiece. They're also trying to trick people into thinking they're covering more 'spectral' ground by adding in Osram deep blue LEDs, which are just Osram's name for royal blue, and covers the same spectrum as the XT-E they are using, but at a higher cost and far lower output, so you're getting much less for your money.

 

My two cents.

I did a direct comparison side by side and this new fixture is using many of the same LEDs as the radion pro. So that one is using inferior LEDs as well???

[jedimasterben]

I did a direct comparison side by side and this new fixture is using many of the same LEDs as the radion pro. So that one is using inferior LEDs as well???

Yes, and unnecessary ones on top of that. You'll notice there are still lots of people that lose colors in certain corals using the Radion and Radion Pro.

[NanoTopia]

Guys, I really appreciate the valuable information you are providing here regarding LED's but maybe starting a new thread may be more appropriate for this discussion as more people could search it and add to it in the future

 

 

Christine

[nicholc2]

Guys, I really appreciate the valuable information you are providing here regarding LED's but maybe starting a new thread may be more appropriate for this discussion as more people could search it and add to it in the future

 

 

Christine

Sorry Christine, there actually is a thread on the new AI lights. Didn't mean to hijack your thread.

[jedimasterben]

Sorry Christine, there actually is a thread on the new AI lights. Didn't mean to hijack your thread.

Same here

 

Let's get it back on topic:

 

DAYUM GIRL LOOK AT THOSE CORALS