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NanoTopia's ADA 30c [ FLIR ]


NanoTopia

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I owned a Tunze DOC 9015 skimmer before, and I absolutely hated it! The body as you mentioned was flimsy, and if you looked at the skimmer funny, it'd fall apart. And they were grossly overrated. I barely ever used it, and couldn't even resell it for decent value. I do see a lot of nano keepers happy with the 9002, so didn't really wanna comment.

 

Tunze's pumps and ato are top notch though :)

 

Good call on the IM skimmer! :)

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Thanks for the information Bello, I have always been a fan of Tunze but never used their skimmers, now I know why. BRS only ships to Canada once a week (Friday's) so I wont have the skimmer for two weeks but I look for ward to looking at it. I guess I am taking a bit of a chance with the IM skimmer but I have little to choose from with such a small foot print. I will let everyone know what I think of it when I get it going.

 

 

Christine

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I was considering the Tunze 9002 but due to the availability issues I ended up going for a Tunze 9004, should arrive soon. It was my first choice anyway and suited my needs better. It looks like the newer Tunze skimmers are much better built then their older ones but then again I can't really comment until mine arrives and I can have a play with it.

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From what I have read the Innovative Marine products are made with very good quality components. I don't know if it would meet your needs Christine, but have you seen the largest size Gnome Glass skimmers? They are so sexy. I'm guessing though, with what you have in mind, may not be adequate?

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I agree the Gnome skimmers are sexy but I want something that is a little more aggressive. I will see in about two weeks what the quality is first hand with the IM skimmer. I have read the air line clogs quite a bit on the IM but this can be rectified with turning it off/on once a day or if need be, some modifications to the diameter of the air line hose. In any event if I find it is prone to overflowing I will install a float valve in the skimmer cup in case.

 

Everything is ordered or here already for the build, just the lighting I am waiting on now, still undecided...AI Nano or Maxspect Razor Nano. Will see how things play out in the next month. I am leaning to the white finish and AI nano right now. There are other options as well available which I have been looking at. Really up in the air for light fixture ATM.

 

Christine

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Deleted User 4

Mmmm Just remember you're going to have 2 wires for the ai nano sol. One for the ai nano hardware unit itself and the other for the controller. Unless you pay another $50 for a wireless adapter or don't even purchase the controller $80.

 

Also there's the ai director.

 

Maxspect is set at $290 for a built-in controller and won't need to spend extra bucks for the features. And has a better spectrum. But I have seen ai nano sol sustain some healthy sps like this guy right here.

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Mmmm Just remember you're going to have 2 wires for the ai nano sol. One for the ai nano hardware unit itself and the other for the controller. Unless you pay another $50 for a wireless adapter or don't even purchase the controller $80.

 

Also there's the ai director.

 

Maxspect is set at $290 for a built-in controller and won't need to spend extra bucks for the features. And has a better spectrum. But I have seen ai nano sol sustain some healthy sps like this guy right here.

The AI has more control options than the Razor, but people are saying the Razor has better spectrum. Sectrum is more important overall to me but we are talking about a light that hasn't even come out yet. I would like to see reviews before I commit to the Razor, another reason I am waiting on the purchasing a light fixture. I am not in a rush for it as the build will take some time and I will not have the ADA until July :)

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Paleoreef103

Maxspect is set at $290 for a built-in controller and won't need to spend extra bucks for the features. And has a better spectrum. But I have seen ai nano sol sustain some healthy sps like this guy right here.

That video just made me realize how small that tank is. Seriously, that six line wrasse is just not a good choice for that tank...Seriously, it just looks cramped.

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Deleted User 4

The AI has more control options than the Razor, but people are saying the Razor has better spectrum. Sectrum is more important overall to me but we are talking about a light that hasn't even come out yet. I would like to see reviews before I commit to the Razor, another reason I am waiting on the purchasing a light fixture. I am not in a rush for it as the build will take some time and I will not have the ADA until July :)

 

Yeah that's true. White always looks better on ada anyways.

 

That video just made me realize how small that tank is. Seriously, that six line wrasse is just not a good choice for that tank...Seriously, it just looks cramped.

 

But did you see his corals especially sps? They're flourishing to the max.

His tank is what I call a success that not many reefers can accomplish running their tanks under ai nano.

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Did a little research and have come to realize that every nano skimmer is going to produce micro bubbles, I know I have had this experience in the past also. There is no perfect skimmer but upon further research I think the Innovative Marine Skimmer will work best despite it's micro bubble production. So I have designed a sump that I think will help solve any issues I may have with bubbles. the baffles should eliminated most if not all the micro bubbles coming from the skimmer and the overflow.

 

 

8667119358_45bb7d3083.jpg8666017575_22a74b9928.jpg
I think this should work just fine but feel free to offer any comments here :)

 

Your baffles may be too close together to prevent the microbubbles from flowing through based on the amount of flow expected from pump.The closer together the baffles are the faster the water moves giving the bubbles no choice but to whip along in the current. My baffles are set the same distance apart as yours in the diagram (0.5inch ~12mm) they are 23 inches tall and 4 inches wide. If I run any more than 200gph through them I start to get microbubbles. I wish I had set them further apart to slow down the flow and give the bubbles more time to dissipate.

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Your baffles may be too close together to prevent the microbubbles from flowing through based on the amount of flow expected from pump.The closer together the baffles are the faster the water moves giving the bubbles no choice but to whip along in the current. My baffles are set the same distance apart as yours in the diagram (0.5inch ~12mm) they are 23 inches tall and 4 inches wide. If I run any more than 200gph through them I start to get microbubbles. I wish I had set them further apart to slow down the flow and give the bubbles more time to dissipate.

I suspect your right, I am dealing with a small area to work with, I may be able to widen the baffles a bit. I'm expecting to pump 400-450gph through the sump. I also expect to have a good amount of micro bubble from the skimmer to deal with. Thanks for your input :)

 

Langley huh, were neighbours :happydance:

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TheKleinReef

I agree the Gnome skimmers are sexy but I want something that is a little more aggressive. I will see in about two weeks what the quality is first hand with the IM skimmer. I have read the air line clogs quite a bit on the IM but this can be rectified with turning it off/on once a day or if need be, some modifications to the diameter of the air line hose. In any event if I find it is prone to overflowing I will install a float valve in the skimmer cup in case.

 

Everything is ordered or here already for the build, just the lighting I am waiting on now, still undecided...AI Nano or Maxspect Razor Nano. Will see how things play out in the next month. I am leaning to the white finish and AI nano right now. There are other options as well available which I have been looking at. Really up in the air for light fixture ATM.

 

Christine

 

 

just saw this: maybe another gadget you'd enjoy? :P

http://reefbuilders.com/2013/04/22/royal-exclusiv-capactive-level-sensor/

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just saw this: maybe another gadget you'd enjoy? :P

http://reefbuilders.com/2013/04/22/royal-exclusiv-capactive-level-sensor/

Yes I saw that yesterday, no need for this really, float switches work quite well IMO. For this build I would like to keep the gadgets to a bare minimum as there is just no space for extras. Thanks for posting it though, I wonder how reliable the proximity switches are really.

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TheKleinReef

Yes I saw that yesterday, no need for this really, float switches work quite well IMO. For this build I would like to keep the gadgets to a bare minimum as there is just no space for extras. Thanks for posting it though, I wonder how reliable the proximity switches are really.

LOW ON GADGETS? Nahhh

haha just thought i would share. :)

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Not in a hurry at all, still undecided on the fixture. 6-8 weeks fits in perfect for me if I go with the Razor. I just find it funny when LFS have a Pre-Order on a piece of equipment not due out for 2 months, guess it creates hype and demand, like Apple does with their stuff :). If I go with the Razor I will just buy it when it comes out.

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FishBrawler
Not in a hurry at all, still undecided on the fixture. 6-8 weeks fits in perfect for me if I go with the Razor. I just find it funny when LFS have a Pre-Order on a piece of equipment not due out for 2 months, guess it creates hype and demand, like Apple does with their stuff :). If I go with the Razor I will just buy it when it comes out.
I think you have too....
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Nano sapiens

I think that's a smart move not to jump on the Nano Razor right away. It's going to be around for a good while, anyway, once it truly is available.

 

The spectrum/power is great for a small Nano tank, but I'll also be looking at how well the fixture spreads the light, what 'disco-effect' might be present (if any) and how high the unit can to be positioned without causing undue light spillage.

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I think that's a smart move not to jump on the Nano Razor right away. It's going to be around for a good while, anyway, once it truly is available.

 

The spectrum/power is great for a small Nano tank, but I'll also be looking at how well the fixture spreads the light, what 'disco-effect' might be present (if any) and how high the unit can to be positioned without causing undue light spillage.

I agree, I like the spectrum of the Razor and the control and overall reliability of the Ai Nano.

 

I am already hearing about overheating issues with the 120w Razor, I'm not keen on the passive heat transfer, with that many LEDs burning the temp is bound to go up and if anything, shorten the life of the emitters. I like the look of the Razor and the fact they have implemented 410-420nm range in the cluster, probably the only two reasons I would choose the Razor over the Ai Nano.

 

We should start to see and hear about the Nano Razor in a couple of weeks time, I'm looking forward to what people have to say about it after actually putting it over a tank. I definitely won't be PRE-Ordering it !

 

Christine

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Nano sapiens

Yes, I've seen a few of the reports regarding overheating. My understanding was that they used passive and active cooling with a fan if the temp increased too much for the 160W and 120W.

 

Looks like an active cooling feature may be missing on the Nano Razor (from a report in 'Reef-Builders):

 

Notably absent in our first look of the Razor Nano LED is any kind of active cooling fan but the finned cooling “wings” of the Razor Nano look more than capable to handle the thermal load.

 

 

Before the Nano Razor was announced I was looking at the Giesseman Teszla. Build quality on this unit would be top notch no doubt, but the simple built-in controller doesn't have the features that I'd like. The company was supposed to have a Blue-tooth connection to your PC to allow for more advanced programming, but people are still waiting.

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The Teszla is a bit too powerful for my application and the price point ($500) is more than I wanted to pay for lighting on this tank. With all the nano fixtures I am aware of, the Ai Nano is still the best bet, that is unless the reviews are amazing for the nano Razor. I really want that 410-420nm spectrum though. I still have time to decide.

 

Made some good headway on the stand today, it's looking awesome. On recommendation from a structural engineer friend of mine I increased the width of the base a bit to give it more stability, the base looks a bit big but it will be stable and safe. I also added levelling feet on the bottom.

 

Received my first order from BRS today, some SCH80 PVC fittings and tubing. Second order with the skimmer and some more fittings coming next week. Not cutting any corners on this build, I have ordered a few extras I may not need but I can always use them one day.

 

 

8685292194_7b6bfd0073_z.jpg

 

 

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