Considering Nano Box and have a few questions

[theishkid]

I'm trying to get back into the hobby after a five year break and I'm considering Nano Box for a future build. I have a few questions I'm hoping you all can help me with. I've spoke with Dave already and received some prices but want to get some user opinions.

 

I'm looking at a Duo 24" to hopefully go over a Cadlights 34G mini II.

 

I'm considering the Nano Box for this tank as well as a Maxspect Razor. The Razor is about $150 dollars cheaper than the base Duo 24. What do you feel you get for the extra money with a Nano Box setup? Better lighting/par/spectrum? Better coral growth? Better equipment quality in general?

It definitely seems like the Storm controller is an upgrade over the Razor, especially since the storm can do clouds and lightning... but are those just novelties of the new LED world? I also realize that the Razor has fewer time settings, but I came from an on/off world before and never had a problem so is it really worth the price difference?

 

I'm also considering some upgrades if I go with the Duo... A couple of moonlights. I really liked them in my old Current Outer Orbit on my 75 reef so I want to have that again.

 

I'm also curious about the Storm vs Storm X controller. Dave explained that it has more channels and the ability to fine tune control 0-4096 instead of 0-256. But how much of that fine tuning is needed? Is it worth the 50 dollar upgrade? Being new to this, can someone give me a scenario where I might need more channels for this tank down the road?

 

And while I'm on the subject of controllers, I'm very curious about the bluefish wifi controller. Is there any kind of hard wired controller as well? What happens if your router craps out and you lose wifi for a week? Can the lights still be toggled on/off or do you just lose all control?

 

And finally. I really think I want the PWM fan upgrade. Without these the fans would just run all the time full blast right? Or is this something that's not really worth the upgrade since you're lights are going to be on max except for the first hour in the morning when they are ramping up and the hour at night when they are fading out?

 

I really do think I'm leaning the Nano Box way. Based on the awesome designs/custom colors schemes, The very loyal customer base, and the very responsive customer service from Dave. I just have to justify it to myself first and save for a couple extra months to get my upgrades.

 

Thanks,
Brad

[Horerczy]

I have a nanobox tide w/ storm controller and have witnessed the Maxpect razor units firsthand.

 

Honestly the nanobox has better color rendering and overall color hands down. Not to say that a razor has bad color rendering mind you, the nanobox boards just have a better selection of diodes picked out giving it a better overall color. The build quality for both is very nice is different ways.

 

As far as the storm and storm X comparision goes honestly I'd stick with the regular storm unless you want 16 times the control of dimming levels or to link a bunch of lights together. The clouds and lightning is fun stuff even if it's not nessessary.

[jedimasterben]

I'm considering the Nano Box for this tank as well as a Maxspect Razor. The Razor is about $150 dollars cheaper than the base Duo 24. What do you feel you get for the extra money with a Nano Box setup? Better lighting/par/spectrum? Better coral growth? Better equipment quality in general?

Better diode selection for better color, less spotlighting and better color blending. Coral growth will happen no matter what light source you have and depends on intensity. The Nanobox will have better spread out of the box due to using no lenses. There are new reflectors available for the R420R family that increase spread and decrease spotlighting and hotspots, which brings them closer to the Nanobox line.

 

It definitely seems like the Storm controller is an upgrade over the Razor, especially since the storm can do clouds and lightning... but are those just novelties of the new LED world? I also realize that the Razor has fewer time settings, but I came from an on/off world before and never had a problem so is it really worth the price difference?

Tank running high-powered LEDs running only on/off can be really difficult to acclimate a tank/corals to. LEDs emit much more light than we can reliably see, especially blue and violet spectra, and it is far too easy to sear corals while the light can look very dim to us. Dimming is very useful in this regard for not only acclimation, but rarely do people need to run their lighting at 100% output to achieve high PAR readings.

 

For the clouds and lightning features, they are really only there because LEDs can do it and others can't. Lightning really wouldn't be useful, but cloud cover has potential - it would theoretically allow you to increase PAR significantly, but since the light would very in intensity throughout the day, it wouldn't burn corals. I've never personally seen how long the 'clouds' last on the Storm controllers, but I'd imagine that it doesn't last very long and I wouldn't rely on it for reducing overall DLI.

 

I'm also curious about the Storm vs Storm X controller. Dave explained that it has more channels and the ability to fine tune control 0-4096 instead of 0-256. But how much of that fine tuning is needed? Is it worth the 50 dollar upgrade? Being new to this, can someone give me a scenario where I might need more channels for this tank down the road?

Upgrading the number of channels on the Nanobox fixture itself needs to be done from the getgo - Dave's PCB only has two channels per puck of 11 diodes. The only upgrade that could be performed later on without purchasing and swapping out the PCB would be assigning each puck to its own pair of channels on the Storm X and programming them for left-to-right sunrise/sunset. So at sunrise, the first puck on the left would strike and begin its ramp, and a little while later the second puck from the left would strike and begin its ramp, etc, and at the end of the photoperiod as the pucks are dimming down, the far left would be the first to turn off, then the second a while later, etc. On the 24" Duo (Dave should totally just call it the quad lol) this would take 8 dimming channels if you wanted each of the pucks' two channels dimmed separately, plus another channel for moonlights. It would also take more drivers and wire (and time) to do it, which would increase cost a bit, but is pretty damn cool.

 

And while I'm on the subject of controllers, I'm very curious about the bluefish wifi controller. Is there any kind of hard wired controller as well? What happens if your router craps out and you lose wifi for a week? Can the lights still be toggled on/off or do you just lose all control?

The Bluefish will still function regardless of whether you are still connected to wifi - the only time it needs it is to update the settings or to check the weather and sunrise/sunset times for your simulated location. If it doesn't have updated data, it keeps what it currently has until it can check again.

 

And finally. I really think I want the PWM fan upgrade. Without these the fans would just run all the time full blast right? Or is this something that's not really worth the upgrade since you're lights are going to be on max except for the first hour in the morning when they are ramping up and the hour at night when they are fading out?

Dave runs the fans at 9v (I believe) and uses quiet fans from the get-go, so they are silent even in a quiet room.

 

 

 

Hopefully that helps with your decision

[theishkid]

Thank you Ben it does. It sounds like PWM fans aren't really worth the 40 dollar upgrade.

But doing moonlights and the Bluefish controller do sound like good options.

Of course options mean more money... But hopefully I'll get a chance to see some results with the Bluefish before I even order mine over the next month.

[DaveFason]

The moonlight option is a fun option. I would say the fans however are entirely up to you. The regular fans you can put on timers and have them come on and off right before the light come on/off.

 

Hope we can work something out!

 

-Dave

[theishkid]

Thanks again Dave. I have a good feeling we will. And when spending this much on a light I can't see myself skimping on one or two little options either. I just have to figure out how to get the wife to go along with it.

 

I do have one more question about the bluefish controller. I somewhat asked it earlier about what happens if you're wifi goes out. JediBen said it still works, it doesn't need wifi every day, basically it runs off whatever the last program you set it at.

But what if you loose wifi and you want/need to turn your lights on? Is there a way to do that manually from the Bluefish controller box?

Or is there some way of making an Ad Hoc wifi directly with the controller so you don't have to go through the router?

[DaveFason]

You will not be able to change the settings etc unless you are connected. If it loose connection it will stay on as long as it has power. Along with the last settings you programmed. I would go into the Bluefish and see what Spencer says on the adhoc.

 

You could go to someone elses place with WIFI and change the settings if they have WIFI I believe. Again I need to ask Spencer.

 

-Dave

[evilc66]

Because it uses the ElectricImp Wifi setup, you have to be connected to the internet. No ifs ands or buts about it. Adhoc will not work. You could tether it to your phone for a temporary internet connection though in emergencies, but you have to be connected to the internet for you to get into the settings.