Review: Hybrid ATI 4x60 plus 8 NanoBox v3.1 Arrays

[markalot]

Howdy,

 

it's been over a month since I switched from all T5 to the Nanobox Hybrid and I wanted to post a review. This was a scratch and dent fixture so no review of the looks of the unit, but what is important to me is how my corals, mostly Acropora, color and grow under this beast. I'm extremely happy to say it's awesome! I get shimmer, more pop, and all the corals seem to love it.

 

Here is the fixture (pictures from Dave)

 

 

 

The light is programmed with 5 channels and I set them up to look natural to my eyes for both mornings and mid day. This means a nice green/blue mornings and evenings and a white that matches my T5 combination of 2 blue+ and 2 coral+. I double checked everything with a PAR meter to make sure it was very similar in PAR and to avoid burning any corals.

 

LED's ramp up at 10AM to Morning at 11AM

Midday ramps up at 12PM to full at 1PM

Midday ramps back down at 8PM to evening at 9PM

Evening ramps down at 9:30 until off at 10:30

 

T5's (2 blue+, 2 coral+) are on from 2PM until 7:30PM (5.5 hours)

 

On the controller this equates to the following settings:

 

Morning Start 10:00AM

Morning Length: 120 minutes

Morning Ramp: 60 minutes

Midday Ramp: 60 minutes

Evening Length: 90 minutes

Evening Ramp: 60 minutes

 

 

Morning/Evening:

 

Royal Blue: 75%

Blue/Cyan: 100%

Lime: 5%

 

Midday:

 

Royal Blue: 75%

Blue/Cyan: 100%

Lime: 80%

Violet: 50%

Whites: 25:

 

I love the way this looks, and I love the control I have so the lighting does not look like the garish purple/blue tint that most LED fixtures produce. I liked it SO much I ended up buying a NanoBox Quad to go over my 40 breeder to replace a Maxspect Razor. That tank is now all LED and it doesn't look like it. For me, and my money, that's really the best thing I can say about the NanoBox lights.

 

So how about the Bluefish controller? Well, it works, I'm happy with it, and technical support from Spencer is fast and helpful. The Bluefish controller requires a good internet connection to setup and recover from power failures. If it loses internet it will still remember the program but if you lose both internet and power the light goes dark until it can sync back up and download your lighting schedule. This old man was taken aback at first, but the fact is if my internet goes down I have the wife and kids screaming at me to get it fixed so the lights are the least of my worries. Just keep this in mind if you have a sketchy connection.

 

The Bluefish app only comes on Android or iPhones but fortunately I have a touchscreen windows laptop on which I installed Remix OS (Android on the PC). This allows me to adjust the controller without fiddling with a tiny phone. The Bluefish app says designed for phones but it looks and functions perfectly both maximized and in a resizable window (Remix feature) on the laptop.

 

For me, the most important aspect of this light is: how have the corals responded? I'm looking for the similar or better colors and good growth, nothing miraculous. I can say all the corals seem extremely happy, both SPS and LPS. My Acans, which have never been happy in this tank, are loving life. In short, I could not be happier. The tank looks great to the eye, has a nice shimmer instead of the flat T5 look, and coral colors and health are excellent.

 

I think the photos speak for themselves.

 

First picture of each set taken under 6 T5's (3 blue+, 3 coral+) 5 days before hanging up the Nanobox Hybrid. All pictures taken with all lights on (T5's and Midday).

 

Katropora before

 

Now

 

Before

 

Now

 

Before

 

Now

 

Red Robin before

 

Now (I've spent 1.5 years trying to color this thing up )

 

Before

 

Now

 

Lokani before

 

Now

 

Before

 

Now

[TheKleinReef]

This makes me want to rip out 2 bulbs in my ATI and put in 6 LED arrays.

[markalot]

Some other recent pictures under the NanoBox Hybrid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FTS under all lights.

 

 

[metrokat]

This makes me want to rip out 2 bulbs in my ATI and put in 6 LED arrays.

Ya but Dave is the magic sauce.

Nice review Mark.

[TheKleinReef]

Ya but Dave is the magic sauce.Nice review Mark.

I could no way do that myself. Hahah

[DaveFason]

#justnanoboxit

This makes me want to rip out 2 bulbs in my ATI and put in 6 LED arrays.

 

Thanks for the review Mark. What I love about this is your documentation of the switch. I really look forward over the next few months to see how things progress even more. You even inspired me to set my losers back up.

Howdy,

 

it's been over a month since I switched from all T5 to the Nanobox Hybrid and I wanted to post a review. This was a scratch and dent fixture so no review of the looks of the unit, but what is important to me is how my corals, mostly Acropora, color and grow under this beast. I'm extremely happy to say it's awesome! I get shimmer, more pop, and all the corals seem to love it.

 

Here is the fixture (pictures from Dave)

 

 

 

The light is programmed with 5 channels and I set them up to look natural to my eyes for both mornings and mid day. This means a nice green/blue mornings and evenings and a white that matches my T5 combination of 2 blue+ and 2 coral+. I double checked everything with a PAR meter to make sure it was very similar in PAR and to avoid burning any corals.

 

LED's ramp up at 10AM to Morning at 11AM

Midday ramps up at 12PM to full at 1PM

Midday ramps back down at 8PM to evening at 9PM

Evening ramps down at 9:30 until off at 10:30

 

T5's (2 blue+, 2 coral+) are on from 2PM until 7:30PM (5.5 hours)

 

On the controller this equates to the following settings:

 

Morning Start 10:00AM

Morning Length: 120 minutes

Morning Ramp: 60 minutes

Midday Ramp: 60 minutes

Evening Length: 90 minutes

Evening Ramp: 60 minutes

 

 

Morning/Evening:

 

Royal Blue: 75%

Blue/Cyan: 100%

Lime: 5%

 

Midday:

 

Royal Blue: 75%

Blue/Cyan: 100%

Lime: 80%

Violet: 50%

Whites: 25:

 

I love the way this looks, and I love the control I have so the lighting does not look like the garish purple/blue tint that most LED fixtures produce. I liked it SO much I ended up buying a NanoBox Quad to go over my 40 breeder to replace a Maxspect Razor. That tank is now all LED and it doesn't look like it. For me, and my money, that's really the best thing I can say about the NanoBox lights.

 

So how about the Bluefish controller? Well, it works, I'm happy with it, and technical support from Spencer is fast and helpful. The Bluefish controller requires a good internet connection to setup and recover from power failures. If it loses internet it will still remember the program but if you lose both internet and power the light goes dark until it can sync back up and download your lighting schedule. This old man was taken aback at first, but the fact is if my internet goes down I have the wife and kids screaming at me to get it fixed so the lights are the least of my worries. Just keep this in mind if you have a sketchy connection.

 

The Bluefish app only comes on Android or iPhones but fortunately I have a touchscreen windows laptop on which I installed Remix OS (Android on the PC). This allows me to adjust the controller without fiddling with a tiny phone. The Bluefish app says designed for phones but it looks and functions perfectly both maximized and in a resizable window (Remix feature) on the laptop.

 

For me, the most important aspect of this light is: how have the corals responded? I'm looking for the similar or better colors and good growth, nothing miraculous. I can say all the corals seem extremely happy, both SPS and LPS. My Acans, which have never been happy in this tank, are loving life. In short, I could not be happier. The tank looks great to the eye, has a nice shimmer instead of the flat T5 look, and coral colors and health are excellent.

 

I think the photos speak for themselves.

 

First picture of each set taken under 6 T5's (3 blue+, 3 coral+) 5 days before hanging up the Nanobox Hybrid. All pictures taken with all lights on (T6's and Midday).

 

Katropora before

 

 

Now

 

 

Before

 

 

Now

 

 

Before

 

 

Now

 

 

Red Robin before

 

 

Now (I've spent 1.5 years trying to color this thing up )

 

 

Before

 

 

Now

 

 

Lokani before

 

 

Now

 

 

Before

 

 

Now

 

[markalot]

#justnanoboxit

 

Thanks for the review Mark. What I love about this is your documentation of the switch. I really look forward over the next few months to see how things progress even more. You even inspired me to set my losers back up.

 

Thanks Dave, the light is fabulous. I would have done the review a couple of week ago but I let the Alk drop too low and lost some color. Fortunately things turned around quickly after correcting the problem.

 

I can't stress enough how good these LED pucks look. I have been able to tune these arrays so that the light is an extremely pleasant blue/white that looks really pleasing to the eye. I could never get this look with either my Razor or a ReefBreeder fixture.

[spectra]

Looks good can not wait to get mine going.

 

How are things looking now?

[Sherman]

Wow Mark can I share your thread here in Singapore

[WRX]

Nice review, posts like this convinced me to order a 24" retro with 4 t5 and 4 led arrays.

[markalot]

Keeping this updated, it just keeps getting better. This pink one is directly under one of the arrays.

 

 

 

My Red Robin is very sensitive to water params but when it's in the zone colors are pretty darn good.

 

 

 

 

I will never go back to all T5, this hybrid fixture is amazing, especially when only the LED's are on. I have the channels adjusted so I get a very nice blue look without any hints of purple.

 

Cyan (Rebel Blue and Rebel Cyan) 100%
RB and Violet 80%
Lime 70%
White 15%

 

I run full for 6 hours with a 1 hour ramp on either side. Cyan, RB, and Violet on for 10 hours with 1 hour ramp up and down for a total of 12 hours lights on.

 

T5's on for 6 hours, 2 Blue+, 2 Coral+

[DaveFason]

Looking wonderful! I will be sharing this info to others.

-Dave

[braaap]

Keeping this updated, it just keeps getting better. This pink one is directly under one of the arrays.

 

 

 

My Red Robin is very sensitive to water params but when it's in the zone colors are pretty darn good.

 

 

 

 

I will never go back to all T5, this hybrid fixture is amazing, especially when only the LED's are on. I have the channels adjusted so I get a very nice blue look without any hints of purple.

 

Cyan (Rebel Blue and Rebel Cyan) 100%

RB and Violet 80%

Lime 70%

White 15%

 

I run full for 6 hours with a 1 hour ramp on either side. Cyan, RB, and Violet on for 10 hours with 1 hour ramp up and down for a total of 12 hours lights on.

 

T5's on for 6 hours, 2 Blue+, 2 Coral+

 

 

 

Looks very good Mark. Could you give tank dimensions and how far off the water surface you have the light running please?

[markalot]

 

 

 

Looks very good Mark. Could you give tank dimensions and how far off the water surface you have the light running please?

 

72 long x 18 wide x 27 inches deep. I run the fixture about 9" above the water line (used to be 10" until last week) and the tank is covered with plexiglass to reduce evaporation and keep the fish in. I supplement with two BML LED strips running the blue and violet channels only.

 

 

PAR map at 9" with T5's on (front to back) coral+, blue+, coral+, blue+

[markalot]

Still going strong.

 

September 2016

 

Latest

 

Bulbs 2 coral+, 2 blue+ for 7 hours

LED, running the blue, cyan, and violet channels at 85% for 10 hours with 1 hours dimming both sides for a total of 12 hours on.

Lime 50% and white 5% for 8 hours (includes 30 minute dimming each side of the t5 cycle)

 

I found backing off the LED's a bit improved some acro colors and had a negative impact on a few others.  It's a balancing act for sure.  I actually prefer the look of the tank when the T5's are off as the colors are spectacular.  Without fail every non acropora coral looks better and colors better with LEDs instead of T5.  Damn acros.  If I ever tire of the little primadonnas I will probably run LED only and have plenty of PAR for good growth and color.

 

LED only with limes at 10% (dimming down for the night).

[DaveFason]

Thank you for the update Mark! Looking incredible. 

-Dave

[DaveFason]

@markalot any chance you are able to take wide top down shots when life slows down?

-Dave

[markalot]

1 minute ago, DaveFason said:

@markalot any chance you are able to take wide top down shots when life slows down?

-Dave

 

Sure, I'll take as wide as I can with the top down viewer I have.  

[DaveFason]

13 hours ago, markalot said:

 

Sure, I'll take as wide as I can with the top down viewer I have.  

#youdaman

[markalot]

It's been over a year now.  This light will grow anything.  I run the t5's for 6 hours a day, all LED the remaining 12 hour cycle.  Blue Channel 100%, Violets 100%, Cyan 100%, Lime 70%, Whites 15% for 8 hours, Blues and Violet on for 12 hours with a 1 hour ramp one each end (so only full power for 10 hours).

 

If you are thinking of something similar I would make two changes.  I would go for 3 pucks per 36" (so a fixture this size would have two rows of 6 pucks)  and eliminate the white channel which is ugly and useless.  Soon my 40 will have one of these overhead, sporting the new MINT channel.   

 

 

[DaveFason]

On 10/24/2017 at 1:14 PM, markalot said:

It's been over a year now.  This light will grow anything.  I run the t5's for 6 hours a day, all LED the remaining 12 hour cycle.  Blue Channel 100%, Violets 100%, Cyan 100%, Lime 70%, Whites 15% for 8 hours, Blues and Violet on for 12 hours with a 1 hour ramp one each end (so only full power for 10 hours).

 

If you are thinking of something similar I would make two changes.  I would go for 3 pucks per 36" (so a fixture this size would have two rows of 6 pucks)  and eliminate the white channel which is ugly and useless.  Soon my 40 will have one of these overhead, sporting the new MINT channel.   

 

 

Thanks for the update Mark. Your tank is a work of art and your hard work shows. 

 

Keep it up! 

-Dave

[dough]

Tank is awesome.  Just installed retro on my ATI. 

 

Any changes to your lighting channels or times?  

[DaveFason]

On 3/9/2019 at 10:48 PM, dough said:

Tank is awesome.  Just installed retro on my ATI. 

 

Any changes to your lighting channels or times?  

Here is his thread. 

 

[markalot]

On 3/9/2019 at 10:48 PM, dough said:

Tank is awesome.  Just installed retro on my ATI. 

 

Any changes to your lighting channels or times?  

 

Dropped to only 2 T5's over the summer months to reduce the heat, no changes noticed.   It's not quite strong enough to go LED only, but I don't need all 4 T5's on to keep the tank healthy.   The LED ratio is the same.