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a few more:
The 280 is finally going to get set up.. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter NorthSide Reef
- Start date
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And even more:
Some from the Clown tank
Some from the Clown tank
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few equipment shots that look cool to me:
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And finally the FTS
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Thought I would share a little more detail about the LED's I am using. I am using the Dimmable Onyx Rapid LED fixtures These LEDs have three channels each:
Channel 1) 14 CREE XT-E Royal Blue
Channel 2) 8 CREE XP-G Cool White
Channel 3) I call mixed it consists of
4 SemiLEDs Violet UV
1 CREE XP-E Green
1 Oslon 660nm Red
I use 5 of these fixtures with varying lens angles the two outside fixtures are 60 degree lenses the two inboard are 80 degree lenses and the one in the center is 100 degrees.
Each channel has it's own 0-10v analog input signal jack that can be used with either a pot or a 0-10v signal (you need to provide) that can be used to dim each of the three channels per fixture.
I have provided separate 0-10v dc signals to each channel on each fixture for a total of 15 separate analog inputs that let me control the intensity throughout the day. I did this using a PLC and I run adjust the operating parameters through my home PC.
Here is what the main interface page looks like:
This page shows you the current time, and the table on the lower left shows what the PLC output is to each channel. For my setup I move the intensity from left to right across the tank. So while the fixture on the far left (or fixture 1 in this picture) is slowly ramping down fixture 5 is still very close to full intensity. This gives me a nice sunrise/sunset effect on the tank.
Clicking on any of the fixture tables on the right will open that channels light schedule.
Channel 1) 14 CREE XT-E Royal Blue
Channel 2) 8 CREE XP-G Cool White
Channel 3) I call mixed it consists of
4 SemiLEDs Violet UV
1 CREE XP-E Green
1 Oslon 660nm Red
I use 5 of these fixtures with varying lens angles the two outside fixtures are 60 degree lenses the two inboard are 80 degree lenses and the one in the center is 100 degrees.
Each channel has it's own 0-10v analog input signal jack that can be used with either a pot or a 0-10v signal (you need to provide) that can be used to dim each of the three channels per fixture.
I have provided separate 0-10v dc signals to each channel on each fixture for a total of 15 separate analog inputs that let me control the intensity throughout the day. I did this using a PLC and I run adjust the operating parameters through my home PC.
Here is what the main interface page looks like:
This page shows you the current time, and the table on the lower left shows what the PLC output is to each channel. For my setup I move the intensity from left to right across the tank. So while the fixture on the far left (or fixture 1 in this picture) is slowly ramping down fixture 5 is still very close to full intensity. This gives me a nice sunrise/sunset effect on the tank.
Clicking on any of the fixture tables on the right will open that channels light schedule.
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once you click on any of the fixture channels you will open this scheduler for that specific channel
This will vary the output to that channel throughout the day. So when I set for example the intensity in the chart above from 10% at 6:40 AM and 20% at 8:20 the output from the PLC will slowly increase by 10% over that time period. I have all 5 fixtures offset so they reach 100% at different times throughout the day
This will vary the output to that channel throughout the day. So when I set for example the intensity in the chart above from 10% at 6:40 AM and 20% at 8:20 the output from the PLC will slowly increase by 10% over that time period. I have all 5 fixtures offset so they reach 100% at different times throughout the day
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one of the things I learned about the Rapid LED fixtures are they're not very consistent as to what % a certain channel will turn off or on. for example the blue lights in fixture 1 will come on at 6% while in fixture 2 they won't come on until I hit 11% The lights will stay on until I drop below 3% in some of the fixtures while others drop out under 7%. So to help me set up the fixtures so I can have a dusk to dawn effect. I added a rapid clock to cycle through the day so I can watch which LEDs come at what time of the day. I can then adjust them so they fire in the correct sequence.
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Finally I put in a manual mode and a acclimation mode.
from this page I can adjust the output to whatever I want so I can mic the colors and intensity to any appearance I want.
With the acclimation mode I have the output decreased by 50% and then slowly increase back to 100% by however many days I set it for. in the screenshot above I have the output to the LEDs decrease to 50% and it will gradually increase to 100% over 10 days. This lets me put a coral anywhere in the tank and let it adjust to the LEDs over a couple of weeks.
from this page I can adjust the output to whatever I want so I can mic the colors and intensity to any appearance I want.
With the acclimation mode I have the output decreased by 50% and then slowly increase back to 100% by however many days I set it for. in the screenshot above I have the output to the LEDs decrease to 50% and it will gradually increase to 100% over 10 days. This lets me put a coral anywhere in the tank and let it adjust to the LEDs over a couple of weeks.
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Going to throw these in here for future reference. Some random shots Ben took of the filtershed. By far the hardest part of this build to get right for me. I learned so much over the past nearly two years building this. I wish I could have a do-over but with everything I learned going into it.
I really wish I could have made it to your meeting this weekend.... I really have to get out there to check out your setup! Could you PM me some details on your PLC setup? I'm very interested in the hardware used for the 0-10v signal.
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It would be really spendy for someone to copy that particular build. I pulled a bunch of the components from dead projects at work and spare stuff I had laying around, and a more than generous gift from my ap engineer. But it's serious industrial PLC components.
I'll PM you a link to their site
I'll PM you a link to their site
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right it would be a horribly expensive way to do it if you were paying full price for those components. Awesome flexibility and efficiency that will one day take over my RKE but not at this time as I am way too busy to recreate the wheel atm.
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So we have been waiting for our clowns to figure out the RBTA in their tank...
One gets it... The other, not so much lol
One gets it... The other, not so much lol
@NorthSideReef: I meant to ask at the get together last weekend, what is the fancy name for your clowns? I'm self-admittedly a novice, but I see them as ORA Black Ice (a.k.a. the pattern that I will want after the initial cycle and settling period)
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I got them from Chad Vossen I think he called them a snow onyx. They are a cross between a snowflake ocellaris and an onyx percula
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looking over some of the pictures Ben took of the tank I was happy to see some growth on a few of the corals.
This picture is the "for sale" picture posted by Brian (aka 90ct aka Asianreef) the one in the top left is the one I purchased.
This is one of the shots Ben got of the tank but to the right under the frogspawn is the same coral. It's pretty cool to see it has grown this much in just a few months.
This picture is the "for sale" picture posted by Brian (aka 90ct aka Asianreef) the one in the top left is the one I purchased.
This is one of the shots Ben got of the tank but to the right under the frogspawn is the same coral. It's pretty cool to see it has grown this much in just a few months.
If thats just what you need, why not an Arduino board, depending on how many channels dimming you need there are several options and the components to build your own board cost very little. And you have the skills!
Frank, tanks are looking just nice and finally you have the good stuff posted up! really bummed I missed the meeting... if the option is available I would still like to take up on the offer to show the sea horses tank to the kids and see the bigger tank myself 
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You bet Manish, I would love to see you before you head off to sunny CA man. Lets try to hook up this weekend. or even tonight I do not think we have any plans. Heck man how many do you count? 4, 5 more corals that used to be in your tank?
7 the number is 7 lol
7 the number is 7 lol
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