Morcs Posted December 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2013 Possibly. Will see when new light arrives, managed to get new unit swapped for one without actinics. So 18w white LEDs. Stoked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted December 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 Any suggestions on dosing? With stronger lighting on the way, might add another diy bottle. I should be about medium light. Plan will be to ditch the augustifolia and indian fern once sag microfolia and crypts start growing and multiplying and filling the tank up with them, would be nice to add some macaranda or another decent splash of red and some polysperma. Flourite substrate, and doing 40% weekly WC. Im thinking liquid dosing once per week after WC would be sufficient? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 Any suggestions on dosing? With stronger lighting on the way, might add another diy bottle. I should be about medium light. It would be time to go pressurised. Flourite substrate, and doing 40% weekly WC. Im thinking liquid dosing once per week after WC would be sufficient? Do a 50% water change twice a week in the early stages if you've got good water. Not digging the rounded stones in the tank, have you thought about trying some angular ones? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 It would be time to go pressurised. Do a 50% water change twice a week in the early stages if you've got good water. Not digging the rounded stones in the tank, have you thought about trying some angular ones? Haha yes already done. They were from the garden before I could be bothered going to a rocky beach :)Co2 now is much better with polyurethane tubing and a ceramic diffuser, surprised I could get enough pressure! Lighting is probably still 2 weeks away so I will do an update then. Crypts will enjoy it in the meantime before they no doubt will melt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 Has moar light! looks much better being 6500K. still doesnt give the front to back spread needed for the cube, even at this power so using both units together. Still getting the 'beams' shining through the water which is just LEDs i guess. I dont like it. Co2 is all rigged up tidily with a proper bubble counter, rigid tubing and a ceramic nano diffuser - working really well. And scaping, combo of rocks and wood creates a frontal area, with a plateau behind it (substrate nearly 4inches deep there) Plant list currently: Cyptp wendtii's - needs more, want to do the front with crypts too dwarf sag ambulia rotundifolia ( i think) tiger lotus javafern (heaps of puplets appearing) indian fern (always kept a small cutting to grow, handy excess nutrient eater) and managed to find a parviflorus, buy the time i stripped off all the decaying leaves, left me with a tiny sword. Adding flourish once a week after 40%WC. Pictures dont give the sense of the different heights and elevations unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexyay Posted January 10, 2014 Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 The new lighting is NICE! Where'd you get it from? (how much more than the beamswork did it cost? D:) - I'm finding the beamswork a bit blue and lowlight, but the plants are doing OK. I looooove the ray shimmer effect from the LEDs though Scape is looking awesome! It'll be really cool to see the plants grow. What's the reason for the syringe in the CO2? I'm still looking at setting up some DIY CO2 for my tanks (keep on forgetting to save bottles lol) - I figured I could just do tubing straight into an air stone (maybe with a one-way valve)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 The new lighting is NICE! Where'd you get it from? (how much more than the beamswork did it cost? D:) - I'm finding the beamswork a bit blue and lowlight, but the plants are doing OK. I looooove the ray shimmer effect from the LEDs though Scape is looking awesome! It'll be really cool to see the plants grow. What's the reason for the syringe in the CO2? I'm still looking at setting up some DIY CO2 for my tanks (keep on forgetting to save bottles lol) - I figured I could just do tubing straight into an air stone (maybe with a one-way valve)? The green element was 60ish shipped from eBay. Quite a few varieties so make sure you get a 6500k without actinics and make sure they are 3w LEDs. They do clip ons too. Beams work in comparison was 40ish I think. Green element also do quad units, so 4 Rows but haven't found a supplier to ship to nz yet. Might just settle for another identical unit. The syringe with a check valve jammed into it create a bubble counter, so you can see how much co2 is being produced - I use it as purely an indicator of when I need to do a new mix. I found the method on line and had the stuff and gave it a go. Was easy and worked. You can do tubing to an air stone but diffusion isn't great unless you can have it feeding into a filter inlet. As a minimum make sure you have a check valve. I've seen a yeast mix flow into a tank and it wasn't pretty. For about 35 bus on eBay you can buy a kit with a ceramic nano diffuser, proper co2 urethane tubing, a bubble counter and a brass check valve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaway Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Wouldn't bother with cheap yeast stuff. Far too inconsistent. A regulator, solenoid, check valve, needle valve, bubble counter and CO² resistant tubing can be had for about $80 landed. The big cost is the gas bottle itself, but then again its worth it versus having an inconsistent system that is messy and takes quite a bit of effort to keep running right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 The big cost is the gas bottle itself, but then again its worth it versus having an inconsistent system that is messy and takes quite a bit of effort to keep running right. :iag: After all this effort with lighting and scaping, the last thing you want is algae soup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 :-? Meh if I was willing to spend that money id rather buy a decent skimmer and do another marine (tank is perfect for it) anyway I modified my filter outlet slightly to create a lot more surface area for degassing at night. Probably uncessary but it will make me feel better when I add another bottle. Lots of diatoms too, got some otos on the weekend, they are having a blast. Still thinking about changing the lighting. Its good, but I'm wanting better without going higher light. A finnex fugerayR is on the wishlist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Bit the bullet today and ordered a Finnex Fugeray 16'' instead of buying a second green element unit to get the light spread that I want. http://www.finnex.net/index.php/fugeray_series/?___store=default So, if anyone is interested in 2 almost new LED units, in about 2 weeks they will be available... Beamswork 200 $30 Green Element evo 6x3W $40 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexyay Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Have you found the green element to be a lot brighter than the beamswork? If so I'm totally interested in buying it! Edit: The rays don't seem to be a bad price, have you got any reviews on them? (Looking at them for a future date, still interested in the green element). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Have you found the green element to be a lot brighter than the beamswork? If so I'm totally interested in buying it! Edit: The rays don't seem to be a bad price, have you got any reviews on them? (Looking at them for a future date, still interested in the green element). Yes its another level entirely. The beamswork has 0.2w LEDs (6w total) where as green element has 3w LEDs at 6500k (18w total and much nicer white) I would be perfectly happy if I had two of them for the look I want. Planted tank.net is sponsorered by finnex so lots of reviews and par data. The fugeray r clip on light has red LEDs too and is a nice looking unit. I went with the 16 inch standard fugeray as its the same width as my tank, colour not as good as the new planted+ but thats higher light still. Will post up pics and stuff when it gets here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Took the beamswork off last night. Looks quite good running the green element. The problem I have I think is the black back of the tank - it gets that washed out look. If It were a normal tank, with no backround, it would look amazing with the current lighting. Otos have done a sterling job on my diatoms already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tread50 Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 I would be interested in the beams light. Can you tell me what the max tank fitment is on it? Thanks, Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Hi Michael, its currently sold pending pickup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Someone able to shed light on why my Co2 isn't working. Cut my main tubing and fitted a t-piece, linked to a second bottle with its own check valve. See pic. bottle number 1 (left has been running about 3 weeks, had heaps of pressure, hissed nicely when I disconnected it. 2 days on and I have nothing at all still. A leak in the short line would mean a leak in the whole system. or because of the extra bottle, and the release of pressure from the first one, will it take that much longer to pressurise the system again? (especially with a ceramic diffuser), but then again ive got nothing going through the bubble counter either.. tempted to undo the lids to see if there is any pressure, but don't want to loose the pressure I already have? Ho hum. Might leave it an extra day and dose some excel in the meantime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 with the co2, undid the caps, didnt appear to be pressure so did away with the extra check valve (tubing seemed to come off it a bit easy too) so less joins now, will see how it goes. In other news, it took 3 DAYS for my Finnex Fugeray to arrive from the states. unbelievable. i selected the slowest postage option and wasnt due til first week of feb! Anyways, here it is. its perfect. :love: beautifully finished, and the 16'' option is perfect for my tank. no more dark corners! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Yes its another level entirely. The beamswork has 0.2w LEDs (6w total) where as green element has 3w LEDs at 6500k (18w total and much nicer white) I would be perfectly happy if I had two of them for the look I want. Planted tank.net is sponsorered by finnex so lots of reviews and par data. The fugeray r clip on light has red LEDs too and is a nice looking unit. I went with the 16 inch standard fugeray as its the same width as my tank, colour not as good as the new planted+ but thats higher light still. Will post up pics and stuff when it gets here. Interesting reading the specs on them. The Green Element is 18w and according to the specs produces 600 lumens. That's 33 lumens per watt. And that's for $38 US. (From aliexpress, not including shipping) An average 23w CFL will produce about 1600 lumens for 70 lumens/watt and cost about $5 from the warehouse. Make it 15 if you throw in a cheap clip on lamp to put it in. What happened to the legendary LED efficiency? :dunno: I've been looking at some to replace the lighting on my tank and it seems most of the cheaper LED pendants are significantly worse than a good fluoro setup while being significantly more expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Interesting reading the specs on them. The Green Element is 18w and according to the specs produces 600 lumens. That's 33 lumens per watt. And that's for $38 US. (From aliexpress, not including shipping) An average 23w CFL will produce about 1600 lumens for 70 lumens/watt and cost about $5 from the warehouse. Make it 15 if you throw in a cheap clip on lamp to put it in. What happened to the legendary LED efficiency? :dunno: I've been looking at some to replace the lighting on my tank and it seems most of the cheaper LED pendants are significantly worse than a good fluoro setup while being significantly more expensive. im sure there is a reason leds are measured in PAR now, and im sure its something along the lines of not being able to compare watts to watts, lumens to lumens with flouros as LEDs are more efficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Li@m Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 PAR is the measurement of light that a plant can utilise. Most LEDs have better PAR ratings than Florescent lighting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Just curious, what thread do our co2 tanks have in nz? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexyay Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Interesting reading the specs on them. The Green Element is 18w and according to the specs produces 600 lumens. That's 33 lumens per watt. And that's for $38 US. (From aliexpress, not including shipping) An average 23w CFL will produce about 1600 lumens for 70 lumens/watt and cost about $5 from the warehouse. Make it 15 if you throw in a cheap clip on lamp to put it in. What happened to the legendary LED efficiency? :dunno: I've been looking at some to replace the lighting on my tank and it seems most of the cheaper LED pendants are significantly worse than a good fluoro setup while being significantly more expensive. Other than longer life and power saving, the lumens output is a disadvantage of LEDs and it seems disappointing when you look at the price - however lumens is only based on what the human eye can see, as opposed to what the plants take in (usually based on a PAR rating). The Green Element doesn't seem to have a PAR rating available (most good plant growing LEDs will have info along the lines of spectrum/PAR but beamswork are cheap ones) and PAR meters are usually super expensive >< This could be total BS, but I've been told LEDs tend to lack green light which is more visible and adds more brightness for people, hence the lower lumens, but is actually preferable to plants as they don't require any green light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Will post some updated pictures soon. Have made progress though. Wanted to cram a load of stems so rescaped. Added a load of rotundifolia which is growing well already, and last night about 30 stems of emersed polysperma. Removed indian fern and ambulia. questions: Tiger lotus. Ive always struggled to get them to NOT constantly send leaves to the surface, now, i cannot get them to shoot up. Its putting out leaves constantly, but staying very compact. Could almost foreground plant it (...light bulb...) with emersed stems, all bent and the like, ugly leaves etc.. how do you guys deal with them in large groups? im thinking i have to wait for them to grow submerged, and get enough height to get good submerged cuttings, then plant those neatly and ditch the original stems? (its impossible to plant them nicely when they are all bent, cant see! Im happy with my co2 output now. got some of those specific bottle caps to tidy things up, along with a pressure gauge. When my current brew needs changing, will switch over to a bigger bottle (2l) Algae has subsided. Had a bought of BBA after my rescape, bit of excel took care of that, Diatoms have gone, and i was getting GSA but that seems to have stopped appearing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Have you always had these tiger lotus plants or are they new/ Are they pups or adults. I 'trained' my tiger lotus to stay low by constantly pruning every time a leaf shot up and in the end they just stayed down. Perhaps you could try adding fert balls around the roots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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