Lighting your reef... Best bang for your buck.

[jeffaquarius]

If you're handy with electronics, you could try to modify the power input to the lighting to allow for dimming:

LED aquarium lighting with an Arduino based PWM timer : DGK Electronics

Improved Arduino LED lighting code

Or, you could use an Arduino powered servo motor to rotate the knobs automatically (that might be simpler, as it's a basic function in Arduinos to be able to control servos to move by X degrees per activation).

This is good stuff!

 

[Tacos377]

Is two dimmable 120 watt taotronics tt-al09 over a 30 inch wide by 24 inches tall 55 gallon tank sufficient light for most corals?

 

[Daniel Fishy]

You could keep any corals in a 55 with two. Plenty of light acclimate slowly.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Real slowly. They can cook a coral. They are brighter than they appear.

 

[JJ-MIK]

I'm getting two for my 55 anemone tank

 

[ketchup318]

If you're handy with electronics, you could try to modify the power input to the lighting to allow for dimming:

LED aquarium lighting with an Arduino based PWM timer : DGK Electronics

Improved Arduino LED lighting code

Or, you could use an Arduino powered servo motor to rotate the knobs automatically (that might be simpler, as it's a basic function in Arduinos to be able to control servos to move by X degrees per activation).

Why would you even need an Arduino? The controller electronically outputs 0-10V. The Dimmer is just a potentiometer that varies voltage...

Wouldn't it just be figuring out what the Taotronics dimmer outputs and mapping that to the controller?

 

[Gregcoyote]

It's a bit more complicated than that, but yes, you could build a electronic interface. A PCM driver uses the potentiometer to vary the drivers output. But there is no guarantee the voltage across the potentiometer is 0-10 volts. If it is, a simple interface would work fine. These fixtures are also available with electronic drivers that will interface with the reef keeper dimmer modules and others, but not from ebay as far as I can tell.

 

[jeffaquarius]

With arduino and the right software the Taotronics can be programmed so that it will turn ON or OFF softly simulating the sunrise and sunset.

 

[Hardridge]

So I have reef keeper elite and three non-dimmable Taetronics so what what I need or what would I tell the electrician to do to make them programmable

 

[Hardridge]

I have a reef keeper elete and three non-dimmable tae Tronics what would I need or what what I need to tell the electrician to do to make them programmable

 

[Magma]

I have a reef keeper elete and three non-dimmable tae Tronics what would I need or what what I need to tell the electrician to do to make them programmable

Wouldnt tell an electrician anything (yes I am one) we dont deal with programming, we can hook up a dimmable driver to them but to be honest building a control board and programming controllers is not an electricians scope of work. You should find an electronics guy who is familiar with diodes and programmable control boards.

 

[Spartachris]

It's a bit more complicated than that, but yes, you could build a electronic interface. A PCM driver uses the potentiometer to vary the drivers output. But there is no guarantee the voltage across the potentiometer is 0-10 volts. If it is, a simple interface would work fine. These fixtures are also available with electronic drivers that will interface with the reef keeper dimmer modules and others, but not from ebay as far as I can tell.

Where are they available with electronic drivers? I've been looking all over for them.

Thanks!

 

[Gregcoyote]

I emailed my guy in china. His factory offered them to me last year. They are different emitters that the tautonics. It came with its own electronic controller, but they told me it was Apex (and RKE) compatible. Will update you. Maybe we can set up a group buy.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Here is his web site. He gives me a pretty steep wholesale discount. As you can see, his retail prices are high. But look at the info.

http://apolloreefled.com/shop/category/reef-led-lighting/

It's the shipping that gets you, so a big buy is the only way to get them a lot cheaper. Costs $165 to send just one by DHL. If patient, cheaper shipping is possible. Last picture is prototype.

I have 24 of his non-dimming fixtures for 3 years. From 90 watts to 300 watts. Only had one driver fail and it was a very early unit.

A few years ago I sent Mr_X one of the early panels to evaluate. If I recall, he thought it was a pretty similar panel to the taotronics. I could never import enough of them to get competitive with some on EBay, so I gave up. But that's what I use.

Last picture is the non-dimming 90 watt unit I use when space is a consideration.

 

[Robert_ellis]

What is the blue cat5 cable for? Programming or is it always connected?

 

[Gregcoyote]

It's always connected, it's the control channel that access's the dimmer controls.

 

[Robert_ellis]

Gotcha.

 

[Spartachris]

Yikes. Too rich for my blood. And around the same price as the aqua illumination sols, which are Neptune plus certified, iirc.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Yes, that's why I didn't distribute them. On his web site he is adding about $160 per fixture for shipping. I think my cost was around $218. But it is a Chinese electronically dimmable panel. Controller was 30 dollars and did cloud effects. It looks like it has some good LEDs in it.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Yikes. Too rich for my blood. And around the same price as the aqua illumination sols, which are Neptune plus certified, iirc.

I guess if you are a Apex user the Neptune Plus certification means something. Not sure it means much to me. The Rapid LED electronically dimmable fixture is over $300. The Sol is more than that. Radions are still $750. If you need lots of light, the manual dimming chinese panels are the best buy.