planula

Hi Everyone, Happy New Year! Following on from my first post, I attach pictures of the IKEA fixture as promised. I apologize for the tardiness. First, let us consider aesthetics. With matt metallic silver finishing, this architect-style fixture looks clean, crisp and sleek. Its fits well with the overall aesthetics of the PAR38 Cree LED spotlight, and would complement a modern or zen-isque furnishing. Made of what I presume to be steel, it scores well in the functionality department too. The 360 degree swivel-base allows for great flexibility, while the two joints and a swivel-end near the screw-in socket allows for illimitable directing of the light source. Installing the swivel-base is easy, and it could also be wall mounted if desired. The detachable lamp shade allows for maximal ventilation of the spotlight. The in-line switch provides an extra dimension for controlling the light beyond the timer switch or mains. Finally, it is cheap. At $16.00, one would be hard pressed to find another fixture that is both utilitarian and sharp looking. I mount mine behind the tank and angle the PAR38 at roughly 45 degrees to the top and front of my tank. The effects are simply amazing. Coming up soon, a write-up on the installed PAR38 and pics of it lighting up my corals.

Hi Guys, from the man himself: "Our manufacturer droped a nice little surprise on use with our last batch of PAR38 lamps: MOAR POWER!! They have gone from about 15W to about 21W of power draw. What this means is about a 25% increase in PAR output with the same lense configuration. All lamps shipping now will be the higher power version." I am no expert, but what I think Evilc66 means that having the ability to draw more power (the original consumption was15 watts) provides more output - and driving the LEDs more: "...Still 5 LEDs. After driver effeciency losses, the LEDs are running just under 1000mA." Guess this might answer FuEL's question.. And yes, these lights are hot - the heatsink works well at wicking heat away; the absence of a fan requires them to be used in open style fixtures. As I have mentioned, I found 2 very suitable ones at IKEA for less than $20. Will post asap. Cheers!

Hi Bro Steven and friends who are interested, These cost $240 each; as I have only 8 of these left, I can give an 8% discount (i.e. $220 each) to the first four friends who can confirm. MASS members get an additional 2% discount (ie. $216 each) but is also limited to the first four. I willl also provide a personal 14 day guarantee in addition to the warranty from Nanocustoms. A caveat to note though: please do not use them with dimmers or in closed style fixtures; doing so will void the warranty, so please do not do so. The earliest that I will be able to deliver is on Sunday evening as I am currently out of town. As I will not be driving, I can only deliver to all MRT stations. Thanks for your kind understanding. Happy Boxing Day!

According to Evilc66, the 20K's output more resembles a 14K Phoenix bulb; a matter of preference I guess. The 60 deg optics would provide for more spread - useful if utilised as primary illumination, while the 40 deg optics provides a real "punch" of light - great for highlighting coral islands and in deeper tanks. Would love to see pictures of your installation and tank Bro. Guess all of us who have accquired these lights could post them in here? Happy Boxing Day to all!

Hi FueL, Happy for you. I got mine from IKEA - flexible architech styled open fixture in brushed silver metal for $14.00. I found these most applicable. I will post pics of these soon, when I am back - out of town now. I saw another alternative, more aesthetically pleasing in fact, in the form of a wall mounted spotlight fixture in brushed aluminium. Unfortunately, it needs a little mod to fit the PAR38s. This fixture goes for $16 or so. U are right bout the weight; both fixtures I mentioned will sufficiently hold it. Cheers and Merry Christmas

Hi everyone, I recently returned from the US with some Japanese-styled PAR38 CREE LED spotlights, designed by Evilc66 of NanoReefs and manufactured in collaboration with Chris from NanoCustoms. Image courtesy of glassboxdesign.com I first encountered these quality made and powerful spotlights from the Nano-Reef Forum in a post by the man himself, Evilc66 also known as Clive. For fellow reefers who may be unfamiliar with Clive, he is one of the leading US hobbyist-experts in engineering high-powered LED fixtures - especially DIY projects and retrofit fixtures. What started out as a project to replicate the much coveted Japanese "Superkaru" reef spotlights became a full blown collaboration with Chris from Nanocustoms Evilc66's (Clive's) PAR 38 CREE LED Spotlights - Exhibit post no. 221. These new LED spotlights finally made it possible for me to reproduce the aesthetics of those breathtaking Japanese spot-lit reefs on my 4-gallon SPS dominated pico, with the added benefits that CREE LEDs could offer: cost savings, powerful illumination minus the heat, enhanced coral colour and fluorescence, in short; a more stunning reef. The simplicity of use was a bonus – just screw it into a normal household light socket and it’s ready for use. My interest was piqued so I researched further and found excellent reviews by reef commentaries including: GlassBoxDesign at MACNA XXI, The 12000K PAR38 highpowered CREE LED spotlights are shown (photo courtesy of GlassBoxDesign)GlassBoxDesign ReefBuilders (photo courtesy of ReefBuilders)This image illustrates the dramatic effects of a single 20 000K PAR 38 LED Spotlight on an ADA Mini-S Cube ReefReefBuilder's website and similar compliments in Reef forums such as: Reef Central and of course Nano-reef.com What follows is a summary of my research and personal observations so far (I run one over my 4 gallon pico): First, these lights save money. As most of us would be aware by now, high-powered LEDS offer us a true eco-effective and economic alternative to energy guzzling gangs of metal halides or rows of High Output (HO, or VHO) T5s. With a projected lifespan of 50,000 hours, these spotlights have estimated illumination periods of 11 years per day but consume only 21 watts (assuming a photoperiod of 12 hours daily). This amounts to an estimated 60% savings in energy without the need to change bulbs. With a horizontal spread of roughly 10" suspended from vertical height of ca. 12", they can be used as primary or standalone lights for small pico reefs (with some shadow spots, but some reefers prefer such dramatic effects), without incurring further costs on additional lights and adding heat to the tank. This translates to less chilling costs – further cost savings – and makes point-source illumination for pico and nano owners a reality. These spotlights are also powerful, aesthetically pleasing and beautifully engineered. With an energy consumption of only 21 watts, they provide absolute optical value per watt of energy. Driven close to 1000mA and coupled with medium angle (40o) optics for each LED, the spotlights generate approximately 220 PAR from as high as 20â€, 425 PAR from 18†(through air), and roughly 130 PAR at the sand bed, based on 16†depth ( in water). These measurements were taken by various individuals (GlassBoxDesign, other reefers and Evilc66) using quantum meters from an Apogee - the industry-standard PAR meter used by most reefers. Rated with a colour temperature of 12000K using two 450nm Royal Blue and three White CREE LEDs, these spotlights produce a crisp blue-white clarity unique to LEDs. The finishing for these lights match their brilliant output: white coloured high density polycarbonate, aluminum and steel (I think) are coupled to chic minimalist effect. Most crucially for me, these spotlights are simple to use. They require no ballasts, external fans for cooling, or drivers. Designed based on the ubiquitous Edison based e27/26 household socket found in most homes (screw-in socket type), installation is as simple as screw and play (A term coined by yours truly ). Rated at 90-240VAC, these spotlights are built for worldwide usage. A caveat though, without an external fan to cool, use of these spotlights in enclosed style fixtures will overheat the LED despite the high fin-count heatsink. A thing to note, these are also not usable with dimmers, but photo-control could be simply overcome with extendible arms or adjustable hanging kits. I use mine with a silver coloured Architech-style lamp that I got at a steal - $14.00 – from IKEA. These spotlights are highly versatile and different lighting effects could be achieved depending on your preference. Besides being excellent for a pico or nano reef, these high powered spotlights could be used for multi-zonational spotlighting or to highlight prized specimens and difficult-to-light corners for larger tanks. Pico reefers who like dramatic brightly lit spots with dim areas could use these spotlights without an additional diffuse light source. In sum, I think these spotlights have been a wonderful buy; the shimmer effects it adds to my pico reef are simply mesmerizing. I will share pictures of my setup soon, and report the effects of these spotlights on my corals. I have eight of these spotlights left for sale, at a reasonable price. MASS members will have a special discount . Please drop me a PM if you are interested and I’ll be happy to furnish you with more information quickly. I’ll close with an image of a pico tank that has inspired me – Marcello’s pico – and is now achievable (at least in the lighting section) with my new 12000k PAR 38 CREE spotlights from Nanocustoms. Image courtesy of GlassBoxDesign, featuring a Japanese Artist and aquarist Marcello Merry Christmas to all! Cheers.

Hi Bro Cedric, pmed you. *fingers crossed* Thanks

Hi there, Pmed u. Thanks.

Hi mate, PMed you again. Cheers

Hi there, PMed you. Thanks

Lokks like a Eunice (Polychaete = Bristle worms) from the family Eunicidae. Do you still have the specimen? AM interested in it. Thanks

Hi there, i'm interested. still available? how much for all? and sizes please? Thanks

Hi all, just to clarify, mangroves are a true class of halophilc (ie salt loving) plants which include trees and shrubs that have a primarily tropical range. "Red" mangroves generally refer to trees from the genus Rhizophora, of which Singapore has three species. The one that MAG has if assuming is from the US is likely to be of a diff species. "White" mangroves refer to other genera such as Avicennia spp. however, their nutrient uptake abilities are slightly less efficient compared to macroalgae, so they might not be as suitable compared to macroalgae in refugia. However, they do make nice displays and create another niche in the aquarium. Hay MAG, if they are well established, (ie. branching leaves) i would like to buy some. Thanks! Hope that helps Cheers, Planua

Hi there, just a quick tip. use iron for all kinds of macroalgae, but especially the chlorophytes (greens). This will keep most growing for long except the diff ones like C. peltata. Also try to get them to "root" (i use inverted commas cos they do not have true roots systems) , for thats when they extract most N and P. The iron might help chelate PO4 too, to a certain extent, depending on the chemical species of the additive you use. For chaeto, they are not really particular bout light, but keep them tumbling or suspended. thats when they do best. i keep mine suspended but attaching to the top of a very tall LR and leave some hanging in mid water and they grow like crazy. hope it helps Cheers, Planula

Sorry for being harsh with my words earlier Vtec, please pardon me. you could have given it away to some one, or isolated it.. Releasing it into our waters as Rocky Boy as suggested is probably not good idea (but still way better than just taking its life)unless we know what species the fish was and where it came from, as our local waters might be beyond the natural range of this fish. ie. the release will contribute to alien species in our local waters. Furthermore, i believe that you did not have a true cleaner wrasse, but a sabre tooth blenny mimicking the cleaner wrasse. Cheers

Sorry but i have to say this, it was a very irresponsible thing you did. You give reefers a bad name

Hi there, seems to be a pycnogonid (sea spider) within the same phylum as true spiders, mites and ticks etc (phylum Chelicerata). most are carnivorous and feed on hydroids, soft corals, anemones bryozoans, small polychaetes and sponges by sucking up the tissues using their proboscis. hope this helps. Oh, and i'll be happy to have it if you do not want it. cheers.

hi there's PMed u

Hi there again, I just thought of this, maybe u could give this a try: Ocean Nutrition Angel Formula The first fish food made specifically for Marine Angelfish. Contains their primary natural food - marine sponges. These are combined with fresh seafood's and algae to create a natural balanced diet that enhances breeding color and excellent health. INGREDIENTS: Krill, Marine Sponges, Shrimp, Green Algae, Spinach, Gel Binder, Kelp, Squid, Mussel, Salmon Roe, Krill Hydrolysate, Krill Meal, Spirulina, Lecithin, Fish Oil, Casein, Astaxanthin, Canthaxanthin (for color enhancement). Vitamins (potassium ascorbate, beta carotene, biotin, hydroxocobalamin [source of vitamin B12], niacin, riboflavin, thiamine HCL). Amino acids (methionine [dl-methionine], L-Lysine, taurine), and trace elements of calcium chloride, potassium iodide, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, magnesium carbonate, and zinc sulfate. Cheers, Planula

Hi there, those you have seem to be Chromodoris bullocki, and they are def. sponge feeders. sad thing is that most nudibranchs are very very specific sponge feeders and it would be almost impossible for you to get the right species of sponge to get them to feed (because the collectors and dealers who bring them in prob dont even know what sponges they feed on, much less collect the food). I can say with confidence that almost all the Chromodorid slugs (many of them are extremely colourful and look like play dough) that are sold in the LFS are destined a slow death by starvation. I suggest perhaps you could try giving it to someone who is keeping sponges, or are cultivating them. Otherwise, you could try giving them to Coral Farm or the larger LFS who keep stock of certain sponges. Even then, i think they are destined a slow death from the beginning they were collected. Hope this helps

Hi there, picture quality is very bad. But i can confirm its a polychaete or bristle worm.. Seems at first glance to be a Eunicid, judging from the branchiae (gills) arising from the feet. As i cant determine genus and species from the pic alone, the answer to ur 2nd question is generally a no.. they may be opportunists, scavengers and omnivorous.. but are probably too slow for your fish . they make good clean up crew and DSB borrowers. Some live in LR. Cheers. Planula

Hi There, am interested, but would first like to know the condition and if its functioning properly? Also place and time of collection? Thanks.

Hi there, just PMed u. Is it still avail? Thanks! Planula

Assuming ur speaking about true sea stars, some asteroids (ie. sea stars) are detritivores (feeds on detritus, ie. wastes and bacterial films), some like the "crown of thorns" are specialist coralivores (feeds on corals).. yet most feed on bivalves. Few are algivores.. Cheers

Hi everyone, have nine sets of light meters from Apogee Instruments, as tested by Dana Riddle and many other North American aquarists in the Advanced Aquarist e-magazine for sale here. These light meters can be used in a variety of situations, such as: 1. before buying new corals to get a measurement of the quantity of light they are currently receiving, so as to replicate that in our home aquaria 2. determining the initial depth placement in our home aquaria to prevent "burning" the corals for hyper exposure to light 3. Determining the optimal location in the tank for each species of light loving corals 4. Assessing the light output of aged bulbs, thereby determining the time for change and some other novel applications (maximising coral color, testing new light systems etc). It is a very useful and crucial piece of equipment for the serious and general reefer alike. The sets should come in three weeks. For more information, please read the attached PDF or PM me for prices, collection etc. Hope to hear from you! Cheers, Planula Light_Meter_from_Apogee_Instruments_.pdf