SolaTubes for reef tanks

[salty joe]

I plan on using 2 48"x48" skylights over an 85"x48" display. I am thinking of using a triple pane, tempered low iron glass design. (It gets real cold in NE Oh) A local glass company can fabricate the window part and I can adhere that to a flashed curb. The light shaft will be lined with specular aluminum, pretty much like you've done Carl. I was apprehensive about the appearance of light bouncing all over the place-the fact that you like it makes me feel better. Like you hahnmeister, I hope to have more light than I need. I thought maybe get a PAR reading in the winter and if that is intense enough, start shading as summer approaches.

Any input or suggestions would be much appreciated.

When the lanscaping is done, I can finally pull the trigger on this project. It has been a long time coming and I am close to starting.

Joe

[Reefski's]

good luck Joe. i think you will be very happy with the setup.

i love the way the light moves around the tank. and the glitter lines are really cool.

i am very happy i did it this way. and i will save a ton of $$$ over the years.

i will likely add some lights on a track that the be pushed into the adjacent closet when not needed which should be most of the year. only slid out for evening viewing.

i am getting great growth of the few corals i have in the tank.

Carl

[JMBoehling]

Sun is really hammering my reef right now, so I took a video. I guess a video is worth a thousand words

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...t=P6100146.flv

Later,

Jim

[sabbath]

Originally posted by JMBoehling
Sun is really hammering my reef right now, so I took a video. I guess a video is worth a thousand words

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...t=P6100146.flv

Later,

Jim

Very nice! I really like that it still has a shimmer to it.

[mborn]

Outstanding!

[74oldsguy]

Thats innovative

[wizsmaster]

great thread. I'm looking into the solar tubes.

[hahnmeister]

Originally posted by salty joe
I plan on using 2 48"x48" skylights over an 85"x48" display. I am thinking of using a triple pane, tempered low iron glass design. (It gets real cold in NE Oh) A local glass company can fabricate the window part and I can adhere that to a flashed curb. The light shaft will be lined with specular aluminum, pretty much like you've done Carl. I was apprehensive about the appearance of light bouncing all over the place-the fact that you like it makes me feel better. Like you hahnmeister, I hope to have more light than I need. I thought maybe get a PAR reading in the winter and if that is intense enough, start shading as summer approaches.

Any input or suggestions would be much appreciated.

When the lanscaping is done, I can finally pull the trigger on this project. It has been a long time coming and I am close to starting.

Joe

I really dont think you need to be so concerned with the Low Iron glass aspect and other things like that. Im just going with regular non-LoE Velux skylights. And, you should have more light than you need, yes. While the glass might tint the light slightly by taking a bit out of some spectrums, its hardly the same reasoning as using Low Iron for the tank itself. The glass in a skylight is thinner, and sure, even though it might block 3-6% of the light coming in, you still have a full spectrum and plenty of it to go around. I bet you could even keep the LoE and still be fine (halides use LoE).

Since you will have more than enough to go around in that tank, I would suggest using tinted lenses for blue and purple to make the tank not as 'yellow'. On lightbulbs, its a waste of their efficiency/output, but with sunlight... those things just dont apply. If you cover half your available 'sunspace' with blue and purple 'film' (even just colored acrylic) you can eliminate the need for supplimental T5s all together, and still have plenty of intensity to go around. Remember, even though you are so much further north than where the corals come from (a relative light loss of 30-50% for us in winter compared to the noon sun in the tropics), we are also keeping these corals at a fraction of the water depth that they come from, so its still easy to have 'too much' where you are. A $300 par meter is your best friend for this.

[8BALL_99]

Great thread. Funny I saw SoloTubes on DIY channel, They were installing one in a bathroom.. My first thought was hey I wonder if a couple of those would light my tank.. I have a question for you guys with Tubes. I'm fixing to replace my current tank with a 72"x36"x25" I'm trying to decide between a standard skylight or a couple of 21" Solatubes. Above my fish room has a pretty flat roof and the Attic between the ceiling and roof is only about 2'-3' or so. The roof gets sun all day. If I did a sky light, length wise it would run North-South not sure if it matters. I was thinking about 2 21" Tubes but I'm not sure if that would be enough. About how big of an area do these 21" tubes light up? I would bring them down to about 20" above the tank.

[hahnmeister]

A 14" sola tube would provide more light than a 400 watt halide when the sun is at a peak in your area. A 20-22"... whoah. I think you are in the 1000 watt range there.

Sola tubes vs. skylights? It comes down to cost here. Once you get into 3 or more sola tubes, you have often gone over the cost of what it would be to just put in one large skylight. The concern with skylights is that they dont control the light as well... the light can enter and end up only lighting half the tank or something because its one large shaft.

I came up with the solution for this a long time ago (earlier in the thread), and it has been tried and proven (you can see the '700g or how I blew my daughter's inheritance' thread in the large tank forum which uses this exact idea). You simply line the shaft with aluminum like the tube, and then you make a gridwork, like very large and tall eggcrate, but out of aluminum sheets... like 2-4 of them for a 4-5' long skylight. This way, the skylight is broken up into smaller 'shafts' like the solatubes and the light will be even across the tank. Now you dont end up with one large beam that lights up half the tank and leaves the other half in the dark. If you do this, Sola tubes and Skylights are the same thing, only you might stand to get more bang for the buck from the skylight. A 2'x4' skylight is about 7.5 times the light compared to a 14" sola tube. Sola tubes are usually $150-200 for each one (plus the fitting of each seperate unit), where a large skylight is one opening (less leak potential as well) and you can often get the whole thing for $180-250. Velux can sell you a non-LoE laminate glass skylight for the same price as their regular ones too, so no upcharge or concern there. To vent the tank in summer, you can get a venting skylight as well and really keep it cool. About 75% of the electricity from even a halide or T5 goes right to heat, so if you go 'sola', you are eliminating 75% of the heat from/around the tank at the same lighting levels. This in itself is worth it... oh, and a huge chunk out of bulb replacement costs.

[Reefski's]

hi, it's the guy that spent, not blew, his daughters inheritance.

one correction-
the shaft of my skylight is only lined with the aluminum. it is not broken up into separate smaller shafts. if you look at one of the early pictures in the thread it is a bit confusing with all the reflections just where the walls are. the house of mirrors effect.

the light does move around the tank during the day which is more natural than the point source of most aquarium lights. it may be 1500 PAR at one end of the tank and only 200 at the other end. during mis day for a few hours most of the tank is lit. there is enough scatter and light reflected off the sand too to illuminate the rest of the tank. light bounces off the sides of the shaft and i imagine it to be more like the ocean. corals are shaded throughout the day as the sun moves too! in the tropics there is a lot of variation in lighting. it may be cloudy and storm for many days at a time. rough seas will decrease the light. and then bam, the sun comes out. why don't the corals bleach with this sudden burst of light?

only during the peak couple months of summer will it come straight down the shaft like it is now.

winter willl be the real test. for now everything is growing and very happy.

even yesterday when i didn't see the sun until mid afternoon with the marine layer here PAR levels were about 100-300 most of the day and then went up in the afternoon.

http://anomet.com/cgi-bin/online/storepro.php

i used the anolux III
it does really work. now if i can just get rid of the algae...

my build thread.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...5&pagenumber=1

Carl

[8BALL_99]

Thanks for the info. I did see the 700 gallon build info in this thread. I also seen his build in the large tank forum. Very cool. But his is alot different then what I'd have. If I got a skylight I was looking at standard sized one.. From looking around online that would probably be a 22x46. I did read about the non-LoE glass in the thread aslo. My two options would be a 22x46 non-LoE skylight vs two 21" Solatubes.

If the Solatubes would provide the same light or pretty close I think they would be easier. I also like the idea of the Tube because I can stick a peaice of 1/8 Acrylic over the outlet above the tank and keep dust, moisture and whatever else out of the shaft and off the reflective surface. Some thing I dont think could be done with the skylight shaft. The venting doesnt matter to me. This would be in an equipment room that already has its on ventilation and AC.

I guess my biggest concern is that the tube will light up a couple of 21" circules of my 72"x36" foot print. I plan on adding T5s with several blue bulbs do help offset the Yellow sunlight. But I'd like to get most of the Punch the corals need from the sun. I'm trying to replace 3x250Mh Really 2x250s and 1x400 mh cause thats how the tank use to be and I'm really considering go back since things grew better. The ONLY reason I haven't is concerns with the utility bill lol I run 7 Mhs lights over my current tanks so I'd love to get rid of a few bulbs.. Not just for power, but 7 mh bulbs hurts every year.

[8BALL_99]

Reefski, cross post lol Thanks for the update. Yeah I'm looking at a par meter. I've already decided that will be a must for this kind of lighting. Atleast till I get a year under my belt and learn what kind of levels I get during what months.

What you talked about does concern me a little with a skylight. I'm sure it looks cool, But I'd like to light up most of the tank for atleast 6-7 Hours. Thats one thing I thing the solatube Might have over a flat skylight. I thought though since I had a semi flat roof and the narrow part of the skylight would run east to west long end would be north to south, that would might help with the issue as the sun moves.

Lol if this didn't involve cutting holes in the roof I wouldnt' be so worried about getting it right the first time.

[Reefski's]

most of the tank is lit up for 6-7 hours right now.

the PAR meter is very helpful to all reefers. reefers keeping track of their halides could also benefit. adjust light height to match intensity after a bulb change and then slowly lower to the right height.

just find a competent roofer and you won't have to worry about holes in the roof. that's my job. worry! i hate the rain. i awaken with the least little drip of rain and worry. i also watch the weather a lot. not so much this time of year as it rarely rains here until nov.

Carl

[8BALL_99]

I've wanted a par meter for awhile. I think they would pay for them selfs pretty quick.. I'm sure I've changed my Bulbs before it was needed. Just that alone makes them worth it.

I was going to install either option myself. Doesnt seem to hard. But I dont want to cut the holes for the tubes just to have to repair them to install a skylight a month later. I might check on what a larger skylight would cost. But my guess is special orders get $$$ quick. I wouldnt mind having one that was around 64"x30 or so. That way it would cover more of the tank. I dont know I just can't decide what I should do. I've still got a few weeks to figure it out though.

[hahnmeister]

Dang, I think I see what you mean now. It sure fooled me... I suppose above ^^^, is not a grid.

Right on with the PAR meter... after getting mine, it paid for itself within a few months. The Ocean Optics Spectrometer... well... that takes a bit longer...lol.

[IridescentLily]

Oh man, thank God I saw this thread. This rocks. You guys are geniuses. I wonder if most people who catch this thread think "why haven't I thought of this before" regarding the Solatubes.
My mom's going to wonder why i'm visiting her (and her kooky ideas about a room redesign) more often.
I'll just tell her that I thought about it and realized that one can never have enough planning when re-doing a room with a skylight.


heh heh

I'm tagging along with this thread.

[8BALL_99]

After looking at Velux skylights on their sight, insted of local dealers I see they make some larger standard sizes. I'm also a little worried about if I can get 21" Tubes for a pitched roof. Most of the ones I've seen online are for Flat roofs.. My roof has a very gentle pitch over my tank. But its not flat.. So the 21" Tube might be out. If thats the case then a 30"x50 Velux skylight could be my best option.. There is a dealer right down the road from my office so I'm going to go talk to them today to figure out my options!

[Reefski's]

Velux slylights need a special Velux made curb apparatus to pitch the skylight. do you know what the pitch of your roof is?

i have heard that there may be a skylight that does not require that. tell them what your pitch is and that you want as much light as possible. i would not get a tinted one. we have a tinted acrylic one at my wifes office and just for fun i measured the light coming through with the par meter and it was less than half of the clear one.

also non low e glass.

[hahnmeister]

Home Depots can order the Velux for you. If they act stupid, just call the number on their booklet/catalog for them...lol. No serious, thats how I found out... just call them up, and then they will just ship to HD (cheaper than any other place you can get them). Velux can make ANYTHING, but it wont be listed in their catalog. They quoted me the same cost for a 'non LoE' as their regular skylight, and you can get the curb mount of whatever you need.

For the project in Chicago, we used three FS 112 skylights to cover about 6'x6'. We would have used two and used a VS (venting) unit for one, but they dont make a VS112... so instead we added a power vent. I would suggest some sort of light blocking control as well though in case you have too much.

I know a guy in AZ who ended up removing his solatubes from over the tank because they were too bright for the corals... I suppose he didnt consider merely filtering it, but yes, you can have too much with these things.

[MAreefer]

I have been thinking about doing something like this for the longest time .... hopefully I get the courage too soon

[JMBoehling]

Originally posted by MAreefer
I have been thinking about doing something like this for the longest time .... hopefully I get the courage too soon

Jump in.. the water is warm

Later,

Jim

[texreefer]

I just ordered and 18" sun tunnel for my 3' x 4' reef.. it will be suplemented by 6-54w T5s. how high above the water do you guys have your tubes?

[JMBoehling]

Originally posted by texreefer
I just ordered and 18" sun tunnel for my 3' x 4' reef.. it will be suplemented by 6-54w T5s. how high above the water do you guys have your tubes?

I've got mine 2 ft above the tank. Keep us posted on how things turn out. Welcome to the NSC (Natural Sunlight Club)

[NaClH20NMYVEIN]

I know a guy in AZ who ended up removing his solatubes from over the tank because they were too bright for the corals... I suppose he didnt consider merely filtering it, but yes, you can have too much with these things. [/B][/QUOTE]

Is he a RC'er? I would like to speak with him as I'm in AZ also and strongly thinking about using 3 solar tubes on my 540 that is in the building stage. How does the pitch of the roof factor in? My roof is pretty steep, is that a downfall?