Vertex Illumina Club

[mariognutti]

Ho heliman,
You have to do a "complete" update. All the pads have to be updated.

[anthony28]

Originally Posted by Heliman

Help !!!!

I have 4 foot illumina into which I have sucessfully installed 3 U/V pads...all works great, software updates worked as planned...no problems.

But.....I decided to fill the 4 spare slots in the fitting with the new Multi-colour pads and set about doing all the software updates. So far, nothing has worked.

I updated the fixture to ver.2092 and the summary page acknowleges that the fixture is now updated to this version.

I see no difference on the light studio...no red/green/U/V additional options are apparently there.

So I tried to update the V-Stick to the latest version and have completely stalled. The new file wont install.

Could this be part of the bugs in the new updates, or have I missed something critical ??

I also experienced some trouble during installing te multi color pads.
- in one case two strains of the connection cord where mixed up. I had to change them.
- After a complete update the new options were not vissible in the light studio. I ran the updat severeal times no improvment.
After running a hard reset (using the small buton on the main pads) and improving the connection with my laptop by lying the Illumina upside down on my sofa with my laptop next to it, after the last update suddenly the aditional channels where vissible in the light studio.
Still don't know what did the trick, the hard reset or the improved connection.

If you keep problems installing the multi color pads, you best send a email directly to jamie@vertexaquaristik.de he will advise you solving the problem.

Be carefull running the multicolor's combined with the UVpads. Maintaining de previous setting will burn your corals. The UV's of the multi color pads are much stronger.

[Heliman]

Today on the Vertex site there was a new download..."Desktop hot fix"

I downloaded this and again went through the complete process for installing the multi colour modules.

All went perfectly, everything works as it should.

Now I just got to play with 7 colour channels...should be fun !!!

Thanks for assistance guys.

[jlanger]

Originally Posted by anthony28

Be carefull running the multicolor's combined with the UVpads. Maintaining de previous setting will burn your corals. The UV's of the multi color pads are much stronger.

I agree.
I've had the Multicolor Modules running for the past couple of weeks and I keep dropping the UV LEDs down as the Montipora digitata spp. are slightly bleaching and my LPS don't like them yet.

[notclear]

I also installed the Desktop 1911 Hotfix and the 2092 fixture firmware this morning, all are working as expected.

The only obvious difference I notice is there is a new Bond option, but don't know what it is.

[Animadverto]

Originally Posted by notclear

I also installed the Desktop 1911 Hotfix and the 2092 fixture firmware this morning, all are working as expected.

The only obvious difference I notice is there is a new Bond option, but don't know what it is.

Do you know if this new firmware and desktop software will let us program the clouds to activate during the most intense lighting period as opposed to a 24 hour cycle that can occur during the night when we don't need clouds?

Thanks!

[notclear]

Originally Posted by notclear

I also installed the Desktop 1911 Hotfix and the 2092 fixture firmware ....

Oops, I meant 1991 Hotfix.

Originally Posted by Animadverto

Do you know if this new firmware and desktop software will let us program the clouds to activate during the most intense lighting period as opposed to a 24 hour cycle that can occur during the night when we don't need clouds?

Thanks!

I doubt that unless they make the codes to be able to detect e.g. when the white LEDs are off, then skip those periods.

[thorSvenson]

I currently have a 24" Illumina with a UV module. I would like to get a Multicolor Aux Module but didn't want to remove the UV module I just bought a few months ago. The only other option I can think of is putting the Multicolor in the middle and buying another UV to have one on either side. Would the UV be to intense and create a disco ball effect?

[Animadverto]

Originally Posted by thorSvenson

I currently have a 24" Illumina with a UV module. I would like to get a Multicolor Aux Module but didn't want to remove the UV module I just bought a few months ago. The only other option I can think of is putting the Multicolor in the middle and buying another UV to have one on either side. Would the UV be to intense and create a disco ball effect?

Vertex recommends one uv or multicolor module for every 24". Because there are no optic lenses with the Illumina, I don't think the disco ball effect will be an issue. However, I will be very careful with the intensity of the uv. I've slowly adjusted my uv led channel up 2 or or 3 percent every 3 or 4 days while keeping all other channels constant, and everything was fine until I exceeded 50% with the uv leds. I started to notice bleaching with some of my sps corals.

Depending on the size of your tank, you may be better off taking out the existing uv pad to install the multicolor module than to get an additional uv pad.

[mariognutti]

Good evening,
I've noticed that vertex cycle moon doesn't fit with the real moon calendar...
Isn't it?

[Heliman]

Originally Posted by Animadverto

Vertex recommends one uv or multicolor module for every 24". Because there are no optic lenses with the Illumina, I don't think the disco ball effect will be an issue. However, I will be very careful with the intensity of the uv. I've slowly adjusted my uv led channel up 2 or or 3 percent every 3 or 4 days while keeping all other channels constant, and everything was fine until I exceeded 50% with the uv leds. I started to notice bleaching with some of my sps corals.

Depending on the size of your tank, you may be better off taking out the existing uv pad to install the multicolor module than to get an additional uv pad.

I dont get any disco ball effect, I have 3 additional U/V pads and 4 additional Multi-colour pads installed in my 4 foot unit. The U/V pads have been in for 6 months and the multi-colour pads in for 3 weeks.

I previously incresed the U/V pads by 3% every month, with no negative effect on the corals (sps), in fact the colours have developed very well and I am now at 65% on the U/V and tend to keep going at +3% each month with both the U/V and the multicolour. I think (IMHO) that 2 or 3 percent every 3 or 4 days is way too fast for sps to acclimatise....try a longer period between changes, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the results.

[Animadverto]

Originally Posted by Heliman

I dont get any disco ball effect, I have 3 additional U/V pads and 4 additional Multi-colour pads installed in my 4 foot unit. The U/V pads have been in for 6 months and the multi-colour pads in for 3 weeks.

I previously incresed the U/V pads by 3% every month, with no negative effect on the corals (sps), in fact the colours have developed very well and I am now at 65% on the U/V and tend to keep going at +3% each month with both the U/V and the multicolour. I think (IMHO) that 2 or 3 percent every 3 or 4 days is way too fast for sps to acclimatise....try a longer period between changes, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the results.

I completely agree with you about the 2 to 3 percent increase every 3 or 4 days being too fast, and the evidence is in the slightly bleached corals. Fortunately, they have since recovered rather nicely since I've turned the uv level down to where it was peeking at 48% for 3 hours over the course of the lighting cycle with a ramping up and down in a bell-shaped curve of the graph.

Do you think there is a threshold, a level of light intensity and duration at which photoinhibition is induced with the corals in captivity no matter how slowly we acclimate them to the ever increasing light intensity of the Illumina with just a few clicks of a button on our computers? Even with the SR260, I don't foresee myself ever turning everything up to 100% no matter how long the acclimation period may be. What's your opinion on that?

[Shakeeb]

k hellow my friends
i have vertex illumina 260
but the thing is i have since 4 to 5 month i guess
i love the light
but i am afraid i am making it to strong i have sps lps mushrooms i have every thing in the tank...
why i feel this is because every coral i get becomes lighter in color and am afraid the light is the problem...
i hope u can help me on this one....
and if any one has sps and feels like he is doing great with the color plz send me an atch file to the softwar i might do like him...
thank u so much....
and how far is the light from the tank i have it around 10com from the water....

[Heliman]

Originally Posted by Animadverto

Do you think there is a threshold, a level of light intensity and duration at which photoinhibition is induced with the corals in captivity no matter how slowly we acclimate them to the ever increasing light intensity of the Illumina with just a few clicks of a button on our computers? Even with the SR260, I don't foresee myself ever turning everything up to 100% no matter how long the acclimation period may be. What's your opinion on that?

I have read somewhere that above certain light levels, light actually "poisons" corals via the intensity overwhelming Zooanthellates. But in my opinion, having dived for many years on many coral reefs, I have seen first hand what sort of light intensities corals get in shallow water at peak light times during the day...far more than we could ever provide by artificial means. Many sps grow and thrive in 1 or 2 foot of water and the light they get at peak times is just monstrous !!! But the colours are spectacular.

In fact, Acro Al who is recognised Internationally as a serious sps expert, and also lives in the same City as me, keeps his corals under direct sunlight and his tank is truly spectacular...something I can only aspire to under artificial light, no matter how strong it is. His advice to me is always blast them with high light intensity....and so far he is right as far as the results in my tank go.

I personally believe it is a multi-dimensional issue.......if we get all the other parameters such as water chemistry, stability and flow under as tight control as possible, then sps will thrive under quite massive light. On the other hand, if the basic parameters are not right, then something gotta give !!!

Whatever the methodology chosen to up the light levels, I am sure that slowly, slowly is essential, and then the coral has plenty of time to adjust its own structure to compensate, without undue stress.

But that is just my opinion and I am sure that there are other views out there

[Dmoody]

Wow thats a great looking tank shakeeb.

[Shakeeb]

Originally Posted by Dmoody

Wow thats a great looking tank shakeeb.

And I still feel its not good enough ill add more pictures later on

[Shakeeb]

))))

[Shakeeb]

Pic

[Shakeeb]

Originally Posted by Shakeeb

Pic

[stangchris]

i want to get the multicolor pads. im not sure how many i need i dont waste money on too many . my fixture is the sr-260 4 foot fixture, tank is 5 foot long and 24 deep and 24 high. i have a sps dominant tank. any suggestion?

[Heliman]

Originally Posted by stangchris

i want to get the multicolor pads. im not sure how many i need i dont waste money on too many . my fixture is the sr-260 4 foot fixture, tank is 5 foot long and 24 deep and 24 high. i have a sps dominant tank. any suggestion?

I'm running 4 multi-colour pads and 3 U/V pads on my 4 foot unit.

The U/V pads have been in for a while now, but the Multis are new to my system so I cant be really definitive as to how they will go long term. So far I have definitely seen some better colouration in my Acros and the appearance is close to what I believe is the "natural" I am looking for.

I notice some additional algae activity which maybe due to extra red &green light from the multis...I am backing off on red and green to 10% and watching !!!

[stangchris]

sorry next question by adding 4 new pads will i need to buy another power supply?

[notclear]

You don't need to.

[abell]

I'm having issues with the software working with my windows 8. Anyone else have this issue?

[stangchris]

Originally Posted by abell

I'm having issues with the software working with my windows 8. Anyone else have this issue?

i run windows 8 and no issues, i have a ultra book also.