Vertex Illumina Club

[return11]

Agydal - how did you get the wave look to you sand? Looks great!

[scram42]

Thanks Deangelr, perhaps the Illumilux would be more appropriate.

[deangelr]

No Problem.. I was curious about how powerful those were as well as i am trying to figure out how to light a 55g that is i think 48''x12"

[deangelr]

Originally Posted by return11

Sorry if this has been asked before, but can US residents order from Canada with the patent issues? If I am going to drop 3k on a fixture, 48 inch 260 Vertex, would it be reasonable to assume that I can grow/keep anything I want, proper placement programming etc., with an aquarium 48 inches long and 15-20 inches deep? Width would not be greater than 16 inches. Thanks again for your time!

Yes, US residents can order from Canada, I did with no problems.

Yes, with the Vertex 260 it is brighter than any light I have seen and you can easily adjust the setting lower for any coral.

As I said in the last post. It will work for your tank, But it is hard for me to say this light would be good on a tank less then 20" front to back. So if you put this light over a tank only 16" (front to back) the spread over will be excessive.

Maybe some other will chime in though....

[Kolognekoral]

Originally Posted by deangelr

Yes, US residents can order from Canada, I did with no problems.

Yes, with the Vertex 260 it is brighter than any light I have seen and you can easily adjust the setting lower for any coral.

As I said in the last post. It will work for your tank, But it is hard for me to say this light would be good on a tank less then 20" front to back. So if you put this light over a tank only 16" (front to back) the spread over will be excessive.

Maybe some other will chime in though....

I'm one to think of the future. Even if my tank was only 16" wide....now, I wouldn't worry about a bit of light spill into the room, as I know my next tank would be wider. From my experience, the lighting is the single most expensive part of an aquarium setup and should be able to handle other projects I may plan. Mind you, that said, my tank is the same size since 11 years, I've just added more tanks! By the way, the 260 can light a tank 100cm deep, that's about 40". I run the whites between 50-70% on a 70cm deep tank.

[AGYDAL]

Originally Posted by return11

Agydal - how did you get the wave look to you sand? Looks great!

1. Dumb Luck
2. The latest and greatest technology in powerheads: Maxi-jet 1200's plugged into Christmas timers on a powerstrip timed on a Round Robin type powering.



The tanks a 30x30x18" *cough cough I have a 12" 200 model on it I've posted picture around here somewhere, no complaints...cough cough** since it's a cube style it's sort of the nature of the beast to have flow issues...I found that if I angle the the powerheads off the glass I get the most turbulence to the flow and the dents in the sand are where the jets bank.

Also my power went out at my residence for at least 6 hours the other night...and the battery backup for my big tank is MIA at the moment...long story short...alarm clock and microwave did not re-set like they claimed they would, but the Vertex did...

I bet if Chuck Norris has a reef tank he's running Vertex lighting...

[scram42]

But it is hard for me to say this light would be good on a tank less then 20" front to back. So if you put this light over a tank only 16" (front to back) the spread over will be excessive.

But what if I just lowered the light?....just a thought.

[Kolognekoral]

Originally Posted by scram42

But what if I just lowered the light?....just a thought.

There ya go. Mine is just 6" above the water, which is considered optimum. Much less light spill than with halides and, for some reason, the light is much better distributed in the tank. Probably the reflection caused by the wide angle of the LEDs.

[deangelr]

Originally Posted by scram42

But what if I just lowered the light?....just a thought.

On a 20'' tank I have to lower it about 4 inches above the water to get rid of the spill. But there is quite a bit of turbulence at the surface of my water and so it scares me to put it so close.

You would also then end up dimming it more due to the brightness, But I do think the light will work and it is an awesome unit.. Always leaves room for an upgrade..

[alin2]

There's a post on RC with a Vertex Illumina owner turning off his end modules because of excessive light spillage.

How much spillage have folks had with Illumina fixtures that are as long as their tanks? I'm thinking of the 900 or 1200 Illumina 260 for a 48x31.5x24 tank.

Thanks!

[Kolognekoral]

Originally Posted by alin2

There's a post on RC with a Vertex Illumina owner turning off his end modules because of excessive light spillage.

How much spillage have folks had with Illumina fixtures that are as long as their tanks? I'm thinking of the 900 or 1200 Illumina 260 for a 48x31.5x24 tank.

Thanks!

I have the 1200/260 over my 136cm wide tank. The light spillage is much less than I had with two 250W HQI at the same height (6") over the water. Also, due to the reflection of the light on the glass having changed with the Vertex Illumina, my achilles doctor doesn't attack his reflection nearly as much, actually almost no more. This was always a stress factor for this fish as he matured.

Generally, the reflection of light within the tank is much greater than before and, despite my massive rock formation in the axis of the tank (it is viewable from 3 sides) the light penetrates much deeper than before. This has to do with some basics on light refration through air, water and glass. A subject I have planned for my blog.

The issue of water surface turbulance became obvious after a few days. I have rearranged my current to minimize the turbulance and I am happy with the result. One still has lots of shimmer without visible surface turbulance.

[Pacificcoast]

Hi everyone,
Just joined RC, i love this thread and am totally into and completely switching over to led. I am running 4-39w t5ho on my 26 gallon reef. I want that illumina, obsessed!!! The only problem are the dimensions of my tank, imagine a flat back hexagon but instead of a flat back it comes in on the back side too. It is 36" long, 15" deep and 13" front to back, but only for 24" in the middle before it starts to point inward. Making sense so far?lol What a pain in the ***.
Having read this entire thread, it seems my dreams of illumina are crushed. I was thinking either a 12", or 24" fixture. But i really want to thank all of you, seriously! Without proper and acurate information, people make the wrong choices, and this is a big choice. Do you all think i might be better off waiting for 2 sol blue nano from ai? I know this is the vertex club, but can someone help me?
Thanks everyone

[AGYDAL]

Random Thought:
Has anyone increased their photoperiod by figuring in the amount of cloud cover programmed?

Random Thought Gets More Random:
If I had a 10 hour lighting with 20% cloud cover minimum that would be 2 hours minimum of darkness due to cloud cover...so my photo period would only be 8 hours in actuality?

Am I thinking correctly, or have I been looking at tax forms too long and gone number crazy? My conscious is starting to sound like The Count from Sesame Street...ONE! ha. ha.. haaaaa...TWO!

[Kolognekoral]

Originally Posted by AGYDAL

Random Thought:
Has anyone increased their photoperiod by figuring in the amount of cloud cover programmed?

Random Thought Gets More Random:
If I had a 10 hour lighting with 20% cloud cover minimum that would be 2 hours minimum of darkness due to cloud cover...so my photo period would only be 8 hours in actuality?

Am I thinking correctly, or have I been looking at tax forms too long and gone number crazy? My conscious is starting to sound like The Count from Sesame Street...ONE! ha. ha.. haaaaa...TWO!

The cloud program doesn't turn off the lights, it reduces the output. In nature clouds don't make it really dark, they soften the light. You still have the same photoperiod, just not the same intensity throughout.

I would experiement a bit and see what I like.

[Kolognekoral]

Originally Posted by Pacificcoast

Hi everyone,
Just joined RC, i love this thread and am totally into and completely switching over to led. I am running 4-39w t5ho on my 26 gallon reef. I want that illumina, obsessed!!! The only problem are the dimensions of my tank, imagine a flat back hexagon but instead of a flat back it comes in on the back side too. It is 36" long, 15" deep and 13" front to back, but only for 24" in the middle before it starts to point inward. Making sense so far?lol What a pain in the ***.
Having read this entire thread, it seems my dreams of illumina are crushed. I was thinking either a 12", or 24" fixture. But i really want to thank all of you, seriously! Without proper and acurate information, people make the wrong choices, and this is a big choice. Do you all think i might be better off waiting for 2 sol blue nano from ai? I know this is the vertex club, but can someone help me?
Thanks everyone

Welcome aboard,

a possible solution is the modular Illumilux from Vertex. Do a netsearch to find a vendor with the various models shown.

[aufo8mycat]

they say your neighbours will know when your new light fixture has arrived here is the proof
yes the light is over my tank, it is a little higher than it will be when build complete, but you get the picture, other units have regular lighting on i have vertex on 100% white, blue and royal

[AGYDAL]

Originally Posted by aufo8mycat

they say your neighbours will know when your new light fixture has arrived here is the proof
yes the light is over my tank, it is a little higher than it will be when build complete, but you get the picture, other units have regular lighting on i have vertex on 100% white, blue and royal

Priceless! LOVE IT!

You definitely got a new light...might want to get a pair of welding goggles to protect your eyes too!

[Midnightsun]

opps wrong place

[DDRR]

What is the width of the Illumina 200 fixture? I assume all the different length fixtures are the same height and width?

[Midnightsun]

They are all the same except they get longer or shorter. Anything over 24" you will end up with more ballasts and more cords to plug in. See the Vertex site for exact details.

[Kolognekoral]

Originally Posted by DDRR

What is the width of the Illumina 200 fixture? I assume all the different length fixtures are the same height and width?

The width is always 30cm/12"; lengths are in increments of 30cm/12". Height is at the heighest less than 2". A very sleek design.

[DDRR]

Would a 24" Illuima 200 look right over a 46" x 30.5" x 16.5" tank or should I get a 36" fixture? Those that have either fixture I would appreciate the input. Thanks. These Fixtures seem like the best ones out there for the features and looks.

[Kolognekoral]

Originally Posted by DDRR

Would a 24" Illuima 200 look right over a 46" x 30.5" x 16.5" tank or should I get a 36" fixture? Those that have either fixture I would appreciate the input. Thanks. These Fixtures seem like the best ones out there for the features and looks.

If you are doing sps, I would go for the 36". The 24" would leave the ends in a bit too little light for sps, but lps would do well.

[deangelr]

Originally Posted by AGYDAL

Priceless! LOVE IT!

You definitely got a new light...might want to get a pair of welding goggles to protect your eyes too!

+1 on the welding goggles. "Dont look into the light!!!"

[AGYDAL]

Originally Posted by Kolognekoral

The cloud program doesn't turn off the lights, it reduces the output. In nature clouds don't make it really dark, they soften the light. You still have the same photoperiod, just not the same intensity throughout.

I would experiement a bit and see what I like.

I beg to differ...