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10/18/2014, 10:57 AM
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#1 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Silverthorne, CO.
Posts: 2,045
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How much light does netting block?
After recently loosing one of my red spot glass cardinal fish to jumping (likely through egg crate) I decided I NEEDED a better solution. I picked up a screen kit, splines etc from Lowes along with some squirrel netting. Black with 1/8" holes. I had a feeling it might block a lot of light, which when I tried it, it did. So I took it off and ordered the 1/4" clear mesh from BRS. That arrived and I got it installed and I have to say that looking at the tank I don't notice any difference in light. I imaging it has to be blocking a certain percentage tho. I have radion xr30's currently running at 60%. Would it be a good idea to set them to ramp up to say 65%, just to account for any that is lost? Also since my tank is a bow front I'm trying to figure out a solution for the curved front part, right now my plan is to glue some of the mesh to the bottom of egg crate and put that there. OR maybe cut a piece from a sheet of acrylic...thoughts?
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PBITAWA Current Tank Info: 72 gallon bow Mixed Reef 1 fw tank |
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10/18/2014, 12:09 PM
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#2 |
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Grizzled & Cynical
 Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Stamford, CT
Posts: 17,319
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I found the 1/4" BRS netting to be negligible in terms of blocking light, so I wouldn't worry about it.
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Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs |
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10/18/2014, 12:53 PM
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#3 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Dewitt MI
Posts: 5,051
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Measured par in my tank and it was 366 with BRS 1/4 and 388 without. A loss of 4%.
The loss with 1/2 inch is 3%. Not much different.
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Gary 180 gallon, 40 gallon sump, 3 250 W MH + 4 80W ATI T5's, MTC MVX 36 Skimmer, Apex controller Aquamaxx T-3 CaRx Current Tank Info: A 2 Barred Rabbitfish, Red Head Salon, Yellow/Purple, McMaster Fairy, Possum, 2 Leopard Wrasses, Kole, & Atlantic Blue Tangs, 2 Percula Clown, 3 PJ and 1 Banggai Cardinalfish , Swallowtail, Bellus and Coral Beauty Angels |
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10/18/2014, 04:49 PM
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#4 | |
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Grizzled & Cynical
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Stamford, CT
Posts: 17,319
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Quote:
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Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs |
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10/18/2014, 04:52 PM
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#5 |
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Registered Member.
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 275
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Someone did a par test against multiple materials, the clear netting wins first spot, 2nd I think was black netting, then window screen, then eggcrate..
One thing that will reduce par as well is dirty light lenses... (and maybe it was glass tops, it was an old post several years back) |
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10/19/2014, 12:03 AM
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#6 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Silverthorne, CO.
Posts: 2,045
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This is all very useful information! Unfortunately a PAR meter is quite a ways down my list of things to buy for the reef, but thankfully others have them and can run these sorts of tests! Thanks!
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PBITAWA Current Tank Info: 72 gallon bow Mixed Reef 1 fw tank |
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