You’ve probably seen photos floating around online of this LED lamp. It’s the Orphek PR 156 LED aquarium light that until receiving we had never seen in person or come across a fair number of user reviews. The low profile and stated high light intensity has piqued plenty of people’s interests; enough that we’ve received questions from you readers. So when Orphek contacted us to see if we’d like to try one, we were hesitant, but wanted to see what this $850 USD fixture can do. Here are our initial thoughts on the Orphek LED. Some real testing is currently going underway and we will follow up once completed.

The Orphek LED uses 120w, pushing 60 LEDs per fixture at 2w each. Orphek prides itself in its LED stating that the CRI and spectrum are some of the best available in the aquarium market. We will touch more on those items in the future.

The fixture shipped from Orphek’s manufacturing facility in Hong Kong. It came crated and was much larger of a box than we had expected. This was largely due to the large driver / timer combo that I’ll touch on in a bit. The design is slim, sleek and photographs particularly well.

But the fit and finish is lacking for a fixture that costs just shy of $1K. Of the four corners,three had finish issues as shown below. Given the nature of them, we don’t believe them to be from shipping.

We may well have received a lemon, there is no way to verify this, but we would have liked to see some non-off the shelf items be used in the fixture’s body. Wrapping around the heat sink is a perforated metal which connects to acrylic. The acrylic gives it a nice look, but remember to be mindful of scratches.

Power to the light is controlled by a driver box. Mounted inside are the constant current drivers which are connected to two digital timers. The timers are easy enough to use, but we’d love to see the ability to connect whites and blues to a controller. Orphek bypasses this as the fixture is set at a fixed intensity and does not offer dimming.

For now, our early thought are summarized below:

• Attractive slim low profile look
• The finish did not meet our expectations
• We wish there was dimming and better blue / white control
• Early PAR tests show that it’s very bright

Keep an eye out for more on this light as we put it through the paces.

UPDATE: Orphek has since contacted us, assuring us that this light was sent out on accident and does not meet their quality expectations.

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Reef on the Rocks (ROTR) is a relatively new aquarium company that offers man made aragonite based dry rock for aquarium use. The Aragolite material they use is made from Aragonite, white cement, and perlite. The result is a lightweight and porous material that offers a texture similar to Fiji Liverock.

For aquarists it offers two serious advantages: 1) It is environmentally friendly and 2) It will not introduce any pests. The catch is that dry, sterile rock must be seeded with bacteria from established system to help in the biological filtration arena, or better yet, flora and fauna from liverock to make it ‘live’.

For the aquascaping challenged reefer, Reef on the Rocks offers pre-made kits in arches and column structures. Using color coded holes and some fiberglass rods, the loose rocks quickly take shape. Shown here is a small Aragolite Arch. It takes just minutes to assemble and is quite sturdy. As we showed in the pinnacle aquascape video, using epoxy and superglue on dry rock like this will strengthen the structure even more.

RORT sent us this small arch kit to put through the paces. The main structure is made of 4 large rocks that are held together by fiberglass rods. Additional small “peg” rocks can be placed on top to add additional shape–they double as large, secure and easily removable frag mounts. Check out ROTR’s instructions here.

Aragonite based rock is not anything new per se. DIY recipes using the coveted substrate along with Porter Cement are abound. It can be a fun DIY project, but it’s messy, takes a significant amount of time and the shapes all too often look unnatural and overly smooth. For manmade rock, the texture and shapes of Reef on the Rocks Agrolite are exceptional. But Mother Nature will always win the beauty contest.

If you plan to cover you rock with corals then Reef on the Rocks is a very attractive choice. If however, you plan for ample rock to be visible as in a FOWLR (Fish only with live rock) system, we’d suggest picking up some dead live rock  or lacey liverock that you can use to add some more variety to the texture and shape.

After letting this rock soak in RODI water it was since been added to GBD’s JBJ 28g LED NanoCube. Keep an eye out for updates in the future as Reefs on the Rocks becomes alive.

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TMC’s most recent addition to their AquaRay line of LED aquarium lights is the AquaBeam 1000 HD. Utilizing Cree XR-E LEDs, custom optics and increased LED density, the 1000HD was designed to fill in any light intensity gaps from the smaller AquaRay 500 LED strips. If you think of the AquaRay 500 strips as flourescent supplement lamps, the AquaBeam 1000 HD is TMC’s answer to metal halides.

TMC AquaRay AquaBeam 1000 HD Stats:

• 10 Cree XR-E LEDs
  • Marine White (10 x 14K White)
  • Reef White (7 x 14K White + 3 x 50K Blue)
• 30w of electric consumption
• 20cm x 20cm footprint

The AquaBeam 1000 HD is a welcome addition to the Aquaray line. The small form factor makes it easy to place over any aquarium and the simple black and exposed aluminum heatsink are very easy on the eyes. TMC describes the 1000HD as a lighting tile, and I whole heartedly agree. For larger tanks this is not an all inclusive pendant, rather it is part of the modular TMC Aquaray LED line that can be combined with multiple 1000HDs, 500 strips, or other lightsources to achieve the right balance of light.

This is one of the few LED aquarium lights that was designed from the ground up–there are no off the shelf parts and it wont be confused as a DIY job of less expensive knock off. The integrated heatsink adds an industrial edge to the light, while also serving as a bracket to allow mounting to rails or cable. It does look good, but this was also my area of most concern–for 30w the heatsink is on the smaller size and operating temperatures quickly heat the polished metal.

As we suggested with the NanoCustoms PAR 38 LED Review, to ensure maximum output and LED longevity, be sure to use this lamp in a well venitlated area. If possible fans, moving air across would also be beneficial. TMC stats the AquaBeam 1000 has a minimum lifespan of 50,000. In our testing we did not find any stastically significant decreases in light output (as measured through PAR). We will take TMC’s word on this, but do not advise using this product in poorly ventilated areas for fear of LED degradation.

Just How Bright is the 1000 HD?

TMC kindly sent us a Reef White 1000 HD, consisting of 7 white and 3 blue LEDs, for review purposes. Photosynthetically Available Radiation (PAR) measurements were taken through open air, every 1/2″ over a 24″ square area using a calibrated Licor PAR sensor. Three separate readings were taken at 12″, 18″ and 24″.

Measurements in the charts below are measured in µmol/sec/m² shown in gradients of 25 units for the flat chart and 50 units for the 3D chart.

[click to enlarge]

Thoughts After Using the TMC 1000 HD

In the end, the peak intensity of the AquaBeam 1000 HD could use a slight boost; however, this was a trade off for the coverage and spread achieved. The light is ideal for small aquariums and I would recommend one unit for every 12-18in square depending on the aquascape and light requirements of one’s animals. [TMC has told us they are working with the Cree XP-G LED and we expect the 1000HD will greatly benefit from the increased lumens per watt that the XP line offers.]

The optics of the unit are fairly wide and mix the white and blue light well. We did not observe any light banding issues when put over the aquarium. Note that TMC uses Cree’s standard Blue LED which range from 465nm to 485nm. These provide more PAR, but do not offer the actinic-like color pop that the 450nm Royal Blues do. That said, the bin of white LEDs we found to be very white and crisp. They compliment the blues nicely giving an overall temperature that we would be a fair 12-14K. (Editors note: The aquarium industry’s use of kelvin ratings is largely driven by marketing. We found the TMC 1000 HD LED tile offered a crisp white light with a touch of blue.)

TMC does offer an AquaRay Control unit that offers two channel dimming, sunrise / sunset timing, and a flash mode that simulates a lightning storm. To keep cords to a minimum there is also an Aquaray Power Control which integrates a power supply into the controller. Our unit did not come with this and only offered on/off functionality. We feel the controller would be a much added benefit to the TMC 1000 HD and give it an edge over comparable lights.

Lastly, this light is plug in play nature. It is lightweight, can be set up in minutes, and easy enough to install over any aquarium. This light is well equipped to handle nano reefs and the sub 24″ cube range of aquariums on its own or the versatile design can be employed in numbers of larger aquaria. Given the low heat directed towards the aquarium, the unit can be placed just inches away from the water surface. We have no qualms using this light to grow softies, LPS, and SPS–but for the latter, careful placement in the upper half of the aquarium must be considered.

We must give a thanks to TMC and Quality Marine for sending these units, with a special nod to TMC’s lighting consultant Michael Barret.

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The Casio Exilim EX-G1 is one of the latest ‘rugged’ cameras on the market, capable of taking a beating and a dip. After writing about the potential this tiny waterproof point and shoot has in the aquarium world back in January, the kind folks at Casio sent us a unit for review. After two months with this camera, I can confirm it has the ability to capture some unique underwater aquarium images while also proving to be a reliable everyday point and shoot..

The EX-G1 is a 12.1 megapixel camera that can withstand temperatures down to 13F, drops from 2.13m, and more importantly for aquarists–the EX-G1 is waterproof at up to 10ft for one hour. The camera features a 38-114 mm equivalent lens, with a minimum focal distance of 10cm (~4″). This allows macro-like images to be taken of corals and fish, however, we found the autofocus system had some speed issues [note: auto,manual, macro, pan  and infinity focus modes are available]. The Exilim EX-G1 also offers a variety of camera modes called “Best Shot’ functions which adjust exposure and white balance settings.

Like most point and shoots the EX-G1 is not a low light camera. This model does offer ISO ranges from 64-3200, but don’t plan on going past 400 for fear of serious noise degradation. Additionally I found the video worked well in bright daylight conditions, but failed to impress under indoor lighting or aquarium lighting. I would love to see this camera pack in 1080p resolution video (something begining to be offered on newer P&S)–for now it offers 848×480 @ 30fps. For additional stats on the camera, see here.

The on/off button is slightly reset preventing any accidental changes. To the right is the ‘Best Shot’ button which takes you to the best shot menu screen.

It’s not until opening the box that you realize how deceptively small and thin the Exilim EX-G1 is. Handling the camera took some getting use to, but carrying it around did not. At just 0.78″ thick it is easy to slip into your front pocket and run out the door.

In the above photo you can see the word ‘open’ with a small arrow pointing upward. With a simple twist the gear releases the sealed compartment that holds the flash memory and USB output.

The camera boasts a large 2.5″ LCD screen that looks great on the stats listing. Unfortunately the resolution could be improved. When used underwater it is difficult to tell if an image is truly in focus, even when in manual mode. For general landscape and portrait shots it served its purpose, although we opted to err on the side of taking more images just in case. Fortunately the camera comes with 35.7mb of flash memory built in and accepts microSD and microSD SDHC memory cards, allowing the Exilim to hold plenty of photos.

One of the best features I found with this camera is the lack of shutter lag. Once the button is clicked the photo is nearly immediately taken. Using a class 6 microSD card it took just over 2 seconds for the camera to write and be ready for the next shot. Not bad at all.

In the aquarium, the auto focus system can struggle locking in on what coral or animal you intend. Manual focus proved best for my needs. It takes some tinkering to get good shots under the blue halides, but I found the camera’s auto white balance to be fairly accurate. The photo below was only adjusted for color using Aperture’s auto color correction and then resized / watermarked in photoshop.

A close up of the photo above. Sharp, color accurate images like this can be difficult to capture in the aquarium. It took ~20 shots of the same coral before getting this one.

Outdoors the camera was much less finicky and the larger contrasting shapes played to the AF’s advantage. Here are a few additional pictures from an overcast Chicago day. Color rendition is spot on and contrast is not bad. Wideangle images show some distortion (see building below) and considerably softer at the edges.

At $219 the Casio Exilim EX-G1 is a mid-priced point and shoot camera that can take its fair share of abuse while also capturing good quality images. Low light performance leaves something to be desired, but this is not uncommon for its camera class.

For the aquarists, the ability to take pictures underwater is a major bonus, but I would not base a purchase on this ability alone. It is a great everyday camera that you don’t have to baby in bad weather conditions… and can also capture your favorite Acropora should the occasion arise. Currently Amazon has this camera for $219 with free shipping. If you’re looking for a compact everyday camera the Exilim EX-G1 is not a bad choice.

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I first laid eyes on the NanoCustoms Par38 LED spotlight in Atlantic City, while attending MACNA. As a long time proponent of spotlight and coral specific lighting, I was admittedly  drawn to the flexibility that these medium based LED lights provided.

The NanoCustoms PAR38 LED spotlight incorporates 5 Cree XR-E leds, optics, heatsink and constant current driver into the shape of a typical PAR38 lamp. Like an everyday incandescent bulb, the PAR38 LED lamp can screw into a standard household (E26/27) socket allowing many commercial fixtures to be used over the aquarium. There is no arguing that the lights are easy to use; however, as more aquarists are tempted by their form factor, the serious question is, just how bright are they?

A 12K model consisting of 2 royal blue LEDs and 3 whites, all of which were fitted with the lamp’s standard 40 degree optics, was evaluated. Photosynthetically Available Radiation (PAR) measurements were taken through open air, every 1/2″ over a 24″ square area using a calibrated Licor PAR sensor. Three separate readings were taken at 24″, 18″ and 12″. Note: Distances indicate from the base of light socket to sensor–for actual LED to sensor distances reduce the height by ~3″. Additionally, note that different optics are available for this light ranging from 8 degrees to 80.

Measurements in the charts below are measured in µmol/sec/m² shown in gradients of 25 units for the flat chart and 50 units for the 3D chart.

[click to enlarge]

NanoCustoms does not provide an average lamp life. The stock version of this lamp from Sunpark indicates 50,000 hours for its 3,000K and 5,000K models. I have little doubt the light will illuminate for this long, but luminous decay must be considered and is where the heatsink comes into play. [Until these variables are found it is near impossible to calculate an accurate average cost of operation.]

One concern with longevity stems from the operating temperature of the lamp–the heatsink is very hot to the touch. [Heatsink temperature is not always indicative of junction temperature, but inadequate thermal management of LED lights will lead to reduced output and lifespan.] The NanoCustoms lamp does use Cree XR-E LEDs which are very robust and rated for 50,000 hours with a 70% lumen maintenance (the amount of light emitted at at time zero compared to some point in the future, in this case 50,000 hours) provided junction temperatures are maintained at or below 135C. See the graph and quote below, via Cree, for more information.

Based on internal long-term reliability testing, Cree projects that white XLamp XR-E LEDs will deliver median 70% lumen maintenance after 50,000 hours of operation at a forward current of 700 mA. This projection is based on constant current operation with junction temperature maintained at or below 135°C and ambient air temperature maintained at or below 25°C.

Cree projects royal blue, blue, green and white XLamp XR-E LEDs to maintain a mean 70% lumen maintenance after 50,000 hours, provided the LED junction temperature is maintained at or below 90°C and ambient air temperature is maintained at or below 85°C.

Due to the design of the lamp it is impossible for us to measure the actual operating junction temperature and/or model them, to see if they are in line with Cree’s recommended numbers. I would advise that these lights be used in open areas (read: no hot canopies or enclosed household light fixtures). Additionally, fans blowing on or around the lamp are a good insurance policy for long term efficiency.

Overall these lights have proven easy to use and can be incorporated into a myriad of aquarium set ups. There is no question they can emit the intensity and spectra required for our reef inhabitants, but we have yet to accumulate hard numbers on reduced light output over the life of these lamps.

Disclosure: These PAR38 LED lamps were provided by NanoCustoms for review purposes. However, as always we maintained our independence and objectivity throughout this review.

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I’ve been using the Profilux standalone doser for just over 6 months now which means it’s time for some pump cleaning. In the time the unit has been in operation, the Profilux standalone doser has worked extremely well–the only mark against it has been an infrequent noise. Roughly one month ago a single pump began creating an intermittent high pitched noise when in operation.

Having used an array of peristaltic pumps, including the Thomas motors used here, it as not a surprise. Friction happens, but thankfully it can be remedied with a quick cleaning.

The goal of disassembling the pump heads was to remove any debris within the rollers and on the shaft while also cleaning out any build up within the tubing. Thankfully a simple wipe down of the components with a dry cloth and a light rinse of the tubing managed to take care of the above while also eliminating the noise that was occurring on the third pump.

Full instructions on this pump maintenance can be found on GHL’s Service Forums. Note that GHL states that self service is not covered under warranty. We are unsure of the details of this potential issue, but GHL does advise servicing the pumps every 6 months. We received the Profilux doser free of charge to review and admittedly had little hesitation to take it apart. If this makes you uneasy, contact your retailer.

The pump heads detach from the dosing unit using four clips. A small screw driver can be used to pop these off and remove the head. Be cognizant that the shaft remains connected to the dosing unit and only the white plastic portion is removed.

Here you can see the clips which take a little finesse to remove.

The three peristaltic rollers are kept in place by the plastic backplate. Remove these first before touching the tubing–it all comes out quite easily. When finally removing the tubing, do not change the positioning of the black plastic clips on the tubing. These set the resistance of the rollers. The pumps actually function like a gear, with the shaft spinning the three rollers which creates a controlled rate of flow that cannot back siphon.

To clean the tubing I actually connected it to the waste water line of our RO/DI unit. With some light massaging, any build up inside is quickly flushed out. After re-assembling the unit be sure to re-calibrate in case of any change in flow rates.

Overall the cleaning took 15 minutes for the 4 pump heads, and this included snapping a few pictures. The unit is back working quietly, dosing balling solutions up to 24 times a day. I’m still very please with the Profilux Doser and will continue to employ it on the glassbox–the control and easy of use are difficult to beat.

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The IceCap T5 LED Retro is a moonlight, and a damn good one at that. As shown later on, it is not a PAR monster and I don’t think IceCap would tell you differently. Chris and I eventually spoke about this product and I agreed to try out a free unit for review. I was very blunt with him regarding the review and at the end of my discussion I asked him what he hoped to get out of it. “Tell me if you like it,” he responded. After a couple weeks with the unit I can say that I do.

The 470nm surface mount LEDs do not put out much light, but they do not draw many watts either. For our own curiosity we threw a PAR meter underneath one and at ~10″ we’re hitting a whopping 10 ppfd.

Kidding aside, PAR measurements here are of no value. The light is intended for visual enjoyment and that is where it exceeds. 450-470nm LEDs pop greens, oranges and blues unlike any light available to the aquarium industry. The IceCap LED Retro Moonlight offers that same pop, while also creating an even spread across the length of the aquarium for night time viewing.

As shown above, the small LEDs lack optics for a wide spread. Typically I am a fan of the spotlight effect, tuned to the needs of our corals. In the case of a moonlight, an even spread across the tank is nice to have.

One thing you do not see when these lamps are installed is the curved metal heatsink. A plastic tube slides over the heatsink which is then sealed using rubber caps at the ends. After 8hrs of operation the heatsink keeps the unit just warm to the touch. Additionally, each unit comes with metal lamp clips for mounting. This combined with the retro’s extreme light weight makes installation a breeze. I found it best to place the LED retro directly in the middle of the aquarium, or, towards the front of the glass and angled back.

The IceCap T5 LED Retro is a great option for moonlighting. It’s not revolutionary and don’t expect to see any increase in growth from these, but do expect to have some colorful night time viewing.

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TMC kindly sent us two AquaBeam 500s in Reef Blue and Marine White, along with the higher density AquaBeam 1000HD in Reef White for a formal review.

Both the AquaBeam 500 and 1000HD use the well respected Cree XR-E for efficient and long lasting lumens. The 500 boasts 5 XR-Es consuming 12w while the 1000HD  sports 10 at roughly 30w. Both lights feature a 5 year limited warranty.

I was caught off guard by the build quality of the lights–in a good way. When looking at the initial marketing photos the plastic water resistent cover seemed practical, but to be frank, looked cheap. In reality the material is much thicker and stronger than it appears and joins the resin body that is cast around a well made aluminum heatsink. This heatsink doubles as an attachment to their modular rail mounting system.

Check out all the photos of the TMC Aquabeam 500 and 1000HD below and keep an eye out for a performance analysis on the AquaRay LEDs, along with a handful of other LED lights…

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AquaThrive is a new dry aquarium feed unlike any other. Using a patented process, the pellets are made from fresh cultured (Terebellid) Polychaete worms. This is a sustainable alternative to fish meal which dominates the fish food industry. It also may prove more valuable to specialized Polychaete feeders such as some Butterflyfish species… hence I had to try them out.

Ingredients:

• Fishmeal
• Polychaetes
• Cereal
• Squid
• Seaweed
• Brewers Yeast
• Mussel
• Fish Oil
• Lecithin
• Spirulina

Besides the inclusion of farmed Polychaetes, what really separates this pellet food is the fat content. It is a staggering 11%! This is more then double the amount found in Hikari Marine-A (5%). This can be a good thing, particularly for juvenile marine fish with fast metabolisms, but must be used wisely.  AquaThrive’s protein numbers hit 45% which put them in range with the leaders, while its listed ash and phosphorus properities are a percentage point or two lower than other popular brands.

The overall scent is not as strong as its competitors such as Hikari and Spectrum. However, it is interesting that the AquaThrive food illicits a much stronger coral response than other dry pellets. Even Azooxanthellate corals quickly open when this hits the water.

To test this new food I used it to condition this juvenile Prognathodes marcellae. (Reason being, my other acclimated fish will eat anything and everything!) Three weeks on a diet of Aquathrive and mysis and this fish gained significant bodymass–enough that this 2″ specimen could easily hold its own with larger 5″ Chaetodonts. While not a controlled application, I do believe the fish gained this mass quicker. I currently use Aquathrive weekly to vary the diet of the fishes, but feed it heavier when receiving fish to increase energy stores quickly. In my experience thus far, all fish have readilly accepted AquaThrive, but the 1mm oblong size can be difficult for larger fish. AquaThrive does offer a 1.5mm pellet, but I would not mind seeing larger 2mm and 3mm sizes come to fruition.

For our beloved finned friends, variety is indeed the spice of life. Overall, AquaThrive appears to be a clean, palatable food for ornamental marine fish that adds another food option for aquarists.

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Back in October we showed you the first photos of JBJ’s new 28g LED NanoCube aquarium from our coverage of the Backer Pet industry Trade show in Chicago. Since then, Steve and the JBJ crew kindly sent over the final production model for a formal GBD review.

For some background on this new LED NanoCube, the obvious and largest change is the use of LED lighting. JBJ touts this unit packs a 24 hour lighting package through 3 different groups of LEDS:

• 25 x 3w 14K Daylight
• 4 x 3w Blue Dawn Dusk
• 2 x 1 w Moonlights

The Moonlight and Dawn / Dusk name on the 2 x 1w and 4 x 3w Blue LEDs can be a  bit misleading–in fact. These lights are much more intense than you would expect by the description. In the photo below you can see the blue Dawn / Dusk LEDs at the four corners. Note that all these LEDs lack optics. Given the proximity to the water surface, it works well for this plug-n-play system.

Overall the spread, color temperature, and color rendering are quite good on this self contained LED hood. In aquarium talk, I would estimate the color temperature to be 12-14K with an increased pop given by the blues. Some aquarists may desire a higher kelvin look and we wouldn’t mind seeing a 20K option with blue’s mixed in with the 14K core lighting. We will have to see if any color shift or significant luminous decay occurs.

I knew I would not be able to give this new aquarium the proper time and attention it deserved, so I enlisted the help of contributor Brandon Taylor. Brandon previously had a 24g Nano Cube with a PC lighting upgrade, which made this a simple transition. Check out what he has to say about the overall construction and usability of the new JBJ 28g LED NanoCube.

The Stand

The stand is your typical “some assembly required”, MDF aquarium stand. It may not look the absolute best, but while assembling it I realized that it is surprisingly sturdy. I didn’t have many complaints about the stability of the stand on my 24G, other than the storage compartment was not very useful. The newer stand however has a good bit of room because they designed it with a chiller in mind. I also like that the stand is a little taller 32″ vs 28″. This brings the tank to the height of my 58G tank and stand. I shouldn’t need a chiller since the LEDs put off alot less heat, so I decided to move the ballasts from the  adjacent 58g, and the LED drivers for the NanoCube into the stand. This makes the area around both tanks much cleaner and easier on the eyes.

The Tank

I drained the old tank and transfered everything but the sand to the new 28g LED, and it was relatively painless. I was curious about how much of a difference the extra 4 gallons would make, and was really surprised to see that the tank looks much more open (28g LED NanoCube 18” x 22” x22” high V 24g Nano Cube 18” x 19.6” x 19.7” high). The hood does not go the full length of the tank like in previous models, stopping a few inches short to allow for access to the quasi sump/fuge area.

This new ‘sump’ layout is very nice. The overflow has now been moved to the  center, and water passes through this area packed with 3 chambers for filter media (sponge,carbon,chaeto,etc.). The water then flows from that central chamber into the adjacent area that can hold your heater.  You will need to make sure the heater you get is not too long though. It will need to be ~10″ to fit in the second chamber. The last chamber has the (2) 266 gph Accela return pumps, each with their own return nozzle. The pumps are very quite and create a surprisingly good flow in the tank. The JBJ LED NanoCube also comes with a redesigned Oceans Pulse Duo wave maker. The wave maker alternates 1 pump at a time for 10s to 6min intervals or it can be configured to leave both on continuously. After playing around with the timing, I configured the wave maker for 45 second alternating cycles.

JBJ does leave room for a designated skimmer, but given the lack of quality options here I’ve decided to forgo any skimmer and rely on chemical filtration and frequent water changes.

The LEDs

The LEDs are significantly brighter than the power compacts in the previous JBJ nanos (We will release PAR numbers shortly). Like most reefers, I love the blue dusk/dawn LEDs. They make the florescent corals really pop unlike any other light. The daylight LEDs are a crisp white. There is even a nice shimmer to the water that I was not expecting.

I leave the moonlight LEDs on all the time (don’t want to deal with another timer), but they really light up the tank at night. One complaint that I do have is the moonlights are extremely bright compared to other moonlights I have used in the past. That being said corals and fish go about their normal nightly routine with the moonlights on.

Editors note: Dimming ability across all the LEDs would be a terrific feature and with some creative DIY could likely be employed on this fixture–however, we have a sinking feeling JBJ would then run into patent issues.

In addition to the aquarium LEDs, JBJ included their Nano-Glo 4 LED refugium light. The Nano Glo 4 packs 4 high intensity LEDs and  attaches to the central sump area via magnets. This makes growing Chaetomorpha macro algae very easy and hidden away.

The tank has been up and in operation for roughly one month now and everything is looking healthy. I have added a few hardy SPS frags from my other tank to see how they adjust to the LEDs. We’ll keep you posted on how the animals fare, with PAR numbers to come as well.

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