Hi, for those who use the sky with sps only tank, do you have to use a more white color Spectrum like the coral care 2 to have 350 to 400 par in the middle of the tank and at dusk down i like to have a blue look like with a or3 sky or reef brite. How is the blue look at night with the sky? Does it look like a t5 blue+ look ?
Neptune SKY LED
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jcates
Active Member
I run them in AB+ mode and it does have some white but not a lot and I'm confident I could easily get to 350-400. I'm running 3 over a 180 and peak at 55% hit 250 to 300 across the tank. It does ramp up and down with a much more blue look but I don't think it has quite the same pop that my Orphek bars did. But playing around with the custom spectrum for a few seconds, just to answer your question, I can get pretty close.
There is also what they refer to as ati blue plus as a default setting and it looks very much like t5.
Hope that helps
areefer01
2500 Club Member
I believe @jcates has a more accurate assessment since he runs the mode. I do not and would have nothing to give a opinion on because prior to this light I ran Kessi's and had a custom schedule with a similar color to the Neptune Sky spectrum (just judging by my eyes). That mixed in with the BRS video maybe the two will give you want you need.
I did run some of my own simulations as it relates to intensity and par values using Neptune's default phone application settings. My lights are 8" above the surface. My display is 30" tall. I took my measurements around the middle of the tank so 23 - 28". I took samples at various intensity for each pre-set that the phone app uses so I could later calculate the DLI. Please note that you should really use numbers from Dana as that is his expertise (not discounting anyone else).
Intensity 100%
Neptune Sky: 315
Coral Growth: 345
SPS AB+: 228
SPS PHX14: 203
ATI Blue Plus: 250
So for a 48x24x24 sps tank, to have around 350 par at the middle of my tank, i have to buy 2 sky and use the AB+ setting for a blue setting with a little white. With that setting i will have no problem with my sps shadow.
Jon's Reef
Valuable Member
I had t5 Blue+ and Reef Brite right before the SKY. The blue channel is just like the Reef Brite. More of a pure "Blue" rather than the Blue-Green of Blue+.
Here is a chart of Par @ 100% intensity for various preset modes measured in the middle of the tank (1 SKY over 36x24x24, 12" water to light)
The preset modes shown are:
| Coral Growth (Slight purple) | SKY (Slight blue) | AB+ (More blue) | Blue Plus (Very blue) | |
| Channels (V,B,W,A) | 100,100,100,100 | 100,100,60,75 | 100,70,30,20 | 100,100,5,5 |
| Wattage | 219 | 196 | 130 | 154 |
Jon's Reef
Valuable Member
Yes, that should be good.
jcates
Active Member
you don't have to run that setting. I did some playing around and I set them to the Blue Plus setting and have it at 70% intensity and am around 310 in the middle of the tank. I'm 72x24x24 so "in the middle" meaning roughly 12" deep which is basically the top of my scape.
I like the blue also so I have a 1 hour ramp on either side then 4 hours Ab+ then 6 hours blue plus.
jcates
Active Member
So technically you would be using the reef pro mode as opposed to the simple mode but you do not have to guess at spectrum. you can choose between the presets if you want, which is how I have mine.
Mywifeisgunnakillme
Valuable Member
3 Skys do not equal 5 XR 30's. EDIT AND QUOTING: "IT'S TOTAL CRAP" THAT SKYS CAN REPLACE MORE XR-30'S. "I TESTED THE SPREAD." THE SKY'S "SPREAD IS NO DIFFERENT THAN GEN 4 XR 30'S"
Been waiting for actual reviews like these...
Chinese (black box) light has 50% thicker aluminum panel than Sky..
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Mywifeisgunnakillme
Valuable Member
"I bet it was dirt cheap to make."
"Spread is same as gen 4 XR 30"
"par is stronger on gen 4 XR 30"
"Diffusion panel probably came from Gen 1 phillips care. . . . holes line up . . . . gasket is there but does nothing"
"Phillips and coral care is supposedly mad at Neptune"
"better off [for the money] buying used gen 4 XR 30 . . . . for $400 . . . . Sky is about the same"
"light will grow coral"
"no thermal paste connecting heat sink"
"not sure where fans blow [hot] air"
Just adding to the conversation some critical review quotes because they have been lacking... make up your own mind....
Truth is I said a lot of these things early on (at least I posed these questions since I didn't have an actual fixture in hand) but was censored and told to be quiet.
telegraham
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telegraham
Well-Known Member
- Joined
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That telegraham guy is all sixes and sevens!
Mywifeisgunnakillme
Valuable Member
I'm originally from Maine, so you being in New England, I presupposed you had common sense.I'll listen.
Jon's Reef
Valuable Member
Coralcare gen 1 uses 2 subpanels. The internal panel screw holes do not match.
Please provide evidence. Include both COGS and distributor fees.
Spread has never been the question. A Kessil also has similar spread. Actual tank coverage with auqascape and corals is the question.
Please provide a source. Otherwise we could make a rumor that "The diffuser was a collaboration between Neptune and Philips."
There may be a good engineering reason for this. Reactivity of saltwater and thermal paste? Macro vs Micro structural effects dominating the thermal conduction? Effect on the paste as it dries and the pieces move? The thermal load could also be so low that it does not matter. This is not the same as a CPU with a high point load, rigid structure and small size. Good question for Neptune.
They blow down through 4 slots on the edge of the fixture. There is no conclusive evidence that this raises or lowers the tank temperature.
