LiveAquaria.com.com

DIY LED aquarium Light fixture with CREE XR-E, XP-G and MC-E goodness

Posted on : 09-03-2010 | By : Ryan Gripp | In : ReefBuilders

Tags: , , , , , ,

For those of you fortunate to get tickets at the Reef stock event this Saturday in Denver Colorado you’ll see some (if not all) of the worlds best top LED lighting. However here at Reef Builders we are all DIY aficionados and Ryan dropped an email to us to show off his project. It is a 200 watt fixture that is made out of CREE XR-E, XP-G and MC-E LED lighting goodness. The LEDs are affixed to six separate heatsink strips. Each contains two strings of LEDs for a total of 6 strings, each driven by a 700ma buckpuck. The tank is 220 gallons and is also lit by 600 watts of T5 and the picture above shows about half of the LEDs on the tank and there are additional pictures below.

thanks Ryan!


Related Posts:

FosterAndSmithAquatics.com

Pew Fellows in Marine Conservation announced, get Google Earth tour

Posted on : 09-03-2010 | By : Brian Blank | In : ReefBuilders

Tags: , , , , , ,

The 2010 Pew Fellows in Marine Conservation were recently announced and not only do the researchers get much-needed money to continue their research but we get a Google Earth Marine Tour of the researchers and their work. This is a pretty cool 3D tour of the ocean and the research the Pew Fellows will be pursuing over the next three years.

This year, five marine experts based in Sweden, Uruguay, the United Kingdom and Australia are the recipients of the 2010 Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation awarded by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Each Fellow will receive $150,000 to conduct an innovative three-year project designed to protect global ocean ecosystems and marine life. The winners join more than 115 Pew Fellows in Marine Conservation from 30 countries around the globe.

You can learn a bit more on this year’s fellows below or by visiting the Google Earth tour (requires a Google Earth Plugin to be installed in your browser)!

Daniel Conley, Ph.D., Lund University, Sweden

Research different methods for reducing chemical nutrients in the Baltic Sea that cause oxygen depletion and threaten the marine ecosystem.

Omar Defeo, D.Sc., The Universidad de la República, Uruguay

Evaluate co-management arrangements between fishermen, scientists and managers to better regulate shellfish fisheries in Latin America while also incorporating the impacts of climate change.

Beth Fulton, Ph.D., Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia

Develop scientific models that show how shifts in the amount of species diversity affect the broader ocean ecosystem.

Peter Mumby, Ph.D., The University of Exeter, United Kingdom & The University of Queensland, Australia

Establish scientific models to identify the most resilient coral reef systems to create a network of marine reserves in the Bahamas.

Ben Sullivan, Ph.D., BirdLife International Global Seabird Program, Australia

Develop and test devices to reduce seabird “bycatch” in open ocean longline and trawl fisheries.

Related Posts:

LiveAquaria.com.com

Malibu Beach internship from Malibu Rum

Posted on : 09-03-2010 | By : Ryan Gripp | In : ReefBuilders

Tags: , , , , , ,

I am a big fan of Malibu Rum and an even bigger fan after I found out that they were having an internship contest in association with Reefcheck.org. The sad part? I missed out. The contest which officially ended already selected 10 individuals to participate in a Malibu Beach internship where they will “monitor reef health and promote the preservation of coral reef ecosystems worldwide. The team of selected interns will be sent on a ten-day assignment to Thailand, the Maldives or the Philippines where they will conduct Reef Check surveys, as well as participate in training sessions and have the opportunity to become certified Reef Check EcoDivers all on behalf of Malibu.” You can read more about it at the special splash site. Know anyone that was selected? Give a shout out in the comments!

Related Posts:

  • No Related
MarineDepot.com

Red Dragon 3 (III) variable speed pumps, and Red Dragon 2 (II) Brushless DC pumps confirmed by Royal Exclusiv

Posted on : 09-03-2010 | By : Ryan Gripp | In : ReefBuilders

Tags: , , , , , ,

Royal Exclusiv has been talking about their new Red Dragon 3 variable speed pumps lately. Details are very light at the moment but we did found out that the Red Dragon III will be available in 3 versions. And before you dive into the details the picture above is from a last gen Red Dragon 2. First up is the Red Dragon 3 pumps. These are not brushless pumps but variable speed pumps. The 10k model which pumps 10,500 liters (2,773 gallons) at a max head height of 4 meters using 100 watts. Next, is the Red Dragon 3 20k which can push 20,000 (5,283) liters at a max head height of 6 meters using 250 watts and lastly the Red Dragon 3 25k model pushing 25,000 liters (6,604 gallons) at max head of 10 meters. Click the read more link for more information on the Red Dragon line

The first two models (10k, 20k) were supposed to be ready by late February but it looks like they are behind schedule from VDE/GS certification. (VDE Certification is extremely important in the European Union we are told.) What’s new? Royal Exlcusiv’s Red DragonIII pumps are said to have a LCD screen on board which will show speed in RPM, power consumption in watts and a on/off display among other features.

Royal Exclusiv is being upfront that the engine block and electronics coming from China. However, they state that the  rotors, impellers, shafts, cables, and the pump heads,  final assembly and quality control are being done in their plant in Germany (Cologne).

Brushless Red Dragon 2 Classic Pumps

What is a brushless pump? A brushless “DC (BLDC) motor is a synchronous electric motor powered by direct-current  (DC) electricity and having an electronic commutation system, rather than a mechanical commutator and brushes.” And we have been told that Royal Exclusiv is releasing two new versions of the Red Dragon Classic 2 in a brushless form.

Red Dragon 2 Classic 7,000 which will deliver 7,500 liters with a max head height of 4 meters at about 70 watts. These are currently being tested to select users in Germany now and will be the first pump released in the series. The next is the Red Dragon 2 Classic 16,000 with a max delivery of 16,500 liters with a max head height of 5 meters using about 200 watts. This larger model will hit in late April if everything goes to plan.

You can expect to see Vertex Aquaristik branded pumps coming to market soon. Vertex already has a place holder on their site dedicated to DC pumps. This is continuing the partnership started earlier last year with cone protein skimmers and only makes sense to expand the product line. We are not sure what specific models will be targeted but you can count on these models being lower in price and not available in the main Red Dragon pump lines.

Related Posts:

LiveAquaria.com.com

AlgaGen Reefpods Copepods Food perfect to start your refugium

Posted on : 09-03-2010 | By : Ryan Gripp | In : ReefBuilders

Tags: , , , , , ,

Reef pods (Copepods) Tisbe spp are a great food source for many organisms including seahorses and mandarins. They are great to start seeding your refugium or when about to add something that loves reef pods. These pods are shipped in  high quality live phytoplankton – convenient for starting a culture for your tank. In the bag you’ll get live pods which can handle temperatures in the upper 40’s to low 90’s during shipping without much problem but it is suggested that you choose a faster shipping method.  Marine Depot has these in stock for $13.99 a bag.

via [Marine Depot]

Related Posts: