Pages

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Orphek LED Lights used for scientific research by Arjen Tilstra

Orphek LED Lights used for scientific research 
by Arjen Tilstra

The use of LED lighting has been increasing in recent years in the saltwater hobby industry so it is no surprise that these type of lights are now also being used for scientific research. My name is Arjen Tilstra, I am a graduate student at the University of Groningen (Netherlands) with a BSc in Marine Biology, Ecology & Evolution.

I fell in love with corals when I was 15 and saw a small saltwater tank at a friend’s house. I had to have one! This was 14 years ago. In the meantime I had three tanks (one nano tank), all with mixed results. Unfortunately I had to quit several years ago because of the costs and my study. Nevertheless, my experience in keeping and maintaining soft- and stony corals come in handy now.

In March 2012 I started dreaming of doing my very own research project. Usually graduate students enroll in existing research projects performed by PhD students and/or Post Docs. First things first……a supervisor. In retrospect this was the easiest thing of them all. Immediately he was enthusiastic about the idea.

My idea came when I was writing my BSc thesis. A 2002 paper by Brown et al. caught my attention. A reef near Phuket in Thailand experienced a bleaching event. But this wasn’t an ordinary bleaching event. They saw that the West part of the reef suffered less from the bleaching event compared to the East side.

The question was why!?

They tested several hypotheses and concluded that the only known difference between the regions was the light intensity. The West region experienced higher light intensity in the months prior to the bleaching event. My goal was to simulate similar conditions but in a controlled setting. After checking all papers that cited the paper, I couldn’t find a single paper that did similar research.

A new project was born!

I was going to expose coral frags to different light intensities and expose them to an artificial heatwave. Before I continue I want to stress out that bleaching is not what most aquarists think it is. It is not the loss of coral tissue that exposes the white skeleton underneath. It is the loss of zooxanthellae and/or (photo)pigments.

When a coral is bleached it is still alive, it is the white skeleton that “shines” through the tissue. If conditions settle back to normal and free living zooxanthellae are present, the coral can become viable again. If not then the coral eventually dies.

My supervisor told me the disadvantages of doing my own project; I had to pay for almost everything myself. Of course I could use the universities facilities and I could be reimbursed for about a fifth of all costs. In my time as an aquarist I made lots of friends in the community and made a name for myself on Dutch website www.zeewaterforum.info. A Dutch forum where all hobbyists come to hang out and share information.

I contacted Jan Harbers (admin) and asked if I could approach the forums sponsors for help. No problem……and so it happened. Offers for equipment came flooding in and I was pleasantly surprised by the sponsors enthusiasm.

A key issue for this project was of course light!

Tanne Hoff called me with an idea. Maybe Orphek was interested! Via Tanne I came into contact with Ofir and the Dutch importer Arie from AquaCompleet (a well known Dutch retail store).

Ofir was immediately enthusiastic and generously sent me two lamps to work with. Two 18000 Kelvin DIF100 XP’s (Fig. 1).

Two Orphek 18000 Kelvin DIF100 XP
(Fig. 1) Two Orphek 18000 Kelvin DIF100 XP

As a comparison I added a picture of the tanks without lamps and filled with tapwater (Fig. 2).
The difference is amazing.

picture of the tanks without orphek DIF100 XP  lamps
(Fig. 2) picture of the tanks without orphek DIF100 XP lamps

Due to a lack of underwater light meters I couldn’t yet create the perfect setup for the experiment. I won’t bother you with the entire experimental setup but in a nutshell I had to create two different light treatments as to simulate the West and East as in the Brown et al. (2002) paper. In the meantime some live rock and test frags were added as well as 2 fish and several invertebrates. They were all doing extremely well. Coloring of the test frags was beautiful (even though beauty is subjective). But coral color is not something I’m interested in necessarily.

Could I create an environment with a uniform spread of light with the amount of frags that were needed for my research? Unfortunately no, the dispersal of light was too big. Seeing as this would be detrimental for my research I immediately contacted Ofir and explained the situation. After a tong in cheek remark that I was costing him a lot of money he told me; no problem, new lamps will arrive soon. Several weeks later Arie came by with two new lamps.
Two PR-156’s (Fig. 3)!

Orphek-PR-156 
(Fig. 3) Two Orphek-PR-156

The DIF’s were taken back by Arie. He could them for a different project. I was very impressed with the DIF’s but the PR-156’s were even more impressing. A very different lamp since the area in which the LED’s are distributed is much smaller in a DIF. The first measurements looked promising.

40cm’s above the tank, the test frags received 900 μmol m–2 s–1 of light. 70cm’s above the tank they received 450 and eventually I hung them a meter (highest possible in my setup) above the tank where they received 300 μmol m–2 s–1 (Fig. 4)

1meter above the Tank  and 300 μmol m–2 s–1 .
(Fig. 4) 1meter above the Tank and 300 μmol m–2 s–1

Since the distribution of LED’s in the lamp was more spread the light in the tank was also more uniformly spread. Excellent! This project is also supervised by PhD student Tim Wijgerde (MSc) and Dr. Ronald Osinga from the Wageningen University (Netherlands). Together with Tim we did several measurements to see how best to place all frags and in congruence with Sanjay Joshi’s (PhD) article on Advanced Aquarist I decided to distribute all frags in an oval shape underneath the lamps (Fig. 5).

all frags in an oval shape underneath the lamps
(Fig. 5) all frags in an oval shape underneath the lamps.
The dispersal is now within a 10% limit. Because the light is so strong and the fact that I couldn’t hang the lights any higher I had to come up with a different way to dim the light.
I needed 200 μmol m–2 s–1 and so I set up a very amateur setup to dim it (Fig. 6). But it works, it captures approximately 33% light and thus the light intensity is a solid 200±10 μmol m–2 s–1  for the frags.

Orphek LED Lights used for scientific research 
(Fig. 6)

While many of my collegues have to deal with reductions in light intensity with their (T5) lamps my experience with the LED’s is more than positive. I haven’t noticed any reduction/change in intensity or spectrum. In the long run this can save us money because we no longer have to buy expensive bulbs for whatever light source is used. Also, the heat emitted from the lamps is minimal and the amount of light astronomical.

Thusfar I can honestly say I have no complaints whatsoever apart from the fact that they have to hang high because the corals would otherwise be stressed from overexposure, but this is more a luxury problem than an actual problem. It is now almost July 2013 and after more than a year of preparations finally the first data is obtained. This experiment will run until September and after publication in a science journal I will write pieces for popular magazines and websites.

We also make weekly pictures of 18 randomly selected frags to see their progress. One of those frags can be seen in Fig. 7.
This is two weeks of change.

corals-frags
(Fig. 7).

For now I want to thank Orphek and Ofir in particular for his interest and contributions to my research.



Monday, June 24, 2013

CYANOBACTERIA (RED SLIME ALGAE) AND METHODS TO COMBAT IT

CYANOBACTERIA (RED SLIME ALGAE) AND METHODS TO COMBAT IT
by Orphek

Cyanobacteria are the bane of all marine aquarists and at sometime, most every aquarist will experience this dreaded bacteria.  Cyano can appear in different colors depending on the specie that may develop.  The term Red Slime Algae isn’t necessarily true; it can be blue, blue/green, purple, etc. depending on the specie.  Cyano, if present in large colonies can affect both the fishes and coral’s health.  Cyano generally appears when aquarists slack off in maintenance because “everything looks good”.

There are many factors that contribute to Cyanobacteria; light, excess nutrients, and poor water flow.  When these conditions are present, Cyano can develop and when it starts, it can spread rather fast.

Light:  Poor lighting in terms of intensity and correct spectrum is one contributor to cyano growth.  It has been proven that intense light of the proper spectrum hinders Cyano growth since it prefers lower light intensity and a poor spectrum.  The chart below shows Cyano adsorption rates of different species and how they react to a particular spectrum.  Orphek LED lighting products are all designed to inhibit Cyano growth by providing high intensity output and using the spectrum that is most beneficial to corals or other photosynthetic invertebrates.

CYANOBACTERIA (RED SLIME ALGAE) AND METHODS TO COMBAT IT



Nutrients:  Excess nutrients are another contributor of Cyano growth.  It can be in the form of excess food, fish waste, and dissolved nutrients.  An overrated quality protein skimmer is recommended to reduce excess nutrients.  Quality activated carbon is also very useful as it will remove contaminants that a protein skimmer will not remove from the water.

Water Flow:  Poor water flow creates stagnant areas in the tank where Cyano spores are allowed to settle and start growth.  Total water flow, including power heads, should be at least 10 times the volume of your tank.  Wavemakers or smart pumps are highly recommended.  The goal is not to let suspended food or waste settle but to keep it in suspension so it can enter the sump and be filtered out by chemical or mechanical means.

Combating Cyano:  The three contributors listed above must be addressed and corrected as a first step in eliminating Cyano.  There are also products available said to kill Cyano and one such product is Ultra Life’s Red Slime Remover but there are similar products that will have the same effect.

A word of caution when using any of these products; Erythromycin or a similar antibacterial medication is used in these products.  Since Cyano is bacterium and not algae, the medication attacks the bacteria.  The downside is that the medication is not selective; it will kill both good and bad bacteria.  Your corals may lose color and stop growing until the treatment period is over so caution and a careful eye is advised.  

Before you begin dosing, it is a good idea to do a water change and suck out as much Cyano as you can.  
It is highly recommended that you follow the instructions to a tee and not eliminate any step.  Be as accurate as possible in determining the dosing level you require.  Under dosing has little to no effect and overdosing can be disastrous to invertebrates. For best results it is imperative that the three contributors listed above be corrected before dosing any medication.  If this is not corrected first, the Cyano will return shortly after the medication period is over.  It makes no sense to dose first, then correct the problem later.  Doing so will require you to do another dosing period which puts further stress on your livestock.


Orphek does not endorse or guarantee that any of the Cyano removing products will be effective and safe for your system.

IMPRESSIVE MONTI GROWTH WITH ATLANTIK LED PENDANT

Wei Cher Lee, who owns and operates an aquarium shop in Malaysia recently shared  a few photos of his 48”x24”x24” display tank in his store.

Aquarium  in Malaysia with Orphek PR72 LED

Aquarium  in Malaysia with Orphek PR 72 LED light

Aquarium shop in Malaysia with Orphek Atlantik LED

IMPRESSIVE MONTI GROWTH WITH ATLANTIK LED PENDANT

IMPRESSIVE MONTI GROWTH WITH ATLANTIK LED PENDANT

Aquarium  in Malaysia with Orphek PR 72 LED light


Lee states that he has been using our Atlantik LED Pendant over this display tank for two months and his Monti growth in the display tank has been truly impressive. 

Lee switched from two PR72 Reef Pendants to one Atlantik.  One Atlantik provided plenty of coverage for this tank where other brands of LED pendants may require two to three units to get the same coverage.

Lee is very happy what the Atlantik has done for his corals.  Lee’s shop is:

Akuarium Batu Karang Laut Sdn Bhd

39 Jalan SS15/4E,
Subang Jaya 47500
Selangor, Malaysia
Phone : +603 5633 1743
Fax : +603 5633 1858

http://www.facebook.com/btkarang

Sunday, June 16, 2013

USA residents, give us a call today free of charge. Toll-free 800-398-6775

Monday, June 10, 2013

PIETER´s 6 Meter is a GORGEOUS 20 FOOT LONG REEF DISPLAY

ORPHEK CLIENT CHOOSES ORPHEK LED LIGHTING FOR HIS GORGEOUS 20 FOOT LONG REEF DISPLAY

The owner of this remarkable reef aquarium resides in the Netherlands and is well known among many reef aquarists for his huge 20 foot long reef aquarium.

Our client definitely wanted to cut his energy and maintenance cost that his previous metal halide system produced.  He was previously using 6, 400 watt HQI, 14,000K lamps, 3, 1000 watt HQI, 14,000K, and 4, 140 watt actinic 03 fluorescent lamps.

This used 5.8 kilowatts of power per hour.  Our client then installed 16, DIF 100 pendants and at a later date switched to our Atlantiks because of their versatility and ability to program individual channels to suit his needs.  Based on energy use in the US, the yearly savings in energy would amount to $2,250.00.

Orphek Atlantik In action

He was not going to trust just any brand of LED lighting to provide thousands of dollars worth of corals their photosynthetic needs.  He wanted LED lighting that was going to be capable of providing the intensity, ability to penetrate deep tanks, and most importantly, the correct spectrum that is required for good coral growth.  After much research and recommendation by Aquacompleet, He chose Orphek LED lighting for his gorgeous display.


The owner’s massive aquarium is controlled by electronics in a separate relay cabinet which includes motor starters for the large water pumps, heaters, and other components and has circuit breaker protection for all components connected to it.

Orphek is pleased to be a part of this system and with the owner’s knowledge of corals and their needs; it can only help us design even more improvements into our LED systems.  Orphek would like to thank Pieter (owner), Tanne, and Arie (Aquacompleet) for their effort as all had a huge hand in getting this system to its present state.  We especially would like to thank Tanne for filming the video and sharing it with us.  Arie is the owner of Aquacompleet, one of the nicest fish stores in the Netherlands.  Aquacompleet is located at:

Aquacompleet  (Van Beethovensingel 32 , 3055 JK Rotterdam)

Friday, June 7, 2013

ORPHEK TO BE AT THE MIDWESTERN CORAL FARMERS MARKET

Orphek will be displaying and demonstrating their high technology LED Pendants at the Midwestern Coral Farmers Market Event.

This is their first annual event and should be a huge success.
Stop by our booth and let us demonstrate our new Atlantik as well as our DIF100 and PR72 Pendants, all of which will surely please you.

Live PAR testing will also be taking place on all models so please make it a point to stop in and say hello , and see what Orphek can do for you.  You will be glad you did.

2013 Midwestern Coral Farmers Market


2013 Midwestern Coral Farmers Market SM

Presented by D.I.Y. Acrylics and

the Coral Farmers MarketSM

First Annual Summer Event

Free Admission to the Public !

Saturday, June 8th, 2013

Doors Open to Public 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Wyndham Garden Dayton South

31 Prestige Plaza Drive, Miamisburg, OH 45342

This 2013 Midwestern Coral Farmers Market  event is the first annual event run by the combined efforts of D.I.Y. Acrylics and the Coral Farmers Market SM companies.

The Coral Farmers Market SM brings and supports some of the best coral farming vendors and aquarist within the US. D.I.Y. Acrylics provides local infrastructure and support for this Midwestern Dayton Ohio location.

We anticipate a strong regional attendance from Dayton, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Columbus.

This event is opened up to the entire captive reef industry. Coral farmers will include aquarists, retail reef shops, online coral shops and full scale coral farming enterprises.

There will also be exhibitors present who will be demonstrating and selling their physical products. This MW-CFM event will also feature coral auctions, raffles and door prizes.

Reef aquarists new to the captive reef market can also expect to see a fine collection of easy to keep beginner corals. We are also encouraging our farmers to bring plenty of farmed soft corals along with their exotic farmed stony corals.

Many vendors will be running coral show specials and MW-CFM discounts.