dcmartinpc's Neptune SKY experience!

[dcmartinpc]

The embargo has been lifted and I can now talk about the Neptune Systems SKY! I am currently running 4 of them over my 120x30x36 display. Long term I will be running 5 and also 2 on my frag tank. I have been a MH/XHO user for many years. I love my 400w Radiums. I never thought I would be convinced to switch and fully expected my MH to be pried from my cold dead hands!

TLDR;

I LOVE the SKY!

The spread is awesome, when they say it will cover 24x30 for a SPS tank, they mean it. It also has no trouble at all punching down to 36" deep in my tank. There is no disco ball, no hotspots, and, even though I think the term is overused, it really is a "blanket" of light like T5 with just the right amount of shimmer for my tastes. These are the only lights I am running on my aquarium. I removed all XHO and T5 supplementation as well. They are easy to use, especially for existing APEX users, although they can easily be used in Bluetooth mode and controlled directly from your phone. At the same time, they are flexible enough to do most anything advanced users can dream up. There is a single cord coming out of each light that splits at the end in to an aquabus connector and a power connector that connects to the external power supply. Feel free to ask questions, I will answer what I can! PAR map values below were taken with Apogee MQ-510.

Don

 

[hubble]

Been waiting for these for a long time. Waiting for some real user reviews and a BRS review ...............

 

[Smarkow]

All the info I wanted, and I am just now finishing up my new 38” deep build.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[dcmartinpc]

All the info I wanted, and I am just now finishing up my new 38” deep build.

Thanks for sharing!

My pleasure! If any other questions come up or you want to bounce any ideas off me, just say the word.

Happy to help!

Don

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I'll be the one to ask a stupid question. What color is "A"?

 

[DeepintheReef]

Nice! Just saw these in action at RAP Orlando this weekend and was waiting for some real world anecdotes. Have an 8x4x4 build coming up for a client and they dont want to shell out for 8 xr30s. Can probably get by with 3 or 4 of these as corals aren’t going to be all the way to the sand bed.

 

[Gho5t]

Thanks for posting this! I was very curious about the par falloff, especially compared to the Radion XR30 so it’s much appreciated that you took the time to include the chart.

 

[DaneGer21]

Are they growing coral yet?

 

[rhostam]

I'll be the one to ask a stupid question. What color is "A"?

“A” is green/red combined channel. They aren’t independent.

 

[BostonReefer300]

Thanks for this post. How high from the water line are the lights and what overall intensity setting were you at for the PAR measurements? Thanks

 

[JasonC.]

Am I the only person that noticed that he doesn't have any corals in that tank? The par numbers look good, and I do appreciate all the work you put in to writing this article. However I can't take trust the feedback coming from a tank full of just liverock.

 

[DaneGer21]

Are they growing coral yet?

Am I the only person that noticed that he doesn't have any corals in that tank? The par numbers look good, and I do appreciate all the work you put in to writing this article. However I can't take trust the feedback coming from a tank full of just liverock.

 

[Midrats]

Looks like dry rock.

 

[dcmartinpc]

Am I the only person that noticed that he doesn't have any corals in that tank? The par numbers look good, and I do appreciate all the work you put in to writing this article. However I can't take trust the feedback coming from a tank full of just liverock.

I have been in the hobby for over 15 years. I started a new tank. In this picture, the tank is barely 2 moths old. Plenty of coral to come. If you notice, I did not comment on their ability to grow coral. I did have some smaller frags in the tank after this pic for about 1.5 months that started to grow and encrust, color was great as well. I had to pull the coral for reasons I will explain below. I came at this write up from a technical data and observation perspective. I hesitated to even post this because the tank is not mature and full of coral, but I hope people find it valuable.

Looks like dry rock.

This tank was started with a mix of dry rock I have collected over the last 15 years (cleaned and bleached) and 100lbs of KP Aquatics Live Rock that I quarantined for over 3 months to remove most, if not all, pests.

I did have to pull the coral as I am doing a full in tank CP treatment. Something got past my QT, and I am not going to risk my fish health. 2 more days and I am done, then big water changes and I'll move some of the piles of coral in to the display that I have in my frag tank.

Here is a pic of 1 coral that I took just after I moved it out of the display back to the frag tank before I started the CP treatment. All the blue tips are new growth under the SKY. I never got that blue under MH in the frag tank and it has lost it since moving it back. I can't wait to get it back in the display and colored back up again under the SKY.



There are many examples of this light growing coral. I just wanted to share my personal data and experience. When available, I will definitely be putting these lights over my frag tank. No hesitation. I will share that as well when the time comes.

Don

 

[dcmartinpc]

“A” is green/red combined channel. They aren’t independent.

Correct. A stands for "Amber" as that is the effective color output from that channel.

 

[revhtree]

Thanks for sharing and I look forward to many coral colony photos!

 

[ReefRxSWFL]

Imo, the claim of covering a 2 foot section of tank is dependent on the ability to prevent shadowing by mature corals. Thats my one armed man.

If i get to see it can do that, and the color and shimmer are satisfactory to me, it will absolutely be what will go on the 120 that will be going in my living room later this year. It also doesn't hurt that you can use the Radion RMS with the lights, which is arguably the most attractive and highest quality mounting hardware out there, plus it has every possible mounting method.

Any of the quality lights out there will light a 2x2 section of tank. The reason ive had to add more than one fixture per 2 feet of tank or add T5s as fill light is because large corals can shade corals below. So i cant wait to see if it meets that expectation. Because if it doesnt, ill have to settle for 3 or 4 Radions.

 

[Ditto]

On the first picture showing the lights from
The top the light closer to us in the picture right fan looks like salt creep but thinking maybe reflection but thought I would ask


Does the light have acclimation mode? Can you set an acclimation mode?

Can the lights support the apex season table? clouds? Sunrise and sunset? Or are these all considered advance programming options?

I assume each light can be controlled but will not assume anything?

Last Par test was that all channels at 100%?

I saw your other pictures of your tank is the picture in January of the tank with the SKY lights over the tank?

Thanks for the write up!!

 

[jose hernandez]

are they better than g5 radions? i have a 6x2x2

 

[Water Dog]

Maybe I’ve missed it, but has Neptune given us a rundown as to what specific LED diodes they are using in this fixture as yet?