Megabite's 180 Reef - Round 2

MegabiteOG · Dec 5, 2025

08TRDOFFROAD said:
What cams are you running? Im impressed with the quality!

The cam on the tank glass is a Wyze cam on a magnet cam mount specifically for it from Avidaqua. Even comes with the orange filter. The other 2 are Reolink WiFi cams I really like. I have a large Reolink network around my house and their cams are solid. Here are the links below.

Glass Cam: WYZE
Sump: Reolink E1 Pro
DT: Reolink E1 Zoom - Wanted to be able to zoom and pan to change placement easily.
WYZE Mount: AvidAqua Mount

skey44 · Dec 5, 2025

MegabiteOG said:
The cam on the tank glass is a Wyze cam on a magnet cam mount specifically for it from Avidaqua. Even comes with the orange filter. The other 2 are Reolink WiFi cams I really like. I have a large Reolink network around my house and their cams are solid. Here are the links below.

Glass Cam: WYZE
Sump: Reolink E1 Pro
DT: Reolink E1 Zoom - Wanted to be able to zoom and pan to change placement easily.
WYZE Mount: AvidAqua Mount

Sweet setup for sure. I’m just glad to know the power is on and the pH and temp are ok!
I may have to eventually try that WYZE cam with magnet mount.

MegabiteOG · Dec 6, 2025

skey44 said:
Sweet setup for sure. I’m just glad to know the power is on and the pH and temp are ok!
I may have to eventually try that WYZE cam with magnet mount.

It’s not as smooth or have the same resolution as the Reolink, but it’s inexpensive and convenient to put right on the glass.

skey44 · Dec 6, 2025

MegabiteOG said:
It’s not as smooth or have the same resolution as the Reolink, but it’s inexpensive and convenient to put right on the glass.

Right, convenient and simple mounting is a huge plus. Heck that’s a one of the many reasons why I went with the Meridian was for the convenient and clean BOT mounting. And as long as I can tell the tank is alive I’m good. Think it should do the trick.

TelegrahamTested LLC · Dec 7, 2025

MegabiteOG said:
Correct on the version he was using. I think there has been 4 versions and mine is the latest one. I'm applying what VBR says to my meter. I would love to get my hands on an Apogee 510 to compare and see how accurate the percentage is they are saying is.

This is inaccurate. I have tested three of the big twin sensors, and I have the big/small here untested.

Immersion is different than the correction multiplier I shared. https://humble.fish/community/threads/par-meter-comparison.22472/

These readings were taken in open air in my pre-dawn garage with no other lights on, and the meters are listed from most expensive to least expensive:

Apogee 510 - 691 with immersion removed
Apogee 500 - 646
PARwise - 614
Old VBR - 647
New VBR - 590
Danoplus - 677
Photone - 695

Under these conditions, these are the multipliers that I’d suggest using:

Apogee 500 - 1.07X
PARwise - 1.12X
Old VBR - 1.07X
New VBR - 1.17X
Danoplus - 1.02X
Photone - none

Later in the Humblefish post, I share in-water data.

Until proven with data shared by VBR or independent data from others, the only good VBR was the original. If I were buying something today, I'd buy the Danoplus.

MegabiteOG · Dec 7, 2025

Thanks you for the insight and time on your comparisons. Great stuff.

Am I understanding you correctly that you haven’t tested the latest one with the small/ large sensors?

TelegrahamTested LLC · Dec 8, 2025

MegabiteOG said:
Thanks you for the insight and time on your comparisons. Great stuff.

Am I understanding you correctly that you haven’t tested the latest one with the small/ large sensors?

Correct.

The problem with VBR is that you never know if it's the latest one. Although the new one I have looks like yours, that doesn't mean it's the same. I tested three others that looked the same, but they weren't.

MegabiteOG · Dec 13, 2025

telegraham said:
Correct.

The problem with VBR is that you never know if it's the latest one. Although the new one I have looks like yours, that doesn't mean it's the same. I tested three others that looked the same, but they weren't.

So @skey44 compared the same lights at the same height and intensity with an Apogee 510 and the conversion came out almost exactly as yours conversion of New VBR @ x1.17. I have the sensor with the large small optic.

MegabiteOG · Dec 13, 2025

Quick update.

So I got back from a 5 day trip and then had family at the house for another 6 days. Not much time for the tank, but everything is still doing very well. Five days away just produced a dirty glass and no other problems. The automation went well.

The Tenuis’ in my tank are doing very well and thinking It’s safe to get a Walt Disney without killing it. I was lucky enough to find a nice frag at my LFS for $100. It’s just under 2” with 2 branches. I was at a couple of the very nice central Florida stores and much smaller Walt’s were going for $250. I figured this was a pretty good price.

Here are a couple of pics of the very nice polyp extension I’m getting from my Tenuis and the new Walt frag. I will get a better pic of the Walt once it settles in.

Huskereef · Dec 13, 2025

Nice tenuis! Maybe it has to do with lineage but my WD is one of the hardiest acropora in my tank. It’s my favorite one by far!

MegabiteOG · Dec 13, 2025

Huskereef said:
Nice tenuis! Maybe it has to do with lineage but my WD is one of the hardiest acropora in my tank. It’s my favorite one by far!

Awesome. I hope mine does well too. Any idea on par yours is at and flow. I just temporarily put at about 300 par with moderate to strong flow.

Huskereef · Dec 13, 2025

MegabiteOG said:
Awesome. I hope mine does well too. Any idea on par yours is at and flow. I just temporarily put at about 300 par with moderate to strong flow.

I have it under a 20k, 250w halide with 2 quanta led bars. Never measured par but its getting blasted for sure. I would say it is getting hit with moderate to strong alternating flow. Under the halide it turns a really bright pastel yellow.

MegabiteOG · Dec 13, 2025

Huskereef said:
I have it under a 20k, 250w halide with 2 quanta led bars. Never measured par but its getting blasted for sure. I would say it is getting hit with moderate to strong alternating flow. Under the halide it turns a really bright pastel yellow.

I had 3- 250w halides with Phoenix 14k bulbs plus powerbrites 16 years ago. Loved the halides but running led’s now. You’re probably at 400+ par.

Thank# for the info. I will likely bring up the placement ina week or two. Thanks! Any good pics?

MegabiteOG · Dec 14, 2025

Photo bomb Sunday. Mosty fish as I've been practicing.

skey44 · Dec 14, 2025

MegabiteOG said:
Photo bomb Sunday. Mosty fish as I've been practicing.

Spectacular! Are you using a dslr. I’m sure you’ve said. Looks so good.

MegabiteOG · Dec 14, 2025

skey44 said:
Spectacular! Are you using a dslr. I’m sure you’ve said. Looks so good.

Thanks! Yes, it's a Canon DSLR and these photos were taken with the 100mm Canon 2.8L macro lens on it.

MegabiteOG · Dec 14, 2025

@skey44 Also, adding an ozone generator a couple weeks ago helps the pictures. The water is so freaking clear. I use to run one years ago on my old 180.

skey44 · Dec 14, 2025

MegabiteOG said:
@skey44 Also, adding an ozone generator a couple weeks ago helps the pictures. The water is so freaking clear. I use to run one years ago on my old 180.

Really makes a difference. I used to run it on a pretty big large fish only system I had back in the day. Loved the smell and the effect haha! Now whenever I’m outside and I smell ozone in the air I never mistake it!