Reef Breeders Meridians

[aray]

Anyone else having issues getting the app to control the light? I have the Edge 63 UV spectrum. The light itself is very well built and puts out great light to enhance fluorescence. The app looks well designed but doesn’t control my light. I’ve been back and forth with Logan on it (who has been super responsive and deserves high marks for post-sale service). I can get the app to recognize the light and it seems to connect but, no matter how many times I do soft and hard resets, the light won’t respond to the app.

For my use, which is just as a fill light for the back of the tank, the app is not critical so I just have it running in sunrise-sunset mode. I think I’ll just keep it that way and periodically try new app releases but if anyone has encountered a similar issue and found a way to solve it, please share what you did.

It sounds similar to the issue I had setting up my light with no control of it through the app. I had to get into my wifi settings and turn off the 5G network and then use the 2.4 GHz network to reconnect the light to the app on that network. After it was connect I turned my 5G network back on. That may or may not be the issue your having, but its something to look into or try

 

[DanP-SD]

It sounds similar to the issue I had setting up my light with no control of it through the app. I had to get into my wifi settings a turn off 5G and use the 2.4 GHz network to reconnect the light to the app on that network. After it was connect I turned my 5G network back on. That may or may not be the issue your having, but its something to look into or try

Thank you! I haven’t tried that.

 

[DanP-SD]

So it doesn’t seem that the WiFi band was the issue. I deactivated the 5ghz and it’s the same result. I can connect to the edge WiFi and connect it to my home WiFi. In the app, it looks like everything worked. The light bar is there and I can program it. The issue I have — persistently — is that the light doesn’t respond to commands in the app. If I turn it off in the app, the light stays on. If it change intensity in the app, the light doesn’t change. When I program a schedule, the light ignores it.

The app seems to think it’s talking to the light but the light doesn’t react.

 

[Science/G]

I sure they are frantically working to improve the app. My next lights for sure are meridians, I'm just waiting for the bugs to be worked out before I swap out my AI Primes in my hybrid T5 fixture. I run a modified Saxby schedule on the Primes, so super controllability is my crucial for me

 

[Science/G]

@Reef Breeders when can we expect some par measurements? At the recommended 8-12 in height for the 11 at different percentages would be a great baseline.

 

[bambo]

Mine are 12” above the water.. depending what lights you switched from I’d start around 50-60

I have the same size tank but only have the 35”. Mine are about 10” off the water. When you say start at 50-60 do you mean put every color at around 50-60%?

 

[reefslugs]

I'm trying to cover a 60x30x25 aquarium. Looking at the Meridian 45 and adding two edge 45's. I don't see how it would cover a 30'' wide tank. Being that the Meridian 45 is only 8.5'' wide. If I am wrong, let me know. I'm thinking about two Meridian 45's mounted side by side. Do you have a way to mount two of them together?

 

[Troylee]

I have the same size tank but only have the 35”. Mine are about 10” off the water. When you say start at 50-60 do you mean put every color at around 50-60%?

Yes if you’re running the bc schedule.

 

[Troylee]

I'm trying to cover a 60x30x25 aquarium. Looking at the Meridian 45 and adding two edge 45's. I don't see how it would cover a 30'' wide tank. Being that the Meridian 45 is only 8.5'' wide. If I am wrong, let me know. I'm thinking about two Meridian 45's mounted side by side. Do you have a way to mount two of them together?

It would be fine with the bars but 2 works also.. I’m running 2 of the 63’s myself over a 36” wide tank.

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

@Reef Breeders when can we expect some par measurements? At the recommended 8-12 in height for the 11 at different percentages would be a great baseline.

Arie made this for us recently, but he did not account for the UV being only 80% accurate so technically the numbers are a little bit higher than what is listed.

This was tested with a Vabira which I’ve heard could be around one percent less accurate than the apogee.

Test Setup:

• Fixture: 11” Meridian 75W LED
• Settings: 100% on all channels with balanced lens
• Mounting Height: 13” above the top of the tank
• Tank Size: 9-gallon (14” L × 13” W × 13” H)
• Water Line (W/L): Just under the surface
• PAR Meter Depths:
  • Top: 13” from light (just above water)
  • Water Line: 14” from light
  • Middle: 19” from light
  • Bottom: 26” from light

• Position	Top	Water Line	Middle	Bottom
  Front Left	309	272	300	293
  Front Center	796	537	351	285
  Front Right	406	281	326	309
  Middle Left	413	277	325	302
  Middle Center	760	435	313	270
  Middle Right	360	249	321	294
  Rear Left	303	215	271	288
  Rear Center	652	417	288	257
  Rear Right	270	204	313	347

 

[Science/G]

Great thank you so much @Reef Breeders. Is 13 inches your recommended height with the balanced lenses?

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

Great thank you so much @Reef Breeders. Is 13 inches your recommended height with the balanced lenses?

Our recommended mounting height is approximately 14”

 

[Science/G]

Our recommended mounting height is approximately 14”

I should use the encompass lenses then using them in my t5 hybrid fixture top where they will be mounted. It is at 11 inches?!??

 

[VintageReefer]

What height is everyone running there lights at above the water? Im going to work on getting my hands on a PAR meter and can play with the intensity from there. I have a meridian 45 over a 48"x 25"x22" tank (actual water height is about 19")

Any recommendations on a base line intensity to start with?

I have a 48x20x20 and my lights are 9” off the surface. I have the encompass lens which reduce par but enhance spread. I just par tested.

On the left yellow torch colony I’m getting around 200 par and that’s mid height for my tank. Keep in mind I have the Meridian 11’s and that’s half as many clusters as the meridian 45.

 

[Science/G]

I have a 48x20x20 and my lights are 9” off the surface. I have the encompass lens which reduce par but enhance spread. I just par tested.

On the left yellow torch colony I’m getting around 200 par and that’s mid height for my tank. Keep in mind I have the Meridian 11’s and that’s half as many clusters as the meridian 45.

With two 11s on the 75 gallon reef! Those lights are impressive.

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

I should use the encompass lenses then using them in my t5 hybrid fixture top where they will be mounted. It is at 11 inches?!??

That depends on how much front to back coverage you need.

The recommended mounting height is approximately 14 inches, which is ideal for tanks up to 24 inches front to back. If your tank is only 18 inches front to back, you can lower the light closer to the water. This increases PAR and reduces spread. If your tank is wider than 24 inches, you can raise the light to increase coverage, but PAR will decrease.

For example, the Meridian 35 is a 35 inch light that can evenly cover a tank up to 48 inches long and 24 inches front to back when mounted at the recommended 14 inch height with default optics. On a tank that’s 36 inches long and only 18 inches front to back, you could mount it lower for more PAR in a smaller area. 14 inches is a sweet spot for a balance of coverage and intensity with the default optics.

If you’re limited to around 11 inches of mounting height, like under a canopy, and still need full 24 inch front to back coverage, that’s where the Encompass lenses come in. They provide a wider spread and allow for proper coverage at lower mounting heights.

Just keep in mind that with Encompass optics on a Meridian 35, your tank should be at least 48 inches long. Otherwise, light will spill outside the tank. While some of it reflects off the glass, most of it should ideally be directed at your coral. This helps maximize growth and avoid excessive algae on the glass, which grows faster under direct light. So it’s best to position the light where it fully blankets your coral and avoids lighting areas that don’t need it.

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

Great thank you so much @Reef Breeders. Is 13 inches your recommended height with the balanced lenses?

What size is your tank I’d be happy to recommend what I think will work best. Please list the full dimensions and if there is any center bracing and if you plan to keep SPS.

 

[VintageReefer]

With two 11s on the 75 gallon reef! Those lights are impressive.

Yea two Meridian 11’s and I am mounting a little lower than normal but it’s due to a opaque center brace. I didn’t want a shadow from it so my method was mount lower, get the beam spread under that brace, and use the encompass lenses to help add the spread I lose from not mounting higher.

I typically run the channels around 70%. I was just seeing what they could do if I turned them up to 90%

 

[VintageReefer]

and I grow acros just fine, I keep them 8-10” below the surface and also at the halfway point in height

Plug base 8” below surface on these 3

Shelf surface is 10-11” below surface

Shelf surface is about 14” below surface

Everything looks excellent under two Meridian 11s

 

[aray]

That depends on how much front to back coverage you need.

The recommended mounting height is approximately 14 inches, which is ideal for tanks up to 24 inches front to back. If your tank is only 18 inches front to back, you can lower the light closer to the water. This increases PAR and reduces spread. If your tank is wider than 24 inches, you can raise the light to increase coverage, but PAR will decrease.

For example, the Meridian 35 is a 35 inch light that can evenly cover a tank up to 48 inches long and 24 inches front to back when mounted at the recommended 14 inch height with default optics. On a tank that’s 36 inches long and only 18 inches front to back, you could mount it lower for more PAR in a smaller area. 14 inches is a sweet spot for a balance of coverage and intensity with the default optics.

If you’re limited to around 11 inches of mounting height, like under a canopy, and still need full 24 inch front to back coverage, that’s where the Encompass lenses come in. They provide a wider spread and allow for proper coverage at lower mounting heights.

Just keep in mind that with Encompass optics on a Meridian 35, your tank should be at least 48 inches long. Otherwise, light will spill outside the tank. While some of it reflects off the glass, most of it should ideally be directed at your coral. This helps maximize growth and avoid excessive algae on the glass, which grows faster under direct light. So it’s best to position the light where it fully blankets your coral and avoids lighting areas that don’t need it.

What mounting height would you recommend here @Reef Breeders ? Based on what I’m reading, I may have a went with to big of a light for what what I need.. I choose the meridian 45 over the 35 on my 48x24x24 tank (no center brace). From what I’m gathering here if I go with the recommended mounting height of 14” above I’m going to have light spill over side to side. So I should make the mounting height lower than that, but if I do so I will sacrifice the coverage front to back?