Kat's Ol' Max

[metrokat]

Opting for the best of both worlds.

 

My Red Sea Max comes with stock 55W T5's, a light which many agree to be one of the best for coral color and excellent for growth in softies. Many have kept less demanding SPS with success when placed higher up in the tank. When I first installed 1 Ecoxotic Panorama PRO and 1 stunner LED in the BioCube, I totally loved the look of the tank, but quickly realized the light was not enough for the SPS and even some LPS I had. Those corals steadily started declining. Call it luck or whatever, I bought the RSM and within 2 months of upgrading the lighting on the BC, I moved my corals over to the RSM and watched declining and dying corals come back to life! The T5's in a tank with 1.5 times the size and capacity were much better for my corals than an LED module in a much smaller tank. I knew then that I was not going to remove the T5's.

 

But I missed the shimmer! and the colors you get with LED's. Following ReHypes thread he too has switched back to T5's after having every type of light you can imagine, even crazy custom builds. So I decided to have the best of both worlds: both LED's and the stock T5's.

 

Retrofitting these in the RSM is not an easy task for me, even though the family refers to me as the carpenter/electrician/furniture assembler of the house , this electrical DIY is intimidating. The panorama PRO's are the best option for someone like me. I moved the PRO I had in the BioCube a few months ago but since I was adding more SPS, I felt the light was not enough.

 

When my corals declined and died in the BC, I contacted Ecoxotic because it was at their suggestion that I went with one module and not more. Ike at Ecoxotic took an immediate interest in my emails and we began corresponding back in December. I helped re-write and influence the recommended guidelines for PRO's in AIO tanks like the JBJ and BC. They loved the look of my BioCube and wanted to feature it. Byt then I had already upgraded to the RSM. Ike offered to upgrade the lights in my RSM to LED's for me.

 

I have encountered lots of generosity in this hobby, but I'm still loathe to 'ask' for a freebie. I opted to have them send me one more PRO module instead of the 4 or 6 that we would need in a tank of my size. And so thank you to ecoxotic for their generosity in sending me lights, dimmers and their constant customer service.

 

I finally installed the 2nd module in the tank yesterday (no easy task as you can't screw in the module anywhere).

 

I like the look of the tank, I'm now running the T5's and 2 panorama PRO LED's with 1 blue stunner strip. Still have my magenta stunner strip that is spare for now.

 

Thanks Ecoxotic.

[jedimasterben]

Will a pair of neon gobies fight with 2 sharknose gobies?

I don't believe any goby species should be kept together in a small tank. They all need their own territory.

[metrokat]

Dang! Lookin' good!

Thank you Sara.

 

FTS = Oh so nice.

Gracias Mark.

 

I don't believe any goby species should be kept together in a small tank. They all need their own territory.

Thanks.

[banshee]

Very cool of Ecoxotic to help you out like that! I'm thinking my Panorama Pro Modules will become fuge lights once my 40B is up and running. I am running T5 on the 40B DT and I like it too!

[metrokat]

Very cool of Ecoxotic to help you out like that! I'm thinking my Panorama Pro Modules will become fuge lights once my 40B is up and running. I am running T5 on the 40B DT and I like it too!

What will you keeping in the fuge?

[Spirofucci]

Great write up on the lights!!! This should be posted somewhere in the RSM thread. Great info!!!

 

I love my Radion, but...........I know the color would be better if I added at least one of the RSM bulbs. Hmmmmm?

[surgicalsense]

In that case he is likely hanging upside down in a dark cave.

 

I really hope so. I crop dusted last night and nothing. Unless it ate from inside the cave it has taken a liking to. I figure I will know for sure in a couple of months when I pull the scape apart.

[banshee]

What will you keeping in the fuge?

 

Macros mostly.

[chippwalters]

Ike offered to upgrade the lights in my RSM to LED's for me.

 

I'm mixed on the subject. I, too, talked with Ike on a number of occasions and he told me in emails and on the phone he'd be sending me a comp PanPro for a custom fixture design-- but alas, nothing ever happened. Perhaps it was my lack of a decent shoe collection?

 

Then, a few months later, me of the LEDs in my single PanPro went out, and I contacted cust support (not Ike), and they sent me a brand new unit, no questions asked. Also, now I'm using 3 Ecoxotic Par38's to light up my shallow tank b/c my LFS sells them-- but they do work nicely.

[metrokat]

Great write up on the lights!!! This should be posted somewhere in the RSM thread. Great info!!!

I love my Radion, but...........I know the color would be better if I added at least one of the RSM bulbs. Hmmmmm?

I posted the picture, ill add the text. If you can mod that hood to fit your radion and one ballast for the T5, that would work right? The flipside is you would have the hood back and I know you rather liked the hoodless setup.

The reason I was asking for the front flap of your hood was because I found a retrofit of 2 65W PCs on the forum in that part. So I wanted to try it on a spare hood flap rather than my original. Check out the mod, maybe that is the place for your T5.

 

I really hope so. I crop dusted last night and nothing. Unless it ate from inside the cave it has taken a liking to. I figure I will know for sure in a couple of months when I pull the scape apart.

Oh I pulled out the scape and he decided to keep hanging upside down on the underside of the rock I pulled. I shreaked and threw the rock in the tank! I'm lucky I didn't crack the glass.

 

Macros mostly.

Well, you might want to re consider the PROs for a macro fuge. LEDs are not the best for macros and can in many cases melt them. PCs or T5s are best. Also the PROs are too much fixture for a fuge unless its a display fuge. Several threads in the macro section of the forum are great to follow for lighting advice on macros. Drunken monk, kataro, GR moore, keydiver.

 

I'm mixed on the subject. I, too, talked with Ike on a number of occasions and he told me in emails and on the phone he'd be sending me a comp PanPro for a custom fixture design-- but alas, nothing ever happened. Perhaps it was my lack of a decent shoe collection?

 

Then, a few months later, me of the LEDs in my single PanPro went out, and I contacted cust support (not Ike), and they sent me a brand new unit, no questions asked. Also, now I'm using 3 Ecoxotic Par38's to light up my shallow tank b/c my LFS sells them-- but they do work nicely.

Ike hasn't seen my shoes, lol. Or maybe he has, I did point him to my BC thread. Lol. They make good lights for sure. They've been great with sending spare parts, extras, etc.

[banshee]

I'm hoping to hang the Pros well above the sump, like 12". I don't think they'd melt the macros at that height. Hmmmm, I'll have to think about this because I don't want to kill them. I have time though since I'm going to put my first ones in my DT and pico.

[Spirofucci]

I think if you modded the feeding hood flapper thing to be thinner, it would be a perfect place to put some leds!

 

I really looked into putting the Radion in the RSM hood but no way really.

[jedimasterben]

I'm hoping to hang the Pros well above the sump, like 12". I don't think they'd melt the macros at that height. Hmmmm, I'll have to think about this because I don't want to kill them. I have time though since I'm going to put my first ones in my DT and pico.

The Panorama Pros still don't put out a crazy amount of PAR. The original Panorama was abysmal, not even 100 PAR at 18"! The Pros are about double that, so I think they would not put out too much, but the Pros have a pretty awful spectrum if they aren't supplemented by the RGB model (or magenta). The 12K white LEDs have nearly nothing in the 600-680nm spectrum.

[banshee]

The Panorama Pros still don't put out a crazy amount of PAR. The original Panorama was abysmal, not even 100 PAR at 18"! The Pros are about double that, so I think they would not put out too much, but the Pros have a pretty awful spectrum if they aren't supplemented by the RGB model (or magenta). The 12K white LEDs have nearly nothing in the 600-680nm spectrum.

 

I have a 12k/445nm and RGB.

[MeanGreenEyes]

Gold Maxima? Sure I'll keep an eye out. Vivid in CA has them online ATM.

 

 

Ok...thanks! Hesitant of ordering online b/c nobody is home during the day to receive packages and shipping to my job is hit or miss with a moody boss...lol. Especially if he sees livestock on the box...

[mike c]

The Panorama Pros still don't put out a crazy amount of PAR. The original Panorama was abysmal, not even 100 PAR at 18"! The Pros are about double that, so I think they would not put out too much, but the Pros have a pretty awful spectrum if they aren't supplemented by the RGB model (or magenta). The 12K white LEDs have nearly nothing in the 600-680nm spectrum.

 

I'm thinking of ditching the Panoramas and going with the AI Vega, when it comes out.

 

Edited May 13, 2012 by mike c

[metrokat]

My clownfish are somewhat interested in the frogspawn hosting them, yay. They've nuzzled it a couple of times. They still seem more interested in cleaning the rock however.

 

I'm thinking of ditching the Panoramas and going with the AI Vega, when it comes out.

Yeah, I keep posting on all the threads, I want that light in my party bus, not in my tank.

[mike c]

My clownfish are somewhat interested in the frogspawn hosting them, yay. They've nuzzled it a couple of times. They still seem more interested in cleaning the rock however.

 

 

Yeah, I keep posting on all the threads, I want that light in my party bus, not in my tank.

 

Lol, it would definitly make a good party light!

 

Your females really going to work, on that rock!

My clowns are starting to make themselves comfortable in my green fuzzy mushrooms. After I took out their RBTA, they moved into my hammer. They only thing I noticed, was that they wouldnt wiggle and go crazy in the hammer. They would just kind of hover around it, and swim through the branches. Probably because of the hard skeleton underneath. Now that they found the fuzzy mushrooms (soft like the RBTA), they jump on and go crazy again!

Edited May 14, 2012 by mike c

[ScubaEthan]

Good write up on the lights.

My clowns are doing the jiggy now too

Your last FTS is beautiful. Where in it is Sir Hopsalot?

[metrokat]

Now that they found the fuzzy mushrooms (soft like the RBTA), they jump on and go crazy again!

Really? I love frolicking clownfish videos. hint hint!

 

Good write up on the lights.

My clowns are doing the jiggy now too

Your last FTS is beautiful. Where in it is Sir Hopsalot?

Thanks. Ms. Hopsalot is in the sand next to the froggie.

 

 

He looks and acts like a kitten doesn't he?

[metrokat]

My dad was playing golf with an interested audience this morning:

[jgpico]

Hey Kat what kind of lighting and flow do you have your leptastrea in? I got a frag and it is starting to recede quite a bit, I'm hoping I can save it.

[metrokat]

Hey Kat what kind of lighting and flow do you have your leptastrea in? I got a frag and it is starting to recede quite a bit, I'm hoping I can save it.

I have mine in medium light and flow. A somewhat strong light will also work as long as the flow is gentle. The coral likes to be intermittently touched by the flow. HTH.

[jgpico]

I have mine in medium light and flow. A somewhat strong light will also work as long as the flow is gentle. The coral likes to be intermittently touched by the flow. HTH.

Ill give that a try. It is looking super unhappy and has receded quite a bit.

[metrokat]

Lately I've been concerned with coral growth and realized all my pictures were concentrated on them. Plus I did not like the way my tank looked so took only a few FTS. The lighting and coral placement, also the variety are starting to fill the scape and make it look better. I am still far from gluing down every single frag, and I have more coming in this weekend at our local swap. But I finally have a very good idea of where I'm going. About time.

 

B4 and Aftah

 

Tyree green toad March 5

May 15 (also notice Elkhorn Stag on the left)

 

Elkhorn stag Mar 5

Apr 25

 

Left Side April 25

May 15

 

FTS

Dec 24

 

Feb 6

 

Feb 12

 

Feb 17

 

Mar 5

 

Apr 19

 

May 7

 

May 10

 

May 15