25G ADA TANK 18X18X18" RIMLESS CUBE

[PurpleUP]

Good Luck!

 

Thanks. Bring your 20G tank back to life and you've got yourself a guaranteed champion right there!

[TJ_Burton]

Thanks. Bring your 20G tank back to life and you've got yourself a guaranteed champion right there!

 

[PurpleUP]

 

I've been contemplating your crazy lighting setup and I'm wondering if I could somehow incorporate my Coralife Hang-On 150W 10,000K into the mix with my 20,000K 250W. Got any ideas for me?

[TJ_Burton]

I've been contemplating your crazy lighting setup and I'm wondering if I could somehow incorporate my Coralife Hang-On 150W 10,000K into the mix with my 20,000K 250W. Got any ideas for me?

 

You would have to make a custom pendant (out of wood or something) and run them both within the same housing an equal distance apart from eachother. It would be one helluva production, require you to mod a VERY decent reflector, and probably be slightly aggrivating... BUT it would be WELL worth the effort.

[TJ_Burton]

Something to this effect:

[PurpleUP]

Something to this effect:

 

Looks like something I NEED to do. Why waste a 10K light when my new SPS stuff will be expecting to have it. I am assuming that I'll be using the two different ballasts for each light, yes? Having the ability to switch each one on and off at different times would be MINT.

 

Here's what my setup looks like now. If I build a ghetto fab one in the garage, it would completely kill the look. Perhaps there's a local shop that could take my existing aluminum pendant and have it modded for BOTH bulbs, using both ballasts. I believe your right on in having them both in ONE pendant, especially since it would be spot shining down on an 18" cube. This is the kind of shi! that keeps me up at night.

[TJ_Burton]

Looks like something I NEED to do. Why waste a 10K light when my new SPS stuff will be expecting to have it. I am assuming that I'll be using the two different ballasts for each light, yes? Having the ability to switch each one on and off at different times would be MINT.

 

Here's what my setup looks like now. If I build a ghetto fab one in the garage, it would completely kill the look. Perhaps there's a local shop that could take my existing aluminum pendant and have it modded for BOTH bulbs, using both ballasts. I believe your right on in having them both in ONE pendant, especially since it would be spot shining down on an 18" cube. This is the kind of shi! that keeps me up at night.

 

Yes, 2 ballasts, 2 switches/cords/plugs etc.

 

To be honest, I don't think the reflector inside a single pendant would be large enough. The idea is you want the bulbs to be spaced equal distances apart from eachother according to the width of the tank. At that point the style of the reflector plays a very important role in distributing the light from each bulb equally over the tank from their position (which is slightly left or right of the fixture). This way when both bulbs are on the light doesn't seem to meet in the middle, and rather meshes together creating one hue. Make sense? Not sure if this is possible in one small reflector. you can try though!

[the gzaa]

IMO, dosing via ATO on a 14 gallon tank is risky b/c so many things can happen which will cause your ATO to activate unexpectedly. For example, if you remove anything from your tank, bringing the water level down slightly, the ATO will quickly replenish before you realize it. If you change water and forget to turn off your ATO, the same thing will happen. See the sensors activate so quickly that by the time you've realized what you've done to set it off, you've already got replacement water in your tank. If it's only freshwater than no big deal, but if it's Kalkwasser then your pH, alkalinity, and calcium can reach risky levels fast, causing precipitation and your pumps to freeze. I say this from experience. I had to buy replacement gear and soak my pumps in vinegar for 3 weeks before I got them to work again. Only advanced reefers should dose from ATO. What are you keeping by the way? Are you sure you need to dose? If so, yes, buy a doser.

well i have a ton of zoas, i have xenia frogspawn, blastos, acans, a brain, a plate coral a ric, yuma, green star polyps...ill probably start my own thread lol...btw man your tank is killer. Your 14 bc inspired me to do more with it and make my tank look like the great barrier reef(never gunna happen)...i hope you win in the contest because it looks like youve put lots of work into it.

[PurpleUP]

well i have a ton of zoas, i have xenia frogspawn, blastos, acans, a brain, a plate coral a ric, yuma, green star polyps...ill probably start my own thread lol...btw man your tank is killer. Your 14 bc inspired me to do more with it and make my tank look like the great barrier reef(never gunna happen)...i hope you win in the contest because it looks like youve put lots of work into it.

 

Based on your list of corals, it appears that you may not need to does too frequently. How often must you dose manually for alkalinity and calcium now? If it's only once or twice per week, you might make it easier and more cost effective to maintain your levels by doing weekly water changes. You should definitely start your own thread to track the progress of your tank. People in this community have helped me make many of the decisions for my own setup simply because I have one. Funny, I think I check my thread as often as my work email! As far as the contest goes, it's nice just to be in it. Each one of the tanks are so incredibly unique that I honestly don't think any one is better than the other.

[PurpleUP]

Yes, 2 ballasts, 2 switches/cords/plugs etc.

 

To be honest, I don't think the reflector inside a single pendant would be large enough. The idea is you want the bulbs to be spaced equal distances apart from eachother according to the width of the tank. At that point the style of the reflector plays a very important role in distributing the light from each bulb equally over the tank from their position (which is slightly left or right of the fixture). This way when both bulbs are on the light doesn't seem to meet in the middle, and rather meshes together creating one hue. Make sense? Not sure if this is possible in one small reflector. you can try though!

 

Point well taken. I'm also wondering if the higher wattage of 250 vs 150 somewhat compensates for the higher kelvin rating. Perhaps I can still get some good growth and color with the higher light intensity, although I'm using a 20,000k bulb. I might leave well enough alone for a few months and see how things go. If my SPS don't color up or even lose color, I can bring in more yellow or simply change out the bulb. I'm like you though, I want it all 10, 20, 50k and throw in the actinics too! There's always the next tank.

[TJ_Burton]

Point well taken. I'm also wondering if the higher wattage of 250 vs 150 somewhat compensates for the higher kelvin rating. Perhaps I can still get some good growth and color with the higher light intensity, although I'm using a 20,000k bulb. I might leave well enough alone for a few months and see how things go. If my SPS don't color up or even lose color, I can bring in more yellow or simply change out the bulb. I'm like you though, I want it all 10, 20, 50k and throw in the actinics too! There's always the next tank.

 

Yep! Sounds like me alright! lol...

There is always the next tank, but you still got that one fore now! And if you don't trust your own craftsmanship, you could always see if Stoney can rig you up something PRO.

[SPS20]

I think you are fine with the 250W 20k. Sure, it would be awesome if you had the 150W 10k in the mix too, but then you would have to raise the lights a little to keep your zoos and LPS happy, I think.

 

Mixing MH spectra does tend to create the best quality of light, IMO. Your SPS would love you for it. But, it might piss off your LPS and softies if you keep the fixture too close to the tank.

 

I have contemplated putting a 20k bulb I have laying around in the left of the two pendants over my tank. The corals on the left all are more shade-tolerant species, and the fading from white into blue might look neat. Or, it might look stupid, i'm not sure. I'll try it sometime when i'm bored and post a pic.

[TJ_Burton]

I think you are fine with the 250W 20k. Sure, it would be awesome if you had the 150W 10k in the mix too, but then you would have to raise the lights a little to keep your zoos and LPS happy, I think.

 

Mixing MH spectra does tend to create the best quality of light, IMO. Your SPS would love you for it. But, it might piss off your LPS and softies if you keep the fixture too close to the tank.

 

 

+1 With that kind of lighting you wouldn't need the lights to be as close to the water.

 

Although, the lps and softies tend not to mind the extra burst of light (for 4 hours or so) in the middle of the light cycle. It would only be an issue IMO if you had both bulbs on together for the entire cycle.

[PurpleUP]

+1 With that kind of lighting you wouldn't need the lights to be as close to the water.

 

Although, the lps and softies tend not to mind the extra burst of light (for 4 hours or so) in the middle of the light cycle. It would only be an issue IMO if you had both bulbs on together for the entire cycle.

 

If we're talking only 4hrs mid light cycle, what I could do is mount my 150W 10,000K Hang On to a stand of sorts and put it in place (directly behind the overflow) sometime between 10am and 3pm. When the burst-of-light period is over, I can simply tuck it away in the closet. One extra chore to do, but I could liken it to walking the dog or taking out the trash. What do you guys think? Would it be worth the extra effort? I'd just need to figure out how to rig it up.

[PurpleUP]

EATEN ALIVE. Serial killer cleaner shrimp.

 

Last night, I witnessed my cleaner shrimp make a nice meal out of my last surviving peppermint shrimp. Quite a interesting sight to see it attack the eyes first. See the pics and notice pepper's eyes have been extracted. What I've been wondering is if 1) he also killed and ate the other peppermint I had in the tank & 2) if this peppermint became a target only after it had fallen ill OR if the cleaner hunted a perfectly healthy shrimp as prey. Nonetheless, I see it as a good thing to have a clean up predator in the tank. Might prevent a dying fish from rotting in the cracks of live rock.

 

 

BTW: The cleaner shrimp is also suspected of eating not one but TWO HEADS of my coco worm.

 

THEY'RE HAPPY NOW

Patty, thanks again for the blue tubs! Looks like 12-13 polyps in all.

 

ORA FRAGS

Just monitoring steady growth and development of my Bird's Nest and Rosco's Blue Green Acro.

 

[TJ_Burton]

If we're talking only 4hrs mid light cycle, what I could do is mount my 150W 10,000K Hang On to a stand of sorts and put it in place (directly behind the overflow) sometime between 10am and 3pm. When the burst-of-light period is over, I can simply tuck it away in the closet. One extra chore to do, but I could liken it to walking the dog or taking out the trash. What do you guys think? Would it be worth the extra effort? I'd just need to figure out how to rig it up.

 

If you didn't mind the extra work then I think you should give it a shot. Just make sure you start the light off at least 12" off the water's surface. If you notice your corals reacting poorly to the extra light then discontinue the use of it. When I started adding the extra light, within a week my acros had responded via coloration.

 

IF you give this a go, take a before picture (decent macro and full coral shot) and then an after picture 2-3 weeks later. See if there is any noticeable difference (good or bad) and use your judgement to figure out if you should lower the light/discontinue use.

 

I would love to see it work out for you! I don't think you would experience any negative effects other then possible algae growth.

 

Let me know what you decide to do!

[PurpleUP]

If you didn't mind the extra work then I think you should give it a shot. Just make sure you start the light off at least 12" off the water's surface. If you notice your corals reacting poorly to the extra light then discontinue the use of it. When I started adding the extra light, within a week my acros had responded via coloration.

 

IF you give this a go, take a before picture (decent macro and full coral shot) and then an after picture 2-3 weeks later. See if there is any noticeable difference (good or bad) and use your judgement to figure out if you should lower the light/discontinue use.

 

I would love to see it work out for you! I don't think you would experience any negative effects other then possible algae growth.

 

Let me know what you decide to do!

 

WILL DO and I'll follow these measures while I'm at it. Right now, I'm just contemplating exactly how my light-mounting apparatus will be built. It's gotta look appealing or at least be somewhat visually tolerable since it will be on and in place for 4-5 hours out of the day. Black pvc piping perhaps.

 

In the meantime, I thought I'd hook up this heavy duty gizmo I found in storage - a APC Smart-UPS 1500 USB. It was once used to provide emergency power for my computer network (before my mortgage office had to close ) As you can see, it's now powered up and hooked up to this reef system and now serving a higher purpose! Right now it's powering 100% of the system, pumps, heater, halide and all, with it's battery power ALONE. One important thing to note is that I do not see any visual decrease in light intensity. I'm currently testing it to see how long it will operate in the event of a power outage. I've seen sooooooo many reefers post tragic news of total reef annihilation caused by power outages. Perhaps this gadget will help to minimize this risk.

 

[TJ_Burton]

WILL DO and I'll follow these measures while I'm at it. Right now, I'm just contemplating exactly how my light-mounting apparatus will be built. It's gotta look appealing or at least be somewhat visually tolerable since it will be on and in place for 4-5 hours out of the day. Black pvc piping perhaps.

 

In the meantime, I thought I'd hook up this heavy duty gizmo I found in storage - a APC Smart-UPS 1500 USB. It was once used to provide emergency power for my computer network (before my mortgage office had to close ) As you can see, it's now powered up and hooked up to this reef system and now serving a higher purpose! Right now it's powering 100% of the system, pumps, heater, halide and all, with it's battery power ALONE. One important thing to note is that I do not see any visual decrease in light intensity. I'm currently testing it to see how long it will operate in the event of a power outage. I've seen sooooooo many reefers post tragic news of total reef annihilation caused by power outages. Perhaps this gadget will help to minimize this risk.

 

Good call - I have been looking at backup power (enough for the closed loop as to maintain circulation) as I have faced a 48hr power outage before...

 

My way of keeping everything alive was pretty barbaric (yet ingenious at the same time). My instinct was to run to the garage and get a bike pump and some 1/2" tubing. I spent the next 40 hours manually pumping air into the tank causing ALLOT of circulation, and in turn saved me from losing anything.

 

Moral of the story is POWER FAILURE = COFFEE / MANUAL LABOR & INSOMNIA

[spanko]

Just read this thread in it's entirety. what a great setup! One question I have is about the coral left center front. Looks like a purple cap with yellow dots. What is it?

Inquisitive minds need to know.........

[PurpleUP]

Just read this thread in it's entirety. what a great setup! One question I have is about the coral left center front. Looks like a purple cap with yellow dots. What is it?

Inquisitive minds need to know.........

 

Thanks for your intense interest. I hope that some of my good decisions and failures would help at least one or two dedicated reefers out there. The monti cap look-a-like is called a Yellow Turbinaria.

[PurpleUP]

Good call - I have been looking at backup power (enough for the closed loop as to maintain circulation) as I have faced a 48hr power outage before...

 

My way of keeping everything alive was pretty barbaric (yet ingenious at the same time). My instinct was to run to the garage and get a bike pump and some 1/2" tubing. I spent the next 40 hours manually pumping air into the tank causing ALLOT of circulation, and in turn saved me from losing anything.

 

Moral of the story is POWER FAILURE = COFFEE / MANUAL LABOR & INSOMNIA

 

Hahaha. If that's not total dedication and personal sacrifice for your corals, then I don't know what is!

 

The APC lifeline won't last as long as I had hoped, but I'll take what I can get! On a full charge and my present power load, I'll have only about 45mins to 1hr at most before the battery backup runs out (before I bring out the bike pump). I would hope that would give PG&E enough time to restore down power plants, lines, and such. Most importantly, it will prevent having to "reboot" the filter/overflow.

[PurpleUP]

Well, I couldn't wait. So I rigged something up with a triangular iron support thingy I had laying around the garage. The Coralife light is mounted so it angles from back to front, positioned directly behind the pendant. Turns out that I didn't have a 10k bulb but rather a 14k. I also raised my pendant to 10" from the water surface from 8.5". So here's what the lights look like with photo taken from the right side:

 

[TJ_Burton]

Well, I couldn't wait. So I rigged something up with a triangular iron support thingy I had laying around the garage. The Coralife light is mounted so it angles from back to front, positioned directly behind the pendant. Turns out that I didn't have a 10k bulb but rather a 14k. I also raised my pendant to 10" from the water surface from 8.5". So here's what the lights look like with photo taken from the right side:

 

Not too shabby - don't forget to take those pictures of your corals (the sps) and post them up so we have a "Before" to reference in a couple weeks time!

 

Oh and also - how does it look with the extra light on there?

[PurpleUP]

Here are 3 pics of the tank, showing varying degrees of light. No Photoshopping.

 

1) 150W 14,000K Coralife DE

 

2) 250W 20,000K XM DE

 

3) BOTH 150W 14,000K Coralife DE & 250W 20,000K XM DE

[TJ_Burton]

Here are 3 pics of the tank, showing varying degrees of light. No Photoshopping.

 

Nice,

 

The coralife 14,000k seems pretty yellow for a 14k bulb. But in combination with the 20,000k it seems to look brighter and show off more color.

 

At least that is what I see from the pics lol.

(Center pic is showing up as X)