SpankythePyro Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 How do you like the ATI fixture? If I get a solana I think I might be dropping the dough for a 6 bulb, dunno if i want the base or the top of the line one though. Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 How do you like the ATI fixture? If I get a solana I think I might be dropping the dough for a 6 bulb, dunno if i want the base or the top of the line one though. I liked the look of the Powermodule over the other new one they came out with, that I think you are calling the base model? The one I chose just looked a lot cooler, to me. I think the 6 bulb would be too much light for a Solana, but its your money. I love the fixture, I just have a hard time getting the tiny T5 bulbs out, to switch with others I bought. The fixture itself is sexy and well built. Love it. Are you a Solana owner? Or buying the 6 bulb for another kind of tank? Link to comment
SpankythePyro Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I might be a future solana owner And yea the base model is the sunpower, doesn't have as much cooling or the looks of the powermodule The reason I want the 6 bulb though is so I can play around with the spectrum more, not so much the light intensity. I can always hand the fixture 8" above the tank anyway to lower the par lol Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 True...I eventually want the 10 bulb fixture, when I move up to a 135 gallon AGE tank one day...hehehe. Link to comment
doktorstick Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 What about the bleed over effect of the 24" light? I know you were doing the reef tank in part as decoration, too. Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 What about the bleed over effect of the 24" light? I know you were doing the reef tank in part as decoration, too. Well, it does bleed over quite a bit. Lights into the hall way outside my office where its located. I don't know much about bleed over, but it does, and thats why I think the 6 bulb is a lot for this tank. I haven't tried raising the light though, I keep it about 4" - 6" above the water...I could play with raising it and see... Link to comment
SpankythePyro Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 You'll get more bleed when raising it though Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 You'll get more bleed when raising it though I guess that makes sense. I can't get much lower though. Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted October 19, 2009 Author Share Posted October 19, 2009 Ok so a few questions and updates for you all. I've had my new frags in the tank since Sept 8th...and well they haven't really grown much. I'm guessing I haven't got the great levels of whatever helps them to grow? New to all my corals etc. I am still growing the coraline algae on the back wall, more and more, and on the powerhead etc, and the dusty (diatom?) algae on the glass seems to be every day or every other day I'm dusting it off. Not sure what signs I am showing with this kind of behavior. Some of the frags look like they have lost some color some have moved off the rock they came on and are on my live rock, some look unchanged. I plan to do a water change this weekend, 5 gallons or so. What do I need to test for to give you all a better idea of why the frags aren't doing better? Is the dusty algae ok? A good sign? Link to comment
d'Espresso Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 Hey trigger thanks for the news and updates. Water change is a must do. Before I do a water change I use a turkey blast to blast little waste and dust off my rocks and bottom then I do a 5 gallon water change about almost every 2 weeks. I also dose 2 parts B-ionic alk/cal to keep it stable because of overstocked corals but everything is fine. About the algae I remember I have to scrub it off the back wall then do lots of water change for the first couple month when my tank is still young. It killed one of my favorite zoa colonies but I was glad that I saved my other zoas. It was a PITA. I'm glad I won the battle but there will be many more to come. My friend, water change is the best for your tank and corals. Also I do a 2-3 days black out like once a month to help keep algae down. I read it on a nano reef site somewhere and tried. It seems to work better and less algae. Maybe give it a try or reduce your photosynthic hours. Good luck -David Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 Nope, nothing's changed yet, for better or worse. I need to add the peppermint shrimp and a clown fish. Link to comment
doktorstick Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Also I do a 2-3 days black out like once a month to help keep algae down. I read it on a nano reef site somewhere and tried. It seems to work better and less algae. Maybe give it a try or reduce your photosynthic hours. Good luck. You likely read it in GobyInPeace's featured reef profile from January 2009 IINM. Link to comment
ximmortaldeathx Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Hey Trigger, your solana looks good, i cant believe what a difference from when we last talked to about now. looks like i should update my blog Cheers! Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted December 3, 2009 Author Share Posted December 3, 2009 Hey Trigger, your solana looks good, i cant believe what a difference from when we last talked to about now. looks like i should update my blog Cheers! Here are some updated pictures; I'm dealing with an infestation of aiptasia, in which I'm going to be putting some berghia nudibranch into my tank to help clean it all up. Link to comment
ximmortaldeathx Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 Tell me about it man, i had to make fish rock soup today to clean my rocks, your thread has inspired me to redo my tank, i've bread berghia so if you have any questions let me know, how many did you get ? Link to comment
btbeam Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Love your tank. I also have a solana and would like to put a vortech in the back wall and was wondering why you moved yours to the side? I had thought I would like it in the back but am not sure if I am missing something? Thanks Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted January 12, 2010 Author Share Posted January 12, 2010 Love your tank. I also have a solana and would like to put a vortech in the back wall and was wondering why you moved yours to the side? I had thought I would like it in the back but am not sure if I am missing something?Thanks It was becoming a big PITA for me to keep it on that back wall. I had originally bought that box to hold the VorTech in and all it did was mess with the flow of my Chamber 1 water to Chamber 2, and I continued to worry about issues with the tank over flowing into the box and ruining the power head non-water side. I messed with some DIY methods; such as putting the power head in a ziploc bag and mounting it in the 2nd Chamber/Back Wall, but it was ugly. Some people have found other ways of mounting it on the back wall that work for them, I just couldn't and the worrying about losing $400 powerhead kept me from keeping it back there. I've been ok with it mounted on the side. Not sure if its better on the back or side, but the flow regardless where, is always good with the VorTech. If the power were to ever go out on my pumps and the water rises in those back 3 chambers, thats when it worried me the most. Turning off the power or having it go out, the water level rises and that box has a chance of filling up. I really liked my ziploc bag idea, but it was just too ugly. Anyway would be curious to see how you get yours mounted, I think the box I bought no longer is being made? But if you think about it, putting one of those dry boxes in the 2nd chamber to hold the back side of that power head takes up volume, or space where water should be, so if you do turn off your return pump or the power goes out, that area where the volume of water should be in chamber 2 goes where? I'd think it would over flow and go into the dry box, but I could be wrong, was always afraid to test it out... Link to comment
pprwngs Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 How's the tank? Aiptasia problem still? I use kalk and make a paste with it and just squirt a small amount on a few aiptasias, not too many don't want to spike the PH too much. They just shrivel up and die; and a couple of days later go after a few more. Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted January 15, 2010 Author Share Posted January 15, 2010 How's the tank? Aiptasia problem still? I use kalk and make a paste with it and just squirt a small amount on a few aiptasias, not too many don't want to spike the PH too much. They just shrivel up and die; and a couple of days later go after a few more. Actually the Aiptasia is doing better, still a few in there, but slowly they are going away. Not sure if the nudibranch I added did the trick or my little bits of kalk paste, probably a combo of both. So its good, I have had some algae issues, but cleaned it up now too. Will start working on my water chemistry now as some of my hard corals are losing color. Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted January 17, 2010 Author Share Posted January 17, 2010 Any new pics? Naa, nothing new or exciting, the tank looks about the same state as the pictures above, minus a little less algae that I spent a few hours last weekend cleaning out. I need to get some frags or something once I do this water change and see where my levels are. Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted January 29, 2010 Author Share Posted January 29, 2010 Dear Coral Reefers, I have the 24" 4x24watt ATI Powermodule for my 34g Solana Tank. I just recently bought some new frags, and would like to know, according to my list and pics of frags below, where in the tank they should be located; i.e higher, lower, shaded, bright, etc. I'm just looking for any obvious "no no's" of my placement of the corals since I don't know a lot about them. Here are the bulbs I have in order...from front to back. ATI Blue Plus Korallen Fiji Purple GE 6500k Daylight ATI Blue Plus Here are the frags I just got: Green Slimer Blue Stag Blue Mille Neon Green Stylo Tubbs Birds Nest Pocillopora Acro 1 Acro 2 Here are some photos of my tank and coral. Ignore the Prawn Shrimp in the trap, he's going back to the LFS. FTS Bottom Left Bottom Right Top Left Top Right Close Up - Bottom Left Close Up - Bottom Right Close Up - Top Left Close Up - Top Right Link to comment
Nano Hooked Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 Your coralline algae growth is amazing!!! Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted February 19, 2010 Author Share Posted February 19, 2010 Your coralline algae growth is amazing!!! You think that its in good shape? Does this mean my water params are good? I have some of the darker purple coraline algae down there in the bottom right, around the corner from the return valve, its starting to get hairy, is that good? Link to comment
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