AJ_Tsin Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 (edited) Here is a quick January FTS taken with iPhone 4 as well as a shot of a new Blue Snakeskin Crocea. They aren't the best quality given as they are taken with an iPhone but they will do. Enjoy. Some nice DSL shots will be kickin around here soon. Edited January 16, 2011 by AJ_Tsin Quote Link to comment
animalmaster6 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 The tank looks amazing!! Are some nof those acros bleached? i.e. the one in the front? Quote Link to comment
Squared Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 tank. is. awsome. Quote Link to comment
AJ_Tsin Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 (edited) The tank looks amazing!! Are some nof those acros bleached? i.e. the one in the front? Thanks Animal, Yea the two monti digis and the birdsnest faded dramatically a few months ago when I was hitting ULNS and the tank was fallow. I lost a few other corals in this period due to my lack of maintenance, coral food, and frustration from a neverending ich battle thanks to a impulse purchase from a local chain store. Since then the Montis are all beginning to color up again but the camera sensor cannot pick up the faint colors. The polyps still have color and the tissue is slowing darkening with diligent addition supplements etc. I have also set up a permanent QT system in the basement now as the past six months have been a nightmare for fish. Also I finally picked up a K-Z Potassium test kit and as you saw earlier some Brightwell Potassion, since adding more Amino Acids, Lugol's and the Potassium the corals are coming back quickly. Nonetheless the system is certainly not 100% yet but the Zeo system and some good husbandry are helping it bounce back in a strong way. Edited January 16, 2011 by AJ_Tsin Quote Link to comment
animalmaster6 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I'm glad they are starting to color up again Quote Link to comment
Rehype Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 The tank looks amazing!! +10 Hey AJ are you having any luck battling the cyano? Quote Link to comment
AJ_Tsin Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 tank. is. awsome. Thank. you. It's gettin there I'm glad they are starting to color up again Me too. +10 Hey AJ are you having any luck battling the cyano? Yea I had an outbreak when I started dosing a carbon source again but I find that 4 drops of bacteria mixed with Korallen-Zucht's Coral Snow (1ml/25g) eliminates it quite quickly. My sandbed is finally turning completely white again. There is just a lot of grey detritus that needs to be siphoned out. Quote Link to comment
jbannick18 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 That tank is awesome. I am starting to like cube tanks like yours more and more, especially with island type set ups with alot of swimming room Quote Link to comment
AJ_Tsin Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 That tank is awesome. I am starting to like cube tanks like yours more and more, especially with island type set ups with alot of swimming room Glad to hear it. Personally I love the look of open concept reefs. I find it looks a bit more realistic and it gives the fish a lot more space. Kind of like a 3x3 chunk of the ocean floor in a living room. Quote Link to comment
AJ_Tsin Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 By the way I recently changed from a 250w 20K Megachrome Blue bulb to a Phoenix 14k and I love the look. I will use this bulb for the next several months, but when its time to get a new one I will most likely be buying an ATI T5 Fixture instead. Quote Link to comment
Rehype Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Hey AJ is the bulb less blue? Quote Link to comment
AJ_Tsin Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 Hey AJ is the bulb less blue? Yes definitely. It is more purple and the colors look more brilliant but white looks whiter. I am quite pleased with the look for now. Quote Link to comment
Clavius85 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 This is my favorite tank. I wish I had the funds to do something similar. Quote Link to comment
AJ_Tsin Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 This is my favorite tank. I wish I had the funds to do something similar. Thanks Clavius, It wasn't really that expensive to get up and running, and I used most of what I have already owned. Also companies like Vertex and Bubble Magus are releasing some amazing products for an awesome price which is way easier on our wallets. Again, thanks to everyone who comments with compliments on this reef, between this thread my Studio Reef, and the youtube videos I get a TON of positive feedback. Its one thing to have a nice system and love a hobby, but its a whole other feeling to have a community react and support the things we work so hard on. Cheers everyone thanks for reading and commenting. If anyone has other logistical or specific questions keep em coming. - A. Quote Link to comment
Zer0 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Any reason you're going to change over to T5's in the future instead of keeping MH? Quote Link to comment
AJ_Tsin Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 Any reason you're going to change over to T5's in the future instead of keeping MH? I think the growth patterns and colors of T5 are nicer particularly in SPS, also there isn't as many shadows and dark spots. Also I will be installing a LED fixture in my office so I want to have different lights in each location that way I can see how corals do and transfer back and forth depending on the situation. I just think Metal Halide is a thing of the past and a waste of energy. Quote Link to comment
Zer0 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 (edited) Interesting... Now i'm wondering whether i should go all T5's when i setup my tank or if i should follow through with a DIY T5/MH fixture i'm building. Hmmm... T5's do give great color, but i love the shimmer/intensity/coral growth from MH's. I think the both of best worlds might be were i stand. Gotta think about it. Edited January 16, 2011 by Zer0 Quote Link to comment
AJ_Tsin Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 Interesting... Now i'm wondering whether i should go all T5's when i setup my tank or if i should follow through with a DIY T5/MH fixture i'm building. Hmmm... T5's do give great color, but i love the shimmer/intensity/coral growth from MH's. I think the both of best worlds might be were i stand. Gotta think about it. If you have the $$ and setup to do a T5 MH mix thats probably a good option. You wont have drastic shadows because the fluorescent will fill the space but you will still have the shimmer and intensity of a MH. In my case the tank is 3x3 and very shallow, that means I need a fixture with a lot of coverage but not too much intensity in one spot. I am looking at the 8x24w ATI Fixture which will give me a similar strength of light but with a footprint of L23.0" x W17.5" x H2.3" the fixture is almost square and hung about 8-12 inches off the water will nicely cover the 3x3 footprint I am looking to fill. Quote Link to comment
Zer0 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 If you have the $$ and setup to do a T5 MH mix thats probably a good option. You wont have drastic shadows because the fluorescent will fill the space but you will still have the shimmer and intensity of a MH. In my case the tank is 3x3 and very shallow, that means I need a fixture with a lot of coverage but not too much intensity in one spot. I am looking at the 8x24w ATI Fixture which will give me a similar strength of light but with a footprint of L23.0" x W17.5" x H2.3" the fixture is almost square and hung about 8-12 inches off the water will nicely cover the 3x3 footprint I am looking to fill. Yeah, that ATI fixture sounds nice but those ATI fixtures are some serious cash. As for me.. i'm planning on putting together a DIY metal bracket fixture that will have a 150wMH pendant(but not really since i'm turning it into a fixture), and then 2 18w retrofit T5's. Both lamps will be actinics too. I don't necessarily mind just having the halide, but for a long time now i feel like i'm missing out on added color pop from corals without actinic T5's. So now.. i feel like if i had the best of both worlds, halide and T5's, the tank would look awesome. The only thing that worries me about halides is the fact that they melt corals.. pretty quickly if it's too close to the water. And i never really found the right depth for my corals to be super happy. What do you think? 150w Halide with 2 18w T5 actinics sound like a good combo? The footprint of the tank is 20x20x10.. Quote Link to comment
AJ_Tsin Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 Yeah, that ATI fixture sounds nice but those ATI fixtures are some serious cash. As for me.. i'm planning on putting together a DIY metal bracket fixture that will have a 150wMH pendant(but not really since i'm turning it into a fixture), and then 2 18w retrofit T5's. Both lamps will be actinics too. I don't necessarily mind just having the halide, but for a long time now i feel like i'm missing out on added color pop from corals without actinic T5's. So now.. i feel like if i had the best of both worlds, halide and T5's, the tank would look awesome. The only thing that worries me about halides is the fact that they melt corals.. pretty quickly if it's too close to the water. And i never really found the right depth for my corals to be super happy. What do you think? 150w Halide with 2 18w T5 actinics sound like a good combo? The footprint of the tank is 20x20x10.. That's probably perfect. I miss having the actinic supplements as well. I find the Pheonix 14k bulbs do a good job of bringing out the corals colors but the actinics are really unbeatable in combination. Just make your scape with overhangs and high and low plateaus that way if things arent doing well you can move them or put them in the shadows. I obliterated a colony of blue Ricordias back in the day because of a 250w metal halide bulb on a 29g biocube lol. HTH, Quote Link to comment
Zer0 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 That's probably perfect. I miss having the actinic supplements as well. I find the Pheonix 14k bulbs do a good job of bringing out the corals colors but the actinics are really unbeatable in combination. Just make your scape with overhangs and high and low plateaus that way if things arent doing well you can move them or put them in the shadows. I obliterated a colony of blue Ricordias back in the day because of a 250w metal halide bulb on a 29g biocube lol. HTH, Same situation here hahaha. I had a 14k bulb and really had no complaints because they do in fact bring out nice color without the tank being too blue, but actinic supplementation is what really makes the coral colors pop. And i feel that if i kept it to a 14k bulb, with a nice crisp white, then the T5 actinics won't be so strong that they make everything blue, per say, but that they will definitely make the corals fluoresce a little more. And yes, i have some very exciting plans for my scape, and that's actually a great idea. High and low plateaus, with some overhangs. Got it. I also had a nice colony of yellow zoanthids that i loved more than any other zoas in my tank, and because my halide was about 4 or 5 inches off the water surface(i didn't know the effects it would have at the time), they all melted away. Not a single polyp was left. That's what lead to the downfall of my last cube. Thanks for the response though Aj. Looking forward to seeing some more pictures. Quote Link to comment
AJ_Tsin Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 (edited) I also had a nice colony of yellow zoanthids that i loved more than any other zoas in my tank, and because my halide was about 4 or 5 inches off the water surface(i didn't know the effects it would have at the time), they all melted away. Not a single polyp was left. That's what lead to the downfall of my last cube. Thanks for the response though Aj. Looking forward to seeing some more pictures. Sorry to hear that.... No problem in the response just glad to contribute. Speaking of pictures... I spent an hour or so cleaning the tank today and sucking up all the old dead algae detritus that was all over the sandbed. (See photo on last page). I also took a razor blade to the glass and got any crap off there that was stuck in the corners. Ahhh nice to have a nice clean tank again. Now here's to keeping it that way. January 2010 FTS, New Year, New Zeovit System, same 47g Custom Rimless Reef: - Taken with iPhone 4 in HDR mode. Edited January 16, 2011 by AJ_Tsin Quote Link to comment
Zer0 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Sorry to hear that.... No problem in the response just glad to contribute. Speaking of pictures... I spent an hour or so cleaning the tank today and sucking up all the old dead algae detritus that was all over the sandbed. (See photo on last page). I also took a razor blade to the glass and got any crap off there that was stuck in the corners. Ahhh nice to have a nice clean tank again. Now here's to keeping it that way. January 2010 FTS, New Year, New Zeovit System, same 47g Custom Rimless Reef: As always Aj, excellent picture, excellent aquarium. Absolutely stunning. I also like how you included the light this time. I think it adds to the greatness of the setup as a whole. Quote Link to comment
AJ_Tsin Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 As always Aj, excellent picture, excellent aquarium. Absolutely stunning. I also like how you included the light this time. I think it adds to the greatness of the setup as a whole. Thanks Zer0 good chat. Quote Link to comment
Zer0 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Thanks Zer0 good chat. Absolutely. It was a pleasure, as always. Quote Link to comment
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