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DIY LED JBJ NC 28 -> Now with 100% more macros AND a NEW FTS! weeeeeee.....


dhraakoxr

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New macro with my new favorite acan:

 

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Feb 12 2011 FTS's:

 

Finally found out how to set the camera up to take some somewhat decent FTS's. It's still a process in work!!!! I need to set the focus pt on the bottom of the tank instead of in the middle/top for as you can see the bottom is too dark whilst the top is almost over exposed. Yah!! Anyways below are some "FTS's". As you can see things have grown. Things to note: The monitpora on the far left was completely bleached kind of like you see in the center of it. Overexposure in my BC14 was it's cause and it has taken from like the middle of November till today to look as it does. It has been the slowest recoverer since the change over. Everything else is super happy and recovered!

 

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Nov 15 2010 FTS's:

 

Royal Blues only:

 

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SPECs

 

Lighting: DIY LEDs (CBx2, RBx5, CWx3, NWx2, Vx2)

Fuge: AC70 moded

2xPhosban reactors: Running Rowaphos/purigen in one and Carbon in the other

Modified media rack: Running floss and ChemiPure (little redundant with the reactors but meh)

Flow: 2x1200 MaxiJets in the back and a MP10es on the right wall.

ATO: Just a standard setup

 

Maint:

 

Daily: Water level check, fuge algae amount check, general snail check etc and inspect corals and 2part dosing.

Weekly: Floss change, 3-4G water change, ALK check, internal tank and fuge algae check/pruning, and reactor media check.

Monthly: Change out carbon in the one reactor, clean hoses and whatever else I feel needs to get a good checking/cleaning (AC70 piping for example).

2-3Months: Change Rowaphos.

 

---- The story... -----

 

So as a sale would have it and the fact my BC14 is full of coral it was time to upgrade. I went and bought a JBJ28 with the stand and began my journey into making it a nice piece in the living room.

 

The JBJ is a PC one but the LEDs from my BC14 will swap right into the canopy so that is the lights the JBJ will get after the tank is cycled. The LED grid I have on the BC has 15 LEDs currently running at 20-30 percent of their possible intensity so they'll be able to more than take care of the lighting needs of this new tank.

 

Anyways! To the important part... pictures!

 

Bought it, set the stand up, put the tank on it and poured the sand in it.

 

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Next was to design the rock scape.. I had a SOO many things I wanted to do and just throwing random LR in there was not one of them. I wanted to MAKE something .. design my own setup with a bunch of dead rock to mimic stuff I've seen and stuff I wanted. All I knew is that I wanted a couple floating ledges coming off of a peninsula. So, the next day I bought a ton of pvc and rock and got to it... I didn't plan much honestly.. just put stuff together and let the rocks own shape do the designing. Took about 10 hours to finish the following.

 

The start:

 

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And on we go:

 

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DONE! .. well sans some epoxying

 

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Tank before:

 

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Tank shots after :) :

 

Font:

 

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Left side:

 

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Right side:

 

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I honestly tried my hardest to make it so all three sides had there own unique view point and I think I achieved that.. I can have coral arranged so that each side has it's own story.

 

At any rate I hope you all enjoy the scape as much as I loved and hated to make it. I never knew how annoying super glue, water, epoxy and dental floss could be. But alas beer and 2 late nights resulted in something that made me happy.

 

Now I need all your opinions on what coral I should place where lol. I have encrusting montis, a plate monti, many SPS's, zoas, rics, a blasto and a bunch of chalices ... and hopefully acans eventually. Please tell me what you think I should do and how I should place them and arrange the colours!

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Nice job, I just did the same thing :). Your rockwork is better though.

 

I won't give you opinions on where to put your corals though. I'm sure it's going to look great.

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Thanks :)

 

Your scape is awesome man! That rock you used is narly. I had some similar pieces but not quiet that full of holes.

 

I'm sure the coral will come together.. it's just man haha I want it to flow nicely and I'm racking my brain trying to envision it lol.

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awe inspiring

 

Thanks :)

 

I have both my clown fish in there now and I think the cycle is going well. All the diatom algae has been gone for about a week now and I have green hair like algae starting .. looks like little tiny grass bunches lol. Next week or there after I am going to pick up snails and start the refuge up in the back chamber of the tank using the same light that is currently on my BC14.

 

LED install and addition of NW and TV LEDs.. ok so I installed the LEDs awhile ago but had to take everything back apart to add the NWs and TVs when the arrived in the mail. Buuuyah.

 

Spots sanded for artic epoxy mounting. I ended up turning off 2CB's and 2CW's and using those strings to power these new LEDs. The results ended up being great.

 

Positioned and epoxied with egg crate on top ready to be pressed and held down:

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Pressing situation:

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Canopy mounted:

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Life one:

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  • 3 weeks later...

Some FTSs and other things

 

Royal Blues only:

 

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Blues Only:

 

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As you can see I figured out my coral placement. What do you all think? I cannot wait for that blasto to fill out. It looks awesome under the blues and well true violet LEDs now. I guess it's time to play the waiting game... and ... constantly buy more corals. ugh

 

Acan:

 

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  • 1 month later...

Got me a T1i and a 100mm f2.8 macro lense now :) Time to play... however.. I will improve over time! Please by all means comment and tell me what I could improve upon in these pics as I've only been using this macro and camera for like 3 days.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

got some new acans and an SPS.

 

I was absolutely amazed when I put this thing in the tank. Unfortunetly I have my LED fixture so far back in the canopy that the things like this Acan aren't actually as bright as they can be. I'll take a pic at a later date with the canopy lifted up a little. It's pretty crazy.

 

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Same acan with a bit of a different focus on it.

 

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Love this new SPS. Really really cool how the polyps are, nothing like any other SPS I have.

 

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I really like your rock work. Your pics are nice too.

 

Thanks!

 

I'll take another FTS when I beat this damn grape caulerpa. The AC70 is almost full of Cheato now and the battle is being won.

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  • 4 weeks later...

some more corals!

 

New nano scoly I just picked up a few days ago! Honestly never thought I'd get one.. little one two! The price was always a little silly but these guys (1.5 inches dia) came at a really good price so I had to get em.

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Pic of one of the new Scolys with my fave Acan in my tank and its babies.

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Another pic of an above Acan colouring up reeeeaaal nicely.

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MEOW! More updates.

 

Finally found out how to set the camera up to take some somewhat decent FTS's. It's still a process in work!!!! I need to set the focus pt on the bottom of the tank instead of in the middle/top for as you can see the bottom is too dark whilst the top is almost over exposed. Yah!! Anyways below are some "FTS's". As you can see things have grown.Things to note: The monitpora on the far left was completely bleached kind of like you see in the center of it. Overexposure in my BC14 was it's cause and it has taken from like the middle of November till today to look as it does. It has been the slowest recoverer since the change over. Everything else is super happy and recovered!

 

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post-43456-1297584070_thumb.jpg

 

Close up of that green slimer I have. I absolutely cannot believe how well this little beastie has coloured up since my old 14BC. It was practically green white when I put it in this tank. Over the process of 2 months it became what you see in the below picture.

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My Digi in the FTS's took over 3 months to get to where it is now and my pink/red (whatever) monti is STILL de-bleacing from the old display. That one has taken the longest for sure but all that is left to colour up is the middle.

 

Just a simple growth/neat pic of another SPS that has finally taken off now that it has encrusted. Lets refer to it as "The Tower".

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Scoly pair of happyness :lol:

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Pics of the growing acan garden. There is one in the middle of the tank which I cannot combine with these ones. I NEED A VIEW BOX DAMN IT! heh. Anywho:

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And a fishy pic!

 

This green corris wrasse has the MOST character I have ever seen in a fish. Every time I move something she absolutely must investigate it after I place it. Everytime I place a new coral in there she swims straight to it and inspects it and pics whatever things she sees off the rock/plug portion. She's s blast to watch.. plus she absolutely destroyed the entire population of red flatworms that I had. 50+ of those little bastards :lol: . They've been banished to the AC70 fuge I have apparently :lol: . Easy pickings for me!

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My other wrasse ... just happened to get him post yawn.. soooo lucky... post popping as well.. but you can't win em all. Apparently he's enjoying the substrate... they really are vacuums aren't they?

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Great looking NC. I can't believe I've missed your tank on here. I'm always combing through the 28g NC's. I have the same tank, it's been setup for 1.5 years. Keep up the great work.

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Great looking NC. I can't believe I've missed your tank on here. I'm always combing through the 28g NC's. I have the same tank, it's been setup for 1.5 years. Keep up the great work.

 

Thanks man! You have an great tank just checked out yer build. Theres apparently a nice little community of NCs heh.

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