My 10g Nano Unfiltered

[kevlow]

Most of it. When I trimmed it back, I left a center section. That is what has grown out. Pretty much tripled in size. The little bit on the back wall grew slowly because it was vertical. Now it has grown out horizontal from the wall and is getting alot of light. It has begun to grow fast. It is about to collide with or go around the stylo. I will have to break it off soon. I would like to see if it will grow in a pattern around the branches of stylo.

 

The tank is getting hit with alot of light. 72 watts LEDs and the cap sits right in the middle. Mostly RB but a little CW. Also magenta and 403violet stunners. When the tank had alot of CW the colors were not as good. The purples were blue; The reds turned orange, orange was light orange and it was alittle washed out. Changing to heavy RB with magenta and violet highlight brought the colors back. the dome brain returned to green and purple, the red acans changed back from orange to red. The monti cap went from light orange to a dark orange nearly red. The growth rate increased but I am not sure if that is due to color spectrum change or due to other changes in husbandry practices. I do know that 453nm is the peak of the photosynthetic process. I wanted to see if alot of 453 helped. I am happy with the results.

[kevlow]

I also want to add that I started to try different lighting durations. I am starting to lean towards more intense lighting but for a shorter duration.This 10g has no dusk / dawn effect. The lights are on for 7 hours. I might be shortening that. I used to have lights on for 10 hours and more.

 

The very best coloration that I have seen in person, are tanks with only actnic for 8 - 10 hours and with intense lighting [MH, LED, or T5] for 3 - 4 hours.

 

My current DIY lighting does not have a dimmer. I can not dial back my CWs. I must compensate by having more RB and only a few CW.

 

I think that my next project I will have the fixture custom made by someone like NanoBox. That way it will look clean and professional as well has having dimmers and seperate controls.

[gena]

That's a lot of great information. I too have noticed better results with a shorter light cycle. I'm running two ecoxotic panorama pros 50/50. I used to run (stock lighting) for 10 hours. I see much better results with the LEDs and an 8 hour light cycle. I'd love to run the lights longer for my viewing pleasure, but everything is so happy as is. I've had no problems with bleaching from too much light.

[cameraman_2]

Your tank looks great. I was actually thinking about different light cycles as well since I have been combining my LEDs with my old fixture and was thinking of getting them all setup on different timers to see what happens.

[kevlow]

Thanks cameraman. Been following your thread as well.

 

The ability to learn and exchange info on this forum is great. I think the lighting section here in NR is the best out of all the reef sites that I have read on. It is really what got me hooked on NR and not the other forums I was also reading on.

 

Good Luck and post your lighting changes with results and pics. I will be anxious to see what happens.

[Evanski9]

What's the dims on that shallow 35

[Akiowalt]

This is brilliance ~~~

[kevlow]

What's the dims on that shallow 35

 

Display tank is 48" x 24" x 8"

approx. 35 g

7" of water

 

sump 40b w/ approx. 20g of water

tub w/ skimmer and reactor 10g

 

This is brilliance ~~~

 

Thank you.

[kevlow]

Filter Feeder Food from Reef Cleaners. After reading favorable reports in other threads here on NR, I decided to try this product. Been using product for 2-3 weeks now.

 

Very happy with results. Both Lps and Sps. Lps has immediate feeding response and candy canes and acans have increased growth rate. Canes were fragged back. Brains love it.

 

Tri Color finished purpleing up very quickly [was stuck only lightly colored] Dec 10 pics it had no new branches. Dec 26 pics had several new branches begining. As of last night there was a total of ten new branches and growing rapidly. Also the Cali Tort appears to have increased growth rate and has increased PE.

 

The tank was doing basically well already. My assesment is that growth rate increased and colors improved.

 

It also appears to have less of an affect on nitrates compared to frozen and liquid foods that I have tried.

[kevlow]

Been about a month since last photos and several pieces were moved or removed. Been alot of growth from some corals.

 

First is the mandatory FTS.

 

Don"t know if 2nd pic is rainbow or pokerstar. Any ideas? It has yellow, orange and red polyps on blue base.

 

Tri color has alot of growth in one month. I credit Filter Feeder Food from reefcleaners. Pic looks washed out because of camera angle but is a nice purple with violet new growth.

 

Look down on left side of tank.

 

Spongides now encrusting across the sandbed.

 

Look down shot center and right side.

 

Pink BN w blue polyps. Been fragged three times since last pic last month.

[kevlow]

Using a friend's iphone and opened a photobucket account. I am trying to learn to take a good pic. Obviously I need to get better.

 

I have had good growth these last weeks. I removed the 80 degree optic lenses from my CWs. In two days I saw an extreme difference in coloration. Much improved. I think the lenses kept the beam too focused and much of the tank did not get that light. Now it is less intense but better spread and the corals are loving it.

 

Dark FTS

 

cali tort, growing like a weed, got it as one little stick.

 

pink w/ blue polyp Bird's Nest

 

Purchased as brown aqua cultured frags. Now they are blue with light green polyps and purple w/short green polyps

 

meteor shower anda blue fuzz

 

christmas mirabilis

 

 

spongedis

 

rainbow monti

 

unknown long polyp green acro

 

pink and green poccis

 

 

Thanks for looking!

[nor_cal_nano]

That brain coral is AMAZING!

[kevlow]

Thanks.

 

There are two in there.

The large one was purchased maybe 9 years ago nearly dead from a very bad pet shop for $20.. I saw it there with only one little section of flesh. The rest was bare skeleton. Nursed it along. When it could eat, I would cut up silversides and place it on it's mouth and then fight away the hermits so it could eat. After a year it looked OK, only partially covered. After a couple of years it had totally recovered and would get extemely large if I had kept feeding meaty foods. Now it stays the same with only light and filter feeding from broad cast feedings.

 

The smaller neon blue one I saw in a small LFS. I ask how much? When they said $20. I almost could not pay quick enough. I don't think they realized what they had. I have never seen one like it since. It changes color from teal when it is enjoying the light, to Light blue w dark blue and purple bands during and after feeding.

[kevlow]

Just a quick warning.

 

I have two types of green pocci. A flat green and a Neon Green.

 

The Neon Green is spreading throughout the tank. I count eleven new patches in this 10g.

 

Though it looks cool in contrast to the pink pocci, this is off of my nano safe list.

 

Other corals that I will not place in a small nano are GSP, Meteor Shower, any type Hydno, and chalice with extremely long stinger tenacles.

[Ky726]

Hands down my FAVORITEfull spectrum build!!! Love it!! I'm in the process of building a fixture for my 33 long, and your led color combo is most definately what I'm modeling it after :-D

Quick question- Do you have a list/picture/chart of the configuration of your leds on your heatsink? I would soooo appreciate it! If there's already one posted, and I missed it, I do apologize.

Thanks a bunch for posting/ sharing such an awesome build for others (like me) to learn from :-)

[Ky726]

Sorry-forgot to ask...where did you find the 403 Magenta led you mentioned?

Thanks again!

[kevlow]

I have not been around much the last four to five years. The ten gallon tanks are long gone. The 35 sat empty [water and a few rocks] for several years. i brought it back to life for a year as a chalice/lps low maintenance tank. Three months ago started converting it to sps and then finally, two months back began trying to make it a bacteria driven system. As it sits now.

[Nano sapiens]

Sorry to see the 10g is gone (was hoping to see a ~12 year old 'unfiltered' nano)

[kevlow]

Sorry to see the 10g is gone (was hoping to see a ~12 year old 'unfiltered' nano)

I am too. I miss having the 10g. I am thinking about doing one again but then I remember the hassle of multiple tanks. This tank was a birthday gift from my wife in 2010 or 2011.

 

I guess I should rightfully start a new thread for this shallow display tank.

[Nano sapiens]

I am too. I miss having the 10g. I am thinking about doing one again but then I remember the hassle of multiple tanks. This tank was a birthday gift from my wife in 2010 or 2011.

 

Happy wife, happy life...the spouse factor trumps all