jedimaster1138 Posted August 8, 2013 Author Share Posted August 8, 2013 No no no. That is my set up NOW. I grew everything under stock lights, marketed as T5s but are really PCs with a fancy 4 pin socket. Yes you heard me I grew the nasuta under PCs. Bite me. This one. (which ironically in this picture DOES look like shades of fall. Harrys Frags has purple plasma. I want a couple of things from him, maybe we can place an order together? Ping me. Ping coming. Link to comment
ZephNYC Posted August 15, 2013 Share Posted August 15, 2013 Hey Studly, I got your frags !!! I will post some pics ater the gm. I want to nap that Purple one....i think its a stag. its HOT! Link to comment
jedimaster1138 Posted August 15, 2013 Author Share Posted August 15, 2013 Hey Studly, I got your frags !!! I will post some pics ater the gm. I want to nap that Purple one....i think its a stag. its HOT! Nice! When can I stop over? We can negotiate napping! :-P I hold your halide hostage! Link to comment
jedimaster1138 Posted August 21, 2013 Author Share Posted August 21, 2013 Trying to wrap my arms around this http://onlytono.com/something-fishy/par-measurements-maxspect-razor/ Similar dimensions to my reef. He doesn't appear to keep acropora, but it's the par # that i'm trying to groc. I'm not sure i buy them completely though. Link to comment
ZephNYC Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 So here are the frags I napped from Joe. Ive had them hostage for almost a week now and am running out of excuses to not drop them off yet. Trying to wrap my arms around this http://onlytono.com/something-fishy/par-measurements-maxspect-razor/ Similar dimensions to my reef. He doesn't appear to keep acropora, but it's the par # that i'm trying to groc. I'm not sure i buy them completely though. THATS F'ING AWESOME! Link to comment
jedimaster1138 Posted August 21, 2013 Author Share Posted August 21, 2013 So here are the frags I napped from Joe. Ive had them hostage for almost a week now and am running out of excuses to not drop them off yet. THATS F'ING AWESOME! OOooo. They look good! Especially the blue tort. Sweet. I'm home tonight if you want to stop by. Or I can come to you, you tell me buddy. Oh I didn't tell you (or anyone else really, been too tired to post) The other night I ripped my refugium out. It was becoming a garbage dump. The chaeto had stopped growing and was covered in hair algae and general detritus. The bottom of the fuge...good lord. Nothing but brown poop everywhere and bristle worms. I siphoned the whole thing out and turned off the flow into that chamber. I'll re launch it as a frag tank at a later date. For now the frags are in the nano in the kitchen, mostly happy, though the zoas aren't opening. Probably too much light from my DIY fixture. I have to move them to the corners. I'm also running felt socks now, even though I hate running socks. Blah Tonight I also get a new return pump that has more power so I can run my chiller inline with it, unlike now where I'm burning an extra 50w and sump space on a second pump to feed the chiller. This weekend is the plumbing project I guess. Also more flow speed through the sump, which I want as well. I think I erred on going too slow through the sump, though I don't believe in too fast either. There's something going on, chemistry wise in the tank and it's ticking me off. PO4 is sitting at .14 despite 1 lb of PhosBlast in a reactor for less than a week and NO3 is at 4ppm or greater. I did a decent sized water change the other day ~ 20% (basically completely cleared out chamber 1 of the sump when I installed the new skimmer). Mutter. I might also siphon out the bottom of the overflows if I can get something sucky in there...there's some crud collecting at the bottom of the overflow chamber, probably rotting and turning into a nitrogen factory. I need to wait for another batch of water to age though. Acropora's still look...blah except for a few. I'm blaming chemistry for now. I need to get this squared away. Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I'm not sure i buy them completely though. I don't buy them at all, unless the percentage they're running is far lower than they are saying. There is no way that an 8 LED cluster at nearly full power would have so little PAR, especially since they have lenses on them. Shens. Link to comment
jedimaster1138 Posted August 21, 2013 Author Share Posted August 21, 2013 I don't buy them at all, unless the percentage they're running is far lower than they are saying. There is no way that an 8 LED cluster at nearly full power would have so little PAR, especially since they have lenses on them. Shens. F1, L1, and R1 make no sense to me AT ALL R1 especially should be reading.... 550 or so judging by his "open water" #'s on the left side of the image. It's right smack under the cluster 11" or so away. Maybe he had his sensor turned oddly? Not completely pointed at the clusters? Or under a rocky outcropping. Even though, R1 looks like it's just a peak... 180 PAR at A: 75 B:90? HUH That doesn't compute. Link to comment
metrokat Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 TL/DR go get your frags from Zeph already! Link to comment
jedimaster1138 Posted August 22, 2013 Author Share Posted August 22, 2013 TL/DR go get your frags from Zeph already! LOL we keep having scheduling issues. Tomorrow is completely out as the wife is coming home. Sometime this weekend I hope...before they get addicted to his yellow lights or Bertha eats them! Link to comment
jedimaster1138 Posted September 6, 2013 Author Share Posted September 6, 2013 Buried the Red Dragon acropora last night. Pink Lemonade and Shades of Fall have cruddy PE don't think they are long for the world. Chemistry is right on. Skimmer is literally the best one on the market. I think I'm over my lights and ready to change. So options... T5 T5 + LED MH MH + LED MH + T5 60" x 18" x 26" tall is the tank...if I went T5... 60" or 48"... Link to comment
metrokat Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 If we meet before the lemonade and ATL kick the bucket, want to give them to me to see if my T5s will keep them alive? They're yours to take back whenever. Link to comment
ZephNYC Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Buried the Red Dragon acropora last night. Pink Lemonade and Shades of Fall have cruddy PE don't think they are long for the world. Chemistry is right on. Skimmer is literally the best one on the market. I think I'm over my lights and ready to change. So options... T5 T5 + LED MH MH + LED MH + T5 60" x 18" x 26" tall is the tank...if I went T5... 60" or 48"... SOmething is off in your system, and its not the basic parameters. THose eagle eys zoas, or watermellons, or whatever else names they have shrunk to nothing, and you lost the clam. Maybe new tank syndrom, im not sure, but let it ride for a while and dont add any new live stock. I wouldnt anway. Oh yea, I think your Pearlberry is improving !!!! It actually looks like a pearlberry now. Link to comment
metrokat Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Oh yea, I think your Pearlberry is improving !!!! It actually looks like a pearlberry now. What! Pictures! Link to comment
jedimaster1138 Posted September 6, 2013 Author Share Posted September 6, 2013 If we meet before the lemonade and ATL kick the bucket, want to give them to me to see if my T5s will keep them alive? They're yours to take back whenever. Not a bad idea. I'll assess the situation when we pick a day. Thanks for the offer. You're smart. SOmething is off in your system, and its not the basic parameters. THose eagle eys zoas, or watermellons, or whatever else names they have shrunk to nothing, and you lost the clam. Maybe new tank syndrom, im not sure, but let it ride for a while and dont add any new live stock. I wouldnt anway. Oh yea, I think your Pearlberry is improving !!!! It actually looks like a pearlberry now. Could be, I dunno. 7 months is pushing the limit on new tank syndrome I think. I think I lost the clam(s) due to a lack of intensity of light. Remember that's when I didn't have my lights up very high. Now they are at 83% white, 99% blue at their daily peak. It can't be that I'm giving them TOO much light is it...perhaps that's why those zoas melted but I have 8 other kinds of z's and p's and they are all multiplying, the best of which are the Spidermans, and they are halfway up on rock getting blasted with light. PO4 = .05 (hanna...everything else is Red Sea) NO3 = 4 ppm Alk = near 8 dKH Ca = 440 Mag = 1400 Strontium was 0 when I tested last week. Been lightly dosing Seachem liquid every day...the instructions call for 6 cap fulls twice a week, instead I'm dosing 1 per day which is still way under the quota but I don't want to shock things. That's only been going on a week anyway. I guess I might increase the dosage after the next time I test. Shrug. I think my salt mix would keep up with that to some extent anyway. I'm running GAC again, in a separate reactor. pH was very off remember, for a while. Bounced between 7.70 and 7.90 until I introduced the CO2 scrubber a month ago. Now the daily swing is 7.9 to 8.1 For those who say that pH doesn't matter - it actually does. During the period of low pH, several Anthias died. So yeah. Low is one thing....7.70 is another. New return pump is in line and feeding the chiller...lots and lots of flow through the sump now. More turn over, less dead spots for trash to settle. Here's my biggest complaint - I get new SPS, either from good, reputable vendors, or friends like Kat with huge colonies that look GORGEOUS. Kat - your nasuta is much more washed out than when I got it and the PE is probably 1/3rd as E-ed. I have it at around 1/3rd up my tank. Slimer looks OK. But this seems to be the pattern. The more I think about it, the more I remember that every SPS looks better in the shipping bag and the first day in my tank then it does a week or months later. What else can it be than lighting? It's not flow, 2x mp40's. Not a predatory fish or pests that I can see, plus I have the hunted killer wrasse and I religiously dip everything. I've read 1000 threads of LED people complaining about rotten colors and no growth nor PE especially from SPS that are anything but green. Reds and pinks and to a lesser degree purple are apparently the worst under LED's and I'm seeing that first hand. Pink Lemon, SOF, Red Dragon(dead), Tierra del Fuego, Strawberry Shortcake (dead) Tyree Tri Color Valida is gorgeous. He's blue and green and a little purple and rapidly encrusting onto the rock. The new Purple Plasma...looks OK. Lots of PE. Blue Tort...fine. JF Barney...awful. My montiporas (including the orange setosa) and stylos and birds all grow and look great, regardless of color...Acropora - no. Also those birds and such are high up...if I was giving them TOO much light, they'd probably bleach out faster than an acropora would, wouldn't they? Yet they aren't, they are growing and have awesome PE and color. So... what is it about my system and acropora? What! Pictures! Indeed! And of your SPS reef with the supplements on! Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 I've read 1000 threads of LED people complaining about rotten colors and no growth nor PE especially from SPS that are anything but green. Reds and pinks and to a lesser degree purple are apparently the worst under LED's and I'm seeing that first hand. Pink Lemon, SOF, Red Dragon(dead), Tierra del Fuego, Strawberry Shortcake (dead) FYI http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/137-tank-of-the-month Also, http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/285963-rio-grande-twins/ Link to comment
metrokat Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 It is a pain I know but if you have before and after photos, of Anything that you are not happy with, I'd like to see it. Link to comment
jedimaster1138 Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 OK so... 2 options: 1) Hamilton Cebu Sun combo fixture - made in the USA. Would order direct, free shipping. 5 footer - fits my hanging brackets as is. - 2x 250w MH - I'd go single end mogul...likely 10k, maybe 14k. Leaning towards select-able electronic ballasts per my conversations with Hamilton. - 4x 80w T5 - bulb choice TBA but certainly heavily blue/actinic of course to compliment the MH's - Blue no name LED moonlights Halides are each on separate ballasts, T5's are on 2 ballasts, LED's on their own. So...5 cords total. Makes the ramp up and down easy...I have a lot of Apex plug positions available. Maximum power with everything running - MH (500) + T5 (320) = 820w The good news is that I have 2 circuits I can spread it out on, a 15A and a 20A. The bad news is one of those (the 15A) runs the microwave. (idiots who wired my apartment) Pros - Nice ramp up with the separate items/cords. Halides are proven to grow SPS better than anything on earth. Period. End. Shimmer from MH is purdy MH bulb options abound T5's provide color tweaking options and bulb options abound Hamilton halide ballasts are battleships Hamilton fixtures are also known to be battleships Cons - Most power usage - though I wouldn't run the MH's full time with the T5's. Probably only 4-6 hours a day. Heat heat heat heat from the MH Hamilton T5 ballasts are not ATI T5 ballasts (aka the best). Fixture is taller and slightly less pretty to the eye. Kinda industrial ish looking. Possible MH bulb glare from the couch Have I mentioned heat? 2) ATI Sunpower T5 - uber German construction 4 or 5 foot unit 6 or 8 bulbs - probably 8. 2 power cords, one controls 1 pair of tubes, the second cord, the rest. No moonlighting...would have to be retro-ed/DIY. I have a blue Ecoxotic Stunner Strip laying around and PSU's for it and even a dimmer. Could also DIY something if I want to ramp or even add a strip of DIY for shimmer. I'm not however willing to rip out a T5 tube or two and put in a couple strips of LED's as I've seen a few people do. Nice builds, I just don't have the time or ambition right now. I also don't want to rip up a brand new fixture. Maybe if I could buy something used. Total power consumption depends on the actual unit (add in x for moonlights) 48" 6 bulb (54w) = 324w 48" 8 bulb (54w) = 432w 60" 6 bulb (80w) = 480w 60" 8 bulb (80w) = 640w Probably would go for the 8 bulb...the length is another story. 5 foot would make hanging easier. Pros - Also proven, SPS growing and coloring tech Light is more spread out over the entire tank, less of a "point source" than MH. Coral placement easy growth more "spread out". Lots of bulb options for tweaking color and light output Smaller fixture, vertically, looks nicer. ATI = the best, period, in T5 tech. Best ballasts, best everything. The Ferrari of the T5 world. No heat issues, power draw is lower than MH, chiller not likely needed to kick on as often. Cons - Not quite as good an SPS grower as MH No shimmer from T5 No moonlights, would have to DIY / retro (might be able to with current items though) Chime in people. I need opinions. Note I haven't include prices because I think they are pretty close. The T5 would be cheaper if I went with the smaller fixture, which I don't think I'd do so whatever. The obvious $ issue comes in power both for the lights themselves and the chilling. And the yearly ish bulb costs. Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Not quite as good an SPS grower as MH All photosynthetic animals and plants grow best under distributed lighting of lower intensity than under point-source lighting of a higher intensity. Link to comment
Veng Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 OK so... 2 options: 1) Hamilton Cebu Sun combo fixture - made in the USA. Would order direct, free shipping. 5 footer - fits my hanging brackets as is. - 2x 250w MH - I'd go single end mogul...likely 10k, maybe 14k. Leaning towards select-able electronic ballasts per my conversations with Hamilton. - 4x 80w T5 - bulb choice TBA but certainly heavily blue/actinic of course to compliment the MH's - Blue no name LED moonlights Halides are each on separate ballasts, T5's are on 2 ballasts, LED's on their own. So...5 cords total. Makes the ramp up and down easy...I have a lot of Apex plug positions available. Maximum power with everything running - MH (500) + T5 (320) = 820w The good news is that I have 2 circuits I can spread it out on, a 15A and a 20A. The bad news is one of those (the 15A) runs the microwave. (idiots who wired my apartment) Pros - Nice ramp up with the separate items/cords. Halides are proven to grow SPS better than anything on earth. Period. End. Shimmer from MH is purdy MH bulb options abound T5's provide color tweaking options and bulb options abound Hamilton halide ballasts are battleships Hamilton fixtures are also known to be battleships Cons - Most power usage - though I wouldn't run the MH's full time with the T5's. Probably only 4-6 hours a day. Heat heat heat heat from the MH Hamilton T5 ballasts are not ATI T5 ballasts (aka the best). Fixture is taller and slightly less pretty to the eye. Kinda industrial ish looking. Possible MH bulb glare from the couch Have I mentioned heat? 2) ATI Sunpower T5 - uber German construction 4 or 5 foot unit 6 or 8 bulbs - probably 8. 2 power cords, one controls 1 pair of tubes, the second cord, the rest. No moonlighting...would have to be retro-ed/DIY. I have a blue Ecoxotic Stunner Strip laying around and PSU's for it and even a dimmer. Could also DIY something if I want to ramp or even add a strip of DIY for shimmer. I'm not however willing to rip out a T5 tube or two and put in a couple strips of LED's as I've seen a few people do. Nice builds, I just don't have the time or ambition right now. I also don't want to rip up a brand new fixture. Maybe if I could buy something used. Total power consumption depends on the actual unit (add in x for moonlights) 48" 6 bulb (54w) = 324w 48" 8 bulb (54w) = 432w 60" 6 bulb (80w) = 480w 60" 8 bulb (80w) = 640w Probably would go for the 8 bulb...the length is another story. 5 foot would make hanging easier. Pros - Also proven, SPS growing and coloring tech Light is more spread out over the entire tank, less of a "point source" than MH. Coral placement easy growth more "spread out". Lots of bulb options for tweaking color and light output Smaller fixture, vertically, looks nicer. ATI = the best, period, in T5 tech. Best ballasts, best everything. The Ferrari of the T5 world. No heat issues, power draw is lower than MH, chiller not likely needed to kick on as often. Cons - Not quite as good an SPS grower as MH No shimmer from T5 No moonlights, would have to DIY / retro (might be able to with current items though) Chime in people. I need opinions. Note I haven't include prices because I think they are pretty close. The T5 would be cheaper if I went with the smaller fixture, which I don't think I'd do so whatever. The obvious $ issue comes in power both for the lights themselves and the chilling. And the yearly ish bulb costs. I think this is what you are looking for: http://reefbuilders.com/2012/11/08/ati-led-powermodule/ Link to comment
jedimaster1138 Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 All photosynthetic animals and plants grow best under distributed lighting of lower intensity than under point-source lighting of a higher intensity. I'm simply saying that the best, successful, SPS tanks out there that are lit with halides or halide/t5/vho combos. I think this is what you are looking for: http://reefbuilders.com/2012/11/08/ati-led-powermodule/ Yeah, I like that, but it's 2x the price of the above. With bulbs...probably 2000$+++ clams. Even my crazy protein skimmer didn't cost that much Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I'm simply saying that the best, successful, SPS tanks out there that are lit with halides or halide/t5/vho combos. Depends on what you mean by best and successful. Best coloration? Best growth? Vertical/tabling? Fruit stand? Open space? You'll see tanks matching all those categories lit with both. Link to comment
jedimaster1138 Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 ATI Sunpower, 8x80w T5, in the cart...just need to pick bulbs... Link to comment
jedimaster1138 Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 I'm attempting to figure out the difference between the Aquablue Special and the Coral Plus. I think the Coral Plus is more for smaller quantity of bulb situations. Kitty Kat - what's your build selection again? EDIT - the Coral Plus might actually be a good bulb in big arrays. HMMMMMM More research in progress... Link to comment
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