Beware the Shallows

[RollaJase]

I've had the same experience with the kits as Mark has, my original Red Sea Pro kit was great, when I got the refills the transitions were much harder to read. Changed my Alk and Mag tests from Red Sea Pro to Salifert, found the colour transitions are easier to notice and the kits are cheaper (for me) and last longer. I'll replace the Cal test with Salifert also when my Red Sea one runs out.

[picoreef78]

? All the kits I have used have been light blue, purple pink for alk and red, purple to blue for Mag and Ca? Am I missing something?

[jedimasterben]

I'm really liking the Elos kit, the color change is very easy (like I hear about Salifert) and the tests are pretty easy, too. Looking first at the 'quick direction sheet' made no sense until I did the test, then it all made sense and led to the reading without hassle.

 

Also, it looks like a couple of my fish are infested with brooklynella - slime coat looks whitish, etc. Just the two damsels and the new clown. I could catch the new clown, as it was not swimming well, and gave it a freshwater dip to clear its gills, but the damsels will have to fend for themselves. Brook very well explains the damsel black hole. Only the strong survive!

[picoreef78]

I would say the Salifert kit has an easy color change read and easier Mg test. I did all test with daylight and a white background. I might need to look into the Elos test kit.

 

Can't argue with Salifet plus Red sea testing bottles and gripper.

[jedimasterben]

I would say the Salifert kit has an easy color change read and easier Mg test. I did all test with daylight and a white background. I might need to look into the Elos test kit.

 

Can't argue with Salifet plus Red sea testing bottles and gripper.

+1 there! The red sea hardware is better

 

I've heard from a lot of people that have used Salifert for years and then tried Elos that there is little difference between the two as far as ease of use and ease of seeing the color change.

[RollaJase]

I am using the Red Sea hardware with my Salifert kits, match made in heaven.

[jedimasterben]

So I decided on 10 arrays.

 

 

 

I was planning on using all new drivers as well (bumping current down to 300/500mA instead of 350/700mA) but that's around $65ish and I wasn't into that lol. The new arrays and another heatsink are on their way from Dave, the other violet LEDs are on their way from LEDgroupbuy, and I should have enough thermal epoxy, but if not I'll order another tube or two from Steve's, not going to bother with drilling/tapping the heatsinks, WAY too much work when it takes 10 minutes for the epoxy to set. I'll also need to order a shitload of wire lol.

 

Total LED wattage will be raised by around 44 watts (only running around 22 watts through each LED array) if ran at full power, but even with eight arrays I'm still only running them at 45% peak for approximately 80 watts peak, still hitting ~100 PAR on the sandbed without the T5 (that bump it another 75ish per pair). Betcha didn't think you could light a reef this large on 80 watts of light

 

I'll also be putting in my new boards from O2Surplus with fancy fan control. Gonna be awesome.

[RollaJase]

Looks like a pretty intense fixture Ben, can't wait to see it .

[jedimasterben]

Looks like a pretty intense fixture Ben, can't wait to see it .

Well, actually I'm going for the opposite of intense lol. I'll probably have to turn my LEDs down, I'm adding 25% more light, and I'm only currently peaking at 45%!

[Arce]

Well, actually I'm going for the opposite of intense lol. I'll probably have to turn my LEDs down, I'm adding 25% more light, and I'm only currently peaking at 45%!

Then why add them lol?

[RollaJase]

Then why add them lol?

[jedimasterben]

Then why add them lol?

It's not about power, it's about spread. More light from more places is more better.

 

LOL

[teenyreef]

I agree with Mark. Red Sea was hard to tell when it changed. Salifert is easy and consistent. Even API is decent for alk. The thing that seems weird in your case, Ben, is the inconsistent reading against the Hanna checker. My Hanna is always spot on, giving the same reading as Salifert. Is there any chance the Hanna solution is expired?

 

I looked for the calibration solution but I don't have it any more. I seem to vaguely remember getting rid of it since I had multiple test kits that all read the same anyway. Sorry, just another example of why I should NEVER THROW ANYTHING AWAY.

[jedimasterben]

I agree with Mark. Red Sea was hard to tell when it changed. Salifert is easy and consistent. Even API is decent for alk. The thing that seems weird in your case, Ben, is the inconsistent reading against the Hanna checker. My Hanna is always spot on, giving the same reading as Salifert. Is there any chance the Hanna solution is expired?

 

I looked for the calibration solution but I don't have it any more. I seem to vaguely remember getting rid of it since I had multiple test kits that all read the same anyway. Sorry, just another example of why I should NEVER THROW ANYTHING AWAY.

Actually, the Hanna checker was not inconsistent at all, it was rock solid stable every test, which IMHO should have been a red flag lol, but as Rich Ross asked a room full of people 'How many of you have tested and got a number you didn't like, tested again and got a better number? Now how many of you have tested and gotten a good number and then retested to be sure? Didn't think so'

[teenyreef]

Good point. I meant "inconsistent with Elos", but you suspect you knew that

[jedimasterben]

Good point. I meant "inconsistent with Elos", but you suspect you knew that

 

I only had a tiny bit of the reagent left, so I tossed it, can't check the expiry date, but I last bought some about this time last year and the reagent should have had a good bit of life left on it. Gonna destroy the living shitballs out of the Hanna checker though

 

Speaking of testing, just tested alk - it took 15 drops of the Elos kit to start the color change, and it was fully done with 16, so that means alk is between 7.5 and 8dKH. Huzzah!!

[Arce]

It's not about power, it's about spread. More light from more places is more better.

 

LOL

Lol while i agree with you, the T5 have the spread you need. And with 8 (i think originally?) how do you not have enough spread already lmfao. If you have a shadow in that tank id be surprised

[jedimasterben]

Lol while i agree with you, the T5 have the spread you need. And with 8 (i think originally?) how do you not have enough spread already lmfao. If you have a shadow in that tank id be surprised

LED only (the exposure is a little low on this one,but you can see the shadowing).

 

 

LED plus the rear two T5 (the front two won't light up anymore), exposure is definitely correct on this one.

 

 

EDIT: here is that first pic with better exposure.

[metrokat]

The sides are dark. But that's a 36 fixture on a 48 tank. He could hang it higher and turn up the LEDs intensity

[kimberbee]

I am using the Red Sea hardware with my Salifert kits, match made in heaven.

 

I need to remember this for when I get new test kits. Trying to determine between colors on the Red Sea kits is hard.

[Felicia]

I'll second everyone that Red Sea kits seem to get hard to read over time. I'm now using all Salifert kits with the Red Sea bottle attachment and that works the best so far.

[Arce]

Ohhh didnt realize it was a 36" light on a 48" thought you had a 48" fixture

[jedimasterben]

Ohhh didnt realize it was a 36" light on a 48" thought you had a 48" fixture

No, T5HO fixtures do not need to be the length of the tank for proper spread. Even with two 36" lamps, the tank is lit fully and there is little dropoff to the ends, but the LEDs were not spaced out like I'd planned them to be (Dave made the light how he normally does) and that is the main issue.

[jedimasterben]

A few nights ago I started seeing my rabbitfish dart up to the water's surface, make a splash, then come back down. I had no clue what it was doing, I assumed that maybe it was trying to spawn or something. It's done the same every night since.

 

Last night, I saw on my new clownfish the classic sign of brooklynella - clouded appearance to the slime coat, extreme lethargy, which made it difficult for the fish to swim and it just kinda floated along. I caught it with relative ease and did a freshwater dip to clear its gills of the parasites. When I had it in the beaker, I noticed the gills were full and could hardly see into them, the parasites were THAT thick. It was still just kinda floating along after the dip, and still is - but it is also still alive.

 

I was bouncing thoughts off of kat and tibbsy earlier when I looked over and noticed that my betta was spazzing out and it made me think really hard about what to do now.

 

So, I'm mixing up some water to put into the tank and use some tank water to fill up a 29g tank to quarantine the fish I have now with chloroquine phosphate. The tank will be fallow until nearly the baby arrives (if she arrives on time), 72 days minimum. It's going to be fun catching all the fish, but I only have six to catch, technically seven counting the chalk bass that is basically dead. The rabbitfish, betta, angel, both clowns, and the watchman goby are the others. Everything else I either pulled out just now or are gone. Hooray.

[tibbsy07]

Good luck with it all man - I hope it clears and soon