evan127 Posted May 16, 2015 Author Share Posted May 16, 2015 A few updates I made my own fish food today Using all fresh ingredients. The fish believe I am feeding them drugs now. The Radion is at 85% intensity now. 6 hours of 12k, the other 6 hours are all blues in the morning during a slow ramp up for 1.5 hours, Coral Radiance in the evenings for 1.5 hours at 85% intensity. I am shooting for some new parameters too, just try something different. My buddy and I were talking about our parameters and I thought I would try mimicking his. His system is an inspiration. dKH - 8 Ca - 420 Mg - 1350 Link to comment
evan127 Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 Who knew that cleaning your skimmer would make it work better? Link to comment
evan127 Posted May 21, 2015 Author Share Posted May 21, 2015 I know that somewhere here recently I stated that I wouldn't mess with my Radion program. I am starting to really see colors fade. No, not bleaching, just fading. I am going to drop down from 12k to 14k, but raise the intensity from 85% to 100% so I don't have a huge drop in PAR. Does anyone see issues with this? Link to comment
Addinali Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 I just read through your thread awesome tank! Link to comment
evan127 Posted May 21, 2015 Author Share Posted May 21, 2015 Hey thanks! I really appreciate that! I see you're in Knoxville. I grew up in east TN. I love Knoxville. Link to comment
evan127 Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 I added 1/4 cup of lignite carbon in a BRS felt bag. Its in my return chamber in my sump. Also, I am thinking of placing an order on Reef Cleaners to replenish my dwindling stock. Link to comment
markalot Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Looking really good Evan, but we need more pictures! Link to comment
evan127 Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 Thanks man! I will get some pictures posted tomorrow. I actually cleaned up the edges of my aquarium today with a razor blade. It was very overdue. I can see more clearly now Link to comment
evan127 Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 Any specific shots people want to see? I think I am going to do a bit of video today. Though, I am terrible at video. I don't have a macro lens in my collection, but I will do my best. I did manage to do a walk through video of my system and equipment, but it ended up being 25 minutes long. Whoops. I am going to redo that today too and post it for everyone. Link to comment
evan127 Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 Photo Update time So, first up is the new addition to the system. DSC_8840 by Evan Cronshaw, on Flickr Next up is just some random shots with my wide angle lens DSC_8887 by Evan Cronshaw, on Flickr DSC_8895 by Evan Cronshaw, on Flickr DSC_8896 by Evan Cronshaw, on Flickr DSC_8858 by Evan Cronshaw, on Flickr DSC_8891 by Evan Cronshaw, on Flickr And my montipora that you can't see the color of unless the pumps are off and you look down from above the aquarium DSC_8869 by Evan Cronshaw, on Flickr Oh, and my favorite shot from today DSC_8847 by Evan Cronshaw, on Flickr Link to comment
evan127 Posted May 23, 2015 Author Share Posted May 23, 2015 Going on a trip next week, so this guy got a Dropcam to keep an eye out on things Link to comment
evan127 Posted May 24, 2015 Author Share Posted May 24, 2015 Quick update! The scarlet cleaner has roamed around most of my rock work now (I think) since I added her to the system. I think she has possibly found a good spot to call home. The Dropcam is amazing! I feel totally ok about leaving for a week and having a friend that isn't a reefer come check in half way through my absence. I am either wishfully thinking (or crazy) but the 1/4 cup of lignite carbon I added has made my water so much clearer. I much prefer the 14K spectrum over the 12K, at least I do this minute I am hoping to get some color back. I am tired of trying to grow these smaller frags faster and sacrifice color. They aren't growing to my (unrealistic) expectation. So, instead of being slightly disappointed, I would rather see some better color and not primarily focus on growth. Link to comment
evan127 Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 I realized this morning that this system just hit the 1 year mark! Link to comment
Markburns43 Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Congrates on the one year, the tank is beautiful glad things are in order. Link to comment
evan127 Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 Thanks Mark! I really appreciate that! It means a lot. Link to comment
evan127 Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 So a few updates I just came back from home from vacation for 10 days. It is absolutely amazing to see the change things undergo in just a short amount of time. We see it everyday so its hard to really appreciate those changes. My corals are coloring up nicely. I love the 14k. It will be tough to get some good true shots (friggin white balance) but I am going to try to get it as close as I can. My chaeto didn't seem to grow at all while I was away, which is odd. My mangrove in my refugium has put down even more roots! The mangrove in the pot outside (really hot weather set in while I was away) and it sprouted, if that is the right term, new leaves. Very excited. I was half expecting to come back to see a stick in a pot. Link to comment
markalot Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Good to hear everything is ok post vacation! Link to comment
evan127 Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 My alkalinity and calcium was a bit low, so I will raise it slowly over 48 hours to get it back in check Link to comment
Sk8n Reefer Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 I hear ya on the changes you notice - even a few days so much going on. Tanks looking good- I like your angles on the side shots Link to comment
evan127 Posted June 6, 2015 Author Share Posted June 6, 2015 Right? Its really shocking to see how much changes in just a short amount of time. Thanks for the kind words Sk8n! Link to comment
evan127 Posted June 18, 2015 Author Share Posted June 18, 2015 So, I am back from a few trips. The system is stable and chugging along. I felt at ease knowing that I could check in on it anywhere at anytime with the Dropcam. Such a good investment. A few updates I turned the Radion to 16k for awhile. I want to see if I can get a bit more color out of my SPS. By reducing the spectrum I lost some PAR, so I lowered the Radion fixture from 10 inches above the water line to 8 inches. Using an online tool, the PAR is comparable. So I am happy. SPS is doing great. Great PE and the colors are improving. However, the hammer isn't "blooming" as big as it has been. If I were to make a guess as to what the cause is, I am going to say it is from a lack of feeding. I didn't had the tank sitters broadcast feed with Reef Chili because I knew they would over feed pellets The refugium light is on 14 hours a day now. Trying to see if the mangrove will put out some more leaves faster. The skimmer is a beast. Evan, when you go back and read this post in a few weeks, keep the skimmer dialed in at 3.5. Link to comment
evan127 Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Ok, new update after some thought on the matter The Radion is still at 8 inches above the water line, but I am still trying to find that perfect (unachievable) balance of growth and color. I am using a combination of 12k, 14k, 20k and all blues. Mornings is a a slow ramp up to 14k. For an hour and a half peak I have a 12k peak. Back down to 14k. And its finished with 2 hours of 20k. My nitrates are undetectable, and Evan doesn't like that. I need some dirty in there. Side note (bragging) I haven't done a water change in months. Feeding Reef Chili every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night. Just one cap to start. Tuesday and Thursdays is 10ml of Aquavitro Fuel. Saturdays and Sundays is for enjoying the tank and beer drinking. Still shooting for these parameters too dKH - 8 / 8.4 Ca - 420 Mg - 1350 Link to comment
Markburns43 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I really like how you document, I have a question, I have a Gen 2 pro xr30, I have my lights turn on at 830 ramp up for a couple hours then it goes from 1130 to 730 the ramps down, I changed a couple points goes 20k to start to 14k then through to 330 12k then from there back to 14k but if I check in between my points it doesn't change from. My original 12k I was running from 1130 to 730 just at those points it changed does that not matter as long as from point to point it changes? Link to comment
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