RollaJase Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 That pendant definitely looks the part. 1 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 That pendant definitely looks the part. Yea, no wonder they stopped making it. 1 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 KH down to 9.6 ... averaging out to .25 loss a day now. Looks like when I resume dosing I will need 25ml a day to maintain a steady 8.0 KH 2 Quote Link to comment
Sk8n Reefer Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 KH down to 9.6 ... averaging out to .25 loss a day now. Looks like when I resume dosing I will need 25ml a day to maintain a steady 8.0 KH That's extremely reasonable for that size tank. Have you considered going with a Ca. Reactor? 1 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 That's extremely reasonable for that size tank. Have you considered going with a Ca. Reactor? Nope. Way too complex for my comfort level and it introduces more downward pressure on PH which I can't afford. I don't mind paying $$ monthly for 2 part, and with saturated Kalk the cost drops considerably. Unfortunately this little experiment may cost me my new Red Planet, which is STN'ing a little more every day. Other than that, everything looks ok. 1 Quote Link to comment
Sk8n Reefer Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Ya, from what your numbers are now- the 2part isn't too crazy at all. To bad on the red planet- maybe if things remain stable it will hold out- have you considered fragging what is left 1 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Ya, from what your numbers are now- the 2part isn't too crazy at all. To bad on the red planet- maybe if things remain stable it will hold out- have you considered fragging what is left Maybe. It's a big fat awkward growout piece from Unique. Honestly it's the only thing purchased from Unique that I regret because it looks like it grew around a small rock ... it's not an attractive frag. 1 Quote Link to comment
Sk8n Reefer Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Maybe. It's a big fat awkward growout piece from Unique. Honestly it's the only thing purchased from Unique that I regret because it looks like it grew around a small rock ... it's not an attractive frag. So why did you frag the purple stylo- I showed my wife your piece and she couldn't believe it's the same coral we have! That's an impressive piece? 1 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 So why did you frag the purple stylo- I showed my wife your piece and she couldn't believe it's the same coral we have! That's an impressive piece It was shading corals below it and I needed the space for some acros. It's huge, the tank makes it look small. I really hope I can find someone local to take the biggest piece. In a couple of months it will be hard to see where i fragged it. This is the second big cutting and I can't tell where I did it last time. That's nothing compare to the big green birdsnest, which is now bigger around than my 29 gallon tank. I'm going to have to take it out to chop it down. That birdsnest is just over a year old, they grow FAST. Look. August 8th, 2013 Just a baby. 3 Quote Link to comment
Sk8n Reefer Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 It was shading corals below it and I needed the space for some acros. It's huge, the tank makes it look small. I really hope I can find someone local to take the biggest piece. In a couple of months it will be hard to see where i fragged it. This is the second big cutting and I can't tell where I did it last time. That's nothing compare to the big green birdsnest, which is now bigger around than my 29 gallon tank. I'm going to have to take it out to chop it down. That birdsnest is just over a year old, they grow FAST. Look. August 8th, 2013 Just a baby. Wow- that is some great growth- ya the small frags I accidentally broke off mine are already starting to branch. Did you grow that purple stylo from a frag? What are you feeding your tank and how often? I feel my AI nano light is "ok" not great but I am seeing really strong growth so I think my nightly feeding have to be helping 1 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Wow- that is some great growth- ya the small frags I accidentally broke off mine are already starting to branch. Did you grow that purple stylo from a frag? What are you feeding your tank and how often? I feel my AI nano light is "ok" not great but I am seeing really strong growth so I think my nightly feeding have to be helping Reef Roids every other day, Acro Power every day. Fish get assorted flake and frozen once a week. 1 Quote Link to comment
MikeTR Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 My Phoenix 14K bulbs arrived today and I put one in the cauldron. I've now seen the blue ... the blue my LED's can't replicate. This might have been mistake. Once I get a better light I will be running the 14K over the little 29. I wonder how much pain I'll have to endure to replace my LED's over the 150 with halide? I need to talk myself out of this insanity. Welcome back to the (not so) dark side. I just emailed premium aquatics which is the only place i can find that sells the SE 150w's and said, please for the love of god.. do not stop selling these. paying $$ monthly for 2 part Knock it off already! Suncoast ph plus (100% sodium carbonate) - http://store.pinchapenny.com/product/ph-increaser 5lbs of alk for 10$ 1 1/4 cup to RO/DI Suncoast Calcium Hardness increaser - http://store.pinchapenny.com/product/calcium-hardness-increaser 25lbs $22 1 1/2 cup to RO/DI CAS Number: Calcium Chloride 010043-52-4 90-97% Sodium Chloride 007647-14-5 1-2% Potassium Chloride 007447-40-7 2-3% Strontium Chloride 010476-85-4 0-1% Water 007732-18 ohh.. look at that.. it adds strontium Gosh.. you want me to add POOL CHEMICALS to my reef tank. why yesh.. yesh i doo 4 Quote Link to comment
latteslave Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Welcome back to the (not so) dark side. I just emailed premium aquatics which is the only place i can find that sells the SE 150w's and said, please for the love of god.. do not stop selling these. Knock it off already! Suncoast ph plus (100% sodium carbonate) - http://store.pinchapenny.com/product/ph-increaser 5lbs of alk for 10$ 1 1/4 cup to RO/DI Suncoast Calcium Hardness increaser - http://store.pinchapenny.com/product/calcium-hardness-increaser 25lbs $22 1 1/2 cup to RO/DI CAS Number: Calcium Chloride 010043-52-4 90-97% Sodium Chloride 007647-14-5 1-2% Potassium Chloride 007447-40-7 2-3% Strontium Chloride 010476-85-4 0-1% Water 007732-18 ohh.. look at that.. it adds strontium Gosh.. you want me to add POOL CHEMICALS to my reef tank. why yesh.. yesh i doo Intriguing. I guess I would ask in all seriousness if you are using this in your tank? Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted October 30, 2014 Author Share Posted October 30, 2014 Intriguing. I guess I would ask in all seriousness if you are using this in your tank? He is .... For a while now if I remember correctly. Quote Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Intriguing. I guess I would ask in all seriousness if you are using this in your tank? Where do you think places like BRS, etc get theirs from? Quote Link to comment
MikeTR Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 He is .... For a while now if I remember correctly. Correct.. I've since switched from baked baking soda to the pH plus and from snow melt (dowflake xtra) to the calcium increaser. Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 I finally got up enough gumption to install my black background. Not fun. Alk was 8.6 tonight, so I'm at a fairly constant 0.25 loss per day which may be going up because white growth tips have appeared everywhere. The Katropora has browned big time. The SSC is really starting to color up. The UC Milli is showing a lot more color. The Red Planet is suffering some significant tissue loss. /shrug I will start the doser tomorrow evening, targeting 25 ml daily to start and take it from there. I'm also seriously considering the 60" ATI Sunpower with 6 bulbs. It's more than enough to light the tank, especially since I'll be keeping the BML strip on the front of the tank. I'm going to try to force myself to wait a month to clear out the damage from this Alk spike and see how the coral color (acros) does. The Katropora has browned out bad, but seems to be growing faster. 4 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 My Nexus died and so I am forced onto the Mac. Wow, your tank looks amazing and so vibrant on this big screen! 1 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 My Nexus died and so I am forced onto the Mac. Wow, your tank looks amazing and so vibrant on this big screen! Thanks Dawn. Quote Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 I'm also seriously considering the 60" ATI Sunpower with 6 bulbs. Be sure to send it to Dave first, though 1 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 It's ordered, I have no patience. I'll get it Monday. I went with the 6 bulb 60" so I have room for a single LED strip light, the 8 bulb is as wide as this tank. It's interesting how, as far as bulb cost goes, the 60" bulbs are maybe $2 more than the shorter versions. I was thinking of two fixtures, one on each side, until I realized I'd be paying as much for bulbs as the fixture! I'm kicking myself for concentrating on LED light and not spread. Of course LED can grow corals, but if I can't see the colors it doesn't work for me. Too many shadows for sticks, but makes encrusting, plating, and LPS look great. That Avast marine port hole cost me some $$$. The other issue is perceived brightness. To get it bright to my eyes I am running 350+ uncorrected PAR on the SPS, which causes most of them to bleach. If I lower that to 300 PAR the entire tank looks dim. So now I see the value to the Lime LED. I wonder if a future solution for LED will be in a bulb format designed to work with reflectors, OR lower wattage and spread out like T5 rather than trying to go for a point source? The brightest LED fixture I own, to my eyes, is the lowly 1 watt AquaticLife LED fixtures with white, purple, and blue LED's. Brighter, to my eyes, than the razors at full blast. Why? Because the whites are full of green light, but to get that green light I am also stuck with a crap ton of yellow and red along with it. See the green peak in each of these ATI bulbs? See the lack of any sharp green peak in the Razor? That's the problem IMO. It has nothing to do with growing corals and everything to do with how it looks to ME. If I have the whites up high enough to satisfy my eyes I'm bring along all kinds of light in the 500 - 650 wavelength that greatly increases PAR and fries the corals. So I read the argument about how LED can't grow corals and of course it's wrong, it's light, it can grow corals just fine, but the primary purpose of this tank is for me to see the corals. So that's my self justification for the purchase. 4 Quote Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 It's ordered, I have no patience. LOL I'll get it Monday. I went with the 6 bulb 60" so I have room for a single LED strip light, the 8 bulb is as wide as this tank. It's interesting how, as far as bulb cost goes, the 60" bulbs are maybe $2 more than the shorter versions. I was thinking of two fixtures, one on each side, until I realized I'd be paying as much for bulbs as the fixture! Well, you can angle the LED strips. Going to use the BML strip that you have and get another like it? Or? So now I see the value to the Lime LED. Open mouth, insert foot I wonder if a future solution for LED will be in a bulb format designed to work with reflectors, OR lower wattage and spread out like T5 rather than trying to go for a point source? The issue is that the LED market is making leaps and bounds in efficiency and performance, but none of that is for horticulture or aquaculture, as large as horticulture really is, it's still tiny in the realm of solid state lighting. The brightest LED fixture I own, to my eyes, is the lowly 1 watt AquaticLife LED fixtures with white, purple, and blue LED's. Brighter, to my eyes, than the razors at full blast. Why? Because the whites are full of green light, but to get that green light I am also stuck with a crap tone of yellow and red along with it. Amber (yellow) and red are necessary, as well, not just green. Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 LOL Well, you can angle the LED strips. Going to use the BML strip that you have and get another like it? Or? Yea, the BML strip on the front will stay, and I have some blue LED strips I can put somewhere for evening. I'm going to miss the ramp up and down of the LED, that's for sure. The BML strip can ramp pretty good, but it's a fixed color. Looking into solutions for dimmable blue LED's. Amber (yellow) and red are necessary, as well, not just green. Of course, but not at those levels and reducing the amplitude to safe levels brings green down too far. It's all visual perception, which is all we have. If I had the time, skill, and unlimited funds I would build two large LED strips to cover the tank that contained a mixture of the violet and blues, cyan, lime, red/orange and red led's. I would have some whites in extremely small numbers just for some fill. I'd need each color on it's own channel and I would need a way to measure the spectrum so I could ensure the whites were turned down enough not to overwhelm results. It wouldn't be aa smooth as T5 but it could be a hell of a lot closer than what the commercial fixtures currently offer. IMO without ever having tried it, of course. Quote Link to comment
NorthGaHillbilly Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 I think your going to really dig that fixture, my recent switch to t5 has been great for me, and from the looks of things the coral too. I'll get that package out to you tomorrow, crazy week at work 1 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 I think your going to really dig that fixture, my recent switch to t5 has been great for me, and from the looks of things the coral too. I'll get that package out to you tomorrow, crazy week at work Thanks, really appreciate it! Quote Link to comment
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