120g wallet drainer

Scott,
great build! how do you like the lighting combination you chose?

I currently have a 175Mh 10K with twin 65w pc actininics, but i need to replace the 175 bulb. I was considering going with 14K or 20K. If you had to do it over again would you pick the same spectrum? I am looking to enhance the colors of my corals over crazy growth rate.

My 120 i had, prior to moving, had an overflow similar to yours. It was built that way when i bought it. It worked great.

Thanks in advance

Adam
 
Thanks, I'll try to take some decent pics tomorrow.

I'm happy with my lights, but it's def a little yellower than some others ive seen. The actinics help a lot. It will be time to replace my bulbs in a few months and i'll probably stick with the xm 10ks. these are the only MH bulbs i've ever used tho, so i dont have much to compare it to.
 
I am sold on the Phoenix bulbs. Not too blue, but not at all yellow.

I missed whether you were running SE or DE bulbs. I believe that the Phoenix only comes in DE.

Looking forward to the pics.
 
i have a 150w sunpod, came with the current 14k's obviously. you're that impressed with the phoenix huh? i've heard nothing but good things about them so far, don't know how much pictures would help, but you have any?

(sorry scott)
 
Ok so I took some pics, and set the white balance first and the color looks better. Unfortunatly the biggest difference i see in these pics from the last ones i took is the abundance of algae. but the algae is getting better, so in a few weeks i'll take more hopefully with no algae. Here a full tank shot.

IMG_1356.jpg


I could use an ID of the green leafy thing in the front, and the brown flowery thing in the back. I think i'm going to rip out the brown stuff because it's starting to surround my blue acro.

IMG_1357.jpg


Heres a nice pic of some hair algae

IMG_1358.jpg


I hadn't been getting any growth out of my corals, but i'm pretty sure it was my calcium levels. I got it up and everything is starting to grow much better and i'm getting better colors. I'm going to add some tong branch, as soon as i get that in i'm going to start adding more coral. And with the new vortech and the wavebox i have more flow than i could ever need.
 
I bought a sea hare a few weeks ago. He goes nuts on the sand bed wont wont go near the hair algae. I tried moving him to it a few times and he munches for a minute of 2 then leaves. I've been having luck pulling it out by hand and doing 25 gallon water changes at least once a week. You shouldve seen it 2 weeks ago, it was out of control. I'm going to try a foxface too think, i want one anyway.
 
Anyone think it's a bad idea to scrape all that red algae off the glass? its going away slowly on it's own but i'm impatient. Can you see any ill effects from just scraping it off, should i maybe try to siphon it out while i do it?
 
i would try to syphon as you do it. you're getting better with the pics too. how bout a better pic of that skinny blue throat ;) ?
 
ha ha ha....look, when you take things home from the petstore they depreciate in size as well as value. It's just the way it is.
 
Scott,

when I first got into this hobby, I seemed to have more of a Hair Algae garden than a reef. I got in on a group buy and bought about 60 Mexican turbo snails and crammed them all into my 30 gallon display tank. Needless to say, the HA was gone in a few weeks.

Water changes will definetly help with your efforts to get rid of it.

Your corals dont seem to mind! They are looking nice!

Thanks for the FTS
 
Scott
i would be inclined to say you have a nutrient issue. You can buy all the critters you want to eat the stuff but it will just come back. And the eaters gotta poop. there for, the nutrients are still there. I definately think you need to remove as much algae as possible. The key word there being "remove" It has to leave your system like was said above, syphon as much as you can out. You said it seems to be receeding, What have you done to cause this, I,e. changed R.O filters, DI cartriges etc. From my experience hair algae will look like crap (brown and not healthy) if you have found and removed the source of the nutrients. and if it is dwindling this is a good time for mowers (snails)


You have some nice looking corals there. Its hard to find SPS down here in LA,,,,,,,that would be Lower Alabama (Northwest Florida) but i have found a couple of good shops but still quite a drive.

Ps, is that MARCO rock you have in there?

thanks again for the bulb info!!

Adam
 
I have been doing a lot of water changes, seems to be helping. honestly i cant figure out what could possibly be a nutrient source. My RO is good, I have zero nitrates, and i run rowaphos.

Yeah i don't think any of my corals have come from LFS. Local club members are the best way to go.

Yeah i have about 50lbs of marco and 40lbs of Walt Smith pukani live rock. I can't tell which is which anymore.
 
My tank is spotless duo to two rock borring urchins (the common short spine black ones). Long spine urchins also devour this stuff like a pitbull off the chain. Problem is the long spine urchin needs to be given to a friend as soon as your algae is out or it will move onto soft corals (as long as there is algea, there are no worries)

I have a only a handfull of snails and hermits in my 135 and two of those urchins and the tank has zero algae. I do water changes (tap water) every 6 weeks (about 50 gallons) and its all good. Tank has been running for over 3 years.
 
Scott
are you running a refugium w/ macro algae by chance. If you are how does the macro look. The reason i ask is when i set my tank up back durring the Thanksgiving break i set up my fuge at the same time (Macro algae rubble rock,,, you know the drill). With no skimmer. I didnt skim for the first two months i never had any hair algae grow in my main tank. But the macro was growing like crazy. Once i started skimming the macro began to die out. Currently it looks pitiful. I'm cool with this because if it begins to floorish again i will know that i'm accumulating nutrients. If you dont have a fuge,,,, you may want to consider setting one up. I know the oppinions on this vary from each end of the spectrum. I have always had good luck using one.

Marco rock is awesome!! I would use his stuff anyday. the quality of the rock i recieved was as good as the walt smith rock i bought.

You did a nice job on your light rack! I spent 18 years doing aircraft sheet metal work,,,,,,,you did well :)


Adam
 
I am running a fuge with macro. I experienced the same thig, when i first set it up my chaeto grew like crazy. Now it grows very slowly.

Thanks, It's no aircraft but i'm proud of it.
 
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