Dustin1300
Reefaholic
I cannot wait to see this tank start really rolling and see what corals you fill it with. Great job thus far!!! Cannot wait til I can move up on tank size...
224g In Wall Finally Started March 08
- Thread starter radar99
- Start date
PaPa_Johnny
Premium Member
It's up to you but a lot of people run metal halides with out glass. Melev has had a couple of incidents, but not many. I'm going to use retro's that are just reflectors, with no glass. Thats one less area to worry about salt creep on.
Nother 2 cents that's probably worth 1/2
Nother 2 cents that's probably worth 1/2
michika
red headed step child
Just make sure you can either get access to your reflectors, or you can remove them twice a year for cleaning. I take mine off and I remove all the electrical components, then they get a shower, and are cleaned with alcohol wipes to avoid finger prints.
I couldn't remove my reflectors on my old 230g system so I had a piece of board that I would put over the top of the tank while I cleaned the reflectors by hand, and then wiped them down with alcohol wipes again. I vacuumed the salt droppings off the board afterwards and took it off the tank. I also used pieces of PVC to keep it a few inches off of the top of the tank to allow air circulation.
I couldn't remove my reflectors on my old 230g system so I had a piece of board that I would put over the top of the tank while I cleaned the reflectors by hand, and then wiped them down with alcohol wipes again. I vacuumed the salt droppings off the board afterwards and took it off the tank. I also used pieces of PVC to keep it a few inches off of the top of the tank to allow air circulation.
PaPa_Johnny
Premium Member
Marc had a naughty fish that splashed his bulbs occasionally, I'd have to really dig to find it. I don't think he has had any trouble recently but I'm speaking out of turn, I just mentioned it because I remember his thread 
. As I said earlier, I'm not going to use glass, some people do. It's just another thing to worry about cutting down light. You might get some salt creep on the reflectors, not sure. The lights were designed with glass covers, in the end it's your call of course.
Was that enough weasel words to qualify as a lawyer?? And I'm really not trying to put words in Marc's mouth, just hearsaying what I recall.
. As I said earlier, I'm not going to use glass, some people do. It's just another thing to worry about cutting down light. You might get some salt creep on the reflectors, not sure. The lights were designed with glass covers, in the end it's your call of course.Was that enough weasel words to qualify as a lawyer?? And I'm really not trying to put words in Marc's mouth, just hearsaying what I recall.
PaPa_Johnny
Premium Member
I've really got to learn to speak in complete sentences again. That comes from chat windows in a MMORPG. The statement about old habits being hard to break is so very true.
Psyire
Premium Member
Glass covers on your halides aren't necessary unless you are running double ended bulbs. The glass on a SE bulb is UV protected. If you do decide to run with glass then you'll need to install the vent kits for the lumenarc reflectors as the trapped heat will more than likely cause premature bulb failures.
I've run my lumenarc's without glass for years without a problem. Some salt does end up on them from splashing but a simple cleaning works now and then.
I've run my lumenarc's without glass for years without a problem. Some salt does end up on them from splashing but a simple cleaning works now and then.
Thanks Psyire, I'm glad you confirmed this as my set up is very similar to yours, I will follow your lead. Plus the more I got thinking about the rack, the more I thought to fix it for more weight I'd have to tear it all down and start over.
Well I got all of the rock in the tank tonight, just in time. I am leaving tomorrow night, so the rock is not aquascaped yet it is just in there. Here is a pic.
I will have to go to the taking Photo's thread on RC but here are some shots, the tank really isn't this purple or blue, I just don't know how to take proper photo's with the Rebel XT yet.
With Actinics
Just MH 3 250w 14K
Well I got all of the rock in the tank tonight, just in time. I am leaving tomorrow night, so the rock is not aquascaped yet it is just in there. Here is a pic.
I will have to go to the taking Photo's thread on RC but here are some shots, the tank really isn't this purple or blue, I just don't know how to take proper photo's with the Rebel XT yet.
With Actinics
Just MH 3 250w 14K
I can't get my Vortech's to make a wave. I have two vortech's on set to master and the other set to slave. I have them in AntiSync and on Pulse mode. I have them at full power and have tried having them pulse at different intervals and still haven't found how to make a wave. Any suggestions?
chevy69002000
In Memoriam
Looks good
Hello all, I'm back from holidays and hard at it.
While I was gone, the rock didn't do much. It was fully cured before I put it in.
I have now done the rockscaping and will post pics soon. I am just setting up the auto top off with Kalk, setting up the skimmer, and the Calcium reactor.
Once I get all the levels to where I want them I will start to add livestock little by little.
While I was gone, the rock didn't do much. It was fully cured before I put it in.
I have now done the rockscaping and will post pics soon. I am just setting up the auto top off with Kalk, setting up the skimmer, and the Calcium reactor.
Once I get all the levels to where I want them I will start to add livestock little by little.
Thanks all,
I need a little advise. The 14000K bulbs that I am using in the lumenarc III reflectors are a little too blue. They are still burning in, but still are too blue for my liking. I am not the best with the par ratings etc. What other bulb can I use that will give me great coral growth? I am using actinics for the blue already.
Go Penguins
I need a little advise. The 14000K bulbs that I am using in the lumenarc III reflectors are a little too blue. They are still burning in, but still are too blue for my liking. I am not the best with the par ratings etc. What other bulb can I use that will give me great coral growth? I am using actinics for the blue already.
Go Penguins
You might as well go with 10k bulbs.
Corals at the coral farms go with 10k lights for growth, and then get doused with hyper blue bulbs (20k) to bring back the color.
Seeing as you already have the actinic for the "blueness" I'd go with 10k bulbs and the actinic supplements. You'll get best of both worlds.
I'm actually debating about changing out my 14k bulbs out to a 10k and actinic setup myself. I'm not sure though...
btw. I have the same reflector as you do! Love the light spread on it.
Corals at the coral farms go with 10k lights for growth, and then get doused with hyper blue bulbs (20k) to bring back the color.
Seeing as you already have the actinic for the "blueness" I'd go with 10k bulbs and the actinic supplements. You'll get best of both worlds.
I'm actually debating about changing out my 14k bulbs out to a 10k and actinic setup myself. I'm not sure though...
btw. I have the same reflector as you do! Love the light spread on it.
