225 gal walk-around starphire from Miracles
- Thread starter summer6
- Start date
paulthomas
Premium Member
Hey Lisa,
What bulbs are you using in your Giesemann?
I was thinking...
Did you consider building a decorative structure to hang your Giesemann from that would also hide the power cords? Paul, reefkeeper2, built a really nice one himself that hides everything. Just a thought...
Thanks,
Paul
What bulbs are you using in your Giesemann?
I was thinking...
Did you consider building a decorative structure to hang your Giesemann from that would also hide the power cords? Paul, reefkeeper2, built a really nice one himself that hides everything. Just a thought... Thanks,
Paul
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Very nice tank! I have several suggestions in making the cord less of an eyesore. One option you can consider is replacing(or paint) the black housing of the cords to white so it is not as noticeable. Another option is to replace the existing housing with a straight white pipe hiding the wires for a cleaner look. Looking for an elegant looking part will be the challenge though. I will start at the lighting stores. Other than that.....this is one of the best tanks I've ever seen! Great job!
Jimmy
Jimmy
I'm using Giesemann bulbs that came with the fixture: marine 12.5K and actinic+.<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14688783#post14688783 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by paulthomas
Hey Lisa,
What bulbs are you using in your Giesemann?
I was thinking...
Thanks,
Paul
I'm very pleased with the natural look the tank has with the above lights. I'm new to MH/T5 bulbs, so I will con't to read over RC posts - which is a daunting task!
As far as a "decorative structure" goes....I was all over the place when I was initially trying to figure-out what to do with my unique situation.
Initially, I had BOUGHT 4 lrg lumenbrights se and intended to build some type of "floating canopy" over the tank. It was going to cantiliever off of the beam/wall above the tank. All this to "hide" the 4 ballasts, and large, somewhat ugly pendants.
Then, I was going to have some sort of decorative shelf (open and airy) to hide the ballasts and wiring. This discussion went on for weeks and weeks...
But, what I didn't want was the lights to take away from the tank - they couldn't overpower, and look top heavy, or it just wouldn't go with the house. Plus, why have something too large on top, with a rimless tank?
I did use reefkeeper's lights as my starting point, it just wasn't going to work with my room. His tank room is absolutely gorgeous, (and quite unique) something I coudn't come close to.
So, long story short, I like the Giesemann fixtures, they are sleek and imo are up to the task. I realize that they are not the absolute "best" for MH/T5 lighting, but I'm very pleased with it for my set-up.
Really, when you're in the room, the power cord isn't the first thing you're looking at.
When I get the chance I'm going to look for/ or spray paint another loom - white and see if it will get "lost" a bit more, and if not, I'm happy enough with the way it is.
Thanks so much for your suggestions
it's appreciated.Thanks for the above suggestions
. I definitely will paint/look for a white housing for the 3 cords. It will blend much better with all of the white walls and vent, but might not look so good at the connection where the wires come out of the Spectra.As soon as I get this accomplished I'll post pics.
Take a look at this picture. The problem I'll have with a straight white pipe is this: I need a certain amount of slack to be able to raise/lower the fixture for maintenance, and lowering the lights the desired length above the corals.
The wires come out of the middle of the fixture, and just sort of "float" upwards. My wall is about 6" to 8"away, so I would need a 90degree angle to meet the wall, then another 90 degree pipe/angle to get up into the vent. At this point I can't honestly see this as a better alternative.
Plus, I have to get the wires through the false wall outlet, as this is the way to get up into the vented cubby. We decided it was much more aesthetically pleasing to have that, than to cut a hole into a vent.
Feedback appreciated.
paulthomas
Premium Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14695093#post14695093 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by summer6
I'm using Giesemann bulbs that came with the fixture: marine 12.5K and actinic+.
I'm very pleased with the natural look the tank has with the above lights. I'm new to MH/T5 bulbs, so I will con't to read over RC posts - which is a daunting task!
As far as a "decorative structure" goes....I was all over the place when I was initially trying to figure-out what to do with my unique situation.
Initially, I had BOUGHT 4 lrg lumenbrights se and intended to build some type of "floating canopy" over the tank. It was going to cantiliever off of the beam/wall above the tank. All this to "hide" the 4 ballasts, and large, somewhat ugly pendants.
Then, I was going to have some sort of decorative shelf (open and airy) to hide the ballasts and wiring. This discussion went on for weeks and weeks...
But, what I didn't want was the lights to take away from the tank - they couldn't overpower, and look top heavy, or it just wouldn't go with the house. Plus, why have something too large on top, with a rimless tank?
I did use reefkeeper's lights as my starting point, it just wasn't going to work with my room. His tank room is absolutely gorgeous, (and quite unique) something I coudn't come close to.
So, long story short, I like the Giesemann fixtures, they are sleek and imo are up to the task. I realize that they are not the absolute "best" for MH/T5 lighting, but I'm very pleased with it for my set-up.
Really, when you're in the room, the power cord isn't the first thing you're looking at.
When I get the chance I'm going to look for/ or spray paint another loom - white and see if it will get "lost" a bit more, and if not, I'm happy enough with the way it is.
Thanks so much for your suggestions
No problem Lisa.
Daunting task... tell me about it.
Are all four of your T5s Actinic +? I went with the 14.5K Megachromes, two Pure Actinic +, one ATI Blue Plus and a KZ Fiji Purple. I'm not sure the one Fiji Purple will make much of a difference. But it's supposed bring out reds and such.I had three Lumenarc IIIs that I was going to use, that is until my wife saw my retro idea. I was going to copy Leonardo's (shallow reef tank) light rack design. But my wife thought it looked too industrial and a bulky canopy was not working either. I really like the Giesemann so far. It's low-profile and sleek. But the one thing I'm concerned with is my kids, who are one and almost three years old, looking up at the bulbs. Not sure what to do about that yet.
Don't sell yourself short. Your tank and room are sweet. But I know what you mean about Paul's tank. I've seen his set-up in person. From the solarium to the tank to the ambience, it's all extremely impressive. Even the music he had playing added to the "experience." It's not my cup of tea,
, but it was very soothing.Have you tried a boat supply shop like West Marine for white hose? Would this work?
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=57&product%5Fid=34209
Paul
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14695539#post14695539 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by paulthomas
No problem Lisa.
Daunting task... tell me about it.
I had three Lumenarc IIIs that I was going to use, that is until my wife saw my retro idea. I was going to copy Leonardo's (shallow reef tank) light rack design. But my wife thought it looked too industrial and a bulky canopy was not working either. I really like the Giesemann so far. It's low-profile and sleek. But the one thing I'm concerned with is my kids, who are one and almost three years old, looking up at the bulbs. Not sure what to do about that yet.
Don't sell yourself short. Your tank and room are sweet. But I know what you mean about Paul's tank. I've seen his set-up in person. From the solarium to the tank to the ambience, it's all extremely impressive. Even the music he had playing added to the "experience." It's not my cup of tea,
Have you tried a boat supply shop like West Marine for white hose? Would this work?
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=57&product%5Fid=34209
Paul
Thanks for the link. It seems that the smallest diameter is 2" but I will look for a casing like i currently have in white. I haven't had the opportunity to search for white, but I would think i can find it on the web.
All 4 of my actinics are +. I think I was too overwhelmed at the time to figure-out if I wanted any other combos!
I'm sure your bulbs will look good. When you have them up and running please post pics.
Don't worry too much about your little children looking directly at the lights. IMO if you mention they are like the sun, and we don't stare at the sun, they'll just forget about it being there.
Plus there's the uv shield, which should also help you feel better.
The wires come from the middle of one side. I guess my reasoning for not putting it against the top was to keep the air holes open with nothing blocking them. It might look better that way, I'll have to play around with the wires to see how it looks.
Thank you for the input.
paulthomas
Premium Member
I'll post pics.
Thanks for the suggestion. Though my daughter may still look at them because she's already a little rebellious.
And she's not even three yet.
Chihuahua6
Premium Member
One of the most important things to me when setting up a tank is how it blends into the room's dimensions as well as the decor. You have hit the nail on the head with this tank. It blends with your decor beautifully. The proportion to the scale of the room is perfect to make the tank a focal point without overpowering the room. The weightlessness achieved with the unbraced top and sleek floating light fixture mirror the same open feeling you get with the two story ceiling in the room. You could not have done it better.
225 Miracles 4-sided starphire Update
225 Miracles 4-sided starphire Update
My new tank is now 9 1/2 months old.I loaded some newer pictures for you to see. These were taken in the summer, when I had added some new sand to the tank.
I've decided not to do anything drastic with the silver loom that covers the electrical wires. I know that seems to be a sticking point with the aesthetics, but imo it's really my only alternative. I may still try a white loom instead of the silver to see if it disappears more than the silver one. The least I can do is cover the exposed wires (by the fixture) with the right electrical/duct tape, or spray paint them silver. I just don't want to mess anything up.
I've had an outbreak of hair algae in the springtime. I cut back on lighting, feeding, brushed/siphoned the rocks, and started running GFO, and Carbon reactors from BRS - that really turned things around. I also think that my tank was still cycling (even though it I had an established 200 g tank - the move just created havoc for an extended time.
The only other issue I con't to have is sand clumping. Basically I get little clumps of sand that wants to turn into pebbles. Can't figure it out. Doesn't seem to be affecting anything, but my previous tanks never did this. Could it be from the OM's flow? I just don't know...
Overall, the tank is healthier, with coralline algae taking hold, while my corals are doing ok - I haven't concentrated on them just yet. I introduced two sps corals, and they are just basically hanging on, so I want to "get up to speed," with sps and learn more...
The Gieseman fixture's 1 side of actinic bulbs are not firing-up as they should be. I think it is just a bad bulb - and need to order a new set to make sure it's not the fixture.I hope that it's not the fixture, as my warranty (technically) ran out in sept. even though the fixture wasn't up and running until the end of Dec.
North Shore
South Shore
East Shore
West Shore
Center Islands
Covered Overflows (a must to keep algae farms from growing)
T5 Actinic+
225 Miracles 4-sided starphire Update
My new tank is now 9 1/2 months old.I loaded some newer pictures for you to see. These were taken in the summer, when I had added some new sand to the tank.
I've decided not to do anything drastic with the silver loom that covers the electrical wires. I know that seems to be a sticking point with the aesthetics, but imo it's really my only alternative. I may still try a white loom instead of the silver to see if it disappears more than the silver one. The least I can do is cover the exposed wires (by the fixture) with the right electrical/duct tape, or spray paint them silver. I just don't want to mess anything up.
I've had an outbreak of hair algae in the springtime. I cut back on lighting, feeding, brushed/siphoned the rocks, and started running GFO, and Carbon reactors from BRS - that really turned things around. I also think that my tank was still cycling (even though it I had an established 200 g tank - the move just created havoc for an extended time.
The only other issue I con't to have is sand clumping. Basically I get little clumps of sand that wants to turn into pebbles. Can't figure it out. Doesn't seem to be affecting anything, but my previous tanks never did this. Could it be from the OM's flow? I just don't know...
Overall, the tank is healthier, with coralline algae taking hold, while my corals are doing ok - I haven't concentrated on them just yet. I introduced two sps corals, and they are just basically hanging on, so I want to "get up to speed," with sps and learn more...
The Gieseman fixture's 1 side of actinic bulbs are not firing-up as they should be. I think it is just a bad bulb - and need to order a new set to make sure it's not the fixture.I hope that it's not the fixture, as my warranty (technically) ran out in sept. even though the fixture wasn't up and running until the end of Dec.
North Shore
South Shore
East Shore
West Shore
Center Islands
Covered Overflows (a must to keep algae farms from growing)
T5 Actinic+
Updated sump room pic's
Updated sump room pic's
I added (never had used before) a Bulk Reef Supply GFO and Carbon reactors to the system, and it's made a big impact on the amount of green algae - first the hairy variety, and now the amount time I spend cleaning the glass is much improved.
I also made the wise decision (had dosed manually) to get dosing pumps (from BRS) to handle the CA and ALK requirements. It's so much better for the stability of the tank.
Equipment/Plumbing is not something I'm real comfortable with, but I'm slowly "getting it," and need to keep reading/learning. It is overwhelming at times.:sad2:
Updated sump room pic's
I added (never had used before) a Bulk Reef Supply GFO and Carbon reactors to the system, and it's made a big impact on the amount of green algae - first the hairy variety, and now the amount time I spend cleaning the glass is much improved.
I also made the wise decision (had dosed manually) to get dosing pumps (from BRS) to handle the CA and ALK requirements. It's so much better for the stability of the tank.
Equipment/Plumbing is not something I'm real comfortable with, but I'm slowly "getting it," and need to keep reading/learning. It is overwhelming at times.:sad2:
