500G (84X48X30)- NOW REAL !

[Tvarg]

Neo comes in a wide assortment of colors. Fairly easy to keep requires and enjoys good water movement, medium lighting. Monitor pH closely with this one, it does not like radical pH swings. I kept a yellow colony, and several purple colonies that reached nine inches before a large acro landed on them.

 

[TropTrea]

Quick question... With the mixture of softies, LPS's and SPS don't you have a fear of chemical warfae eventually breaking loose between the corals? What are you doing to prevent this?

Dennis

 

[Sanjay]

I have always keept reefs with about 70-80% SPS and rest softies and lps. I like mixed reefs.

Chemical warfare has not been a factor that I can easily point to as being a problem. I guess with good skimming, running carbon, ozone (occasionally), it maybe less of an issue.

The LPS and fleshy sps sending out long mesenterial filaments is a bigger problem with some corals.

sanjay.

 

[Tvarg]

Through the years I have worked hard to maintain a blend of 75% sps and lps, and 25% softies. I have attached a photo from my most recent dive in the Philippines, Tubbataha Reef. You can see a 4 foot diameter leather coral sorrounded by sps corals.

I did a presentation at the WPBAS, and they were amazed at all the soft coral surrounded by tons of sps corals.

Keeping a good balance of stonies and softies should not be harmful to a captive reef aquarim. Carbon filtration should also be utilized.

I have also attached a photo of my tank, as you can see I keep a blend of softies and stonies.

 

[hahnmeister]

IME, it depends on the system. Larger systems should have an easier time with a blend of the two... more space, more water, etc. You can get lighting zones as well as spaces for every type of coral to be happy. There is more of a chemical sink and variety so that no one coral gets a 'controlling share' of the tank's nutrients, resources, etc.

When you start looking at tanks that are say... smaller than say...75g... then I think its harder to do. Its just easier to run a 'SPS-tank' or a 'softy-tank'.

 

[TandN]

Sanjay tank looks amazing good luck with it

 

[ckuhndog77]

[Jan 21, 2007 by ckuhndog77] I also just ordered some 14K 400w Ushio's so once you get the lighting test up and running again I'll bring one up for a day and we can test it. I'll be running them on Blueline [I have a spare 400 blueline I can also bring for the test if needed]. I borrowed the clubs par meter and will let you know what I get with apogee meter readings with the bulbs out of the box. Currently using 15K XM 400's. I have reading for the XM's when they were about 3 months old and will take one of the XM's before I replace them to see how the #'s compair to Ushio.

I just switched on Jan 25, 2007 to 14 K 400w Ushio's. Bulbs been running around 100 hours or a little more over 14 day period.

On 400w Blueline ballast using Apogee Quantum Meter model QMSS; bulbs 8 inches off water; * with 2 x 110w VHO running on Ice cap ballast [I know should of turned off VHO's - but ballasts just turned off for day]; MH & VHO bul;bs housed inside cool touch lighting 72" hood.

*1005 -Surface with white sensor just out of water
* 803 - sensor just under water
* 701 - 1 inch under water
* 410 - 6 inches under water
* 325 - 12 inches under water surface
* 200 - 24 inches under water [also the oceanic center brace b/w bulb & sensor for this reading - only spot on tank I could get clear reading at bottom]

It will be interesting to see what these bulbs test out on your big grid.

here is what I got with old XM's that I charted before switch (again with VHO's on):

* 580 - just below water
* 285 - 6 inches under water
* 170 - 12 inches
* 126 - 24 inches below [also the oceanic center brace b/w bulb & sensor for this reading - only spot on tank I could get clear reading at bottom]

in just 14 days most of my corals are starting to show a lot more blue and / or purple tips and pink birds nest is getting a better pink color. Red mili looks better as well to me. So far I'm loving the bulbs.

 

[akbuuur]

good stuff sanjay

 

[Sparkss]

ckuhndog77,

What were you readings on the 3 month old XMs ? andhow old were they when you took the last reading, jsut before swapping them out for the Ushios ?

Thanks

 

[ckuhndog77]

Trying to get the readings from our club rep who was charting member par readings.

XM bulbs were over 11 months old used for about 8 hours a day. I got the hood in late Jan. 2006 and didn't use bulbs much until mid to late Feb. 2006, so buls not more than a year old.

I think my numbers for the 15k xm's at 3 months were around this range:

* 610 - just below surface
* 300 - 6 inches
* 185 - 12 inches

I remember thinking they seemed a bit low vs. what other member were getting with their bulbs - either 250 or 400's; but at time I was getting coral growth so was happy.

 

[Sanjay]

Craig:

I am sure you realize that the readings will vary as you move away from the center of the lamp in the same plane, and depend on the reflector geometry too.

With hand held readings it hard to take them in the same place everytime, especially if you are away from the position directly below the lamp.

Also, realize that you are getting some additive effect from the other lamps the lower down you go.

If are getting 150-200 at the bottom, its usually good enough to keep SPS in the top 2/3rds of the tank, and some may even do well lower.

sanjay.

 

[hahnmeister]

Many of my SPS love the bottom where the PAR is 150-250.

 

[dgasmd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9185445#post9185445 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ckuhndog77
I just switched on Jan 25, 2007 to 14 K 400w Ushio's. Bulbs been running around 100 hours or a little more over 14 day period.

I apologize to Sanajy for derailing his thread a bit here.

Craig:

Can you post a picture with your 14K on? Also, where did you get them from? I wished Sanjay would test them against the Ushio 10,000K and the XM 10,000K as well to see how they compare. My best guess is that they have good amount of PAR but lower then the other 2 nevertheless. The real question on most of these higher PAR bulbs is how long do they last? or better yet, at what rate do they drop off in intensity?

 

[ckuhndog77]

Ditto on sidetrack

Sanjay has some very good points I didn't think about on where I put the sensor & getting additional coverage from 2nd bulb spread ect. That is why he is the lighting master.

My plan is to provide a bulb to Sanjay when he is ready to test bulbs again.

Looking forward to seeing a new full tank shot of Sanjay's with all his new frags in it.

shot with 14K ushio's

Shot with 10 month old XM 15K

I did add 3 new pieces of rock since new year and got 3-4 new colonies an 15+ frags since then as well.

 

[dgasmd]

Very nice colors. Thanks. Back to our previously scheduled program....................

 

[skriz]

Hey Sanjay,

Can you post the findings on the Giesman bulbs? Did you ever test the xm 10k's in 400w? I am considering switching 2 of my 250's over to 400, but the ppfd figures just don't make it worthwhile.

thanks!

 

[hahnmeister]

skriz, did you look in the reef lighting info web page? All of that info is there.

http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/

Also, this thread is supposed to be about Sanjay's new tank. If you have lighting related questions, maybe you should post them in the Lighting website updates thread stuck at the top of this forum.

 

[gws294]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9133996#post9133996 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mrcrab
F&S seems unable to help you. You might try here and be able to find someone locally.

http://www.aquavets.com/

A few days ago this site was referenced. I had a pressing question about a dying fish several months ago and emailed 6 or 7 vets on the list in our state. Not one response... I was a little disappointed... Has anyone else had a better experience?

Sorry for the sidetrack.

Just curious.
Geoff

 

[mrcrab]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9219004#post9219004 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gws294
A few days ago this site was referenced. I had a pressing question about a dying fish several months ago and emailed 6 or 7 vets on the list in our state. Not one response... I was a little disappointed... Has anyone else had a better experience?

Sorry for the sidetrack.

Just curious.
Geoff

I've never had to use them but one of the Vets on the list is right down the street from me.

Kind of rhetorical but as a Prosthodontist, you've studied many years for your specialty, how many free consultations do you do by email?

Just curious

 

[Sanjay]

Well, I am back home after a really nice weekend in Denver area, and speaking at thier mini conference.

What a great bunch of people !! They really have some awesome reefs there, wish I had more time to see more of them.

Came home with a bunch of nice frags ;-)


Will post some pics once I have them mounted. Right now they are sitting in the overflow box.

sanjay.