60G Cube Build

Had someone send me a PM, asking how I liked my Aquaticlife Halo, after having had it for a while. Thought I'd share the response with the whole class...

Yes, I have one running, for what, 7 months? Something like that.

I like the look, love the mount, the built in timers do what I need them to do, it's nearly silent, doesn't produce a lot of heat, is easily adjustable in intensity and color... As far as form, quality, and features, it's wonderful.

Corals: I have several SPS frags, a couple LPS frags, and a derasa clam. All seem to be thriving. Color is excellent... I have a small ORA red planet, known for fading out, it's bright and happy. A $5 brown acro frag I bought as a test to see how SPS was going to do has turned bright green under this light. Lepto frags have spread about 3x their original size in 6 months or so.

I am _not_ experiencing phenomenal growth rates. Corals are happy, well colored, and growing, but not the kind of explosive growth I used to get under halides many years ago.

I'm happy with it, but I could be happier. I've given some thought to replacing it with a 250w DE HQI Halide pendant. If it wasn't for the heat issue, and the form factor, I'd probably have done it by now.

It's a good light, but I'm starting to believe the folks saying that LED's just are not going to give you the kind of growth rates you can get with metal halides, no matter how much you spend. Is it worth the trade off? Slower growth rates, good color, more flexibility, less heat, a variety of form factors? That's a judgement call we're each going to have to make.

I'm going to post this elsewhere, since I took the time to write it :)

Greybeard

reef3r said:
Hey, I saw that you have had AquaticLife Halo fixtures on your tank for a few months, I was just wondering if you still like them, and if you would recommend them?
Thanks
 
Hey Greybeard, Wish I could make it this weekend but I have both of the kidos and I would be doing more running after them then actually enjoying myself.

With that said, love this build thread. Really want to see it in person at some point. I already regret using the regular size stand on my 24x24x18. I am going to build a bench seat right next to it to store ATO water and any other supplies. It is amazing how similar our tanks are. I must have seen your before purchasing and starting my build:)

Can we get a FTS?
 
Hm. Post on theseas.org, response on ReefCentral :)

My grandson will be here... kids welcome. I don't know how old your kids are, but we've got a little bounce house, swing set, and more toys than you can shake a stick at. Your call, but I've got nothing against you bringing along the rug rats.

Doesn't look like there's going to be many folks here, what with the short notice, and our official meeting next week.

I haven't grabbed a full tank shot for a while... I'll try and get one once the lights come up today.
 
Can we get a FTS?

Sure, if you're not picky... I just grabbed my cell phone and snapped 2 shots. Sorry about the lack of quality. Photographer, I'm not.

1fts042916.jpg


2fts042916.jpg
 
Happened to look over last night as the lights were going down, thought the colors looked nice at that moment. Too bad my camera phone really can't capture it. Oh well...

FTS060616.jpg
 
Looking good beard. I spot a couple new additions šŸ˜

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
 
Looking great! Is your rock fully covered in coralline, or is that the lighting making it look that way? It looks absolutely amazing either way. Great job on your setup
 
Looking good beard. I spot a couple new additions šŸ˜

Some additions, some losses. That empty clam shell just ****es me off... my clown decided to host in it, tore the mantle.

The green and red monti that I stacked... I'm hoping they'll merge... was a gift from a friend. Added a medium sized hammer, there's a little frag of favites (war coral) that belongs to another friend, he left it in my tank... I _might_ give it back, one of these days :)

Can't see it well in this lighting, but under the front/left ledge, there's a gorgeous bit of light purple sponge. I'm _really_ hoping that takes off and fills some of the cave. Might get an orange or red one, as well.
 
Looking great! Is your rock fully covered in coralline, or is that the lighting making it look that way? It looks absolutely amazing either way. Great job on your setup

A couple of bits are very heavily encrusted with coraline algae... those bits came from a reefer that was closing down a tank, I got to pick a few rocks to seen the tank. Most of my rock was dry base rock, and it's coming along nicely.

Slow and steady :)
 
Slow and steady is the only way to go in this hobby, and a lot of patience. I might have missed something, but it looks like a lot of rock is missing from your original scape pics, did you remove some of the reef cleaners rock in place of the other rock you picked up. It really looks amazing, nice color coming in on that rock!
 
very nice set-up. have the same tank. are you able to take a picture of the top of the overflow please. I am trying to figure where my water level should be. I have a flushing toilet sound coming but its from the return. water is gushing in from the return hole.
 
Hm. Water level in my overflow box is less than an inch below the main tank level. Helps quiet the waterfall sound, but generally a 'flushing' sound is caused when a durso style overflow doesn't have enough air to keep it from surging.

Does this help?

OutsideHerbie.jpg


I messed with the factory durso style plumbing for months before giving up on it. I converted it to a Herbie style drain, and ran an external return line. I really didn't want the outside return, but that was the only way I was able to make the thing quiet. Worked, too... Silence. You can hear my pumps hum, that's about it.

There's a post in this thread about that process...

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=24165548&postcount=38
 
I'm sure you've answered a hundred questions about your lighting and setup but do you think the Halo light is better for this setup than say the Hydra 26HD? I have the same tank and am trying to decide between the two.
 
If I didn't want to answer questions, I wouldn't have created a build thread :)

Do I think the Halo is better? Nope. I like the 'cube' form factor, I like the single spot effect, I like the built in controller, I like the nice, clean mount, I like the price point, and I'm very happy with coloration of my corals.

The original $5 brown acro frag I bought to see how acros would like my tank is a vibrant green now. Even my red planet is still nice and bright. Orange and green Leptos just glow.

BUT... Growth rates are nowhere near what I got years ago under 10k halides and power compact actinics.

How does it compare to the Hydra? I've never owned a hydra, so I couldn't say. I know they're popular, far more so than the Halo. Honestly, I was looking at Kessel when I bought the Halo. I just like the single light source look. Didn't like the extra controller, extra cost, and ugly mount that the Kessel had.

If I upgrade my lighting, it'll be to a 250w DE halide. I've seriously considered it, but I really don't want to deal with the heat. I'm starting to accept that I'm trading slower growth rates for good coloration and dramatically less heat.
 
Overall, how happy are you with the tank after this amount of time (brand and quality, not size). I've been waiting for SCA to get their 60 cube in, but it's been pushed back another two months.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A
 
I looked at SCA, and DBP. Ended up with a Marineland, mainly due to availability and cost.

Overall, I'm quite happy with it. It's a glass box... hasn't come apart, doesn't show any signs of doing so, doesn't leak... what else is there to really worry about?

The silicone was a bit sloppy from the factory, had to clean up a few drips and drops away from the seams. The hardness of the glass seems fine, I haven't scratched it all up yet. Clarity seems fine to me, it's not starfire, but it's not so thick that everything has a blue/green hue to it either. 2x 1" overflow holes were pretty cleanly drilled. The 'Corner-Flo' overflow wall seems pretty well designed. I've even emptied the overflow box completely with the tank full, held up fine, no leaks. The rolled edges around the top are fine, not overly sharp, no chips or nicks.

I like the water level in my display, one of the guys on here has another brand rimless cube, and the water level in his display is a good 2" below the top. Works for him, but I like mine full. Means you have to be careful with wavemakers and magnetic cleaners, to keep from sloshing water over the edge, but it's a trade off I'm willing to make.

The plumbing kit that mine came with was cheap, and has been completely replaced, even the bulkheads. When I changed from the Durso to a Herbie style overflow, I bought higher quality plumbing parts. Honestly, I just looked at a plumbing kit for an 80g DBP reef ready tank, it has better bulkheads than what mine came with, but it's a 1" overflow and a 3/4" return. I don't understand why they would do that. 2x 1" bulkheads gives you better flexibility on how to configure the overflow.
 
Hey Grey what does your fish stock look like?

Sparse.

I have a Smith's blenny, a small Scribbled rabbitfish, an ORA caramel clown, and a yellow prawn goby.

Used to be a pair of clowns, had one jump. He convinced me I needed a screen top. Had a Dispar Anthias that didn't make it, and a flame hawk that I removed for killing all my shrimp.

I also have 2x skunk cleaners, a tiger pistol (with the goby), a 3" fighting conch, and a handful of other snails. I'd like to add a nice healthy Fromia or Linkia at some point.

I may add another fish or two in time, but it'll remain pretty sparse. I'm thinking of a nice fairy wrasse at this point.

The rabbitfish will outgrow the tank, but he's fine for a while. I think rabbitfish are the best algae eaters you can have in a reef, and I want one, even if the tank is really too small. I'll swap him out when he gets bigger.

Many species are simply too large, or prone to nip on corals... I'll stay with safe species as much as I can. Heck, even what I have isn't necessarily safe. My little clown decided to host in a small deresa clam... tore the mantle and killed it.

You have to be careful in a small tank. Knew that when I chose a cube, it's a limitation I'm willing to live with.
 
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