A Great Way to ruin a perfect wall; My 400 Gallon Project

[slojmn]

Ryan,
Awesome thread...I just spent the better part of my day, in between work, reading this from page one. Words really don't do justice to the hard work and beautiful eye candy you have going there. But in an attempt to heap praise on you where it is thoroughly due...Awesome job . I learned a lot from your experience and while I may never set up a beast that big I have some new ideas for the next tank thanks to you . Keep the pics rolling.

 

[clekchau]

wow that tank turned out beautiful!

 

[markmcc]

Servo,

I plan to have frags FedExed to Miami and then straight on to the afternoon flight to Kingston.

Timing is everything.

I haven't tried it yet but when I lived in Miami I was able to get Acros FedExed from LA by 9:30am the next day. This should give me plenty time to get them down to JA.

I'll let you know in a few months how it works out.

 

[SERVO]

Well, we are always tinkering aren't we! I have just purchased 3 lumenarc reflectors. I am going to drop down to 3 400W MH with the Lumenarc reflectors to save $ and ensure a back up ballast. I am going to refabricate the light hanging system and add T5's to it to fill up the space. I'll post pictures when I do since this thread has died. We can't all be like Melev !

 

[jnarowe]

this thread is NOT dead dammit!!

 

[melev]

Ryan, what did those luminarcs cost? Are they 18" x 18" or smaller?

 

[asnatlas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9658140#post9658140 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Ryan, what did those luminarcs cost? Are they 18" x 18" or smaller?

I think the L3s are 19.5"x19.5" and the smaller ones are 14"x14"

 

[Sparkss]

And they typically run about $130. There are a couple of online vendors that sell them, but we drive out to PGS to pick ours up from the source . Ended up scoring 2 light movers at a killer price at the same time.

SERVO, I can't wait to see what you end up with . It is hard to go wrong with LAIIIs

 

[SERVO]

Bingo Shawn. The tank is to deep to use the mini's. I ordered them from Ocean Homes Etc and they have them for $126.

So anyone out there ever switched reflectors? Here is the question. I have SLS equipment and I think that I am going to have to splice the lamp cord in order to connect the ballast to the mogul. I'm correct right? I wish that all ballast input plugs were universal

 

[samson78945]

wow this setup is unbelievable!!! amazing! keep us posted more often!!

 

[SERVO]

Thanks Samson,

Yah, we are always tinkering to try to make things better aren't we? You guys wouldn't know about that would you .

There are some things that I wish I would have changed, but they happen at a snails pace with me

I am really happy that I have been able to help out others and give ideas based upon my experiences.

I wish that I had external overflows

I wish that I could have had a longer sump because of microbubbles.

I wish that I would have laid down HDPE under the AC unit as a shelf instead of wood.

I wish that I would have painted the 2X4 with epoxy paint to water proof for leaks. I have made too much water many of times and overflowed it into the garage

And finally;

I wish that I would have aquascaped dry; taken a 1/4 masonary drill bit and drilled multiple holes to use ridgid airline tubing epoxed to frags. I would have been able to really place all of the corals in the perfect spots.

This is my 20/20 hindsight.

 

[ScubaTC]

Servo, do you have any updates on the lumenarcs? Are they installed yet? Any pics?

Also, are you running them enclosed with glass and ac/exhaust plumbed to them?

 

[wilson0204]

:eek1: :rollface: :eek1:

 

[Chrisrush]

Ryan,
When I switched to Lumenarcs, I had to splice the wires. Just use electrical tape and those twist things (technical term).

Ever thought of using a light mover like Sparkss? You could probably cut it down to 2 MHs and save even more $$$.

 

[jnarowe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9731417#post9731417 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Chrisrush
Ryan,
When I switched to Lumenarcs, I had to splice the wires. Just use electrical tape and those twist things (technical term).

Ever thought of using a light mover like Sparkss? You could probably cut it down to 2 MHs and save even more $$$.

That's scary dude. I would suggest that good quality marine butt connectors, shrink tubing for each wire, and then shrink tubing over the entire connection be used. Wire nuts stll allow SW air to get to the wires. I use light movers and I am VERY happy with the results!

 

[Chrisrush]

My situation may have been a little different than Ryan's. My ballasts were not located near saltwater, so I wasn't worried about that. Good point on the shrink tube though, I did use that, but I forgot to mention it.

 

[SERVO]

Well, I finally got my Luminarcs today. This is pretty bittersweet. I discovered that I have AEFW's. I'm in the process of tearing out every Acro that I have. I am using a wire saw to cut the acros off the rock.

I am treating with Stoney's fluke tab method and seem to be making very good headway. Kiss all my spare time away for the next month. I'll be making a lot of water for dips.:mad2:

 

[melev]

I got your voicemail last night, Ryan. Sorry I didn't answer. After drinking all afternoon during you know what, I felt sleepy around that time. :beer:

I'm glad that Frank met you on a Sunday evening to get those meds. Good luck. Fluke tabs are much easier on the corals compared to Betadine, something I used last year.

 

[jnarowe]

wow, sorry to hear about that!

 

[SERVO]

Thanks Jonathan! I'll get through this! The problem is getting the baby to bed and doing all of this into the wee hours of the night and getting up at 6.

Man am I tired!!! I have been using a hand wire saw for the past hour or so trying to get through the base of a beautiful A. Samoensis. I got the coral out. I finished the last batch for the night. Ughhh Hopefully, I can get over this without too many loses. I shifted all of my rock work and need to muster up another set of hands to help me put humpty back together again.

Soon, I'll post the lumenarcs, but that is the last thing on my mind as of now.