Back after 2 1/2 Year Hiatus - New 225 on the way

[ReefBum]

Thanks everybody. Saturday the tank was moved from the garage to the stand in the living room. I probably spent 4 hours clearing the driveway and walkway from the blizzard so that was a lot of fun

It was not an easy move since the tank had to be flipped on its front to make it through the front door. It then had to be lowered into the stand very carefully since the panels are an inch higher than the base (there was about 1/4" clearance on all sides). Thank goodness for the movers and suction cups! I will post some updated pictures soon.

 

[Zoos]

This is definitely turning into one of my favorite tank builds. I know you will be using 3 400w SE bulbs, what bulbs and color temperature? what were you using before.

 

[ReefBum]

Thanks Zoos. My last tank I used 400w Radiums on HQI ballasts. I definitely had great colors but the growth was not as good as I wanted. For this tank I'm going to use 3 SE 400W 10k XMs driven by HQI ballasts. I should get good color and great growth with these bulbs but time will tell. The fixture also has 8 39W T5s so I'm really excited to see how this combo works.

 

[kozmo02]

I had SE 250w 10k XMs driven by PFO ballasts, not HQI, and they are very intense bulbs, I had 4 over my 180 in lumenarc reflectors and I got great growth but they were so intense that some of the corals couldn't handle it, I eventually switched them out for 20k XM's and now color is great, but growth has slowed quite a bit, I think when it is time to replace the bulbs again later this year I am going to try the 14 or 15k XM's, that should be the perfect blend of color/growth I'm thinking.

You have a much larger tank so I'm sure you will have great success with them, but the 400w 10k XM's will probably be pretty intense, especially on HQI ballasts.

 

[Zoos]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9514736#post9514736 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kozmo02
I had SE 250w 10k XMs driven by PFO ballasts, not HQI, and they are very intense bulbs, I had 4 over my 180 in lumenarc reflectors and I got great growth but they were so intense that some of the corals couldn't handle it, I eventually switched them out for 20k XM's and now color is great, but growth has slowed quite a bit, I think when it is time to replace the bulbs again later this year I am going to try the 14 or 15k XM's, that should be the perfect blend of color/growth I'm thinking.

You have a much larger tank so I'm sure you will have great success with them, but the 400w 10k XM's will probably be pretty intense, especially on HQI ballasts.

Actually you'll find that the 15k bulbs have very low par, the XM's in particular, you might as well keep your 20ks, I run 20k Coralvue bulbs now, and they look nice but the growth is not that great. If you were getting good growth before i would go back to the 10ks.

 

[Zoos]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9513951#post9513951 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefBum
Thanks Zoos. My last tank I used 400w Radiums on HQI ballasts. I definitely had great colors but the growth was not as good as I wanted. For this tank I'm going to use 3 SE 400W 10k XMs driven by HQI ballasts. I should get good color and great growth with these bulbs but time will tell. The fixture also has 8 39W T5s so I'm really excited to see how this combo works.

From the look of your first tank it seemed like a lot of your colonies were pretty large, but yeah 20ks just don't have that par we would like, I'm thinking about going the 10k route on my new tank with actinic t5s too. so I'm looking forward to seeing your lights setup.

 

[JB NY]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9511461#post9511461 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefBum
Saturday the tank was moved from the garage to the stand in the living room.

I will post some updated pictures soon.

Weren't we promised some pics??

 

[Zoos]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9526466#post9526466 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JB NY
Weren't we promised some pics??

Good catch JB.

That's right we were absolutely promised some pics!

 

[eaglesrx]

Hey Reefbum,

thinking about using aquarium obsessed, too. The lighting system your planning on using seems outstanding. As you've probably seen, there are a couple of tank build threads using those lights (#1 225g AO tank->DaveWC, and #1 180g tank->Naka's).

Can't wait to see the pics! Your original tank was very nice.

 

[eaglesrx]

also forgot JB NY's. another amazing tank. Can't wait to see some pics!

 

[kozmo02]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9525472#post9525472 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zoos
Actually you'll find that the 15k bulbs have very low par, the XM's in particular, you might as well keep your 20ks, I run 20k Coralvue bulbs now, and they look nice but the growth is not that great. If you were getting good growth before i would go back to the 10ks.

I was getting good growth but the it was too intense, it was burning some of the corals in fact. I shortened up the photo period significantly and that seemed to help but it also takes away from enjoying the tank.

I need to find a good middle of the ground SE bulb.....

 

[Zoos]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9528719#post9528719 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kozmo02

I need to find a good middle of the ground SE bulb.....

I know what you mean brother, and that is basically what everyone is after, but i guess we can't have our cake and eat it too. I'll tell you what though, they day Iwasaki decides to make their 15k bulb in 250w. then there's our dream bulb. I don't know if you heard about their 175 watt version of it? it is the most efficient MH bulb i believe. Till then i would suggest a 10k with actinic supplementation. 20ks are great but they are not worth the low par/slow growth. At least not to me anymore.
Felix




Ummmhmmm. How about those pics Reefbum???

 

[ReefBum]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9526466#post9526466 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JB NY
Weren't we promised some pics??

Ok....you got me Joe I did promise some updated pics. I will try to post some shots of my sump room and equipment room tonight. I will also post some shots of the tank on the stand with the lights by Saturday.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9526981#post9526981 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by eaglesrx
Hey Reefbum,

thinking about using aquarium obsessed, too. The lighting system your planning on using seems outstanding. As you've probably seen, there are a couple of tank build threads using those lights (#1 225g AO tank->DaveWC, and #1 180g tank->Naka's).

Can't wait to see the pics! Your original tank was very nice.

Many thanks for the compliment on my old tank.

AO was great to work with and the quality is outstanding. I have been following those builds as well and they certainly had me thinking about those lights. I saw them in person at Greenwich Aquaria (CT) and I was sold.

 

[Julio]

you last tank was gorgeous, ia m antxious to see how this one turns out, keep us posted.

 

[ReefBum]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9531660#post9531660 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Julio
you last tank was gorgeous, ia m antxious to see how this one turns out, keep us posted.

Many thanks Julio.

I know I promised some pics but I had to add another couple of coats of poly to the bases I'm using for my equipment. I'll have a whole bunch of shots by Saturday, at the latest, of the equipment and the tank on the stand w/lights.

My plan is to have everything plumbed out by the end of the weekend. I would then just need to water test everything with RO and then order up the rock. Hopefully, I can start cycling within 2 weeks

 

[JB NY]

How heavy was the tank to move? I'm trying to round up people now, just wondering how tough it was to get into the living room. Did you have to go up any stairs?

 

[ReefBum]

Joe-

I actually hired a moving company because I didn't want to take the chance on having friends drop the thing. I was covered up to $5k on any damage to the tank and stand. There were 4 guys and they had suction cups but it was a very difficult move (it weighed about 450 lbs).

Step one was to flip the tank on the front glass in the garage since the tank was too wide (36+ inches with the external overflows) to get into the front door. They then took it up the front walk and got it into the living room. One of the guys seemed to struggle so I jumped in to help out.

They then had to flip the tank upright to get it in position for the stand. The panels on the stand come up over an inch from the base of the stand so the tank had to be lowered into the stand so it would not land on top of the panels (there was about 1/4 inch clearance on all sides). We used 4X4s on top of the base of the stand and put the tank on top of that to make sure it was lined up. They then lifted the tank and I pulled out the 4X4s, enabling them to lower the tank into the slot.

We only had a couple of steps at the front door but overall it wasn't easy. The movers joked that I shouldn't call them if I was moving and wanted to take the tank with me.

Anyway, I don't want to wind you up about the move but I would recommend at least 5 guys with some suction cups. The suction cups were key for my move.

 

[JB NY]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9540513#post9540513 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefBum
Anyway, I don't want to wind you up about the move but I would recommend at least 5 guys with some suction cups. The suction cups were key for my move.

Thanks. Yeah I'm really nervous about getting that tank where it needs to go. I hope to have at least 6 people (hopefully more) and I'm starting to find more suctions cups than I thought I would have. I think I will have 8 at this point.

You've been to my house. There is no way I can bring the tank in through the front with two flights of steps navigate. So that means I need to bring the tank all the way around the house and up the back, flip it on it's side and go up about 6 steps to the deck then bring it in through the slider. :worried2: I'll sleep much better after that's done.

 

[ReefBum]

Yeah......the back definitely sounds like the best way. Just make sure you have plenty of 2X4s or 4X4s along the way to park the tank in case you guys need to take some unexpected rests

You should be absolutely fine with 6 guys.

 

[ReefBum]

Ok...here are some shots of my "sump room" (the unfinished basement).

A full view...

My skimmer from MTC. It is a dual beckett that is 50 inches tall ( a real honker!!)

The 90 gallon custom sump:

My 2 return pumps (Blueline 70s), 1/2 HP Tradewind Chiller and MTC Pro Cal Ca Reactor...

And the plumbing going to the tank (a bit sloppy with that PVC glue )