Coral Maternity in Portugal
- Thread starter Machado deSousa
- Start date
Machado deSousa
New member
I'm testing this pendant less than a month ago and I need more time to be shure about the results. Till now has been positive. The visual aspect is nice, the corals are improving color and growth. In terms of costs I'm saving 50% in my elctric bill and for some years I will not need to replace the bulbs of this tank.
The pendant is Neptune.
Cheers,
rigleautomotive
Premium Member
Hi Chris!
As promised, here are some shots of the circulation pumps in the nursery tank:
Nursery tank (right tank)
Polario 22 ML pump (6,000gal/h)
3 x Turbelle nanostream 6055 from Tunze (264 to 1,453 gal) + Aqua Bee 5000 (1,300 gal/h)
Water movement (general view from above)
Cheers,
Please do not take this the wrong way but I feel the need to mention this.Below is a photo from the original system you put together from the beginning of your thread.I have been in the hobby for 2 decades and have made changes thru the years that I believed to be a positive only after time has passed and my close observations proved me wrong and I have returned to previous methods.Your corals IMHO looked best in the beginning with great color,PE and healthy tissue encrusting plugs etc.. now the colors are less vibrant IMO and the corals look a bit stressed (thin skinned)at the least.It may be the changes that have been made and the fact that time needs to pass for acclimation to occur but I have followed your thread since the beginning and felt obligated to at least express my opinion.It seems sometimes that we try so hard to achieve what we already have had in a much simpler,gentler way that we forget our goals.
IMO the color and health of your fragments never looked better then in the beginning.I am very impressed with your system and dedication and this is why I offer my opinion.I have grown acropora fragments and been active in captive propagation on a smaller scale for more then a decade.Take it with a grain of salt if you will and again I do apologize if I sound presumptuous or arrogant.This is the opposite of my character and modesty is more in line with my being.Good luck sir
Machado deSousa
New member
Please do not take this the wrong way but I feel the need to mention this.Below is a photo from the original system you put together from the beginning of your thread.I have been in the hobby for 2 decades and have made changes thru the years that I believed to be a positive only after time has passed and my close observations proved me wrong and I have returned to previous methods.Your corals IMHO looked best in the beginning with great color,PE and healthy tissue encrusting plugs etc.. now the colors are less vibrant IMO and the corals look a bit stressed (thin skinned)at the least.It may be the changes that have been made and the fact that time needs to pass for acclimation to occur but I have followed your thread since the beginning and felt obligated to at least express my opinion.It seems sometimes that we try so hard to achieve what we already have had in a much simpler,gentler way that we forget our goals.
IMO the color and health of your fragments never looked better then in the beginning.I am very impressed with your system and dedication and this is why I offer my opinion.I have grown acropora fragments and been active in captive propagation on a smaller scale for more then a decade.Take it with a grain of salt if you will and again I do apologize if I sound presumptuous or arrogant.This is the opposite of my character and modesty is more in line with my being.Good luck sir
Hi rigleautomotive!
I think the corals and aquariums in general have ups and downs over time. The most important thing for me is to have no serious problem that takes everything to lose.
Today I'm happy with my corals because are alive and show no match any significant problems.
About the colors of the corals, someone said that corals have three colors:
- The color that our eyes see;
- The colors captured by the camera;
- Their own colors.
The photos of my frags I have posted in the beginning of this thread were taken by my friend João Ribeiro, who makes magic with the camera.
Thank you for your sincerity,
Cheers,
Machado deSousa
New member
Hi bennr!
Everything changes. I'm not using ATI anymore (I'm using other brands) but I didn't change to anoother diferent kind of light.
I'm trying to save euros and that's why I am experimenting diferent types of light, such as Plasma and LEDs pendants. I'm using Plasma two years ago and LEDs for less than one month.
As you know my prop is composed by 8 tanks and I still use T5 lighting in six of them ( daycare tanks), plasma light in a single tank (maternity tank) and LEDs in another one tank ( Nursery tank).
About my tests with LEDs please see the post 1102.
I wish you a happy New Year.
Cheers,
Machado deSousa
New member
More then 50 times per hour, in all tanks, for sure...
I wish you a Happy New Year.
Cheers,
Machado deSousa
New member
Hi ReefCupid,
Sorry the delay in my response.
I have no experience with any kind of cements referred by you. I always use Thorite to make my plugs and I have no had problems with the rise of alcanlinity in my tanks. I make my plugs and I can put them in my tanks without any problems. If you use any cement used in civil contruction I think that you should keep it submerged in fresh water for at least one month to lose its alkaline aggressiveness.
I wish you a happy New Year.
Cheers,
Machado deSousa
New member
Hi jurgenknaepen!
The pleasure is all mine to share my experiences with the members of this wonderfull forum.
Thanks you for your sympathy.
CHEERS from Lisbon.
Machado deSousa
New member
freetareef
New member
still looks amazing!!!! good work!!!
Rogger Castells
New member
Machado, your tanks are very inspirational, I remember reading this thread when it was first posted years ago and it blew me away, years later I see it again and it still blows me away, keep up the good work, Happy new year.
rigleautomotive
Premium Member
Haha,ching my friend,there is no line drawn in the sand here(we are all on the same side), and I support LED as much as MH in coral keeping,to quote Sanjay Joshi " a photon is a photon" my comment is more a general statement of changes we make to our reefs because of propaganda and clever advertising in the hobby.And inherently being bad moves some of the time.We get no where without pushing the envelope and this I support and am a practitioner of but after 20 years I have seen many products come and go and come again.lol.Full circle and science has little to do with this.Unfortunately science and the hobby do not intersect as often as I would like.
This reef Machado keeps is one of the best in the world as is the one you are the keeper of and I admire you both greatly.:thumbsup:This hobby is great because it keeps you infinitely guessing and researching for a better mouse trap.:thumbsup:
This reef Machado keeps is one of the best in the world as is the one you are the keeper of and I admire you both greatly.:thumbsup:This hobby is great because it keeps you infinitely guessing and researching for a better mouse trap.:thumbsup:
Machado deSousa
New member
Hi Chingchai!
Sorry for the delay in my response. It is a great pleasure for me to have someone like you writing here.
I'm trying to reduce the electricity bill and the costs of replacing tubes often. I think I can achieve this by using new lighting technologies such as LEP (plasma light) and LED lighting. I already have used plasma lights for about two years and am quite happy not only because I have significantly reduced the consumption and saved in replacing tubes but also because it is known that the light emitted by LEP is similar to sunlight. What is better than sunlight? I am terribly sorry for not being able to use LEP in all tanks and so LEDs can be the alternative. I agree with rigleautomotive when he says that we have to be careful with new aquarium products... not enough tested, but when the water is a lot the costs have to be reduced any way.
If you travel to the western Europe you'll be pleasant to visit Lisbon. I would be happy to know you in person and show you this nice country. I'm sure I would learn a lot with you also, drinking not necessarily a very expensive wine .... but a good wine from Portugal...
If one day I go to Thailand I would love to visit the 8th wonder of the world: your tank.
I wish you a Happy New year 2012.
CHEERS from Portugal,
Last edited:
Machado deSousa
New member
Hi Aquatron, ReefCupid and Rogger Castells!
Thanks for your words and sympathy.
Y wish you a Happy 2012.
Cheers,
Thanks for your words and sympathy.
Y wish you a Happy 2012.
Cheers,
skaiter1007
New member
amazing!
No doubt! Love this thread :beer:
