Custom In-Wall 150 Project

[conda]

It pays to wait sometimes

It pays to wait sometimes

Well, it pays to wait sometimes. I just ordered my 60" Outer Orbit HQI for 10% off and a Milwaukee refractometer for 36% off. Saved alot today, so I'm happy.

Just thought I'd share that.

Now, since my light is on the way, I should be able to add my existing livestock and get some better pics soon.

 

[conda]

Hermit Crab Babies!

Hermit Crab Babies!

Here is something I've never seen before. I took a couple of hermit crabs out of my 55 to stick into my new tank. Didn't one of them spew out about 500 tadpoles as I was aclimated them to the new water!

Yikes! I've never seen that before. I stuck the baby hermits into the fuge--what was left of them as the hermits munched half of them down. Hopefully some will survive.

Anyone know how to care for baby hermit tadpoles? :lol:

 

[conda]

Lighting is Finally On the Tank

Lighting is Finally On the Tank

Well, I finally got my Outer Orbit HQI installed tonight. See the pic below. I am verry happy with the light except that the cross braces on the tank cause two shadows. Look at the pic and see.

Now I feel like I just wasted 700 bucks! I'm about to rip those cross braces right off.

 

[Boat Racer]

It looks like there is onlt two M/H rays shooting into the tank.Most 6 foot tanks would use a three M/H fixture.Then the shaded spot would hardly be noticed at all.Aqua medic makes an awsome six footer with three equaly spaced M/H HQI's with blue actinics as well.

Your lights are shineing directly on to the braces.The three buld system for most six foot tanks glare down in the center of each opening.

 

[conda]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6912152#post6912152 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Boat Racer
It looks like there is onlt two M/H rays shooting into the tank.Most 6 foot tanks would use a three M/H fixture.Then the shaded spot would hardly be noticed at all.Aqua medic makes an awsome six footer with three equaly spaced M/H HQI's with blue actinics as well.

Your lights are shineing directly on to the braces.The three buld system for most six foot tanks glare down in the center of each opening.

It's a 5 foot tank and 5 foot light. I didn't have the room for the extra foot. The cross braces are set as if it was a 6 foot tank. It really only needs one in the center.

 

[Boat Racer]

Oh.I didnt read this entire thread.Sorry.Most 150's are six foot.Good luck anyway

 

[cerreta]

Conda, I had a similar problem with my MH's. It certainly is a bummer, but my prob was easily solved.

How far is the light fixture above the water surface? If it is too close, the light can not spread equally over teh water surface.

Try to raise the fixture up 6 or ten inches and see if the problem goes away. if so, then just build some type of support for teh lamp fixture to stay at this level. Hopefull the canopy is not built yet, and you can incorporate this change into that build.

If the fixture is too close, you are bound to have more heat issues too. Raising the lights will reduce that problem too. Let me know if that works.
Cheers

 

[melev]

Congrats on the new lighting. Once you have livestock in there, you won't be looking at the shadow effect.

 

[conda]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6913397#post6913397 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cerreta
Conda, I had a similar problem with my MH's. It certainly is a bummer, but my prob was easily solved.

How far is the light fixture above the water surface? If it is too close, the light can not spread equally over teh water surface.

Try to raise the fixture up 6 or ten inches and see if the problem goes away. if so, then just build some type of support for teh lamp fixture to stay at this level. Hopefull the canopy is not built yet, and you can incorporate this change into that build.

If the fixture is too close, you are bound to have more heat issues too. Raising the lights will reduce that problem too. Let me know if that works.
Cheers

The light is just sitting on the tank with the four legs that came with it. I was planning on hanging it since it barely fits and is touching the wall and Sea Swirl. I hope you are right, because I can't stand the shadow.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6913919#post6913919 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Congrats on the new lighting. Once you have livestock in there, you won't be looking at the shadow effect.

You really think so?

On a side note: Now that the light is on, I can really see my microbubble problem. Hopefully the overflow divider that is going in this weekend will help that.

Also, I just noticed these really small starfish looking things on the glass--and I mean small. I first thought they were eggs of some sort, but after I looked real close, there were 6 to 8 legs on them. Any idea what these are? Unless those hermit baby tadpoles turned into these, but I doubt that.

 

[tgunn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6916726#post6916726 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by conda

Also, I just noticed these really small starfish looking things on the glass--and I mean small. I first thought they were eggs of some sort, but after I looked real close, there were 6 to 8 legs on them. Any idea what these are? Unless those hermit baby tadpoles turned into these, but I doubt that.

Do they move around at all?
They are probably exactly what they look like; mini starfish. I have them in my tank. They're hard to see since they're so small and kinda an off-white color. I think they stay under an inch in size if I recall..

The small creatures I discover in my tank are one of my favorite parts of this hobby!

Tyler

 

[conda]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6917044#post6917044 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tgunn
Do they move around at all?
They are probably exactly what they look like; mini starfish. I have them in my tank. They're hard to see since they're so small and kinda an off-white color. I think they stay under an inch in size if I recall..

The small creatures I discover in my tank are one of my favorite parts of this hobby!

Tyler

I have not niticed them moving at all, but I just found them last night, so I'm not sure. They are off-white in color and all of them are about 1/4" in size.

 

[Airman]

Brother
I finished reading your thread. It took me awhile because; I'm a full students, work, family and reef. Things are looking good. How is the micro bubbles problem?

 

[conda]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6918943#post6918943 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Airman
Brother
I finished reading your thread. It took me awhile because; I'm a full students, work, family and reef. Things are looking good. How is the micro bubbles problem?

The micro bubbles are still micro bubbling.

I'm going to wait until Saturday after my overflow divider is in to see if that helps. Hopefully it does. I'm going to move my 55 stock over Saturday night--hopefully.

 

[cerreta]

Conda, the little sea stars you inhabit are called Asterina sp. Some species are known to eat zooanthids and sps corals. Many others have only been observed to be algae eaters and detrivores. They reproduce by binary fission, that is why many have truncated rays. The severed ray can form into a new indiviual very rapidly.

I personally don't like the little fellows, and often find them lurking in my zoo colonies. I have also personally observed them to eat corraline algae, which they are also known to munch on.

For additional info: The Reef Aqaurium Vol 2, Sprung and Delbeck, pg. 433.



I'm very curious to know if the shadows disapear with raising the light unit. You don't have to do anything fancy to test for this. Just shove a 2x6, a few books, or something around the house under each leg to raise the unit up 6-10 inches. You can even have your wife grab one end and you the other and lift it up manually.

Also, what is the brace made of? Is it the black plastic tank framing or glass? If it is plastic, it is likely to cast shadows regardless of raising the unit. In that case, it can be cut off and replaced with glass braces. I can give further instruction on how to replace them with a full tank, if necessary.

 

[conda]

cerreta, thanks for the input.

I took another look at the stars and they actual look like tiny brittle or serpant stars. So far they will not leave the glass, but there is nothing else in there yet. I will try to get a pic of them once I get my good camera battery charged--I only have my old one which cannot take closups.

Regarding the light. The person who built the tank is coming tomorrow to add a divider to my overflow, he is also going to hold the light up for me to determine if this helps the shadow. The two cross braces are black power coated steal, as is the perimiter frame.

The problem with the cross braces is due to lack of communication on my part. I should have given him the measurements of where the MH lights will be before he finished the frame.

 

[melev]

Just tell your visitors it is spot lighting for dramatic effect ala Hollywood.

Honestly, you will always see them, whether they are glass, plastic, or metal. What you want to do is focus on the livestock. The shadowed areas will work for those corals that can't take strong lighting, and your fish will swim in and out of those darkened areas which is actually a nice effect.

As the reef fills up with cool stuff, you'll be the only one to really notice them at all. I've seen plenty of tanks in our club, and I notice the shadow lines when the owners do not. They either just accepted them, didn't notice them, or got use to them.

 

[mille239]

FWIW, my moonlights are positioned right over my two cross braces, and though they do cast a shadow, Melev is right it is neat to watch the fish swim through the shimmering shadows...

 

[conda]

Well, my OM 4-Way stopped working tonight. All it does is click and will not change output. What a POS. :mad2:

 

[jaccoo]

Back to the first few pages about insurance, is your insurance "covering" all of these new expenses

if so i wanna get a piece of that action...:smokin:

 

[Airman]

Conda are you going to temp install the divider in the overflow to see how it works? Overflows tend to be touchy.