d2mini's "Essential Focus" Mixed Reef Build

[mpderksen]

When I did mine, I was told to add 10%, since the blues impact the meter differently. This is second, or third-hand knowledge, so cross check that.

 

[d2mini]

When I did mine, I was told to add 10%, since the blues impact the meter differently. This is second, or third-hand knowledge, so cross check that.

Were you using the MQ-500?
This is the new one that is supposed to have a better handle on the blues.

 

[Fish Everywhere]

Just was skimming through this thread.... great tank Dennis!

I have 2 questions though, if you don't mind:

1. How are you even keeping those sponges alive? Everything I have heard says they are impossible to keep without an NPS system. They are looking great, not only surviving but seem healthy!

2. How does the Powder Brown behave in a 4' tank? From what I know, its a lot less aggressive, less neurotic, and less 'pacy' than the Powder Blue Tang. Think its fine in this size tank? Curious, because its one of the fish I really would like in a 120 I'll be setting up in the near future.

Thanks!

 

[d2mini]

Just was skimming through this thread.... great tank Dennis!

I have 2 questions though, if you don't mind:

1. How are you even keeping those sponges alive? Everything I have heard says they are impossible to keep without an NPS system. They are looking great, not only surviving but seem healthy!

2. How does the Powder Brown behave in a 4' tank? From what I know, its a lot less aggressive, less neurotic, and less 'pacy' than the Powder Blue Tang. Think its fine in this size tank? Curious, because its one of the fish I really would like in a 120 I'll be setting up in the near future.

Thanks!

Thanks

1. The tank is only 4 weeks old. Come back to me in 6 months! I'm dosing PhytoFeast daily and one or two other things here and there. We'll see how it goes. Some of these sponges tend to last longer than others for me. For instance, that red finger sponge in the front is usually the first to go south, whereas the larger orange one in the back tends to last the longest in my tanks. But this is the first time I'm actively trying to feed them.

2. He seems fine. He's not a big swimmer. Spends most of his time weaving in and out of the rocks and grazing on them all day. Doesn't seem to have much interest in nori yet, nor the frozen food. I guess the rocks are providing what he needs for now.

 

[d2mini]

Anemone in da house. Not as colorful as I had hoped for or as seen in the seller's pic, but it'll do for now. A little hard to see but it has a green base.

 

[SchnitzelReef]

I've been playing around with the Apogee MQ-500 par meter.

The three radion pros are 16.5" above the water.

The yellow measurements are as close to the center of the tank as I could get when rock wasn't in the way.

The extra row of blue along the bottom were measurements taken close to the front glass.

This is the AB+ Coral Lab program and it's running at an overall brightness of 65%.

Thinking of upping it a little over time to get the upper tier nearer to the 300 mark.



But this is my first time using a par meter so open to suggestions.

Tank will be mostly sps and lps.

From what I've heard, mid-200's is the sweet spot.

This was my problem with radions. I thought I was blasting my corals with par. Then I borrowed a par meter from a friend, and my results were pretty similar to yours. Even with my lights at 100%, the par still wasn't where I had hoped it would be. I eventually ran all colors 100%, and saw some improvement. Although, I started getting a lot more algae growth. (Mostly cyano). My tank is Sps dominant, so maybe our goals are a bit different. I was hoping to have 500 at the top. I think the highest I saw was 300. That's with AB+ program at 100%, and lights about 11" above my water.

 

[d2mini]

This was my problem with radions. I thought I was blasting my corals with par. Then I borrowed a par meter from a friend, and my results were pretty similar to yours. Even with my lights at 100%, the par still wasn't where I had hoped it would be. I eventually ran all colors 100%, and saw some improvement. Although, I started getting a lot more algae growth. (Mostly cyano). My tank is Sps dominant, so maybe our goals are a bit different. I was hoping to have 500 at the top. I think the highest I saw was 300. That's with AB+ program at 100%, and lights about 11" above my water.

From what i've heard with people have great success with the radions, including the coral lab article, par should be around 250-300.
I real high off the water and only running at 65% overall.

 

[Bdial]

Welp. Your tank is officially stuffed. Not sure how you're gonna fit any acros in there. Why don't you just go ahead and send all your future stuff to me and I'll hold it for you ��
Nem looks nice!

 

[foxt]

Moving along nicely. About a month into it, can you give us your opinion about the overflow design?

I am planning a 240g build (72" long), and wanted a full coast-to-coast external overflow. The tank builder I prefer to work with won't go over 24" for the external box,and that only gives me about 14" of effective weir after accounting for teeth, etc. Triton calls for 10x flow, which after all is said and done, would mean I'd have about 1" of water flowing over the weir of the overflow. Contrast that with a coast-coast, which would give me about 3/8" over the weir. Granted I would still get some skimming with the smaller box, but will it be enough?

I know you had doubts about moving from your coast-coast on the last tank to this Elos design. Any idea how much water you are getting over the weir vs. pulling from the bottom of the tank? Do you think you are still getting effective surface skimming? Too soon to tell?

 

[d2mini]

Moving along nicely. About a month into it, can you give us your opinion about the overflow design?

I am planning a 240g build (72" long), and wanted a full coast-to-coast external overflow. The tank builder I prefer to work with won't go over 24" for the external box,and that only gives me about 14" of effective weir after accounting for teeth, etc. Triton calls for 10x flow, which after all is said and done, would mean I'd have about 1" of water flowing over the weir of the overflow. Contrast that with a coast-coast, which would give me about 3/8" over the weir. Granted I would still get some skimming with the smaller box, but will it be enough?

I know you had doubts about moving from your coast-coast on the last tank to this Elos design. Any idea how much water you are getting over the weir vs. pulling from the bottom of the tank? Do you think you are still getting effective surface skimming? Too soon to tell?

Considering how tiny this overflow is, it flows a lot of water.
I wish I knew what kind of flow I'm getting down the drain. All i can tell you is that my Vectra L1 is running at 75% power. I have three 90's and two barbed fittings on the return so there is a bit of restriction, plus the 4' or so of head height.
But I'm getting good flow in the tank. The return is split in two, and I only have the one MP40.
And the tank is surprisingly quiet. It took a little fooling around with a ball valve on the drain, but once dialed in it really is silent. My skimmer (which isn't loud) is the loudest thing on the tank.
The MP40 is silent, the Vectra is silent, the Elos overflow and drain is silent.
I have the slightest noise from water flowing into the second chamber and the skimmer. That's it.
I took some video to show the noise level and flow, i just haven't edited it together yet.
And the surface of the water has a lot of movement and is staying pretty clean. I'm probably not getting the surface skimming like I was with the coast to coast, but as long as i'm not getting that film on top of the water that's ok.

 

[fewponds]

Nice tank! I have followed all your build threads, and it always was a pleasure .
When you said the tank will be mostly SPS I was concerned about your PAR results.
Having proper T5 setup (which means recommanded for the tank volume) one should have PAR at least 800 at the surface (mine is 1100 for 130 gal cube), so I am afraid you may need to add three more led fixtures. Moreover the point with the light over the reef is to have it evenly spread over the tank, while leds, mostly like yours, are rather giving concentrated beam, so more units should deliver: primo more light, secundo: more spread . Just my 5c.

 

[d2mini]

Nice tank! I have followed all your build threads, and it always was a pleasure .
When you said the tank will be mostly SPS I was concerned about your PAR results.
Having proper T5 setup (which means recommanded for the tank volume) one should have PAR at least 800 at the surface (mine is 1100 for 130 gal cube), so I am afraid you may need to add three more led fixtures. Moreover the point with the light over the reef is to have it evenly spread over the tank, while leds, mostly like yours, are rather giving concentrated beam, so more units should deliver: primo more light, secundo: more spread . Just my 5c.

Thanks for the comments.

If I had 800-1000 par under these lights my coral would be fried crispier than grandma's fried chicken!

Take look at this article.
http://ecotechmarine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Ecotech_CoralLab_WP1.pdf
I agree with you on the spread but 4 lights would be the max over this tank. I think 3 will do it though since i have the extra height aspect. Already at 16.5" and can go higher if need be.

 

[fewponds]

Well, I used to have DIY version of Lani Led over my tank, it was giving PAR 750 at the surface as I remember, and it was not too much honestly. However the lamp was still too small so I abandoned DIY route and simply installed T5 to not make PhD thesis on led lighting LOL.
Anyway I keep my fingers crossed for your success, and still remember your first led lighted cube which was simply stunning .

 

[SchnitzelReef]

Thanks for the comments.



If I had 800-1000 par under these lights my coral would be fried crispier than grandma's fried chicken!



Take look at this article.

http://ecotechmarine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Ecotech_CoralLab_WP1.pdf

I agree with you on the spread but 4 lights would be the max over this tank. I think 3 will do it though since i have the extra height aspect. Already at 16.5" and can go higher if need be.

I see so many threads with people that are using metal halide or t5s, and it's seems like most have 500+ par (minimum) at the top of their tanks. I'm friends with Greg Carroll, and he had 3 or 4-400w metal halides over his 225g tank, and it was exploding with growth. If I remember right, he was getting around 700+ par half way down.

Do you think that much par just isnt necessary? Or do you believe led par is somehow different, and only 300 is needed with led lit tanks?
(This is all for Sps dominant tanks of course)

 

[d2mini]

I see so many threads with people that are using metal halide or t5s, and it's seems like most have 500+ par (minimum) at the top of their tanks. I'm friends with Greg Carroll, and he had 3 or 4-400w metal halides over his 225g tank, and it was exploding with growth. If I remember right, he was getting around 700+ par half way down.

Do you think that much par just isnt necessary? Or do you believe led par is somehow different, and only 300 is needed with led lit tanks?
(This is all for Sps dominant tanks of course)

I really have no idea.
I'm just going by what I've heard from those that have made the switch from T5 to LED and have gotten growth and color to match up.
I wish I knew how much par i had in my old tank. That was 250w MH with T5.
I think I'm currently a bit low but not sure I need to go all that much higher.
Time will tell.

 

[d2mini]

More macros have arrived for the Triton Algae Garden!
I love getting stuff from Live-Plants.com
I also got some more snails. And a couple mangroves for the office nano.
And the mangroves had long roots and several leaves on each! Typically you just get propagules.
In the bags from left to right are Gracilaria Hayi, Halimeda Opuntia, and Hypnea Pannosa (its blue under the fuge light).

And yet another pic of a decorator crab.

 

[nemosworld]

I don't see anything in that tank that requires higher par readings. I'm sure my par readings are lower than yours and I'm growing SPS just fine, need to work on phosphates but that's another issue. I have about 3 months left before I break it down, you're welcome to stop by. I think that rather than chase numbers, you should go visual, yes I know you had issues with slow growth in the past, but let me ask you this...
Why rush growth? unless you plan to sell frags. if the system's healthy and colorful isn't that good enough?

 

[d2mini]

I don't see anything in that tank that requires higher par readings. I'm sure my par readings are lower than yours and I'm growing SPS just fine, need to work on phosphates but that's another issue. I have about 3 months left before I break it down, you're welcome to stop by. I think that rather than chase numbers, you should go visual, yes I know you had issues with slow growth in the past, but let me ask you this...
Why rush growth? unless you plan to sell frags. if the system's healthy and colorful isn't that good enough?

I agree. I'm not after maximum growth. Color and PE is more important to me.
That's why I don't see the need to strive for those really high par numbers.
I'm not a number chaser... just looking for that general sweet spot.
With halides or t5 there's less guesswork involved. Now that I'm trying LED again I just want to make sure I'm in the ballpark without having to make a wild guess.
I want to start the tank off right from the beginning.

 

[d2mini]

Here's the macros in my refugium. Starting to look like a real little algae garden.
But the mystery is what's growing on the wall.
It's large single leaves, bright green, real thin and translucent, kinda reminds me of lettuce.
Any ideas?

 

[kaxt]

Is it sea lettuce- Ulva lactuca? I was in the Florida Keys this past winter and collected what I believe to be sea lettuce. My tang and angel love it. It grows in my fuge similarly to your picture.