Eco-Friendly SPS tank to be

[Puffcrusader696]

So I have a plan to make an Eco-Friendly SPS reef in my 40 gallon breeder. I wanted to use LED lights but it's gonna be difficult with the light requirement of the corals and my budget... I was also going to have as many aqua cultured corals as possible. I have man made rock and sand thats not from reefs. I'll post pictures soon I have a lot of the equipment already... The biggest decision before livestock is just the lighting so I would like some input on that opinions? thoughts? suggestions? Thanks

 

[29reef]

Maybe try the lighting, filtration, and equipment forum. Lots of good answers in there

I like the look of the dry rock that available. The mam made stuff doesn't do it for me looks wise.

 

[tozzi]

Check out reefkoi for good leds that are "green" on your wallet

 

[Dustin1300]

What LEDs are you referencing from ReefKoi?

 

[Puffcrusader696]

I was looking at some of the Ecoxotic par38 spotlights... like 5 of them with some of their stunner strips for color and such... what do you think of them? think they'll put out enough if I use five?

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/250409/product.web

 

[Puffcrusader696]

I'm assuming the LED's tozzi was refering to are these?

http://reefkoi.com/coral/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=840

I do like that light fixture but I wonder if I would need more than two for my tank... My budget for lighting is no more than $700 and thats even pushing it so if i needed more than two that could be a problem... another thing i could do i guess would be to purchase two of those and supplement it with two Ecoxotic stunner strips? maybe more if i can manage to get some money for extra lighting... just some ideas

 

[Puffcrusader696]

the rock

 

[Dustin1300]

Nice rock. The 'eco friendly' tank is in the ocean I know I consume a lot of power but someday hobbyist may be the only ones that have a lot of the corals of the ocean...Who knows!

 

[Puffcrusader696]

thanks oh and i saw these "far red" LEDs from sunbrite that are supposed to excite different parts of the photosynthetic zooxanthallae in the corals and make them grow better... what do you think? where can i get them? theres the article on them on reef builders

 

[reefsurfing]

If my budget were 700 bones

hmmm..... I would buy 1 Aqua illumination unit @ 500 and spend the rest on (2) par 38s to hang on either side. I bet it would look awesome.

 

[Puffcrusader696]

The only problem with that is the fixture is so small and the spotlights dont have a wide area either... they would have to be mounted too high above the aquarium and I was planning on enclosing the whole thing cuz of evaporation and looks and what not... What are the PAR ratings on the aqua illumination?

 

[tozzi]

I'm assuming the LED's tozzi was refering to are these?

http://reefkoi.com/coral/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=840

I do like that light fixture but I wonder if I would need more than two for my tank... My budget for lighting is no more than $700 and thats even pushing it so if i needed more than two that could be a problem... another thing i could do i guess would be to purchase two of those and supplement it with two Ecoxotic stunner strips? maybe more if i can manage to get some money for extra lighting... just some ideas

Thats the ones im talking about. U def only need 2 for a 40. they cover a good area. Just got mine up on my tank, nice light

 

[BonsaiNut]

Not being a troll, but I'm not sure that using artificial rock and artificial sand is any eco-friendlier than rock and sand out of the ocean, as long as it is harvested in a responsible and sustainable fashion. (Similar to tridacnid farms, or wild frag farms). Creating sustainable aquaculture on islands throughout the world, is, in my opinion, a better solution. I know of people right now working to create "designer" live rock in the South Pacific where they grow several types of polyps, attach them to rock, and allow the rock to mature in the ocean so that they can deliver premium rock to hobbyists that was never originally from any reef.

I just want to make sure that people have the right knowledge about reefing and it makes me nervous when even our own hobbyists start to feel that reefing is damaging reefs. In some parts of the world this is probably the case - but there are solutions that are being implemented and I expect it will not be the case for very much longer.

Do not forget that the commercial nature of reefing can be a powerful force for conservation and preservation. Ruined reefs do not generate money for anyone. I don't know if any of you remember the years when there was a 100% import ban on tridacnids. Then people realized that clam farming was a relatively eco-friendly business with low start-up costs. Now there are plenty of tridacnids available, at a lower cost than when they were wild caught, and they are even being reintroduced to many areas where they had been overfished (since the primary population pressure on clams was due to fishing for food - not the ornamental marine trade).

Personal opinion.

 

[Puffcrusader696]

Thats the ones im talking about. U def only need 2 for a 40. they cover a good area. Just got mine up on my tank, nice light

got any pics of the tank?

@BonsaiNut - I see what you're saying with the responsible harvesting of the rock and sand. My sand is harvested, not man made. sorry for not making that clear earlier. The rock is man made. Mostly for this tank though I was focusing on low power consumption. Which I was hoping to achieve with the use of LEDs

 

[reefsurfing]

The only problem with that is the fixture is so small and the spotlights dont have a wide area either... they would have to be mounted too high above the aquarium and I was planning on enclosing the whole thing cuz of evaporation and looks and what not... What are the PAR ratings on the aqua illumination?

The NEW AI units now use 70 degree optics on the ends. The units turned sideways cover 30"s a peice in my 90G tank thats why I would add the two pendants, but hey, thats just what I would do since I own and love em.

 

[tozzi]

The only problem with that is the fixture is so small and the spotlights dont have a wide area either... they would have to be mounted too high above the aquarium and I was planning on enclosing the whole thing cuz of evaporation and looks and what not... What are the PAR ratings on the aqua illumination?

You wont have any problem like that on a 40 breeder. 2 of the reefkoi fixtures hang them longways on the tank would be more than enough light. if you hung them 8-10 inches U would get coverage everywhere in the tank, no dead spots. Up to u , im just thinking of your wallet.

 

[Puffcrusader696]

I think I'm going to go with the fixtures from reefkoi... I'll use two lengthwise and add stunner strips where there are dead spots. thanks guys I'll keep you updated on everything else I have going on

 

[tozzi]

or use 2 of the led and 2 36" t5

 

[Puffcrusader696]

or use 2 of the led and 2 36" t5

I was going to use two of the LEDs but I wanted to stay away from fluorescent just because of the heat... I'm trying to be as efficient as possible.