OurCoralReef
New member
How are you taking the photos what camera,setting and filters if your using any
FarmerTy 215-gal No Water Change SPS Tank
- Thread starter FarmerTy
- Start date
I'm using my LG V20 phone with its native camera app. No gel filters, those drive me nuts.
Aperture 1.8
White balance 6900k
Iso 50
Shutter Speed 1/100
Thanks! I probably never posted it. [emoji4]
3 pm, blues only (OR LEDs)
4 pm, white channel and blues (OR LEDs)
5pm, T5s turn on (3 60" bulbs, coral +, purple +, blue +)
11pm, T5s off
1130pm, white channel off (OR Leds)
1230am, blue channel off (OR LEDs) - dark
Haha, well I actually work from home and I found it best to not have anything to distract me during those hours... Especially a big reef tank. [emoji7]
Intensity is 90% blues, 65% whites, gives me 600-700 par just below the surface of a 29" tank, 350-400 par halfway down where most corals are at, 100-250 par on the sandbed at various locations.
Here you go Corey.
I finally got a chance to build my light rack and added the T5 bulbs I've been wanting to add to the LEDs for supplemental coverage and spectrum.
I used shelf track from home depot.
http://m.homedepot.com/p/Rubbermaid-70-in-Black-Twin-Track-Upright-FG4B8900BLA/100149366
I used the pieces and constructed the light rack. The 3 LED fixtures sitting in the middle are the Ocean Revive T247s with all the 10k, green, and red diodes replaced with 3.5k warm white diodes. The T5s are run with ATI ballasts and are 80w, 60" T5 bulbs. The two front ones are ATI Coral+ and ATI Purple+, with a single ATI Blue+ in the back.
I call it my ATY Poorman's Powermodule. [emoji23] All I have to say is holy moly, it's bright! [emoji3]
biecacka
Active member
Looking good!!!! Are the T5 a newer addition or always been on board. Either way the tank looks great man and so does the growth. I'm seeing more and more LED tanks that are sweet!!! I just feel like if I have to add T5 I might as well run them entirely on my tank. But there is no doubt that leds grow, just getting the right coverage.
I love your ATI poormans powermodule:lol: I have kicked around the idea of replacing my halide with something similar.
Corey
I love your ATI poormans powermodule:lol: I have kicked around the idea of replacing my halide with something similar.
Corey
Nicks Purple Passion
Omg I need this piece. It's just so amazingly beautiful! [emoji7]
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I've had the T5s for about a year now but always planned on adding them from the beginning but it took me awhile to make it come to fruition.
I was a die hard MH guy, three 400-watt fixtures over my tank and the last person in town to ever say I saw a good looking LED-lit SPS tank. Now look at me.... [emoji17]
Thanks! It is purdddyyy!
Hate to be annoying, but can you explain the "no water change" method? I'd love to know more! Thanks
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No problem at all. I don't think I explained it a ton up to this point.
Its a pretty simple approach honestly, nothing spectacular.
We do water changes for 2 reasons in my opinion, replacement and dilution. We aim to replace missing elements and dilute nutrients (as well as dilute potentially harmful elements/chemicals that can build up over time). The question I asked 6 years ago was, if I am able to replace the important elements and reduce nutrients via media/reactors, are water changes even necessary anymore?
The backbone of the system is the calcium reactor, it supplies my foundation elements, Ca, Alk, and Mg. It also supplies strontium and potassium and could possibly supply other trace elements that I am not aware of as it literally is melting old acro skeletons. For my system, it has been adequately supplying my system with the foundation elements needed for acro growth up to this point for the last 3 years now.
For nutrient control, I employ a skimmer and reactors to handle the high nitrate and high phosphate output of my tank. I have a decent fish population but just as important, I feed a ton to the fish which in turn feeds my corals as well. I have two auto feeders that feed my tank 5x/day a various assortment of pellets. On top of that, I also feed a generous amount of frozen 2x/day that consists of mysis, bloodworms, cappeleni eggs, clams, krill, and some type of pre-made frozen like LRS or Rods. I'm a firm believer in high input, high output. Feed a ton, then efficiently remove the nutrients. A healthy reef system to me is well fed but also carefully managed to control the resulting nutrient levels.
So back to the reactors, I use biopellets to keep my nitrate levels around 5-10ppm. I use GFO to keep my phosphates below 0.05 ppm. I use a large skimmer (rated double the capacity of the system) to remove organics in the first place before they breakdown into nitrates and phosphates to minimize the amount of biopellets and GFO needed. I passively run activated carbon in a bag in a high flow area of the sump.
That's it! Feed heavy, export heavy (leaving 5-10 ppm nitrates), and run a Calcium reactor. Other than monthly media changes of GFO and carbon, and biannual media topoff of CaRX media and biopellets, the system runs itself and the best part... No water changes! [emoji4]
Thank you! At the end of the day, it really is that easy once everything is setup. I'm not trying to be the"cool kid" or anything by just saying it's that easy, it really is. I do very little for the tank these days other than what my wife likes to call "made up work". I find things to do even though I don't really need to do them.
Wow, tough question!
Philosophically, slow and steady wins the race. You're not going to have a "Reef of the Month" in a month.
Procedurally, the calcium reactor is the backbone to keeping my acros alive and the key to my success with them. All they appreciate is stable Ca, Alk, and Mg levels and that's all the CaRX is designed to do. Its a match made in heaven.
SPotter
Active member
Art, this has quickly become one of my favorite tanks and threads too!!! Ty is very straight forward with his answers and is more than happy to answer the same question twice. I see threads now where if someone asks a question the answer is "i have already covered this....go back and read my thread!"
Ty really makes it look simple and simplicity and consistency are the key!
Thanks SPotter! You gave me the good feels for the day... I'll be walking around with a happy smile. [emoji106]
SPotter
Active member
I love T5's Art but my tank is just too big. I'd need 16-20 54w bulbs to light it effectively. The thought of changing those bulbs and annual costs made me sick! Lol
Haha, sounds a lot like what I sounded like with my MHs. [emoji12] FWIW, I consider T5 SPS tanks the pinnacle of color and growth. I'm the same as SPotter though, my tank is too big for me to justify the cost of annual bulb changes so I have to keep a poor mans lighting setup for now.
Me too!
