I am seriously
I am seriously infatuated with it. No picture of the CC Heaven and Hell in that group of pictures.
FarmerTy 215-gal No Water Change SPS Tank
- Thread starter FarmerTy
- Start date
Some frags that are stewing away in the frag tank. I was testing out the polarizing filter on the camera lens... Works pretty well to get rid of all that glare. It won't get rid of the LED diode reflections because they are too intense and single point but did a good job on just general glare.
I think I'm really liking this associative hobby of photography.
I think I'm really liking this associative hobby of photography.
Haven't made an update video in a long time. It seemed like the perfect time to do one since its been about a year since I upgraded houses and had to move my established <abbr title="Small Poly Stony (SPS)">SPS</abbr> tank.
There were ups and downs during the first year, dinos, cyano enough to blanket everything in a maroon wonderland, red flatworms so dense it looked like cyano, red turf algae, a weird November where I saw unending STN and lost some stuff, marine velvet episode that killed 2/3rd of my fish population... This time from a dipped frag of all things... And so I say with much relief, that after a long first year... Made longer because I had my first kid at roughly the same time we moved so I was introduced to parenthood and sleepless nights... That I'm happy the tank has made it to where it has today.
A lot of thanks goes to local friends that helped a sleep deprived guy who didn't even know which way was up or down move. Continued thanks to friends that helped me cut a hole in the wall for me to build an in-wall setup and frame up cabinet doors and add a bar to it.
Even those that couldn't physically help, the support given in the forums was amazing and pushed me to carry forward through the lack of sleep and exhaustion after taking care of a newborn and moving houses in the same month. It seems ridiculous looking back that it took 4 months to aquascape and only really 3 months ago did I really start to glue down corals permanently. I'm actually still working on the right of the scape as I still need to glue corals on that side of the rock. You'll see in the video the area I quickly glossed over as its just bare rock... Think of it as an blank canvas. [emoji16]
Anyways, I'll wrap it up. Thanks all for your support through the first year of my new tank at the new house with the new baby. I couldn't have done it without you! Here's the video!
https://youtu.be/OSFGi-bEusU
There were ups and downs during the first year, dinos, cyano enough to blanket everything in a maroon wonderland, red flatworms so dense it looked like cyano, red turf algae, a weird November where I saw unending STN and lost some stuff, marine velvet episode that killed 2/3rd of my fish population... This time from a dipped frag of all things... And so I say with much relief, that after a long first year... Made longer because I had my first kid at roughly the same time we moved so I was introduced to parenthood and sleepless nights... That I'm happy the tank has made it to where it has today.
A lot of thanks goes to local friends that helped a sleep deprived guy who didn't even know which way was up or down move. Continued thanks to friends that helped me cut a hole in the wall for me to build an in-wall setup and frame up cabinet doors and add a bar to it.
Even those that couldn't physically help, the support given in the forums was amazing and pushed me to carry forward through the lack of sleep and exhaustion after taking care of a newborn and moving houses in the same month. It seems ridiculous looking back that it took 4 months to aquascape and only really 3 months ago did I really start to glue down corals permanently. I'm actually still working on the right of the scape as I still need to glue corals on that side of the rock. You'll see in the video the area I quickly glossed over as its just bare rock... Think of it as an blank canvas. [emoji16]
Anyways, I'll wrap it up. Thanks all for your support through the first year of my new tank at the new house with the new baby. I couldn't have done it without you! Here's the video!
https://youtu.be/OSFGi-bEusU
Last edited:
Gig 'em
New member
Sheesh, I hope you compensated those friends that helped you out well[emoji38]
The tank is looking great, I can't believe it's already been a year since you moved! The tank has gone through some growing pains, but it has definitely begun to hit its stride and return to its pervious glory! Keep up the great work bud.
I definitely did, with the gift of my friendship. Now that I think about it, I may need a partial refund for overpaying! [emoji16]
Thanks bud! It definitely had some growing pains... I've been using the baby as a scapegoat but I was really 'laxed at times to things I should have attacked harder before they became problems.
Hopefully it will hit Gig'em glory soon and I can just sit and stare at my giant colonies and leave it alone. I'll leave the tinkering to the frag tank! Haha.
Colorado Sunburst was just begging for a video shoot! Under T5s with actinic bars.
https://youtu.be/FzuWOph178Q
https://youtu.be/FzuWOph178Q
Thanks Tripdad for the encouragement. The first year with tanks is always a fun one, even if all I did was move. It was enough to reset some things and I'm happy to finally be falling into the nice 1 year stability and ride it through the 2nd year.
I think I finally did it! I think I found the perfect T5 bulb combo over my tank when matched with two SBREEF actinic bars. The look I was going for was nice white with a hint of blue from the T5s (12k to 14k) and the pop of LEDs. Adding the GE 6500k bulb really helped balance out all the blue actinic pop I was getting from the two SBREEF actinic bars and preserve some of the warmer tones that get lost in a lot of reef tanks.
That way I can still enjoy more natural looking colors during daylight with the extra pop from LEDs. During dusk/dawn, I can appreciate all those blue light specials like all the rainbow tenuis that seem to be all the rage these days but look pretty ordinary under normal lighting.
Here's the bulb combo:
SBREEF actinic bar
-B+
-C+
-P+
-Actinic
-GE 6500k
-B+
-C+
-B+
SBREEF actinic bar
That way I can still enjoy more natural looking colors during daylight with the extra pop from LEDs. During dusk/dawn, I can appreciate all those blue light specials like all the rainbow tenuis that seem to be all the rage these days but look pretty ordinary under normal lighting.
Here's the bulb combo:
SBREEF actinic bar
-B+
-C+
-P+
-Actinic
-GE 6500k
-B+
-C+
-B+
SBREEF actinic bar
Gig 'em
New member
I think I finally did it! I think I found the perfect T5 bulb combo over my tank when matched with two SBREEF actinic bars. The look I was going for was nice white with a hint of blue from the T5s (12k to 14k) and the pop of LEDs. Adding the GE 6500k bulb really helped balance out all the blue actinic pop I was getting from the two SBREEF actinic bars and preserve some of the warmer tones that get lost in a lot of reef tanks.
That way I can still enjoy more natural looking colors during daylight with the extra pop from LEDs. During dusk/dawn, I can appreciate all those blue light specials like all the rainbow tenuis that seem to be all the rage these days but look pretty ordinary under normal lighting.
Here's the bulb combo:
SBREEF actinic bar
-B+
-C+
-P+
-Actinic
-GE 6500k
-B+
-C+
-B+
SBREEF actinic bar
AHHHHHH! So white! How will you ever view those actinic special corals under that monstrosity of a light mixture?! [emoji12]
Looking good. Seeing the new light combo in person I can attest to how good it's looking. Much more natural and vibrant. You're well on your way to having a gold star reef Ty!
Bpb
New member
Love it man. I need to pick up another sbreef actinic bar. These things have such tight optics. Have you found black spots over your violets? I got mine used and the shield is black and cracked over each violet diode. Considering removing the shield entirely. How high off the water are your lights
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Hey bud! Thought you'd be happy to see a 6500k bulb in my combo! [emoji4]
Interesting you noted that on the SBREEF bars. I just looked and my older bar has a very faint black ring around the viotlet diode on the cover. I'm tempted to remove the optic if possible for a more spread beam. I remember one of them the manufacturer said it was easy, just pop the optic off. But the other diode is difficult as its all one piece. Let's hope the violet diode is the easy one!
The whole fixture is about 7"-8" off the top of the water.
Thanks bud! Yeah, I remember being the odd person at the swaps with my 12k lights and everyone else running blue as smurf lights.
I'll take looking just as good as the old tank if I don't reach gold star status!
aikenreefkeeper
Member
FarmerTy,
Where did you find those egg crate holders?
Thanks,
Where did you find those egg crate holders?
Thanks,
Here you go!
This Sponsor out of Houston. He's on their local forum, Marsh. Always has the greatest ideas for printed items for reef tanks!
https://printed3d.parts/product/egg-crate-magnetic-holder/
