Floridiot's new SPS tank journal
- Thread starter Floridiot
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Floridiot
Member
Prodibio dosing update:
2/9 - dosed 3.5 vials Bioptim +1 vial Biodigest
2/14 - dosed 1 vial Reefbooster
2/24 - dosed 3.5 vials Bioptim +1 vial Biodigest
2/25 - dosed 1 vial Reefbooster
So far I've noticed an even higher increase in skimmate production, and zero chaeto growth. I'd have to say early signs are that it is doing its job.
As far as the T5 lighting is concerned, all my corals seem to lighten up considerably over the first 3 weeks in my tank. I have a friend who's running a pair of 250W 14K Hamilton MHs on his 120. He gave me a couple frags that have really lightened up in my tank.
I'm now considering cutting back my photoperiod from 11 hours per day to 10. If my corals stay light in color, I may cut back even more. No sense in wasting electricity if it is not necessary. Although I don't think this would affect my Prodibio testing results, I will not adjust the lighting times until after the testing concludes.
2/9 - dosed 3.5 vials Bioptim +1 vial Biodigest
2/14 - dosed 1 vial Reefbooster
2/24 - dosed 3.5 vials Bioptim +1 vial Biodigest
2/25 - dosed 1 vial Reefbooster
So far I've noticed an even higher increase in skimmate production, and zero chaeto growth. I'd have to say early signs are that it is doing its job.
As far as the T5 lighting is concerned, all my corals seem to lighten up considerably over the first 3 weeks in my tank. I have a friend who's running a pair of 250W 14K Hamilton MHs on his 120. He gave me a couple frags that have really lightened up in my tank.
I'm now considering cutting back my photoperiod from 11 hours per day to 10. If my corals stay light in color, I may cut back even more. No sense in wasting electricity if it is not necessary. Although I don't think this would affect my Prodibio testing results, I will not adjust the lighting times until after the testing concludes.
TryTheChi
Member
Glad to hear its doing OK for you.
My chateo started to die in week 5 due to nutrient starvation - the bacs got the nurients before it could - so its worth getting prepared to either sell it, give it way or dump it
I'v also had to reduce the photoperiod because of lightening on T5 - and put one bank of T5s on a 4 hour period to simulate miday light peak.
I dont think reducing photoperiod would effect no3 and po4 results
Cheers
SImon
My chateo started to die in week 5 due to nutrient starvation - the bacs got the nurients before it could - so its worth getting prepared to either sell it, give it way or dump it
I'v also had to reduce the photoperiod because of lightening on T5 - and put one bank of T5s on a 4 hour period to simulate miday light peak.
I dont think reducing photoperiod would effect no3 and po4 results
Cheers
SImon
Floridiot
Member
One more thing I forgot to mention. I was messing with my Wavebox about a week ago, and I've now been able to get a solid 3/4" wave from it. I finally got the correct frequency of .70 in my tank. It appears as if the wave box control is designed for standard tank sizes (48", 60", 72", etc...). A 48" tank needs a frequency of .65 seconds. That speed can be dialed in pretty easily on the controller. When trying to adjust the frequency any slower, it wants to jump to .75 seconds. I would go back and forth between .75 and .65 and could not get it to stop at .70. Every now and then I could get a .67 or a .73 and I would get a slightly higher wave.
Timing the frequency is not that easy. I finally decided to just count how many complete waves occur over a minute's time.
40 complete waves = 80 cycles. 60/80 = 0.75.
45 complete waves = 90 cycles. 60/90 = 0.67.
42.5 complete waves = 85 cycles. 60/85 = 0.70.
I finally was just determined to get it to stop at 0.70. After almost an hour of messing with it, I finally got it, and whoala! I now have a solid 3/4" wave. This controller is very very finicky. It almost always stops at either .65 or .75. If you have a custom sized tank, have patience in dialing it in.
According to Roger's wavebox flow calculations, my wavebox is now producing about 5200 GPH of flow.
Add that to the 4500 GPH I get from my two 6080 streams + the 800 from my Iwaki 30RLT return pump, and I now have 10,500 GPH of flow. 10500 / 150 = 70X tank volume.
Right now this BB system is running pretty much flawlessly. I have no undesirable algae growth. My fish are all super healthy, and my water parameters are staying in check. My corals are all growing nicely, and life is good. The only problem is that my rock continues to shed detritus which likes to stay suspended in my water column. I'm hoping this will subside soon. I notice it sheds a little less now, but I'm not sure if that is because of the Prodibio or because the tank is maturing.
Timing the frequency is not that easy. I finally decided to just count how many complete waves occur over a minute's time.
40 complete waves = 80 cycles. 60/80 = 0.75.
45 complete waves = 90 cycles. 60/90 = 0.67.
42.5 complete waves = 85 cycles. 60/85 = 0.70.
I finally was just determined to get it to stop at 0.70. After almost an hour of messing with it, I finally got it, and whoala! I now have a solid 3/4" wave. This controller is very very finicky. It almost always stops at either .65 or .75. If you have a custom sized tank, have patience in dialing it in.
According to Roger's wavebox flow calculations, my wavebox is now producing about 5200 GPH of flow.
Add that to the 4500 GPH I get from my two 6080 streams + the 800 from my Iwaki 30RLT return pump, and I now have 10,500 GPH of flow. 10500 / 150 = 70X tank volume.
Right now this BB system is running pretty much flawlessly. I have no undesirable algae growth. My fish are all super healthy, and my water parameters are staying in check. My corals are all growing nicely, and life is good. The only problem is that my rock continues to shed detritus which likes to stay suspended in my water column. I'm hoping this will subside soon. I notice it sheds a little less now, but I'm not sure if that is because of the Prodibio or because the tank is maturing.
Floridiot
Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6829698#post6829698 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TryTheChi
Glad to hear its doing OK for you.
My chateo started to die in week 5 due to nutrient starvation - the bacs got the nurients before it could - so its worth getting prepared to either sell it, give it way or dump it
I'v also had to reduce the photoperiod because of lightening on T5 - and put one bank of T5s on a 4 hour period to simulate miday light peak.
I dont think reducing photoperiod would effect no3 and po4 results
Cheers
SImon
I'm ready to ditch the chaeto if it starts dying off. That equals one less light bulb that I'd need to run too
Just to show how much the T5s are lightening the corals, here's a picture of the pink pocillopora frag I got from Keith taken at his place before he shipped it to me:
Here's the same piece in my tank after two and a half weeks under the T5s:
Most of my corals are turning to pastel type colors under the T5s.
TryTheChi
Member
Interesting - looks better to my eye - how much distance between the frag and the tubes?
Sorry I forgot - how many of what T5s do you have?
Thanks for in info on the Wave maker - that is next on my list - if I can slip it past my better half.
Maybe I'll need to turn the streams right down - I'v 48x turnover already if they are set to maxeek1: :eek1:
Cheers
Simon:
Sorry I forgot - how many of what T5s do you have?
Thanks for in info on the Wave maker - that is next on my list - if I can slip it past my better half.
Maybe I'll need to turn the streams right down - I'v 48x turnover already if they are set to maxeek1: :eek1:
Cheers
Simon:
Floridiot
Member
This Pocillopora frag is about 12.5" below the surface of the water. My T5 tubes are located about 4" above the water. I'm using 8 x 54W tubes. 4 each Aquablue+ and 4 each Actinic+. I'm using this combo based on the success attained by many others. When I change out my tubes in September/October, I will probably try a 6 Aquablue+ / 2 Actinic+ combination. This should give me much more of a true white light. Right now the tank looks a bit blue to me.
I considered the 6000 & 6100 streams w/ controllers, or going with the 6080s plus a wavebox. I'm so glad I went with the 6080/wavebox combo. The 6080s draw 22 watts each and the wavebox draws an average of 30 watts according to my Kill-A-Watt meter. This 74 watts gives me about 9700 GPH of pretty random flow. At night when there is good polyp extension, most polyps are constantly swaying in every direction imaginable.
kmagyar
In Memoriam
Floridiot-
That pocci frag is from a massive colony that is larger than a softball. The center of it is white just like the base of your frag as shown in the last picture. I suspect that my mother colony is white because light cannot penetrate the center of it. I have 5 or 6 differnt pocciliporas and they all react the same to different lighting and water quality. I have seen the pocci that you have in many different light combinations (except for t5s) and while it does well in all, it seems to be the most colorful under MH. Another thing I can think in my experiences are in regards to nutrients or feeding. Your tank is BB, mine is 1" of CC which means det collects more in my 120 than in your tank. I feed Salifert coral food plus Borneman's homemade food an awful lot. I also use Salifert Aminos quite often. In retrospect to my heavy feeding, I also change allot fo water (at least more than any other tank I ahve had). About 40 gallons every 2 -3 weeks. Though my water volume is around 190 with all of my LR, HW and frag system.
That pocci frag is from a massive colony that is larger than a softball. The center of it is white just like the base of your frag as shown in the last picture. I suspect that my mother colony is white because light cannot penetrate the center of it. I have 5 or 6 differnt pocciliporas and they all react the same to different lighting and water quality. I have seen the pocci that you have in many different light combinations (except for t5s) and while it does well in all, it seems to be the most colorful under MH. Another thing I can think in my experiences are in regards to nutrients or feeding. Your tank is BB, mine is 1" of CC which means det collects more in my 120 than in your tank. I feed Salifert coral food plus Borneman's homemade food an awful lot. I also use Salifert Aminos quite often. In retrospect to my heavy feeding, I also change allot fo water (at least more than any other tank I ahve had). About 40 gallons every 2 -3 weeks. Though my water volume is around 190 with all of my LR, HW and frag system.
Floridiot
Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6846017#post6846017 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tygger
I like aquascaping. Did those gorilla crabs hitchhike from the rocks you bought from PA? If so, I thought there wouldn't be any of those guys on cured LR...
Yes they came in on the PA rock. The MI rock cures so quickly that there is very little die-off.
Floridiot
Member
Stepping up to halides? I stepped up to T5s
I see no reason to ever go to Halides again. I've had them in the past on other tanks, but am now going T5s. Many Europeans have 'stepped up' to T5s from halides and are now getting better growth and color from the T5s. T5s are much more efficient too.
I'm going to give the T5s at least a year before I even consider halides again. So far I'm seeing good growth and color with this lighting.
Floridiot
Member
kmagyar,
I'm only feeding Prodibio reefbooster at this time (weekly) along with about a cube and a half of Angel formula each day. After I'm done running my Prodibio experiment, I'll start feeding the corals more.
Most SPS darken up and often times turn brown with not enough light. Darker colors absorb more light, so this is their way of collecting the valuable light. The one acro I got from you which you said may turn red has lost about 50% of it's color, and is now mostly a cream color with reddish brown highlights. It is already growing a nice mantle, so I'm certain it is happy. A couple of the corals I got from matntara1 on ebay (1/12) had lost almost all their color over the first 4 weeks, but have since been coloring back up nicely.
My nutrients are very, very low. I'm skimming very wet and heavy now. I also change about 30 gallons of water per week. Most of the corals from your first shipment to me are showing good growth already, as are some of the ones already from the second batch.
The purple tort has lightened up, and has a beautiful metallic blue sheen to it. It is also starting to grow a mantle. I'm very happy since I thought for sure it was a goner thanks to one of the gorilla crabs. The Blue tenius is the only one that hasn't really lightened up any. In fact I think it may have gotten even brighter blue.
I'm happy with the way things are progressing now, and I will post better pics when I can get someone to come over who knows photography. Please let me know when the digitatas are ready to frag, and I will place one more order from you.
I'm only feeding Prodibio reefbooster at this time (weekly) along with about a cube and a half of Angel formula each day. After I'm done running my Prodibio experiment, I'll start feeding the corals more.
Most SPS darken up and often times turn brown with not enough light. Darker colors absorb more light, so this is their way of collecting the valuable light. The one acro I got from you which you said may turn red has lost about 50% of it's color, and is now mostly a cream color with reddish brown highlights. It is already growing a nice mantle, so I'm certain it is happy. A couple of the corals I got from matntara1 on ebay (1/12) had lost almost all their color over the first 4 weeks, but have since been coloring back up nicely.
My nutrients are very, very low. I'm skimming very wet and heavy now. I also change about 30 gallons of water per week. Most of the corals from your first shipment to me are showing good growth already, as are some of the ones already from the second batch.
The purple tort has lightened up, and has a beautiful metallic blue sheen to it. It is also starting to grow a mantle. I'm very happy since I thought for sure it was a goner thanks to one of the gorilla crabs. The Blue tenius is the only one that hasn't really lightened up any. In fact I think it may have gotten even brighter blue.
I'm happy with the way things are progressing now, and I will post better pics when I can get someone to come over who knows photography. Please let me know when the digitatas are ready to frag, and I will place one more order from you.
143gadgets
New member
NIce frags!
elephen
In Memoriam
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6852345#post6852345 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Floridiot
Stepping up to halides? I stepped up to T5s
I see no reason to ever go to Halides again. I've had them in the past on other tanks, but am now going T5s. Many Europeans have 'stepped up' to T5s from halides and are now getting better growth and color from the T5s. T5s are much more efficient too.
I'm going to give the T5s at least a year before I even consider halides again. So far I'm seeing good growth and color with this lighting.
I have been considering T5's. When I said 'step up' I had no pun intended. What light fixture and ballast are you running for your lights?
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