it's finally begun...

yeah, 85 bucks. precision lab glassware ain't cheap. that's why the MTC is so expensive (since it comes with one).

but i wouldn't run a reactor without one anymore (unless i was driving it with a peristaltic pump). the effluent line on mine frequently clogs up with stuff and slows the drip rate. without pulling the line a few times a week and counting drops, i'd never know it was running slow until it was too late. plus i'm splitting the feed pump with 2 media chambers, and any adjustment to them throws off the pressure to the reactor feed. so it makes it easy to get back to the original flow anytime i futz with things. i have not had it long enough though to know how frequently it needs to be cleaned, since i'm sure any growth within the tube will affect the reading. and i need to get it in a cabinet, since i'm sure it'll grow all sorts of fun stuff sitting next to the window like that.
 
so much easier to take pics with the iwasaki bulbs...

superman-
FeelingSuper.JPG



brand new pink tipped table-
PinkTipTable.JPG

amazing under blue bulbs that make the greenish base and the pink tips glow like crazy.
 
Real nice shots.

I put in a new XM 15K 250W DE in my tank and was surprised to see how much less bright it looks compared to the old XM 10K bulb. Don't know yet if I like it. I guess that is why you mix the bulbs - looks like you cannot really get a good color balance with just one.
 
i'll see what i can do this evening. i disconnected the calcium reactor last week and have been running reef builder/advantage and things are already looking much better. just got the b-ionic in yesterday and am going to try that for a while just to see (luckily i have a spare pair of dosing pumps i can control with my LM3). i think i'm depleting some element that the calcium reactor is not providing. there's enough talk about low K these days, causing the problems i've been seeing, that i'll try to track that down as soon as i can afford yet another test kit and supplements. i did notice on the reef builder's ingredient list that potassium was the only thing on that list that i had not tried recently.
 
yeah, i'm 3/4th into a bucket of TM. seemed to maybe notice a difference at first with the first 10% water change, and was hoping things would get better and better as i got more of the total water volume switched over, but it didn't really. i think i might try the pro next, for the Mg.
 
sure thing :)

this is them no actinics
175w3x3.JPG



i did really like them, but got bored with them and felt like a change so i'm now running 250w reeflux 12Ks. i wanted to keep them so i could switch back when i got bored with these (and when the tank starts to boil next summer), but to finance the 250w ballasts i had to sell them.
 
yup. had 4 t5s on there, but didn't really like it. seemed like it added a blue haze to the tank rather than mixing nicely (probably mostly due to the way i had the canopy). plus my 660 was burning them out *way* too fast even though i had a fan on each tube. so i traded those watts for the 250w upgrade. figure i'd just build in the blue with the halide bulbs. though i do really miss being able to run just the t5s after the halides clicked off.
 
seemed like it added a blue haze to the tank rather than mixing nicely

I noticed the same thing when I had an aquablue overdriven. Everything looked coated in baby blue

I switched it out for a VHO actinic and am alot happier. It's a little dim though.
 
Great to see you tank, being as I don't get the chance to run upto NRV as much as I would like to.
Thank you for the pics.
Ade
 
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