Jackson's 115 Gallon Custom Cube 32x32x26

[MichaelW]

I agree with everyone on here. Tank looks really good! I love the look all t5 gives. Won't do it myself for other reasons, but many of my favorite tanks are all t5.

 

[MichaelW]

And awsome fish selection.

 

[sahin]

Hey buddy. Its been a few weeks with the T5's. How are things? Colours still good?

What are your current thoughts?

 

[jackson6745]

Even with the setback you had recently it looks great Rich! Still can't believe you went to all T5.

Thanks Joe. I ran all t5 on a previous tank. IME it grows SPS better than halide. Par numbers are the same or better but the complete coverage with no shadows leads to dense growth. Only problem is that this complete coverage can fade colors and give the "zeo" look.

I agree with everyone on here. Tank looks really good! I love the look all t5 gives. Won't do it myself for other reasons, but many of my favorite tanks are all t5.

My favorite colored tanks are 400w radium, but I love the dense growth that t5 tanks can achieve. I'm hoping to tweak the colors over time.

Hey buddy. Its been a few weeks with the T5's. How are things? Colours still good?

What are your current thoughts?

Hey Sahin, as expected growth has taken off. More white growth tips on everything. I have increased 2 part dosages by 20ml daily of each part. Color shave faded a little. I will work on this over the next couple of months. Pics to come. In the mean time I have been working on replacing my rubble zone with marine pure ceramic bio media. This is the rubble zone now

IMG_4752 by rich colombo, on Flickr

 

[sahin]

Richard, I read about those blocks leaching Aluminium (Aluminum for you Americans...). I am not sure of any overall adverse effects. But just something to note I guess.

Good to hear overall success with the T5's. Hopefully long term will be the same or dare I say better?

 

[jackson6745]

Richard, I read about those blocks leaching Aluminium (Aluminum for you Americans...). I am not sure of any overall adverse effects. But just something to note I guess.

Good to hear overall success with the T5's. Hopefully long term will be the same or dare I say better?

LOL I read about them leaching aluminum but I know guys using these blocks for a while and have no SPS problems. I don't think it's an issue. I don't know if I can ever get the same colors with the t5 on particular pieces, but some colors will be better than before I believe, especially my millis. I'm still bummed about losing certain pieces, especially my big shortcake colony. I hate having little frags and big colonies in the same tank. Hopefully in the next few months it balances out and looks good to my eye. I'll post DSLR pics soon and some more details.

 

[ReefWreak]

Glad you're already seeing great progress with the T5s. It'll be interesting to see if you can control the pastel/lightening of the corals with more nutrients (KNO3) since you're promoting lighter colors through the marinepure and the T5s at the same time.

Either way I'm sure the end result will look stunning. So many ways to do reefing right.

 

[echopiece]

Wow, I love the marine pure block and spheres! That's a ton of surface area! I've talked to several stores about the leaching aluminum and they have had no issues. I think the benefits far outweigh the alum leaching.

 

[jackson6745]

Glad you're already seeing great progress with the T5s. It'll be interesting to see if you can control the pastel/lightening of the corals with more nutrients (KNO3) since you're promoting lighter colors through the marinepure and the T5s at the same time.

Either way I'm sure the end result will look stunning. So many ways to do reefing right.

I have a very high bioload and my nitrates have been as high as 50ppm in this tank. I think I could use a little more denitrification in this system. You're right, this won't help darken colors combined with t5 I'll see what happens as I go

Wow, I love the marine pure block and spheres! That's a ton of surface area! I've talked to several stores about the leaching aluminum and they have had no issues. I think the benefits far outweigh the alum leaching.

It's one of those things that look good on paper but I have yet to see the effect in person. I'm really curious to see what changes, if any, when this media becomes more established.



Anyway, I learned something new today. Never hold cup of coffee in one hand and a cup of defrosted mysis in the other. I accidentally took a sip of the wrong one:headwallblue::headwallblue: Nasty!!!!

 

[echopiece]

It's one of those things that look good on paper but I have yet to see the effect in person. I'm really curious to see what changes, if any, when this media becomes more established.

Anyway, I learned something new today. Never hold cup of coffee in one hand and a cup of defrosted mysis in the other. I accidentally took a sip of the wrong one:headwallblue::headwallblue: Nasty!!!!

Yes, I am very interested to see how the MP works in your tank. It could take several months before you see any results.

That's nasty about the mysis lol Hopefully it was PE mysis and not something else, I hear PE tastes much better :lol2:

 

[sahin]

Richard, if you know of guys using those blocks in SPS tanks and all is well then cool. I looked into those blocks a while back; particularly the blocks, but bought Sipora instead after reading the Aluminium issue.

Anyway, with regards to T5 and pastel colours...I have seen with my own eyes amazing colours on a full blown SPS tank at my LFS with an ATI Sunpower. Colours were deep and amazing. The tank prior to that had MH. But I'm not saying the MH was worse, maybe the tank wasnt in top condition when the MH were over the tank, but whoever was looking after the tank once the T5's went up, done a job so well, that the colours were POPPING!

That tank under T5's had the BEST colours I've ever seen. I think it is possible to get deep strong colours under T5. I am not so sure that ones PO4 or NO3 has to be higher than the usual paramters, but rather good, copipous amounts of food, together with lots of export.

Look forward to photos/videos in the future.

 

[Icefire]

How do you like the 4 MP40 in there? Currently bulding a 36x36x24 cube and will be using 6x MP40 + 1000GPH return.

My current 60G cube with 100x turnover is laking flow...

 

[mhucasey]

Ive never had pastel colors with T5, always rich, deep color.

 

[reefmutt]

Looking forward to new pics with the t5.. Considering going to t5 myself.. They are more efficient than mh in terms of useable light production vs electricity.. And still better (imo) than led..
If you had a sip of the fish food slurry, maybe you should have given the reef some coffee.. Could be the next big secret to amazing colour and growth!

 

[jackson6745]

Yes, I am very interested to see how the MP works in your tank. It could take several months before you see any results.

That's nasty about the mysis lol Hopefully it was PE mysis and not something else, I hear PE tastes much better :lol2:

Surface area aside, this media is cleaner than the rock rubble that was in there, and easier to keep clean because of it's light weight. During a water change I shop vac under the platform, and inside the balls as well. No detritus at all in there, so that's a good thing.

Richard, if you know of guys using those blocks in SPS tanks and all is well then cool. I looked into those blocks a while back; particularly the blocks, but bought Sipora instead after reading the Aluminium issue.

Anyway, with regards to T5 and pastel colours...I have seen with my own eyes amazing colours on a full blown SPS tank at my LFS with an ATI Sunpower. Colours were deep and amazing. The tank prior to that had MH. But I'm not saying the MH was worse, maybe the tank wasnt in top condition when the MH were over the tank, but whoever was looking after the tank once the T5's went up, done a job so well, that the colours were POPPING!

That tank under T5's had the BEST colours I've ever seen. I think it is possible to get deep strong colours under T5. I am not so sure that ones PO4 or NO3 has to be higher than the usual paramters, but rather good, copipous amounts of food, together with lots of export.

Look forward to photos/videos in the future.

Can you tell me more about this system? Was it carbon dosed? Was there a heavy bioload? High/low nutrient? etc.

How do you like the 4 MP40 in there? Currently bulding a 36x36x24 cube and will be using 6x MP40 + 1000GPH return.

My current 60G cube with 100x turnover is laking flow...

I actually have 3 MP40 and 1 Tunze 6055 in there. Flow is very good. No dead spots in the tank, everything getting good flow even with all the SPS growth slowing it down somewhat. What do you plan on lighting the new cube with?

Ive never had pastel colors with T5, always rich, deep color.

I have to learn the proper balance. I can just about guess the lighting on most All T5 SPS tanks. They generally have a paleness to the colors. This is what I want to avoid. At the moment my colors are kind of pale lol.

Looking forward to new pics with the t5.. Considering going to t5 myself.. They are more efficient than mh in terms of useable light production vs electricity.. And still better (imo) than led..
If you had a sip of the fish food slurry, maybe you should have given the reef some coffee.. Could be the next big secret to amazing colour and growth!

Coffee dosing :lol:

My ideal fixture would be if ATI and Giesmann made a MH + T5 system. Giesmann + sfiligoi T5's are very poor quality and give off low par in comparison to ATI, and obviously ATI lacks MH technology.
As for LED, I remain thoroughly unimpressed in this lighting technology for SPS.



Here is a quick cell phone pic for now. I'll get the SLR out later today hopefully and take more accurate shots .
IMG_4773 by rich colombo, on Flickr

 

[reefmutt]

Cool- still love that cabinet beside your tank..
Do you still have that crazy coloured tenuis piece that was up high in your reef? The one that was so multicolored it made you want to cry?? (If it wasn't in your tank, of course)
I think frags of it made it into a couple other reefer's tanks.. Was it reeflover? I may have the name wrong..

 

[jackson6745]

Cool- still love that cabinet beside your tank..
Do you still have that crazy coloured tenuis piece that was up high in your reef? The one that was so multicolored it made you want to cry?? (If it wasn't in your tank, of course)
I think frags of it made it into a couple other reefer's tanks.. Was it reeflover? I may have the name wrong..

Thanks It's the big colony in the middle, and I have another 4" colony on the upper right side that I frag from. It's not a rainbow at the moment, just solid blue. I lost the red color on it. Hopefully in future months I can get the color back. Reeflover has a piece from me, and a bunch of local guys. Dnov99 is the only guy that I know of keeping color in this piece. These is some strange balance between lighting/nutrient/carbon dosing that is key to keeping the red highlight. I don't have it figured out exactly

Here is my tenuis in Dnov99's tank.
IMG_4527 by rich colombo, on Flickr

 

[reefmutt]

Wow, it certainly got big!
Acros.... Such finicky, prima donnas... They are never quite satisfied.... Kind of like the reefers who keep them...
Good luck with the re color up..

 

[cugly]

Looking good things have grown really well. What light are u using now

 

[jackson6745]

Wow, it certainly got big!
Acros.... Such finicky, prima donnas... They are never quite satisfied.... Kind of like the reefers who keep them...
Good luck with the re color up..

lol yup

Looking good things have grown really well. What light are u using now

Thanks Cugly. I'm using a 10 bulb ati + 2 blue reefbrites for the last month. Growth has taken off since switching to all t5.