Kdoc's 210g Reef Tank

[Kdocimo90]

gas shocks?! thats insane lol.

Yeah I had a major outbreak like 6 months ago.. Now there are just a few patches here and there.

I normally turn my lights off for 2 or 3 days once a month to kill the cycle, which I may do again.

As far as lights... When I first bought my tank, I was told by a friend to get 3 400watt pendants (but that honestly seems like WAY too much). I am only keeping LPS and softies so I dont need anything exttreme... I would imagine 2 400watt halides would do the job.

I was actually Thinking about getting a HQI fixture. Just because I like the whole idea of everything being all together... T-5 supplements, MHs, LEDs. People normally sell used fixtures here really cheap... at most 1/2 the retail cost.

I dont know though... If I get around 750-800watts of MH's will I need a chiller? Right now I'm running 14 39 watt t-5 bulbs (about 560watts)

 

[Kdocimo90]

So i've decided to keep the T5s... Aquactninics is actually coming out with a newer constellation fixture with built in high powered LEDs for the shimmer effect.. hopefully they will allow me to trade-in my constellation fixture for the newer one.

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14932633#post14932633 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kdocimo90
Hey guys, Im thinking about changing to MH's.. I just cant resist the shimmer/coloration pop. What do you guys think?

I have MH's on my current tank... and I miss my T5's.

 

[Kdocimo90]

yeah I think im sticking with the T5s.. im probably gonna wait it off to get the shimmer effect, until LEDs have been experimented with more. (and lowered in price )

 

[Kdocimo90]

Update: I am officially done with my 12 page Communications Research Paper!

thank you god.

 

[OwNeD162]

Tank looks really awesome man !
Very nice collection of fish you've got, and your coral list seems to be rapidly increasing, keep up the awesome work !

 

[Kdocimo90]

Thanks Owned.
Yeah fortunately summer vacation is already here... I've got a few projects up my sleeve, so we'll see how they work out.

 

[Kdocimo90]

Acclimation

Acclimation

Here's some acclimation shots

Sleeper Gobies are seeming to get along. (These ARE sleeper gobies right?)

My "little" frag of some AWESOME Blue Zoas

And the shot of it all

 

[Kdocimo90]

ok well the zoas arent really what I had expected. They are pretty different than the pictures they sent me.

There are three types of zoas that were on the rock
1. Bottom Left: REALLY neon green zoas (I actually like them)
2. Middle: Red zoas with REALLY blue patches on them (some that have only red skirts w/ entire blue bodies, and some with patches of blue bodies, which is cool)
3. Top: Purplish zoas with whitish/greenish mouths (I really like this one)

Although its kind of COMPLETELY not what I had pictured, they're still pretty cool.

Heres a terrible picture of them:

 

[Kdocimo90]

when I got the reply that "This colony is striking blue with Solid Blue Eyes." I figured that the entire eye was blue. Most of the blue/red zoas though are red with a blue "patch"

 

[OwNeD162]

Haha, looks exactly how in front of my tank looked on Saturday

Sorry to hear that they weren't exactly what you were expecting, but they still look very nice to me !

 

[Kdocimo90]

Yeah.. I am kind of upset for a few reasons.
1. They were labeled "Blue Zoas", but there are 3 different types (colors) of zoas on the rock, which I couldnt tell in the picture
2. I was told that the eyes are solid blue, and I wasnt expecting them to have a bunch of red in them.
3. The pictures I were shown were of actnitics making them seem like "tubbs blues"
4. The extra picture that I requested were of the only few polyps that actually look like tubb's blues zoas, so I kind of feel conned
5. If I had went to a LFS and seen the coral in person, I probably wouldnt have bought it

 

[OwNeD162]

Could you send them an email, not an angry one, just one expressing your concern for the fact what you received wasn't what you had ordered? Just let them know you feel a little as though you've been tricked. If they've got any kind of heart, they'll offer to send you another frag of something, or give you some money back...

 

[Kdocimo90]

idk... I'd feel like I'd be busting their balls if I did that. I am not angry at them, just kind of disappointed you know.

Idk maybe i'll send them an email later tonight.

 

[OwNeD162]

At the end of the day, if they don't look to bad, you like them in your tank, and your not that worried, then I wouldn't worry about it... We win some, we lose some

 

[Kdocimo90]

I stole this picture off of someone in the selling section... The zoas to the right are ALMOST EXACTLY what mine look like. Mine seem to have smaller diameters of blue.

 

[FlyNpLeCosToMuS]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14967039#post14967039 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty
I have MH's on my current tank... and I miss my T5's.

I have a half round and currently am running T5's I purchased two 400 wt MH and bals, but I want to upgrade the relfectors to luminbrites (i'm not sure if I spelled that correctly). The top braces of the tank are black plastic so no light can shine through.

So, I'm wondering, in this case, would u suggest staying with the T5's or moving over to the MH???

Thanks!

 

[Kdocimo90]

I would say stay with T-5's.
Just out of curiousity though, why the heck are the braces black lol?

 

[FlyNpLeCosToMuS]

You know how most tanks have like a glass center brace? Well, this tank has a black plastic top with two holes in the middle and two small holes near the end. I tried to google a picture, but I couldn't find one, and I have class kinda early and still have to do the hw and reading... (wait untill you hit a university, summer classes totally pay off) I can't remove the braces and put on a glass one, as it would void the war. so yeah it's a delema. Nice tank btw, save some of the money ur making, now is the time to invest it in the stock market.

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15043298#post15043298 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FlyNpLeCosToMuS
So, I'm wondering, in this case, would u suggest staying with the T5's or moving over to the MH???

Thanks!

That's a tough decision, because you are taliking about 400w MH's now. I personally like the color spectrum better from T5's, and how you can tweak it bit by bit until you find what you like. MH bulbs are not as leanient... meaning you are basically stuck
within the bulb's specturm that you initially choose, and that is it.

However... if you're looking for intensity, my previous experience and test results have lead me to believe that T5's will not compete with 400w MH's.

Ultimately it comes down to what you intend to keep... if you are housing livestock which will benefit from the increased intensity (PAR 400 and above) then I would say go with the halides... however, if your livestock is not as demanding... then I would recommend sticking with the T5's as they seem to pop better colors out of the corals.

Just to put it out there though... I've been told by more than 1 person that most SPS corals will do just fine in PAR levels ranging from 200-400.