Lets do this - 225+ reef bar

[NewSchool04]

I can see that sunset Mike, I think it's going to be a winner with those T5's!!

Brandon was over tonight and he took a bunch of pics. We have to get him over to your place for some camera lessons for both of us and tank shots!

 

[mcliffy2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13367063#post13367063 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dzhuo
Do you think it will be able to provide good coverage for 48" front to back? I don't really need full coverage either but I have no idea what's the general coverage with t5. Is a good t5 unit pretty much like a good MH reflector in which it could cover up to 2'x2' even if the reflector is only say 12"x12"?

No, T5s are more directional - I think 36" is about the max I'd try to cover with this unit. I think I would go with two 8x54w units for a 48" wide tank.

 

[mcliffy2]

pat - any photo tips are welcome. I'm learning slowly but surely, and still have a long way to go...can't wait to see the pics Brandon got of your tank.

 

[13threefmaniac]

Just back from a session with Johnny, and man could i use a bar like yours. The rockwork is awesome and its good to know that you have got past the whole ich/velvet episode. Looking forward to more updates.

 

[skey44]

I'm buying a wet saw this weekend. just come on down to greenville this weekend and I'll "teach" you (its the first chalice I have fragged except a couple with thin bases, but yours looks pretty thick). I have a purple with mean red eyes chalice to frag! or better yet I'll come up to chicago, check out the town and bring my wet saw with me don't think they'd like that in my luggage although the guy from bluegrass corals had brought one with him to macna!

 

[mcliffy2]

skey - If you make the trip to Chitown I would definitely find a way to get you a frag of the chalice.

So today I was thinking that a nasty red algae, that my PBT used to eat like hotcakes, was kinda getting out of control. It was time to get a tang. The fish have been in the tank for 4 weeks, long enough that I would have seen if there was still velvet there (knock on wood), so off I went to get a tang. But when I get to Old Town (one of the best LFS I've seen, if you are ever in Chicago), I'm disappointed because all I see are your standard hippo tangs and yellow tangs, no go there. An achilles that is gorgeous, but just arrived yesterday. A PBT that is too big, and is $180, no go. An amazing gold rim/achilles hybrid, awesome, but also $300, and not the first tang I want to add (its been there a month and healthy, if anyone is looking for an awesome looking rare tang).

So then I see this dark tang that is a muddy blue under the 10k CF lights in the display. A Mata Tang, what is that? I walk to the front of the store to get iphone reception, and start to research...not much out there. Rare in the hobby, but hardy when you find one. Good. Grows to 22"...not so good. Smaller specimens top out at 6-8". Ok so theres a chance. Then I see the pictures of a fish that is a beautiful light blue with yellow lines at the eye and tail. So I ask for them to feed it, and watch as it attacks flake food. And is its eating, it changes to a beautiful light blue striped coloration in front of my eyes. I'm sold, bag it. My specimen is currently about 4", so I'm hoping I got one of the smaller ones - I guess time will tell. Worst case scenario, I call Pat over for some fishing in a year, and it can go live with his Vlamingi tang in Canar's tank

My DSLR battery is charging, but heres a blurry iphone pic preview:

Here's the pic that sold me on the Mata (not my fish obviously), hopefully RC will let me post this as its from a store:

 

[kangym]

How is the cooling fan for sfiligoi stealth? Are they quiet? I am trying to get two sfiligoi stealth 12x39W to cover my 84x24x30H sps dominant tank. Can't make decision to go sfiligoi stealth or ATI? Glad to see you have great result with sfiligoi stealth. Any comment so far (good or bad side on sfiligoi stealth)?

 

[mcliffy2]

I think the results growthwise have been great. The fans are very quiet. Haven't done PAR tests or anything like that, but just from observation, corals that were under 400w MH bleached at first under the Stealth - I had to raise it up and cut back the photoperiod. I do think that 12 bulbs for a 24" wide tank will be way overkill. I would recommend two 8x39w (if you have eurobracing), or possibly one 8x54w and one 8x39w if you don't. Also if you plan on having LPS, having some part of the tank not directly under the T5s is a good idea - you might even be able to get away with one 8x80w if you only kept LPS on the two ends of the tank.

 

[NewSchool04]

I've still got my fly hook and I'm ready!!

 

[SaraB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13363381#post13363381 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcliffy2
Sara - I may have to take you up on this. The only thing is there are about 10 ppl in line for a frag, so I'd have to figure out how to deal with it fairly. None of those ppl can teach me how to properly frag a chalice however. Shoot me a PM and we can work something out.

PM Sent! I have a new saw on the way and I'd be happy to help you out.

I'd also love to see your tank sometime!

 

[ataylo13]

I can't wait to see the new tang in person. I would be more than happy to have a photo session at your place. I haven't finished with pat's pics yet... but I am sure he will post them when I am done

 

[JRaquatics]

The Mata and Blochi tang are actually not uncommon at all and are usually sold over priced as a dussumieri tang. The Mata and Blochi as juv. are very hard to distinguish as the appear to look the same till they get 8-9 inches. They are very personable fish and hard workers. Here is a shot of my Blochi where it started to take of it's adult coloration.

 

[bubbletip2]

Beautiful Blochi Jeremy. Where did you score that?

 

[mcliffy2]

I should have spoken more precisely. Common in the wild, but not often seen in the hobby (first time I've seen a Mata available locally). At least I don't have people saying "look, you've got a dottie"

I could see how the blochi and mata could be mixed up at times, but if you look closely they are quite different. The lines on the mata are much straighter, and it turns a very light blue color. Not sure if blochiis change like that? Mine will change and look like these pics at times:

 

[skey44]

nice Tang! good to see some non-powder Acanthurus love.

Also, congrats on the first place in the RHM contest last month. I just noticed Mike Clifford won and it looked like your tank, but a lot of the corals seemed much smaller at the time lol. Hope you like your acro cal reactor... hopefully you sold it or traded it in at the lfs

 

[bubbletip2]

I would agree that the lines on the mata give it away for sure. Beautiful fish.

 

[mcliffy2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13384054#post13384054 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by skey44
nice Tang! good to see some non-powder Acanthurus love.

Also, congrats on the first place in the RHM contest last month. I just noticed Mike Clifford won and it looked like your tank, but a lot of the corals seemed much smaller at the time lol. Hope you like your acro cal reactor... hopefully you sold it or traded it in at the lfs

Heh...thanks The pic that won was probably taken 3 months ago, so the corals were significantly smaller. I was going to be angry if I didn't win, considering the other entries...the acro-cal reactor is still sitting in its box. I figure at some point I'll use its parts for some DIY project...skimmate collector cup w/ level sensor for auto shut-off perhaps...plus it came with a pump I can use as a spare, so its not entirely worthless...

bubbletip - thanks much, hopefully he'll be with for a long time to come.

 

[JRaquatics]

Yea my LFS got three matas in last month, 2 small (3-4") and one large (10-13"). They were on the list as dussumieri tang but arrived as Blochis. Needless to say they are having a hard time selling them. The large is gorgeous and shows a ton of personality.

 

[mcliffy2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13384966#post13384966 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JRaquatics
Yea my LFS got three matas in last month, 2 small (3-4") and one large (10-13"). They were on the list as dussumieri tang but arrived as Blochis. Needless to say they are having a hard time selling them. The large is gorgeous and shows a ton of personality.

Is that LFS exotic aquatics over in IN? I keep saying I'm going to try and find the time to make a trip.

 

[JRaquatics]

Yup. That's the one. Sadly it is not worth the trip at this point, as there display tank and all their sps were sabotaged (nuked by copper pennies and I am sure other things). But you could always swing by to see what your baby will look like when it reaches adult size. Great Fish, you will really dig there personality more than anything else.