My New Coralife BC29 - I've been away to long!

[ReefWreak]

I think the kessils do shadow unless you raise them higher, but that negates some of the power that it outputs. I guess if we're dialing down LEDs to 50% anyway, then there is power to spare.

I really like the distributed lighting, I do see some "disco light" effect, but I don't notice it, and it certainly doesn't bother me. I think that the more distributed the lighting you can provide with LEDs, the less you'll get shadowing and less complaints about the lights. LEDs are already very narrow lights, and narrowing them more with a spotlight is problematic IMO and makes it harder to keep corals on the sides of the tanks, unless you raise the light really high and run it at a higher power output, which kind of kills some of the efficiency aspect.

 

[Killamanillaman]

I think the kessils do shadow unless you raise them higher, but that negates some of the power that it outputs. I guess if we're dialing down LEDs to 50% anyway, then there is power to spare.

I really like the distributed lighting, I do see some "disco light" effect, but I don't notice it, and it certainly doesn't bother me. I think that the more distributed the lighting you can provide with LEDs, the less you'll get shadowing and less complaints about the lights. LEDs are already very narrow lights, and narrowing them more with a spotlight is problematic IMO and makes it harder to keep corals on the sides of the tanks, unless you raise the light really high and run it at a higher power output, which kind of kills some of the efficiency aspect.

Do you currently have a kessil? If so, what are you using? The gooseneck or hanging? The 160 or 360?

 

[soulpatch]

I have a Kessil a360 over my BC29 and have it on the gooseneck.

What Reef is talking about is that any puck style LED is going to have some shadow issues. You have all light coming from a particular source and as such any coral or rock that gets in the way blocks light from getting behind it. With strip lights or other lighting types this is less of a concern.

Nothing wrong with going with a puck style light as I have one but you do need to be aware of placement and such so you can continue to get enough light and not have shadow issues.

 

[ReefWreak]

Do you currently have a kessil? If so, what are you using? The gooseneck or hanging? The 160 or 360?

No, I have a distributed light arrangement (rapidLED 29g biocube retrofit kit with full-spectrum LED setup).

Soulpatch can definitely speak to the puck and the kessil lights over a smaller tank. He actually liked his kessils so much he's making them the main lighting over his new 150g tank as well, so it's definitely to each their own.

 

[soulpatch]

Actually the T5 unit is the main light in my 150 and the Kessils are there for some coloring but mainly the shimmer.

I was going to go solely with Kessils on the big tank but would have needed a minimum of 6 units to account for shadowing.

 

[Killamanillaman]

Gotcha, would something like the new reef breeder photon v2 be more ideal? The shimmer effect is awesome but I don't want to worry about placement all the time.

 

[ReefWreak]

I don't see any v2 on their website for the product page at a quick glance, but yes, their lights have distributed LEDs. I prefer that over a single point-source light when dealing with LEDs, but just make sure you're okay with a small red spot in your rock here or there, as because they're point-source still, they don't necessarily blend 100%.

EDIT: Sorry, just saw them on their site, at the main banner page (doesn't come up if you just google reefbreeder photon). Looks pretty solid. Nice spread, good quantity and quality of LEDs. I think they did pretty well in their update. There's always better options, or more customizations, but so far this is one of my favorite mass-produced fixtures I think (nanobox isn't "mass produced" IMO, and I haven't seen the new pacific sun fixtures discussed much yet). Pricey though, but I guess they're moving away from "chinese black-box rebadged", which isn't a bad thing.

 

[Killamanillaman]

I would obviously like a T5 fixture or combo but with the BC29, I don't think there is any smaller lights that would work without massive overspill of the lights. I'm not to concerned with price, just want the best bang for my buck.

 

[plyr58]

I just installed Steve's LEDs in my 14 cube the other night. I have them turned down to max 35% and from the looks of my corals I may even dial them back a bit more for a week or so. I will add that distributed diodes give the disco ball effect and a single point of light will provide more shimmer without the flickering. All that said though, I couldn't be happier.

 

[Killamanillaman]

I just installed Steve's LEDs in my 14 cube the other night. I have them turned down to max 35% and from the looks of my corals I may even dial them back a bit more for a week or so. I will add that distributed diodes give the disco ball effect and a single point of light will provide more shimmer without the flickering. All that said though, I couldn't be happier.

I would love the retro kits, but I'm really worried about the heat. I am also trying to plan for lights that could be used with the addition of 1 more etc. for a potential larger tank.

At this point it might be easier for the retro.

 

[plyr58]

My temps have actually gone down about 1/2 a degree since I put in the kit. Also, there's no reason why you couldn't pull them out of the hood and use as part of a bigger tank in the future. Steve's sells LED kits for up to 72" or 96" tanks I believe.

 

[Killamanillaman]

No new changes with the tank in regards to stock. However I am in the process of quite a few upgrades and additional purchases.

I got a significant bonus at work, which left me in an awful mindset this weekend.. "Why not just upgrade to the larger tank now?!" This hobby is an addiction, I have had this up for 2 months.. and I find myself already looking at bigger and better... ****, I even thought about getting rid of my couch in the living room to make room. Took a lot of convincing myself to wait until I can do it the right way. So instead, I figured I would hone by skills with the BC.

Still deciding on what LED lights to get, I wont be going the route of retro kits.
I purchased the BRS 2-Part dosing package w/ pumps
MP10WQD will be purchased towards the end of this week


In the process of making a custom stand since it is currently on an Oak end table, It works but there is zero storage and i have everything in a a large brown bin under it. (Looks awful)

Picked up all of the lumber I will be needing this afternoon, only cost be about $70. Will likely start the build later this week or weekend. Dimensions will be approximately 32" x 24" x 36". I wanted some added storage to make sure I have enough room to hide the 5G ATO container, Wires, and now the dosing system.

 

[Killamanillaman]

Got the frame of the stand done, Went bigger on the dimensions because I want it to fill a certain spot.

 

[Killamanillaman]

Been super busy with work, and haven't had a chance to work on the stand again... Still just the frame. :sad1:
But on the bright side, I received some goodies.

 

[Killamanillaman]

Been a while, Here is a little update!

 

[Killamanillaman]

Some new additions!




Leprechaun Birdsnest

 

[ReefinChicago]

I'm partial to that birdsnest

I'm partial to that birdsnest

Have one in the 22. Be prepared to have a much larger version in about a month.......mine has grown a lot in just 6 weeks.

 

[Killamanillaman]

I have been traveling for nearly 3 months hence the inactivity, However I returned last weekend and have come to find out the feeding schedule of my fish had turned into a buffet increasing nitrate levels so much that it made me sick to my stomach. In all seriousness, I'm surprised the tank didn't crash or get run over by algae. Risk I took leaving.

After getting the nitrates back to a more comfortable level with 2 big water changes and plan on doing 1 more this coming weekend.

Things seem happy with the exception of a nice plague of vermetid snails... :deadhorse1:

Any suggestions on this? I did see some notes about super gluing the hole, breaking off base, etc. However in some areas of the rock, there could be 3-4 in the area the size of a quarter. Even if i can kill or let them die off I figure the tube will still remain which is quite displeasing to look at...

I am even contemplating rebuilding with all new rock or a new build. However, I don't have the room to set up a new tank and get it cycled while this one is up. I have a smaller 20g with a HOB filter that I was thinking of transferring the livestock/coral with some of the live rock into and move over my kessel.

I have heard and seen people using the HOB Filters although it is not recommended outside maybe a QT tank. Would this be adequate to sit in for 4-6 weeks?

I have a friend that has a 90g set-up that I could maybe set the coral in at least, if needed.

 

[jmcdaniel0]

I hate those little buggers.

I have very little luck with the super glue method. There always seems to be another tube or hole I miss.

I would set up a qt, and do just liek you said, either start from scratch on new rock, or let them dry out and go over them really good with glue.

 

[soulpatch]

They tend to die off some as you get your feeding under control. I scrap the ones I see in annoying areas but in a lot of other spots the coral or coraline will grow over em. Also they become brittle as the snails die off and as such the tubes dissolve or get bumped by other cuc to go away as well.