My Tank Thread (Take3) ★Total AUTOMATION★ DIY Doser, Sump, AlgaeScrubber, WaterChnges
- Thread starter Wally.B
- Start date
Wally.B
Active member
NEW BASEMENT Renovation (THE WALL)
I got this idea from a Certain FAMOUS GUY.
->That Cowrie doesn't have much room in Baffle box.
-> But he's DANGEROUS to SPS
-> Nori is growing in Tank (since he polishes Nori Sheets daily)
------> Appears the NORI seeded the Tank with Red/Purple Algae
-> Baffle box (inside is Sparkling Clean)
So I put in an EGG CRATE wall, as a Border Security.
-> The NORI Film on Glass peels off like a sheet with a Razor Blade.
-------> Could make weekly Nori Stew since it's edible. (Kids voted, NO!!)
-> But it's ideal food for Cowrie, and NORI Poo is good food for Corals.
I tested flow, it's actually even better since I have two pumps on either side of wall, and it deflects nicely.
I got this idea from a Certain FAMOUS GUY.
->That Cowrie doesn't have much room in Baffle box.
-> But he's DANGEROUS to SPS
-> Nori is growing in Tank (since he polishes Nori Sheets daily)
------> Appears the NORI seeded the Tank with Red/Purple Algae
-> Baffle box (inside is Sparkling Clean)
So I put in an EGG CRATE wall, as a Border Security.
-> The NORI Film on Glass peels off like a sheet with a Razor Blade.
-------> Could make weekly Nori Stew since it's edible. (Kids voted, NO!!)
-> But it's ideal food for Cowrie, and NORI Poo is good food for Corals.
I tested flow, it's actually even better since I have two pumps on either side of wall, and it deflects nicely.
sensei
New member
yes haha...
Matt,
1 question:
I know that rasing the halides can not hurt in Wallys case, but the increase in par reading were 17% comparing old bulbs with T5s vr new bulbs with T5.
I am not sure if Wally was doing halides with T5s before bulb change.
anyway, 17% is not such a big increase. There should have been no need to reduce the photo period plus higher the halides dont you think so??
In your experience how much more can you increase the par for an acro with out shocking it??
I know that we should not be speaking of increasing par, but I want to get a sense of how much more light can an acro recieve in one jump with out problems?
Thanks
sensei
New member
chickens are in the oven, haha
Wally.B
Active member
SPS TANK (PARS) Detailed MAPPING [ * NEW BULBS MH/T5 * ][/SIZE]
Thanks to my Daughter helping to write out on Front Glass, while I stood at back (Talking over phone).
Legend at Bottom of Photo is pretty Clear.
-> T5's Don't Move.
-> MH Fixture is currently at 14"
-> LOWEST Measurement was at 12" (where it used to be)
-----> ** The 2x T5's Really make a Difference **
I kind of think 14" PARS is ok (Less Heat)
Maybe later down to 13" to get lower place Corals.
But 12" or Lower is kind of High. Correct?
BUT THINGS REALLY CHANGE for Fixture Height IF I take out the T5's.
Thanks to my Daughter helping to write out on Front Glass, while I stood at back (Talking over phone).
Legend at Bottom of Photo is pretty Clear.
-> T5's Don't Move.
-> MH Fixture is currently at 14"
-> LOWEST Measurement was at 12" (where it used to be)
-----> ** The 2x T5's Really make a Difference **
I kind of think 14" PARS is ok (Less Heat)
Maybe later down to 13" to get lower place Corals.
But 12" or Lower is kind of High. Correct?
BUT THINGS REALLY CHANGE for Fixture Height IF I take out the T5's.
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reefmutt
Active member
Jorge, only for the sake of being overly cautious.
Simply to not be able to ask the question (in the slim chance that wally's corals start to turn for the worse) "˜was it the lights?'
Having never used a par meter, I have no experience with safe percentage changes.
That is most certainly a question for Ed.
Sorry I can't be more informative on that level.
I'm sure certain corals can handle more than others. I would assume low light corals would not handle intensity increases as well as high lighting corals.
But how long a coral has been in a low light situation would also play a role.
Wally.B
Active member
I will let experts explain, but my scientific answer is this.
LIGHT and PARS are like raindrops. A bucket can only hold so much.
Rain can be drops, or pouring rain (=PARS)
You can fill quickly, or your can fill slowly, eventually it is full.
SPS are like buckets. Different sizes.
PhotoPeriod and PARS together determine CORAL full.
That concept is different the BURNING a coral that is not acclimatized. Been in dark long, so no built up protection from Light.
I see it all the time in my LPS tank. Even 5% increase can have them close up early before Lights off. Then they don't open.
Photo Period for my LPS is less sensitive. Intensity it more the driver.
Each LPS is different. I can't move an ACAN more than 1" or it closes up for a Long Acclimatization. An Frogspawn, or Hammer, you can move 10"
But in my SPS coral case, I looked at PARS and see bucket thresholds. But I don't see them reacting like my LPS (Matt, and probably know the SPS signs)
Even a 10% increase can put PARS over a Coral Max Exposure.
Very similar to Placement of SPS Corals.
Those HIGHER PAR YELLOW numbers (>350 mid level) I saw on my Mapping looked high to me, and with new Frags, and New Bulbs, (All lights on).
So I'm being careful since I need to learn my SPS bucket sizes, and eventually place them properly.
Then I can Lower Lights, Increase Pars. Since each will be ideally placed.
I think that is the last stage of Mastering SPS once you have stability.
That fine tuning.
And I'm doomed for some failure if I don't figure Out SPS like I know Soft/LPS corals.
THAT IS WHY I need to first learn what Corals I have (Names/Species), and then learn what they all need to succeed. Lighting & Flow.
Just my guess.
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Wally.B
Active member
FINALLY (Water Parameters) TARGETS Reached
Did more water tests in last couple of weeks than I did ALL last year
At the end I didn't raise Calcium dosing, to let is stay,
but was dosing as High as 24ml a day of ALK, since anything less, and I was slipping behind.
Number CHASING DONE!! Stability forward.
Did more water tests in last couple of weeks than I did ALL last year
At the end I didn't raise Calcium dosing, to let is stay,
but was dosing as High as 24ml a day of ALK, since anything less, and I was slipping behind.
Number CHASING DONE!! Stability forward.
sensei
New member
Thanks Matt
not using a par meter may be even better. it has been misleading for me sometimes.
lets me refrase same question.
when moving an acro up or down in your tank do you do it in little jumps or you have also done 6 , 9 or 12" in one jump and no problem for it to adapt?
reefmutt
Active member
Knowing the types of corals I have (Wally, you'll get there!), and therefore knowing generally if they like low or high light, and having a good idea of where the hot spots are in my tank, I don't move corals up or down that much but I do sometimes and when I do, I don't do it incrementally. I just move them.
It's rare if ever that I would take a coral from the bottom of the tank and place it at the top, though.
If I have placed a coral at the bottom of the tank, it probably would never get re placed higher than half way up..
Wally.B
Active member
** GOOD NEWS ** (FRAG Tank RED Growth) NOT CYANO but [ SOMETHING GOOD ] Cowrie Eat's IT UP
So this is good news.
That red growth on Frag Tank isn't Cyano like I thought.
I scaped some off (FRAG TANK GLASS) and did compare using the microscope on the substance and it looked like the Purple Algae (NORI) I was feeding Cowrie.
To prove it, I put Cowrie in the Growth Section of FRAG TANK.
He gobbled it up.
Here is proof. Put TimeLapse Web Cam on TANK.
https://youtu.be/B7I_NqV_vfY
IF IT IS "CYANO" and I have a CYANO eating COWRIE, then he's worth a LOT, and I better get his DNA (But it's just NORI)
This is really good news, since NORI waste is suppose to be good food for COrals, and I have a Cowrie to break it down.
So this is good news.
That red growth on Frag Tank isn't Cyano like I thought.
I scaped some off (FRAG TANK GLASS) and did compare using the microscope on the substance and it looked like the Purple Algae (NORI) I was feeding Cowrie.
To prove it, I put Cowrie in the Growth Section of FRAG TANK.
He gobbled it up.
Here is proof. Put TimeLapse Web Cam on TANK.
https://youtu.be/B7I_NqV_vfY
IF IT IS "CYANO" and I have a CYANO eating COWRIE, then he's worth a LOT, and I better get his DNA (But it's just NORI)
This is really good news, since NORI waste is suppose to be good food for COrals, and I have a Cowrie to break it down.
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Wally.B
Active member
LAST FRAG (Bubble Gum Milli) Have all the Colors I want.
No disappointment picking up the Bubble Gum Milli I ordered earlier.
Picked it up while returning the PAR meter.
Color looks more pink in my tank (Need to work on Photo Skills)
But this gives good comparision (5 th Frag on Right, Left of Shrawberry Shortcake)
I do love the new BULB look.
Adding 30 minutes of Photo Period Daily till I get back to 6 hours MH.
I also picked up a ATI Purple Plus T5 to try out. (Will install later)
I have a lot of blue with MH 14000K bulbs.
2x Blue Plus's are a bit too much. (BTW. I have had 2 T5 for a long time. Nothing new)
Will try 1x Blue Plus, and 1x Purple Plus for some POP (And Red Spectrum).
No disappointment picking up the Bubble Gum Milli I ordered earlier.
Picked it up while returning the PAR meter.
Color looks more pink in my tank (Need to work on Photo Skills)
But this gives good comparision (5 th Frag on Right, Left of Shrawberry Shortcake)
I do love the new BULB look.
Adding 30 minutes of Photo Period Daily till I get back to 6 hours MH.
I also picked up a ATI Purple Plus T5 to try out. (Will install later)
I have a lot of blue with MH 14000K bulbs.
2x Blue Plus's are a bit too much. (BTW. I have had 2 T5 for a long time. Nothing new)
Will try 1x Blue Plus, and 1x Purple Plus for some POP (And Red Spectrum).
sensei
New member
Thanks Matt,
your way makes sense.
I got confused, but I remember now that I divided my tank in two sections according to Ed recommendations because even though my tank is deep (30"), aquascaping goes up just 18 inches, and par ranges from 270 at 1" from bottom to 400 at 18"
regards
Wally.B
Active member
400 at 18" Deep. Wow, you have strong lighting. What you got there??
How close are your lights to Water surface?
270 at Bottom is very nice.
I have learned from using PAR meter on other People Tank like (GTAreef) T5's are way more powerful than MH (when each is combined)
That is why my 2 T5's make such a difference.
I always have considered going All T5. (But I hate the constant bulb replacement)
sensei
New member
400 par at a rock that is 18" from bottom. tank is 30" deep
I have five 400W metal halide lamps with radium blue bulbs and cozumel sun 20" reflectors with glass at 10" above water level. No other source of light in tank.
in my other tanks I changed to leds previously T5s becuase it is difficult to import T5 bulbs in my country. permits are difficult and you can not bring in lugage so shipping and packing is also another thing.
Wally.B
Active member
18" from bottom of 30 is 12" from Top. So is similar to my Lighting but I'm at 12-14" above water.
I would be pretty high PARS at 10", I tested, but higher is more distributed (since I have very narrow reflectors). Yours are better.
10" above water must create some heat. ( I have a fan sucking out air from my Sump room, right next to lights, on a thermostat)
BTW. I tried that Purple PLUS T5. Way too purplish. Works amazing in my LPS tank but ratio is 1 PP, to 4 BB bulbs.
And two of my T5's there are Dimmable, so I blend in the Purple Plus just right.
Blue Plus T5's are simply the best of all T5's!!
reefmutt
Active member
What about a coral plus. Have you tried one of those?
That bubble gum millie is really nice looking.
You have quite the collection going there!
By the way, the package arrived. My salinity was only off by a hair.
Good to have a solid reference solution.
Thanks again, Wally!
That bubble gum millie is really nice looking.
You have quite the collection going there!
By the way, the package arrived. My salinity was only off by a hair.
Good to have a solid reference solution.
Thanks again, Wally!
Wally.B
Active member
Glad to hear your Salinity is good. Yes I feel the same with a good reference.
Wow that was fast, I expected Friday.
Yes, I have tried all ATI and Giessman T5 bulbs (in Kitchen Tank).
I use 2 Blue Plus, 1 Coral Plus, and 1 Purple Plus. (two are dimmable, two not)
Combined with a Kessil that varies from Blue to white via Apex. That tank has programmable lighting with 15,000,000 Combinations.
Coral Plus is a bit too white for my MH SPS tank setup.
Somehow the Blue Plus is crisper, less wash out. Can't put my finger on it. Maybe to intense white.
But I do have a period before and after MH lights, where it's one or two T5's. Nice to have that since MH lighting bright.
BTW.
My Particulates have cleared up quite a bit. Not so annoying anymore. Even at MH/T5 time.
My Cyano totally gone (with the Zeobak/Coral Snow).
Even my little spots of sand are brilliant white and those poor Pearl Sandsnails, push the little left into bed piles.
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Wally.B
Active member
ALL Frag Passing Most Important (Sniff Test)
This is a first for me. PE everywhere (Even the one's showing little, so Closeup Photos show me PE).
All my Frags, new or old, Ice Fires, Pacmans, Even SSC are showing PE.
In past, some would never show PE, some only on day one, some for a short while and fade to nothing.
This is a first for me. PE everywhere (Even the one's showing little, so Closeup Photos show me PE).
All my Frags, new or old, Ice Fires, Pacmans, Even SSC are showing PE.
In past, some would never show PE, some only on day one, some for a short while and fade to nothing.
