Rovster's Custom Reef Savvy build......FINALLY!!!

So last weekend I decided to set up my T5 supplemets. I got a 2 bulb retro kit (LET) and my goal was for it to look like it belonged hanging out in the open. I put both bulbs in the front because I wanted the light to flood from front to back and possibly fill out the underside of my pieces as much as possible.

Everything went pretty well. I think it looks OK but I will go back and modify it to make it look cleaner. Right now its slightly ghetto with tie wraps, but I wanted to make sure this was going to be a long term "permanent" thing.

I used Black anodized aluminum tubing with connectors to build the rack. It looks very similar to the finish of my ecotech rack. I will eventually run all the cables through the wall but for now like I said its only temporary.

I have an ATI Blue+ and Coral+ and I'm running it 3 hrs per day. My goal is to work it up to 6hrs before I start to increase the intensity of my Radions again. I think it looks great, and the amount of light those 2 bulbs put out is impressive. You can definitely tell the difference when they turn on and off while the Radions are running. Another thing that kind of works out is the the exit of the fans for my Radions blows air across the bulbs, not that it needs it, LOL!

Tubing and connectors....



Constructing the ends....



Rack made....


I am going to modify it and going to place the cross beams differently to line up with my radion rack and I'm eventually going to bolt it down to my Radions with longer bolts (if I can find them) that way I can get rid of the cable ties.....


Semi-finished product....
 
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A few quick phone pics.....






Love this view....shows the depth of the tank...


Maybe I'll take some quality macros this weekend for Sahin....maybe not......:D
 
I like it! It really looks good enough to stay there. I think the anodised rack looks just fine to stay as part of the whole fixture.

I HOPE ECOTECH SEE THIS. And come out with a nice twin T5 slots. I'd immediately swap to Radions if that were the case. :idea:

I'm expecting a photo dump on this thread this weekend buddy. Or else :fun2:
 
looks good, that tank is going to take off

you said use T5 for supplement, I bet you end up adding two more T5 and use the LED for supplement
 
by looking at this. I'm thinking you need more light or you need a different light source?? why the T5s when you have TOP DOG L.E.Ds
 
Top dawg LEDs were doing fine. Good growth and color. I added the t5 to fill out and even out the lighting. Corals look great from top down but lacking from the front. I'm hoping those t5s from the front will help round out the colors. Time will tell. Things were not broken before I'm just a tinkerer ank like pushing the envelope.
 
oh ok. just asking because I have been seeing ppl adding T5s to L.E.Ds and I did not know why. are you doing to help out your SPS. ??? is this something I need to start looking into. ????? I don't do SPS but should I still do it??
 
tonyyloww said:
oh ok. just asking because I have been seeing ppl adding T5s to L.E.Ds and I did not know why. are you doing to help out your SPS. ??? is this something I need to start looking into. ????? I don't do SPS but should I still do it??
Click to expand...
I've seen the same thing too and I think it's because they get better growth out of the T5s
 
T5s are great. but the leds make the corals look way mo better. I have been thinking about the T5- led combo for sometime now. and looking at rovster build... MAN I like it.... I was like:thumbsup::idea:
 
Like always your tank is looking awesome. I see you are messing with your big three numbers. What are you shooting for ?
 
The biggest drawback of LED is the lack of spread and arguably a lack of spectrum. That's the T5's biggest advantage. It seems only to be an issue for SPS, but that said my SPS was looking fine before. I'm just trying to squeeze all the juice out of them.

As far as messing with parameters, I'm not. I shoot for Alk at 145, currently messing with it because demand is going up. NO3 I shoot for less than 5 but readable. Phos I like under 9ppb.

Thanks for the positive remarks. Sahin I'm sorry but I left my macro lens at work. I tried taking pics with my 50mm today but they look like crap. I may try with my kit lens later this weekend.

Eddie, come over so you can eat crow. I may see an improvement with the addition of t5, but I can't imagine it will be mind blowing. Things were doing great with the led al by itself!
 
rovster said:
The biggest drawback of LED is the lack of spread and arguably a lack of spectrum. That's the T5's biggest advantage. It seems only to be an issue for SPS, but that said my SPS was looking fine before. I'm just trying to squeeze all the juice out of them.

As far as messing with parameters, I'm not. I shoot for Alk at 145, currently messing with it because demand is going up. NO3 I shoot for less than 5 but readable. Phos I like under 9ppb.

Thanks for the positive remarks. Sahin I'm sorry but I left my macro lens at work. I tried taking pics with my 50mm today but they look like crap. I may try with my kit lens later this weekend.

Eddie, come over so you can eat crow. I may see an improvement with the addition of t5, but I can't imagine it will be mind blowing. Things were doing great with the led al by itself!
Click to expand...


Sorry Rovi- But im a T-5, MH believer. You can keep any combination of MH/LED, or LED/MH and you will succeed.

Do I think LED's are the future? ABSOLUTELY. But not yet. You do have one of the few that will likely get us there (Radions) but when all the intensity, radiance, kelvin, etc.. continues to be an experiment.....IMHO...THEY ARE NOT THERE YET.

When they say...."this light, at this height, at this percentage, at this percentage of blue, green, yellow, blue, violet, pink, red, orange, black, white...will help you keep SPS, or at this height, blah, blah , for LPS... then they are there.

This has already been very well documented for decades with MH and T-5's.

Take a look at Tanks of the Month on ALL forums you can think of, and tell me what the predominant lighting scheme is?

And dont even talk to me about the 50K hours of bulb life that helps the added expense, or the no changing bulbs, or the "electric bill" being less THING...Many mention on line about them dying very early (creating the whole light useless), and heat being an issue etc...

Geez- I hate being the Debbie Downer for so many folks, but the truth is...."you cant handle the truth", because companies are making the money they cant make with the old systems like they can make with the LED market.
 
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Lol, I love how you are arguing with yourself. No one here has made any claims including myself. Look at my tank and tell me if you think LED doesn't work. It's not even about that. I run what I brung, bro. DALE!!!!!!!!:p
 
rovster said:
Lol, I love how you are arguing with yourself. No one here has made any claims including myself. Look at my tank and tell me if you think LED doesn't work. It's not even about that. I run what I brung, bro. DALE!!!!!!!!:p
Click to expand...

Dont DALE!!! me cabron. You know I hate that demeaning phrase.(only Cubans would understand) :spin2:

And I agree YOU can definitely keep corals, but if you ask me, its not about you lighting. Its about your knowledge of how to keep the rest of it stable, and catering to everything else involved. Lighting is just a very small picture of the whole pie.

Im not the one arguing, take a look at a few posts back...

T-5's WILL make your lighting scheme better, but NOT as a supplement but as an adjunct to a "needy" system.
 
AquamanE said:
Dont DALE!!! me cabron. You know I hate that demeaning phrase.(only Cubans would understand) :spin2:



And I agree YOU can definitely keep corals, but if you ask me, its not about you lighting. Its about your knowledge of how to keep the rest of it stable, and catering to everything else involved. Lighting is just a very small picture of the whole pie.



Im not the one arguing, take a look at a few posts back...



T-5's WILL make your lighting scheme better, but NOT as a supplement but as an adjunct to a "needy" system.
Click to expand...


Get a room boys
 
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