Show off your T5 run (non Zeovit + similar) SPS tank please

sahin

sahin

Ultimate Reefer
Please share photos of your T5 lit SPS tanks which are run without Zeovit etc.

I am thinking of upgrading my 28G nano tank to a 46 gallon tank and light it with T5's. So far I have been using halide + LED. I would like to see what results are achievable - primarily coral colour and growth with T5's only whilst not resorting to dosing/zeovit/vodka driven systems.

Thanks.
 
i have an all t5 lit without zeovit, probidio, no water changes, temp swinging, calcium reactor, phosban, carbon, cheap skimmer, algae scrubbing, tank, here it is

001-3.jpg


Sana
 
sanababit said:
i have an all t5 lit without zeovit, probidio, no water changes, temp swinging, calcium reactor, phosban, carbon, cheap skimmer, algae scrubbing, tank, here it is

001-3.jpg


Sana
Click to expand...

That is UNBELIEVEABLE!!! How in the world are you able to do that without none of the above??
Please give some details of what your not doing or doing to make this work.
Please!!:lolspin:
 
My first guess is patience. Great tank. Really shows how an ecosystem can take care of itself when given the right "nothing else".
 
Robert Patterso said:
That is UNBELIEVEABLE!!! How in the world are you able to do that without none of the above??
Please give some details of what your not doing or doing to make this work.
Please!!:lolspin:
Click to expand...

hahhaha, its really easy, 3 things,
1.- keep your PO4 somewhat low, i use phosban or rowa or phoslock, an algae scrubber and my cheap skimmer,
2.- good lighting and color combo on the t5 bulbs
3.- keep alk at a great value around 8-9.5 works for me

that is it, my temp range all year is from 75-86, i have great water circulation with the vortechs, my reactor is filled with arm media and mag media to keep this parameters in check, my scrubber keeps my nitrates at 0ppm, so if everything is in check why make water changes, jajajaj, the tank has been up since april 2007, i started just like everyone else, doing my water changes but as the tank matured i noticed that it was taking care of itself, literally

Here are the photos of my sump and gear which keeps this thing going
004-3.jpg

007-8.jpg

008-5.jpg

016-4.jpg

005-6.jpg


Sana
 
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sanababit, you're an inspiration. But now no one like me will post tank pics. :(

Do you feed your corals anything? (Fish poo doesn't count!)

Also could you tell us about your bulbs, and photoperiod? Thanks!
 
Tell us about your algae scrubber. Looks like 3/4 or 1" pvc with some sort of screen attached to it. How much flow would you say is going across it? Did you just cut slits in the pvc for the water to flow down the screen? How often do you clean the screen?
 
dixiedog said:
sanababit, you're an inspiration. But now no one like me will post tank pics. :(

Do you feed your corals anything? (Fish poo doesn't count!)

Also could you tell us about your bulbs, and photoperiod? Thanks!
Click to expand...

well i really dont feed the coral directly, i used to do it at first, but really did not see anything different with the corals, so what ever they get indirectly when i feed the fish is what they get, lol

i have 8 bulbs, 6 on a powermodule and 2 diy, because i needed more light, lol, the bulbs for now are giesemman

blue
blue
blue
blue
fiji purple
aquablue
blue
aquablue

i get a nice 20k look on the tank
 
Robert Patterso said:
Tell us about your algae scrubber. Looks like 3/4 or 1" pvc with some sort of screen attached to it. How much flow would you say is going across it? Did you just cut slits in the pvc for the water to flow down the screen? How often do you clean the screen?
Click to expand...

Hi, its a 1/2"pvc pipe with a long slith all the way accross, and some perpedicular to that one, the mesh is a plastic sheet you can get from michales, the flow is from a lttle powerhead i had and it give out about 300gph, the lights are 2 energy saver 6500k bulbs, that is it, since i lit both sides i clean each side bi-weekly, so one week the front the other week the back and so on, it works really good IMO, good luck

Sana
 
Robert Patterso said:
Are you using the return pump to also pump water to algae scrubber. What kind of material is that you are using?
Click to expand...

No, its a powerhead i had laying around which give out around 300 gph, the mesh is a plastic mesh for needle point, you can find it at michales or a place where they sell yarn

Sana
 
Thanks sanababit. Goes to show you that sometime less is better. Very nice. Do you keep a gfo or rowa going at all times or just when needed. I'm asking all these questions cause I'm having issues with my tank and looking for solutions that may make this addiction simpler, cheaper to enjoy
 
Robert Patterso said:
Thanks sanababit. Goes to show you that sometime less is better. Very nice. Do you keep a gfo or rowa going at all times or just when needed. I'm asking all these questions cause I'm having issues with my tank and looking for solutions that may make this addiction simpler, cheaper to enjoy
Click to expand...

i keep carbon, rowa or phosban or phosguard, algae scrubber, skimmer 24/7, what kind of problems are you having, maybe i can help

Sana
 
Well ok, lets see here. The tank is a 140g with a 75g sump with 3 sections. Skimmer section is where water from tank comes in from. Refugium is approx. 25g fed by the pump that runs the chiller. The skimmer is a octo xp2000. The lighting is 2x400 radiums in lumenbrite reflectors. I run gfo and carbon 24-7. I get little or no growth in the refugium. I can't seem to keep chaeto alive it just disappears. I have about 6' of sand in refug. with live rock. The tank has about a 3" sand bed and approx. 100# of live rock. I was dosing vodka but that wasn't for me. Got tired of fighting with cyno. Right now I am dealing with burnt tips on my sps and have lost all my monti cap, palawenisis, undata and can't seem to keep any chalice's alive. What is strange is while the caps were fading none of the sps/acro were being affected. I checked for monti. eating nudibranchs, none. I have had them in the past so I know what it looks like when they attack. What gets me is my alk is running around 8-9 dkh. I have little or no nusiance algae in the tank and now wondering if the tank is just to nutrient poor and maybe I should remove the gfo for a bit and let the nutrients build up a bit. I don't dose anything, I don't like it and pretty much think it is junk in a bottle. Others will disagree with me no doubt. I have never had these issues in the past with any of my other tanks. This tank has been up and running since sept. 09 and I have had little or no growth. Plenty of encrusting going on but no upward growth. It's now been close to year now and it is nowhere close to where it should be. I'm about ready to pull my hair out.
I do dose a two part plus Mg. Parameters are:

Ca. 450
alk 8-9
mg 1350
N03 < 05
P04 undetectable by salifert
temp 78-80
water changes once a week 7 gallons
diy ato
Any and all input would be very much appreciated
Thanks
I do get hair algae growth in my overflows that I have to remove every now and then. And a small patch on one rock that I can't seem to get rid of.
 
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Its, good that the questions are being asked etc about an obviously nice tank, but can we please keep the thread from straying off please. :)
 
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