SkullV's SPS Dominated SpecV

[SkullV]

In the couple years this tank has been up it has gone through many changes. Started out as just a house for my clowns while I was studying for the bar exam and just kind of progressed to the SPS dominated tank that it is today.

First, I'll post how it sits today, then I'll copy over my build thread from the other site I'm on and update periodically.

Equipment

• Drilled Fluval Spec V Tank w/Back Chamber Gutted
• 10g Sump w/3 sections - Skimmer --> Fuge --> Return
• DIY CREE LED
• ReefKeeper Lite Controller w/2x PC4, 1xSL1, 1x Float Switch
• Aqualifter ATO Pump
• SCA-301 Protein Skimmer w/SkullV Mod
• Eheim 1250 Return Pump
• Eheim Jager 75w Heater
• Hydor Pico 300 for "Closed Loop"
• CPR Nano Tumbler w/NPX Bioplastics
• DIY CREE LED Light for Fuge (2xRed, 2xCWhite, 2xRBlue)
• BRS Mesh Screen Top w/Polished Aluminum Frame

Aquascaping

• 10lbs Tropic Eden Reeflakes
• CeramEco Vida Rock AT544
• 10lbs Menado Live Rock - Sump
• Chaetomorpha Algae - Sump

Livestock

• 1x Sixline Wrasse
• 2x ORA Deresa Clam
• 1x Fighting Conch
• Misc. Herbivore Snails
• Misc. Nassarius Snails

Current FTS (6/11/14):

Peninsula View/View From The Couch (6/11/14):

 

[SkullV]

2/16/14

Old sump and lighting with some misc. pics:

2/17/14
Old FTS relatively soon after adding the sump and the vidarock:

 

[SkullV]

2/18/14

Moonlight I built for the old lighting setup:

Went ahead and used:

• 2" wide flat aluminum
• 1x 3w Royal Blue LED
• 1x Optic (I believe it is a 60*)
• 1x 9v Cell Phone Charger
• Thermal Compound
• Krylon Fusion Paint

2/19/14

Updated my sump and plumbing:

Before:

After:

 

[SkullV]

2/21/14

3/23/14

Moved clowns to frag tank and a bunch of new zoas:

4/1/14

Rescaped the display fuge:

 

[SkullV]

4/6/14

Started adding some SPS and moving all the zoas to the sand. Also got my T3i and started playing around with it. Had a long time since I've had a DSLR so please excuse the meh pictures and:

 

[SkullV]

4/7/14

Started taking pictures of coral for growth comparisons:

ORA Red Planet (4/7/14):

ORA Hawkins (4/7/14):

Tyree Lime In The Sky (4/7/14):

No Name Red Milli (4/7/14)

4/8/14


Here are some more for future growth comparison purposes:

No Name (4/8/14):

UWW Rainbow Sunburst Monti (4/8/14):

Orange Digi (4/8/14):

Setosa, injured this guy a little bit handling it to glue (4/8/14):

Garf Bonsai:

and a nice new FTS of the fuge:

 

[SkullV]

4/22/14

In preparing to move again, I decided to get another SpecV but drilled differently. It's a pain drilling this thin glass but I'm 2/2 on it now!

New Stand setup:

4/27/14

Ordered the LEDs and other stuff for my new Rapid LED Cree setup:

 

[SkullV]

5/7/14

Moved everything to the new apartment and didn't seem to lose anything so that is positive.

RapidLED forgot to send me some of the correct length jumper cables for the DIY LED so it's on hold until they come in on Friday. Did get all the chips mounted though:

5/13/14

Finished up the all CREE fuge light (2xRB, 2xR, 2xCW).

 

[SkullV]

5/21/14

Photo Shoot:

Garf Bonsai Through Glass:

Garf Bonsai Top Down:

Jason Fox Bugout Stylo Through Glass:

Jason Fox Bugout Stylo Top Down:

No Name Blue/Green from RockHead (this is slowly turning into my favorite SPS ever, check out those ice blue growth tips and crazy polyps!) Through Glass:

No Name Blue/Green from RockHead Top Down:

Jason Fox Aquaman Mont Through Glassi:

Aquapros Aussie Shortcake Through Glass:

 

[SkullV]

5/21/14 Continued

Tyree Lime in the Sky Through Glass:

ProCorals Rainbow Acro Through Glass (just starting to color up after shipping):

Tyree Pink Lemonade Through Glass:

Emerald Crab happened to be out:

Tank FTS (5/21/14):

With the new LED showing:

 

[SkullV]

5/22/14

Photos of the new LEDs:

Still need to get a plug for the front of the conduit just for my own OCD sanity but here it is. My iPhone has been taking pretty blurry pics lately so if you want a clearer shot of anything let me know:

Also added the CPR Nanotumbler today with a 50% dose of the NPX bioplastics. I'll add the other half in a month and continue dosing the Reef Biofuel until then. I'm also going to keep using MicroBacter7 with the pellets.

5/24/14

Added two nice ORA Deresa clams from Aquapros. They look better with the blue lights turned off but hopefully will color up under the spectrum I have. This pic is with all the lights on:

5/31/14

I never test my water, just top off with fully saturated kalk water, and carbon dosing with a 2-5g water change every month-ish seems to get the trick done.

Finally tested today and was happy to see that it's all working like I knew it was:

Cal = 483ppm

Alk = 9.63 dKH

 

[SkullV]

6/4/14

Added an Atlantis Aquariums (ATL) Cherry Bomb Acro. The polyps are crazy red on this thing. I'm hoping under the LEDs way high up the skin will turn more red as well:

Also a neat growth shot on the UWW Rainbow Sunburst Monti and Tyree Lime in the Sky from 4/8/14 to 6/4/14

6/11/14

Added a Palmers Blue Milli and ORA Kelly Green Kelly Green Psammacora. Milli is adjusting again (was amazing blue 2 days ago when it first went in) but I'm sure it'll color all the way back up:

New FTS (6/11/14):

Peninsula View/View From The Couch (6/11/14):

 

[SkullV]

That brings us up to date! Everything is really at a point now where I can sit back and let it grow. Maybe sometime soon I'll post my other nano build (Clowns and BTAs) as well.

 

[G_Sanab922]

Very very nice! That LED fixture you did is the exact same one I want to do. How much did all the parts come out to? Did you use cree?

 

[SkullV]

Very very nice! That LED fixture you did is the exact same one I want to do. How much did all the parts come out to? Did you use cree?

Yep, all CREE (other than the UV) from RapidLED. The parts list for the build is posted above. I believe the total cost was somewhere around $255 after 10% discount. Feel free to post or PM me if you have any questions.

I do have to say that the CREE chips made a HUGE difference in coloration and also the "crispness", for lack of a better word, in tank appearance. The Chinese LEDs I ran over this tank (and still run on my other nano) pale in comparison. I can only imagine that the people who reccomend Chinese fixtures have never owned a fixture built with quality chips. Overall though, I wish there was a company that made small T5 bulbs other than Cadlights. I miss my T5.

 

[G_Sanab922]

Yep, all CREE (other than the UV) from RapidLED. The parts list for the build is posted above. I believe the total cost was somewhere around $255 after 10% discount. Feel free to post or PM me if you have any questions.

I do have to say that the CREE chips made a HUGE difference in coloration and also the "crispness", for lack of a better word, in tank appearance. The Chinese LEDs I ran over this tank (and still run on my other nano) pale in comparison. I can only imagine that the people who reccomend Chinese fixtures have never owned a fixture built with quality chips. Overall though, I wish there was a company that made small T5 bulbs other than Cadlights. I miss my T5.

Nice, not that bad. And at least you know you have quality stuff!

My friend/electrician said the same thing. That CREE is the best in the market. But I've noticed LED prices aren't consistent. It's either expensive or cheap lol.

 

[SkullV]

That CREE is the best in the market. But I've noticed LED prices aren't consistent. It's either expensive or cheap lol.

After using Chinese black box fixtures, Par 38s, Radions, and many DIYs, you definitely get what you pay for with these things. The no name chips will grow coral, but they just don't bring out the colors that the high quality chips do.

 

[G_Sanab922]

After using Chinese black box fixtures, Par 38s, Radions, and many DIYs, you definitely get what you pay for with these things. The no name chips will grow coral, but they just don't bring out the colors that the high quality chips do.

You can definitely back up that comment with your pictures. lol Beautiful color displayed in each one. Looks like you are using a nice camera as well though?

 

[SkullV]

You can definitely back up that comment with your pictures. lol Beautiful color displayed in each one. Looks like you are using a nice camera as well though?

Cannon Rebel EOS T3i. No post processing, just properly set white balance using a laminated white card placed underwater.

 

[G_Sanab922]

I had a feeling lol. That's a nice camera!