Top down shots

[Hoono]

Hello Big E,

the Fiji Sun (Hamilton tech) uses Fulham Workhorses ballasts, I've seen some reviews on amazon and home depot, but I'm not familiar with them.

Its charactestics:
"T5 HO bulbs included

Flexibility - using daylight and actinic bulbs in your preferred combination you create the lighting effects you desire: Combines three .39 watt Actinic Blue and three 39 watt 10000K Ice White T5 HO bulbs (if you prefer a different combination, just let us know!)

Superior craftsmanship: Low profile & light weight, fan cooled with a powder coated black finish

Durable German mirror finish, corrosion resistant, anodized aluminum reflector wraps-around each T5 tube boosting light output by 300% more than light alone with no reflector, directing maximum light down toward your aquarium tank

Maximum cooling ball bearing fan design keeps air circulating around lamps, prolongs lamp life

Heat resistant T5 lens protects T5 fluorescent tubes; separate power cords (per T5 pair) allow for automation of lighting cycles when using timers
High performance, cool operating, efficient, T5 electronic ballasts - improve light output and intensity

Suspend form ceiling with adjustable stainless steel cable system or mount directly on top of aquarium (legs included)

Supplies the most concentrated light intensity, color spectrum and wavelength essential for photosynthesis and coral health

Vivid, sparkling and natural looking light enhances the look of your tank inhabitants

Proper spectrum, color stability and light output essential for the health of your aquarium"

The fixture comes with the bulbs. With time I would switch with ATI.
They give the option to choose which bulbs you want:
10k
460nm royal blue
420nm actinic
Which ones should I get to be similar to 3B+ and 3C+?

 

[Big E]

I would pass on that fixture...........workhorse ballast don't perform as well as the ATI hep ballasts. They aren't the correct ballast to use either.

I wouldn't waste my time with the bulbs they supply. Buy the ATI bulbs.........they have a long track record of success with Acros.

Advance makes a compatible ballast ----ICN-2S54-T is the 48" version if you want to DIY something and can't get the HEP ballasts.

If it was me I would just get the standard 6 bulb Sunpower. Check the used sales section......you can usually get a good deal if you want to save some cash.

 

[Hoono]

Thanks Big E,

I will get the ATI then.

 

[Hoono]

Big E,

I bought the ATI 6x39W, but the company ran out of it, so they are offering me the 8x39W. I think it would be too much for my 55gallons tank (38x18x18), wouldn't it?

 

[Big E]

Yes, that's too wide and not needed

 

[Useful_Idiot]

Glad to see you're still updating this thread with some great pics!
Did you ever get a chance to run those actinic bulbs and what change would you anticipate to get from them?

but right now I'm more interested in experimenting with adding some actinic bulbs to my 4 bulb setup.

I'll admit to dragging my feet on this......I've had two Geismann actinic bulbs for over a year to try this out.

With all these Radion users running the AB special program what are your thoughts on the 1 AB to 3 B+ plus combo Ecotech marine copied from Reef Wholsale? Have you read the article they wrote on their coral lab page? I've run your 50/50 C+ combo for a few years and am considering trying 1 AB to 3 B+ on my frag tank. Would it have enough white spectrum to keep the reds red?

What bulbs did you run prior to your 50/50 combo?

 

[Big E]

Glad to see you're still updating this thread with some great pics!
Did you ever get a chance to run those actinic bulbs and what change would you anticipate to get from them?

I haven't hooked them up yet, but I would anticipate more pop in some corals as well as in ambience. I really need to get this done.......I've dragged
my feet on this hoping an LED strip light would come out with plenty of 400-420nm LEDs mixed with some 450 blues but it hasn't happened.

SB Reeflights has come out with one that is 3-1 Blue to violet.............I'd prefer more violets but it's a start.

These and most LED units are using some or all Violet SemiLeds which are supposed to have the most pop. Problem is I don't think anything has changed about the longevity of the 420 leds.


With all these Radion users running the AB special program what are your thoughts on the 1 AB to 3 B+ plus combo Ecotech marine copied from Reef Wholsale? Have you read the article they wrote on their coral lab page? I've run your 50/50 C+ combo for a few years and am considering trying 1 AB to 3 B+ on my frag tank. Would it have enough white spectrum to keep the reds red?

You could try that AB/B+ combo.......it should work ok. The only thing is your spread across the tank isn't smooth. Corals under the ABspecial to about a 4-5" width will benefit the rest of the corals won't.

The Radion AB+ setup was nothing new to me...........I had been suggesting similar settings for LEDs for 5 years based on number of blue to white diode ratios in each particular brand and then extrapolating them to match a 400w Radium bulb's spectral plot.

Problem was most didn't have enough violet Leds until recently with the G4,
RB Photon V, Orphek and some others. That's why people had so much success adding T5s because they would add more 400-420nm and also the added bonus of coverage to create a better overall spectral distribution.

Here is my original thread about this.......it covers spectrum, coverage,the concerns over hot spots and no violet(400-420) LEDs.

You can see a lot has changed as of today and they are finally now addressing hot spots with diffusers.

I backfilled all my charts, ect. and there is still a lot of good info and links that will help today.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2198810

What bulbs did you run prior to your 50/50 combo?

I was using ABspecial and Blue+ 50/50. Once the Coral+ came out it was a huge upgrade and that's when I started really producing my best colors.

 

[joelbegt]

If someone preferred a whiter combo do you feel that running all coral+ would be able to achieve similar results to the 50/50 combo?

 

[Big E]

If someone preferred a whiter combo do you feel that running all coral+ would be able to achieve similar results to the 50/50 combo?

I would say yes, for the most part. The one difference is that you may lose a little of the reflective pop we see with our eyes with more blue that the B+ bulb projects.

 

[Mike de Leon]

Any New Year pics ?

 

[Big E]

I've been hacking up my corals for a few months now to try and thin things out, so I haven't taken many pics.

Here's a few--

Crayola Plana

Crayola plana 122617 by Big E 52, on Flickr

WT Tierra del Fuego- This has really been picking up more colors since it has tabled out. Getting some light blue in the table base.

Tierra del fuego 111717 by Big E 52, on Flickr

Tierra del Fuego 010318 by Big E 52, on Flickr

Sky Blue Hoeki

Hoeki 121917 by Big E 52, on Flickr

GC Ultimate Efflo

Ultimate efflo 010918 by Big E 52, on Flickr

Inferno favia

inferno favia by Big E 52, on Flickr

White Lightning Horrida

white lightning 112517 by Big E 52, on Flickr

Finally starting to get my Zoa garden going....a bit sloppy but coming along

 

[reefmutt]

Well, Ed.. I’m a broken record when I come here... a drooling broken record.
Amazing! That tdf is so good it makes me want to cry!
That eflo looks like a crazy granulosa..
Love the shots!!

 

[DiscusHeckel]

I echo what Matt said above, Ed. Super.

 

[Big E]

Well, Ed.. I'm a broken record when I come here... a drooling broken record.
Amazing! That tdf is so good it makes me want to cry!
That eflo looks like a crazy granulosa..
Love the shots!!

I echo what Matt said above, Ed. Super.

Thanks, guys.........you already know I feel the same way about the colors you pull in your tanks as well:thumbsup:

I've been holding some frags for my friend Jorge and snapped this updated pic today of this Daves Skittles branch I cut for him. They always brown out after being cut. Pics are 4 months apart.

Dave skittles Jorge 091317 by Big E 52, on Flickr

Dave skittle Jorge 011918 by Big E 52, on Flickr

 

[Mike de Leon]

Breathtaking! You're only over three hours drive from me! Can I snatch up some frags off you? Just the ones in the frag tank! lol

 

[reefmutt]

Breathtaking! You're only over three hours drive from me! Can I snatch up some frags off you? Just the ones in the frag tank! lol

Mike, if you're going over the border, you'll have to smuggle some back for me as well!!

 

[DiscusHeckel]

Hi Ed,

I am very curious about why these beautiful frags spend their time in your tank on egg crates rather than attached to a live rock or two. I am sure that you explained this a long time ago the someone asked why you did not post a FTS, but I forgot.

 

[Wally.B]

I've been hacking up my corals for a few months now to try and thin things out, so I haven't taken many pics.

Here's a few--

Wow ED.

If that is result after HACKING, can I borrow your Hatchet?

Amazing Colors ( Eye Drool Popping).

You a MASTER!!

I couldn't breathe next to my SPS without them wilting in my last setup.

 

[sensei]

Hey Ed,

maybe it was not that bad that I have had all the problems in my tank, all these delays are allowing my frags to grow in your tank, (a good deal indead)!
I will have some beautifull colonies when I recieve them.

Thanks a lot my friend!

by the way, you said:
"They always brown out after being cut"
can you explain a little more what you meant?
do they brown out because you lower them in height and recieve less light or ..?

best regards

 

[Big E]

Breathtaking! You're only over three hours drive from me! Can I snatch up some frags off you? Just the ones in the frag tank! lol

Thanks, I take random pictures from both tanks when I post and they both have racks in them. Overall I get better colors from my main tank.

No problem, grab some frags from Matt's tank for me on your way

Hi Ed,

I am very curious about why these beautiful frags spend their time in your tank on egg crates rather than attached to a live rock or two. I am sure that you explained this a long time ago the someone asked why you did not post a FTS, but I forgot.

Well, I'm embarrassed to say I've become a Acro hoarder. I wanted to get a pool of corals and pick the best ones to form a nice display, but over time I got too many, got rid of very few and some became large and blocked flow.I had to put some corals in racks to give them flow and create room.

I added a frag tank to keep backups and to off load the excess and all I did was fill that up with more corals..........I'm weak. In my defense I have some generous friends that have traded and given me corals and we also have some awesome frag swaps 2-3 times a year locally.

The last few months I've been breaking down some of my larger corals trying to create overall room in both tanks so I can set up an actual display in my 80g rimless. Once this is done I hope to keep it only as an actual display. I have a few fish waiting to add as well.

Tanks with frag racks dispersed everywhere are ugly and my 13 year old camera does a very poor job of taking tank shots...........they lose all the detail, but it would help if I had everything set up as an actual display.

I had the left side of my tank set up as a display and within a few months the corals were too big and I had to cut them up and then some racks came back into the tank.

Wow ED.

If that is result after HACKING, can I borrow your Hatchet?

Amazing Colors ( Eye Drool Popping).

You a MASTER!!

I couldn't breathe next to my SPS without them wilting in my last setup.

Thanks Wally, I'm sure your new venture is going to produce plenty of eye poppers.