TrUeBlAcKperCuLa 120 sps under radion G1

[trueblackpercula]

Haven't forgotten you waiting on some camera equipment. I will also answer your questions as they are valid ones.

 

[trueblackpercula]

Okay so tell me mate, is that Oregon tort as stunningly deep blue as i think it is? is it hard to get the true tort and how do you know if it's the true one. Not questioning it is true i just don't really know how all this naming works as i thought there would only be one Oregon tort.

Yes it really is that blue and I am one of them reefers that will show a picture that comes as close to real life as I can. some around here love to Photoshop there pictures to make people think there SPS are glowing with colors that really don't exist. (but that is another story)

As for getting a true Oregon tort that is real they are very hard to come by and when they do come up for sale that don't last more then a few hours around here. (But maybe down the road when mine fills in a can send you a frag) I know its far but who knows timing is everything so winter would be the best time.

I purchased mine from a very well know reefer around here called CUNAreffers who got it from Jim C at Procorals. I also have the ORA tort and they are both different in color, but i love them equally the same well almost LOL.

You have to get a better shot for us of that blueberry nasuta as i know it looks way better than that shot you took.

I wish I could but need a good camera to do so and hope I can with in a few more days. But to be honest it is encrusting very well and has more of a greenish base and yellowish ting to the overall body with light blueish purple polyps............Not doing as well as I hoped And don't know why.

Do you run two of those Radion units over your display and if you've used halides or T5's before what do you think about the LED's as far as coral colors and overall health.

I run Only one Radion G1 with TIR lens over the tank and it is working well too well I Would have to say and let me explain. Once you have it programed and this takes a lot or research and learning how to work with the software that Ecotech provides for FREE !!!! it works to perfection.

I have also gone from a single 400 watt metal halide with two 75watt actincs total of 150 watts a day to one Radion G1 that is under 130watts total. Yhea for the electric bill going down that is for sure and the chiller is on a lot less as well.............would recommend LEDS to everyone and Ecotech makes a great fixture.....HINT HINT

I have seen my electric bill go down and the heat in my room is nothing compared to the blistering heat from the Halide and VHO bulbs i once had.

If I was to compare the two systems I would say that in all truth be told.......The halides gave off nice colors and did the job well but is very costly and the heat that it gave off was ridiculous....But again this is old technology and I have so much more flexibility with LEDS now in programing my lEDS to the look and color I wanted. This is something that really could not be achieved by halides and VHO bulbs by me until now with LEDS. Yes they cost more up front but in the long run they pay off and out of the gate give more colors and flexibility that i have ever had in the 20 plus years of reefkeeping.

Things look good to me so why is it that so many reefers seem to have dramas whilst far fewer are getting good results. Sorry for grilling you but i'd like to hear what you think about the LED 'thing'. Keep the pics coming Perc

Thanks so much for all the compliments and questions as I don't mind speaking about my problems as it may help others to find whats wrong with there system

Ok so here is an update from this morning and I will try and answer your questions as best as I can if need be.

I am posting a quick link to a Youtube video of my tank under the led lighting at 2:00 pm and the would equate to 14k lighting. I Have been dosing vodka now for a few weeks and still do not see any change in the freaking algae growing on the sand bed. :headwallblue::headwally:

Here is what the water sample I took today's says about the tank. Also when you get a moment check out this video >>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge0qGNTNHXc I just can get that dame Algae to go away.Well lets see in a few more weeks of dosing Vodka only up to 2.5ml a day....

TEMP 82 DEG
SALINITY 1.026
CALCIUM 470
NITRATE 0
PHOSPHATE 0.03
ALKALINITY 8.1
MAGNESIUM 1,320

Here is a picture snap shot of my GRAPH

 

[biggles]

Here's me a while back Perc - i know your pain mate.........:debi:

Thanks for taking the time to answer all my questions so thoroughly, i really do appreciate the effort you went to. :thumbsup:
Glad to hear you scored a known lineage tort, considering how expensive these hard to come by aquacultured corals are becoming for you guys i think i would want to know for sure if i was getting what i was paying for.
I hope that blueberry nasuta turns around for you but sometimes one or two acros drive us nuts with their stupid growth patterns lol...... part of SPS keeping :wildone:
You really surprised me when you said you only have a single Radion running mate :eek1: I only have the single 250W radium but i also have the 4 x 39W T5's whereas you have no other lighting. I'd love to try a Radion one day and have certainly learned that the cheap blue/white only fixtures can work but only for a limited number of corals and even then the colors are terrible when compared to that accompanying full spectrum lighting - whatever the type, be it LED, halide or T5.
The video was cool, i see what you mean about that bloody algae, looks terrible lol. Obviously those low nitrate and phos readings are being ghosted by the rapid absorbtion of nutrients by the algae and are prob higher do you think ? I'd be inclined to fish net out those big patches to remove all that filth before it breaks down and goes back into the algae cycle yet again. I had no fish so it was a simple matter of starving mine away for a few months, the corals didn't seem to mind nothing but RO for months on end although my tank was alive with micro life prob feeding them via spawning etc.
So what's the plan if the algae doesn't show signs of going away after a few more weeks of dosing. More pics would be good too lol. :lol2:

 

[trueblackpercula]

Hello Biggles,

You had asked so whats the plan for the algae removal and this is what I have in mind and tell me if I am off here,
1) I have ordered a TDS meter to see if the RO/DI water is perfect or if the membrane needs to be changed out
2) removel of what i can from the sand bed as best as I can ( completed) maybe one more pass
3) carbon dosing in for form of Vodka ( already in the works and up to 3 mls a day)
4) need to add more life to the sand bed and possably add 1 more inch as its only at the 3 inch mark.>>>>> here is the thread I started http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=21772239&posted=1#post21772239

I have been hard at work cleaning the tank as best as I can as I didn't realize how hard it is to get to the bottom of a 31inch deep tank But in any case I did my best and as you can see from the pictures below the yuck I removed was for the better. I will also say that the algae was really easy to remove from the sand bed and I truly believe its because of the vodka dosing. I simply used a cat litter scooper and it work to perfection.

below you will find some pictures of a few new additions and the Yuck from the sand bed Enjoy and your feed back is always welcome.
BAD ALGEA YUCKKKK!!!!

GRAPE JUICE

SSC,COLEMENS PURPLE STAG,GREEN TORT BLUE TIPS,JESUS CHRIST STAG AND ORA TORT

GREEN SLIMMER,BLUE AUSSIE STAG AND PURPLE PLASMA

GREEN SLIMMER CLOSE UP

COLEMANS PURPLE STAG

SIDE PICTURE WITH A FEW MORE

 

[biggles]

Hey mate, sorry for not getting back to you. I appreciate you taking the time to answer my queries so thoroughly
The TDS meter is a good move, something so simple can save a lot of headaches with water quality. Removing the algae from the sand is a good idea, i did the same as it was like a hairy lawn in places - looked disgusting. That cat litter scoop idea is great, i ended up removing the 1" bed completely for a couple of months to speed up the water cleansing.
I had a 4" DSB in a very successful SPS reef, i had pocil spawn repeatedly and a A. humilis spawn in that tank so i won't ever knock the use of a DSB. I'd add the extra inch asap and the more cups of live sand from other reefers tanks you can swipe the better the diversity. I had 4 cups from diff friends tank to kick start my DSB. I had a BBQ and they all came over and it was like some 'welcome to reefing' ritual as they each poured their cups or containers into the sand one after the other, then they all critiqued the life in each pile lol. It was then that i knew i could never share my reef passion with 'norms' - non reefers - they'd think i was a total dork lol.
I've never tried getting the corals drunk so i can't comment on carbon dosing at all mate. I say if you feel it is contributing in a positive way then continue.

The corals are looking great, good PE during lights on is always a great sign. :thumbsup: I love the way you took that last shot looking across the acro field, looks cool and will look bloody awesome when those guys grow up
How are things coming along overall, i hope you've made some headway into getting things back in order.

 

[trueblackpercula]

Hey mate, sorry for not getting back to you. I appreciate you taking the time to answer my queries so thoroughly

anytime hope what I gave you is what you needed

The TDS meter is a good move, something so simple can save a lot of headaches with water quality.

It came in the other day and it reads zero so i tested my tap water and the reading was 47 lol[/QUOTE]

Removing the algae from the sand is a good idea, i did the same as it was like a hairy lawn in places - looked disgusting. That cat litter scoop idea is great, i ended up removing the 1" bed completely for a couple of months to speed up the water cleansing.

the cat litter scooper worked very well. I removed as much algae as i could but as you can see from the picture below its back again

I had 4 cups from diff friends tank to kick start my DSB.

that sounds like some i will do and see if this helps and let you know.

I've never tried getting the corals drunk so i can't comment on carbon dosing at all mate. I say if you feel it is contributing in a positive way then continue.

yes the vodka dosing is going well the only two draw backs are i have to manually dose it and i seem to be drinking a lot more theses days

The corals are looking great, good PE during lights on is always a great sign. :thumbsup: I love the way you took that last shot looking across the acro field, looks cool and will look bloody awesome when those guys grow up How are things coming along overall, i hope you've made some headway into getting things back in order.

Thanks i have been really trying to better understand reef keeping and there is more then art involved that is for sure, more science then anything.

I took this picture yesterday and i am getting disgusted again. I think the reason now is I have been feeding the sps oyster feast and need to cut back on the dosing to a lot less.

This type of algae just wont go away for a long period of time, so it has to be only a few ways its getting feed.
1) too much oyster feast
2) detritus in the sand bed
3)dirty filter socks that i am going to remove today for good as the harbor to much detritus and to be honest i have a remote sand bed in the sump that should be able to handle this.

If there is anything else you can think of let me know.

here is that dreaded algae again.:sad2:

 

[dowtish]

I totally agree that you should stop with the oyster feast or any other corla food until you get a handle on the algae issues.

 

[echopiece]

Hey there, been following along this thread as well. Wow, sorry to see the outbreak of algae! I agree with the others and would stop feeding heavily until you get things back under control. How is your skimmer performing? How often do you need to empty the skimmer cup? I am not familiar with vodka dosing, but are you able to run any GFO? Are you growing any chaeto algae in your sump? Seems like you need more nutrient exporting.

Just a thought, do you think your LR could be leaching out phosphates? But then again I believe you said this tank was setup for 6 years so that might not be the case. Try more nutrient exporting and maybe cut back your light schedule until things are back under control.

 

[trueblackpercula]

Hey there, been following along this thread as well. Wow, sorry to see the outbreak of algae! I agree with the others and would stop feeding heavily until you get things back under control. How is your skimmer performing? How often do you need to empty the skimmer cup? I am not familiar with vodka dosing, but are you able to run any GFO? Are you growing any chaeto algae in your sump? Seems like you need more nutrient exporting.

Just a thought, do you think your LR could be leaching out phosphates? But then again I believe you said this tank was setup for 6 years so that might not be the case. Try more nutrient exporting and maybe cut back your light schedule until things are back under control.

Thanks everyone for all the great advice. I was able to clean the algae once again from the sand be and hope that this will do the trick. I have also stopped dosing oyster feast at the rate that I was and have cut it down to 2mls once a week and its target feed to the sps. I feel if I don't feed them they will start to STN from the bottom up. I have Also lowed the I tension of my LEDs and its only been since August 15th and I am seeing some major improvement in color. So if you have a LEDs fixture start off low and ramp it up a little each week.

I will take some pictures I hope this weekend and show the results.

 

[Psionicdragon]

Thanks everyone for all the great advice. I was able to clean the algae once again from the sand be and hope that this will do the trick. I have also stopped dosing oyster feast at the rate that I was and have cut it down to 2mls once a week and its target feed to the sps. I feel if I don't feed them they will start to STN from the bottom up. I have Also lowed the I tension of my LEDs and its only been since August 15th and I am seeing some major improvement in color. So if you have a LEDs fixture start off low and ramp it up a little each week.

I will take some pictures I hope this weekend and show the results.

From my past experiences and advice I had gotten from other reefers (RC and Real life), usually the stn from the base to the top is an indicator of alk swing?

 

[rogerwilco357]

well from I can see your corals look happy like the P.E on the acros look happy happy..

 

[biggles]

How are things progressing now mate, is the algae backing off at all yet. Have you thought about stopping the oyster feast altogether and trying some roids or other dry coral food. Just throwing out some ideas in case backing off the oyster feeds still doesn't stop the algae outbreak.
Everything is looking pretty pale if your pic is near to what you're seeing in real life. I think light stress might be a big part of the problem together with whatever is causing the algae to go crazy. Those LED's are a lot brighter than our eyes register so starting low is good advice indeed. I'm glad you're seeing positive results from the lower LED intensity, once you get the water under control again i know everything will start to pop :thumbsup:

 

[trueblackpercula]

How are things progressing now mate, is the algae backing off at all yet. Have you thought about stopping the oyster feast altogether and trying some roids or other dry coral food. Just throwing out some ideas in case backing off the oyster feeds still doesn't stop the algae outbreak.
Everything is looking pretty pale if your pic is near to what you're seeing in real life. I think light stress might be a big part of the problem together with whatever is causing the algae to go crazy. Those LED's are a lot brighter than our eyes register so starting low is good advice indeed. I'm glad you're seeing positive results from the lower LED intensity, once you get the water under control again i know everything will start to pop :thumbsup:

I sent you an email with a small video of my tank. The algae has slowed down considerably and I am still dosing vodka to aid with that. I am also convinced that I need to lower my lighting once again from 85% to 80% and see how that goes. The LEDs are way to strong and I did t realize how bright they are but the camer pics it up really good. I have thought about the reef roids and now that you mention it I think this may be a good Idea.

Will keep you posted

 

[trueblackpercula]

Hey biggles

Lol I forgot to mention the picture above was taken with whit only and with a flash on to show the sandbed. But I am still going to lower the intensity as I feel the LEDs are way to powerful.

 

[biggles]

Thank goodness for that mate, it looked like everything was 5 mins away from RTN lol.

 

[trueblackpercula]

lol

 

[trueblackpercula]

Ok so i decided to share some updated pictures of my Sps under the RADION G1 LIGHTING WITH TIR LENS. It has been a learning experience for me as they are very powerful and please don't under estimate this type of led lighting as they will cook your sps. I have made a few changes a long the way and hope that I have headed into the right direction.

 

[Bdial]

Im gonna need that graph man. I have a 110high. 31" tall baby. I cant find a color i like so im just running 20k. Can you pm me?

 

[trueblackpercula]

Send me your email and I will send it over.

 

[CUNAReefer]

Very nice tank, Michael. Subscribed!