180-Gallon Upgrade Starts NOW!!!

[ryshark]

That's looking great keep it up real nice

Thank you!

 

[ChizerBunoi]

Wow, I really like those two tree like structures in the middle of the tank. Are you planning to put any corals on top?

 

[ryshark]

Wow, I really like those two tree like structures in the middle of the tank. Are you planning to put any corals on top?

Absolutely The new LEDs are directly above those.
Looking at that picture again, I realized its time to scrape the back wall.

 

[Ziggy953]

Nicely done with the LEDs!

 

[Jason7894561230]

Whats that purple fish called. It looks like a hippo tang to me but its purple lol Also do you still have your achillis tang?

 

[Ziggy953]

It is a hippo tang...just looks purple because of the lighting.

 

[ryshark]

Nicely done with the LEDs!

Thanks man!

 

[ryshark]

Whats that purple fish called. It looks like a hippo tang to me but its purple lol Also do you still have your achillis tang?

Yep, it is a Blue Hippo, He always turn out that color in pictures even though the picture is not altered at all. It must be what Ziggy said, the lighting.
I do still have the Achilles, he is doing good. He looks skinnier than my other big fish, but he still eats very well..... juck very picky at what he eats. The others everything, but not him... only algae/seaweed or foods with lots of it, like Formula 2 frozen.

 

[ryshark]

Here is a recent picture with the new aquascaping and the new LEDs to prove that Achilles lives..... Awesome looking fish, but definitely not for somebody new to saltwater or does not have the right equipment suited for this particular fish.

 

[Ziggy953]

Very nice!! Do you feel the LEDs are making a big difference over the center brace? It's difficult to tell in the pics. The tank looks awesome but curious what your on site experience is.

 

[ryshark]

Very nice!! Do you feel the LEDs are making a big difference over the center brace? It's difficult to tell in the pics. The tank looks awesome but curious what your on site experience is.

It definitely lights up the middle of the tank...going through the center brace and all. Now, if the light is still strong enough for sps after going through the brace, that is still unknown. I think so though..... we will find out soon enough.

 

[Ziggy953]

Awesome I will be looking forward to your results. I still feel that LED lighting is so untested that we don't know for sure what to expect with different combinations, heights and so forth.

I'm excited to see how things grow for you under this light. Perhaps even a frag of the same coral under a MH and one under the LEDs to compare growth. Just a thought.

 

[happygirl65]

This is simply amazing...and inspiring. Thanks for sharing the pics!

 

[ryshark]

Awesome I will be looking forward to your results. I still feel that LED lighting is so untested that we don't know for sure what to expect with different combinations, heights and so forth.

I'm excited to see how things grow for you under this light. Perhaps even a frag of the same coral under a MH and one under the LEDs to compare growth. Just a thought.

I did just that a few days ago, I took a frag off a big Acropora Tenuis colony and it is the only frag on those new flat rocks directly under the LEDs. The LEDs are only on for less than 4-hours a day right now. I am taking the acclimation slow even though there aren't any corals directly underneath them yet. I'm curious to see how that sole tenuis frag does too, so far it still has PE. Thats all I can really say for now. I know some people blasted coral with LEDs and even lost PE on corals.
I just read your second paragraph again and realized I missed the last sentence. That is a good idea, I should take another frag off that colony(which is only under halide light) same size frag and keep it close by only under halide light to do a comparison with it and the frag under LEDs. When I get to a full 6+ hours of LED light I will do that. Right now I am increasing the LED light time by 10-minutes per day.
I'm also thinking about picking up a Green Slimer, which is hardy, and putting it under the LEDs pretty soon here to see how it does. No way am I going to risk any of my LE corals at this point they are staying under the halides for now.

 

[ryshark]

This is simply amazing...and inspiring. Thanks for sharing the pics!

Thank you! No problem, I appreciate your response. It is replies like this which motivate me to take the time to post pictures on here. I know I always like to view pics too from others builds.

 

[iDream]

an FTS to make us jealous then? i'd love that, and maybe some coral growth?

how's the achilles doing too? i can only assume well!

EDIT: also to motivate and let you know i love this tank and whole set up so much when i decide to dive into mine large upgrade (several years later) i'll definitely come on here and read this and set my tank up just like yours!

 

[Ziggy953]

Excellent! I look forward to hearing how things work out!!

 

[ryshark]

an FTS to make us jealous then? i'd love that, and maybe some coral growth?

how's the achilles doing too? i can only assume well!

EDIT: also to motivate and let you know i love this tank and whole set up so much when i decide to dive into mine large upgrade (several years later) i'll definitely come on here and read this and set my tank up just like yours!

Thanks for the kind words. If you go back a page to post 509 on December 2, you will see a picture of the FTS and you can kind of see the Achilles. That picture was mainly intended for the lights, so I will get a better FTS and Achilles picture later. Also, good idea on some growth shots. It has been awhile, I need to take some.
As far as the Achilles health goes, he is getting skinny. So a few days ago I evicted the Rabbitfish which was a complete pig and ate all the food before the less assertive Achilles could get to it. I can already see that the Achilles is consuming much more food with the Rabbitfish out of the tank and Nori/Seaweed actually lasts on the clip more than 3-minutes. The Rabbitfish would devour it so quickly by just parking itself next to the clip and not moving until the nori was completely gone. I always feel a little sad to get rid of a fish, but it was definitely for the good of the tank. I want to replace him with a bunch of small fish.... stay tuned, I plan on ordering them all at once after Christmas.

 

[ryshark]

Excellent! I look forward to hearing how things work out!!

Thanks Ziggy, me too.

 

[iDream]

looking at it enlarged that is one gorgeous tank! so for the center brace a MH wouldn't be able to penetrate enough to support any coral or just the sps?

would possibly four smaller and less powerful MH work better? i'm just trying to gather info because i know LEDs are expensive, but who knows maybe down the road the price will drop so i could light the whole tank with em!