Carey's Final Reef Upgrade- 180g

[Airgoose2222]

I laughed at "pootie tang." Great movie.. Haha. Good luck on the sale and getting the fish you want.

[carey]

That movie is what we named him after lol.....Its so bad its good!

[Airgoose2222]

I've introduced that movie to a few folks. Some die laughing others have no sense of humor. You are right with saying it's so bad, it's good. I crack up every time I see it. He's a magician with that belt.

[huma-huma]

My dragon wrasse isn't big enough yet to move the larger chunks of rock but he def can pick up a rock the same size as him and toss it furiously. It's comical but alarming in the same sense. I'm gonna have to figure something out for him eventually because I can see him tossing a chunk into the glass eventually

[KeithFrancis]

Originally Posted by huma-huma

My dragon wrasse isn't big enough yet to move the larger chunks of rock but he def can pick up a rock the same size as him and toss it furiously. It's comical but alarming in the same sense. I'm gonna have to figure something out for him eventually because I can see him tossing a chunk into the glass eventually

giw big is your wrasse? I just purchased a juvenile about 3"

[TheTodd]

How are all the other fish doing? Any of the infamous Chromis die-off? My LFS got two more of the bi-color Chromies and I'm thinking of going up to three now.

[huma-huma]

Originally Posted by KeithFrancis

giw big is your wrasse? I just purchased a juvenile about 3"

mines prob somewhere within the 5-6" range. He's still fairly small but I have noticed that his "camo" colors are fading and his cow lick. On his head is shortening

[Fishman007]

Originally Posted by huma-huma

mines prob somewhere within the 5-6" range. He's still fairly small but I have noticed that his "camo" colors are fading and his cow lick. On his head is shortening

Any picks? I sould love to see him

[Keithhjs]

Originally Posted by carey

Yeah, this particular lfs is very good. I just heard back from him and he said for theblonde naso and copperband he would do them both for $125. Not a horrible price, just have to scrape up the money now. Hopefully he will still have them both by the time I do. lol Getting lots of inquiries on the biocube I have for sale but no takers yet, and the 125g guy who was interested, a friend of a friend, hasnt returned my call. :-( The 125g monies will pay for the custom stand for the 60g.lol I also asked this lfs if he could put baffles in my current sump and he told me he would be too expensive and if I was neat I could do it myself. He also quoted me a price for a new eshopps 75 if I wanted to go that route. Still debating what to do, I think the money flow will dictate what I end up going with. Spend a few hours this morning scraping the glass in the 125 and getting it picture perfect. lol the glass hasnt been this spotless in a few months. Even went under the sand line a bit to remove some of that gunk, looks pretty darn awesome if I dont say so myself. Also finally got the rock anemone and bubble tip to let go of their aipastia infested rock and moved them into the biocube where they are attached and looking a zillion times better. Today will be a big water change day, been up all night making water and prepping. Gonna hit the 90g, the 60g and the 180g. Oh, and the 180g has a pellet reactor going for about 3-4 weeks now but I still have nitrates and some phosphates, so no help from it yet. Almost forgot, it seems pootie tang has taken to re-arranging my corals. LOL Hubby saw him lift up my stunner chalice and move it to the back of the tank. Then after I moved it to the front on the sandbed he moved it again, this time about 2 feet to the left. I find this so amusing, never really thought fish cared about stuff like that. Anyone else have this happen to them with their fish and coral? Share if you have, i cant be the only one. lol

I've had my clown decide he didn't like a coral that I placed next the elegance coral it hosts and repeatedly push it over until I finally moved it.

Sorry for the loss of the tang btw.

[carey]

So far the fish, namely the chromis are still accounted for. One has found his way into the overflow again. lol he is staying there for a bit, I've pretty much stripped the bulkhead screw by taking it off so many times to retrieve lost chromis. lol

The yellow tang is now hiding alot,not sure what his deal is yet. Looks healthy so hopefully he will start hanging out with the other tangs again.

Most of my corals have been decimated by the new leds unfortunately. Pulled out a few dead ones today. :-( All my stunner chalices are bleached white, shame too cause it grew like a weed in the biocube. I have one frag left of it in the 8g kitchen tank so that I'm hoping will grow again once I move it permanently to a tank. Some corals I moved out of this tank over to the biocube in hopes of saving them. Two duncans, one cinnamon paly frag, my mushroom colony, the torch and a few others. They showed immediate improvement too, within a few hours the cinnmons and torch all opened up a bit. The huge gsp colony is also starting to open some polyps, a few more each day so I think I got it out in time. The big toadstool is still in there though and it hasnt opened in days and is all waxy....The only coral in the 180g that is looking ok is the blastomussa for some reason, typically they dont like high lighting but it opens the same as always. Go figure....

[mr_X]

Hmm...so nothing is doing any better under the blues only, and as soon as you put them under florescent light they bounce back?

[carey]

Yep, my corals absolutely hate the leds.

Based on advice I received on the other thread I have only the whites going at totally minimum strength, pretty much in the off position almost, barely on. The tank is quite dim, actually you were right in saying the whites would be less intense than the blues only so I went that route.
I'm looking at all the corals I moved to the biocube and they are looking so much better already under a 4 bulb t5 I have mounted over it rather than the stock biocube hood.
One of the duncans is actually starting to sprout the tentacles from its socket and the cinnamon palys are open nice and wide now.
I also got a hit this morning on my 125g that I listed on craigslist but he wants the t5 12 bulb nova extreme fixture as well. I am hesitant to call him back cause if I sell the t5's then I will be sol if I need to go back to them. X, do you think the leds will work out in the end? And if they dont, would a retro fit t5 setup be better than the nova fixture anyways? I guess what I want to know is what would you do? Stick it out or revert back to t5's?

Thanks as always for your input......

[Keithhjs]

IMHO you can acclimate everything eventually to the LEDs. I have my LEDs to 90% whites & 95% blues even with corals that prefer the lower light such as Cyphastrea, mushrooms, sun corals, etc. it's just going to take some patience & time. I think it also helps if the corals you look to buy are already being kept under LEDs. I have picked up pieces that were under LEDs and not even had to light acclimate them. Hope everything works out for you. In the end I bet you will be thankful you did the switch

[huma-huma]

I would def stick it out with the LEDs. I can't imagine the money you are spending replacing 12 bulbs every 10-12 months. That in and of itself should be enough to keep you pushing forward with LEDs. I can't remember if you did the whole DIY mesh screen lids. But you could always later the mesh so that it blocks some light

[mr_X]

I agree. Eventually, the corals will acclimate. I have done it. Some corals and certain anemones took many months though. Like 6 months before I had the units at 100%.

[Sniperhank]

I'd stick it out. The difference between the 4 t5ho unit and LEDs is huge and probably why things aren't opening up like they were. Pretend they are mh for a second to understand what intensity of light is being put out. Now take that and let it penetrate water at double efficiency. This of course isn't an exact, rather a way to understand the vast difference you are dealing with. When I upgraded I burned all of my coral to death not realizing. I'd keep the units turned down and slowly start turning up the LEDs once things start opening up.

[carey]

Ok, I will trust you guys on this one. lol Gonna sell the nova fixture then.

As far as the corals that are now in the biocube, should I get them healthy again and then add them back at some point? They are still iffy looking, the one duncan still hasnt even peeked out yet and the other is just the tiniest bit out. But the gsp is looking even better and it still looks like crap. :-( I'm guessing it will take several weeks before they are back to the condition they were in.
And what about the large toadstool and other leather I still have in the 180g? Should I leave them in there and hope they get used tot he leds? Also note, I did have screens over the glass tops when I put the leds up and they still went downhill fast.

[huma-huma]

Idk. I read at some point that you had the whites turned all the way down (10%) and the blues around 40% I believe. I'll agree 100% that LEDs are more efficient and powerful than t5 or MH but I don't see how you could go from a 12 bulb nova extreme to LEDs and lose corals that quick

[mr_X]

12 lamp Nova Extreme means 6 lamps per 3 feet, correct? 6 thirty nine watt T5 lamps isn't what I would use for Acropora.

[carey]

Yep, 36wX12 is what i have. I've grown some SPS in there, mostly higher up though.
Just got a phone call, a guy is coming by to buy the 125g with light and all!!! Very excited! This means I can get the custom stand for the 60g a few months before I thought I could. I sold the guy the whole setup, including the light fixture, so now I am committed to the leds. I am so nervous too, my backup lighting option is going bye bye. I am so sad to see the 125g go, it was an awesome tank.