180-Gallon Upgrade Starts NOW!!!

[ryshark]

Yes! Thats what I remember and what made me want to get some colored sticks. When comparing the first pics to the last pic I see the birdsnest looks much more pink on the last pic. Is that color temp with differen lights or just a happier birdsnest? What bulbs are you running in the last picture, in comparison to the first picture? To my eyes, the bottom picture on the left side of the tank is the most appealing color.

 

[Ziggy953]

The bottom pic: Dual 175w (10,000k XM) 220w VHO Actinic and 108w T5HO Actinic. (The MH on the right side was not on when I took this pic. It was early in the day.)

That last pic is just before the upgrade to the 120 and I had fine tuned everything. All the corals were doing really well, color looked great, polyp extension was awesome and growth was insane.

 

[fishmonkey]

lovin the tank man

 

[ryshark]

The bottom pic: Dual 175w (10,000k XM) 220w VHO Actinic and 108w T5HO Actinic. (The MH on the right side was not on when I took this pic. It was early in the day.)

That last pic is just before the upgrade to the 120 and I had fine tuned everything. All the corals were doing really well, color looked great, polyp extension was awesome and growth was insane.

Lots of Actinic made those 10k halides look very nice. I am cutting back on electricity and space used in my canopy and have been using a 20k bulb with no actinic.

 

[ryshark]

lovin the tank man

Thanks, I appreciate it.

 

[ryshark]

I think the frag experiment will tell you more than a par meter or any other type of measuring device you could find.

I don't have any good pictures yet, but from what I am seeing from the frag experiment is very promising. Surprsingly the colors on the Tenuis experiment frag are looking really good.
About a week ago I put a small frag of my Pink Lemonade under the LEDs too...for another experiment. It was a piece which accidently broke off the mother colony (which is looking great under halides) then that piece did not receive enough light for awhile and browned out. I put it on a frag plug under the LEDs and it is starting to color up again.

 

[ryshark]

Wow....LEDs are super powerful. I have mine penetrating through a 3/4" piece of acrylic full of saltcreep and still have to be careful not to bleach coral from blasting them with too much light to quickly. Here is my experiment frags.... I should have taken before pictures of the Acropora Tenuis Frags, that would made a difference with determining growth rates an color. But I did not, however what I can tell you is that both of the pieces are from the same mother colony and started out as brown colored. Under both lights in "high" lighting they developed intense blue tips which is hard to capture in the picture and a green base/core color. I moved them to the frag rack so they would be closer to the camera for better pictures. (I still haven't bought a macro lens)
My conclusion is that the LEDs work great for sps.

Under the Halides

Under pure LEDs

 

[iDream]

wow! the LED ones have much blue-er tips!

new fts plz kthx =]

 

[ryshark]

wow! the LED ones have much blue-er tips!

new fts plz kthx =]

If I was to start over, I would definitely consider going 100% LED.

 

[iDream]

im sure you could in time replace the halides with the same LED fixture and have 3, less expensive too id imagine

 

[ryshark]

im sure you could in time replace the halides with the same LED fixture and have 3, less expensive too id imagine

Yes, when it comes time to replace the 2-halides I will consider it. I figure the price of the 2-halides plus I could sell my Lumenarc reflectors and ballast to offset the cost of the new LEDs. Not sure what I will do yet. I will say though, if/when I go with all LEDs I won't be using the 60-degree optics I have now above the acrylic center brace. I will go with 80-degree or no optics.

 

[iDream]

Any updates on this dream tank? It seems like you haven't been around for a while, hopefully all is going well

 

[ryshark]

Any updates on this dream tank? It seems like you haven't been around for a while, hopefully all is going well

Thanks for checking in. I don't really have a whole lot of updates. I have been just letting things grow. I started dosing Prodibio products to really keep NO3 and PO4 in check and those parameters have lowered. In fact maybe too much, because a couple corals are getting a little pale, so I started feeding more coral foods recently. I plan on buying more coral this weekend as my favorite show which comes every 6-months is here again.
SouthWestern Coral Farmers Market I can post pictures of what I buy there on Sunday.

 

[iDream]

I'll be looking forward to that!

 

[ryshark]

I'll be looking forward to that!

Here is what I got at that show last Sunday.

 

[ryshark]

Here are some progression pictures which those who like sps may enjoy.


Rouge Mille

 

[hackteck]

lookin good

 

[PistolPete]

Very impressive tank!

 

[happygirl65]

OMG

OMG! GORGEOUS!!!!

 

[ryshark]

Thanks all!