Dary's tank!

[barterking85]

I get that way too Dary nothing better then getting the knock at the door

 

[Dary421]

So Santa came a little earlier than even I thought he would today,.... The first picture should be the tank with only the two led fixtures on,.the next picture should be of the same shot with the new third fixture up and running ( thank you Santa )... And the remainder photos are just of the tank with the third unit on... I never made it to the lfs today to pic up some frags etc but I'm sure that will happen in the next few days,....maybe I'll have to start taking pictures with a real honest to goodness camera instead of the iPhone camera but it just seems so much easier to do it this way,...and you kinda get an idea of what's going on.,,..sorry for the mess around the tank etc but that's just me, :- / .,Dary

 

[Gregcoyote]

Gotta love those LEDs. Just got another batch of panels from the manufacturer for our LFS and I upgraded my central 120 watt LED panel to a 300 watt panel. Will lower it slowly as it really blasts out the light. Much brighter than the 400 watt MH I used to use there for years. I cannot find a downside to the technology, yet.

I did have one panel, the oldest one, lose a segment of LEDs and because it was an early one, I can't replace the burnt LED. The new panels I can. But since the panel is still 80% lit, I just moved it to the algae scrubber. This was a panel I only paid $200 for and lasted 2 years, not nearly as long as the newer designs, but still got my monies worth out of it.

 

[Dary421]

Gotta love those LEDs. Just got another batch of panels from the manufacturer for our LFS and I upgraded my central 120 watt LED panel to a 300 watt panel. Will lower it slowly as it really blasts out the light. Much brighter than the 400 watt MH I used to use there for years. I cannot find a downside to the technology, yet.

I did have one panel, the oldest one, lose a segment of LEDs and because it was an early one, I can't replace the burnt LED. The new panels I can. But since the panel is still 80% lit, I just moved it to the algae scrubber. This was a panel I only paid $200 for and lasted 2 years, not nearly as long as the newer designs, but still got my monies worth out of it.

Yeah Greg I'm with you as far as the led's go.... You'd never tell from my photography skills but the tank looks pretty sharp right now .., these Starks are 20 bulbs at 3 watts each and run about $400 a panel .., sure maybe in a couple of years the price might drop but who wants to wait til then?? Now I gotta start adding more mushrooms etc to fill things up again ., always look forward to your post.., Dary

 

[Ricksreef]

Looks great,you can definitely tell a difference.

Something I did,that is real cheap,that you might want to try.Go to Lowe's and get a piece of their 3 and a quarter inch white per-finished cove moulding.Cut it the length of your tank and paint it satin black.Place it on the front top lip of your tank.It will direct even more light into your tank and also block the bright lights when looking straight at the tank.Sorta makes the tank look like it has a canopy,yet you just take it off when you need to mess with the tank.
Look at my tank picture in my profile and you will see what I mean.

 

[Dary421]

Looks great,you can definitely tell a difference.

Thanks Rick .., I gotta ways to catch up to you and Greg but the aquarium is in gear and I'm just kicked back in my seat and just enjoying the ride ... Thanks for your inputs it really helps., and away we go !

 

[Ricksreef]

Thanks Rick .., I gotta ways to catch up to you and Greg but the aquarium is in gear and I'm just kicked back in my seat and just enjoying the ride ... Thanks for your inputs it really helps., and away we go !

You're already ahead of me.LOL.Look back at my previous post,I edited it with something you might want to try.

 

[Dary421]

You're already ahead of me.LOL.Look back at my previous post,I edited it with something you might want to try.

Nah., I'm just plugging away., I actually have really been toying with a very similar idea and have done some prelim drawings too., we'll see down the road alittle if I ever get that far.., thanks for the reinforcement ., must be the meeting of two great minds huh? .... Lol

 

[TLTGF]

Tank looks awesome! Why didn't I know that you could keep Triggers in a reef?

I thought that was against the rules... Add on the envy!

 

[Dary421]

Tank looks awesome! Why didn't I know that you could keep Triggers in a reef?

I thought that was against the rules... Add on the envy!

Sometimes I think I'M against all the rules..., luckily , my triggers have never touched any of my corals ., however., you gotta be pretty sneaky about adding any snails,.. they seem know ahead of time that there's a special meal coming just for them., unfortunately, any shrimps, crabs etc are also on the menu too... Just a compromise at best !

 

[jburgi]

I was going to ask about your triggers! I just had to pull a huma out of my tank because he was eating EVERYTHING! Very handsome guy...but a terrorist!

 

[msjones41]

Wow...that looks great! Hopefully mine will look that awesome one of these days...

 

[TLTGF]

Well, this opens up a whole new ballpark for my next build...

 

[Ricksreef]

Nah., I'm just plugging away., I actually have really been toying with a very similar idea and have done some prelim drawings too., we'll see down the road alittle if I ever get that far.., thanks for the reinforcement ., must be the meeting of two great minds huh? .... Lol

I agree,LOL.
In my case necessity was the mother of invention,or whatever they say.When I sat on my sofa,which is at a 90 degree angle to my tank,looking at my tank I was blinded by the MH's.

 

[Dary421]

I was going to ask about your triggers! I just had to pull a huma out of my tank because he was eating EVERYTHING! Very handsome guy...but a terrorist!

Sorry you had to pull your humU out of your tank,...yeah,..they can be a handful at times,..mine so far have been pretty mild,..especially since being moved over to the big tank,... I guess you spin the wheel and take your chances,...my picaso trigger is alot more peaceful than my rectangular ( humU ) but they both have their moments.... They do like to take bites outa the rocks and sand but not the corals. ... Maybe I have the only two non coral munching humU's in existence ?

 

[Dary421]

Wow...that looks great! Hopefully mine will look that awesome one of these days...

Thank you,... Its just a work in progress,... One brick at a time,...... I was looking back at some pictures of my old tank when I first started,..nothing but barren rocks and no corals,... Poor fish probably thought they were on the moon.

 

[Dary421]

Well, this opens up a whole new ballpark for my next build...

Just be careful,...triggers may or may not be coral friendly,....so far mine have been model reef citizens,.... But, They just don't like strangers,..wether it be fish,crabs ,shrimp,snails etc.

 

[barterking85]

Just be careful,...triggers may or may not be coral friendly,....so far mine have been model reef citizens,.... They just don't like strangers,..wether it be fish,crabs ,shrimp,snails etc.

Well modest Dary the light made a huge difference tank looks excellent any plans for the future or are you just gonna kick back brew in hand and enjoy your tank for a while?

 

[Dary421]

Well modest Dary the light made a huge difference tank looks excellent any plans for the future or are you just gonna kick back brew in hand and enjoy your tank for a while?

Hey bud,..I'm always kicked back with brew in hand watching the tank,.. As far as future plans go ,.who knows? ...I think I'll add another couple of more pieces of man made rock from my Lfs over time and just keep adding a frag here and there until there's no more room left and then,I'll either be dead ,drunk or will need a bigger tank...I did get a couple of more frags today,..a small lobo,a small superman monti ?? A green acrupora (sp) and a small Duncan ,... I really didn't like any of their mushrooms they had there today so I had to pass on them,.. I might have to order those online to get what I want

 

[barterking85]

Hey bud,..I'm always kicked back with brew in hand watching the tank,.. As far as future plans go ,.who knows? ...I think I'll add another couple of more pieces of man made rock from my Lfs over time and just keep adding a frag here and there until there's no more room left and then,I'll either be dead ,drunk or will need a bigger tank...I did get a couple of more frags today,..a small lobo,a small superman monti ?? A green acrupora (sp) and a small Duncan ,... I really didn't like any of their mushrooms they had there today so I had to pass on them,.. I might have to order those online to get what I want

Yeah when you order online it helps get what you want and not just because they have it

But it's always nice coming home with a new frag that day