Back in the Hobby Again 60 Cube Thread
- Thread starter jackson6745
- Start date
Peter!!! Good to see you still here. I hope all is well by you.
Hey Vic!! I'm going to do this same with this tank as I did with my other tanks.......grow colorful sicks into bigger more colorful sticks with a side of LPS and zoos + rics etc
UPDATE
The tank is just about 1 month old now. Everything seems to be going smoothly. SPS are growing and getting more colorful. Very little algae growth and I saw my first few specks of coralline algae growing on the overflow box. I am hunting down a few acros that I really want to get in this tank and then I will try not to touch anything to let stuff grow out.
This storm has me a little nervous. I live on the beach and we're expecting some flooding. Hopefully if we have a power outage it isn't for more than a day or two or this will be my last update for a while. I have a votech battery backup plugged into a UPS. I can run one vortech for around 5 days. I also have a couple battery operated air pumps.
Anyway here are a few shots from today
ORA Bottlebrush
Pink Lemonade
ORA Purple Plazma
ORA Stag I forgot name
Side View
FTS
Hey Vic!! I'm going to do this same with this tank as I did with my other tanks.......grow colorful sicks into bigger more colorful sticks with a side of LPS and zoos + rics etc
UPDATE
The tank is just about 1 month old now. Everything seems to be going smoothly. SPS are growing and getting more colorful. Very little algae growth and I saw my first few specks of coralline algae growing on the overflow box. I am hunting down a few acros that I really want to get in this tank and then I will try not to touch anything to let stuff grow out.
This storm has me a little nervous. I live on the beach and we're expecting some flooding. Hopefully if we have a power outage it isn't for more than a day or two or this will be my last update for a while. I have a votech battery backup plugged into a UPS. I can run one vortech for around 5 days. I also have a couple battery operated air pumps.
Anyway here are a few shots from today
ORA Bottlebrush
Pink Lemonade
ORA Purple Plazma
ORA Stag I forgot name
Side View
FTS
- Location
- Howell, NJ
Very nice rich.... This tank is going to be amazing. Now grow those frags out by the swap ill take a frag of each :biggrin:
Just got my power back today!!!! Die LIPA!!!
This tank was broken down 2 days after hurricane sandy hit. The damage to my area was extensive (Rockaway Beach) and I knew power would be out for a long while. Luckily Kasei (Pseudo) had a new tank ready to be stocked
I will start this tank again in a week or two. I have to cycle this dead stinky rock so it will be a while before I have corals. I do plan on making a couple changes this time though. I will be switching my main lighting to a geismann 250w + 4 t5 fixture and I will be plumbing in a 40 gallon frag tank/ refugium that I will light with the ATI t5 fixture.
I'll post pics once I get things going.
This tank was broken down 2 days after hurricane sandy hit. The damage to my area was extensive (Rockaway Beach) and I knew power would be out for a long while. Luckily Kasei (Pseudo) had a new tank ready to be stocked
I will start this tank again in a week or two. I have to cycle this dead stinky rock so it will be a while before I have corals. I do plan on making a couple changes this time though. I will be switching my main lighting to a geismann 250w + 4 t5 fixture and I will be plumbing in a 40 gallon frag tank/ refugium that I will light with the ATI t5 fixture.
I'll post pics once I get things going.
- Location
- Bay Ridge, BK
Power yesterday... Wow. Anyway, to chime in my .02 cents on Lighting. You said you weren't convinced with LEDs ... The color in photos with leds is nowhere near the color in person. Under t5s or halides corals look really nice and closer to real life in pictures. I have had LEDs on my 57 for 2 years ( cheap Chinese ones too ) and my growth and color was/is awesome. They are most definitely part of future. Even Randy has them on his main tank now....he has been converted I am not part of the led vs t5 propaganda on this site ( in fact , it is the reason I took a bit of a hiatus, tired of seeing inane arguments ), I have been at this long enough to know that there is no one perfect solution for everyone. The $ issue with electricity and buying new bulbs was actually a huge factor for my purchase of LEDs, the initial investment is more but the money you save in the long term is what I care about all other thing being equal (this is the same principle reason i drive a hybrid and get 55 mpgs). Check Reefcentral sps threads for some decent pics. Your old tank was stellar and I'm excited about seeing this one come along once it's up and running. If you want to come check out my tank before I upgrade this week you are more than welcome to see LEDs on an sps dominant tank in person.
I am not part of the led vs t5 propaganda on this site ( in fact , it is the reason I took a bit of a hiatus, tired of seeing inane arguments ), I have been at this long enough to know that there is no one perfect solution for everyone. The $ issue with electricity and buying new bulbs was actually a huge factor for my purchase of LEDs, the initial investment is more but the money you save in the long term is what I care about all other thing being equal (this is the same principle reason i drive a hybrid and get 55 mpgs). Check Reefcentral sps threads for some decent pics. Your old tank was stellar and I'm excited about seeing this one come along once it's up and running. If you want to come check out my tank before I upgrade this week you are more than welcome to see LEDs on an sps dominant tank in person.
- Location
- Dingmans ferry PA
Power yesterday... Wow. Anyway, to chime in my .02 cents on Lighting. You said you weren't convinced with LEDs ... The color in photos with leds is nowhere near the color in person. Under t5s or halides corals look really nice and closer to real life in pictures. I have had LEDs on my 57 for 2 years ( cheap Chinese ones too ) and my growth and color was/is awesome. They are most definitely part of future. Even Randy has them on his main tank now....he has been converted
They werent arguments they were fun discussions. It was either that or read about "what salt should i use" plus all the new threads are f/s threads it like craigslist sometimes
Thanks James. I won't be able to se your tank this week I still have too much going on here with the flood damage. Do you have photos of your tank? As for the LED's....I've seen all the major brands over a bunch of different tanks. I am not impressed. Not for my use. I've also read most LED threads on most of the popular sites. I ONLY care about peak SPS color. IMO LED's are not the best choice for this. Maybe that GHL Mitras fixture is good, I don't know....never saw one in person. I know 100% that a 250w halide with 4 t5 blues will give me the best possible spectrum available today ( I drive a big SUV)
- Location
- Bay Ridge, BK
Thanks James. I won't be able to se your tank this week I still have too much going on here with the flood damage. Do you have photos of your tank? As for the LED's....I've seen all the major brands over a bunch of different tanks. I am not impressed. Not for my use. I've also read most LED threads on most of the popular sites. I ONLY care about peak SPS color. IMO LED's are not the best choice for this. Maybe that GHL Mitras fixture is good, I don't know....never saw one in person. I know 100% that a 250w halide with 4 t5 blues will give me the best possible spectrum available today ( I drive a big SUV)
I have some pics, let me find the thread with them.
You can't go wrong with MH and t5 combo either! i used to run MH years ago, the heat and the cost killed me though. Big Suvs are cool, I like passing them when they are at the gas station with 100$ fillups. I kid, in all seriousness, it is all about personal preference. I would posit that you can indeed reach peak color with LEDs but would also say that peak color under MH and T5's are much more common due to the technology being available for longer. Would love to meet up with you once your housing/tank situation is in order. I will document my new tank with pics which I didn't do for my old tank. ( I have pics that show growth but they were not taken to show growth, just random angles and such from Smoq/Marcin).
- Location
- Bay Ridge, BK
They werent arguments they were fun discussions. It was either that or read about "what salt should i use" plus all the new threads are f/s threads it like craigslist sometimes
Please don't take it personally, I simply needed a break and it did seem like every post went back and forth between the two "teams"... even ones that had nothing to do with lighting. I am all about having a good, rational discussion about lighting options (which all can work really well if you have good husbandry, which is the problem 99% of the time). People are arguing over which lighting is "better" when that is just one variable. It is just like the all the other consumer options that create fanboys... Mac vs PC, iphone vs android, SUV vs hybrid, T5 vs LED. All work, depends on the users. Plastering every post with it and having your allegiance to lighting in your signature just got to me after awhile. I took some valium, realized how much I like this forum and am back. Sorry to hijack the thread Rich. Back to his awesome build... we want PICS!!!
MH sucks if the reefer using them sucks too. Rich is a dinosaur that is dying out trying to survive running from the cosmic dust of an asteroid collision!!! He will make any arguement againt LED's even when he sees the truth. He cant handle the truth!!
I am having good growth but not colors yet. But that is as much my fault than the LED I chose. Tank stability and keeping your hands out of the tank can mean more than anything else. I am still medeling in my tank. Tank isn't even 4 months old yet but he claims the colors suck.
Most LED lit tanks are still young also or have been changed over to LEDs from T-5 or MH. You are going to lose color and may not get it back. I want to see a sps tank grown from frags under LED's to maturity (2-3 years) before I go bashing. I have seen beautiful sps tanks that use LED's supplemented by 2 T-5's which means growth is coming from the LED but color is from additional T-5. That can only mean that there is a spectrum that may be missing that will eventually be caught up by better LED or optics. Give it time
I used to use 400W 6500k bulbs and grew brown sticks not so long ago and was proud and impressed season veterans of the hobby. Now there is Zeo tanks and crap.
Rich, You can check out the Mitras next month over the 60g ;-)
I am having good growth but not colors yet. But that is as much my fault than the LED I chose. Tank stability and keeping your hands out of the tank can mean more than anything else. I am still medeling in my tank. Tank isn't even 4 months old yet but he claims the colors suck.
Most LED lit tanks are still young also or have been changed over to LEDs from T-5 or MH. You are going to lose color and may not get it back. I want to see a sps tank grown from frags under LED's to maturity (2-3 years) before I go bashing. I have seen beautiful sps tanks that use LED's supplemented by 2 T-5's which means growth is coming from the LED but color is from additional T-5. That can only mean that there is a spectrum that may be missing that will eventually be caught up by better LED or optics. Give it time
I used to use 400W 6500k bulbs and grew brown sticks not so long ago and was proud and impressed season veterans of the hobby. Now there is Zeo tanks and crap.
Rich, You can check out the Mitras next month over the 60g ;-)
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- Location
- Brooklyn, NY
Hey James--stop using me as a poster boy for LEDs! I recently switched to Radions from 250W MH and am still trying to get used to them. I am not convinced either way yet. There is no doubt the intensity is there and there is no doubt you can get good coloration on individual pieces of coral, but there is also no denying that LEDs have a different appearance with the light they produce compared to MH. It is very high in contrast causing a lot more shadows because there is much less light bouncing around-- I am not talking about glitter lines --there are plenty of glitter lines. Spectrally, it is also not as well rounded out as MH and even on whiter settings the light is very skewed to the blue ( try taking a photo). The result is a "flat" overall appearance to the tank particularly when viewed from a bit of a distance. You can get used to this and I am beginning to, but there is no denying it is different. The corals on the other hand seem to like it just fine. My other issue is the obvious color banding that is visible on the sandbed and some of the animals depending on their placement in the tank. Again, this effect is undeniable, but gets masked if you run the tank very blue as many of you do.
I'm about a month in now and neither displeased nor totally sold. I am going to try the TIR lens upgrade and see if I get a bit of a brighter, less banded look. If this works, I will likely move in to the sold category.
Sorry for the hijack Rich :hug:
I recently switched to Radions from 250W MH and am still trying to get used to them. I am not convinced either way yet. There is no doubt the intensity is there and there is no doubt you can get good coloration on individual pieces of coral, but there is also no denying that LEDs have a different appearance with the light they produce compared to MH. It is very high in contrast causing a lot more shadows because there is much less light bouncing around-- I am not talking about glitter lines --there are plenty of glitter lines. Spectrally, it is also not as well rounded out as MH and even on whiter settings the light is very skewed to the blue ( try taking a photo). The result is a "flat" overall appearance to the tank particularly when viewed from a bit of a distance. You can get used to this and I am beginning to, but there is no denying it is different. The corals on the other hand seem to like it just fine. My other issue is the obvious color banding that is visible on the sandbed and some of the animals depending on their placement in the tank. Again, this effect is undeniable, but gets masked if you run the tank very blue as many of you do. I'm about a month in now and neither displeased nor totally sold. I am going to try the TIR lens upgrade and see if I get a bit of a brighter, less banded look. If this works, I will likely move in to the sold category.
Sorry for the hijack Rich :hug:
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- Location
- poughquag, ny
shame on all 3 of you, you guys gonna me people think about stocking a tank a week later lol amazing what a few years in the hobby can teach you and give you the limits ya know to watch for...
btw how you liking that skimmer rich
psuedo cause i know your lurking also how you liking the bm nac 5
btw how you liking that skimmer rich
psuedo cause i know your lurking also how you liking the bm nac 5
Thanks Awilida. You of all people know how bad these last few weeks were. Overall I am amazed with the progress in Rockaway. The day after the storm, looking at all the damage, I didn't think I would have power, water, gas or any utilities for months. Kasei definitely had good timing getting back into the hobby
James we'll definitely hook up once I get things in order. I was so pissed to break this tank down. It was a young tank but I felt it would take off very fast. Oh well, I'll have to do it again soon
Kasei, Good, you spend the G on that thing. I can't wait to see it in person.
Randy, don't worry about the hijack. I like to hear the feedback. I'm sure one day I will have LED's......just not yet
Rick that skimmer was doing very well. It skimmed very consistent and was completely quiet. i didn't have much of a bioload but it kept the nutrient level spot on. I can't wait to see how it skims all my dead rock once I get the tank going again. Lots of dead stuff in there :screama:
James we'll definitely hook up once I get things in order. I was so pissed to break this tank down. It was a young tank but I felt it would take off very fast. Oh well, I'll have to do it again soon
Kasei, Good, you spend the G on that thing. I can't wait to see it in person.
Randy, don't worry about the hijack. I like to hear the feedback. I'm sure one day I will have LED's......just not yet
Rick that skimmer was doing very well. It skimmed very consistent and was completely quiet. i didn't have much of a bioload but it kept the nutrient level spot on. I can't wait to see how it skims all my dead rock once I get the tank going again. Lots of dead stuff in there :screama:
Rick,
The NAC5E is a good skimmer but it has a few downsides. Noisy and must be primed a few times to get rid of the bubble lock. Took a week to break in and then skimmed the hell out of the tank then stopped. I know its working as I have no detectable nitrite or nitrate. Phos is undetectable also. So all in all a good buy for $135 bucks.
Everything is going to be sold though in a few weeks. As I am doing a George and Weezy..
The NAC5E is a good skimmer but it has a few downsides. Noisy and must be primed a few times to get rid of the bubble lock. Took a week to break in and then skimmed the hell out of the tank then stopped. I know its working as I have no detectable nitrite or nitrate. Phos is undetectable also. So all in all a good buy for $135 bucks.
Everything is going to be sold though in a few weeks. As I am doing a George and Weezy..
- Location
- Bay Ridge BK
This was looking like a very well thought out and promising build. Sorry the hurricane thru a monkey wrench into your progress.
Good luck putting the pieces back together!
Good luck putting the pieces back together!
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