tank shot

[MM WI]

To inspire newbies, no expensive equipment, not even a sump, undergravel filter, small redsea skimmers, spiral 26 watt 65K bulbs from walmart. Has been running for years.

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm313/mark99m/33.jpg

also a test of for new photobucket account

- Mark

[D to the P]

That looks very nice. A perfect example of how there are so many ways to keep a reef tank. It looks like it's not very heavily stocked with fish either, another great pointer for newbies thinking of doing reef tanks. Thanks for sharing this with us!

[Jfountain179]

Very nice tank, what size is it, how many powerheads do you have in there and how often do you do a cleaning and water change.

[raen]

Oh yes....please include some info! this is GREAT!!! I have no room for a sump, and am too afraid to totally jump in. Wow nice tank!

[AquariumPerson]

how do you keep that carpet anemone under such low lighting ???

[IFbettas]

That carpet anemone is AWESOME! Do you have to feed that anemone a ton to make up for the lack of lighting? Beautiful tank overall.

[stingythingy45]

So,exactly how many 65K 26 watt bulbs........20?lol

[Dubge]

The carpet looks a little bleached, how long has it been under those lights? Otherwise looks good. How slow is your growth?

[MM WI]

16 x 26 Watt bulbs, It really is quite bright. After proving the 26 Watt 65Ks did the job, a couple of years keeping multiple clams, multiple anemones and multiple sps I added supplemental actinic as things just look better, the animals adjust either way. Lighting requirments for clams, sps and anemones are a bit exagerated. It is the first questions people ask when someone has a problem. Water quality, consistency, are much, much more important and much more difficult without careful observation and a few years of experience. I get frustrated that people are always telling others what they can't keep because of their lights. I have a few spieces of sps that only do well in frag tank under the halides but not many. Most actually get better color in the tank with the spiral bulbs. I want to incourage you to try sps and clams in your tanks, start with less expensive ones and after your confidence and experience accumulate then try more expensive animals. I set this tank up to prove a point and to do some experimentation. Lots of people kept these animals healty and thriving years before todays wisdom and equipment became the norm. In fact using an undergravel I believe, from my observations, is a big part of keeping Calcuim and alk in range without constant additions of builder, buffer and CaCl and if you use large enough grain size it will sustain more stars and other small criters than the average refugium. I dose builder and Ca moderately once a week and rarely dose buffer. I would guess that a Ca reacter is much more $$$ and maybe more work, not sure though as I have never tried one. 20% water change once a month with RO water and inexpensive Instant Ocean salt. I use inexpensive skimmers but there arer four of them, 30$ each used for a couple, a frag in exchange for the other two. I do though recomend as good a skimmer as you can posibly fit into your budget and space.

- Mark

[solastsummer]

do you have any pictures of your hood? I just want to see how you did it, I was about to buy a 4X54 T5HO fixture but if this works i'll do this

[D to the P]

While you have proven your point with the lighting, I find it a bit of a waste of money for others to try out. I know you were just experimenting, but you could have just used 6x54 watt T5's and keep what ever you want. Less wattage, less bulbs to replace, less wiring, but I would be curious what your PAR ratings are. I know you said you just wanted to experiment with this tank so don't take what I'm saying wrong. Obviously you're successful, but for newbies, simplicity is usually the best option. As far as your filtration goes I'm not surprised at all that you've been successful with the undergravel filter. What for fish do you have in the aquarium though? I only saw two in the picture but I assume there are more.

[MM WI]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12804225#post12804225 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dubge
The carpet looks a little bleached, how long has it been under those lights? Otherwise looks good. How slow is your growth?

It takes about a year for an average sps to go from a 1 inch frag to a bit larger than a softball. Though some are faster and some slower like chalice frags and the purple tort which did go from a half inch frag to a nice branched 6 inch small colony in a year with just a bit better color than typical. The growth is great when I am keeping up on things. If I miss maintance chores the growth will slow just as it does under the halides in the basement. The light is not the limiting factor. I have removed sps colonies for fragging that where closer to the size of a football after a year.

My last carpet was in the tank for several years and was sold to another hobbist. The blue is too new to really discuss, I am on my second since I sold the one that was in there for years. I lost one shortly after recieving it, shipping. These really large ones are tough to ship but I have high hopes for this recent addition. It is nice to buy a local one that has been in tanks for at least a month or two that can be picked up without shipping. Not always easy to find as no one wants to part with one of these nicely colored ones. As for the health of mine, Once acclimate, about a month, they thrive, I know that you would not want to put your head in any of the carpet anemones I have kept in this tank. Now that would be a popular utube video.;)

- Mark

[singold]

Interesting, cool carpet anenome!

[MM WI]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12805074#post12805074 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by D to the P
While you have proven your point with the lighting, I find it a bit of a waste of money for others to try out. I know you were just experimenting, but you could have just used 6x54 watt T5's and keep what ever you want. Less wattage, less bulbs to replace, less wiring, but I would be curious what your PAR ratings are. I know you said you just wanted to experiment with this tank so don't take what I'm saying wrong. Obviously you're successful, but for newbies, simplicity is usually the best option. As far as your filtration goes I'm not surprised at all that you've been successful with the undergravel filter. What for fish do you have in the aquarium though? I only saw two in the picture but I assume there are more.

Yes, I like the T5s a lot. I am not suggesting that this become a new trend. My point is simply that new people should not be discourged from trying things out. I have poeple come over to buy frags who don't want to buy sps because they read on some forum that they need MHs. T5s or CF with good water quality can do as good as MH with most animals.

I keep hoping for somthing new, that surpases all of our current lights, more light, less energy and less startup cost. The problem with CFs is that I change the bulbs every 4 months, halides put out too much heat and need to be changed every 6-9 months, LED are too @$%^#*n much money for startup, something will eventually evolve that makes all of these choices seem like the dark ages. I sure would like to reduce my electric bill, I almost use as much electricity as one of Al Gores homes, Excelsior!

- Mark

[D to the P]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12805553#post12805553 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MM WI
Yes, I like the T5s a lot. I am not suggesting that this become a new trend. My point is simply that new people should not be discourged from trying things out. I have poeple come over to buy frags who don't want to buy sps because they read on some forum that they need MHs. T5s or CF with good water quality can do as good as MH with most animals.

I keep hoping for somthing new, that surpases all of our current lights, more light, less energy and less startup cost. The problem with CFs is that I change the bulbs every 4 months, halides put out too much heat and need to be changed every 6-9 months, LED are too @$%^#*n much money for startup, something will eventually evolve that makes all of these choices seem like the dark ages. I sure would like to reduce my electric bill, I almost use as much electricity as one of Al Gores homes, Excelsior!

- Mark

People being scared to try things is what keeps so many people out of this hobby. I think in about 5-7 years LEDs will come down dramatically in price (kinda like DVD players, CD players, and all other technology like that did in the past). But first they need to start building them with quality parts and not just some cheap chinese welding job. Thanks again for sharing your tank with us. I'm sure there will be many newbies that are inspired to branch out and try new things.

[tbar]

Do you use a reflector? Would like to see a pic of the lights too and what size is your tank? I removed on of my 250 w MH's to save on elec. and cut down on heat. I replaced it with 3 14w 65K CF's in there own reflector. Some Shrooms I left on that side are doing well. It's a little yellow on that side but guess more bulbs would fix that. My HD Sells 25 w 65K bulbs four in a pack that = 100w each according to the package. Might try some configuration with those someday.

[parkpark]

so you are saying you have 16 light bulbs under there? yes, I would like to see a picture of the lighting too

[shaginwagon13]

Very very nice!

[AngeloM3]

Pictures of the 16x 26w spiral bulbs in your hood.... or your a liar :D

[MM WI]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12807421#post12807421 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AngeloM3
Pictures of the 16x 26w spiral bulbs in your hood.... or your a liar :D

LOL

Kinda funny yes, If you want to see how I did it, next time you are in Walmart, look at the four light fixtures disigned for the bottom of ceiling fans. I found them on sale for about one dollar apiece and bought four of them, wired them in parrellel, attached them to a wood board and suspended it above the tank, nothing to it, built the ficture for less than ten dollars including the cord and wiring. I could have easily added more bulbs or could have used higher wattage bulbs but these seemed to do the job. I took a picture tonight but am not sure if i want you to see the man behind the curtain. :)

- Mark

[Jerry Hallums]

Check out garf.org for corals and lighting on corals.

[D to the P]

Mark, Are you worried about that coral on your powerhead growing over top of it, or do you plan on moving it before that happens?

[MM WI]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12808034#post12808034 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by D to the P
Mark, Are you worried about that coral on your powerhead growing over top of it, or do you plan on moving it before that happens?

Already moved, it was tempory, I should give that coral away as it failed to develope good color after several months in both my MH frag system or under the spiral bulbs, grows good from a nub but no color, not living up to its place in the valuable realestate.

- mark