Rebuild and recovery of a dead tank

[thoms_here]

I have nothing but good things to say about Avast skimmers and the great people that own it. I don't know anyone else who encourages you to build their product to save quite a bit of money.

My next skimmer will be an Avast.

[jason2459]

Originally Posted by thoms_here

I have nothing but good things to say about Avast skimmers and the great people that own it. I don't know anyone else who encourages you to build their product to save quite a bit of money.

My next skimmer will be an Avast.

Ok. I really like the neck cleaner and it's lasted a good amount of time through 3 skimmers now I think it is. Though I can't recommend their peristaltic pumps. Mine kept dieing but their support is great.

[jason2459]

Trying out a new photo hosting site. Lets see what happens here

2016-11-21_11-18-39 by Jason, on Flickr

2016-11-21_11-08-02 by Jason, on Flickr

2016-11-21_11-08-51 by Jason, on Flickr

[jason2459]

Sweet! Found my next lighting setup to try.

Started with T5s and loved the coverage and colors. Hated changing out the bulbs. Then I found reefbrite strips to try and replace the T5 bulbs.

I loved the coverage of the reefbrites but missed some colors. Then some leds started going out. Found some cheap led fixtures to try out that had a blend of colors.

The coverage wasn't the best with the 3 16" fixtures. The colors were pin points so didn't blend well. So, I added a couple T5s. Love the colors of the T5 with the LEDs. But I'm up to 100% power on both channels now and been running them for 2 years. Then a couple violets are out now it seems but it looks like its more of an issue that plagued chinese cheep leds back when I bought them. Who knows how long the rest of the fixture will last. They were super cheap though and got them for like $120 each. So, they were worth the cost and let me experience a different kind of setup and let me know what I might or might not want.

So, I've been looking for different options and planned on upgrading beginning of next year. The Kessil leds were front runners. I also wanted to keep the dual T5s as I still love their color blend.

Well, I found a new led bar like the reefbrites but more powerful and a couple different wavelengths of blue that the all blue reefbrites didnt have. And a lot cheaper and comes with power supplies.

The sb reef lights sbar. I'll mount the hamilton dual T5 in the center. Then I got 2 60" 50/50 and 2 60" actinic sbars.

The 60" sbars are 135 watts each with cree and epistar diodes. The reefbrites tech is only 45watts and xho is 72 watts.

60" sbar 135 watts $215 w/ power supply and shipping

60" tech reefbrite 45 watts $294 no powersupply
60" xho reefbrite 72 watts $470 no powersupply

Plus I really like that the mounting bracket slides up and down and can be anywhere along the length.


https://sbreeflights.com/sbar-suppli...ar-lights.html

10% off right now with "WhatCoralsCrave10" in the voucher field at checkout.

I'm excited to get back to the bar style and in combination with the dual T5.

[jason2459]

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Especially you Mr. Spambot. It's been a while since you checked in.

[jason2459]

All 4 sbar led light strips are in! Now to find time to swap them in.

I did finally get around to using the par meter to see where my tank is now. It was rather surprising the huge variations from spot to spot at the same height across the tank. Definitely not getting even coverage right now.


My son is getting into the aquarium and ocean animals more and more. He's super exited about getting these posters up on his wall. He also told santa last weekend he wants a chemistry set for Christmas.

[bif24701]

Originally Posted by jason2459

All 4 sbar led light strips are in! Now to find time to swap them in.

I did finally get around to using the par meter to see where my tank is now. It was rather surprising the huge variations from spot to spot at the same height across the tank. Definitely not getting even coverage right now.


My son is getting into the aquarium and ocean animals more and more. He's super exited about getting these posters up on his wall. He also told santa last weekend he wants a chemistry set for Christmas.

Was that before or after adding the bars?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jason2459]

Originally Posted by bif24701

Was that before or after adding the bars?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Before with the 3 16" fixtures. Once I get the sbars in place I will check again.

[jason2459]

Merry Christmas!

[Floyd R Turbo]

Merry Christmas to you as well!

[jason2459]

Thanks!

Christmas present from my son... lol



So, now I have a dragon head and a sunken submarine. That will eventually make its way to the side of the tank I think.

[jason2459]

Done for the most part with a little testing of a product called Vibrant. So, I went ahead and swapped out my LED light fixtures for the sb reeflight sbars I got earlier this month.

So, swapped out 3 120w fixtures for 4 135w bar lights. Keeping the 60" dual bulb hamilton sunv t5ho strip.

The spread is perfect (no cross bar shadowing) and even though there's a good amount more wattage being delivered it doesn't at seem to bright but that could be due to a lot more blue leds (450 and 420nm). Which I'm sure par and pur is a lot more. Will need to get the par meter out later. It is bluer looking in the tank but more around 14k and blends right in with the coral plus T5s. So, if you have Coral plus bulbs the "blueness" is right about even with that. Many people that like 20k look say the coral plus is to white. It's all in the eye of the beholder isn't it. I'm not a 20k person so it looks good to me.

So, here's around 700 watts mounted under the hood (from around 520 watts). I love how these bars mount and fully adjustable positions along the length and angle.


Front to back
50/50 sbar
Actinic sbar
T5H0 w/ 2 coral plus bulbs
Actinic sbar
50/50 sba4

[jason2459]

Sitting and watching I'm loving the look more and more. The coverage is like before with the reef brights which was better then the 3 fixtures. There's a subtle shimmer that I like and I'm sure the T5s help smooth it out.

The 3 fixture's shimmer just didn't seem right due to the scattering of different colored LEDs like reds and greens that didn't blend well. Kessils being tightly grouped is much better. Philips coral care is supposed to have that diffusing plate but I still don't see that helping much when I have to mount it under the canopy and is like 7-8" off the water. If I could mount the fixtures a lot higher then the colors could probably blend in better. But then would need more fixtures to get the par.

Ok, just ranting now. So, basically, I'm very happy with this setup. No complaints so far even though its been like 2 seconds. Now, I hope they last longer then the reefbrites did. If an LED does go out on these I think I'll just replace that LED this time. I just really like the strip light look especially now with the T5HO in the mix.

And it seems the colors are just popping out at me right now. Could be a combo of the T5s being right over top now and the extra 420/450nm LEDs. And oddly enough I can get some ok shots of that minimax. Must be how it's all blending now or something. No idea.

[jason2459]

Another big bonus: no fans. I do have a cheap clip on fan behind the canopy just to help airflow but those led fixtures had two fans each that generated a good bit of noise.

Tank is damn near silent now. That single fan behind he tank is the loudest thing now which is barely noticeable. Beananimal overflow is silent. No fans on any of the lights dead silent. I've been lucky with my two gyres in that they are very quite and have to put your ears up to them to hear them.

And that's it. Nothing else to make any noise. Very peaceful.

[jason2459]

Both kp aquatics common star fish still going strong.

Submarine is under attack

[jason2459]

Guess I didn't post this here. Short Video I took to show my placements of my maxspect gyres.

Originally Posted by jason2459

Hmm, lots of pictures but no vids. Just took one a little bit ago and finished uploading now. Can probably hear my drier and wash machine going. Return just started up so some bubbles are coming out but good as you can see in the vid where the return is coming in and the fish are going after what ever is flying out.

Side Horizontal right gyre runs 100% 24/7 so around 5000gph

Back left vertical gyre runs 100% alternating direction across the back or the front so around 2500gph. ( going across the back in the video I think)

Return pump at around 1400gph working with the horizontal gyre.

Approximately 8900gph flow

https://youtu.be/GWG9SXewi2U

Edit: yep have to turn the volume way up and can hear the washing machine starting right at the beginning of the vid and drier running. They are on our second floor. Can then hear the water a little too with the volume way up as the overflow gets settled in. What you don't hear is the pumps at all with them running at 100%

At normal volume level can't hear anything.

Here's that video embedded

[jason2459]

Well jeesh, I just bought a new sump. I was not planning on it at all. The petco by me has the $1 per gallon sale going on. I now have to plan out some baffles for a 75 gallon sump

[jason2459]

Getting a plan together for the new sump. Based kind of off the trigger system sump I'm running now. I really like how I have the drains come in and wraps around like a U turn to the return pump. Except I'd really like the skimmer first and a much larger "bio" area. I don't really want to call it a refugium as its not your typical one and if I did want that I'd setup a split sump with the return in the middle.

Water height pretty much around to the return area is 14" and return area 10".

[jason2459]

And if anyone has any kind of input on that setup, besides the fact I still use an under gravel filter ha!, its more then welcome.

[jason2459]

Changed out my RODI prefilters today. Every 6 months even if it may not need it. Vendors say 6-12 months for carbon blocks and as pressure drops for sediment filters. Manufacturers spec out certain volume amounts at certain rates for carbon filters.

Since I'm not tracking volume amounts I figure every 6 months even if not needed is cheap insurance to keep the membranes healthy. I change out the membranes every 3 years even if some say they can go longer. Again, cheap insurance for clean water for my tank.

For the prefilters I have a reminder setup in Neptune's Fusion now but other wise every January and June. Membranes I just remember any year divisible by 3 which will be next year.

This time around I went with a 1 micron sediment, 1 micron carbon, and .6 micron carbon stages. Before I had 5 micron, 5 micron, .6 micron.

[jjvanb]

J-

What function or purpose does the UG filter serve? Is it just for additional biological filtration? less live rock needed in the system? I think I saw somewhere you got the inspiration for it from PaulB (not sure if I got the name right). What other benefits could it provide your system?

[jason2459]

Oh, and one other change recently is I reduced my blue green chromis count. I bought 6 or 7 and somehow ended up with 9. I thought they would be cool swimming around the tank. They just made everything look way to busy and chaotic. I tried getting used to it and have had them I think a year maybe, can look back in this thread, and I just have never gotten to like it. It was not easy but I got them down to two. Two that I've noticed over time to seem to have paired up so hopefully they are. I'm so much happier with watching my tank between that chaos reduction and the new lighting setup.

[bif24701]

So it seems like you are very happy with the SB Reef Light Bars?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jason2459]

Wow, looks like I've had the chromis since Feb 2nd 2015. Longer then I though. Almost 2 years of not liking them. I think I gave them plenty of time to grow on me.

[jason2459]

Originally Posted by bif24701

So it seems like you are very happy with the SB Reef Light Bars?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am very happy with the look with them and the T5 down the middle. Could be brighter though. I'm talking with them about that and looking to get their input.