Reef Central Online Community

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community > Coral Forums > SPS Keepers
Blogs FAQ Calendar Mark Forums Read

Notices

User Tag List

Reply
Thread Tools
Unread 11/27/2018, 05:11 PM   #1876
markalot
...
 
markalot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florence, KY
Posts: 3,806
Blog Entries: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bugsy_Barboza View Post
I didn't go through the whole post but I was reading the first few pages where you were talking about not getting the color, did the t5 fixture change that or just maturity over time.... Just wondering. Beautiful tank btw.
T5's, stability and maturity IMO. Thanks! I'm only running 2 T5's (blue+) at the moment and color is terrific.


__________________
-- Mark
150G (72x18x27) | 35G sump | SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer | ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays
markalot is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/27/2018, 11:20 PM   #1877
Bugsy_Barboza
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Nashville,TN
Posts: 51
Quote:
Originally Posted by markalot View Post
T5's, stability and maturity IMO. Thanks! I'm only running 2 T5's (blue+) at the moment and color is terrific.
What lighting are you running. From the pic I assumed t5’s.


Bugsy_Barboza is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/28/2018, 06:15 AM   #1878
markalot
...
 
markalot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florence, KY
Posts: 3,806
Blog Entries: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bugsy_Barboza View Post
What lighting are you running. From the pic I assumed t5’s.
It's in my signature but I don't think it shows up on mobile.

ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays

It can run 4 T5's along with the LED arrays. I also have two BML LED strip lights running just blue and violet channels. The 3.1 arrays have Lime and white, I run mostly Lime for the white channel. Lime is similar to white without the blue spike.

In my opinion at least some T5's are needed for better color and coverage, but it's not a simple answer because it will vary coral to coral as far as how they respond to the light. Heavy blue is key, with the trick being getting the tank to look whiter to our eyes without flooding the tank with a spectrum the corals can't handle. T5's are good for this because they have a very narrow spike in the green wavelength which our eyes are sensitive too, making the tank look much whiter than it really is.

An even combination of Blue+ and Coral+ are perfect for this and that's the combination I used for years (BigE uses this combo exclusively and you should check out his thread). I stopped using coral+ and instead use a combination of white and Lime LED's to try and simulate the same visible color. It seems to be working as the coral colors have remained good, which means I have managed to keep the actual spectrum in a good range and also make the tank appear whiter. It's not perfect, LED's frankly suck at this, but it seems I've lucked into a good combination.

If you use LED only and want good results I think, and this is just my opinion, you have to go with mostly blue blue, violet, and more blue with just a touch of green and maybe a little red. For the green and red (white) the new Mint LED's do this better than Lime's and look better to the eye. I have a newer Nanobox fixture over my 40 gallon that use Mint LED's for the white channel and no White LED's. Using only LED the look is very pleasing compare to either white or lime. It's still very blue because it has to be for coral health, but it's less of a Windex look than the typical LED fixture. This tank looks like a toilet bowl running only LED with the Lime and White channels turned up.

There is more opinion than anyone ever wanted.


__________________
-- Mark
150G (72x18x27) | 35G sump | SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer | ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays
markalot is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/28/2018, 06:18 AM   #1879
markalot
...
 
markalot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florence, KY
Posts: 3,806
Blog Entries: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by Big E View Post
Lookin good Mark


I looooove that middle section red/pink coral grouping and then across to the right upper area of corals in your full tank shot.
Thanks Ed, and thanks for stopping by. I'd like to claim I planned that grouping, but not really.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ABzReef View Post
It is simply breathtaking. Hopefully one day, my tank can look something like this lol
Thanks ABz, good luck with your tank. Steady as she goes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by reefmutt View Post
Man, Mark, even after the deforestation, your tank is still looking so dense and mature.
So good!
I second the top down request.. strong request. I second strongly!!!
Yea yea, thanks Matt. Hopefully this weekend for the required top downs.


__________________
-- Mark
150G (72x18x27) | 35G sump | SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer | ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays
markalot is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/28/2018, 06:45 AM   #1880
Bugsy_Barboza
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Nashville,TN
Posts: 51
Quote:
Originally Posted by markalot View Post
It's in my signature but I don't think it shows up on mobile.

ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays

It can run 4 T5's along with the LED arrays. I also have two BML LED strip lights running just blue and violet channels. The 3.1 arrays have Lime and white, I run mostly Lime for the white channel. Lime is similar to white without the blue spike.

In my opinion at least some T5's are needed for better color and coverage, but it's not a simple answer because it will vary coral to coral as far as how they respond to the light. Heavy blue is key, with the trick being getting the tank to look whiter to our eyes without flooding the tank with a spectrum the corals can't handle. T5's are good for this because they have a very narrow spike in the green wavelength which our eyes are sensitive too, making the tank look much whiter than it really is.

An even combination of Blue+ and Coral+ are perfect for this and that's the combination I used for years (BigE uses this combo exclusively and you should check out his thread). I stopped using coral+ and instead use a combination of white and Lime LED's to try and simulate the same visible color. It seems to be working as the coral colors have remained good, which means I have managed to keep the actual spectrum in a good range and also make the tank appear whiter. It's not perfect, LED's frankly suck at this, but it seems I've lucked into a good combination.

If you use LED only and want good results I think, and this is just my opinion, you have to go with mostly blue blue, violet, and more blue with just a touch of green and maybe a little red. For the green and red (white) the new Mint LED's do this better than Lime's and look better to the eye. I have a newer Nanobox fixture over my 40 gallon that use Mint LED's for the white channel and no White LED's. Using only LED the look is very pleasing compare to either white or lime. It's still very blue because it has to be for coral health, but it's less of a Windex look than the typical LED fixture. This tank looks like a toilet bowl running only LED with the Lime and White channels turned up.

There is more opinion than anyone ever wanted.
I currently run leds only and have almost took advantage of a t5 retro fixture that has 4 t5s and would incorporate my current fixtures for a hybrid. Didn't pull the trigger just because I'm cheap but still debating it. Been debating adding the t5s or one 250w halide in between the leds. Just don't know and not rushing. For the t5s I was going to go with 2 blue +, 1 coral +, 1 actinic. But like I said just doing my research. I know it couldn't hurt but things are growing as we speak just trying to see better color more so for my own eyes.


Bugsy_Barboza is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/02/2018, 10:24 PM   #1881
markalot
...
 
markalot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florence, KY
Posts: 3,806
Blog Entries: 3
Had time for a few top downs.

Calcium and Alk ran low again, fixed both yesterday.

kh 6.1
calcium 355
mg 1340

Took 410 ml of calcium to correct, added all at once. You can see most of the montis, except that damn purple cap, showing some skin loss or thin skin. Acros look pretty darn good though.












__________________
-- Mark
150G (72x18x27) | 35G sump | SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer | ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays
markalot is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/03/2018, 09:40 AM   #1882
Darth_Tater
Registered Member
 
Darth_Tater's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Northern Utah
Posts: 535
Quote:
Originally Posted by markalot View Post
This is a neat picture. Made my brain hurt for a minute though. Was trying to figure out how the corals were growing sideways and why you took the picture upside down...

Do you know the name of the mint green acro in the middle? I really like that one.


__________________
It's probably in your best interest to ignore most of my advice.
Darth_Tater is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/03/2018, 10:55 AM   #1883
markalot
...
 
markalot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florence, KY
Posts: 3,806
Blog Entries: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by Darth_Tater View Post
This is a neat picture. Made my brain hurt for a minute though. Was trying to figure out how the corals were growing sideways and why you took the picture upside down...

Do you know the name of the mint green acro in the middle? I really like that one.
Not exactly. That one was from Unique Corals named Wild Orchid. I don't think they sent me the right coral since this has never shown any purple at all. This was bought just before the tank crashed and somehow survived, so I didn't know until it recovered that it was the wrong coral.

Search for Wild orchid on the R 2 R forums and you'll find a picture of it.


__________________
-- Mark
150G (72x18x27) | 35G sump | SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer | ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays
markalot is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/04/2018, 08:03 AM   #1884
markalot
...
 
markalot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florence, KY
Posts: 3,806
Blog Entries: 3
The rest of the top downs.

Horrida




Lokani


The little red number.



__________________
-- Mark
150G (72x18x27) | 35G sump | SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer | ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays
markalot is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/09/2018, 06:17 PM   #1885
DiscusHeckel
Acropora Gardener
 
DiscusHeckel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Sheffield, UK
Posts: 2,780
A. horrida is one of my all time favourite corals.


__________________
Featured Tank OCT 2016 | "Reef Hobbyist Magazine"
TOTM OCT 2016 | "Ultimate Reef", UK
FB | "/troutsReefTank/"

65G SPS Reef- ATI 8 X 39W PM; TM [Bacto-Balance A-; Reef Actif; Nitribiotic; Iodine]
DiscusHeckel is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/09/2018, 06:18 PM   #1886
DiscusHeckel
Acropora Gardener
 
DiscusHeckel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Sheffield, UK
Posts: 2,780
Quote:
Originally Posted by markalot View Post








These are stunning.


__________________
Featured Tank OCT 2016 | "Reef Hobbyist Magazine"
TOTM OCT 2016 | "Ultimate Reef", UK
FB | "/troutsReefTank/"

65G SPS Reef- ATI 8 X 39W PM; TM [Bacto-Balance A-; Reef Actif; Nitribiotic; Iodine]
DiscusHeckel is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/09/2018, 11:48 PM   #1887
xiao
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 34
Very good to share, thank you Mark


xiao is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/10/2018, 12:20 AM   #1888
lanshark
It's Landshark, aka SNL
 
lanshark's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: California
Posts: 359
I just chiseled a few corals off a rock I had brain corals growing into Acro’s growing into a setosa into fruity pebbles, etc.. Poor planning on my part The pics look like your colonies are about to do battle? How often do you get the cutters out?


__________________
"Live for tomorrow, yesterday is forever gone ..."

Current Tank Info: Mixed Reef 66"x24"x22", 20g Sump/refugium 20g In-line Grow Out tank
lanshark is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/10/2018, 03:05 AM   #1889
xiao
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 34
I took a afternoon to browse the post. Maybe the translation is not very good. I am sorry that my English is not good. I want to ask what is the last method of green cyano treatment.


xiao is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/10/2018, 06:38 AM   #1890
markalot
...
 
markalot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florence, KY
Posts: 3,806
Blog Entries: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by xiao View Post
I took a afternoon to browse the post. Maybe the translation is not very good. I am sorry that my English is not good. I want to ask what is the last method of green cyano treatment.
Just the age of the tank seemed to take care of it, and stirring the sandbed when it was happening. After a year or so it vanished. Unfortunately you have to wait a year.


__________________
-- Mark
150G (72x18x27) | 35G sump | SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer | ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays
markalot is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/10/2018, 06:40 AM   #1891
markalot
...
 
markalot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florence, KY
Posts: 3,806
Blog Entries: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by lanshark View Post
I just chiseled a few corals off a rock I had brain corals growing into Acro’s growing into a setosa into fruity pebbles, etc.. Poor planning on my part The pics look like your colonies are about to do battle? How often do you get the cutters out?
I rarely even trim, it's a big problem I have. I need to do a LOT of trimming or I will lose everything except the acros on top due to shading. Snip Snip.

I never chisel, or I haven't had to yet.


__________________
-- Mark
150G (72x18x27) | 35G sump | SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer | ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays
markalot is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/10/2018, 06:53 AM   #1892
xiao
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 34
Quote:
Originally Posted by markalot View Post
Just the age of the tank seemed to take care of it, and stirring the sandbed when it was happening. After a year or so it vanished. Unfortunately you have to wait a year.
My coral tank is very similar to your experience. It is also a cyanide outbreak that almost completely destroyed my sps (an incredibly beautiful color before death). I spent half a year stopping buying any corals and maintaining water quality.
But I feel that my water is not fat enough, the coral feels a bit bleached, feeding the size particles 3 times a day redsea a+b 4ml/2ml tm A+ K+ 2ml
The green algae of the rhizomes have no fish on my reef to forage.

Current water quality
No3<0.5
po4 <0.04
kh 7-8 (Consume 1 per day)
ca 400
mg ?


xiao is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/10/2018, 11:37 AM   #1893
markalot
...
 
markalot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florence, KY
Posts: 3,806
Blog Entries: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by xiao View Post
My coral tank is very similar to your experience. It is also a cyanide outbreak that almost completely destroyed my sps (an incredibly beautiful color before death). I spent half a year stopping buying any corals and maintaining water quality.
But I feel that my water is not fat enough, the coral feels a bit bleached, feeding the size particles 3 times a day redsea a+b 4ml/2ml tm A+ K+ 2ml
The green algae of the rhizomes have no fish on my reef to forage.

Current water quality
No3<0.5
po4 <0.04
kh 7-8 (Consume 1 per day)
ca 400
mg ?
Keep KH low, 7 to 8 is good but as stable as possible. Do you use GFO or Algae? If so then I suggest taking it out. You might consider skimming only part of the day, but I've never done it.


__________________
-- Mark
150G (72x18x27) | 35G sump | SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer | ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays
markalot is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/10/2018, 07:41 PM   #1894
xiao
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 34
Quote:
Originally Posted by markalot View Post
Keep KH low, 7 to 8 is good but as stable as possible. Do you use GFO or Algae? If so then I suggest taking it out. You might consider skimming only part of the day, but I've never done it.
I have all removed it.
Have you read the study of organic matter?


xiao is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/11/2018, 06:50 PM   #1895
markalot
...
 
markalot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florence, KY
Posts: 3,806
Blog Entries: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by xiao View Post
I have all removed it.
Have you read the study of organic matter?
Not sure, I've read a lot of studies but I don't remember one on organic matter.


I added an acro. I know! First new acro in a year, 25% Bayer dip for 15 minutes, 5 rinses, scraped with a scalpel and superglued part of the base I didn't like.

It's a Cali tort, I had one a long time back and have wanted another for a while. The slimer helped pay for this one. Another funky stag.


I'm also giving brownie another chance. This is a maricultured piece that I had trouble keeping alive. Saved two small frags, both settled in and grew rapidly but never colored up. I put the largest piece in the sump under a cheap LED and let it sulk down there for a year. I cut a frag of it and brought it back up. Can I color it up this time? I doubt it. lol


The larger frag of my beloved Lokani


Katropora frags #2 and #3 under 100 to 125 PAR and while straggly still looking really good.


If one is to have shrooms, these should be it. Finally reproducing.


So when my calcium started to get too low this Acan (micromussa) suffered the most, losing all but half a head. I didn't do anything because, well, it's not an SPS. I suspect now this is a good one to watch for water quality issues as it started to die before my yellow and red acro showed any stress.



__________________
-- Mark
150G (72x18x27) | 35G sump | SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer | ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays

Last edited by markalot; 12/11/2018 at 07:00 PM.
markalot is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/11/2018, 07:33 PM   #1896
xiao
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 34
Quote:
Originally Posted by markalot View Post
Not sure, I've read a lot of studies but I don't remember one on organic matter.


I added an acro. I know! First new acro in a year, 25% Bayer dip for 15 minutes, 5 rinses, scraped with a scalpel and superglued part of the base I didn't like.

It's a Cali tort, I had one a long time back and have wanted another for a while. The slimer helped pay for this one. Another funky stag.


I'm also giving brownie another chance. This is a maricultured piece that I had trouble keeping alive. Saved two small frags, both settled in and grew rapidly but never colored up. I put the largest piece in the sump under a cheap LED and let it sulk down there for a year. I cut a frag of it and brought it back up. Can I color it up this time? I doubt it. lol


The larger frag of my beloved Lokani


Katropora frags #2 and #3 under 100 to 125 PAR and while straggly still looking really good.


If one is to have shrooms, these should be it. Finally reproducing.


So when my calcium started to get too low this Acan (micromussa) suffered the most, losing all but half a head. I didn't do anything because, well, it's not an SPS. I suspect now this is a good one to watch for water quality issues as it started to die before my yellow and red acro showed any stress.
The rumors between our aquarists, organic matter will affect the varieties of algae, red algae means that the organic matter is too low, green algae represents too much organic matter, I doubt


xiao is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/11/2018, 08:04 PM   #1897
markalot
...
 
markalot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florence, KY
Posts: 3,806
Blog Entries: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by xiao View Post
The rumors between our aquarists, organic matter will affect the varieties of algae, red algae means that the organic matter is too low, green algae represents too much organic matter, I doubt
That's interesting. My current thinking is that cyano is just a sign that the tank is missing something or something is out of balance. I had red cyano in my little 40 gallon for a year, then it vanished and hasn't returned. I haven;t changed anything, not even the water. I overfeed, have to deal with algae growing on the wall and the pumps, but no cyano anymore.


__________________
-- Mark
150G (72x18x27) | 35G sump | SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer | ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays
markalot is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/11/2018, 09:03 PM   #1898
xiao
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 34
Quote:
Originally Posted by markalot View Post
That's interesting. My current thinking is that cyano is just a sign that the tank is missing something or something is out of balance. I had red cyano in my little 40 gallon for a year, then it vanished and hasn't returned. I haven;t changed anything, not even the water. I overfeed, have to deal with algae growing on the wall and the pumps, but no cyano anymore.
This should be some rumors of the merchants that facilitate their marketing of chemical products. I think this is an imbalance, but the current solution is to change the feeding / stop feeding? Do not add any chemical products. I doubt if sps will starve?


xiao is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/12/2018, 05:42 AM   #1899
markalot
...
 
markalot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florence, KY
Posts: 3,806
Blog Entries: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by xiao View Post
This should be some rumors of the merchants that facilitate their marketing of chemical products. I think this is an imbalance, but the current solution is to change the feeding / stop feeding? Do not add any chemical products. I doubt if sps will starve?
I think SPS will starve, especially since cyano is typically a problem in newer tanks. As the tank ages all kinds of life populate it, including lots of sponges. These sponges sloth off over 50% of their weight every day into the water, if I remember correctly, which adds food bits the corals can eat.

I say just blow the cyano around and learn to tolerate it until it fades.


__________________
-- Mark
150G (72x18x27) | 35G sump | SRO-XP2000INT Skimmer | ATI SunPower T5 / NanoBox LED hybrid 60" x 4 + 8 NanoBox v3.1 arrays
markalot is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/12/2018, 06:20 AM   #1900
xiao
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 34
Quote:
Originally Posted by markalot View Post

I say just blow the cyano around and learn to tolerate it until it fades.
I am now starting to increase nutrient salt in my fish tank, daily redsea ab 12ml


xiao is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:18 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef CentralTM Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2022
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.