New reefer

dazu · 09/30/2021, 04:03 PM

Hello all,

My girlfriend and I are new to the reefing game. We got ourselves a Fluval Evo tank. We have cycled the tank and we have some clowns and inverts in there and we have also started adding corals.

We upgraded the pump like the one it came with was a little weak and we filled a chamber with some extra filtration etc. It's going well.

We are using the stock lights and they seem to be fine, but not great. We wanted the lights to automatically go on and off so I got a timer that would dim them etc to simulate some kind of sunset and sunrise, but it's not great.

The one thing it doesn't do is moonlight. It would be nice to have the lights switch to blue light, but the switch doest seem to do this.

Would anyone suggest anything we can use on the existing lights we have that couple help improve that?

Also, I was thinking of adding a strip of blue LED across the top to help bring out the colours of the corals.

Any advice would be great. I am not sure if this is the right place to do this?

Thanks!

five.five-six · 09/30/2021, 08:16 PM

welcome to reefing!

I don't know anything about your fluval tank, but I'm sure there are lighting options for it. I'm sure some of the nano guys will chime in but I'd look at rapid LED I'd avoid el-chepo stuff on eBay or Amazon, you'll end up replacing it after poor results.

good luck!

Snarky Shark · 09/30/2021, 08:26 PM

I pulled the lid and put a Kessil over it. Corals responding well.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Timfish · 10/01/2021, 07:48 AM

Welcome to the hobby and to Reef Central! Reef ecosystems are very complex and a lot goes on we can't test for. These videos by researchers may help explain some of the conmplexities we're dealing with. Also, keep in mind the term "corals" encompases a wide variety of animals and research shows there can be significantl differences in their requirements not only at the species level but at the genotype level. So don't be surpriesed if you always have someone who isn't happy while most are doing well.

"Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R2BMEfQGjU

Changing Seas - Mysterious Microbes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7hsp0dENEA

Nitrogen cycling in hte coral holobiont
https://youtu.be/DWItFGRQJL4

BActeria and Sponges
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oLDclO7UcM

Maintenance of Coral Reef Health (refferences at the end)
https://youtu.be/dGIPveFJ_0Q

Optical Feedback Loop in Colorful Coral Bleaching
https://youtu.be/oadKezUYkJE

Richard Ross What's up with phosphate"
https://youtu.be/ZRIKW-9d2xI

outssider · 10/03/2021, 02:17 PM

dusk to dawn dimming and moon lights are for the viewers benefit ....not the coral...they are not going to make any difference in the health of the coral or the fish

Sk8r · 10/04/2021, 10:30 AM

Back in the day, we used to add a single-bulb actinic blue light to the white light of the main fixture, and put them on separate timers. I believe Phillips manufacture(d) the actinics.

We also discovered, when we broke down that tank in favor of another, that Australian woodland finches, like the multicolored ones, adore that 2 part lighting system. We had nests and hatches in our flight cage when we had birds.

09/30/2021, 04:03 PM	#1
dazu Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Posts: 1	New reefer Hello all, My girlfriend and I are new to the reefing game. We got ourselves a Fluval Evo tank. We have cycled the tank and we have some clowns and inverts in there and we have also started adding corals. We upgraded the pump like the one it came with was a little weak and we filled a chamber with some extra filtration etc. It's going well. We are using the stock lights and they seem to be fine, but not great. We wanted the lights to automatically go on and off so I got a timer that would dim them etc to simulate some kind of sunset and sunrise, but it's not great. The one thing it doesn't do is moonlight. It would be nice to have the lights switch to blue light, but the switch doest seem to do this. Would anyone suggest anything we can use on the existing lights we have that couple help improve that? Also, I was thinking of adding a strip of blue LED across the top to help bring out the colours of the corals. Any advice would be great. I am not sure if this is the right place to do this? Thanks!

09/30/2021, 08:16 PM	#2
five.five-six Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Corona Posts: 7,827 Blog Entries: 6	welcome to reefing! I don't know anything about your fluval tank, but I'm sure there are lighting options for it. I'm sure some of the nano guys will chime in but I'd look at rapid LED I'd avoid el-chepo stuff on eBay or Amazon, you'll end up replacing it after poor results. good luck! __________________ Originally posted by yellowslayer13: "I hate that hole" Current Tank Info: SCMAS Member 225 peninsula euroreef RS180 Apex 400W X 3 20k radiums / Spectra mixed SPS

10/01/2021, 07:48 AM	#4
Timfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,985	Welcome to the hobby and to Reef Central! Reef ecosystems are very complex and a lot goes on we can't test for. These videos by researchers may help explain some of the conmplexities we're dealing with. Also, keep in mind the term "corals" encompases a wide variety of animals and research shows there can be significantl differences in their requirements not only at the species level but at the genotype level. So don't be surpriesed if you always have someone who isn't happy while most are doing well. "Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R2BMEfQGjU Changing Seas - Mysterious Microbes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7hsp0dENEA Nitrogen cycling in hte coral holobiont https://youtu.be/DWItFGRQJL4 BActeria and Sponges https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oLDclO7UcM Maintenance of Coral Reef Health (refferences at the end) https://youtu.be/dGIPveFJ_0Q Optical Feedback Loop in Colorful Coral Bleaching https://youtu.be/oadKezUYkJE Richard Ross What's up with phosphate" https://youtu.be/ZRIKW-9d2xI __________________ "Our crystal clear aquaria come nowhere close to the nutrient loads that swirl around natural reefs" Charles Delbeek

10/03/2021, 02:17 PM	#5
outssider Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Reseda, Ca. Posts: 1,717	dusk to dawn dimming and moon lights are for the viewers benefit ....not the coral...they are not going to make any difference in the health of the coral or the fish __________________ Please don't feed the bears because the bears will become dependent on free handouts and forget how to take care of themselves …... Current Tank Info: 75 Gal. Mixed reef mostly sps

10/04/2021, 10:30 AM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Back in the day, we used to add a single-bulb actinic blue light to the white light of the main fixture, and put them on separate timers. I believe Phillips manufacture(d) the actinics. We also discovered, when we broke down that tank in favor of another, that Australian woodland finches, like the multicolored ones, adore that 2 part lighting system. We had nests and hatches in our flight cage when we had birds. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

09/30/2021, 08:26 PM	#3
Snarky Shark Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Posts: 45	I pulled the lid and put a Kessil over it. Corals responding well. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk