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Elos 120 (liter)

Hey Joel,
Derek tells me that ATI makes a very popular series of T5's that people are liking. I'll be picking up my Radiums from him next week and need to lay some plans for the T5's. I'll be using D-D H2-Ocean Pro salt in the new tank once it's cycled. I need to use up a bunch of reef crystals but wanted to step up a bit with the salt mix. You're invited to do a up close tank inspection and suggestion critique anytime you are in S.C.
 
Honestly six t-5's may be a bit of overkill if you are already running 2 250W bulbs. 2 should be plenty as I wouldn't think you would need them for anything other then supplements if you have good reflectors on the Radiums. I only run 2 myself in the very front and about 6 inches below the halides and it is more then enough for supplements. Granted I have 400W radiums but my tank is also 6" deeper.
 
Hey John,

Sounds like fun.

I vote for the Rodeo Clown....

I didn't use a bung wrench. I use a pair of large Channel Locks and placed the head of the wrench in the cross hairs of the bung plug and gave a slight twist, which did the trick just fine FWIW. Oh, my mistake: I thought you were speaking about the Bung plugs. Yea, Jeremy has an awesome bulk head wrench. He used in on my fuge. It gets into some tight places too.

I have two small buckets of the D & D salts that I haven't used yet. I'm not hearing great things or bad things, so I'm waiting to use up a bucket of Seachem's Reef salts, which were inexpensive, leaves a lot of residue in the bucket, and had low CA and MG readings (according to their own Ca and MG test kits)(probably wont buy it again). If Seachem's Aqua Vitro salts make it to market soon, I may give the fish/coral a bath in it provided they don't set the price point out of site. The only salts I haven't used yet is T.M. and Oceanic. I may try a box of the latter, as they say it melts down without leaving a residue. I'll believe it when I see it.

I think you're going to like that new barrel a lot. You're right about the Kawi blue, the barrel stands next to my 1200 Kawi and they are pretty close in color. I think there is a photo on one of my older posts, so I wont bother to up-load it here. How did you come up with Kawi blue, do you own a Kawi? If so, maybe we should tear up some asphalt some time. My Kawi club has HMB touring-outting in HMB from 10-2 through 10-4. Finally, an event in my back yard.

Some time, feel free to pm me and we can try to connect after your system is up and running. I'm not much of a critic, mostly just an admirer.

R.K.
 
Yup. A blue FZ1.
Bryan, the fixture is set up with 6 54w T5s as well as choice of Mh. I went with the DE 250 knowing I wanted to start the show with Radiums. I've placed my fixture hanging bars a little higher than what I will likely need. I've been talking to a fellow in SO Cal that has nearly the same set up as me except he got a deal on a DE Mh set-up so he runs a different 20K bulb that's DE. He tells me that the fixture is fanless and runs extremely cool. I saw he's using a DJ panel and twin MP-40w's as well. Small world. He was the one who was able to provide me with measurement to set up my hanging brackets since he's already got his up and running.
Regarding the amount of light.......I want to do some par readings once the silt clears. I'm hoping one of "us" has one that could stop by sometime. That would help me to determine just how high to hang the fixture.

This is how Reza in SO Cal has set HIS tank up:
Same tank, Same light fixture, Elos hangers
(My tank is still dry as a bone waiting for sump)


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FZ1 Yami.... Nice.

I may be wrong, But I'll throw my 2 cents in:

I think 6 x 54w (2.7 watts per gallon will be just fine) I just wouldn't run them at them same time as the halides (there's no need to enrich PCG shareholders anymore than they are), but maybe just overlap them by an hour at the end of the MHs. They can, also, provide good transition lighting from halides to lunars.

That's what I'm doing, but I am only running 2 x 175w SE MHs and 2 x 110w T12 SVHOs along with my 59w T5 (transition from SVHOs to Lunars). I hate to spend more than I have to for juice, especially when I want to fire up my spa @ $75 per month to run that power hog (60 amp - 5000w Heater).

R.K.





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Sorry still a bit jet lagged. I was moreso saying that on a 120 just the halides would pretty much be more then enough lighting as far a usable light goes. Adding 6 t-5's for more usable light IMHO would probably be overkill. If you were using them as collor supplements or in stages with the halides it probably would be effective but i am not sure that you would need 6 bulbs.

For example, on my 180 (which is probably 6 inches deeper then your 120) I have 2 400W SE Radiums and 2 48" T-5's. I almost feel in some ways that I have too much light as it stands now and have actually considered down grading to 250W Radiums. My SPS love it, but I have real problems finding "low light" areas for some of my LPS at this point. My t-5's are purely actinics that I stagger on before and after the MH's go on and off just to ad to my tank viewing time. For the most part the MH light drowns out a majority of the color added by the T-5's.

When I planned out my tank I originally was going to go with 4 T-5's (2 in the front and 2 in the back). I discovered that I coun't tell (either with the halides on or off) the difference in actinic intensity between the 2 T-5's setup or the 4 t-5 setup, so decided to save myself the money on the electricity and bulb cost and only run the 2 bulb setup.

Hope that makes more sense.
 
Perfect sense. I do staggar my lights even now with only T5's on the little tank.
I have a tentitive photoperiod plan somewhat like this:

T5's: (460 nm actinic with perhaps other blue spectrum choices) On at 10:30 AM, off at 10:30 PM
Mh: On at 1:30 PM off at 8 PM (both lamps)
Fuge (single 14/75w CF flood 5100K): On at 8 PM off at 10 AM

I do have the option of staging each set of two T5's on their own timers. I may stagger them an additional 1/2 hour between start and stop times. Dang, I'm gonna need that Neptune Apex controller just to handle my light timing. I've already used up 3 timer slots for running all the T5's together. Hmmmmm.
 
Hey John,

Sounds like you've got it under control.

I have to come to SC to go to Wallins and CA Fly Shop to reload. I usually like to run my errands all at once, so I don't have to come "over the hill' so many times. I've been putting these tasks off for a while any way. So PM me, and I'll try to schedule my errands around a time that's good for you. This week is wide open, next week no can do. I'll be on four wheel, so no asphalt burning this week - anyway your FZ1 would eat me alive off the line.

R.K.
 
I am sure I will be heading to the Refuge at some point in the near future I can only go so long without my Belgiun beer and Pastrami fix.
 
Sump confirmed for Friday availability. My plan is to pick up the LR, sand, sump and a couple Eheim 1260's and get it wet this weekend. My big old rodeo clown drum (bright blue, food grade 50 gal mixing container with top)should be here before the weekend.

I got the "Heater upgrade" kit for the Teco Chiller, pulled the cover and intalled it. Very nice layout under the skin. It looks like a mini NASA satellite in there! It even looks like I've found a buyer for some more music gear (read liquid asset reef fund) All I want to do is "break even" :cool:
 
I had to watch Reef Crest mode on the MP-40's as the overflow runs down to the hardwood floor below until I install the sump tomorrow. I've got the water level about 1/2" below the overflow at this time. :O
 
screebo said:
No sump yet, but Ready for sand and LR
Click to expand...

Hey John,

I feel your pain Brother :X . It sucks when you think you're off to the races and then have to slam on the breaks. But, we've all known these set backs at one time or another, and that makes getting to the finish line that much pleasureful. I know you respect the process, and once your up and running, you'll forget some of the earlier set backs.

You'll get that set up wet before you know it. :)

Best,
R.K.
 
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