3 Month Old Shallow Reef

[Orr2003]

Iphone video of my 3 month old 16" shallow reef. Finally getting some coralline algae to grow and most of the frags seem to be growing well. System has been running since January but the main display has only been up since May. Still have some maturing to do but its getting there.
Enjoy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SogbPDdJ5gc

[murphreef]

Very nice whats the info in regards to the tank size lighting etc?

Coming along nicely and looks really clean!

[Orr2003]

Originally Posted by murphreef

Very nice whats the info in regards to the tank size lighting etc?

Coming along nicely and looks really clean!

Thanks Murphreef

DT is a custom 60" x 36" x 16" Low iron on 3 sides peninsula style with Synergy Shadow overflow. DT is 150g and the system total is around 300g.
I am running the ATI sunpower 8x54w and have been using ATI coral plus bulbs only. Running a Vertex Alpha 250 skimmer and I dose arm and hammer and old style dowflake I have had for years thru BRS dosers. Return pump is Vectra L1 and I have 4 mp40's in the DT for flow although they are not turned up very high due to the shallow depth. Just your standard setup that has worked for me for many years. Nothing fancy just a tank flowing into a big fuge with live rock sand and chaeto which flows into a big sump with big skimmer and a couple dosers for alk and cal and manual dose mag couple times a month. Tunze ato for the top off and set back and enjoy. Yeah I know we wish it was that easy....something always happening lol

[murphreef]

Originally Posted by Orr2003

Thanks Murphreef

DT is a custom 60" x 36" x 16" Low iron on 3 sides peninsula style with Synergy Shadow overflow. DT is 150g and the system total is around 300g.
I am running the ATI sunpower 8x54w and have been using ATI coral plus bulbs only. Running a Vertex Alpha 250 skimmer and I dose arm and hammer and old style dowflake I have had for years thru BRS dosers. Return pump is Vectra L1 and I have 4 mp40's in the DT for flow although they are not turned up very high due to the shallow depth. Just your standard setup that has worked for me for many years. Nothing fancy just a tank flowing into a big fuge with live rock sand and chaeto which flows into a big sump with big skimmer and a couple dosers for alk and cal and manual dose mag couple times a month. Tunze ato for the top off and set back and enjoy. Yeah I know we wish it was that easy....something always happening lol

Awesome man!! Sounds like one hell of a system

Really looks like everything is happy and healthy and should start growing faster and faster with time. I just started up a lil nano again after having larger tanks. Just such a fun / stressful hobby lol.

Enjoy the tank and sounds like a sweet build

[rholguin]

Very nice!!

[Orr2003]

Originally Posted by murphreef

Awesome man!! Sounds like one hell of a system

Really looks like everything is happy and healthy and should start growing faster and faster with time. I just started up a lil nano again after having larger tanks. Just such a fun / stressful hobby lol.

Enjoy the tank and sounds like a sweet build

No doubt...life was less stressful before this tank haha Power went out the other night so I was out in the rain hooking up the generator. I am hoping to get the whole house backup natural gas generator all hooked up soon so I dont have to worry anymore. I have all the wiring finished with automatic relay but I havent ran the new gas line yet so that was a big waste sitting there not running while my power was out for 10 hours or so. Had to resort to the portable generac and extension cords, so yeah I know what you mean about stressful. What was I thinking getting another tank lol

[murphreef]

^ lol exactly man!

I had a 180sps system a few years back at my other house and it was fun when things were going great and horrible when bad haha.

I have a back up generator at my house too. Been sitting in my garage for 2 years now. It is a Centurion 15Kw auto on/off unit that can use natural gas an propane. I have just been too lazy to get someone to hook it up for me. It shouldnt be too hard to do. I am sure one day we will have a long lasting power outage and I will be kicking myself in the *** while staring at the generator sitting in my garage haha.

Keep us posted on the tank!

[Greybeard]

Originally Posted by Orr2003

Thanks Murphreef

DT is a custom 60" x 36" x 16" Low iron on 3 sides peninsula style with Synergy Shadow overflow. DT is 150g and the system total is around 300g.
I am running the ATI sunpower 8x54w and have been using ATI coral plus bulbs only. Running a Vertex Alpha 250 skimmer and I dose arm and hammer and old style dowflake I have had for years thru BRS dosers. Return pump is Vectra L1 and I have 4 mp40's in the DT for flow although they are not turned up very high due to the shallow depth. Just your standard setup that has worked for me for many years. Nothing fancy just a tank flowing into a big fuge with live rock sand and chaeto which flows into a big sump with big skimmer and a couple dosers for alk and cal and manual dose mag couple times a month. Tunze ato for the top off and set back and enjoy. Yeah I know we wish it was that easy....something always happening lol

Cool Nice looking system. You appear to be about 3 months ahead of me... and with a very similar system.

Mine is 60x30x18" peninsula, 6 bulb T5, Vertex 180i... See what i mean by similar? My bio filter is just getting stable, added first fish last night.



I'm doing the Triton thing with this one. We'll see how it works out. If it doesn't, well, refugeum, skimmer, carbon, GFO... all I'd really have to do to change it back to what I'm used to would be to pull the Core7, buy some BRS 2 part, and start doing water changes.

[reefmutt]

Nice scape.
Super clean, too.
Corals look great and growth is starting.
Very nice.
Do you have a fts? I'd love to see a wide shot of the whole tank..

[Orr2003]

Originally Posted by Greybeard

Cool Nice looking system. You appear to be about 3 months ahead of me... and with a very similar system.

Mine is 60x30x18" peninsula, 6 bulb T5, Vertex 180i... See what i mean by similar? My bio filter is just getting stable, added first fish last night.



I'm doing the Triton thing with this one. We'll see how it works out. If it doesn't, well, refugeum, skimmer, carbon, GFO... all I'd really have to do to change it back to what I'm used to would be to pull the Core7, buy some BRS 2 part, and start doing water changes.

This is the first I have heard of Core 7... I will have to look into it but I guess I am just old school keep it simple. Alk Cal & Mag dosing and one large water change a month. How is the Triton method Core 7 working out? How long have you been using it?

[Orr2003]

Originally Posted by reefmutt

Nice scape.
Super clean, too.
Corals look great and growth is starting.
Very nice.
Do you have a fts? I'd love to see a wide shot of the whole tank..

Thanks reefmutt

Trying to upload some pics but photobucket wants money to do so now.
I will have to find another image hosting site....Im not paying photobucket lol

Here is a fts video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiZ2IZpO_74

[Orr2003]

I little longer video of some of the fish for those interested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xAS27TPles

[reefmutt]

Very nice!
Good amount of fish in there.
Looks great.

[Greybeard]

Originally Posted by Orr2003

This is the first I have heard of Core 7... I will have to look into it but I guess I am just old school keep it simple. Alk Cal & Mag dosing and one large water change a month. How is the Triton method Core 7 working out? How long have you been using it?

Haven't, really... Just got the bio filter started, added my first fish and corals last week, started the refugeum over the weekend. No need to start dosing yet, as there hasn't been any demand on the system, and what with ammonia, nitrite, nitrate bouncing... Just trying to get it all settled down.

I'll start with the Core7 dosing soon. It's a 4 part - two part system Calc/Alk + trace elements. The heart of the Triton system is ICP testing... you dose their Core7 based on Alkalinity uptake, and send off water to be tested every so often. They report back, and you dose/filter/treat as needed to keep the water as close to natural sea water as possible. Macro algae refugeum, GFO or Aluminum based phosphate removal, GAC, skimmer... it's not much different from what a fair number of reefers are already doing, just more in depth testing, and a different kind of 2 part, really.

Fairly new in the states, but gaining popularity. No water changes is the big draw, I suppose. BRS is switching their 160 from Zeovit to Triton. We'll see how that works out.

Ask me again in a year

[Orr2003]

Sounds expensive....like everything else in this hobby.

Originally Posted by Greybeard

Haven't, really... Just got the bio filter started, added my first fish and corals last week, started the refugeum over the weekend. No need to start dosing yet, as there hasn't been any demand on the system, and what with ammonia, nitrite, nitrate bouncing... Just trying to get it all settled down.

I'll start with the Core7 dosing soon. It's a 4 part - two part system Calc/Alk + trace elements. The heart of the Triton system is ICP testing... you dose their Core7 based on Alkalinity uptake, and send off water to be tested every so often. They report back, and you dose/filter/treat as needed to keep the water as close to natural sea water as possible. Macro algae refugeum, GFO or Aluminum based phosphate removal, GAC, skimmer... it's not much different from what a fair number of reefers are already doing, just more in depth testing, and a different kind of 2 part, really.

Fairly new in the states, but gaining popularity. No water changes is the big draw, I suppose. BRS is switching their 160 from Zeovit to Triton. We'll see how that works out.

Ask me again in a year

[Orr2003]

Looking in from the other side

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw4N6nx72_s

[Greybeard]

Originally Posted by Orr2003

Sounds expensive....like everything else in this hobby.

Certainly not the cheapest method for maintaining a reef! You know, most of us could get by for years with a big bag of Mrs. Wages pickling lime...

It's a hobby. The definition should say 'something you can sink all available time and money into'

Great looking tank. That flame angel giving you any problems?

[Orr2003]

Originally Posted by Greybeard

Certainly not the cheapest method for maintaining a reef! You know, most of us could get by for years with a big bag of Mrs. Wages pickling lime...

It's a hobby. The definition should say 'something you can sink all available time and money into'

Great looking tank. That flame angel giving you any problems?

Never had a problem from a flame angel and this one is no different. I was going to get the Potter's Angel but my daughter wanted the Flame. I did have a jumper today though. I figured it was a matter of time with the rimless shallow tank and the anthias swimming up at the surface all the time. One of them took the leap of faith today. Found her dried up on he floor. Sucks!!

[Greybeard]

Hate it when that happens.

Problem with open top. I actually had a clownfish jump on me with my old cube before I put a DIY screen on it.

I'm planning a top from Artfully Acrylic for my shallow reef. It's about the only thing I've found that looks good and keeps the jumpers in. Problem is, as you mentioned above, nothing is cheap in this hobby.... certainly not a custom screen from Artfully Acrylic

[Orr2003]

Best I can do with Iphone video but the tank is starting to really color up. I was running all 8 bulbs on the ATI fixture and most of the coral were struggling which appears to have been to much light from all 8 bulbs. So couple weeks ago I switched to running just 6 bulbs and it has made a huge difference. Coralline aglae is starting to cover the rock and most of the SPS seem to have accelerated their growth and much better color. Just to much par for the shallow tank.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjQJzuI4oNA

[Greybeard]

Originally Posted by Orr2003

Best I can do with Iphone video but the tank is starting to really color up. I was running all 8 bulbs on the ATI fixture and most of the coral were struggling which appears to have been to much light from all 8 bulbs. So couple weeks ago I switched to running just 6 bulbs and it has made a huge difference. Coralline aglae is starting to cover the rock and most of the SPS seem to have accelerated their growth and much better color. Just to much par for the shallow tank.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjQJzuI4oNA

I also have been having slow growth, even some bleaching, in my corals. I cut the light duration, but haven't pulled any bulbs yet. May well do so in the near future. From BRS's video on ATI T5 light, 8 bulbs at a shallow depth was giving them 450-550 PAR ratings. Mine is high off the water, but I'm starting to think I've got too darn much light.

I may rewire the thing, so that the center two bulbs run on the same ballast. Currently, the 4 center bulbs run 1-2, 1-2. If I can pull the center two, some sort of LED strip in the middle to give a bit of shimmer becomes a possibility at some point in the future.

[Orr2003]

Originally Posted by Greybeard

I also have been having slow growth, even some bleaching, in my corals. I cut the light duration, but haven't pulled any bulbs yet. May well do so in the near future. From BRS's video on ATI T5 light, 8 bulbs at a shallow depth was giving them 450-550 PAR ratings. Mine is high off the water, but I'm starting to think I've got too darn much light.

I may rewire the thing, so that the center two bulbs run on the same ballast. Currently, the 4 center bulbs run 1-2, 1-2. If I can pull the center two, some sort of LED strip in the middle to give a bit of shimmer becomes a possibility at some point in the future.

Exactly what I was experiencing...slow growth and some bleaching. I am using the ATI 8x54w fixture but now I am only running 6 bulbs not all 8. The 8 bulb fixture runs bulbs 3 and 6 on the same ballast and the rest of the bulbs 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8 are on one ballast. My new light schedule is bulbs 3 and 6 from 7am to 8am, then they turn off at 8am and the other 6 bulbs turn on at 8am and run until 6pm, then bulbs 3 and 6 run again from 6pm to 7pm. The fixture is 13.5 inches from the TOP of the fixture to the water surface. My rocks were just bleached white looking and everything was looking really bleached and as soon as I changed to 6 bulbs pink and purple coralline is exploding on the rocks and the coral all seem to be coloring up some and doing much better.

This is the first tank I have ever used T5 lighting on and the first ATI fixture.
My last system I ran four 400w Halides 1600watts total (radiums) in Large lumenbright reflectors and I never once had a problem with to much light....so these ATI fixtures are PAR monsters. My tank has definately taking a turn for the better over the last 2 weeks and the only thing that has changed is lighting intensity.

Greybeard are you using the 8x54w ATI fixture? Nevermind I see where you said you are using 6 bulb fixture. How far from the water surface are your lights?

[Greybeard]

Originally Posted by Orr2003

Greybeard are you using the 8x54w ATI fixture? Nevermind I see where you said you are using 6 bulb fixture. How far from the water surface are your lights?

Don't know where you saw me using a 6 bulb unit... I'm using an 8 bulb TEK fixture. Bought it used, replaced the ballasts and bulbs with ATI. Saved a bit of money that way, and I _really_ disliked the idea of hanging a SILVER fixture over my tank. The TEK is black... better fits the look I wanted.

Odd that the ATI splits the bulbs 6/2. My TEK splits them 4/4... that's 4 bulbs per ballast... Don't guess it really matters. Each ballast is on it's own power cord, so I can time them separately.

I pulled 2 bulbs this weekend, one blue+, one aquablue special. Leaves me with 3 blue+, one aquablue special, 1 actinic, 1 coral plus. I'll be watching it over the next few weeks, see what results that has. New tank... could be any number of things causing my issues... but too much light is a definite possibility. After re-watching BRS's video on ATI / T5 lighting... 8 T5's on a shallow tank may well be an issue.

[Orr2003]

Originally Posted by Greybeard

Cool Nice looking system. You appear to be about 3 months ahead of me... and with a very similar system.

Mine is 60x30x18" peninsula, 6 bulb T5, Vertex 180i... See what i mean by similar? My bio filter is just getting stable, added first fish last night.



I'm doing the Triton thing with this one. We'll see how it works out. If it doesn't, well, refugeum, skimmer, carbon, GFO... all I'd really have to do to change it back to what I'm used to would be to pull the Core7, buy some BRS 2 part, and start doing water changes.

[Greybeard]

Well... just shows you can't believe that guy

8 bulb, 48", 54w TEK (Sunlight Supply) T5 light... now operating with 6 bulbs... but it was 8 when that guy posted his lies