Tank Journal Archive

Sam Parker

Moderator
May 6, 2013
4,802
2,397
Geelong
I’d def snap up the deltec if it is in your budget, you will not believe how good it is compared to the unit you have now.

As for lights, buy them all and sell on the ones your don’t use perhaps?

I agree, 400w at the deep end, 250w elsewhere and either t5 or led (if you want them) in between
 

Jacques Pels

Member
Feb 4, 2017
287
112
Gold Coast, QLD
Sam,
have you compared the Lumatek digital ballasts, to the digital and electronic ballasts included in the link you sent ?
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Grow-Li...251340393685?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10

Do you think it justified to order the eBay kit, dump their ballasts and get the Lumatek ballasts instead ?
Got a EcoTech NYOS skimmer for th bigger Quarantine tank this morning, and already skimming - cool. I 'think" I may have fou the sweet spot for the bloody MS Skimmer - working with both pumps running, without overflowing - lets see the cup tomorrow.
Been a bit crook last days, and my birthday tomorrow, peoiple etc..so not much else by way of progress.
Think I have my bearings now, and will try to talk to Lesley over the weekend, and move on the lights next week.

Have a good one..
Jac
 

Sam Parker

Moderator
May 6, 2013
4,802
2,397
Geelong
Nyos are a decent skimmer, should work well.

If you really want to replace the ballasts, go for it - I just wouldn’t bother. I like the magnetic ones more and I have both.

Hope you feel better soon, especially for your birthday :)
 

Jacques Pels

Member
Feb 4, 2017
287
112
Gold Coast, QLD
Hi,
ordered the 4 MH sets last week, and then ordered the Radium 20K bulbs from Dave at Deer Park. Got the 4 reflectors today - apparently the ballasts and hangers etc got split, so AusPost may deliver them tomorrow.
Bulbs should also be here tomorrow.
Could not resist it, so unpacked the reflectors - wow they are big !!

I built a basic frame for them last week, which, in future, will be mounted inside the hood.
The frame is smaller than the Hood/outer dimensions of the tank.

Just to get a true sense of scale and space allocation, I have mounted the 4 MH reflectors.
Glad I had the frame, so I have flexibility in hanging positions.
I had planned to have one across the width of both short sides, and one around the middle of the long sides. Then add the other lights - either T5s or LEDs.
As I was worried about, the position of my glass cross braces, will affect the light getting into the tank. Add to that the Center Wier, with the motorized Actuator for th Closed Loop system.

As of now, I have hung them, tentatively, as per the images.
One across the deep short side - 1200mm deep step down.
One across the shallow side - 900 mm deep.
Due to the braces, I hung one between the braces, which makes it pretty close to the deep side, and same for the other long side.
This means I have a "gap" along the right side.
I hink it will come down to positioning the alternate lights, probably the Hydra 52's Dave is suggesting, in those gaps or free spaces. As a result, I may have to then adjust whatever corals go into these areas, according o the lights above.
I will now be able to finalize the specs for the construction of the Hood.
What is the ideal average height the MH should be hung from the water surface for optimal spread and light penetration ?
I think the Hydra LEDs can be hung slightly lower, closer to the water, so this may give me more felxibility.

Your thoughts, suggestions, dire warnings or violent reactions - as always most welcome.

Tks
Jac
 

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Sam Parker

Moderator
May 6, 2013
4,802
2,397
Geelong
Looks great. Wait for your bulbs to come so you can fire them up and raise/lower and move around the tank to see what you like the look of most. Then the decision around LED supplement will be a bit easier
 

Jacques Pels

Member
Feb 4, 2017
287
112
Gold Coast, QLD
Hi,
the 4 Metal Halide reflectors arrived last week, but the box with the ballasts went missing, and only arrived yesterday afternoon. I received the new Radium bulbs 250W and 400W, so I set up the first 2 250W units last night. Temp wiring for now.
WOW - they are BLUE since they are 20K bulbs.
The timing was perfect, as we paid Frankie a visit on Sunday afternoon, and got our first corals :cum
Nothing too adventurous at this stage. Got 5 different Zoas. So very different to how I was used to getting them - hand sized mats at a time... this is all per polyp o_0, but if they take to our tank and look like they did in his display, we will be happy.
I am kicking myself - we got back late, so my priority was to acclimate them and get them into the tank in temp locations. I totally forgot to remove the Hermit crab - when I checked first thing in the morning, one of them was missing - after a while searching, I found it had fallen between some rocks. You would all probably have a good laugh if you saw me trying to get to it, at about 800mm depth... but I got it only to see all 6 polyps munched away :rage - can only have been the hermit, so needless to say he has relocated. I hope one of the polyps may recover and survive. The Green Star is fully open and looks like he is happy.
Keep you updated.
Jac
 

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Jacques Pels

Member
Feb 4, 2017
287
112
Gold Coast, QLD
Hahaha... yep, gone are the days I would be diving and come across a nice looking patch, and put a hand full in a bag.!! Lucky Zoas grow fast - I have a lot of rock space to fill... not bitching, I suppose it is s good problem to have.
Frankie got intrigued and is coming over for the day tomorrow to give it his once over - sure there is a lot I can learn from him.
The Rowa Carbon and Phos arrived today. The Milwakee Refractometer should be here next week, and the Milwakee pH tester, so maybe I will soon be up to speed. Will do my first phosphate test tomorrow, as a base value, and know where to go from there.
Have a good one..
Jac
 

Jacques Pels

Member
Feb 4, 2017
287
112
Gold Coast, QLD
Hi,
the new lights arrived yesterday.
I had the 4 MH lights - 3 x 250W, and 1 x 400W for the 1200 deep drop off. Only had them all on for one day at 9 hours, April 25, when I awoke to an Algae lawn the next morning.
Since then I have onl had 2 of the 250W lights on, for 3 hours a day, set up the Refugium and run Rowa phos, and the phos readings are now down from 0.30 to 0.03 or less daily. The last 3 days i notice that the algae has noticably lightned in color, from a dark green to a lot lighter green, so maybe they are starting to starve for new phos :dead

I got 6 of the Hydra 52 units. Eventual plan is to run them alongside the MH, but for now I removed the 3 250W MH, as the reflectors have such a big footprint. I hung the 6 new Hydras, and with the patient help of my Techie wife, we tried till late last night to set them up. They kept dropping the link, so we finally gave up and continued this afternoon. Looks like I have 5 of them working, but the 6th just times out constantly. We called and were told they have known issues with iPhone connectivity, so to try on the laptop first.
There is also an update to be downloaded for the devises, which is a long process per unit, and keps dropping... pretty frustrating.
Anyone had similar experiences and easy solutions ??
I have added a few images of the new lights hung. I am looking forward to seeing how the 400W MH will look along side the Hydra ???

Jac
 

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Sam Parker

Moderator
May 6, 2013
4,802
2,397
Geelong
Hmm, I have a couple of AI Primes on one of my tanks and I am an apple user - no issues connecting, adjusting or updating firmware?
 

Jacques Pels

Member
Feb 4, 2017
287
112
Gold Coast, QLD
Sam,
the Prime is in the basement on the Q tank. No issues, other than weak internet signal down there. The new Hydras are being a pain - got 5 showing up on Local and Cloud, but the 6th one just does not.
When I get time later today, I will try a fix their Tech Support sent.
Jac