hypertech

I think the real advantage lies in that the lights are very directional. So, you can use the light more efficiently by having it directed pretty much straight down into the tank instead of having light spill all over like you get with some halide reflectors. This way you can get by with less light (and less consumed energy) because it is more focused where you want it. Don't get me wrong, LEDs have their place, but the reasons stated above are, IMHO, simply not convincing. I plan to use them to supplement my MH. I've got an actinic bar all built up and just need to mount it. I'm sticking with the MH main lights for two principal reasons: 1) I like the way it looks better; and (2) if something goes wrong its the bulb or the ballast and both are cheap and easy to replace. LEDs can be repaired too, but there is no standard for them so you have to hope that the manufacturer is around with replacement parts or bust out the soldering iron.

if you run it at 50-60% intensity, then we should probably be comparing to 150W halides and the energy difference is still about the same. Either way, its a difference, but its not earth shattering and could end up being close to zero depending on what your heater does now that the lights aren't heating the tank as much.

IMHO, your comparison is not accurate. A radian is supposed to be roughly equivalent to a 250W MH fixture. Thus, you are adding 4 T5 bulbs to the MH side that you should not for an equal comparison. Looking at the fair comparison of 2x250W to 2x radian, and the purchase price you quoted is way off. A dual 250w ballast is $200 and reflectors are 125-150 each. Call it $500 total as compared to the $1300 you quote for radians. That's $800 less up front on the MH system. If you buy used, which is real easy to do right now with lots of good deals around, you can be even less. Now, about bulbs, if you replace once a year over 5 years for 10 bulbs, its just not $1000 in bulbs. The Pheonix 14k bulbs I use are less than $50 each. So, you are talking more like $500. Add that in and we are still $300 less in favor of the MH. But, there is a fundamental flaw in this logic that is being ignored - I seriously doubt that radian will run trouble free for 5 years. That would be like running a solaris today. I'm not even sure if there are any solaris's still running today and would guess they have all been replaced or have failed by now. Over 2-3 years, it is far more likely that the fixture has failed completely or it has been replaced with something else or some of the LEDs have failed, etc. LEDs just don't have that good of a track record. After solaris, there was the aqua illumination (AI) craze, then AI sol, and now radian. Six months from now it will be something else. The few of the AI systems that I am aware of being run for a long period of time all had a high number of LED failures. The LEDs themselves are capable of running a long time, but the saltwater causes problems, electronics fail, etc. Finally, the electricity cost difference is simply not "staggering". Straight from ecotech, the radian consumes 130-140W. So your 2x system is 260W compared to 500W of the halide (I know there is a loss in the ballast, but I don't have a sheet handy to know the total draw so run with it). 240W times say 6 hrs a day is about 500 kWh a year or about $60. However, many people who run LEDs find that their heaters start running more especially at night wiping out any electricity savings. Basically, the only way electricity savings are a big enough plus on the side of LEDs is if you previously had to run a chiller and were able to take it offline.

I'm glad to hear it. Will the nozzle unclog? If so, would you spray mine or sell it to me? If not, I'll just order a can for my project.

The overflows shouldn't flood if the power goes out, but they are not as reliable as a drilled tank with internal overflow. If you can, that is the way to go. I would ditch the wet dry and just go with a protein skimmer. I would also ditch the canister filter. About the skimmer, those ratings are lies and such a skimmer is really a waste of money for that tank. There simply isn't a HOB skimmer that is suitable for that big of a tank. An in-sump or external skimmer is the way to go.

The overflows shouldn't flood if the power goes out, but they are not as reliable as a drilled tank with internal overflow. If you can, that is the way to go. I would ditch the wet dry and just go with a protein skimmer. I would also ditch the canister filter. About the skimmer, those ratings are lies and such a skimmer is really a waste of money for that tank. There simply isn't a HOB skimmer that is suitable for that big of a tank. An in-sump or external skimmer is the way to go.

Anyone have experience with this stuff? I'm wondering if I should apply it to my LED actinic bar before I mount to the tank. On that note, is there anyone local that carries it - or if you have extra and don't mind spraying my LED bar, that would be great too.

I used to have one just like that that I lost in my move. I'd love to get something similar back. If you still have it, can you add me to the list interested when frags become available?

It would work just fine, but I don't want to pull the skimmer out and I want to get in all the corners. I can't get a pump in the corners with the equipment in the sump. I can stick a hose in the corner though. How do you run a siphon if you can't put the bucket lower than the tank? I'm debating between the bucket lid and the small model. Lowes puts them on sale from time to time. I'll probably just get one next time they go on sale.

Sump is on the floor so no siphoning. I don't want to eat off of it. I just want to suck out the crud and sand that settled in the corners over the last year or so. It sounds like I need to watch for a sale on shop vacs.

That would be fine. Then you don't have to mow.

I want to clean out my sump. There is sand and other junk in there and I'd like to suck it all out. Here's the deal, I can't really pump it out. Its packed tight so, I won't be able stick a maxi jet in there an pump it. I need to suck it out. Are there any pumps that create suction I could use to pump out the sump? Or is the only real option a shop vac? Unfortunately, the shop vac didn't fit on the moving truck when we moved out to the coast so I am currently without one.

Naga does glass now.

Unless you cracked it open and saw meat, it was probably a molt. They are very convincing.

Seachem stability works pretty well for startup as well. Its main advantage is that it should be easy to find often at petsmart and petco.

It seems like everyone I knock down one kind of algae another springs up. Please put me on the list.

If the water is higher on one side than the other other you have a powerhead pushing it up or the tank isn't level. The only other possibility is that the tank isn't the same height on both sides. Without a force (like a powerhead) applied, resting water is level. So, if the tank doesn't match the water line, its not 100% level.

If there are no supports directly under it, then the top may be sagging. If you can post a pic, it would help in figuring out if the screws are holding up the weight or if it is properly supported by the verticle 2x4's. A lot of people build stands and don't realize that the screws are holding the weight when they should just be holding the boards together.

I didn't .... until it leaked. Now I have it in a container and I'm going to move it above the sump in a drip tray to drain to teh sump in case it ever does it again.

I'd be looking at the eheim pumps and get whichever one has teh flow you want. I know the small ones will run external because that's what is on my ca rx.

I got a subscription as a gift. Its a decent magazine, but I don't know that I'll renew it.

I am finishing up my DIY led actinics. I need a two pin waterproof quick connect and a replacement bjb solder less connector. Anyone know a place in town that might carry things like that? If I can't find them I guess I'll have to order, but for such a small order I want to try to avoid shipping costs.

Maybe you got an evil one or it wasn't a kupang. Mine isn't any trouble.

Try Kupang damsels. I've had a group of them in my tank for more than a year now. They are more aggressive than a chromis but less than my clowns. The do attack me if I am cleaning near their hole, but they are harmless and don't seem to bother the other fish.

What he said. The siphon drain is dead silent and IMHO best. But, you are asking for trouble with a single drain. Do you have a return you could repurpose as a drain and run the return up over the back?