Origami September 24, 2012 Share September 24, 2012 Again, it looks nice. Great job. You didn't take a bunch of pictures while building it, did you? It would make a nice DIY post. Sam (L8 2 Rise) may have done a DIY post like this in the past, but it's always nice to see it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM September 25, 2012 Share September 25, 2012 What did you do around the overflow and locline area? You must have cut it out, but I don't really see where it would be cut. Kind of looks like the locline is actually on top of the screen from the pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S September 25, 2012 Author Share September 25, 2012 I just cut a small piece out for the durso that's sticking up. Something like a 4x4 square. The locline is completely under the cover. I could have lowered the durso, so I didn't have to cut anything, but I would've had a 2" waterfall over the overflow, which is a little loud for the living room. The hole was easy to cut and it's still pretty tight around the pvc there. It was a very easy project. And no need to spend $60 at BRS for $20 worth of stuff at home depot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S September 25, 2012 Author Share September 25, 2012 As a caveat - the 1/2" isn't perfectly escape-proof. I used to have 1/2" egg crate over an older fowlr tank, and my snowflake eel squeezed through and went carpet surfing, so escape artists and small fish could get out of 1/2" pretty easily. In that case, 1/4" is the safer choice. If you have all 4-6"+ fish and what not, then 1/2" would be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkey18 September 25, 2012 Share September 25, 2012 Nicely done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onux20 September 25, 2012 Share September 25, 2012 Nicely done! Indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S September 25, 2012 Author Share September 25, 2012 Thank you all. I'm looking forward to watching the tank grow out at this point. No more work needs to be done for the time being. I will be adding some new fish next month (the last fish to go in): 1 Blue Hippo Tang (small) 1 Copperband Butterfly And my Japanese Swallowtail M/F Pair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadgets September 25, 2012 Share September 25, 2012 The black bird netting is from HD as well? If so, what area is it in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S September 25, 2012 Author Share September 25, 2012 The black bird netting is from HD as well? If so, what area is it in? It's outside in the garden section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadgets September 25, 2012 Share September 25, 2012 Cool. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOberheim September 25, 2012 Share September 25, 2012 (edited) I noticed you are selling the canopy and got rid of the led's... and now have the halide over the tank...I have a 75 with the same style of Stand and Canopy I just got the canopy and am still pondering led vs. halide vs. more than 4 t5's I know the halides are tried and true, but with the heat and bulb replacement are the benefits of halide still there in this given system or is it just a matter of preference? Edited September 25, 2012 by AOberheim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S September 25, 2012 Author Share September 25, 2012 I know the halides are tried and true, but with the heat and bulb replacement are the benefits of halide still there in this given system or is it just a matter of preference? Bulb replacement applies to MH and T5. For me, it was 1 MH ($15 or $75) bulb a year, or 12 ($240) T5 bulbs a year, so the MH bulb was much cheaper. I think it's preference b/w T5 and MH. Both work very well. As for heat, if you go without a canopy, like I did, heat shouldn't be an issue. And I have 400w too, if you have 250w, even less of a factor. I also have central A/C in my apartment, so that helps as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad September 25, 2012 Share September 25, 2012 Heat hasn't been an issue for me running open top. I have three lamps (2 - 250s and a 150) with one running 20 hours out of the day. Even when I had my temp at 72, temp was an issue. Now, when I had three 175s in a canopy, 60 minutes without the chiller would raise the temp a scary amount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOberheim September 26, 2012 Share September 26, 2012 Ultimately LEDs will be the only option to keep the canopy without a chiller, with the frac effect, I don't see a downside other than initial cost Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S September 26, 2012 Author Share September 26, 2012 Ultimately LEDs will be the only option to keep the canopy without a chiller, with the frac effect, I don't see a downside other than initial cost There isn't really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim October 4, 2012 Share October 4, 2012 Ryan, have you received the Plusrite bulbs yet? What do you think of the colors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S October 4, 2012 Author Share October 4, 2012 Ryan, have you received the Plusrite bulbs yet? What do you think of the colors? I have received them. The 12k is pretty white. 10k w/o the yellow in appearance? It's super bright. The 20k is 14k/15k in appearance. I'd say half blue half white. Less PAR than the 12k, but better colors in the tank. I like the look of the 20k the most. I plan on running the 12k for 6 months, then the 20k for 6 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trockafella October 4, 2012 Share October 4, 2012 Did you get a radium, or are you going to try one.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S October 4, 2012 Author Share October 4, 2012 Did you get a radium, or are you going to try one.? No, not yet. I may try it out in 1 year, after the plus rite's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trockafella October 4, 2012 Share October 4, 2012 How is everything responding after a week or so in.? Are you pretty happy with things so far.? How high above the tank is it now, and what did you decide on a canopy or something to cover the reflector.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S October 4, 2012 Author Share October 4, 2012 How is everything responding after a week or so in.? Are you pretty happy with things so far.? How high above the tank is it now, and what did you decide on a canopy or something to cover the reflector.? Nothing to cover it. The light spillage is pretty minimal. Less than I expected. The reflector is about 12" from the surface, and the bulb itself is about 15" from the surface. I have noticed a few corals that may be bleaching, so I've decided to not raise the length of time for the light for a while. I was going to run it 4hrs/day for week 1, then raise it 30 min each week thereafter. Now I am going to let it go a whole month at 4 hours before increasing the photoperiod. Needless to say, the brand new 400w 12k bulb is much brighter than the 2 radions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trockafella October 4, 2012 Share October 4, 2012 Not suprised it brighter. Those reflectors make a TON of light. Have you noticed any increase in algae in the tank since switching.? What does your fiance think of the light.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S October 4, 2012 Author Share October 4, 2012 Not suprised it brighter. Those reflectors make a TON of light. Have you noticed any increase in algae in the tank since switching.? What does your fiance think of the light.? No increase in algae. Nitrate and Phosphate still register 0. She likes it. She misses the instant ability to change the light from 10k to 20k, turn deep blue on and make the corals glow like crazy, make thunderstorms, or run "demo mode" - but whatever. It's a tradeoff I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S October 22, 2012 Author Share October 22, 2012 I need to find a clip on fan due to the heat increase. I am fluctuating b/w 79 and 83 degrees. I'd like a fan to help keep the temperature more in the 79-81 degree range. I used to have some white clip on fans with my old tank, but I am having the hardest time finding them right now. We went to walmart, home depot, microcenter, and the mall over the weekend, with no luck b/c fans are "out of season." I've been searching online at those websites, plus home depot, ebay, etc, and still no luck. Does anyone know where I can find a small electric clip on fan? I'd like to click it the the back left corner of my tank, where the durso overflow is, and have it pointed across the tank. I suppose if I could find one that was small enough, I could clip it to my sump and cool the water down there, out of sight, as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT October 22, 2012 Share October 22, 2012 Man i never should read this thread Prety sure i have a fan sitting in the garage (white clip on) that i wont need a a little while Let me know PICS...we want PICS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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