PICS! LOL! Last page.

[ErikH]

Ok so I am rebuilding my entire tank. Pretty much from scratch. I want to put together a running list of things that I am going to change and try to keep track of where the heck all of my money is going.

First off, I am going to bite the bullet. I am going to purchase a plasma light.
I just got off the phone with straylight (http://www.straylightoptical.com/) and I am going to start by purchasing one of their lights. Notice I only say one, so I guess that's only half the bullet. :) More info on the straylight can be found on ReefBuilders (http://reefbuilders.com/2010/02/02/new-seashine-lifi-plasma-light-rolling-out-soon-game-changer-gets-initial-pricing/). It's a light you buy once as it should last 25 years, and the bulb should last 6 years at 12 hours per day. This light is the closest thing to the sun as far as spectrum and PAR with reduced infrared to avoid heat and the nasty spectrum that we all hate. Each unit starts at 995, but with the add-ons I am looking at it should be around 1100. At 100% it shines at 5300k, but it looks much more white then you would think. Ever seen a 6500k bulb and think to yourself, "That looks nothing like real sunlight". Well, me too. At 20% the light appears about 15k. Their suggestion is to dim the lights for viewing, and when you're not around crank it back up to 100%. Seems simple enough to me. Plus changing intensity is a fact of life with clouds, etc. occurring in a natural setting. I will keep two of my halides just in case though, I am clinging on to what I know!

Next thing is the CA Reactor. I am going back to it and away from 2 part. Why, you ask? Well, I am done filling up 1 gallon mixes 2 times a month. Set it and forget it is much more worthwhile for me.

Then, rock and sand. This is going to be the most expensive part of the rebuild. I plan on 6-8" depth in the display, and 5" in my sump. Add 200-250lbs of rock and we're teetering at 1500-2000 dollars, EEK!

If all goes well, I plan on cutting my electrical cost down by hopefully 20% or greater as I will be phasing out lights and a chiller. I will also be selling all of my current rock as the Texas Trash Palys have taken completely over my tank and made it a wretched brown color. No one likes brown, except for Patrick! :D

So please don't tell my wife anything as I am sure I will become a professional at cooking Ramen in a multitude of flavors and textures, trying to appease our refined palettes with sodium-filled goodness.

So be on the lookout for some items that will show up for sale:
My dosing system, 2 peristaltic pumps and the BRS 3 part system
2-4 250w metal halide setups
alot of rock (corals included)
and some free red planaria and Texas Trash!

Thanks for looking! :thumbs_up:

[Mr Cob]

interesting light.... look forward to watching you put this all into action. Should be good.

[Europhyllia]

You are awesome! Throw yourself in there. I love it.
I hope it turns out exactly like you want it or better. :)

[RayAllen]

Erik you are crazy man. You dont think Tab going to notice all this crazy stuff going on ;) Plasma light- I was wondering who would do that 1st. NO, VHO, MH, T5, LED, PLASMA.. What next...

Im sure what ever you do the tank will look great, trying to get back to the glorious 75g tank you had.

Here I am going to down size again on my next tank down to around half the volume im running now. MY new hobby cost just as much or more than this one, so its one or the other... Im tired of spending money on my tank.

[Gseclipse02]

"and some free red planaria and Texas Trash!"

i thought you got rid of the red planaria ?

im sure the savings on the electric will be nice 4-250w mh and a chiller sounds like an expensive bill

[Scream311]

Nooooice about time someone around here did a plasma. Seems everyone up in austin is doin it now

And Ramen Noodle Expert ! Lol I'm gonna need that cookbook myself when I decide to make a drastic change to my reef

Good luck mann and looking forward to this redesigned build and coral sell

[Bill S]

Erik... Tab is going to kill you. Just lettin' you know.

As for rock, just take the rock you have and bleach it. Then accumulate rock when people sell it off - put it outside. I'm done with buying "live" rock.

Also remember that the reason why we generally don't use "sunlight" bulbs is that on the reef, most of the lower wavelengths are quickly filtered out by depth.

[Europhyllia]

question:
how did you come up with the $2000 bill for rock and sand?
Have you considered dry rock?
Saves money and eliminates the possibility of introducing new junk with the new rock.
BRS has the NICE Pukani back in stock. Weighs half as much as liverock, super porous.

Just a thought. I am sure you have a plan already :)

[Europhyllia]

As for rock, just take the rock you have and bleach it.

That's what I did and it worked out very well for me but I also had a temporary tank to store the livestock in while the other rock got recycled into dry and then wet again.
If you want to do an instant swap around in the same tank that would be a challenge


Also remember that the reason why we generally don't use "sunlight" bulbs is that on the reef, most of the lower wavelengths are quickly filtered out by depth
True to that too. I really don't like the all blue tanks myself but found the LED to be the perfect solution for me. No swings into the red spectrum even when it ages and a decent light spectrum throughout the day without any manual tweaking. And not too blue :)

Again not wee-weeing on your cheerios at all. It is going to be fantastic and out of the ordinary. Just throwing out ideas while you are still in the planning phase. :)

[txg8gxp]

Cool deal on the seashine fixture! I bet you will love it, I have been looking at them for awhile now. They are a awesome lighting system.

[ErikH]

interesting light.... look forward to watching you put this all into action. Should be good.

My futures so bright..... :p


You are awesome! Throw yourself in there. I love it.
I hope it turns out exactly like you want it or better. :)

Me too, it's going to be a huge chunka change on the frontside, but in the end I will be happy!


Erik you are crazy man. You dont think Tab going to notice all this crazy stuff going on ;) Plasma light- I was wondering who would do that 1st. NO, VHO, MH, T5, LED, PLASMA.. What next...

Im sure what ever you do the tank will look great, trying to get back to the glorious 75g tank you had.

Here I am going to down size again on my next tank down to around half the volume im running now. MY new hobby cost just as much or more than this one, so its one or the other... Im tired of spending money on my tank.

What the heck is your new hobby?


"and some free red planaria and Texas Trash!"

i thought you got rid of the red planaria ?

im sure the savings on the electric will be nice 4-250w mh and a chiller sounds like an expensive bill

RP are the devil I have determined. They bounced back to full strength in a month. Our electric was 300+ during the summer.


Nooooice about time someone around here did a plasma. Seems everyone up in austin is doin it now

And Ramen Noodle Expert ! Lol I'm gonna need that cookbook myself when I decide to make a drastic change to my reef

Good luck mann and looking forward to this redesigned build and coral sell

Thanks, I hope it goes like how I see it in my head.


Erik... Tab is going to kill you. Just lettin' you know.

As for rock, just take the rock you have and bleach it. Then accumulate rock when people sell it off - put it outside. I'm done with buying "live" rock.

Also remember that the reason why we generally don't use "sunlight" bulbs is that on the reef, most of the lower wavelengths are quickly filtered out by depth.

I told her about the light today, she did not sound too happy. :) We'll see about the wavelengths, you just never really know! Todd giggled at me when I told him.


question:
how did you come up with the $2000 bill for rock and sand?
Have you considered dry rock?
Saves money and eliminates the possibility of introducing new junk with the new rock.
BRS has the NICE Pukani back in stock. Weighs half as much as liverock, super porous.

Just a thought. I am sure you have a plan already :)

I plan on using about 400lbs of sand to get a 8" depth in the display. Want some really good NNR from the DSB, and at some point would like Jawfish. 400lbs of sand is really expensive! The rock should only cost about 250-350.


That's what I did and it worked out very well for me but I also had a temporary tank to store the livestock in while the other rock got recycled into dry and then wet again.
If you want to do an instant swap around in the same tank that would be a challenge


True to that too. I really don't like the all blue tanks myself but found the LED to be the perfect solution for me. No swings into the red spectrum even when it ages and a decent light spectrum throughout the day without any manual tweaking. And not too blue :)

Again not wee-weeing on your cheerios at all. It is going to be fantastic and out of the ordinary. Just throwing out ideas while you are still in the planning phase. :)

I would reuse my rock, but I need it to keep my fish alive while the new rock cycles. I am using all dry rock, and am definitely not going to take chances! The light is fully adjustable on a whim, so when I am viewing the tank, I can make it blue. Worse comes to worse, I can slap some T5s on there. If sfigioli makes a fixture, it HAS to work :) OH and the bulbs last 6 years! I don't think they shift towards red either.


Cool deal on the seashine fixture! I bet you will love it, I have been looking at them for awhile now. They are a awesome lighting system.

Thanks to you and your advice, my wife hates me... Thanks :P In all seriousness, I appreciate it. We will see what happens!

[alton]

I am not going to say it but Patsy Cline recorded it. I agree with Karin zap your rock and then use some quality stuff to re-seed it. Sounds like another 200 gallon jawfish tank. Although since you are already going off the deep end you should buy the 158 here on MAAST 24x25x60 and tie it into the 200 which would give you 350+ with either a 12' tank or "L"?

[Europhyllia]

Caribsea makes two very nice jawfish substrates - Super Reef and Grand Bahama.
450 pounds of it gave me a 7" sandbed.
Gabe was a able to make me a fantastic deal on the massive amounts of substrate.
If you do jawfish remember to put your rocks in the sand, not on top, that will use up some sand space too.

[justahobby]

Dipan was going with Plasma. I'm sure he would be happy to share any knowledge he has picked up if you still had questions. Good luck, can't wait to see this tank!

[RayAllen]

What the heck is my new hobby?

Brewing beer! Woo hoo

good Kettles, burners, fermenters, kegs, kegerator, C02 tanks etc.... Not cheap.

[ShAgMaN]

Dang Ray, sounds like you need to start the 1st annual MAAST beerfest.

[Kristy]

Erik, you amaze me. Can't wait to see this develop. I know you've been frustrated by that tank for a while, so I hope this makes reefkeeping zen for you again! :D

[ErikH]

I am not going to say it but Patsy Cline recorded it. I agree with Karin zap your rock and then use some quality stuff to re-seed it. Sounds like another 200 gallon jawfish tank. Although since you are already going off the deep end you should buy the 158 here on MAAST 24x25x60 and tie it into the 200 which would give you 350+ with either a 12' tank or "L"?

If I put another tank in the house, it sure had better be big enough to bury me in! :D


Caribsea makes two very nice jawfish substrates - Super Reef and Grand Bahama.
450 pounds of it gave me a 7" sandbed.
Gabe was a able to make me a fantastic deal on the massive amounts of substrate.
If you do jawfish remember to put your rocks in the sand, not on top, that will use up some sand space too.

Displacement, I had not yet thought of that... I am used to burying rocks because of my engie though....


Dipan was going with Plasma. I'm sure he would be happy to share any knowledge he has picked up if you still had questions. Good luck, can't wait to see this tank!

I was 2 clicks from buying his, but the things needed for it to run as I would like were typed in another language than the one can read! Maybe if someone would start doing some DIY and posting pics of what to do I would feel more comfortable, but I'm not and it's time to get the ball rolling.


What the heck is my new hobby?

Brewing beer! Woo hoo

good Kettles, burners, fermenters, kegs, kegerator, C02 tanks etc.... Not cheap.

Ahh I remember now, although it was not discussed in detail. My wife would shoot me twice (double tap rule #2) if I took on that hobby.


Dang Ray, sounds like you need to start the 1st annual MAAST beerfest.

I agree. :D


Erik, you amaze me. Can't wait to see this develop. I know you've been frustrated by that tank for a while, so I hope this makes reefkeeping zen for you again! :D

Thank you for the kind words, I am sick of staring at a pest ridden tank. This go round is going to be much, much, different. All of my corals will be dipped in TMPCC from now on, and no TRASH! I see a light at the end of the tunnel, I think it's a PLASMA!

[CoryDude]

Tired of beating your head against the wall? Yeah, I feel your pain. After trying to put a dress on a pig for months and even years, it takes a lot to admit defeat and start over. Can't wait to see version 2.0.

[ErikH]

Tired of beating your head against the wall? Yeah, I feel your pain. After trying to put a dress on a pig for months and even years, it takes a lot to admit defeat and start over. Can't wait to see version 2.0.

YES, sick and tired of being sick and tired. Slap a bow on a piece of doo and it's still doo! It does take alot to start over. Alot of moolah as well.
Here's the plan...
1.) Fill up my 100g rubbermaid with new rock and let it sit for 3 months.
2.) Remove the rock from my current DT.
3.) Catch fish and move them to the rubbermaid.
4.) Put the rock back in the DT and post it for sale.
5.) Nuke the DT for FW 2x (at twice the normal amount)
6.) Remove salvageable corals that are not infested
7.) Put the corals in a QT, and dip them 5 - 10 days in a row in TMPCC
8.) Drain the DT and let it sit dry as a bone for a week
9.) Add new sand and base rocks.
10.) Fill DT with approximately 150g
12.) Move rock over to DT
13.) Move fish over to DT
14.) Drain rubbermaid into DT

I am hoping this will work for me. It's going to be a long and arduous task to complete! I think if someone could house my fish for me that would cut weeks of time from the whole process, but who the heck would have room for 10-15 fish, lol. My estimated time for completion is 6 months.

Oh, and my mp40 is going to cost 160 + shipping to fix with no warranty. ::sigh::

My wife thinks I am absolutely crazy for wanting to do this; I think it's crazy not to.

[Europhyllia]

You got to do something.
The question is is it radical enough.
Can you imagine how awful it would be if any of the corals still harbored your flatworms and reinfected the new reef after this process?
That's not possible though, right? If you nuke it enough everything will die and you basically start with dead stuff. Is that correct?

[ErikH]

You got to do something.
The question is is it radical enough.
Can you imagine how awful it would be if any of the corals still harbored your flatworms and reinfected the new reef after this process?
That's not possible though, right? If you nuke it enough everything will die and you basically start with dead stuff. Is that correct?

Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure is the only known product that is readily available to the average consumer to eliminate AEFW. If it kills that, it will kill anything! :) I plan on nuking the tank twice for the benefit of the person purchasing my rock. Also the lifecycle of FWs are 5 days from egg to adult. If I dip for 5, it should eliminate the need to do any more dips. If anything should happen to live through that, I am near certain that my melanarus and two 6 liners will be able to eat the rest. The FW treatment will not kill off the beneficial bacteria, but all of the microfauna and pests will die.

Plus, the amount of corals that I will be trying to save will be very minimal, only frags. Someone else can have the corals as they will still be attached to the rockwork. Some of which are softball sized and larger.

[ErikH]

Now, for some videos...

Some info on Plasma, wait till you see it next to a 400w! Karin, it's the size of rice! :p
lTGsM9pplUs

TJkOhw7pxNw

Here it is motorized....
-lRdO08eL70

Here are duals....
7xYVpS3G8oc

Sfigoli! Dipan where are you at?
HWjCzxzweY0

Sfigoli Duals
vrhc4GPwzHs

[ErikH]

delete

[Europhyllia]

I saw that video when I was considering plasma :)
Have fun with it!

[txg8gxp]

Hahahaha, I have to say it's pretty cool to see Mr. MH man get excited about a new tech lighting system. Two thumbs up!

[ErikH]

Hahahaha, I have to say it's pretty cool to see Mr. MH man get excited about a new tech lighting system. Two thumbs up!
"Old Reliable"

[ErikH]

Picked up 113 pounds of new dry Fiji yesterday from Ed. He said I can have a job hauling rock next time he gets some in. :D

[jorgejr]

tagging along this should be good.

[ErikH]

Jorge where you been? How's that purdy bike?

[neogenix]

Tell us about the dosing pumps ;) or pm me about them. And good luck... brown and all :P

[ErikH]

Someone else has already pm'd me about the pumps :(

What can brown do for you? Post pics hate sauce!?!

[neogenix]

Someone else has already pm'd me about the pumps :(

What can brown do for you? Post pics hate sauce!?!

Hah! Just messing with you old man ;) Let me know if there's anything I can help out with! Btw, AD has Maggie Mufflers in, Chris and I got one each :)

[ErikH]

Oh I know... You like the MMs? Been waiting for a review!

[neogenix]

MM's?

[Gseclipse02]

Maggie Mufflers

[neogenix]

Maggie Mufflers

Lol, course. Well my current stand pipe was completely silent, however snails are prone to get into it, so I swapped over to the MM, it was almost silent, with a little gurgle, but I'm sure if you weren't standing over it (as one does when one tests things :P) it wouldn't be all that audible. As for the space it creates, and the ease of working, there's pretty much nothing that beats it!

[Big_Pun]

I used mine in a external over flow for my G/F 75g, very quiet just took some tweaking to get the right height just remeber to cut the pipe longer than you think you need. then cut a lil off at a time till you get the right water level.

[ErikH]

Just ordered a bunch of sand from www.marcorocks.com for insanely cheap! It's several hundred dollars cheaper than buying elsewhere online. :)

[Europhyllia]

Erik!
Stop!
Is it the super fine sand?
Yes it is cheap. But man it gives you a snow storm. Had that in the 125
But I also had 2 MP40s in there. If you have very low flow it might work for you. Otherwise the Vortech's will need to be quite a bit off the sandbed

[ErikH]

:)

I called ahead, and asked him about that. I did not order my total amount yet, the levels of the sandbed will be graduated. I only ordered 320lb. Thank you for your concern though, I totally appreciate it! :D

[ErikH]

Oh, and I am switching my plan up a little bit.
As soon as the sand gets here, I am going to move rocks and fish to the tub.
Then I'll drain the 200, remove my 2x40g, insert my old 75 (which Justin still has :D) and make the 75 my sump.
Of course that all depends on if I can get my skimmer in and out of it.
More to come...

[jorgejr]

Sup Erik! Bike is good got a couple more to stunt. Nice build ! Keep it coming.

[ErikH]

Just bought a MP60! WOO HOO!

It gets better by the moment! :D

[Big_Pun]

Just bought a MP60! WOO HOO!

It gets better by the moment! :D
dang it, when you get that thing setup let me know ill bring the frosties so i can sit in awe and amazment of that beast. so your going with all new equipment on this build?

[ErikH]

dang it, when you get that thing setup let me know ill bring the frosties so i can sit in awe and amazment of that beast. so your going with all new equipment on this build?


Dude, I am just seeing what happens as I go! I figured if I sold my 40s, I could just upgrade. :D

[ErikH]

Sand's here and the mailman HATES me! :)

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/SandsHere.jpg

[Europhyllia]

LOL
Poor mailman. Did it cause him to start drinking?

[ErikH]

LOL, no just for size reference. :)

[ErikH]

Oh and for weight reference, that weighs more than Allan!

[allan]

Allan weighs about 150 lbs :)

[ErikH]

You should drink more beer to help you in that arena.

[ErikH]

all kidding aside folks, i've got to say, Allan is one of the coolest guys I know. Everytime he walks into a room I just think to myself "I really want to be like allan"... but with smaller feet as I understand it must be difficult for him to find shoes that fits.

Allan, you are the dude brother!!!

[Big_Pun]

all kidding aside folks, i've got to say, Allan is one of the coolest guys I know. Everytime he walks into a room I just think to myself "I really want to be like allan"... but with smaller feet as I understand it must be difficult for him to find shoes that fits.

Allan, you are the dude brother!!!

you also work with his wife and you dont want her mad lol...... so any new info the light, did they get back to you?

[ErikH]

LOL Allan came here for lunch. I guess from the last post I shouldn't have left MAAST open on my computer here at work. :)

They haven't gotten back to me yet, I am going to call them after the first of the month to try and get the plasma ball rolling.

[allan]

I am quite sure that I have no idea what you're talking about Erik (insert angelic face here). ;)

[Mr Cob]

haha....classic!

[ErikH]

I got my MP60wES in this weekend, but I had to work all weekend! IT MOVES A LOT OF WATER! It's a tad noisier than what I was hoping for....

[ErikH]

Ok so I have an update.... :)

I bought a used, but very clean EuroReef RS250. Now I have two skimmers! My ASM is totally dwarfed by the Euroreef. I am excited for that.

So I talked to Troy in regards to the plasma that he purchased from Dipan. He told me the par was so-so, so I am leaning away from purchasing the seashine by straylight optical. Also, they never once called me back, so I figure that's a big red flag, especially after two calls were made to them in regards to a sale. I am totally up in the air as far as lighting goes right now, and I am having trouble making up my mind.
Contacted Ecoxotic about their 100w LED cannon, but they told me I would need 4 on my tank, 2 blue, 2 white. They told me it would be hard to light my tank because it is too narrow and shallow. I thought that was a load of malarkey.

I've also decided that I am going to completely drain my tank, and move it so I can get the stand and canopy outside to be sanded and painted. I am also going to add new hardware as the current stuff is getting rusty.

I figured out just how to get the frequency for a short pulse wave just right for my tank. With the mp40wES on anti sync from the MP60, I can get a wave large enough to dip below the overflow line. On Nutrient transport mode, I can get a pretty cool wave as well.

So that's it for now, please submit your lighting suggestions below. Don't forget links, because research is a delight. :D

[Europhyllia]

You know what I would vote for but your wife would kill you. It's pure heaven though :D

[Troy Valentine]

Contacted Ecoxotic about their 100w LED cannon, but they told me I would need 4 on my tank, 2 blue, 2 white. They told me it would be hard to light my tank because it is too narrow and shallow. I thought that was a load of malarkey.

If these are the elliptical cannons, I gave up on waiting for those darn things to come to market. I think there is a problem with the r&d, and that is why they keep delaying their release date. I was originally going to go with 3 on my 240. They will come in a dimmable 20k, with a 2x3 coverage. Exciting potential.......

[ErikH]

They told me you would need both the blue and the white to get the correct lighting for SPS. IDK why, it didnt make too much sense.

Well here.... this is the correspondence I had with them...

They do have a 36" spread, however they are only available in a 12,000K white and a 453nm Blue spectrum. So in order to get the correct color rendition for SPS corals, you would need to use 4 total (two of each). With your tank being so narrow, it would be a bit difficult to light up.

We are going to test these on a 72"x24"x24" tank before we launch them, so we would just suggest waiting till the data and sizing sheet is released.

www.ecoxotic.com (http://www.ecoxotic.com/)
On Monday, March 21, 2011 at 2:00 PM, Erik Harrison wrote:
Really?! It says the spread is 36" and I have a 72" long tank? So would y'all recommend the 50 waters on a 27" tank that is 100 % sps dominant?

Erik Harrison210-209-1233
Erik@HarrisonComputing.com







On Mar 21, 2011, at 3:13 PM, Info < info@ecoxotic.com> wrote:


Dear Mr. Harrison,

Thank you for contacting Ecoxotic and showing interest in our 100 watt Cannon LED pendants.


When this new product is launched, we will have a specification sheet along with a sizing guide, they should be available for sale next week. On a narrow tank such as yours, we would likely not recommend using the 100 watt Pendants, they are designed for much wider aquariums with deeper depths. This information will be in the sizing guide we post online.


Sincerely,
The Ecoxotic Team

www.ecoxotic.com (http://www.ecoxotic.com/)
On Monday, March 21, 2011 at 1:09 PM, Erik Harrison wrote:
Customer Name: Erik Harrison
Customer Email: erik@harrisoncomputing.com
Phone Number: 210-209-1233
Does your question relate to an Ecoxotic product you purchased? No
Product Purchased: Cannon LED Pendant
Where did you purchase the product? Directly from Ecoxotic
Is this a pre-sales or post sales question? Pre-Sales
What type of aquarium do you have? Marine Reef
What are your aquarium dimensions? 72X24X27 200g
What is the best method for us to contact you?phone or email
What is your question? I was looking at the 100w cannons. I figured 2 would be ample for my tank size, but I wanted to confer with you all. Will I get sufficient PAR to grow SPS on the sandbed? Looking for about 5-600 in PAR on the bed itself.

[Troy Valentine]

Hmmmm.. They seemed to have changed their tune alittle since last Oct. I had a lengthy conversation with someone about my 240 and the dimensions 8x2x2 and they told me that 3 would be perfect, and the light would over lap just enough to blend nicely. I'm glad I didn't wait for that to be released.

[Big_Pun]

Hmmmm.. They seemed to have changed their tune alittle since last Oct. I had a lengthy conversation with someone about my 240 and the dimensions 8x2x2 and they told me that 3 would be perfect, and the light would over lap just enough to blend nicely. I'm glad I didn't wait for that to be released.
Erik is talking about the new cannons the previous ones are 50w heres a article
http://reefbuilders.com/2011/03/12/ecoxotic-100w-led-cannon/

http://reefgizmo.com/2011/03/reef-stock-2011-gizmos/

[Troy Valentine]

http://blog.aquanerd.com/2010/09/video-of-ecoxotic-display-at-macna.html

Yup those are the ones I am talking about, they were originally displayed at MACNA 2010. You can see them in the beginning of this video. They were called elliptical cannons at that time.

[Big_Pun]

http://blog.aquanerd.com/2010/09/video-of-ecoxotic-display-at-macna.html

Yup those are the ones I am talking about, they were originally displayed at MACNA 2010. You can see them in the beginning of this video. They were called elliptical cannons at that time.
yup you where right guess they are finally releasing them. im glad Erik talked to them i was getting really excited about the shape but if i have to buy 2 to get the right color ide rather get some other led lights

[Troy Valentine]

yup you where right guess they are finally releasing them. im glad Erik talked to them i was getting really excited about the shape but if i have to buy 2 to get the right color ide rather get some other led lights


I agree... So many LED options these days.

[ErikH]

I agree... So many LED options these days.

Just not many as inexpensive as those cannons! :) It's too bad too because they look awesome. I bet they already have a new design....

[ErikH]

Here's a taste of what is to come. It's based on the golden ratio for aquariums, and my skills in balancing rocks. If I calculated how much beer I went through while deciding on rock position, I could have bought the same amount of rock with the money :D

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/DSC_0191.jpg

[ErikH]

Side note, hey Allan, check out the small cabinet under my countertop! I found it on the curb labeled free. My first instinct was to call you since you are looking, but then I remembered that my counter is held up by buckets. If someone has another cabinet like it please hook it up! :D

[kkiel02]

Looks good. Want to help me cement/put acrylic rods through my rock? BTW- Which did you do or did you do both acrylic and cement?

[ErikH]

Neither! I balanced them au natural. I do have some rock mortar that you can have though. :)

[kkiel02]

I have always balanced them as well but this build I think I want to set them and forget them. Cant wait to see your tank up and running strong again man!

[ErikH]

Ok so what kind of ballast(s) do I need to run 4 VHO 48" and 4 T5 48"??? :D

[kkiel02]

Just out of curiousity why dont you just do 8 t5? I would have of course recommended the icecaps but they are not selling them anymore I dont think.

[StevenSeas]

TRy coralvue they are the ones "carrying" icecap ballasts. THey even made some improvements to them.

[ErikH]

Yeah, I know about they buy out, just need to know what to purchase. I really want to do the combo, so I can cut my halide usage down more and get some other reliable light soure. Just want the T5s for a URI Superactinic, and a fiji purple.

[alton]

Erik taking a line from one of my favorite movies "I has to know" with 4 x 110 watts of VHO and 216 watts of T5HO for a total of 656 watts what are you saving by not running your MH that long? I run 3 x 250w MH and 1 - 160watt VHO true actinic on my 300. If you went with Workhorse #7 ballast you would need 3 of them, two for the VHO and 1 for the 4 T5HO's. Coral Vue would be a much better ballast, but Fulham would be cheaper?

[ErikH]

Currently, I have 4 halides.... 2x250 and 2x175 = 850w+656w=1506w. I would like to run the halides for four hours, and actinics for 8 total (4 with halides, 4 without)

I plan on running the halides early in the morning as I can to avoid peak charges, and still get enough light to my corals. I am hoping this combo will keep my electric about what it is now, but with more light. MOAR LIGHT OMNOMNOM!!!!

Next I will start going through my pumps to try and reduce what I can there.

Alton, any suggestions you have are well worth checking into, so please, keep the idea ball a-rollin'!

I wonder if it would just be cheaper to run just 4 T5s and the halides for the full cycle?

[alton]

Your ballast electronic or mag? If mag and they are 5 years old they are probably only 70% efficient? 250/.7=357.14 watts used versus electronic 250/.9 = 277.78 watts used. What happens as mag ballast get older they start to break down they can do two different things, they can draw more power to produce the same 250 watts or draw the same and put out much less light. A good way to tell is how hot your ballast are getting, the hotter the more heat, and the more wasted power plus AC cost to cool the room. Also matching your ballast to lamp whether it is probe start for mag ballast or pulse start for electronic or pulse start ballast can make a 25% difference in light output. I learned this one when I ran Reeflux 12K lamps on a mag ballast and then switched to electonic ballast.

[ErikH]

I run all electric ballasts... but I am running full halides for 10 or 11 hours. Looking at supplementing to subdue the monthly cost vs the investment. I guess maybe I should go with 4 36" T5s, a UVbulb and fiji purple....

This all started because my wife said the tank looks too yellow. Now she's saying it costs too much. :angel:

[alton]

I run my 160w Super Actinic 10.5 , the center 250 for 10, and the other two for 9. If this makes you feel better a 250 watt MH electronic ballast cost you like 3 cents an hour to run or a $100 a year @ 10 hours a day. A return pump like 100 PXX cost $122 a year. Remember pumps don't draw as much as lights, but run 24/7/365. Skimmer pumps can be a big energy user, multiple power heads. It is not just one thing sometimes it is a multiple of things that add up. Watts x hours a day it runs x 365 / 1000 x 10 cents a KWH =

[ErikH]

...

[ErikH]

Figured it out. I am going to get me some stunner strips (http://www.ecoxotic.com/catalog/product/view/id/55/s/stunner-led-strips/category/3/) and call it a day.

[Gseclipse02]

have you looked at these ??

http://www.ecoxotic.com/catalog/product/view/id/66/s/panorama-led-modules/category/3/

[SoLiD]

... If this makes you feel better a 250 watt MH electronic ballast cost you like 3 cents an hour to run or a $100 a year @ 10 hours a day...

What about the heat byproduct created by the lights and ballasts? More energy and cost is expended via a chillers, air conditioning, and fans to offset the heat Metal Halides create. LED's are finally a viable option for lighting our aquariums. And I love the shimmer too.

[Big_Pun]

if you dont mind te drive and want to support one of our sponsors Aquatek carries ecoxotic in stock. you can also see them running on the display he has

[ErikH]

JT, I don't believe those are as scalable as the strips. Plus the strips are half the cost.

[Gseclipse02]

JT, I don't believe those are as scalable as the strips. Plus the strips are half the cost.

scalable ? what do you mean ?

if im recalling correctly the ones you want dont put out much light compared to the other one but ill play with them on wed. to be for sure ill try and get pics to compare

[SoLiD]

Most people just use stunner strips for color supplementation. They don't put much PAR in the tank, but they do add quite a bit of color. I think Eric meant variable ramping (dimming type) LEDs. I have 2 Aqua Illumination SOL Blue modules waiting to go on my 40 Breeder build out. They should interface with my Apex Controller nicely.

[Big_Pun]

scalable ? what do you mean ?

i think he wants to link them up in a daisy chain so he doesnt have a power supply for each one, just one power source. as he will need multiple to light his tank up and like all of us limited on outlet space.

[ErikH]

I meant modular scalability :) I can add more or less as I please and move them around for different configurations. Not looking for LED to be my main source of PAR, more for color supplementation, as I will be running 14k lighting. I'm just going to continue to run my halides as I do now. The center 175watters being on 2-4 hours longer than the outer 250s. Just brainstorming with you all. :D

[ErikH]

This is what I am contemplating....

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_6238.jpg

Anybody have any experience with ecoxotic stunner strips or the company itself, other than myself?
http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_6238.jpg]

[Gseclipse02]

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/gseclipse02/IMG_0138.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/gseclipse02/IMG_0137.jpg

the pics dont do real justice but personally im really disappointed with the stunners

[ErikH]

Is that at your store? I may have to come take a look...

[Gseclipse02]

yea .... let me know when and ill take them out and set them up

[ErikH]

Thanks JT, my new lights are bad to the bone. 1 more thing to take off my list!

[ErikH]

Ok, so after a quick talk with Allan, I need to use a stripper to remove the varnish and then I can paint my stand and canopy. After doing this, is it imperative that I sand, or can I paint and poly? I am a blind man when it comes to this arena, so any help would be great.

[neogenix]

My AI's have been on my tank for near 3 weeks now... the birdsnest has near doubled in size, and the rest of the corals are growing faster than I can prune them... Really happy with the switch from my T5's. If you want to come see, let me know!

[ErikH]

Ok, so it's been filling up with water for about 10 hours on 60 PSI. I am so very excited. When I get home, hopefully, I will be testing out my Herbie Drain. Herbie drains are reportedly as close to silent as you can get. I hard plumbed the tank this go round too. Oh, and it's now black. :)

The 320 lbs of sand covers alot of rock and it has a desolate, open ocean feel.

I sincerely appreciate everyone that helped me move it.
There were days when I looked at the tank and honestly thought I was just gonna sell it and go back to a smaller rig, but the further I got along in this quest the more light I saw at the end of the tunnel. I owe alot of that to MAAST.

Pics to come!

[kkiel02]

Congrats Erik I know you will bounce back with an awesome build!

[ErikH]

I can't wait to post pics! The rockwork came out superb, although I had several months to do and redo it on my workbench in the garage :)

Thanks for helping, if you guys need anything, give me a shout...

[ErikH]

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/DSC_0195.jpg

BAM. It turned out better than I had predicted. Can't wait to show off the rest. :angel:

[ErikH]

ROQUASCAPED. :D

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/DSC_0261.jpg

[ErikH]

12151

KRAKATOA!

[txav8r]

Did you use that vinyl I gave you for the back?

[ErikH]

Did you use that vinyl I gave you for the back?

Yeah, it came out great! Tab was trying to rush me on it, she couldn't figure out why I was trying to get EVERY SINGLE BUBBLE out. :D I'm glad I did! Thanks again buddy.

[txav8r]

Anytime bro! Cant wait to see it in its full glory. I may have to swing by to check it out in the near future.

[FireWater]

Lookin good Erik. It was about time for an update Slacker.

Anything besides the anemone?

[ErikH]

Anytime bro! Cant wait to see it in its full glory. I may have to swing by to check it out in the near future.

FOR SUREEEEEEEEEEEEE. It's looking good.


Lookin good Erik. It was about time for an update Slacker.

Anything besides the anemone?

Thanks! I need to post my lighting rig. I put an eyehole bolt in each reflector, and ran a dowel through them, and suspended the reflectors with fishing line. It came out suprisingly modern looking. Oh, and I painted them flat semi matte black so it all matches. I am SO HAPPY with it.

Right now, all that's in there is my melanarus, engineer goby, urchin, and RBTA. The smaller one got eaten by my 60. Today, the first tester coral goes in.

My vision, is to have a large school of red cardinals
http://www.liveaquaria.com/images/categories/product/p-80219-cardinalfish.jpg

and then make the volcano, look, well, like a volcano! I figured a sunset monti for the upper rocks to make it look like lava flowing down the side. I also have been contemplating a GSM for the nem. As it goes up and down (the clownfish "buck") it would be like little bits of volcano going up into the air, metaphorically speaking.

Hopefully I can get this nem to stay put! :)

[txg8gxp]

I love the basic rock layout, I'll never have a tank full of rock again. I like the Monti idea too.

[FireWater]

Sounds cool - both the lighting and volcano idea.

[ErikH]

Sounds cool - both the lighting and volcano idea.

Thanks, alot of stare at the tank time went into this. That and I had months to lay the rock out and stare at it to get the desired feel. I have one rock that kind of looks like a human heart. It's pretty cool.


I love the basic rock layout, I'll never have a tank full of rock again. I like the Monti idea too.

EXACTLYYYYYYYYYYYY! Less rock and more swim space. I have always liked the look of the open ocean, particularly the "invisible octopus" video on youtube as well as the "guy that gets his finger bitten off my an eel and has his toe as his thumb now" video.

I highly enjoy my panoramas from ecoxotic. I have two of the UV on the outside and one of the blue modules on the inside. Gives it a nice effect. :) I am just so happy to have it all moved over. Sold all of my old rock this weekend, so that's a plus too.

[ErikH]

Ok.... sooooo... I took a pic last night with my wife's camera and our 8 year old took off with mommy's camera. She came back, and accidentally dropped it on the floor.

Here's the big picture.


12152



long story long, I'll be posting the pics today of the whole getup.

[txav8r]

I saw that on Facebook. Bummer.

[ErikH]

I saw that on Facebook. Bummer.

TOTAL BUMMER. :(

Sherita, if you're viewing this, there are only 2 panoramas on the pic up top. I now have a third in the middle.

[alton]

Ok.... sooooo... I took a pic last night with my wife's camera and our 8 year old took off with mommy's camera. She came back, and accidentally dropped it on the floor.

Here's the big picture.



12152



long story long, I'll be posting the pics today of the whole getup.

Wait till she can drive? Talking from experience

[ErikH]

Well, my second anemone died. It decided to go through my mp40. My first one went through my MP60. Very upset about that as these anemones have been with me for a very long time!

[CoryDude]

Are you doing away with nems or will you start using the sponge sleeves for the vortechs?

[ErikH]

I may do them again, and if so I will use the sleeves. My wife threw my MP60 box away, so I don't have any for that one. Gonna have to order some.

The tank looks great otherwise. I'll post pics here shortly since my wife forgot to leave me the car seat, so I can't go anywhere! :(

[FireWater]

Does that mean the Vesuvius project is done? I was looking forward to seeing it complete.

[Bill S]

Erik, that's why I had Ace build me boxes for my Seios.

[ErikH]

Yeah, it's done, at least for now. I could night cycle the pumps, since that's when they are out of my sight. My wife is home often, so she knows to keep an eye on it.

I got my chiller fixed, but I think other problems are looming with it. I noticed that after the recharge, the compressor cycles on and off during chill mode. Jack said it's working too hard. I wonder if there's a tad too much freon in there? I don't know how sensitive they are as far as the amount.

Sooner rather than later there will be a whole lot going on. It's time to put corals in.

[ErikH]

Ok, so that was a simple fix! :) I promise pictures tonight. I PROMISEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[ErikH]

This is my male blue jaw. I call him Clyde. He gets a little crazy at feeding time...
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/8-28-2011/DSC_0412.jpg

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/8-28-2011/DSC_0406.jpg

Blue spots that are iridescent on my Urchin.
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/8-28-2011/DSC_0398.jpg


My Melanarus showing some odd stripes.
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/8-28-2011/DSC_0394.jpg


Camera hogs, these fish are (YODA VOICE)
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/8-28-2011/DSC_0391.jpg


Bought this sailfin, he's got a little bit of HLLE, but it's going away.
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/8-28-2011/DSC_0387.jpg

Wave for the camera!
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/8-28-2011/DSC_0386.jpg

My lighting rig
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/8-28-2011/DSC_0379.jpg

Another angle
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/8-28-2011/DSC_0375.jpg

[ErikH]

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/8-28-2011/DSC_0369.jpg


http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/8-28-2011/DSC_0365.jpg


http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Rebuilt%20Reef/8-28-2011/DSC_0363.jpg

[Europhyllia]

love that dramatic sandbed arrangement! :)

[Texreefer]

a female Melanurus.. not the easiest fish to find.. most are males.. thats just my observation though.,,, Nice fishies!

[Mr Cob]

yeah that sand is awesome looking Erik. Nice job.

[ErikH]

love that dramatic sandbed arrangement! :)

I blame the MP60 for that! :)


a female Melanurus.. not the easiest fish to find.. most are males.. thats just my observation though.,,, Nice fishies!

Yeah, I love that fish, I picked it up from Jennabee. Go figure it didn't eat a single flatworm when I had them!


yeah that sand is awesome looking Erik. Nice job.

Thanks! I CANT WAIT FOR CORALS!

[ShAgMaN]

One more who has to give you props on the sic sand bed. So your doing corals with the trigger, I've heard they are reef safe...this will be interesting to watch. Best of luck man.

[RayAllen]

Looking good Erik