It's A Lifestyle - 250g Peninsula

[Miami Reef]

Will the reboot have the lovely sand domes?

 

[rtparty]

Will the reboot have the lovely sand domes?

Probably

I think if I can redo the plumbing and move the one Vortech in towards the center, it will stop the sand domes

 

[Miami Reef]

Probably

I think if I can redo the plumbing and move the one Vortech in towards the center, it will stop the sand domes

I can’t wait! Do you have an ETA on when the reboot will start? I need to mark my calendars.

 

[rtparty]

I can’t wait! Do you have an ETA on when the reboot will start? I need to mark my calendars.

It’s likely to be entertaining at a minimum. Could go great, could crash the tank.

One set of rocks is currently maturing. The other two will go in this weekend after a water change. Finding the motivation for a full weekend of tank work will take some time

 

[rtparty]

Updated pics from last week:

 

[saltienewb]

Bro that Goni looks huge, how big is it?

 

[Big E]

Updated pics from last week:

I really like your aquascape.......it is uncluttered and plenty of negative space.
Reefers have unwittingly created fruit stand walls the past few years because of making rock stands that have too many ledges and go too high.

 

[rtparty]

Bro that Goni looks huge, how big is it?

Best guess is at least a softball or grapefruit size. When the polyps fully extend they are around 8-10" I would guess. Can't have anything close to it or the torch. The torch is an SPS killer and has killed multiple SPS pieces already. Thankfully, they grew away from the torch and I can frag a piece later to replant elsewhere.

 

[rtparty]

I really like your aquascape.......it is uncluttered and plenty of negative space.
Reefers have unwittingly created fruit stand walls the past few years because of making rock stands that have too many ledges and go too high.

Thanks!

It is all being torn out and reset sometime soon. I have all the new rock fully cured and maturing for the last 3 months. The current rockwork really blocks flow since it all sits so low in the tank.

 

[saltienewb]

Best guess is at least a softball or grapefruit size. When the polyps fully extend they are around 8-10" I would guess. Can't have anything close to it or the torch. The torch is an SPS killer and has killed multiple SPS pieces already. Thankfully, they grew away from the torch and I can frag a piece later to replant elsewhere.

Didn’t even notice the torch on first look, I guess I assumed it was a hammer. That is huge also!
How long did it take you grow these to these sizes? Those are huge colonies.

 

[rtparty]

Didn’t even notice the torch on first look, I guess I assumed it was a hammer. That is huge also!
How long did it take you grow these to these sizes? Those are huge colonies.

Many of these corals have been in my care for 4 years or so. I have a hammer on the back island that I have had for at least 7 years.

Here is the torch from when I set the tank up in May of 2022. On the back island you can see the hammer. It goes green with pink tip hammer, splatter hammer, and then a frogspawn. I will have to track down better pics of them. They very likely have over 100 heads each. The torch is up to 40-50 heads. It needs to be fragged. The whole tank needs fragging and a reset to be honest.

 

[spsick]

Really nice crisp white look. Are you using a filter or is that as you see it?

 

[rtparty]

Really nice crisp white look. Are you using a filter or is that as you see it?

That’s a yellow filter on my iPhone. The pics come out more white overall but it’s impossible to get a picture without the filter.

 

[BoneDoc]

Thanks for the thread. I’m moving and would love to get a peninsula like this, maybe a bit taller?

What’s your thoughts on 30” vs 36?

 

[rtparty]

Thanks for the thread. I’m moving and would love to get a peninsula like this, maybe a bit taller?

What’s your thoughts on 30” vs 36?

There are a couple things I would absolutely change on the tank build itself.

I would go 24-26" tall. Even at 22" I need a little step stool to reach the bottom so the extra height would have been great for the aesthetics. I would fiugre out a way to have the eurobrace run around the entire tank. This would require a different overflow design which is fine because I can never recommend the Synergy Reef overflow to anyone. I would very likely go interal with the returns coming up through the bottom and hidden in the overflow. Then leave enough space to put the MP60s on each side of the overflow. Maybe have Joe create a dry box system so the drysides could go down in a box and they would be completely hidden from view and the tank could sit closer to the wall.

I would also consider going 42-48" wide instead of 36". I don't think I could ever go down to 30" wide unless space simply didn't allow it.

 

[Husker-reef]

Maybe I missed it but what made you decide to change from the RB halides. I’m actually thinking about switching to them, reading that they have no plans to quit making the bulbs. Pros vs cons on switching? Thanks and what an awesome system you have!

 

[rtparty]

Maybe I missed it but what made you decide to change from the RB halides. I’m actually thinking about switching to them, reading that they have no plans to quit making the bulbs. Pros vs cons on switching? Thanks and what an awesome system you have!

Thank you for the compliment!

There were a few reasons I left the halides. Some are legitimate IMO, some are controversial, and others are personal

Here are some reasons and not in order:

1) I love lights and love playing with all of them. My wallet doesn't love it though.

2) I didn't like the massive reflectors and they were going to be extremely hard to hide and make look good.

3) PAR was way lower than I ever planned. Once a tank gets going, they only cover a 24x18 area. The RB reflectors are not a great design for spread IMO. Nothing like the old Hamiltons.

4) No matter what anyone says, bulbs are going away. Finding them was becoming impossible and I didn't like any of the RB bulbs I tried. I love the Radium and nothing else is close. These will soon be gone whehter we like it or not.

5) Tullio decided to put out that video with Polo Reef talking up UVB. There was so much misinformation and just a horrible look overall I couldn't stand behind the product any longer. Especially with skin cancer that runs rampant in my and my wife's family. We have already been warned to watch our little boy's skin carefully. So pumping a bunch of UVB right into his eyes on the daily was a major red flag.

6) I was sick of replacing bulbs TBH. Half the time one or more came in broken. I was just done after more than a decade doing it.

7) I finally let go of my pride and realized how many great tanks are out there running all LED. If they can do it, why couldn't I? I am here to say my tank is better than it has ever been. I have never had such a successful tank in my ~20 years of reefing. Is this because of the LEDs? No, not entirely. But I love the look of the tank and got it just where I want it without having to buy a bunch of bulbs.

So, some legit and some controversial

 

[Husker-reef]

Thank you for the compliment!

There were a few reasons I left the halides. Some are legitimate IMO, some are controversial, and others are personal

Here are some reasons and not in order:

1) I love lights and love playing with all of them. My wallet doesn't love it though.

2) I didn't like the massive reflectors and they were going to be extremely hard to hide and make look good.

3) PAR was way lower than I ever planned. Once a tank gets going, they only cover a 24x18 area. The RB reflectors are not a great design for spread IMO. Nothing like the old Hamiltons.

4) No matter what anyone says, bulbs are going away. Finding them was becoming impossible and I didn't like any of the RB bulbs I tried. I love the Radium and nothing else is close. These will soon be gone whehter we like it or not.

5) Tullio decided to put out that video with Polo Reef talking up UVB. There was so much misinformation and just a horrible look overall I couldn't stand behind the product any longer. Especially with skin cancer that runs rampant in my and my wife's family. We have already been warned to watch our little boy's skin carefully. So pumping a bunch of UVB right into his eyes on the daily was a major red flag.

6) I was sick of replacing bulbs TBH. Half the time one or more came in broken. I was just done after more than a decade doing it.

7) I finally let go of my pride and realized how many great tanks are out there running all LED. If they can do it, why couldn't I? I am here to say my tank is better than it has ever been. I have never had such a successful tank in my ~20 years of reefing. Is this because of the LEDs? No, not entirely. But I love the look of the tank and got it just where I want it without having to buy a bunch of bulbs.

So, some legit and some controversial

Great points and understand why you switched now. I’m glad to hear the LED’s are working wonders for you.

 

[rtparty]

Great points and understand why you switched now. I’m glad to hear the LED’s are working wonders for you.

Have no doubts though, I love halides and with the right setup, tank, and situation I would run them again in a heartbeat. I would then look to buy a ton of Radiums and just hold onto them.

I will say I felt like the RB electronic ballasts did not run the Radiums properly. They were a little dim and too blue meaning it wasn't running them at the correct spec for a 250w Radium. You really need an electronic ballast that runs them at the higher wattage or find some good magnetic ballasts to run them properly. I think some of the horticulture companies may make a ballast that works. Magnetic ballasts have become impossible to find.

 

[Husker-reef]

Have no doubts though, I love halides and with the right setup, tank, and situation I would run them again in a heartbeat. I would then look to buy a ton of Radiums and just hold onto them.

I will say I felt like the RB electronic ballasts did not run the Radiums properly. They were a little dim and too blue meaning it wasn't running them at the correct spec for a 250w Radium. You really need an electronic ballast that runs them at the higher wattage or find some good magnetic ballasts to run them properly. I think some of the horticulture companies may make a ballast that works. Magnetic ballasts have become impossible to find.

Tfti on the radium bulbs with the RB ballast b/c I have been looking on the marketplaces for them…

I have a smaller tank 3 foot by 2 foot. Reef brite 250w just showed up today. dang they are pricey- Had halides 14 years ago but didn’t know what the heck I was doing back then lol. Eager to see what it will do and running 2 LED quanta bars with them…I was reading about rumblings of radium or hamilton beginning to produce them again under a different name for the horticulture industry, but not sure of the truth to that.