JCOLE's Big Box of Rocks

[JCOLE]

How on God's blue earth do you possibly keep track of who is who? Spill it for us.

Most of my older stuff is now called things like:

Red Milli
Red acro
Blue Milli
Blue smooth acro
Hairy green thing
Orange and red acro with green stuff
So forth and so on...

Two words.. Ginko Biloba!

LOL! No, I think I am just addicted. Also, I keep a speadsheet of what I have that I havent managed to kill yet and just add to it when I get new arrivals. Just copy and paste from there. That helps alot.

 

[Michael Gray]

Did u make your own led lights or am I confused. If u made your own led system I'm interested in learning

 

[JCOLE]

Did u make your own led lights or am I confused. If u made your own led system I'm interested in learning

Hey Mike, I replaced the diodes in my black box light's to provide a better spectrum. I really liked the results. I ended up changing them out too all T5's only because of the even spread of light they provide to Acros.

I am thinking of starting up a 20 gallon and putting one of them over that.

 

[JCOLE]

Josh, tell me your secret on this one. Mine sucks! I will admit I’ve been struggling to find a high PAR spot for it. But mine is basically light gray at this point. What PAR do you have yours in?

Hey Mike! Sorry for the delay. I did a quick PAR test in the tank the other day and this one is getting around 450 PAR. I am at the 6 month mark now so I am going to keep to your schedule and start changing out the bulbs. I imagine PAR will now increase afterwards.

You do 2 bulbs at a time every week correct?

 

[Michael Gray]

Hey Mike! Sorry for the delay. I did a quick PAR test in the tank the other day and this one is getting around 450 PAR. I am at the 6 month mark now so I am going to keep to your schedule and start changing out the bulbs. I imagine PAR will now increase afterwards.

You do 2 bulbs at a time every week correct?

im following this and learning about t5 buld replacement.. i have hybrid so i have 2 coral +/2 blue+ with LEDS.. july is 12 month mark.. when should i replace them and should i do 1 each at a time or just 1 at a time say a week? new experience for me

 

[DivingTheWorld]

Josh/Mike, I replace mine all at once. I then drop my T5 lighting by 4 hours (main bulbs from 8 to 4 hours, two bulbs from 10 to 6). I add back one hour every 3 day until back to normal schedule.

Some people replace them all and raise the fixture for a short time, others replace a couple bulbs per week, some just replace them all and don’t make any change.

 

[ScottB]

im following this and learning about t5 buld replacement.. i have hybrid so i have 2 coral +/2 blue+ with LEDS.. july is 12 month mark.. when should i replace them and should i do 1 each at a time or just 1 at a time say a week? new experience for me

I know that many will argue a very disciplined regimen for changing out T5s. In general, IMO, this is THE MOST FORGIVING light source in the hobby. By a long shot.

Some nuanced understanding should be deployed though. Swapping all bulbs after 24 months on a 8 X 80 watt is so different from the impact of changing out 12 mo bulbs on a 4 X 36 watt hybrid. Common sense is enough to keep you safe IMO.

As to WHEN to change out T5s, there is a decent BRS video on the subject -- the conclusion was more like 18mos versus conventional 12 months.

Changing LED fixtures is a whole different story. Testing PAR is then mandatory. Overlap hotspots aren't always visually obvious.

 

[Michael Gray]

I know that many will argue a very disciplined regimen for changing out T5s. In general, IMO, this is THE MOST FORGIVING light source in the hobby. By a long shot.

Some nuanced understanding should be deployed though. Swapping all bulbs after 24 months on a 8 X 80 watt is so different from the impact of changing out 12 mo bulbs on a 4 X 36 watt hybrid. Common sense is enough to keep you safe IMO.

As to WHEN to change out T5s, there is a decent BRS video on the subject -- the conclusion was more like 18mos versus conventional 12 months.

Changing LED fixtures is a whole different story. Testing PAR is then mandatory. Overlap hotspots aren't always visually obvious.

ill just plan july to be safe for timing and maybe do 2 at once one week and 2 another.. or all 4 since i only have 4 48" bulbs... thanks for help.

 

[JCOLE]

Josh/Mike, I replace mine all at once. I then drop my T5 lighting by 4 hours (main bulbs from 8 to 4 hours, two bulbs from 10 to 6). I add back one hour every 3 day until back to normal schedule.

Some people replace them all and raise the fixture for a short time, others replace a couple bulbs per week, some just replace them all and don’t make any change.

I like that idea. I will probably change all at once and stagger the bulbs on and off so they are not all on at once. Maybe do this for a week or two then go full blast?

 

[JCOLE]

I know that many will argue a very disciplined regimen for changing out T5s. In general, IMO, this is THE MOST FORGIVING light source in the hobby. By a long shot.

Some nuanced understanding should be deployed though. Swapping all bulbs after 24 months on a 8 X 80 watt is so different from the impact of changing out 12 mo bulbs on a 4 X 36 watt hybrid. Common sense is enough to keep you safe IMO.

As to WHEN to change out T5s, there is a decent BRS video on the subject -- the conclusion was more like 18mos versus conventional 12 months.

Changing LED fixtures is a whole different story. Testing PAR is then mandatory. Overlap hotspots aren't always visually obvious.

That is interesting. Do you have a link to that video? Would like to check it out. From what I have heard from others is that not only do T5s start to lose PAR around the 6 month mark but they also shift spectrums due to the phosphors aging.

Don't shoot the messenger though. :D I am new to the T5 game and just what I have read from others.

 

[Bpb]

I believe this is the video. Agree with the above it’s such a ridiculously forgiving light source you cannot go wrong with them.

 

[JCOLE]

I believe this is the video. Agree with the above it’s such a ridiculously forgiving light source you cannot go wrong with them.

Interesting video. Well now i think I want to wait another 6 months. :D One thing i was thinking from that video. I wonder if turning the bulbs on and off causes could weaken them quicker? In the video they kept the bulbs on 24/7 for 4 months without turning them off. I wonder if that has a different effect on thiem?

 

[JCOLE]

Mounted 30 corals over the weekend and now the DT is full. Now its just a waiting game from here on out. Cut a couple remaning colonies out that had STN from the crash a couple months ago.

Shot a quick video with my phone after mounting the frags. Things are starting to look better now.

 

[ScottB]

I have some blues and I will turn them on tonight to see what they look like. I think some of them were colonies from Reef Raft. I think they still look great under T5's and I am sure they will pop out some unique color in no time.

Nice score Scott! Those are some nice looking sticks!!! What pieces did you get?

L-R back to front. They are all doing well. Only the Lemon peel was a tad small. The bonfire is for the Battle Coral grow-out contest.

Debating whether to keep it in the grow out tank or move to the display.

1	Bonfire
2	Backdraft Table
3	BC Bubble Gum
4	Clean Tangerine Milli
5	BC Baja Milli
6	Lemon Peel
7	Rainbow Tenuis

 

[JCOLE]

L-R back to front. They are all doing well. Only the Lemon peel was a tad small. The bonfire is for the Battle Coral grow-out contest.

Debating whether to keep it in the grow out tank or move to the display.

1	Bonfire
2	Backdraft Table
3	BC Bubble Gum
4	Clean Tangerine Milli
5	BC Baja Milli
6	Lemon Peel
7	Rainbow Tenuis

Nice haul! Can't go wrong putting it in the display. It is in mine as well and one of my favorites. Lemon Peel is a favorite of mine also. I had a Lemon Peel also and then lost the frag during my crash. I was able to recover a booger size piece and glued it to a frag plug. Fast forward 6 months and now it is starting to grow again. I am getting some yellow.

 

[dieselkeeper]

@JCOLE Very nice frags. They all look very happy. I'm changing my bulbs this weekend. I'm at 12 months and plan changing all at once. I did it before, never had problem. I think there is a problem if you wait too long and the par goes down too far on the old bulbs. Then putting in new bulbs all at once. I'll let you know if anything goes wrong.

I see you have copperband. I assume you are feeding frozen. This is what I'm doing with mine. How are controlling phosphates?

 

[JCOLE]

@JCOLE Very nice frags. They all look very happy. I'm changing my bulbs this weekend. I'm at 12 months and plan changing all at once. I did it before, never had problem. I think there is a problem if you wait too long and the par goes down too far on the old bulbs. Then putting in new bulbs all at once. I'll let you know if anything goes wrong.

I see you have copperband. I assume you are feeding frozen. This is what I'm doing with mine. How are controlling phosphates?

That is what i was thinking also. If I wait to long and the PAR goes down and spectrum changes then I could see an issue. I plan on replacing a blue+ bulb with a coral+ bulb to give more of an even distribution of whiter light. I want to change the bulbs sooner than later since i will be changing the overall spectrum. Thinking of going with the following layout.

Front to back
Blue+
Coral+
Blue+
Blue+
Purple+
Blue+

I really want to do half coral+/blue+ as i think that would be the best for overall health and color but it just seems to white to my eyes. I will try this layout and maybe go half and half down the road.

I tried different foods for my Copperband and it wouldn't touch anything except live blackworms. I tried dried flash frozen black worms and it tears them up. I get them from Amazon and they are in cubes. I feed two a day and have been for atleast a year and havent had any issues. Doesn't raise my phosphates and since it is flash frozen, I dont have to worry about parasites and harmful bacteria.

I use these. I email them and get the 100 gram though.

Amazon product ASIN B01BYUS22C

Keep me posted on how your lights turn out.

 

[dieselkeeper]

That is what i was thinking also. If I wait to long and the PAR goes down and spectrum changes then I could see an issue. I plan on replacing a blue+ bulb with a coral+ bulb to give more of an even distribution of whiter light. I want to change the bulbs sooner than later since i will be changing the overall spectrum. Thinking of going with the following layout.

Front to back
Blue+
Coral+
Blue+
Blue+
Purple+
Blue+

I really want to do half coral+/blue+ as i think that would be the best for overall health and color but it just seems to white to my eyes. I will try this layout and maybe go half and half down the road.

I tried different foods for my Copperband and it wouldn't touch anything except live blackworms. I tried dried flash frozen black worms and it tears them up. I get them from Amazon and they are in cubes. I feed two a day and have been for atleast a year and havent had any issues. Doesn't raise my phosphates and since it is flash frozen, I dont have to worry about parasites and harmful bacteria.

I use these. I email them and get the 100 gram though.

Amazon product ASIN B01BYUS22C

Keep me posted on how your lights turn out.

I like the 20k look. Used a 20k radium metal halide on a 40b frag tank with but some sand and hang the back filter. Tank grew SPS like crazy. Seriously thought about putting metal halides on my display tank, but I knew the heat would be an issue. So I do the 20k with T5's. It doesn't wash out the color, has color pop, and grows SPS at a good rate. I use the exact same bulbs you listed.

I feed my copperband frozen brime or mysis and run GFO. Phosphates would drop to zero. So now I defrost and rinse it. Phosphates creeps up after awhile. I have 7 tangs and have to feed 3 cubes so the copperband gets his share. When it gets to 0.08 to 0.10, I do a water change. If there is anything I learned the past year, water testing has to be done on a weekly basis.

 

[dieselkeeper]

Double post

 

[JCOLE]

I like the 20k look. Used a 20k radium metal halide on a 40b frag tank with but some sand and hang the back filter. Tank grew SPS like crazy. Seriously thought about putting metal halides on my display tank, but I knew the heat would be an issue. So I do the 20k with T5's. It doesn't wash out the color, has color pop, and grows SPS at a good rate. I use the exact same bulbs you listed.

I feed my copperband frozen brime or mysis and run GFO. Phosphates would drop to zero. So now I defrost and rinse it. Phosphates creeps up after awhile. I have 7 tangs and have to feed 3 cubes so the copperband gets his share. When it gets to 0.08 to 0.10, I do a water change. If there is anything I learned the past year, water testing has to be done on a weekly basis.

Yes sir! When I had my tank in 2003 my corals were growing like weeds with my Halide/VHO setup. Hopefully I can get similar results back with the T5s now that my corals seem to have move passed the crash. I have been slacking with my NO3 and PO4 weekly testing though. Will need to pick that back up when I get back from vacation next week.

You currently have this same layout?

Blue+
Coral+
Blue+
Blue+
Purple+
Blue+