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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
Good idea!pick up 3 quarter inch shut off valves "plastic" ,so you can stop making water and leave unit primed at all times...
Perseverance Reef
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Fishy888
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I did some cleaning in the sump tonight. Hair algae is starting to dominate. That’s good for pods and even for the chaeto since very little cyano was covering it. There was some on that glass of course but not nearly like there was. Right now I don’t have rock in the sump (which is more fuge than anything). Before summer I want to have some rock in there and maybe a pod hotel or two.
As for the DT since lowering the flow I see some cyano developing again. At least I know where the dead spots are. I turned the flow back up to 3/4 of the way. Even if I have to rake the sand back where it belongs once every day or two it beats cyano everywhere.
My new lamp won’t be here until the 6th due to weather. That’s fine because I’ll likely wire up the fixture tonight. I can still use the old lamp long enough to determine if there’s any way I can use the old reflector. I doubt it but I still have to try lol.
I’ve been thinking about alternate ways to get my RO/DI set up even if only temporarily. It would be a pita but worth it. The front runner would be to unscrew the shower head and run it there when needed. I’d have to disconnect the unit and reconnect it using that method but it would work. I could potentially install it at the bathroom sink too. The main water shutoff is in a different unit. I would just install it under the kitchen sink and be done but even if the main shutoff was in our unit; it would cut off the water to four units. The kitchen has no cut off valves that I can see so that would be harder to do. I’m going to check another place where I might be able to tap a cold water line. I just don’t want to do anything I can’t undo to the apartment complex’s plumbing.
As for the DT since lowering the flow I see some cyano developing again. At least I know where the dead spots are. I turned the flow back up to 3/4 of the way. Even if I have to rake the sand back where it belongs once every day or two it beats cyano everywhere.
My new lamp won’t be here until the 6th due to weather. That’s fine because I’ll likely wire up the fixture tonight. I can still use the old lamp long enough to determine if there’s any way I can use the old reflector. I doubt it but I still have to try lol.
I’ve been thinking about alternate ways to get my RO/DI set up even if only temporarily. It would be a pita but worth it. The front runner would be to unscrew the shower head and run it there when needed. I’d have to disconnect the unit and reconnect it using that method but it would work. I could potentially install it at the bathroom sink too. The main water shutoff is in a different unit. I would just install it under the kitchen sink and be done but even if the main shutoff was in our unit; it would cut off the water to four units. The kitchen has no cut off valves that I can see so that would be harder to do. I’m going to check another place where I might be able to tap a cold water line. I just don’t want to do anything I can’t undo to the apartment complex’s plumbing.
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
Good news!
Bad news!
Theyyyrrreeeeeeee baaaaaaaaaaaack! Well, only one so the news isn’t so bad. The kalk paste will do the system some good and clearly despite the readings close to zero the system has plenty of phosphates. Since I cleaned the sump only an hour ago I’ll test the water tomorrow and see what reading I get. I think tonight would be a good night to see what adapter I’ll need for the shower head adapter idea. Lowe’s should at least have that lol. Then I can wait for the weird adapter for the kitchen sink idea.
Bad news!
Theyyyrrreeeeeeee baaaaaaaaaaaack! Well, only one so the news isn’t so bad. The kalk paste will do the system some good and clearly despite the readings close to zero the system has plenty of phosphates. Since I cleaned the sump only an hour ago I’ll test the water tomorrow and see what reading I get. I think tonight would be a good night to see what adapter I’ll need for the shower head adapter idea. Lowe’s should at least have that lol. Then I can wait for the weird adapter for the kitchen sink idea.
I speak Fishy888. Translation, The CORALINE!!!!!!!!!!!
and Aptasia survived kalk(sad panda face)
I have to ask what you are using to take tank pics with.
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
ROFLMFAO! It’s a majano and it only has about 12 hours or so left to live.
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
I was using my phone. It was at a weird angle. Tomorrow I’ll get a scraper to get the stubborn algae off the glass. Then I can get better pictures.
Not a bad translation tho...
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
No, not bad lol.
Phone pics are hard. Granted I haven't tried with a camera either, but through glass is another aspect of the hobby that I wasn't expecting I needed to get better at.
I should a known that.
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
I started work on the metal halide project last night and finished about 30 minutes ago. I decided to take the capacitor and transformer out of the luminaire. That made it much easier to work on. I added about 5 feet or so of cable in between the socket and the transformer primary.
Once I finished wiring everything up I fired it up. It’s working flawlessly. Today I’ll cut the rest of the wood for the framework of both the canopy and the electrical cabinet. Once they’re assembled I’ll see how high the reflector and lamp need to be for full coverage of the tank.
I’m going to make the reflector and light combo adjustable. I want to be able to adjust it up and down, and front to back. It’ll be much easier with the transformer installed remotely.
It’ll be a busy weekend but if I get my way I’ll finally get the RO/DI cabinet framework done as well. I found a part I need online last night. It’s similar to the BRS faucet diverter but it has more adapters thus more of a chance of working. It’s also twice the price of the BRS one. I’ll likely buy it since there’s a good chance it’ll fit without me having to hunt for another adapter.
Once I finished wiring everything up I fired it up. It’s working flawlessly. Today I’ll cut the rest of the wood for the framework of both the canopy and the electrical cabinet. Once they’re assembled I’ll see how high the reflector and lamp need to be for full coverage of the tank.
I’m going to make the reflector and light combo adjustable. I want to be able to adjust it up and down, and front to back. It’ll be much easier with the transformer installed remotely.
It’ll be a busy weekend but if I get my way I’ll finally get the RO/DI cabinet framework done as well. I found a part I need online last night. It’s similar to the BRS faucet diverter but it has more adapters thus more of a chance of working. It’s also twice the price of the BRS one. I’ll likely buy it since there’s a good chance it’ll fit without me having to hunt for another adapter.
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Fishy888
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Well I made some progress today…
Granted the top frame isn’t attached to the legs yet but I need to cut a little more wood still. I’m only dry fitting everything right now. Depending on how sturdy it turns out without glue I might just leave it without. It feels pretty solid so far and it only has to hold the reflector and lamp.
Speaking of which I did a preliminary test to see how much light coverage the MH lamp and reflector would give me. It sure looks like I’ll get plenty of coverage. Like I said it’s just a preliminary test. It helps that the DT is a cube. 29” x 29” x 25”. That’s also why I don’t have any tangs lol.
Since it looks like I get to save on the reflector I’ll be able to get the fittings for the RO/DI and possibly a new membrane. Until then I’m using distilled for top offs.
Granted the top frame isn’t attached to the legs yet but I need to cut a little more wood still. I’m only dry fitting everything right now. Depending on how sturdy it turns out without glue I might just leave it without. It feels pretty solid so far and it only has to hold the reflector and lamp.
Speaking of which I did a preliminary test to see how much light coverage the MH lamp and reflector would give me. It sure looks like I’ll get plenty of coverage. Like I said it’s just a preliminary test. It helps that the DT is a cube. 29” x 29” x 25”. That’s also why I don’t have any tangs lol.
Since it looks like I get to save on the reflector I’ll be able to get the fittings for the RO/DI and possibly a new membrane. Until then I’m using distilled for top offs.
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
Here comes the sun!
MH rocks! The 6500k lamp clearly shows how badly I need a proper scraper lol. As for light coverage…
It’s not getting much better than that. I know it appears a little darker on the left side but that’s because the sand got shoved back quite a bit by the flow. There’s a large bare spot on that side.
After doing a bit of research it turns out most MH lamps made for reef tanks are universal mount. Thus they can be mounted in any position and they’ll work quite nicely. At some point I might polish the reflector but I’d like to see what my par is with the reflector like this. One person in the lighting forum suggested that polishing it would just create hotspots but my research suggests that I’d get even more PAR by polishing it. For now I’m undecided so I’ll leave it alone until I can borrow a PAR meter.
As for making the height of the lamp adjustable I lack the height I need so it’s fixed in its current position.
MH rocks! The 6500k lamp clearly shows how badly I need a proper scraper lol. As for light coverage…
It’s not getting much better than that. I know it appears a little darker on the left side but that’s because the sand got shoved back quite a bit by the flow. There’s a large bare spot on that side.
After doing a bit of research it turns out most MH lamps made for reef tanks are universal mount. Thus they can be mounted in any position and they’ll work quite nicely. At some point I might polish the reflector but I’d like to see what my par is with the reflector like this. One person in the lighting forum suggested that polishing it would just create hotspots but my research suggests that I’d get even more PAR by polishing it. For now I’m undecided so I’ll leave it alone until I can borrow a PAR meter.
As for making the height of the lamp adjustable I lack the height I need so it’s fixed in its current position.
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Looks like the Sun!
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
Looks like it's going to be hot!
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
I normally keep my system at 80 to 81 degrees. I have 300 watts of heaters in the sump. If the lamp does heat the water up enough the heaters won’t run as much by day.
As for the electric bill, if I keep the lamp on 6 hours a day I’ll end up using 100 watts more than I have been. I’ll actually use LESS electricity than I would with LEDs considering I’d need two 165w black boxes to cover the tank. The savings of course depend on the heaters not being used during the 6 hours the halide is on. I’m going to place the heaters on a timer so they don’t come on while the halides are on.
If you're only keeping the sun on 6 hours a day, what are you lighting with the other 6 hours?
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Fishy888
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Although I don’t see any major light shock as far as the coral is concerned some are more closed than they were. I’ve turned them off for the night.
The mushrooms are the most affected but they’re in the middle of the tank so they’re getting direct light.
The zoas were partially closed. They’re slightly higher than the sand bed.
My xenia, being the highest coral in the tank (and right under the lamp), were totally unaffected.
The original GSP colony were about 3/4 of the way open and the newer one had about half its polyps closed.
My duncans were open but only had their tentacles 3/4 as extended as normal.
The cabbage leather’s pads stayed their normal size, like the duncans’ polyps. Like the duncans tentacles the cabbage leather’s polyps were about 3/4 as extended as they were pre halide.
I’ll need to at least move the mushrooms down a bit until they get used to the halides. While I’m at it I’ll need to glue the old GSP colony and the zoas down. Once I do that I’ll try to give them all some shade until they get used to the new light.
The mushrooms are the most affected but they’re in the middle of the tank so they’re getting direct light.
The zoas were partially closed. They’re slightly higher than the sand bed.
My xenia, being the highest coral in the tank (and right under the lamp), were totally unaffected.
The original GSP colony were about 3/4 of the way open and the newer one had about half its polyps closed.
My duncans were open but only had their tentacles 3/4 as extended as normal.
The cabbage leather’s pads stayed their normal size, like the duncans’ polyps. Like the duncans tentacles the cabbage leather’s polyps were about 3/4 as extended as they were pre halide.
I’ll need to at least move the mushrooms down a bit until they get used to the halides. While I’m at it I’ll need to glue the old GSP colony and the zoas down. Once I do that I’ll try to give them all some shade until they get used to the new light.
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
I’ll be lighting with T5s most likely but I might buy a few 420nm 1watt LEDs and solder them up. Until I decide how I want to proceed and I get them in place I’ll have to make sure the sun stays out longer lol.
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