Bubba's SPS Journey

[bubbaque]

Yep its absurd, makes the lights look so good though. They really need to come with the lights imo.

After watching that brs video they did a few weeks ago about the best lighting available and they choose the Radion WITH diffusers as the best it really makes me want to try them. I need a family discount or something from brs, haha.

 

[bubbaque]

RR Rainbow loom I got from battlecorals.

RR Rainbow loom by Bubba Rivas, on Flickr

 

[SeaDweller]

After watching that brs video they did a few weeks ago about the best lighting available and they choose the Radion WITH diffusers as the best it really makes me want to try them. I need a family discount or something from brs, haha.

bubba... if it aint broken... DON'T FIX IT. leave it be. Who cares about diffusers, you have plenty of coverage, brotha. Of course BRS is going to say an expensive light is even BETTER with an expensive add-on.

 

[DesertReefBoy]

Well my tank has almost always run really low nutrients. The last test was .01 po4 and 0 no3. I am joining a grow out contest and wanted to get a little help with some Reef Roids. I started feeding it last weekend and today I checked my nutrients. po4 is .18 and no3 2.5, granted I heavy handed it. Not bad numbers but not what I am use to seeing come up on the test. I think I am done with Reef Roids for now, lol.

I notice no difference in coral color and alk hasn't went up or down, so it seems the tank is just going with it.

Really enjoying reading through your thread here and LOVE the coral pics. Maybe you answered this already but would you mind answering it again? With your Po4 so hi what did you do to lower it or do you just let your tank do it’s thing?

 

[bubbaque]

Really enjoying reading through your thread here and LOVE the coral pics. Maybe you answered this already but would you mind answering it again? With your Po4 so hi what did you do to lower it or do you just let your tank do it’s thing?

That was my previous tank and it’s been a while since that post. If I remember correctly it turned out not to be the reef roids that raised the phosphate but ended up being a fluconazole treatment. Right after that treatment my corals started to die and I assumed it was the phosphate so I believe I ran gfo. Turns out it wasn’t the phosphate that was killing them and was the actual treatment as I had to use it again about 6 months later and the same exact thing happened a second time.

To kinda answer your question if I was worried about po4 I would use gfo to get it into a range that you like. I don’t have any problems with gfo and does a good job of lowering phosphate if you feel that’s needed.

I tested po4 a couple days ago and I’m down to .05. I have not intentionally tried to get it there but water changes, chaeto and corals seem to be lowering it.

 

[Dugless]

I think the diffusers are for viewing performance only as they are there to eliminate disco effect. While I would guess there is some benefit to coral health, I speculate that it is negligible.

 

[Aaron-A2]

Hey Bubba, do you have a post page# with your current tanks equipment and all that? Btw, your OP full tank shot update is from 2018 still

 

[bubbaque]

Hey Bubba, do you have a post page# with your current tanks equipment and all that? Btw, your OP full tank shot update is from 2018 still

I’m not sure if I have a post of equipment but what I use is:

4 x mp40’s
1 x mp60
10 x Radion xr15 pro
4 rows of t5’s (2 behind the radions and 2 in front)
Reef octopus 5000 skimmer with auto neck cleaner
Two Jeabo return pumps
Calcium reactor

I have posted a couple full tank pics since the upgrade but it’s not much to look at yet.

 

[Rando]

Except that the diffusers swallow a lot of par, they do not really do anything. so my experience.

 

[Pdash]

Except that the diffusers swallow a lot of par, they do not really do anything. so my experience.

They don't change the visual appearance of the tank/lighting to you?

 

[Da8]

They don't change the visual appearance of the tank/lighting to you?

In my opinion you'll see less disco ball, more like uniform light of t5.

It's a good idea, but I hated losing par and the cost... But I'm sure you are going to like how it looks like.

 

[Rando]

They don't change the visual appearance of the tank/lighting to you?

with diffuser the sps just look dull.

here are a few of my sps ..

 

[Pdash]

with diffuser the sps just look dull.

here are a few of my sps ..

I dont understand what you think showing pictures will accomplish? We are talking about how things look in person with shimmer/light separation.

 

[DivingTheWorld]

with diffuser the sps just look dull.

here are a few of my sps ..

My understanding of the diffusers is that they blend and spread the light better for the corals, similar to T5. I don’t think they’re designed to visually improve the aquarium, just improve light for the corals and decrease shading. From the pics you posted, it appears they’re working. Nice corals!

 

[Garbage_Island]

I recently ordered the diffuser for my radion after watching a youtube review by a fellow R2R member... I was underwhelmed with the difference.
It is slightly less disco ball-ish which is good I guess. Really not all that impressed with it. I only have 1 XR-15 so its not like I made a huge investment... had I ordered multiple for multiple units I would have returned them.

I do not keep SPS though.

 

[bubbaque]

Well if price didn’t keep me away it doesn’t sound like it makes much of a difference.

 

[bubbaque]

I was sitting down enjoying the tank tonight. I figured I would share a fts with my phone camera. I think it’s time to upgrade my iPhone 6, haha.

 

[justingraham]

I was sitting down enjoying the tank tonight. I figured I would share a fts with my phone camera. I think it’s time to upgrade my iPhone 6, haha.

Nice how do u know what corals are what?

 

[bubbaque]

Nice how do u know what corals are what?

With the prices of corals you don’t forget the names, haha. Plus I think most look pretty different from each other so it makes it easy.

 

[justingraham]

With the prices of corals you don’t forget the names, haha. Plus I think most look pretty different from each other so it makes it easy.

Yea but we all have that one coral we don’t remember what it is
I know mine but I do keep a cheat sheet