cjd
Well-Known Member
Welcome to my build thread. I started this project in January 2016 . It has been a long process . I just can't seem to leave well enough alone and just start filling this tank up with some coral !!!
I am what I feel is the last piece of the puzzle and after changing my lighting options 4 times I think I am ready to start making this a reef tank !!
Equipment list :
75 gallon Deep Blue rimless tank
Marine land Monterey stand
Trigger System Crystal 30 sump ( May change in the future ....Clear panels... ;Blackeye)
Sicce Syncra Silent 3.0 return pump
Aquamax Cones S CO-1 protein skimmer
Maxspect Gyre 250 ( May change to the 230 ...anything above 10% is way to much flow)
BRS activated carbon reactor
Reef Keeper lite Plus controller
Lighting ....Oh boy the lighting !
This has been my Achilles heel . When I first was planning the build I was going to use the tried and true power of an ATI 6 bulb dimmable fixture. Way back in the day before leds, this is what I used . Even only knowing a fraction of what I do now about reef keeping I was able to grow things . After tinkering with LEDS on my last cube reef I was ready to go back to T5's simply because they work!
When I set up the lights I was ... lets just say disappointed . I forgot how "flat" T5's look after staring at a tank with leds for 5 years and setting the new tank next to a bio cube 14 with a kessil 160 over it didn't help the situation . I definitely missed the shimmer immediately.
When the 75 was cycled and everything up and running I transferred what little coral I had from the bio cube. That's when I had a brainstorm. I had this unused Kessil A160 now ..Why not get another one and rock the 160's on this build ?? So I ordered up, fancy mounting arms and all . My intensions were ,I'll just keep low light corals and enjoy that shimmer. The kessil arrived , I took down the ATI , got everything wired up and running . It looked good at first , I had the shimmer but I knew 2 of these weren't going to be strong enough to keep much .I then noticed that each side of the tank was a different blue . They were piggy backed off each other connected to the spectra controller and one side of my tank was more blue ...This isn't going to cut it , so I boxed it all up and sent it all back , just ate the shipping but whatever I wasn't happy. Back up went the T5's .
Stilling wanting the shimmer and reviewing this forum I spotted the reef breeders v2 . It was sleek looking, used good leds and priced right to light a 48 inch long tank. So I ordered up .
After installing them I had to laugh at myself The disco ball effect was insane , to the point my wife asked "What's with the disco ?" She noticed and she doesn't notice anything with my tanks. Setting the controller is nuts , having to set each hour and each color and intensity made adjusting a tedious task . Again I wasn't happy with the overall look and function of this unit. So I put it on craigslist and sold it . Funny thing is on the day I sold it I played with the settings one last time . I set the colors to the Radion AB + settings and the color was nice ...real nice . So if you have this light and are trying to figure out what settings to use , give it a try , it looked really good. But the guy showed up and the light went away and the ATI went back up.
Still thinking of what to do I always thought about making my own lighting system . I wanted to incorporate the tried and true T5 with the leds but have it look clean . Funny how money for such an item deterred me from making the purchase of the giesmann or ATI hybrid. I could have bought both units by now!!! Through this forum I saw people making their own canopies and attaching led strips to their T5 units . I wanted something sleeker so I decided on a floating canopy style with 2 t5's, I originally planned on two kessil 360's but a trip to a reef store I decided on the ap700. My only concern is the issues some people have with the Wi-Fi controller and having to use an app on an ipad. The lights have been out for 3 years now ...why are there issues??? I guess I am about to find out for myself, mine will be here tomorrow !!Wish me luck .
Pictures of my journey will follow shortly ....enjoy !
Here is my old tank , I felt bad for those you read all that and didn't see anything.
I am what I feel is the last piece of the puzzle and after changing my lighting options 4 times I think I am ready to start making this a reef tank !!
Equipment list :
75 gallon Deep Blue rimless tank
Marine land Monterey stand
Trigger System Crystal 30 sump ( May change in the future ....Clear panels... ;Blackeye)
Sicce Syncra Silent 3.0 return pump
Aquamax Cones S CO-1 protein skimmer
Maxspect Gyre 250 ( May change to the 230 ...anything above 10% is way to much flow)
BRS activated carbon reactor
Reef Keeper lite Plus controller
Lighting ....Oh boy the lighting !
This has been my Achilles heel . When I first was planning the build I was going to use the tried and true power of an ATI 6 bulb dimmable fixture. Way back in the day before leds, this is what I used . Even only knowing a fraction of what I do now about reef keeping I was able to grow things . After tinkering with LEDS on my last cube reef I was ready to go back to T5's simply because they work!
When I set up the lights I was ... lets just say disappointed . I forgot how "flat" T5's look after staring at a tank with leds for 5 years and setting the new tank next to a bio cube 14 with a kessil 160 over it didn't help the situation . I definitely missed the shimmer immediately.
When the 75 was cycled and everything up and running I transferred what little coral I had from the bio cube. That's when I had a brainstorm. I had this unused Kessil A160 now ..Why not get another one and rock the 160's on this build ?? So I ordered up, fancy mounting arms and all . My intensions were ,I'll just keep low light corals and enjoy that shimmer. The kessil arrived , I took down the ATI , got everything wired up and running . It looked good at first , I had the shimmer but I knew 2 of these weren't going to be strong enough to keep much .I then noticed that each side of the tank was a different blue . They were piggy backed off each other connected to the spectra controller and one side of my tank was more blue ...This isn't going to cut it , so I boxed it all up and sent it all back , just ate the shipping but whatever I wasn't happy. Back up went the T5's .
Stilling wanting the shimmer and reviewing this forum I spotted the reef breeders v2 . It was sleek looking, used good leds and priced right to light a 48 inch long tank. So I ordered up .
After installing them I had to laugh at myself The disco ball effect was insane , to the point my wife asked "What's with the disco ?" She noticed and she doesn't notice anything with my tanks. Setting the controller is nuts , having to set each hour and each color and intensity made adjusting a tedious task . Again I wasn't happy with the overall look and function of this unit. So I put it on craigslist and sold it . Funny thing is on the day I sold it I played with the settings one last time . I set the colors to the Radion AB + settings and the color was nice ...real nice . So if you have this light and are trying to figure out what settings to use , give it a try , it looked really good. But the guy showed up and the light went away and the ATI went back up.
Still thinking of what to do I always thought about making my own lighting system . I wanted to incorporate the tried and true T5 with the leds but have it look clean . Funny how money for such an item deterred me from making the purchase of the giesmann or ATI hybrid. I could have bought both units by now!!! Through this forum I saw people making their own canopies and attaching led strips to their T5 units . I wanted something sleeker so I decided on a floating canopy style with 2 t5's, I originally planned on two kessil 360's but a trip to a reef store I decided on the ap700. My only concern is the issues some people have with the Wi-Fi controller and having to use an app on an ipad. The lights have been out for 3 years now ...why are there issues??? I guess I am about to find out for myself, mine will be here tomorrow !!Wish me luck .
Pictures of my journey will follow shortly ....enjoy !
Here is my old tank , I felt bad for those you read all that and didn't see anything.
.
