Clear water?

[PatW]

Water clarity can be improved by doing some simple things. These might not apply in your case.

The first one is scrapping algae off of the glass and keeping the outside surface clean.

The second is running a filter sock so you remove the particulates. Also, you need to clean the socks about twice per week.

The third is removing the organic compounds from the water. I think an ozone reactor would really do this. But running some carbon in a reactor can make a surprising difference.

A good set of lights with multiple color channels can make a the colors pop.

 

[cjd]

From the video the water looks pretty clear. Cleaning all the coraline may help. Also kessils claim to fame is providing the correct spectrum for coral growth no matter how blue you run them so you don't get that pop you would with a led system that you can control the royal blues alone. I would still try a better carbon, rox.08 polishes water like no other.

 

[jsker]

That was going to be my question, what I you cleaning the inside of the tank acrylic glass with. http://www.magfloat.com/category/mag-float/page/3/ get the blue ones and watch when you get low in the tank. If you get sand a gravel between the pad it will scratch the glass, if you do pull the outside mag away and the inside will float up and you can knock open the abrasive. The start over again do use the ones with scrapes, they are for glass.

 

[garra671]

@rvlcf @Waters @Aznxgqboyx @ReefQueen @K100286 @cjd @Bmwm235i @-Logzor @revhtree so a local fish store is going out of business near me (San Jose, California) and the guy has some SCREAMING! deals. I picked up a 75gallon bow front with stand and a Hamilton technologies metal halide light for 20$!!. Needless to say I will be finding out very shortly if it is infact lighting or something else.

 

[garra671]

That was going to be my question, what I you cleaning the inside of the tank acrylic glass with. http://www.magfloat.com/category/mag-float/page/3/ get the blue ones and watch when you get low in the tank. If you get sand a gravel between the pad it will scratch the glass, if you do pull the outside mag away and the inside will float up and you can knock open the abrasive. The start over again do use the ones with scrapes, they are for glass.

I have a scrubber and a chisel (made for acrylic) the corraline in that video is tamed compared to how it was before lol. I just leave the side walls the way they are because I don't look through them generally

 

[Aznxgqboyx]

Wow that is a good deal on the halides, what are the specs in it

 

[garra671]

Wow that is a good deal on the halides, what are the specs in it

175wAttt one of them is 14k white and the other is flipped the other way around so I can't read the numbers on it. But it's definetly more actinic than the 14k

 

[garra671]

@rvlcf @ReefQueen @Aznxgqboyx @revhtree @-Logzor @Waters @K100286 @Bmwm235i

So video1 and video 2 one of them is the ap700 and the other is the MH I got for 20$ let me know what you guys/girl. Thinks.

 

[Live Water]

@rvlcf @ReefQueen @Aznxgqboyx @revhtree @-Logzor @Waters @K100286 @Bmwm235i

So video1 and video 2 one of them is the ap700 and the other is the MH I got for 20$ let me know what you guys/girl. Thinks.

I run ozone and rarely do a filter sock as they tend to catch a lot of my pods. I swear by ozone.

 

[FindingEmily]

Are you talking about Keith's Reefs? If so, I couldn't believe some of the prices he was selling stuff for!

 

[john.m.cole3]

thats why im also thinking it may be lighting. i cant figure out how to customize a color on the ap700; i have a color wheel but i need to get full white and add in like 2% actinic or something along those lines.

I believe LED does best w/ a blue to white ratio of 2:1. That's how I used to run mine when I had LED, but I'm not familiar w/ how you "tune" a kessil. Nice light from what I hear... Have yu ever scraped the corraline from your background? A clean black background will provide good contrast for your rocks and corals. I really like your tank how it is FWIW. Keep on keeping on!

 

[garra671]

Are you talking about Keith's Reefs? If so, I couldn't believe some of the prices he was selling stuff for!

Yeah Keith's reefs. I still gotta go back and get the stand and the Coris wrasse from his DT in the front. I want the lil black clownfish but he wants 80$ for it

 

[garra671]

I believe LED does best w/ a blue to white ratio of 2:1. That's how I used to run mine when I had LED, but I'm not familiar w/ how you "tune" a kessil. Nice light from what I hear... Have yu ever scraped the corraline from your background? A clean black background will provide good contrast for your rocks and corals. I really like your tank how it is FWIW. Keep on keeping on!

I like my tank also; I don't know. I think I may just be a bit clustered with the liverock Lb per gallon is too much. I need some more open areas. And my corals don't want to grow so I can't fill the rocks in how I want either.

 

[FindingEmily]

Yeah Keith's reefs. I still gotta go back and get the stand and the Coris wrasse from his DT in the front. I want the lil black clownfish but he wants 80$ for it

Yeah my boyfriend and I went the day after he announced it was closing and raided his not for sale section. Congrats on even being able to get in the front door of that tiny shop!

 

[Aznxgqboyx]

@rvlcf @ReefQueen @Aznxgqboyx @revhtree @-Logzor @Waters @K100286 @Bmwm235i

So video1 and video 2 one of them is the ap700 and the other is the MH I got for 20$ let me know what you guys/girl. Thinks.

I like video one, im assuming thats the halides?
Video two looks to fake to much shimmer like the kessils im runing doesnt look natural

 

[garra671]

@Aznxgqboyx @-Logzor @ReefQueen @Bmwm235i @rvlcf @Waters Picture 1 is the tank I've been talking about; and the second picture is actually a kessil ap700 that they just set up.

 

[Ant]

Dumb question but did the tank you were looking at in the store have all 3 panes and possibly the back clean of all algae and Corraline? Having the light reflect off clean panes and cleaning below the sand line (if visible) makes a huge difference, the dull look goes away instantly.

 

[TCFletch]

It probably not the lights or the chemicals. Maybe that store has Starphire glass. That's why it's so clear.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

A Lighting guy's .02
A kessel is about 3in or so source and shoots a beam into the tank. A MH is 4 to 12 or more and washes a tank in light. A t5 is a broad SOURCE over the entire tank.
Low budget movies always look crummy as they shoot a light at the actors, and its called "Sourcey". It can be used to good effect BUT. Ususally is too contrasty and doesnt dig into the nooks and crannys.
In big budget movies there are LOTS of lights and generally the technique is to use large sources12'x12, 20'x20' on a stage to emulate natural outside light(outside has a huge SOURCE< the sky) see jungle book shot in LA.

This is one reason I like Canopys on tanks. I line mine with reflective material, tinfoil and pro photo stuff, or soft mylar. The reflected light is captured and sent back from all angles and put back into the tank creating a much larger source. I have done this on all my tanks, MH LED and T5. There is a noticeable difference.
if you want to do a cheap mock up get insulation board and cut it and tape it to the tank.
The other reason I use canopy's, I look at lights all day and dont want to at home, and I paid bank for that light I want it ALL in the tank.

And if I cleaned all the floaties out of my tank I think my dozens of hitchiker clams mussels and oysters would die. (some are 4in plus)

 

[Aznxgqboyx]

@Aznxgqboyx @-Logzor @ReefQueen @Bmwm235i @rvlcf @Waters Picture 1 is the tank I've been talking about; and the second picture is actually a kessil ap700 that they just set up.

Yea i dont like the look of leds. The lighting you have on your video with the less shimmer is nicer imo