Coast to Coast + FramingTech Custom 80

[HolisticBear]

Sure, but some of the best growers out there use very little par in their growth. And I'm not talking about some dude who has a tank in his house, I'm talking about people who rely on growth to feed their family. If high par was the answer, then why are the best of the best running specifically LOW par?

- Vivid aquatics took par readings of their 800g show tank. They're barely getting 250 at the surface. Their average Acro colony is sitting at 175 PAR or so

- WWC runs a modified AB+ setting with their lighting at 60% max, and their lights 2' off the water surface (2 feet, not a typo). That's like 200 PAR or less

- Steve Garret runs a 1300g and 900g outdoor SPS prop tank, and has shaders on his tank to keep par at 400 max at surface of water, average of only 250 PAR or less throughout the tank.

- The people who created the AB+ program only run their SPS at about 175 or less PAR.

Of course I can list just as many who run their lights at 100% and run twice as many fixtures as average. Both groups swear their lighting is the reason why their corals do well. Unfortunately in this hobby, nothing is as simple as black and white. It's all gray buddy

Of course, I understand all the complexities. You aren't telling me anything I don't already know. My point was I didn't want to spent $1700 for a light fixture that gave me 300 PAR max at the surface, that's all. I wanted more options.

 

[Rakie]

Of course, I understand all the complexities. You aren't telling me anything I don't already know. My point was I didn't want to spent $1700 for a light fixture that gave me 300 PAR max at the surface, that's all. I wanted more options.

The Orphek is one of the lowest PAR options according to BRS testing wasn't it?

 

[HolisticBear]

The Orphek is one of the lowest PAR options according to BRS testing wasn't it?

No. In my case, it is more than 2-3x the Mitras so it gives me options. It is more than 2x the PAR of the Mitras at max power, yet almost 3x the PAR given my preferred color spectrum. Radions also have 2-3x the PAR of the Mitras, so picking any color spectrum with a Radion would have also yielded plenty of PAR.

Given the choice of T5 bulbs on an Aurora, you likely can pick exactly get full power of that fixture at your preferred spectrum, which you can't do on some LEDs

 

[Rakie]

Yep. But then you're getting into PAR vs PUR. The PAR of the Orphek was high, the PUR wasn't IIRC. Likewise, more than half the power in the Radion is also wasted as very few people use any of the white, green, red channels above 24%.

 

[HolisticBear]

Yep. But then you're getting into PAR vs PUR. The PAR of the Orphek was high, the PUR wasn't IIRC. Likewise, more than half the power in the Radion is also wasted as very few people use any of the white, green, red channels above 24%.

Sigh. I'm really not into this conversation. The Orphek have significantly more PAR/PUR than the Mitras. Period. The Mitras also have serious thermal limits, fan issues, and also don't auto-over-drive the other LEDs when other LEDs are run at less power (the HD feature of AIs). Orpheks are fine for me. My crappy PAR monitor even gave me the PAR & PUR for both fixtures.

The reflectors on a T5 from ATI will deliver far more light than the T5 on the Aurora. Plenty of messages on that, I read enough of that that it swayed be away from the that particular fixture. Period. If the Geisseman T5 was as good as the ATI, I probably would have bought it.

I think you're having trying to have a different conversation about lighting when I simply discussing the Mitras and the specific issues of the Aurora.

 

[Rakie]

I think you're having trying to have a different conversation about lighting when I simply discussing the Mitras and the specific issues of the Aurora.

Yes, I am.

 

[HolisticBear]

Yes, I am.

+1
Everything you said was correct, I'm just done with lighting. I only wanted to give Simon the heads-up on the Giesemann T5 in case he hadn't already read it. It's apparently different than ATI's T5.

 

[najer]

+1
Everything you said was correct, I'm just done with lighting. I only wanted to give Simon the heads-up on the Giesemann T5 in case he hadn't already read it. It's apparently different than ATI's T5.

I was going to do this on my journal, thanks @HolisticBear I will look into different reflectors.
My display foot print is 38 x 26 x 18 inches shallow, my current light is an 8 x T5 2 foot with 75 watt led supplement.
I have no idea what the par or pur are, the light is 7 inches above the tank.
I will have 4 x 3 foot T5s and 2 x 85 watt leds to play with, trust me, for my tank this is a serious upgrade!

 

[twotangs]

How do you like the VCA return?

 

[HolisticBear]

I was going to do this on my journal, thanks @HolisticBear I will look into different reflectors.

I meant to reply on your thread, here by accident; then off on a tangent it went. It is a beautiful fixture.

How do you like the VCA return?

It's fine, but I also don't consider it that special. It was obnoxious on the reefer 170, and here it's fine and mixes up the flow a little. I'm intending for the two gryes to do all the work.

If I cranked my return to 100%, it can create air vortexes on the surface.

 

[HolisticBear]

Corals thrown everywhere, but that's the basic tank + rock.

I'll wait till @FarmerTy nem finds his happy spot, then I start gluing these guys down.

Everything's doing great, we've already got coralline on the new gyre and return nozzle.

Need to find a good algae scraper for back wall.

My Silver Silver acro may be the one that doesn't survive the transition. I can't tell if he's completely gone or not. No more PE, but it still has some color, so hopefully he'll rebound.

 

[justingraham]

I love my flipper algea scrapper plus when the blade gets dull I just bring it to work and sharpen it

 

[Janci]

Awesome video.
I love the colours the coral have already.

I recommend the Tunze Care Magnet.
It comes with removable stainless steel blades and plastic knife. I only use the plastic knife as it is strong enough to even remove coralline on 15mm glass.
I'll never again will have a tank without it.

 

[DangerDave]

Great looking tank @HolisticBear !! I used C2C for my current build, Pat’s work is worth every penny in my opinion.

Best of luck with your reef!

Dave

 

[siggy]

Everything's doing great, we've already got coralline on the new gyre and return nozzle.

Tank is looking great and looks like your off to a good start.

 

[HolisticBear]

Tank is looking great and looks like your off to a good start.

Great looking tank

I love the colours the coral have already.

Thank you everyone! @DangerDave I love C2C's work. Zero regrets, worth every penny.

I have ~20 days of Triton Other Methods left. It's out of stock everywhere and unlikely to be fixed any time soon. Looks like I may be switching to ATI soon.

 

[siggy]

I have ~20 days of Triton Other Methods left. It's out of stock everywhere and unlikely to be fixed any time soon. Looks like I may be switching to ATI soon.

I can understand that. I bought 2 sets to start and am afraid to start because of it always being out of stock. I wonder what they will fetch on a EBAY auction

 

[Picesduh]

Awesome video.
I love the colours the coral have already.

I recommend the Tunze Care Magnet.
It comes with removable stainless steel blades and plastic knife. I only use the plastic knife as it is strong enough to even remove coralline on 15mm glass.
I'll never again will have a tank without it.

I added the flipper to my shopping cart but didn’t buy yet because I don’t know if I should go with the Tunze. Do you have the long version? I also have 15mm glass. Doesn’t the two sides feature of the flipper make it better? I can’t decide!!!

 

[HolisticBear]

I can understand that. I bought 2 sets to start and am afraid to start because of it always being out of stock. I wonder what they will fetch on a EBAY auction

I had some stockpiled, but failed to move it into new container; half leaked out. I thought leaking was fixed.

Switching to ATI this weekend (if it arrives)

I added the flipper to my shopping cart but didn’t buy yet because I don’t know if I should go with the Tunze.

I own the flipper and tunze. I prefer the tunze, but the magnet doesn't work well on my 1/2" glass. It has fallen nultiple times when I move too fast. That never happens with flipper. It's a shame really.

I can't use either on the back glass. So I'll try some type of scrapper.

 

[Janci]

I added the flipper to my shopping cart but didn’t buy yet because I don’t know if I should go with the Tunze. Do you have the long version? I also have 15mm glass. Doesn’t the two sides feature of the flipper make it better? I can’t decide!!!

Yes, I took the long version.
Have to say, the stainless steel blade scratched my glass a couple of time.
Still.. never again without it.