FarmerTy's 215-gallon SPS Tank

Caravanshaka · Jul 9, 2018

If you are curious on build quality, I have the 24” refugium light over my fuge. It’s top notch quality, plenty of power. It also has an external driver that you could likely swap with something that is dimmable if you ever felt the need.

Let’s put it this way, instead of $620 for a compact over my frag section, I am considering 2 daylights and 1 UV for about half the price.

Fudsey · Jul 9, 2018

I think @HolisticBear got 1 or 2 of them

HolisticBear · Jul 9, 2018

Fudsey said:
I think @HolisticBear got 1 or 2 of them

I have a single 36" Daylight Orphek lightbar with 90 degree lens (you can chose 60, 90, or 120 degree when ordering) over a frag tank.

No complaints + their support is excellent, but daylight isn't particularly flattering to corals. Going from the Windex colored tanks of NY-RAP to this spectrum is rough. All those "yellow" WWC acros look ugly green.

Real curious how they look in a few weeks when they move to the Atlantik V4.

This thread makes me wonder what adding a UV/Violet or Blues lightbar would do.

FarmerTy · Jul 9, 2018

HolisticBear said:
I have a single 36" Daylight Orphek lightbar with 90 degree lens (you can chose 60, 90, or 120 degree when ordering) over a frag tank.

No complaints + their support is excellent, but daylight isn't particularly flattering to corals. Going from the Windex colored tanks of NY-RAP to this spectrum is rough. All those "yellow" WWC acros look ugly green.

Real curious how they look in a few weeks when they move to the Atlantik V4.

This thread makes me wonder what adding a UV/Violet or Blues lightbar would do.

Yeah, I don't think this light will be the choice of lights for the blue light reefers, but my guess is an actinic bar on either side may cure their woes.

Keep us posted on your V4 transition and how they look under them once moved!

sawdonkey · Jul 9, 2018

FarmerTy said:
Yeah, I don't think this light will be the choice of lights for the blue light reefers, but my guess is an actinic bar on either side may cure their woes.

Keep us posted on your V4 transition and how they look under them once moved!

One note about the V4 in my limited time with mine....the violet/UV channel is pretty subtle. With just that channel turned to 100%, it is very dark. But do that and turn the blues to just 5% or something low and...boom, crazy pop.

Your tank was pretty much the sister tank to my last build, so it’s funny we might end up with the same lights again! Now just send me a frag if every one of your acros and we can be twinsies again[emoji6]

FarmerTy · Jul 9, 2018

sawdonkey said:
One note about the V4 in my limited time with mine....the violet/UV channel is pretty subtle. With just that channel turned to 100%, it is very dark. But do that and turn the blues to just 5% or something low and...boom, crazy pop.

Your tank was pretty much the sister tank to my last build, so it’s funny we might end up with the same lights again! Now just send me a frag if every one of your acros and we can be twinsies again[emoji6]

Thanks for sharing the observation regarding the UV/violet channel!

Haha, yes, I remember our twin tanks. I'm actually sticking with my ATI T5 Sunpower fixture and two SBREEF actinic bars on my DT. But the plan is to put this Orphek over my frag tank and see how everything colors up! Heck, if things look even more amazing under it, I might go all in and put it over my display!

Peppe · Jul 9, 2018

bubbaque said:
Thanks! I sent them a question about how to order. I also asked them about my concerns with the UV.

What did they say about your concern about uv leds?

Peppe · Jul 9, 2018

FarmerTy said:
Thanks for sharing the observation regarding the UV/violet channel!

Haha, yes, I remember our twin tanks. I'm actually sticking with my ATI T5 Sunpower fixture and two SBREEF actinic bars on my DT. But the plan is to put this Orphek over my frag tank and see how everything colors up! Heck, if things look even more amazing under it, I might go all in and put it over my display!

do you want to put v4 or the led bars?

FarmerTy · Jul 9, 2018

Peppe said:
do you want to put v4 or the led bars?

V4 full size over the frag tank with a T5 bulb on each side on my frag tank.

Peppe · Jul 9, 2018

FarmerTy said:
V4 full size over the frag tank with a T5 bulb on each side on my frag tank.

ok, have you heard about the illumagic led
lights?

bubbaque · Jul 9, 2018

Peppe said:
What did they say about your concern about uv leds?

This was their reply: "The UV LEDs that we use in the OR bar lights are short range or UV-A LEDs (410nm) and they are not as dangerous as UV rays in the UV-B bandwidth of light which is 280-320 nanometers."

FarmerTy · Jul 9, 2018

Peppe said:
ok, have you heard about the illumagic led
lights?

Yes, but hard to get in the states... With that will come no customer service so I stopped researching them. Heard good things though.

FarmerTy · Jul 9, 2018

I'm a day late with my picture of it. This one was really difficult to capture the subtle colors and I don't think I did a good job of it at all. There's bright pink/red on the smaller nubs in the back right that didn't show at all. Maybe a top-down shot will do better to show the colors but this is the best I could muster right now.

Hung's Rainbow Explosion/BC Hungs Truly Unbelievable

bubbaque · Jul 9, 2018

Now where is the other one? Lol

FarmerTy · Jul 9, 2018

bubbaque said:
Now where is the other one? Lol

Making me work!

FarmerTy · Jul 9, 2018

Update growth shot on my unknown acro:

First ~2.5 months of growth

Second ~2.5 months of growth (April 19-July 9)

bubbaque · Jul 10, 2018

FarmerTy said:
Update growth shot on my unknown acro:

First ~2.5 months of growth

Second ~2.5 months of growth (April 19-July 9)

Thats some insane growth! You must have the tank dialed in right now.

FarmerTy · Jul 10, 2018

bubbaque said:
Thats some insane growth! You must have the tank dialed in right now.

It helps to not dump 84 TDS in the water. [emoji29]

Things are cruising right now... I don't want to change a thing!

BigJohnny · Jul 10, 2018

FarmerTy said:
Haha, its alive! Muahahaha!

No, normally at 7 dKh but I've had a growth boom after correcting the RO/DI issue where it was dumping 84 TDS into my tank for top off. [emoji16] I'm adjusting the CaRX to meet the increased demand.

No, for now just monitoring and no control. It actually comes with an ability to hook up the calcium reactor solenoid to it and have it turn on and off the gas when needed to control alk so no Apex even needed.

Imo it would be better to hook your feed pump up to the switchable outlet instead of the solenoid. Let your pH controller/apex control the co2 in your reactor. That way it stays constant and the only thing that changes is whether or not its pumping water in. Just a thought.

Btw, I received one of the first alkatronics and have had it for a pretty long time now. I absolutely love it and it has run flawlessly. I also helped with the manual so if you have any questions or concerns just hit me up (although Jonas Roman is quick to respond, best customer service in the biz!)