Smite's 100g

[Smite]

I just made the switch from G3 pros to an ATI Sunpower 8x54w. I went to update my build thread here and realized.....I never made one!

So better to start late than never.

A mixed reef, my main focus being on sps.

Currently fallow until April 16th because I'm sick of dealing with ich flare ups. Finally time to nip it in the but for good.

Tank: SCA 100g - 48x24x20"
Custom stand that sits 42" tall
Sump is an Advance Acrylic

Controller:
Apex

Flow:
Return - RO Hy5000 water blaster
Mp40wqd x 2 Still need to add the second*
Gyre xf150 linked with IceCap

Filtration:
BRS Carbon reactor. 3/1 Carbon/GFO changed bi-weekly
Mix of live rock - Marco and what I believe is pukani
Sand - special grade
TMC Vecton 400 UV sterilizer
On the waiting list for Turbo's new L2 scrubber - Can't wait!

ATO:
AA 10g
Tunze 3155

Dosing:
GEO 6x18 with second scrubber container
Co2 controlled by Apex.
Media: TLF rebourne & ZeoMag
Currently dosing Kent Tech M for byropsis
Kent trace elements
2 drops lugols daily
10ml phytofeast daily (no fish)
10ml oysterfeast nightly (no fish)
I spot feed acans and nps and carpet nem once a week or more
reef roids x coral frenzy 1x a week

Lighting:
ATI 8x54w Sunpower
Deciding between a reefbrite xho or swapping the actinic for e5 blue pop for night viewing.

Heating & Cooling:
Jager 300w heater controlled by apex
I'll be adding a fan for summer

Parameters:
Alkalinity : 9-9.3
Calcium: 450-500
Magnesium: 500 usually but currently 650 ppm and climbing. This bryopsis is stubborn!
Nitrates .02
Phosphates undetectable with hanna. (I have bryopsis, bubble algae, sometimes cyano and GHA, so that is a false reading)
Salinity: 1.026 Reef Crystals

Currently FTS

Actinic FTS

 

[Smite]

Some very strange actinic shots. Still trying to figure out my white balance for t5s. Specifically actinic strong lighting seems to really throw my WB off. I'll post these so I can see if I improve over time, hah!

 

[Smite]

A big thanks to @Humblefish and many others here that helped me in the fish disease forum, I now have fish back in the system! So nice to have a ich/parasite free system. The tank is much more enjoyable with the added life back. That 76 days tested my patience for sure but well worth it in the end.

The only downfall was having two groups. The original "survivors" of the tank and the new additions ( I had 2 40 qt tanks going. One for copper and one for prazipro treatments after). That put the second group 2 weeks behind the first. There was one redspot cardinalfish in the original group. Well he didn't like the majority of the new additions added 2 weeks later. I went from 8 down to 2 in a week. That will be my last attempt with these redspot cardinals, just to many casualties in the past on my end.

The fish list is now:
2 b/w percula
1 yellow eye kole tang
1 golden rhomboid wrasse. Was female, but the male passed and I believe it is now a sub male. Not 100% sure though
1 red velvet wrasse
2 redspot cardinalfish
1 neon goby
1 pygmy geometric hawkfish
1 midas blenny
1 firefish
1 ORA red masked goby

 

[Jaxon]

Wow... very nice

 

[bknapp]

Looks sweet.

What is your reasoning behind leaving the Radions for T5?

 

[Humblefish]

@Smite Your tank looks beautiful!

 

[RyanCSGO]

Lookin great!
Nice list of fish.

 

[Smite]

Thank you for the kind words everyone!

I switched to t5 from the g3 pros for coverage along with having trouble finding a setting that worked all around.

It also helped me fund my Turbo Rev4 L2 algae turf scrubber . I have it all set up now. I'll update with some pics of the setup. I'm currently battling GHA/ nutrient issues in the tank so it will be nice to see how well it competes with the display. Currently it's set at 50% light intensity @ 14 hours a day until I see some growth.

 

[hybridazn]

Your tank looks great! The corals are going to love the t5s!

 

[Smite]

Your tank looks great! The corals are going to love the t5s!

Thank you!

Currently the colors aren't great with the nutrient issues but man soon after the switch when my parameters were solid the difference in color, growth and polyp extension was unquestionable. T5s win me over for sure and controlling the heat isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be

Light spill is my only concern but that's due to going with the 8x54w for full coverage. I'm throwing around the idea of building a "floating" canopy to combat it. My wife doesn't care for the blue room Id just hate to sacrifice top down shots.

 

[tomxreef]

Beautiful tank! I too am making the switch to t5's with reefbrite xho strips from my radion. Hoping I like what I see.

 

[JMLewis]

Looks great! I just mad the exact same switch from G3 Pros to the SunPower and I'll never look back! Drastic difference in color and growth and it's only been 3 weeks!

What lamp combination are you running?

 

[Smite]

Looks great! I just mad the exact same switch from G3 Pros to the SunPower and I'll never look back! Drastic difference in color and growth and it's only been 3 weeks!

What lamp combination are you running?

Beautiful tank! I too am making the switch to t5's with reefbrite xho strips from my radion. Hoping I like what I see.

Thanks guys. I found when I went with to many blues plus bulbs I got a very false look to the tank and it over powered some colors of my sps.

I love my current bulb selection. It's not as blue as I'd set leds but it's crisp and true looking to me.
This is off memory but the purple plus are on the 2 bulb channel and used as a mid day par boost for 4 hours. That's a recent change for me, I had the actinics there and was using them to ramp up and down but I now have the reefbrite tech strip for that.

8x54w front to back
Coral plus
Blue plus
Purple plus
Actinic
Blue plus
Purple plus
Actinic
Blue plus

Reef brite tech up front

 

[Smite]

Some pictures. Things are coming around nicely since raising my light to 10" above my water line. Starting to get a handle on my GHA but the bubble algae is out of control!

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Beautiful job!

 

[Smite]

Thanks Rev!

 

[Smite]

I bought a cheapo Macro-Wide angle lens for my camera. I'm really happy with the quality for under $30. Very fun to play with & led to some tank pics!

Relocated some pieces. This is my favorite section of the tank now.

ReefPets Ultra Violet

Brown turd showing some color finally

I got this from All Delight at a show, I don't remember the name but its starting to color back up.

I need to get a few small chunks of shelf and let this zoa garden start to grow in

Tricolor waking up

 

[Smite]

I've slowly brought my nitrates up to 7 over the last month or so. I've noticed some polyp colors are starting to come in. I'm going to keep it there for now and see how everything settles in. Pictures came out a little under exposed but nice and clear so I wanted to share.

Joe the Coral, I think? I can't remember.

Efflo, so nice to see this coming back.

Recent TGC pickup. Hope it keeps going orange.

Millepora from AllDelight.

ReefPets ultra violet. Polyps are really coloring up, body is getting a faint green to it.

2 sleepers, waking up

Montipora I got from CaliKid. Slow growing but loving the colors.

Pink Lemonade. Most drastic change in polyp coloration after adding nitrates. They were completely white shortly after putting it in my tank.

ORA Hawkins and Miami Hurricane that's looking to have stopped receding.

My pink millepora. The frag just to the side is the same piece. Everytime I have fragged this piece, it go green/yellowish. Usually stays that way until it gets larger, then the growth ring stays green and the rest goes straight pink. May be my favorite piece in my tank.

Current FTS

Ive also added 5 bartletts anthias, a potters angelfish and a copperband butterfly. I plan to get a pair of ORA yellow line Neon gobies and my fish list will be complete.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I've slowly brought my nitrates up to 7 over the last month or so. I've noticed some polyp colors are starting to come in. I'm going to keep it there for now and see how everything settles in. Pictures came out a little under exposed but nice and clear so I wanted to share.

Joe the Coral, I think? I can't remember.

Efflo, so nice to see this coming back.

Recent TGC pickup. Hope it keeps going orange.

Millepora from AllDelight.

ReefPets ultra violet. Polyps are really coloring up, body is getting a faint green to it.

2 sleepers, waking up

Montipora I got from CaliKid. Slow growing but loving the colors.

Pink Lemonade. Most drastic change in polyp coloration after adding nitrates. They were completely white shortly after putting it in my tank.

ORA Hawkins and Miami Hurricane that's looking to have stopped receding.

My pink millepora. The frag just to the side is the same piece. Everytime I have fragged this piece, it go green/yellowish. Usually stays that way until it gets larger, then the growth ring stays green and the rest goes straight pink. May be my favorite piece in my tank.

Current FTS

Ive also added 5 bartletts anthias, a potters angelfish and a copperband butterfly. I plan to get a pair of ORA yellow line Neon gobies and my fish list will be complete.

Beautiful job!

 

[Smite]

My tank is starting to stabilize after a mini crash. Colors are coming back but I now have STN on the base of some of my sps, hoping i wont have to frag them up.

This Vivids brown dingle berry looks to be showing some new life

Red Planet with RP Ultra Violet

Pink Lemonade. Looks like it should be called purple limeade right now but man i really love this piece more and more.

Dosing Vibrant's tank cleaner @ 10ml 2x a week. I've put the foam covers on one of my mp40s and have to clean it every other day now. Covered in dead bubble algae carcasses. Hopefully the stuff helps me take out the major infestation i have over time.

Todays water tests:
ALK 7.7
Cal 440
Magnesium 1350
Po4 .18
No3 looks a little over 5
pH 8.1-8.5 night/day
Temp 77.5-78.5
Salinity 1.026

I'm sending in my second Triton test tomorrow.