September 2013 Tank of the Month

[Santoki]

I wouldn't say I'm worried, but I do think there is a bit more complexity involved in the implementation of a LED setup when compared with more traditional lighting technologies such as MH or T5. The problem I think is that reef lighting companies seem to be designing systems based on hearsay, rather than proof achieved through controlled scientific testing. On top of that, there are no clear standards, such as "how high should I mount my lights?", which would most certainly vary depending on variables such as emitter density, drive current, optics, etc... One would almost never encounter such a dilemma with MH or T5, because there are a lot less variables, and a few inches difference only results in a relatively minor change to intensity. For example, no one would even consider mounting a MH or T5 system to the ceiling since it is obvious that goes against common sense and established standards.

I currently have lighting in the sump to provide light to the grow-out rack. I haven't always had the frag rack in the sump. I did not notice any system wide changes when moving rocks to the sump or upon the introduction of lighting to the sump (except for the occasional need to clean algae from the sump now). I thought about setting the sump lighting on a reverse cycle, but decided against it since I need to work in the sump during waking hours.

I think that it can't hurt system stability to have more rocks, provided detritus can be kept in suspension. There was a very interesting and successful TOTM that employed ceramic rings in a dark area of the sump that provided an obscene amount of surface area for bacterial colonization. I suspect that method would be equivalent of having many times the amount of rock in the sump. I would love to employ something like that someday if I had the room...

-Robert

[DopeCantWin]

Awesome Tank, congrats.

Why is this not stickied and the August tank is?

[joshyross70]

Very nice tank

[Santoki]

Thanks!

Originally Posted by DopeCantWin

Why is this not stickied and the August tank is?

good question... I'm not sure how a thread becomes marked as a sticky.

-Robert

[skunkmere]

Great tank, whats the black mesh for?

[moondoggy4]

Congrats on a beautiful tank.

[Santoki]

thanks moondoggy4.

Originally Posted by skunkmere

Great tank, whats the black mesh for?

the black gutter grill creates a buffer zone and prevents vertical encroachment by the anemone. Without it, there would be no acros on the right side.

-Robert

[DrewBrees713]

Would love to see more FTS....very nice tank indeed!

[S2minute]

Nice job San! LOL, you basement setup looks hauntingly similar to mine heh

[Outlets710]

My hat is off to you for not only having a gorgeous tank but encountering all those pests and beating them. I was hoping you can tell me how you beat the monti eating nudis, I have dipped in coral rx, bayer tried six lines, and yellow corras wrasse . I can get the nudis down but it's the eggs that always get by.
I really don't want to but am I just going to have to cut my losses w my Monities until starve them out?
What us Floridians would give to have basements instead of having to cram every bit of equipment we have under our tank. Once again congrats on TOTM.

[Santoki]

Thanks Outlets710,

I am by no means an expert at beating monti-eating nudis, since I believe I caught them very early. I was able to remove the one monti along with the rock to which it was attached. An iodine based dip was performed after manual removal of only a couple that were visible. Then I scrubbed the whole thing with a toothbrush. It looked very bad after the scrubbing, but it bounced back after only a short period of time. It was easy in my case since that was the only monti I had in my tank at the time. Ease of removal also played a role. If possible, I would salvage a piece off each type of monti you may have. Dip, scrub, inspect and repeat as needed. Keeping them in a separate system for isolation and monitoring. I'm not sure there are any sure methods that don't involve removal of all affected species from the main system.

While it is nice to have a basement for this purpose, having one also adds to the maintenance needed on the house, as basements often flood after heavy rains or develop leaks over time. This creates the need to monitor humidity levels to prevent other associated problems such as mildew or mold.
Sometimes I wish we didn't have a basement

-Robert

[sahin]

Congratulations Robert. A well deserved TOTM. I wish these would be stickied as I missed this one. I visit the SPS forum mostly and only have a quick looks at the Reef Discussion forum...

I recall your LED thread and the PAR measurements. A lot of people owe thanks to you for doing that. Back at the end of 2009 there wasnt all that many LED tanks...now MH is getting rare! LOL.

Its amazing that the Formosa spawned. SPS spawning is so very rare in captivity. I've only heard of only a couple of other reefkeepers who've had their SPS spawn. And I dont count Poccilopora LOL. Your tank and water quality must be extremely clean.

I have Trochus snails breeding in my tank and there are tiny babies now. I also have my blue legged hermits breed. The fry (not sure if that is the correct term) look like tiny shrimp. The tiny things get released after the main lights go off. I also see the hermits "mating". Well, I dont see much other than two shells stuck to each other...other males (I assume) try and get in on the act and the bigger hermit fights them away...quite fascinating.

Well done. You deserve the recognition.

[Santoki]

Hi Sahin,

Thank you for the kind words

I did not know how long the spawning process would take. In hindsight, I should've shot a video with my macro lens...

I've also seen the funny hermit mating antics. Is is quite amusing, although I have to excersise self control to not interfere...

-Robert

[Rwpdunne]

Well deserved beautiful tank you have there


Robbie

[FastUno]

I still go back to your TOTM for some inspiration.

1) So it has been 4+ years with your Cree XR-E emitters, do you notice any degradation in intensity or spectrum?

2) It looks like you will make 5 years (the lifespan of LED's), do you plan to replace or change?

3) Any negative impact on corals thus far? Do you have issues with shading?


Also, I am using LED's as well & I would like to show you my tank video to get your take on why something is happening & why you think this is happening.

[Santoki]

Hi FastUno,

1. I'm sure there is degradation in intensity, but nothing I could see with my eye. As for spectrum, there is no way for me to measure that either. Corals are growing steadily and I prune them often to keep the tank from becoming a mess. I've realized that although I like large colonies, there is a limit to how large they can be allowed to become in such a small space before they cause issues such as flow. I also notice that if I were to allow one species to grow very large, other species seem to slow in growth. I have noticed something else which I will cover later...

2. I do not plan on changing anything.

3. I have not seen any negative impacts that can be attributed to the LEDs. They are different of course, when compared with MH or T5. There are spots of shading in various places. Some shaded spots have corals growing and some don't. I suppose there are other factors involved that I am not aware of.

Finally, I posted some pictures over the years to show the slow change in color of some acros, namely the Formosa in the left side of the tank. I thought initially that the change was due to the change in lighting to LEDs. However, now that I am experimenting with the use of GFO, I no longer think they are related. I believe po4 can take a long time to build. In my system, it may be the case that initially during the first 1-2 years, po4 was very low. I had experimented with carbon dosing very early on. I had no measurable po4 or nitrates. But I also had very slow growth even under MH. Over the years, I believe po4 levels slowly crept up. I had never actively managed po4 until now. I am starting to see the start of color shifts in some acros. It's too early to tell, as I am starting very slowly.
Will try to snap some pictures this weekend.

-Robert

[FastUno]

Are the pics the full tank shots in the TOTM or do you have a new set of progress pics?

Here is the latest video on my tank. The coral in question is the purple stylo, slightly left of center & it is the one with the most branches. When I had MH/T5's I had some slight whitening at the base, where there was less light. With LED's the purple tops have become more purple & beautiful, but the underneath has gone more white. It has grown with LED's, but the more it grows, the more that is shaded.

I think this is a top heavy branching SPS & is bound to shade the bottom, regardless of what type of light. I am sure I would get less white underneath with T5's though.

My blues are at 100% & whites/color at 60-70%. I just dropped the white/color for fear of the underneath getting too much light suddenly & getting more white.

Do you see any of this with your SPS's?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzhNpkXmDV8