Mike's 260g Rimless Starphire Build

The next is a series of photos showing some of the growth since mid-November of last year so a total of about 7.5 months of growth. This particular RHCP monticap came from John Coppolino and has already been fragged numerous times. I recently had to frag it again to keep it from growing onto the MP40:

Before:

[attachment=1]IMG_0459.JPG[/attachment]

After:

[attachment=0]IMG_0556.JPG[/attachment]

Edit to correct date of original "before" pics.
 
I believe this is a Leng Sy monticap that originally came from Lance:

Before:

[attachment=1]IMG_0458.JPG[/attachment]

After:

[attachment=0]IMG_0557.JPG[/attachment]
 
Finally, the top left of one of the islands that has a digitada. This is the digi that I fragged recently for the Free Frag Friday where I gave out about a half dozen or more frags.

You can also see the encrusting monti behind it that started out on a frag disk.

Before:

[attachment=1]IMG_0453.JPG[/attachment]

After:

[attachment=0]IMG_0548.JPG[/attachment]
 
Great set of pictures! Thanks for sharing.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151663547169857&set=a.390956579856.156673.183531039856&type=1&theater
 
Lookin good sir and happy to have helped. I have to say I'm very impressed with your tank

Samsung Galaxy S III
 
Thanks guys! Now that I can get some decent pictures I might finally give the monthly photo contests a try and post more updates with pictures rather than ramble on for pages.
 
Those shots are all from under the blue LEDs that let the corals really pop with just a white balance adjustment on the camera. I'm sure I could get them to look better if I figured out how to use Photoshop [smilie=smile.gif]. To me, the colors are still a little faded when the whites are on as I had them running with too much power. Cutting the power levels on the white LEDs down has already made a noticeable difference after just a couple of weeks. For instance, I have a red Cynarina that was bleaching out before that immediately started getting some color back. Right now, I'm running my lights on a 8 hour cycle with a 3 hour ramp up and 3 hour ramp down. Settings are currently:

Blue, Deep Blue, Royal Blue 55% max
White 40% max
Green: 15% max
Red: 15% max

I've also noticed less algae on the glass when I lowered the reds and greens as I originally had them at higher percentages.

I did the Red Sea Coral Colors program for a while but found that too much of the Reef Energy A & B supplements would cause a cyano outbreak so I stopped that about a month ago. I may start back up here again but at much lower levels and work my way up. Honestly, I've gotten a little lazy with the Colors A - D dosing and just add about 40 ml of each in the middle of the week. Red Sea Coral Pro salt and 2-part dosing with typical major reef parameters of 8.5 dKH, 425ppm Ca, 1400ppm Mg, undetectable nitrate and phosphate. Dosing of Alk, Ca, Mg is all spread evenly across 24 doses during a 24-hour period by the Bubble Magus doser.

I have also gone back to doing 10% water changes every week instead of twice a month. I've learned that I need to keep up with my water changes to help reduce the amount of chloride and salinity increase that comes with 2-part dosing and I think it helps with overall system health. My new salt water is mixed at a lower salinity and, accordingly to my salinity probe, it will go from 34.5 ppt after I do a water change to about 35 ppt at the end of the week.

So, I don't think I am doing anything out of the ordinary and am still figuring out the best lighting schedule and intensities to try and get better coloration. I think it is a never ending process and no matter what, we always think things can look better and keep trying to figure out how to get there. [smilie=smile.gif]
 
Yes and thanks! Total of 5 Vega Color fixtures. I pre-ordered and received some of the first ones that shipped out. Prior tank that the corals were under had AI Sols so all my corals have been under LEDs full-time with no supplemental lights for almost 2 years now.

I am looking at upgrading the Vega to what I like to call a Super Vega Color that would add some violet LEDs and also use the lenses from the AI Hydra that which diffuse the light more. The white LED in the Vega is too large to accommodate a Hydra lens so it would involve replacing all 20 pucks on my 5 fixtures if I want to go that route at a total cost of about $1,000 ($50 a puck). If AI ever goes public, I think I should be given some shares in their IPO. [smilie=lol.gif]
 
Mike, here's my Photoshop Tutorial that you can easily master. http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/demo
 
I finally took the time over the break to get some things setup that I've been meaning to do for quite sometime related to the Apex. By "meaning to do for sometime" I mean over a year . . . like setup internet access after recently getting a notification that my dyndns account expired and setting up the WXM that has been gathering dust for close to a year as well.

So, I finally got internet access working (as opposed to just access over the home network), setup e-mail/text alert capability, updated my Apex firmware to the new dashboard, and got my WXM to control the Vortechs. Doesn't sound like a lot but it took about a full day's worth of time to get it all going.

In my case, setting up a WXM is a beating as the manual and Apex guide aren't fully up-to-date as to the instructions so I wasted a lot of time just looking around for solutions. That and I forgot about a MP10W ES that was running on my QT system and probably interfering with the setup process. I was pretty close to just throwing in the towel and selling off the WXM last night. I finally got everything up and running this morning and wanted to share my small victory. Bottom line, you need to refer to both the Ecotech and Neptune WXM manuals in order to figure out what to do. Once you do that, it is relatively easy.
 
Great tank. I'm going to do a similar setup. I live in West Plano let me know if you ever do a tank tour. :)

What is the reason for offset overflows? I was thinking of putting mine in the corner but not sure if plumbing will clear ever thing or if there is another reason.
 
You are welcome to come over and check it out. I really haven't updated this thread even though I've added a few things like a fourth MP40, tried a fifth one but that was too much flow, and a few other things here and there.

Offset as I wanted some viewing space on the sides and it seemed like it would be a waste to have starphire where you'd be looking into an overflow box.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top