New lights!!!!

[wildthings44]

I am so excited, I just had to share.
I got a 220w power compact to plop on my 60 gal reef! I put it on and everything just glows! (had a 160 no shop light on there before... wasn't too bad either...) My red mushrooms are now glowing, they looked really good befoer, but now they are awsome! A christmas red.
Just one concern, should I worry about burning things? It is suspended about 4" above the tank at the moment. Should I decrease the lighting period? I was thinking of putting some gauze on top of the tank to difuse the light.
Hey can I try sps with this amount of light?
thanks for the help!
kim

[mojoreef]

Hey wild just a reminder to make sure you acclimate your corals to the new lights. Going the No's to the PC's might be a bit much for the corals all at once.




take care
mike

[wildthings44]

No worries!
I put bubble wrap under the lights, and the colt quickly came back. I left it this way for three days, also I cut my photo period by three hours. So far everything is doing really good! It all just looks so cool! Even the fish. My male anthia now sports a hot pink dorsal! And the red mushrooms are fire engin red, you can see them from the kitchen! I plan to up the photo period by an hour every week and half or so until I am back up to the time I was before...
One thing I was thinking about was an algae bloom, is this going to be a concern with the extra light? I have a lot (and I mean alot) of halamida in the tank to gather excess nutrients, but still wondered if this should be a concern?
thanks
kim

[sam]

LIKE MIKE SAID GIVE YOUR CORALS TIME TO ADJUST . AS FAR AS ALGAE YOU WILL PROBLY SEE SOME BRIGHT GREEN GROWTH ON YOUR GLASS I ALWAYS GET THAT FOR A SHORT PERIOD AFTER I ADD NEW BULBS . I HAVE SEEN GREAT RESULTS SINCE I SWITCHED TO POWER COMPACTS . GOOD LUCK

[cyberchef]

Originally posted by wildthings44

I got a 220w power compact to plop on my 60 gal reef!

Hey can I try sps with this amount of light?

kim

Kim, as someone who has had very good success with PC lights, I would say that for most SPS that would not be enough light. I have a 55 with 520W PC over it, soon to be 500W MH and 260W PC actinic... Before I upgraded to 520 I had 390W PC and SPS didn't fare too well. Since going to 520W PC they do just fine. I'll also admit, that when I had 390W PC my SPS not doing well may have been for other reasons than just the amount of light. But I still feel that 220W PC over a 60 gal tank will be a little shy. If you should decide to try SPS, then at least keep them near the top of the reef and keep an eye open for bleaching due to a lack of light...

[wildthings44]

I have a friend who is going to give me a "hydno" frag... I will put it near the top, just to see.
Just a stupid thing to tell you... when I only had the 175no I was told that I could keep acropora by a lfs.... the guy was an idiot, and I gave to coral away about two weeks after I got it to save it's life (it was a captive prop) To know that with the amount of light I have now, that it would at most be iffy makes me angery that that guy told me the acropora would be ok... it was a very expensive loss, more for the coral then me.
Hey what about clams? If I put them near the top? I have always wanted a clam... especially after seeing the ones and the seattle aquarium (they must have wieghted 70-80lb!) Or are these a MH animal only too...
thanks for the advice
kim

[cyberchef]

Originally posted by wildthings44
when I only had the 175no I was told that I could keep acropora by a lfs.... the guy was an idiot, and I gave to coral away about two weeks after I got it to save it's life (it was a captive prop) To know that with the amount of light I have now, that it would at most be iffy makes me angery that that guy told me the acropora would be ok... it was a very expensive loss, more for the coral then me.

Sorry to hear about the loss. When I first got into the SW Reef tank I only had the LFS to learn from and deal with. Unfortunately he seemed a lot more knowledgeable than what he really was. I learned a few things the hard way. Fortunately about 2 months after I got the tank I found TRT and RC/ARC (Atlanta Reef Club) and have learned alot. I've had to make a few adjustments in order to keep something I really liked/wanted and I am now glad I did, they have been well worth it. As far as lighting goes, do you have a hood/canopy over your tank? If so you could always add a couple of extra PC's with a retrofit kit from someplace such as Hello Lights...
http://www.lampsnow.com/
Specifically http://www.lampsnow.com/2xbalkit.html
I have a couple of these and they work great. It will run 2 55W bulbs or 2 65W bulbs. I've used both in it and they both work fine. I have these mounted in the bookcase which houses my refugiums.

Hey what about clams? If I put them near the top? I have always wanted a clam... especially after seeing the ones and the seattle aquarium (they must have wieghted 70-80lb!) Or are these a MH animal only too...
kim

Most will tell you that you need MH lights for clams. I don't agree because I have clams and they are doing great and growing bigger every month. But I also have a LOT of PC light over my tank and the water depth is only about 13" when you subtract the depth of the SB/plenum from the total depth of the tank. A shallower tank can get by with less intense light as it does not have to penetrate as much water depth. I don't know the specific depth of your tank or the specific water depth so it does make it harder to give accurate advise. Also, with clams you can put them anywhere you like, but if they don't like it, they will move to where they do like it. I have 2 clams (1 Derasa, 1 Squamosa) and they look like they are cuddling up to each other. I've tried moving them apart and within a day or so they are right back side by side, it's funny. I think they would take turns sitting on top of each other if they could... Also with Clams you will need to keep on top of your calcium/alkalinity levels. They are calcium pigs and need proper alkalinity in order to make shell from the calcium in the water column. Like my SPS, my clams are growing even faster since I started dripping Kalk and looking great. I think that dripping Kalk has allowed me to keep the calcium/alkalinity more properly adjusted and stable, so that my corals can process the calcium better, it automatically adds calcium and alkalinity in proper proportions.

[Jimbo]

I agree with cyberchef about the clams, I have always like to put them in the sand on the bottom. If you buy a $50-75 dollar clam and it dies it is expensive and you feel really bad. For some reason you get attached to them, maybe it's because they cost so much .

SPS frags are another story, you can get them from people that grow there own, so experimenting is not as big deal and as you learn you will have frags of your own to contribute.

I've dripped Kalk on occasions during my 10 year reefkeeping experience and could never get the carbonate system balanced when doing so. Always had to add a second buffer to the system and if you don't get it right, wacko goes your echosystem, not all at once, but your corals will stop extending there pulps when your alkalinity and ph start swinging.

Many people drip Kalk, but I'm incompatible with it. Have heard of others that have said the same thing. A 2 part additive that supplies calcium and buffer is ok as long as your easy on your usage, along with small partitial water changes. I'd rather have my calcium level a little on the low side than to fight a buffer problem. The 2 part I have is the kent stuff, I bought it used and am not sure what everyone else is using currently.
Check out this article about carbonate balance
http://www.athiel.com/lib7/greenfield.htm

At the moment I'm not really doing water changes, but believe my DSB is helping in recirculating some of the things, like calcium, magnesium and strontium a long with other trace elements. I also have alot of mud in the tank which is rich in trace elements. I really don't know where any other stuff is going. I at times remove some macro algea and the skimmer is only removing a small amount of stuff at this time. Of course small partial water changes can remove toxins, but hopefully my refugium's macro algea growth center is doing that for me. I'm going to keep an eye on things, as long as the stuff looks good and ph, akalinity look good....

~Jimbo

[wildthings44]

thanks alot guys for the info, you really know how to make a girl feel at home, and at least not totally stupid! (I have been on forums where it seems they live to do this!) (And they don't like to admit thier own mistakes... it makes me feel better to know I am not the only one who was too trusting.... )
Anyway if I find a reasonably priced clam in a year or so maybe I will take him home.
As to extra lighting, I could bearly afford what I got! And for space, well there really isn't alot, even though I don't have a canopy on my tank. One of these days I am going to find the cord to my dig. camera then I can ask for some help to post pix... I am shy, but I hope when you all get to see it you'll like it too...
thanks
kim

[Minnreefer]

I would recomend staying away from most clams, for sure Gigas and maximas, but derasa's, squamosa's would prob be fine in that light.

HTH

congrats again

[cyberchef]

Originally posted by Minnreefer
derasa's, squamosa's would prob be fine in that light.

If you do go for it, try to find larger clams as they would have more mantle for absorbing light and producing thier own food.