Salty's 125

[Salty Cracker]

Yep I was definitely right on the fence about going back to T5 until I switched up the mix on this.  I was frustrated with too much dark brown on corals, slow growth, loss of colour, etc etc.  Mostly I was just looking at the coralline growth...there was almost none in the tank except the side where the window was, and I had a few corals (torts) that were growing horizontal, again towards the window.  I knew they were missing something.  Coralline growth started back up immediately after adding in the UV, and as you can see, colours are starting to come out on everything.  Since UV bulbs are fairly new I wonder if this wasn't a problem with a lot of LED setups.

The nice thing about T5 is you change a bulb, and boom you have almost a new light fixture.  One thing I would like to see on a T5 fixture would be some sort of digital monitor for the ballasts.  I had a bugger of a time with my old fixture until I figured out it was a bad ballast that wasn't putting out enough juice...

 

[Salty Cracker]

That purple bonzai (last photo) shows how much things are changing.  Before, it was doing a whole lot of encrusting, but no upward growth.  The entire base was brown with light green polyps. Look at how much encrusting it had been doing (it was 2 small frags to start).  Now it's all blue, it's beginning to grow upward, and the tips are crazy purple.  I've left it a lot of real estate, I'm hoping it grows into a huge colony.  The red planet is also looking crazy good, red purple and green.  If things cruise along like this for a couple of months I might actually try buying a few premium pieces.  Up to now I would just expect them to brown out and be a waste of money. 

 

[AdamS]

What do you think the time frame of the order is? I wonder if we should arrange some sort of rapid led group buy?

 

[Salty Cracker]

What do you think the time frame of the order is? I wonder if we should arrange some sort of rapid led group buy?

I might be interested, shipping can be a bitch on the heatsink orders.  It takes approx 10 bus days to get an order up here. 

You should still come by and take a peek at the setup.  I think I'm 99% satisfied with the way I have it on the new panel. 

 

[AdamS]

Did you change it since i saw it last? I would like to see how the colours have developed.

I would ship to port huron and pick up, make everyone kick in a couple bucks for gas. I will start a thread later this week to guage interest.

 

[Salty Cracker]

Did you change it since i saw it last? I would like to see how the colours have developed.

I would ship to port huron and pick up, make everyone kick in a couple bucks for gas. I will start a thread later this week to guage interest.

When you came by I remember you weren't totally sure of what you were going to do, I thought maybe take a look at what is going on in the tank before you do the final order, however maybe you can tell from the pics... I still think I have too much white when the whites are lit.  I figure we have a powwow before we do a group buy of any kind... but you know how I ramble on   Maybe I'm just starved for attention!

 

[sunnykita]

very nice ! I can only hope someday !
sunnykita

 

[Salty Cracker]

Okay, so with heavy feeding, adding FUEL and the new UV lights, here are the results to date.  Pics taken only with custom  white balance, RAW, no editing except for size.  Lighting is UV and RB LED only for the shots.  These are as close as I can get them to what it looks like to the naked eye.

 

[Thmh]

Looking good salty! Is the 6th picture red. Planet?

PEWPEW!

 

[Darryl_V]

looks nice and healthy!  great pics salty....

 

[Reef Hero]

Very nice! Maybe I can sneak a peak on Saturday.....?



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[Salty Cracker]

Looking good salty! Is the 6th picture red. Planet?

PEWPEW!

Yepper.

GO BRUINS! 

 

[Salty Cracker]

Very nice! Maybe I can sneak a peak on Saturday.....?



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NO!  No peek for you!

 

[Reef Hero]

Coral Nazi!
Maybe for the best really lol.....I will probably see something I like and I am running out of room.....


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[unibob]

So when you going to come clean and tell everyone you switched to T5?

 

[Salty Cracker]

So when you going to come clean and tell everyone you switched to T5?

Pretty impressive difference from before eh?  I swear I came this || close to ordering a couple of endcaps and a ballast from BRS to supplement.  But, proud to say it's still 100% LED. 

This little guy.  Hasn't started growing yet, but WOW.  It glows like the surface of the sun, and it's in mostly shade!  He does eat well though, for something that isn't changing size yet. 

 

[jroovers]

Fantastic pics, your corals are really looking good!  All LED eh, impressive.

 

[Salty Cracker]

Fantastic pics, your corals are really looking good!  All LED eh, impressive.

I see you managed to trump my photos with yours YET AGAIN.  You bastard. 




However, yep, 100% LED.  Growth is way up, so I might finally be able to post some FTS shots that don't look like a huge frag tank soon. 

 

[jroovers]

[quote author=jroovers link=topic=3236.msg44781#msg44781 date=1363306377]
Fantastic pics, your corals are really looking good!  All LED eh, impressive.

I see you managed to trump my photos with yours YET AGAIN.  You bastard. 




However, yep, 100% LED.  Growth is way up, so I might finally be able to post some FTS shots that don't look like a huge frag tank soon.
[/quote]

Lol, who's trumping who, you're the one growing SPS with strictly LEDs - I still need my T5s!  8)

 

[Salty Cracker]

Been a while since I updated...

Uv's and RB's on for these shots.  I can't get a FTS because it's so long and narrow, so the angle shots are about the best I can get...
Oh and a couple of shots of my new babies...