- Location
- NYC
Well played. The initial efforts have paid serious dividends!
Kat's Fabulous Red Sea Max
- Thread starter Metrokat
- Start date
- Location
- New York Metro Area
Thanks. I'm in the middle of getting a hybrid light T5/Full spectrum LEDs. Can;t wait!
- Location
- Glendale,Queens.
Just wanted to stop by and say Thank You! For the info for the e-Marco bonding mortar.i just place an order for 2- 15 pound mortar kits....I'm well on my way to making the ultimate aquascape thanks to you!
Nice same here not a big fan of leds but willing to give em a try sincs I will have t5's in the fixture
- Location
- New York Metro Area
Thought it was time for an update. 
I finally finally finally have my dream light. A T5/LED hybrid. The T5's are High Output dual Aquatic life (two units for a total of 4 bulbs 24W) and the LED's are Dave Fason Nano-Box making this one of very few custom Hybrid lights out there. You can also see the growth in the tank from when it was started 1.5 years ago.
T5's
Nano-Box LED's
Both
At first glance the color mix is much better than the T5 blue hue that I had before. And it sure is bright in there because the coverage is now end to end. In fact the light is spilling into the back chamber meaning I will get algae on the overflow and I need to protect that. The front edge of the RSM is curved making the lights sit about 1/4-1/2 inch farther back on the rim than I would like. However there is no denying that this tank has more light than ever before.
I finally finally finally have my dream light. A T5/LED hybrid. The T5's are High Output dual Aquatic life (two units for a total of 4 bulbs 24W) and the LED's are Dave Fason Nano-Box making this one of very few custom Hybrid lights out there. You can also see the growth in the tank from when it was started 1.5 years ago.
T5's
Nano-Box LED's
Both
At first glance the color mix is much better than the T5 blue hue that I had before. And it sure is bright in there because the coverage is now end to end. In fact the light is spilling into the back chamber meaning I will get algae on the overflow and I need to protect that. The front edge of the RSM is curved making the lights sit about 1/4-1/2 inch farther back on the rim than I would like. However there is no denying that this tank has more light than ever before.
- Location
- New York Metro Area
The Hybrid
The top
So this is a Full Spectrum LED combined with 3 ATI bulbs and 1 GE bulb. The channels on the LED are dimmable and it is also controllable with Apex/RK if you have a dimming module. I'm a sucker for sleek low profile lights like the Razor but unfortunately can't have that with T5s so this was my best option.
Anybody following my progress knows I've been a big fan of keeping the lid on the AIO tank. I don't really like the open top look and I'm always scared for my fish. Luckily there are options available for my tank which make everything still look all proper (as I define it).
I'm looking for an Apex Energy Bar 8 if anyone has one for sale. Thanks for reading.
Next up: a custom fuge light! :meow:
The top
So this is a Full Spectrum LED combined with 3 ATI bulbs and 1 GE bulb. The channels on the LED are dimmable and it is also controllable with Apex/RK if you have a dimming module. I'm a sucker for sleek low profile lights like the Razor but unfortunately can't have that with T5s so this was my best option.
Anybody following my progress knows I've been a big fan of keeping the lid on the AIO tank. I don't really like the open top look and I'm always scared for my fish. Luckily there are options available for my tank which make everything still look all proper (as I define it).
I'm looking for an Apex Energy Bar 8 if anyone has one for sale. Thanks for reading.
Next up: a custom fuge light! :meow:
- Location
- New York Metro Area
Oh! I forgot to mention. My clownfish started spawning about 4-5 weeks ago and spawn pretty much every week which I thought is a little over the top considering everything I have read about the frequency of spawning pairs. Ruby is as big as a house! Interestingly, the spawning started as soon as I started feeding live black worms, following Paul B's observation of the same in his tank.
- Location
- north jersey
beautiful! now you need a bigger tank......lol
- Location
- Long Island, NY
Awesome tank. The combo lights look great. Makes me want to go get an RSM tank now.
Sell them for a few hundred and get new clowns!!! I Love to do that as i like getting new fish every few years.
- Location
- New York Metro Area
Making tough decisions to get rid of my big SPS colonies to make room for the next level of reef keeping - difficult acroporas.
The pink bird needs to go to a bigger home
So does the ORA scripps colony
Also have a large ORA green bird colony
Looking for red dragon, tyree ice fire echinata, pearlberry, strayberry shortcake, rainbow millie.
The pink bird needs to go to a bigger home
So does the ORA scripps colony
Also have a large ORA green bird colony
Looking for red dragon, tyree ice fire echinata, pearlberry, strayberry shortcake, rainbow millie.
- Location
- New York Metro Area
The nasuta might be ready to frag...
- Location
- New York Metro Area
My ORA green bird colony is 4X4.5
- Location
- New York Metro Area
MOAR light pictures. Top down
- Location
- New York Metro Area
Tubbs yellow bird colony
- Location
- New York Metro Area
My T5/LED hybrid light
Since lighting is always a hot topic, I wanted to give you more info on my custom retrofit light which was done by Nano-Box.
I'm a huge believer in T5's. My Red Sea Max came with PC/T5s which were powerful enough to grow this nasuta:
I wanted true T5s knowing the colors and growth that is possible under them by observing so many tanks. I began researching how to retrofit true T5s into my RSM hood. Anybody following my tank thread knows that I am not a fan of the open top look, I like to keep a lid on the tank, it looks pleasing to me. But I soon learnt that there was no way I could comfortably retrofit T5s into the hood. For one there was nobody willing to do it for me, and I have no knowledge of electric mumbo jumbo. I would have most likely ended up frying my whole building.
I emailed Steve's LED's and they would only retrofit their RSM LED kit. I finally decided that I I had to get rid of the hood. JBB was awesome and sent me two units of 24W Aquatic life Dual T5-HO lights. I strapped them together and this tank was on T5s! The fixtures left a lot of room and could fit another module. So I thought I would strap 3 together to have 6 bulbs on the tank. Then the idea of the hybrid came to me.
Now a T5/LED hybrid light has been a dream light for me. The most common hybrids out there were MH with T5s or MH with LED's. When Decoz had Dave Fason build a custom T5/LED light, I nearly fell off my chair. YES! It was possible!
My first step was to contact Aquatic Life. They sent me an empty housing for the dual T5 fixture they sell and which I was already using. I communicated with Benny and Evil many times and then I sent a PM to Dave Fason.
Dave said Yes! :meow:
ReefBuilders first reported the ATI LED/T5 hybrid light (http://reefbuilders....l-hybrid-light/), a sleek looking fixture at a steep price (~$1,100 for the same kind of I had built). My custom built light has
22 REBEL ES LED's ( 2 - Warm white, 2 Neutral white, 1 Cyan, 2 Blue, 4 Royal Blue )
4 SEMILED LED's ( 4 - Violets )
Two 40w Inventronics drivers ( 1-10v capable )
CNC Driver Enclosure
Tight Weave Cable Sleeving ( the BEST out there )
The unit can have PAR of 800+ when pushed to full power and is capable of growing any coral.
On either side of the LED are Aquatic life Dual Lamp T5-HO running 24W ATI bulbs.
The light covers the full length and width of my tank and looks neat. Pictures below.
The tank is still acclimating to the LED add-ons. While that is going on, I decided to re-vamp my tank and push myself to the next levels of reef-keeping (for me). I began selling off my large SPS colonies to make room for the uber exotic acroporas like Red Dragon, Microlades, Strawberry shortcakes, Tierra Del Fuego..... Yeah I'm drooling again.
I bought my first 3 frags a week ago. So far so good. fingerscrossed
I'll do a post on my new fuge light in a little bit.
Enjoy,
Kat
Since lighting is always a hot topic, I wanted to give you more info on my custom retrofit light which was done by Nano-Box.
I'm a huge believer in T5's. My Red Sea Max came with PC/T5s which were powerful enough to grow this nasuta:
I wanted true T5s knowing the colors and growth that is possible under them by observing so many tanks. I began researching how to retrofit true T5s into my RSM hood. Anybody following my tank thread knows that I am not a fan of the open top look, I like to keep a lid on the tank, it looks pleasing to me. But I soon learnt that there was no way I could comfortably retrofit T5s into the hood. For one there was nobody willing to do it for me, and I have no knowledge of electric mumbo jumbo. I would have most likely ended up frying my whole building.
I emailed Steve's LED's and they would only retrofit their RSM LED kit. I finally decided that I I had to get rid of the hood. JBB was awesome and sent me two units of 24W Aquatic life Dual T5-HO lights. I strapped them together and this tank was on T5s! The fixtures left a lot of room and could fit another module. So I thought I would strap 3 together to have 6 bulbs on the tank. Then the idea of the hybrid came to me.
Now a T5/LED hybrid light has been a dream light for me. The most common hybrids out there were MH with T5s or MH with LED's. When Decoz had Dave Fason build a custom T5/LED light, I nearly fell off my chair. YES! It was possible!
My first step was to contact Aquatic Life. They sent me an empty housing for the dual T5 fixture they sell and which I was already using. I communicated with Benny and Evil many times and then I sent a PM to Dave Fason.
Dave said Yes! :meow:
ReefBuilders first reported the ATI LED/T5 hybrid light (http://reefbuilders....l-hybrid-light/), a sleek looking fixture at a steep price (~$1,100 for the same kind of I had built). My custom built light has
22 REBEL ES LED's ( 2 - Warm white, 2 Neutral white, 1 Cyan, 2 Blue, 4 Royal Blue )
4 SEMILED LED's ( 4 - Violets )
Two 40w Inventronics drivers ( 1-10v capable )
CNC Driver Enclosure
Tight Weave Cable Sleeving ( the BEST out there )
The unit can have PAR of 800+ when pushed to full power and is capable of growing any coral.
On either side of the LED are Aquatic life Dual Lamp T5-HO running 24W ATI bulbs.
The light covers the full length and width of my tank and looks neat. Pictures below.
The tank is still acclimating to the LED add-ons. While that is going on, I decided to re-vamp my tank and push myself to the next levels of reef-keeping (for me). I began selling off my large SPS colonies to make room for the uber exotic acroporas like Red Dragon, Microlades, Strawberry shortcakes, Tierra Del Fuego..... Yeah I'm drooling again.
I bought my first 3 frags a week ago. So far so good. fingerscrossed
I'll do a post on my new fuge light in a little bit.
Enjoy,
Kat
- Location
- NYC
Kat, you could light Manhattan with those bad boys! Sweet set up.
Looks good, GL with the acroporas.
Looks good, GL with the acroporas.
i would like to get my girl a hybrid. how is yours coming along? she has been wanting one for some time now she has a MH over her 34 solona but i also wanna put a T5 combo witch would spice everything up. was this costly for you?
This does not add up to 22 LEDs
I have been using T5s with my LEDs for the past 5 years with 'good' (IMO) results.
- Location
- Bellmore, NY
Its adds to 11..i'm guessing two cluster of that
Tank and lights look great! My office just moved away from times square so probably won't be able to meet as easily for frags anymore
Btw, that last batch I got from you are all doing great! That green slimer is starting to look sweet! Same for the spongodes and the yellow milli!
Tank and lights look great! My office just moved away from times square so probably won't be able to meet as easily for frags anymore
Btw, that last batch I got from you are all doing great! That green slimer is starting to look sweet! Same for the spongodes and the yellow milli!
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