IM 25 Gallon Lagoon Tank (SPS Dominated)

Well thanks for the compliment! And last time I checked my phosphates with the hanna checker, they were zero. Though I recently stopped dosing acropower and I'm just adding more fish instead and relying on water changes. I want to keep things as natural/simple as possible. I do like the 10k look and think I'll stick with it for now. I just wish I could get brighter reds under the light. For some reason the red planet looks a lot more of a deep red under the radium or 20k bulbs. I recently added a geissman pure actinic on top of the kz superblue. I also raised the lights up to 18" because my tank is only 13" deep and some of the corals were bleaching. Here are some photos...

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Nice tank, JB. I recently got a Hamilton 70W MH similar to the Bimini fixture. I was planning to run it on a 20G until I saw you using 250W for a 25G.

Unfortunately, I can't find any stats. Based on some BRS clips and a call I made to Hamilton, the fixture disperses on a 24 x 24" square 5 inches from the surface. Optimally , within a 6" x 18" rectangle for which I will center a rock mound or bridge.

1) Do you think that is enough?
2) What is the temp difference for your lit and unlit tank?
3) What is that slim t5 fixture on your tank?

Thanks.
 
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Paulip said:
Nice tank, JB. I recently got a Hamilton 70W MH similar to the Bimini fixture. I was planning to run it on a 20G until I saw you using 250W for a 25G.

Unfortunately, I can't find any stats. Based on some BRS clips and a call I made to Hamilton, the fixture disperses on a 24 x 24" square 5 inches from the surface. Optimally , within a 6" x 18" rectangle for which I will center a rock mound or bridge.

1) Do you think that is enough?
2) What is the temp difference for your lit and unlit tank?
3) What is that slim t5 fixture on your tank?

Thanks.
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Thanks! And I think it depends on the type of corals you have. For LPS that should be fine but for SPS I think you would need more wattage. As for the temp difference, I can't really tell you because my temperature is kept stable around 78 consistently. I have a fan that cools off the tank (as you can see in the photos), then at night, the heater turns on to keep temp stable. And the t5 fixture is actually two separate sun blaze t5 single fixtures. I just connected them. Then I used adhesive to make sure they stay put on the back of the tank
 
How are you liking the geissman pure actinic and kz superblue? Any noticeable difference in the tank? Im looking to add 2 of each to my 30 gallon to supplement my 250w halide

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They definitely do make a difference, especially with the 10k. I highly recommend them!! There is more coral fluorescence!
 
Good choice! And what do you guys think? Should I go with a 14k hamilton or maybe aqua connect bulb or radium or should i stick with 10k. I do like the 10k look but I just wish I could get a bit more color. Also I will be running the vertex electronic ballast and I know radiums should be run on PFO magnetic ballasts.
 
So I made the official switch to radium! And I love it! It's a nice white look with a hint of blue! I found that some of my corals were just not doing well under 10k mainly I think it was just way too strong especially when most of the corals came from tanks running LED's. I bought a Hamilton M80 ballast too because everything I read said radiums were meant to be run on magnetic ballasts. Here is a preview (shot on iPhone, no editing)...

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Tank is beautiful!

jbmagic said:
I bought a Hamilton M80 ballast too because everything I read said radiums were meant to be run on magnetic ballasts.
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This is true but outdated information. Electronic ballasts will run radium's just fine, especially the coralvue's that can overdrive them. The reason for this is because of the days before the E ballast. M80's are intended for HQI bulbs and when put with a mogul socket, will overdrive the bulb giving it a very crisp white with that beautiful blue hint you describe. I have ran mogul radiums on M80's and E ballasts in the past and they are almost identical except the E ballast doesn't hum :).
 
Sorry it has taken so long...I have been trying to improve my photography skills because photographing a tank with so much blue is not easy but I managed to get a few decent shots in. Unfortunately my colors of the colors aren't quite where I would like them to be. Ultimately I'm going for colors like Iwan Lasser's reef tank, deep and vivid, but that takes time I suppose. Meanwhile here are some closeups...

Red Planet


unknown yellow stag with blue tips


PC Rainbow


Green Stylophora
 
Paulip said:
So, that's how they make those zeovit photos with very white light under LEDs and pastel corals. A++

I think I get it. The color of the filter removes the complementary color(hue).
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No, zeovit is tailored to produce pale corals through low nutrients and added copper (among other things). The rest of it is proper camera use and post processing if necessary.
 
It's time for an update...I know a lot of people love their 20k radiums, however, I have always preferred the whiter look on tanks. And in my experience, you get deeper colors and more color variety with 10k than you do 20k. 20k, to me, always seems to wash out colors. And part of it has to do with the corals you get. I have found that corals that are naturally colorful, like pink stylophora species, will do great under any spectrum, others not so much. Some may look amazing under 20k but look shit brown under 10k. So it's a combination of obviously keeping the tank clean (but not too clean) and also making sure the corals you have are naturally colorful. Many LFS run leds now and I almost always ask to see the corals under the 10k spectrum. I also just prefer the white look of halide because to me it closely resembles what I have seen when snorkeling/diving and it just makes me happy thinking of the caribbean sun :happy:. Not all 10k tanks are shit brown like people think. Mine aint perfect, but I like to think I'm doing something right. So without further a do....

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