I've got one thing to say. Having been reefing for just a short time (3yrs) I have never seen such natural looking SPS. Many sellers could learn something from you......NATURAL is sooooooo much better!!!
I've got one thing to say. Having been reefing for just a short time (3yrs) I have never seen such natural looking SPS. Many sellers could learn something from you......NATURAL is sooooooo much better!!!
Hi Miz,
Thank you so much for the kind words. I agree with you 100%. When I took the day light shots of my coral, I wanted reefers to see what they would look like in the ocean. The naturals pics have almost all of the blue removed. These are the natural colors of the coral. I also wanted to show some actinic only pics so reefers could see the "pop" of the colors.
Well you did them justice for sure. Now I really don't understand why so many use Photo Shop. If they can look like this naturally, then why not show it?
Whats even more amazing is the fact that you are keeping them all under T5 lighting. I've always been told that success with sps would be hard under anything less then LED's or MH. I do know that your ZEO systems has a lot to do with your success also, right?
What is the depth of your tank and where do your lights sit? Are the ATI Sunpowers different then the regular ATI's? I use 4x24w T5HO ATI.
Well you did them justice for sure. Now I really don't understand why so many use Photo Shop. If they can look like this naturally, then why not show it?
Whats even more amazing is the fact that you are keeping them all under T5 lighting. I've always been told that success with sps would be hard under anything less then LED's or MH. I do know that your ZEO systems has a lot to do with your success also, right?
What is the depth of your tank and where do your lights sit? Are the ATI Sunpowers different then the regular ATI's? I use 4x24w T5HO ATI.
Hey Miz,
You can usually tell if someone is trying to alter the look of their corals for their benefit if you look at something that is supposed to be white in the picture. This is why some many reefers focus on the color of eggcrate. If its purple or ultra blue, chances are the coral will not look like that the pick when in your tank.
As a reefer since 1999, I have used PC, MH, and T5. I have grown SPS under all three. I didn't try Acropora under PC, but I was able to grow montipora. The greatest success I have had with SPS is with T5. I know exactly what the PAR is going to be at different spots in my tank. There are so many tanks that have had success with nothing but T5s. I wouldn't try SPS with LED. Maybe LPS, but not SPS. Its just my personal preference. With that said, I have a good reefing buddy that has over a 1000 watts of LED over a 320. He has done very well with LED.
ZEOVit does help, but it is not a recipe for success. Its a means to an end. The end in this case is an ULNS. ZEOVit can wipe out an entire tank very quickly if not used correctly. If I were to sum up my approach, I would say I target to maximize my food input while matching my nutrient export. ZEOVIt was the next big challenge for me. If you ever would like to venture into the realm of ZEO, Captive Reefs now has someone that can help.
The depth of my tank is 22". The length of my tank is 60". The 8x80 Sunpower sits over my tank perfectly. My bulbs are almost 6 months old. At 8.5" above the tank and 9" below the water, I have a PAR of 540 under the middle of my fixture. IF I understand the question, the ATI Sunpower is the actual fixture I use. The ATI bulbs all pretty good. The difference is going to be in your reflector and cooling. I can actually measure the increase in PAR with the increase in fan speed on the unit. My bulb combo is the following.
Blue +
Blue +
Actinic
Aquablue
Aquablue
Actinic
Blue +
Blue +
U wouldn't try SPS with LEDs?????????????????.... please tell me that was a joke.
Nope. Not a joke. Thats just me though. I prefer T5 or MH. I was at a buddys house of Friday, and he has over a 1000W of LED. He keeps a thriving SPS tank. Its just my preference. I am not a fan of the color or the spread. My buddy needs nine seperate banks of LEDs to light his 320. When we were measuring his PAR, I could move the PAR sensor a couple inches and the reading would spike or plummet. With T5 or MH, I can get a much more consistent reading on PAR levels. The PAR wasn't as choppy as it was with the LEDs I've tested. Not to say growing SPS cant be done. It surely can. Its been proven time and time again. I just like the T5s and MH over LEDs.
I moved it over to the member's reef forum so it can be shown off more fully.
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Originally Posted by MizTanks
I've got one thing to say. Having been reefing for just a short time (3yrs) I have never seen such natural looking SPS. Many sellers could learn something from you......NATURAL is sooooooo much better!!!
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