coral keeper
Active Member
Don't get another fixture or any other bulbs. IMO your fine with the fixture, its that bright because it brand new.
AHHHH Its TOO Bright!!!!
- Thread starter dalo78
- Start date
paintballer768
Active Member
Give it a little bit for the lights to break in IMO. Before you start stocking the tank, the temperature issue NEEDS to be addressed. How well ventilated is the room? A fan would help, but unless the room is good at exporting heat (i.e. has some large open passageways to other rooms, windows, strong A/C system) then the heat will just blow away from the tank into the room where it will maybe postpone the heating effects a teeny bit.
frankthetank
Active Member
If it had been me personally, I would have put a 4 or 5 bulb fixture over that tank. BUT... since you got the 6 bulb fixture, why not change out a 10k bulb and put a 14k bulb in its' place? You mentioned running 3 actinics??? How about 2 actinics & 1 Blue+. These two might help off set some of the bright light coming off the 10k bulbs.
I would definitely get rid of the glass top. It's holding heat in the tank. You want the surface water to mix with the air for gas exchange. You'd be surprised what a fan blowing over the tank will do for temperatures.
Do these things and let me know what happens.
I would definitely get rid of the glass top. It's holding heat in the tank. You want the surface water to mix with the air for gas exchange. You'd be surprised what a fan blowing over the tank will do for temperatures.
Do these things and let me know what happens.
pulse
Member
In case you did not look already, check your heater (s).
I had trouble keeping my temp below 82. I set my heaters around 75, but the temp stayed high. I kept dropping the heater temp, but the tank temp didn't lower. Finally, I shut the heaters off, and the temp dropped to around 78. Still warm from the lights, but much better.
Now I am working on keeping the temp consistent!
I had trouble keeping my temp below 82. I set my heaters around 75, but the temp stayed high. I kept dropping the heater temp, but the tank temp didn't lower. Finally, I shut the heaters off, and the temp dropped to around 78. Still warm from the lights, but much better.
Now I am working on keeping the temp consistent!
jerryatrick
Active Member
Originally Posted by Dalo78
http:///forum/post/2732053
I worry about taking the glass top off because I have a cat and 2 kids. If they were to somehow knock the lighting fixture off its cheap plastic legs and there were no glass cover to keep it from falling into the tank.....it would be disastrous
You could try egg crate over the tank in place of the glass lid. Some will say that egg crate blocks some light from reaching the tank but I don't think it will be a problem for you.
http:///forum/post/2732053
I worry about taking the glass top off because I have a cat and 2 kids. If they were to somehow knock the lighting fixture off its cheap plastic legs and there were no glass cover to keep it from falling into the tank.....it would be disastrous
You could try egg crate over the tank in place of the glass lid. Some will say that egg crate blocks some light from reaching the tank but I don't think it will be a problem for you.
spanko
Active Member
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/2731969
OMG! I laughed so hard when I saw the livingroom pic!
Yeah the living room pic is crazy, but how about Aquanknights night time outside the house picture? it is a wonder the police have not been there to confiscate his plants and grow lights yet!!!
http:///forum/post/2731969
OMG! I laughed so hard when I saw the livingroom pic!
Yeah the living room pic is crazy, but how about Aquanknights night time outside the house picture? it is a wonder the police have not been there to confiscate his plants and grow lights yet!!!
fraggle_a
Member
Okay.
If the light fixtuer has the vents in the side... but no fans. Run to your local computer hardware store and but the mini fans. You should find some in with the performance cooling stuff. Might be labled as a VGA fan or something like that.
Install em on one side of the fixture to pull the warm air from the lights.
Works a treat on mine.
Remove the glass top.
Or, remove part of the glass top at the front. Leave the back exposed.
Alternativly, find a clear plastic solution and drill holes all over it.
Turn the heater off entierly (unplug it) and monitor the temps.
Mount some black (or white, or reflective) backing on the back (above the tank), and perhapse on the tank sides. This will stop light spill and reflect more light back into the tank. That simple glossy blue backing works so well and looks nice too. Chances are, your going to have algee all over the back side of that thing soon enough anyway.
Consider perhaps some stepped lighting?.
My whole T5 array doesnt come on all at the same time.
I have the 42" come on first for 1 hour, then the 2 24" come on. Then the reverse at night.
You have a little over 5watt per gallon. Not too shabby.
Okay.
So, sa your tank develops the amount of light that gets reflected and thrown out will go down. As corrals and algee develop, they will absorb the light. As the rock matures, browns and with any luck goes purple, it will stop reflecting as much, and same with the sand (except the purple bit).
What you can do right now is change the time the lights are on. Since you have little live stock, you could set the lights to come on at 6am and go off at 4 or 5pm. As the tank develops and matures, you can tinker with the schedule and bring it towards a more pleasurable viewing range.
If the light fixtuer has the vents in the side... but no fans. Run to your local computer hardware store and but the mini fans. You should find some in with the performance cooling stuff. Might be labled as a VGA fan or something like that.
Install em on one side of the fixture to pull the warm air from the lights.
Works a treat on mine.
Remove the glass top.
Or, remove part of the glass top at the front. Leave the back exposed.
Alternativly, find a clear plastic solution and drill holes all over it.
Turn the heater off entierly (unplug it) and monitor the temps.
Mount some black (or white, or reflective) backing on the back (above the tank), and perhapse on the tank sides. This will stop light spill and reflect more light back into the tank. That simple glossy blue backing works so well and looks nice too. Chances are, your going to have algee all over the back side of that thing soon enough anyway.
Consider perhaps some stepped lighting?.
My whole T5 array doesnt come on all at the same time.
I have the 42" come on first for 1 hour, then the 2 24" come on. Then the reverse at night.
You have a little over 5watt per gallon. Not too shabby.
Okay.
So, sa your tank develops the amount of light that gets reflected and thrown out will go down. As corrals and algee develop, they will absorb the light. As the rock matures, browns and with any luck goes purple, it will stop reflecting as much, and same with the sand (except the purple bit).
What you can do right now is change the time the lights are on. Since you have little live stock, you could set the lights to come on at 6am and go off at 4 or 5pm. As the tank develops and matures, you can tinker with the schedule and bring it towards a more pleasurable viewing range.
dalo78
Member
Thanks everyone for all of the advice! The lamp does have fan holes but no fan so I think I will put one in. Also I did take the rear part of the back tank cover off so at least part of it is open. I am thinking of removing 1 actinic bulb and 1 10K. I guess I will just live with the light for a while. Maybe in the meantime all the moths flocking to our windows at night will latch on and fly us away to a warmer climate and I won't mind as much!
No, I don't have a filter just the AquaC remora w/ maxi 1200 pump and the 35 lbs of live rock.
M
markeo99
Guest
sumps are no trouble and a must in my opinion I love mine
1chaeto for nutrient exprt
2 place to put heater and skimmer and stuff you dont want to see
3 refugium for critters fish love pods
4 keeps the top of the water from looking all scummy
1chaeto for nutrient exprt
2 place to put heater and skimmer and stuff you dont want to see
3 refugium for critters fish love pods
4 keeps the top of the water from looking all scummy
jerryatrick
Active Member
Originally Posted by markeo99
http:///forum/post/2732597
sumps are no trouble and a must in my opinion I love mine
1chaeto for nutrient exprt
2 place to put heater and skimmer and stuff you dont want to see
3 refugium for critters fish love pods
4 keeps the top of the water from looking all scummy
Not a must for sure but if you can set one up there are no drawbacks, only positives.
If you don't set one up here are some ideas based off markeo99's reasons to have one (all valid reasons to have sump)
1. In tank refuge (Macro algae)
2. Eye sores (heater and skimmer visible)
3. In tank refuge (pods and critters)
4. Power head up high to break up water surface
http:///forum/post/2732597
sumps are no trouble and a must in my opinion I love mine
1chaeto for nutrient exprt
2 place to put heater and skimmer and stuff you dont want to see
3 refugium for critters fish love pods
4 keeps the top of the water from looking all scummy
Not a must for sure but if you can set one up there are no drawbacks, only positives.
If you don't set one up here are some ideas based off markeo99's reasons to have one (all valid reasons to have sump)
1. In tank refuge (Macro algae)
2. Eye sores (heater and skimmer visible)
3. In tank refuge (pods and critters)
4. Power head up high to break up water surface