cuttle lagoon

[hobogato]

i was thinking of getting a foam donut (the ones that are made for the vortek) to cover around the outside of the pump where the water is pulled in.

 

[hobogato]

got my LED lights in to replace the halogen bulbs i had in the recessed lights

here are the bulbs

here is a comparison shot

i will take a pic of the tank in a while when the light is gone from the sky lights.

 

[hobogato]

here it is - not really happy with the lights.

they are bright enough, but the light is too spread out - doesnt focus on the tank enough. found some more on ebay that are twice as bright and supposed to be spot lights - we shall see....

 

[DWhatley]

Please keep commenting on the LED's as you experiment. It would be helpful if you posted where you got each kind and any specifications/id of the bulbs.

We have looked at trying to use LED's each time we need to change lighting but have not been overly pleased with the few low end ones we have tried.

I would love to find a decent, inexpensive screw-in for my pico. The one I have now is great for heat (lack of) but is barely more than a night light. There is nothing light sensitive in the tank and my tiny critters all do well but I would like to be able to see them other than when I clean the tank

 

[hobogato]

sure, this is the equivalent of the bulbs i have from the same seller i bought them from.

these are the ones i am thinking of trying next if he answers me with a narrow enough light emittance

 

[bluespotocto]

Do you ever get algae out breaks since you are using all natural filtration? Also if you do do you keep it or get rid of it?

 

[hobogato]

this tank has not had that problem since it has only been running a month and there is no livestock in it yet. the other tank i had ran with less algae once i moved to this approach in filtration.

 

[hobogato]

well, the new led bulbs came in and they are barely brighter than the others, but they are a little more blue in color.

also, my captive laid cuttle eggs are on the way should have an update with pics tomorrow...

 

[Lmecher]

Love your aquascaping, can't wait to see more photos.

 

[hobogato]

ok, here they are

here is one with a light behind it. not the best pic, but you can see the cuttle on the right and the brighter oval yolk sac on the left. they are easy to see in person

 

[hobogato]

well, still no hatches here (six of ten have hatched at the school but the water is much warmer there)

i did decide to replace the k4 with a closed loop to make is safer for the eventual cuttles. i also decided to add a single t5 bulb on the front and the back edge of the tank.

so, friday after work, i drained the tank, moved the sand aside, drilled two holes in the bottom of the tank, plumbed up the pump and put most of the water back in

here it is just after putting the sand back - that unpainted elbow will be replaced with locline
from the end

from the front

here is the pump underneath

took this pic to show how much water the closed loop will be moving - i think the pump is rated around 1000 gph

this morning i put the rocks back in and waited for the water to clear up so i could arrange them.


after finish the rockwork this afternoon, i made a couple of low profile acrylic fixtures for the t5 lights.

first i cut groves in the acrylic to make it easier to bend

here it is once the fixtures were finished and installed

here it is - water is still pretty cloudy and i still have to add a "y" and a couple of nozzles on the locline

 

[DWhatley]

What made you decide to add the T5's?

 

[hobogato]

long term plans for the tank include clams, and there just isnt enough light in the winter time from the solar tubes for that. in the summer, i will just put actinic bulbs in to make the tank less yellow when the sun is brighter.

 

[lance]

tank is looking great

lance

 

[CaptFish]

I scanned through the journal and did see it, so I'll ask what Kind(s) of live rock is that?