New Decade, New Decadence...

[Geoffrey Rea]

Looks great! what’s the stocking going to be for this one? Got a fair amount of space to play with.

Cheers

Conor

Got 60 Green Neon Tetras @Conort2 so the tank is solely for them. Trying to leave enough overhangs to hide under that they’re happy to hang out in full view along the front. That’s the plan at least. Once the stems grow full height they’ll probably hide at the back

Love the hardscape, very natural, new tank looks amazing. Watching this one with lots of interest.

Are you running one filter or two? Can't quite make it out.

Cheers @SRP3006

Just the one filter but we’ll see how it goes. The spraybar running the length of the tank gives a good even flow, without misting the hardscape with Co2 in a concentrated way.

 

[Conort2]

Got 60 Green Neon Tetras @Conort2 so the tank is solely for them. Trying to leave enough overhangs to hide under that they’re happy to hang out in full view along the front. That’s the plan at least. Once the stems grow full height they’ll probably hide at the back

Ha more than likely! sounds like a good plan. Will look great with them. Could always add botanicals too to make them feel more at home. Not sure how the tannins would effect the light levels though in a high tech tank.

Cheers

Conor


Cheers @SRP3006

Just the one filter but we’ll see how it goes. The spraybar running the length of the tank gives a good even flow, without misting the hardscape with Co2 in a concentrated way.

 

[alto]

Once the stems grow full height they’ll probably hide at the back

Only when they hear you coming

(go ahead you know you want to ...
...
....
......
Felix Smart Secret Agent Cam 😎 )

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Glassware in, second filter installed and water has gone clear on day seven. All heading in the right direction.



The front lily is a downward facing CalAqua that will push the Co2 down and away from the main scape. Dwell time is good.

On the right is a new glass set that @Aquarium Gardens is playing with. It’s halfway between a jet and a lily, gives plenty of surface agitation and long reach with really good flow so distribution is great. The design looks different from a standard lily, smaller and on a longer tank it seems to be a good fit to get water right across the length of the scape.






The inlets are nice also and the set easily accepts a cleaning brush through it for maintenance.

 

[Jayefc1]

Love that frodo stone mate looks amazing yank looks really.clean and fresh now guess you needed the second filter think we both new you would in that size tank how long does it take to do a water change on it ?

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Thanks @Jayefc1 and getting fond of this one. Has some really nice aspects to it as you move around which don’t really translate to a single photo.

It actually cleared up with the one filter and the spraybar arrangement. The single filter setup was an Eheim Pro3e 600T running around max though and that thing gives really great turnover - love it.

With lily pipes on though definitely vote two filters to get good distribution around the tank and can run both filters turned down a bit. Also offers some flexibility and redundancy should anything fail.

I know the MC and riccardia is overgrown and will trim it short once it’s attached and settled in. Plan is to put some Pinnatifida high up on the wood and let some grow out of the water once everything else is grown in, don’t want anything shadowed this early on.

Hope you’re well mate.

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Water change wise @Jayefc1 draining with a wide diameter hose takes no time at all, few minutes. Refill off the mixer tap direct to the tank using a skinny hose and sprinkler head which is slow but effortless. The large open area front right corner was left clear so it can be refilled from this corner without making a mess. Will fill using a pump from a 220l barrel in the future. Very fast refills then and a bit safer than leaving a hose running with the kids and their antics.

 

[Jayefc1]

Did you just glue the riccardia and mc to them rocks around the front areas
Kids and hoses dont mix lol
What filters are you running now mate?
We are all well going a little stir crazy dont look like il be back at work any time soon though
Hooe you and the family are all good

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Carefully tucked under with a light brushing of Green Gain @Jayefc1 . Out of superglue so had to do, trusting it will get gripped soon enough, but if not they’re on individual pebbles so can always go another round. No trouble so far.

As before, running an Eheim Pro 3e 600T which was pricey but has never skipped a beat. Running the Co2 out of this one with the downward facing CalAqua lily along the front glass to avoid misting the hardscape.

The other is the newer Eheim Pro 4 600 which has been a mixed bag. Cassette eject button has failed twice jamming but has good turnover. Installed double taps on this one to avoid having to bother with its eject system. Inferior plastics to the older models in my opinion, priced to compete.

With a barrel pre-filled the night before, a refill with a 3000lph pump in the morning takes minutes. Leaving a hose refilling with these two running around is asking for trouble.

Feel your pain on the work front mate, also out of action. But on the plus side loving your scapes, really great to see what you can do with more time to play bud 😉

 

[Jayefc1]

But on the plus side loving your scapes, really great to see what you can do with more time to play bud 😉

Thanks mate means slot from you

Feel your pain on the work front mate, also out of action.

I've been lucky really.compass has taken care of me I've been furloughed but they have been making up another 10% too so it's not been too much of a hard ship

Carefully tucked under with a light brushing of Green Gain @Jayefc1 . Out of superglue so had to do, trusting it will get gripped soon enough, but if not they’re on individual pebbles so can always go another round. No trouble so far.

Nice could tri to tie it if they dont take but knowing you they will with your green fingers

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Week three to four update....

Tell me again how your tap TDS is high 😂



Start of the week as well. Tank ticking along and calming down water changes to once per week now.





Only thing that hasn’t faired too well is some of the riccardia, but over half is doing great. On the flip side, despite the manzanita being stored in a sealed barrel since December some of the fissidens fontanus on the wood has sprung back to life and has started spreading naturally:



Both tanks have new scapes in them now as well:



Back to back triangular layouts. Will introduce some Pinnatifida into the 1200 soon and see if it smooths the transition between tanks.

 

[Wookii]

Looking good Geoff! How do you rate the ADA Solar now you’ve lived with them for a little while? How do they compare in terms of colour rendition to the ONF’s on the smaller tank?

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder @Wookii but the Solar RGB’s give the most vibrant array of greens of any light I’ve used. The ONF’s are adjustable though and if tuned in right they feel warmer through the yellows and oranges. Even the la plata sand feels warmer under the ONF’s with a yellower hue. Both lights ‘pop’ the reds though.

The dividing line is on the colouration on the livestock. The ONF’s are good... However, the Solar RGB’s make the Celestial Pearl Danio’s look brilliant, orange patches vibrant, spots clearly defined. The Green Neons look the same as a stock photo and the Yellow Sakura shrimp can really be seen in detail with their segments clearly defined.

In terms of plant growing power (PAR/PUR) the ONF’s still raise a giggle at how they can turn a tank to fizzy lemonade on full whack.

Every light has something to offer. Even miss the Kessils for the shimmer and the life they brought to the old scape.

 

[CooKieS]

I actually got the cheap version of @Geoffrey Rea lights configuration ;

one onf Flat nano plus And one chihiros vivid 2 and I Totally agree with him;

onf feels warmer, but nice greens
Chihiros vivid (same spectrum as Ada solar) gives stricking red and greens, superb livestock colors, but feels colder (la plata is looking white/blue).

well I love both color rendition🙂

nice scapes @Geoffrey Rea😉

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

I think the other really important component @CooKieS is us, the viewer. What you like can change day to day which is why running different lighting on separate tanks always seemed like a good idea in this house.

 

[CooKieS]

I think the other really important component @CooKieS is us, the viewer. What you like can change day to day which is why running different lighting on separate tanks always seemed like a good idea in this house.

agreed,
I was totally in love with the chihiros vivid 2 and swear only by that , but since I got my onf on my nano tank, I like the warmer tone of it too. Depends of the mood. 😛

 

[Wookii]

Beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder @Wookii but the Solar RGB’s give the most vibrant array of greens of any light I’ve used. The ONF’s are adjustable though and if tuned in right they feel warmer through the yellows and oranges. Even the la plata sand feels warmer under the ONF’s with a yellower hue. Both lights ‘pop’ the reds though.

The dividing line is on the colouration on the livestock. The ONF’s are good... However, the Solar RGB’s make the Celestial Pearl Danio’s look brilliant, orange patches vibrant, spots clearly defined. The Green Neons look the same as a stock photo and the Yellow Sakura shrimp can really be seen in detail with their segments clearly defined.

In terms of plant growing power (PAR/PUR) the ONF’s still raise a giggle at how they can turn a tank to fizzy lemonade on full whack.

Every light has something to offer. Even miss the Kessils for the shimmer and the life they brought to the old scape.

I actually got the cheap version of @Geoffrey Rea lights configuration ;

one onf Flat nano plus And one chihiros vivid 2 and I Totally agree with him;

onf feels warmer, but nice greens
Chihiros vivid (same spectrum as Ada solar) gives stricking red and greens, superb livestock colors, but feels colder (la plata is looking white/blue).

well I love both color rendition🙂

nice scapes @Geoffrey Rea😉

Thanks for the feedback guys. Whilst I don’t want to derail this thread (it’s probably a topic for its own thread really) I have the even cheaper cheap version, the Chihiros WRGB II - however all three lights appear to share the same/similar narrow band RBG LED’s.

Whilst I find the ‘pop’ of the reds and greens under this light jaw dropping, I can’t seem to see past the way it makes my tank look somewhat ‘fake’.

I think what is missing is the transitionary colours between the main RGB spikes in the spectrum. My Ember tetra for example, which are obviously supposed to be orange, shift to almost completely red, as there is an almost complete absence of orange and yellow light.

Likewise with the greens, whilst the green plants looking amazing, on closer inspection there are clearly lighter green and yellow/green shades absent.

Would you say the same for the Solar RGB Geoff, and you for the Vivid Cookie, or is this issue unique to the light I have?

I guess I need to see some more lights for myself - when this virus has been dealt with, I’ll head down to AG and take my Chihiros with me if Steve and Dave will oblige me with a colour rendition shoot out.

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Whilst I don’t want to derail this thread (it’s probably a topic for its own thread really)

Nah! Not that precious about threads @Wookii fire away mate 😉

I think what is missing is the transitionary colours between the main RGB spikes in the spectrum. My Ember tetra for example, which are obviously supposed to be orange, shift to almost completely red, as there is an almost complete absence of orange and yellow light.

Embers are a great example. Back when I was working at AG with @Siege their were always customers who liked Embers looking fluorescent orange. Never understood it and yes I also think it’s a mixing issue, but it probably sells well so that might be a driver. You can always add in a desk lamp with a 2700k diffused spot bulb to ‘fill the gaps’ to see if it makes any remarkable difference.

AG is perfect for seeing these units in the flesh, Dave and Steve would be happy to help post lockdown. It’s a very subjective area lighting and nothing is as good as seeing the same tank with multiple lights over it.

The Maxlite units are the middle ground and you’ll find them over Filipe’s 1500 scape.

 

[Wookii]

Nah! Not that precious about threads @Wookii fire away mate 😉

Thanks Geoff

Embers are a great example. Back when I was working at AG with @Siege their were always customers who liked Embers looking fluorescent orange. Never understood it and yes I also think it’s a mixing issue, but it probably sells well so that might be a driver. You can always add in a desk lamp with a 2700k diffused spot bulb to ‘fill the gaps’ to see if it makes any remarkable difference.

I didn’t know you used to work at AG! I’ve not been there myself yet, but looking forward to visiting post lockdown. I had planned on visiting in April, but then . . .

Funnily enough, I tried almost exactly that with the WRGB II. I have a Fluval Plant 3.0 also, and that has directly controllable Cool White, Neutral White and Warm White LED’s (in addition to blue and pink). Overall at 100% the light is very yellow in colour, and washes out red and greens. It’s not a great light, but I decided to add it in next to the WRGB II (just held it along side).

After some experimenting I found that if I put just the Neutral white LED’s on at about 40% (all the rest off) I got the colour shift on the embers back towards orange, and some more variation in the greens tones, but still managed to retain those punchy reds and greens. If I pushed it too far above 40%, or used the Warm White LED’s, then everything shifted to much to yellow again. It was an interesting experiment, and made me wonder if modding the WRGB II with a strip of neutral white LED’s might be worthwhile to fill in some of the missing spectrum.

AG is perfect for seeing these units in the flesh, Dave and Steve would be happy to help post lockdown. It’s a very subjective area lighting and nothing is as good as seeing the same tank with multiple lights over it.

The Maxlite units are the middle ground and you’ll find them over Filipe’s 1500 scape.

Yeah I’d like to see the Maxlite Along with the ONF and ADA.

On the ADA is the ballast/power supply external to the light fitting? (just wonder if fitting a controller in between for sunrise/sunset ramping might be possible)

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

On the ADA is the ballast/power supply external to the light fitting? (just wonder if fitting a controller in between for sunrise/sunset ramping might be possible)

We’re down to brass tacks now @Wookii and the answer would be no to a controller as far as I’m aware. ADA sell a prescribed system at a premium, not a single product which flies in the face of the general UK attitude. Conformist society from source leaching through. They want you to use 200 PAR always, which means their Amazonia soil has to be rich to deal with the light driving growth. You also have to find space for these bad boys:



However, in ADA’s defence everything runs cool and their lighting units are light. Efficiency. Their fert/lighting/substrate system works. It’s well thought out and means the consumer can enjoy success.... That is basically what you pay for. Unless you’re the kind of guy who puts two ONF Flat ones on full whack in less than 30cm of water to see what’s what 😂

Yeah I’d like to see the Maxlite Along with the ONF and ADA.

To me, the Maxlite in the colour spectrum game is the bridge between the Solar RGB and the Twinstar. The Maxlite is also adjustable in its intensity compared to ADA’s lowering and raising of the units. The gentleman who designed it is all about colour spectrum. Fills the gap once again but as always, people’s preference is highly subjective. The ONF Flat One, ADA Solar RGB’s and Maxlite all undoubtedly grow plants and punch adequate PAR to depth. We’re spoilt for choice these days.