Pics of my 240g stand in progress....

[NOLAGT]

WHERE CAN I FIND SOME OF THOSE LIGHTS? DOES THAT MAKE THE COLOR OF THE AFRICAN CICHLIDS SHOW BETTER? IF SO I NEED TO GET SOME...

The reflectors are called Lumenarc 3 reflectors so you can google it. They are 20" x 20" but they have minis as well that are like 14" x 14" i think. You can hook any size ballast to them 175w 250w or 400w. Mine are 400w and I dont know how it will look on africans just yet. I am hoping it will make them look as good as under florescent lights...I just love how a MH looks shimmering through the water. I tried to search for someone who had this kind of light on africans but couldnt find any becasue its really over kill and can cause problems with heat and alge. But I am going to test it out...with different K bulbs...and see what I get. If its not good il sell them and get T5's. I was 100% into reefs for the last 10 years...lost it all in Katrina so now im getting back into freshwater since its easier and cheaper and less time consuming.

 

[NOLAGT]

I GOT MY STAND I GOT MY STAND I GOT MY STAND WOOOOOHAAAAAAA!

I am just a little excited...I miss having a tank...havent had one since Katrina!

These are just some quick pics...didnt have my good camera so they a lil fuzzy.

With the two 400w MH lights sitting on top of the canopy...we will see how the heat and algae do once were running....

 

[nfored]

Whoa now I am ashamed of my crummy stand, thats beautiful.

 

[TvT09]

Looks nice

 

[wow_it_esploded]

Thats great!

If they are too much, do not sell them and go with T-5's! You will thank me later when you decide to go back into reefs in the future (face it, you have been bitten by the reef bug... eventually you will find freshwater boring and go back), or if You decide to go planted in the future...

Just put strips of gaffer tape across the glass lids, running from front to back. I say gaffer tape because it can sit under 1000w high pressure sodium light from a foot away and still peel away without leaving a residue.

With the tape across the lids it will dim the light, without sacrificing the ability to make it brighter in the future.

 

[NOLAGT]

I wont get rid of them...if they dont work out I will use T5's fo sho. I have had tanks my whole life (im 33...ok my dad had his in my room when i was young). The last tank that was killed in Katrina was a 110 reef that I ahd for about 8 years. So one day ill have anotehr reef...I just dont have the time or $ to dump into it right now. I think too a all male hap/peacock tank is going to look nice. I really hope I can use my MH's...they are 2' off the water and im going to run 15k bulbs probably. If they dont work ill drop to 250's first. I want that shimmer!!!!!

 

[vaine111]

if you are worried about the algea cant you just get a uv sterilizer?
bad *** tank BTW... but why not arows and pbass???

 

[NOLAGT]

I have a 36w UV im putting on it...im not so worried about green water...but algae over growing all over the wood glass sand. I will have to be on top of the phos/nitrates and ill have a bunch of plecos.

I was origianly wanting a pbas arrow tank but since i could only fit a 24" deep tank and those fish get that big or bigger I opted to go africans. Now in my office at work...ill have more room...so the thought is one day building a plywood tank big enough for some of those jumbos.

 

[NOLAGT]

Some better pics...

Matches the kitchen cabinets perfectly!!

One side of the stand...it will be the exact same on the other side of the stand. I will have 2 of those tubs for a sump and ill have 2 xp3's for mech filtration only...

This is how the lights are mounted on top of the canopy. I have some wood to put in between the lights once I figure out the placement of them.

Last but not least...the ledge holding its first beer of many lol
I need to lay some granite tile to finish it off...the same that are on my counter tops...

 

[Dynamite]

oh my now that is gorgous