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Sounds good. We're gonna want pictures too.

After doing a little more research on this fixture I have decided to not put any money into it and go with LED's. LED's is where I really want to be for lighting on my tank so it really doesnt make much sense to put 4 or 5 hundred dollars in to this fixture replacing ballast's and retrofitting it with VHO's or T5's and buying new bulbs.

Once I get the LED DIY kits put together I will do a write up on them.

I've never known MH ballasts to be proprietary.

Originally Posted by jlemoine2

From what I understand, CoralVue bought out Icecap, at least in part. I know the Icecap 660/440 ballasts were re-branded as CoralVue. I'm not sure if that also applies to the metal halide ballasts as well.

Is it possible these CoralVue ballasts are the same as the Icecap varieties? I never personally used metal halide, so I can't be sure.
http://www.marinedepot.com/CoralVue_...BAMHHS-vi.html

That looks like it might work. thanks. !

From what I understand, CoralVue bought out Icecap, at least in part. I know the Icecap 660/440 ballasts were re-branded as CoralVue. I'm not sure if that also applies to the metal halide ballasts as well.

Is it possible these CoralVue ballasts are the same as the Icecap varieties? I never personally used metal halide, so I can't be sure.
http://www.marinedepot.com/CoralVue_...BAMHHS-vi.html

thank you Melev.

The strainers come from Savko.com - you will need a 1.5" threaded nipple, and you need to specify with Savko that you want the strainer with the 1.5" female thread. The other size is 2". Both strainers are 5" in diameter, with either 1.5" or 2" internal threads.

Thanks everyone!! I'll be ordering 1 1/2" plumbing then.

Melev, where did you get those strainers from?

Lowes carry a 2in true union valve for 25 bucks and it seals and work fine

Correct, 1.5" is fine. The only thing I recommend is keeping the plumbing straight going into the pump, limiting it to what is necessary. Here's mine set up:

yep, I was in your exact same shoes a month ago. I have a snapper/dart hybrid (the replacement to a Dart) which runs with the same specs as a normal dart. I called Chris at reeflo (owner) and he personally said to me, that 1.5" is fine for the bulkhead, union, valves, etc, but to run as much pipe as 2" as possible, even if it means just a 2" union (~$10 at HD) and a little spilled water when you uncouple the pump (not a big deal in my eyes). I'll post a pic later tonight of my setup to show you what I mean. Also Chris said to make sure that the inlet plumbing is the same size or larger than the output plumbing so the pump wont cavitate. You shouldn't even have to think about this (assuming your return bulkheads are less than 1.5").

I didn't clean the glass before I took the pics I just got a wild hair and decided to take some pictures. I razor the front pain and the one side pain about once a week. The other side pain I have always just left the aglea on it, I don't really know why, but my new tang really likes it, he picks at it all the time. Yes you are right, that is a PC light hanging down. the clamp had broke, but I fixed it. The glass for the PC lights has been MIA since I got the light used. I actually don't even think it was glass, I think it was a clear piece of plastic. The fixture itself is a low end Odysea (spelling) fixture, so it's not the greatest, but seams to do a ok job. I also had the actinic lights turned off when I took the pictures, otherwise they look too blue for some reason. If I leave the actinics on and take pictures of the tank the pictures look like a smurf exploded inside the tank. It doesn't look like that with the naked eye.

Nice tank man! With me being a neat freak, I have to say I would love to see the before after pics, after you razor the walls.. I bet that would make your corals pop. : D

Is that a PC fixture hanging out from the light set up? I can't exactly tell, but it looks like the protective glass is not there?

thanks everyone.

Love the long sponges

Great looking reef...

Hey Trplxj, your tank looks beutiful! I can't wait till my corals start growing out. You have some really nice looking corals. ;-)