Nano Advise :)

[seffieuk]

Was that with standard lighting Seffie?

yep, never added anything: Trod took these photos just before I shut the tank down - the comments are hers as well

This is Bill, again so beautiful

Hammer, which I'm STILL waiting for her to frag

This little guy came out to say Hi

and finally the FTS

 

[Chris_C]

Thanks Seffie thats me sold then will purchase one this week if a decent one shows it's face if not will buy a new one!

 

[MrLiam]

Have you got one yet if so we need PICTURES!

If not when are you getting one and the orca's are real nice tanks defiantly a good choice

 

[woody88]

Although the PL compact lighting is good, The lighting can easily be modified/upgraded (MH coversion) as there is loads of space behind the reflector plus the transformer for the LEDs will power an external led strip (£10 off fleabay) if you disconnect the existing LEDs and remove the small circuit board.

Yep, there great tanks for modifying as there just so easy to work on (if you want to). I'll never get rid of my 550 even when I get my 5 footer.

Oh forgot to say, replacement skimmers for the 550 are only a tenner brand new on fleabay. Hoods go for about the same 2nd hand so nice and cheap if you need to replace anything, which you won't as I find the boyu's ultra reliable.

I think the newer models of the boyu tanks are acrylic whereas the older ones are glass. My 2 boyu's are both acrylic and there both about 3 years old. The MT range I think are all acrylic.

 

[Chris_C]

Thanks for all the info guys much appreciated!! i am on the hunt for a boyu and a d&d .. possibly a JBJ nano which is the american version of the d&d but has built in fans etc.. to keep the lights from warming the water to much..

Seen one in Hull so might have a day trip to get that one once i get some answers back .. will start a journal etc at the end of the month once i have moved and i am up and running

 

[bae1994]

Hi sorry for the late reply just to add


My first marine was a orca tl450 and it was alll good I just found it required a couple of mods to work perfect (but my d&d also had a new LEDs put in by me to achieve a brighter moonlight)

Also I think alll d&d have cooling fans mine does and the ones in your links do also

Also I prefer the second model due to the fact that in a inclosed system like these nanos the less heat from lights the better as even with compacts they get abit warm sometimes

 

[Chris_C]

Hi sorry for the late reply just to add


My first marine was a orca tl450 and it was alll good I just found it required a couple of mods to work perfect (but my d&d also had a new LEDs put in by me to achieve a brighter moonlight)

Also I think alll d&d have cooling fans mine does and the ones in your links do also

Also I prefer the second model due to the fact that in a inclosed system like these nanos the less heat from lights the better as even with compacts they get abit warm sometimes

So the second one you said you preffered, would i need to mod that in any way?

 

[bae1994]

We'll I'm not sure they have 4 LEDs where mine had 1 as one had broke so I wanted it really lit with blue but I wouldn't say so the only mods I made on the orca was the lid plastic but may have to do that with my d&d at one point but the orca was only a year old were as the d&d is a few ,and it had no LEDs at all and Had to put new fans in it as they were quite loud after abit

But up to now the d&d is Well built , the fans are quite and the lids ok but in a year or so I may need to get a new cover glass that's all and the pump seems more suitable to the tank size were a lot of people upgrade the orca ( I did )

So to answer your question The only mod I think you would need to do would be led moonlights if you want them really light and blue but that's just sticking some in the hood off eBay for around £10 but you may be happy with the way it is

I should point out that my orca was a few years ago so they may have drastically improved things (except the pump a lot of people still do this )

But all in alll i personally much prefer the d&d but I would gladly use the orcas any day to so they're both good tanks but I would go d&d

Hope that helped abit bae

 

[Chris_C]

We'll I'm not sure they have 4 LEDs where mine had 1 as one had broke so I wanted it really lit with blue but I wouldn't say so the only mods I made on the orca was the lid plastic but may have to do that with my d&d at one point but the orca was only a year old were as the d&d is a few ,and it had no LEDs at all and Had to put new fans in it as they were quite loud after abit

But up to now the d&d is Well built , the fans are quite and the lids ok but in a year or so I may need to get a new cover glass that's all and the pump seems more suitable to the tank size were a lot of people upgrade the orca ( I did )

So to answer your question The only mod I think you would need to do would be led moonlights if you want them really light and blue but that's just sticking some in the hood off eBay for around £10 but you may be happy with the way it is

I should point out that my orca was a few years ago so they may have drastically improved things (except the pump a lot of people still do this )

But all in alll i personally much prefer the d&d but I would gladly use the orcas any day to so they're both good tanks but I would go d&d

Hope that helped abit bae

Yes its helping loads the 2 links i posted on page one showing 2 d&d's what is the main difference? sorry for all the questions but you seems in the know with them

 

[bae1994]

the main difference is I think the top ones a halide from what I could see and halides kick out a lot of heat compared to normal bulbs or copacts and as these tanks are pretty sealed they get hot quicker than bigger open tanks and even compacts and strip bulbs can make them a little warm so I think that a halide would be awful to maintain and unless you want really light demanding corals it's not necessary in tanks of this height in deeper tanks like 2ft tall plus a halide is usually better so I'd just stick to the compacts (the second one) as it will allow you to keep a wide variety of corals under them

Also glad to help

 

[Chris_C]

Questions are fine the main difference is I think the top ones a halide from what I could see and halides kick out a lot of heat compared to normal bulbs or copacts and as these tanks are pretty sealed they get hot quicker than bigger open tanks and even compacts and strip bulbs can make them a little warm so I think that a halide would be awful to maintain and unless you want really light demanding corals it's not necessary in tanks of this height in deeper tanks like 2ft tall plus a halide is usually better so I'd just stick to the compacts (the second one) as it will allow you to keep a wide variety of corals under them

Ok thanks for that! much appreciated