BUILDING A DREAM....SPS Dominated Tank build
- Thread starter Reef_Noob
- Start date
dirk_brijs
Active member
Noob
where are you located?
where are you located?
Reef_Noob
New member
Dear Chingchai....thanks for stopping by again and for your kind compliment...means a lot to me
Hm about the Vortech i am planning to install it and see how the modes work out and what combo is gonna be best for my tank....i have never had the first hand chance to view the power of the vortech in a tank of my size and i am totally not sure what kind of water movement its gonna produce in my tank.
So i am right now unsure whether i should remove one or more Korallia's from my tank?
As of now the 2 Korallia 4000 pumps (located on the right and left side glass panes) are on timers and alternating ON/OFF every hour till lights go off. An attempt to produce some random flow in the tank. They both are ON simultaneously only about 4 hours a day when all lights are ON. But i can see there are some dead spots in my tank and all these pumps arent doing the job for my tank...so i got the Vortech...
What will be your recommendation for me Chingchai?
chingchai
Premium Member
Dear Chingchai....thanks for stopping by again and for your kind compliment...means a lot to me
Hm about the Vortech i am planning to install it and see how the modes work out and what combo is gonna be best for my tank....i have never had the first hand chance to view the power of the vortech in a tank of my size and i am totally not sure what kind of water movement its gonna produce in my tank.
So i am right now unsure whether i should remove one or more Korallia's from my tank?
As of now the 2 Korallia 4000 pumps (located on the right and left side glass panes) are on timers and alternating ON/OFF every hour till lights go off. An attempt to produce some random flow in the tank. They both are ON simultaneously only about 4 hours a day when all lights are ON. But i can see there are some dead spots in my tank and all these pumps arent doing the job for my tank...so i got the Vortech...
What will be your recommendation for me Chingchai?
I recommend you to install Vortech at the back side panel (left or right).
Once you adjust it properly, I don' think you need more wavemakers.
Reef_Noob
New member
Thanks so much for the quick reply Chingchai....
I just checked
the back and right side panel there is not enough clearance for the dry side of the Vortech :headwalls: Nor can i visualize the proper alignment of the wet-dry side. I hadnt planned for a Vortech install during the build phase.The only option for me to install is the left side panel....i am planning to install it by tomorrow and figure out how its gonna work out.
chrishayes
New member
Agree with Jaun. If you go into wave auto tune and allow it to ramp around til it gets to what you want then save it. In NTM it will use that wave then blast the tank with flow constantly to keep all the detritus that a wave kicks up in suspension so it gets filtered. I feel its the nicest program there is on it. but you can do the same thing with just a pulsing mode and some other powerheads going. I personally have kept mine in either the reefcrest mode/lagoon or tidal swell, however I have absolutely no idea what the tidal swell mode does cause with a 1.5 year old, i dont get to sit in front of the tank for long enough to find out! lol so it must take awhile to do it...I use these modes rather than the NTM that I like mostly due to noise. It slaps water up against the rim of the tank making a lapping sound plus the sloshing over the overflow isnt much fun to listen to. My wife slept on the couch one night and asked me why my tank sounded like trout were jumping in it!
Look forward to hearing your impressions.
Look forward to hearing your impressions.
Reef_Noob
New member
Nice, try using nutrient mode for wave making
Hey Juan thanks for the input....Yes i will be checking this mode out....and settle on a mode which doesnt splash the water all around
Reef_Noob
New member
Hiya Chris...
Wow you have studied the Vortech in grain detail
My main purpose will be to avoid detritus build up aka avoiding dead spots...its not gonna be a one time "set it and forget it" setting for sure.
I am gonna find time to do it...but thats the toughest part...to FIND time :headwallblue:
I am going thru the manuals and tryin to get as much info into my head, then i will figure out which modes does the trick for the corals...without creating a splash all over
Thanks a lot for the suggestions will really help me a lot when im figuring the MP40
Reef_Noob
New member
Hey there dallasg...thanks a lot for reading through...
Thanks again for the encouraging compliments....its really a motivator
Yup heard a lot of positives about the Vortechs...and so i took the plunge
And you have two MP40s....that makes you cool x 2
:beer:
Reef_Noob
New member
Man you are definitely doing it and doing it right.
Tank looks great! You are a tank stocking machine once you get going. It's already looking pretty full. After all that stuff grows in it's gonna be packed.
Welcome to the MP40 club.
Hey REEF SMAC, nice to hear from ya
Thanks a bunch for the kind words from ya.
I really hope that your word comes true and my corals start growing out. Growth is slow compared to MH lighting. But I love the LEDs coz they are bringing out nice colours. In a tank of my size I can live with some slow growth
coz I don't enjoy fragging/trimming corals that much. But too early to say anything, I'm just starting this SPS journey. About the fish stocking I have a specific idea of what I want in my tank. Im still waiting patiently for some fishes on my wishlist
But in a tank of my size I don't have the freedom to add too many fishes. So hav to choose wisely :hammer:
Reef_Noob
New member
Parameter Check...
Salinity: 1.025ppt
pH: 8.23 - 8.34 (pH controller/Salifert)
Alkalinity: 7 dKH (Salifert)
Ammonia: undetectable(Red Sea)
Nitrites: undetectable(Red Sea)
Nitrates: < 5ppm (API)
Calcium: 480 ppm (Salifert)
Phosphates: < 0.03ppm (Salifert)
Magnesium: 1270ppm (Salifert) (aiming to get it up to 1350ppm)
My Alk seems to be going down. I am currently dosing 5ml 2 part every 2 days, guess thats not sufficient enough.
So what ya guys suggest...is it time for me to fire up my Kalk Reactor OR add additive to raise ALK to 8-9 dkh and then start the reactor? I have never used a Kalk Reactor in my previous tanks. This will be my first time.
I havent checked the parameters of my freshly mixed salt water when doing water changes. I feel its a good practice to adjust the parameters of the freshly mixed salt water to recommended levels before doing a water change. Am I correct?
Welcoming suggestions guys...
My Kalkwasser Reactor...To be or not to be...
Salinity: 1.025ppt
pH: 8.23 - 8.34 (pH controller/Salifert)
Alkalinity: 7 dKH (Salifert)
Ammonia: undetectable(Red Sea)
Nitrites: undetectable(Red Sea)
Nitrates: < 5ppm (API)
Calcium: 480 ppm (Salifert)
Phosphates: < 0.03ppm (Salifert)
Magnesium: 1270ppm (Salifert)
(aiming to get it up to 1350ppm)My Alk seems to be going down. I am currently dosing 5ml 2 part every 2 days, guess thats not sufficient enough.
So what ya guys suggest...is it time for me to fire up my Kalk Reactor OR add additive to raise ALK to 8-9 dkh and then start the reactor? I have never used a Kalk Reactor in my previous tanks. This will be my first time.
I havent checked the parameters of my freshly mixed salt water when doing water changes. I feel its a good practice to adjust the parameters of the freshly mixed salt water to recommended levels before doing a water change. Am I correct?
Welcoming suggestions guys...
My Kalkwasser Reactor...To be or not to be...
chrishayes
New member
I would think with that low of a demand and seeing as your ph is steady(meant to say good), oh and plus since you are carbon dosing, id go with a 2 part over the kalk reactor. Thats just my opinion. I would love to use kalk alone in my tank due to having low ph and no carbon dosing(Its easy to see alk rise pretty high with kalk and swing if not controlled precisely) but it wont meet demand plus my evap isnt predictable. SPS are a bit too finicky to have no control over cal and alk. Thats my view anyhow.
TucanSam007
New member
Hey reef noob! I just read through the whole thread and great tank. I originally wanted just a full blown SPS tank but I can't help it I love the LPS in the sand, I think I will always do mixed reef tanks. That sun coral must look amazing when it comes out to eat. As for your question, I dose Kalk through an auto-top tunze osmolator and had great success in keeping alk stable after you figure out the consumption rate. I have yet to try out a kalk reactor so I'm sure others will chime in. I'm sure you'll want to gradually dose alk up to where you want it, then the reactor can help keep it stable as long as your other params are in check, especially magnesium. I also have to dose two-part to keep up with the consumption rate so my kalk dosing is just to lessen any swings.
Het Noob!
Congratulations for your wonderful reef, everything was planned with precision! Awesome fishes and your corals are really beautifull! The landscape is very original and your sps colonies are in very good shape!!! It´s a long thread but it was worthy to read everything!
Congratulations again...
Hails from Brazil
D.
Congratulations for your wonderful reef, everything was planned with precision! Awesome fishes and your corals are really beautifull! The landscape is very original and your sps colonies are in very good shape!!! It´s a long thread but it was worthy to read everything!
Congratulations again...
Hails from Brazil
D.
