HELP on 30 gal SPS Cube

[rabidcrab]

Alright guys, I have 4 reef tanks atm.... a 90, a 46 bow, a 24 gallon nanocube, and a 29 gallon anemone tank.

I am planning on getting the Oceanic 30 gallon Cube. I want to make it into an SPS reef... i wanna start growing digitata's and acro's and monti's.

My plan:

fluval 404---> filling it up with sponges to be a mechanical filter
live rock-----> biological filter
Protein skimmer---> i need help picking one out thats best for my planned tank (30 gal sps cube)
150w Coralife hang on back HQI--->light.


What advice and things should i be aware of when setting up an SPS tank?

Deep sand bed?
High flow rate?
temp of water?
best protein skimmer?
best light?
best filter?

any help would be so great. Thanks!

 

[Illuminati]

Check out this link to a guy in my local club forum:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1036472

 

[rabidcrab]

bump

 

[Phong33]

I'd personally not run the fluval filter. I think its more of a pain keeping up with maintance with sponges as they become nitrate factories. If you happen to have a fluval filter lying around them run carbon through it.
Sand bed is a personal opinion as I don't think you're going to do a DSB in a 30g. I perfer the look of sand myself as opposed to BB so maybe 2"?
Since its an SPS tank, you'll high high flow. Aim for at least a 40x turnover. Perhaps using a tunze nanostream, hydro, or seios.
Tempt of water is 80 F on mine.
A 150w MH would work fine but I'd go with a 175w or 250w myself.

Is this tank going to have a sump or everything HOB?

 

[rabidcrab]

I could use a 150w HQI and a 24 inch dual PC fixture i have laying around. I should really run carbon in a fluval instead of sponges? Ill proly buy 2 small seios. I really dont wanna have a sump (expensive) in long run I may have to. Whats better for my idea, a 65 coralife super skimmer or a backpack 2r?

 

[Phong33]

No one really uses sponges anymore because they collect deturius which in a sense is a good thing but because of that, it has to be cleaned regularly. In my 29g which isn't a SPS dominate tank, I have a seio 620 and a seio 820 and I really like the flow. Considering the price and reviews of the hydro, I'm very curious to see the performance on that. If its between the two skimmers, I'd go for the backpak.

 

[flyingphish]

here is a simple setup for you. ditch the fluval. all you need is a good skimmer (saphire, tunze, aquaC remora, ccss), bag-o-carbon, 15-20 pounds rock, and a baseball size chunk of chaeto in the back sump for a mini fuge to help with phosphates. maybe add a phosban reactor, but my PO4 is 0 as it is.

as for Ca and Alk additions and testing: get salifert test kits. for adding, either drip kalkwasser, use 2part bionic, or get a calcium reactor, which i think is kinda big for a 30...they do make mini reactors now.

get two 6025 tunze nanostreams for your display and set them on timers, 15 minutes each on/off...

barebottom is best for small reefs, imo.

stabililty is key in small reefs. focus on Alk, Ca, ph, temp, sg...try to avoid big swings.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=998385&highlight=22

 

[rabidcrab]

how are the 6025 tunzenanosteams?
are they better than a pair of seios?

 

[flyingphish]

the nano steams are the latest and greatest stream pumps for small tanks...600gph.

i do not know if they are better.

 

[rabidcrab]

stream pump? Im guessing that means it broadens the output?
sorry my shop doesnt sell these, the nicest ones my shop sells are seios. Can you give me some more info?

 

[flyingphish]

you bet....a nice broad stream of water versus a jet like output. they make mods for maxi jets for a better price than the 6025 unit, but i'd just invest in the tunzes.....$65.00 each.

premiumaquatics.com or marinedepot.com

if you check my thread you can see i have them set on a timer (i use a neptune aquacontroller junior) so only one tunze is on at a time. for 15 minutes, then the other one turns on, back and forth, 24/7. your sps will appreciate that.