I've been away for 10 years and need some help on my new 75 setup

[mahicks1976]

Hi all,
I apologize for the long post. Please skim through and answer what you will. I will post unanswered questions in the correct forums"¦
I have been away from the hobby for over 10 years and boy o' boy has A LOT changed! My last reef system was a 75G Plenum (with a sump) that grew with me over a 7 year span as I added a refugium, phosphate "reactor" and dosing pumps. I went from a SeaClone skimmer to a Euro-reef too. I ended up with a system that needed almost no water changes should I chose not to and LPS, Softies, clams and an anemone thrived and grew in. I even dabbled with SPS and since I chose them carefully; they also thrived.
I hated getting out of the hobby and now I am back with a vengeance! I truly enjoyed the planning, building, modifications tech of the hobby as much as keeping my tank inhabitants.
Flash forward to day as I design my new system, I have tried to "keep up and catch up" with the changes in system ideology, new husbandry practices and innovations in the hobby. I am ditching the Jaubert plenum but am going to hang on to the refugium and build upon it. My luck with a dragonette for three years in my old system before I sold/broke it down made me a believer of the system, even in a 75G.
I am pretty analytical in my purchases and have purchased/Acquired the following for my new endeavor (not counting my custom hood and stand I build to hold it all):

Tank: 75G with Corner overflow Durso system, Starbright front panel and black silicone.

Sump: Trigger Systems Elite Refugium Sump 30E. This refugium will be for nutrient export only with a 8W LED 6500K light system and Cheato Algae. I would like to install a moderately deep sandbed in here and some rock rubble but would like to know your thoughts on this.

Skimmer: Reef Octopus In Sump 6" Needle Wheel In sump skimmer ( I know, a little under sized but I want my dual refugium (keep reading) to help with filtration and grow.)

Return Pump: I have a brand new NJ4500 that I like the thought and design of of and a slightly used Mag 9.5 from a fresh water project that was too powerful. Let me know what you think of either pump.

Secondary Refugium: CPR HOB Large refugium with light kit and stand. This refugium will be designed only for pod development to free flow and dump into the tank.

Lighting: 36" Maristar 250W x 2 HQI 14K Halides and T5 supplement lighting and ceiling hanging kit. (THIS WAS A FREEBIE AND WILL ONLY BE USED UNTIL I DECIDE ON NEW LIGHTING.) I have new 14K halide bulbs and actinics for the system too.

Other Equipment:
-Heaters: Two Ebo Jager 150w
-Auto Top Off: Tunze 3155 New design with Magnet Holders
-Carbon Reactor BRS Single (will plumb into return and back into sump)
-GFS Reactor: BRS Single (will plumb into return and back into sump)
(I decided to use separate reactors so I can adjust the flow to each for optimum results.)
-UV Sterilizer: Coralife Turbo Twist 3x 9 watt (will plumb into return after carbon/gfo reactor and use a flow meter to insure 50GPH and have the output dump into the intake side of the sump so the skimmer can rework the water from it.) I chose this size/flow so I could kill some pathogens and most bacteria/algae blooms but still allow a lot of pods and other plankton to miss the system.
-RO/DI: BRS 75GPD with TDS meter and an additional DI canister connected in line for redundancy.


Here is where I REALLY Need your help AND advice"¦"¦.

Future (tomorrow if possible) purchases/Setup thoughts"¦.:
-Controller system: Digital Aquatics Reef Keeper Elite Plus System: Will add an SL2 and probe for salinity control.

-BIGGEST QUESTION"¦"¦In Tank Power Heads: I really want good power heads to connect to the RKE system that do not reverse flow, click on, etc. Help here please!!! I have looked at the Hydor K, Tunze, etc, but still cannot find something that works all the time when connected to a controller/wave maker without problems problems such as clicking on and off, reverse flow, random starts, etc"¦
-Eco Tech MP10 or 40: Money is not the problem"¦"¦"¦"¦.I'm more concerned with noise outside of the tank and not being able to control it through the RKE that I really want. What do you think?
-Live Sand: I was thinking of 2.5 to 3.0 inches of real live sand. Too much? Not enough?
Rock: I purchased 25lbs of BRS dry rock and would like to buy 75lbs of Manado cured live rock. Is this enough? What are your thoughts on Manado?

Once again I am sorry for the long post. Please help a previous reefer get back into the "œ
know!"

 

[Radioheadx14]

I tired both vortech, they were awesome at what they did but my condo is very quiet, i could hear them when in bed. Now i run tunze's on a 7096 conteoller. You could get tunzes and an apex contoller (it can program tunzes outa the box, rke might too, but it might need an additional adapter)

Also, the vortechs are a little more finnicky than the tunzes. Have to make sure they are alighned, cleaned or things can go bad. But they do have a low profile in the tank and their own controllers.

 

[wireefman]

fuges hoestly only work as a filtration soure when you are able to get 50% or more in your tank size.. so you would be looking at 35-40gallons of dedicated refugium water volume...

if i were you id upgrade your skimmer, or run an algae turf scrubber

 

[mahicks1976]

Thanks for the input on the pumps. I guess i will be doing some research on the roe and the tunzes and the rke . Do you know if the tunes make any noise or clicking when turned off and on with the controller? I know others have said they and the hydors did.

As for the refugium, I am not looking for a complete filtration. Just some nutrient export with the algae harvesting, some reverse lighting to help with Ph swings and a place to culture more pods.
I was thinking about upgrading the Skimmer too but for now and since it is bought and brand new j think I will keep it to start the reef and buy a bigger one when my system out grows it.

Thank you both for your comments and ideas. Anyone else have any input on the system?

 

[chrishet]

I am also in the midst of a new tank build, a 70 gal Reef Savvy. Looks like you are putting together a nice system, I'll be following along.....I have to agree about the nutrient export comment on that small of a sump...I think you are going to be better off over skimming. The HOB fuge will be your best pod factory, fill with lots of rock to trap detritus and the pods will grow like crazy. Btw, if you dose with 2 part you can also control pH swings that way.

I am also considering a Trigger Systems sump, same one as yours, or a home made sump. My plan is to use the fuge area however for a Bio Chamber with a bio-pellets reactor thus giving me independent control over suspension and water flow. I am gong to use Avast reactors.

I have owned Vortechs but not Tunzes...I like the Vortech but they are noisey...I have not made my mind up yet on this.

 

[mahicks1976]

Thanks for your input. I like your idea on the the reactor placement using the sump. I will have to look into that. As I said above, I'm stuck with the Skimmer for now. I think it will do the job until I really get the system broke in and stocked. I will probably switch it out and the lights after the tank starts to mature. I think I will give myself about a 9 month time line. If I need more skim I do have an older larger needle wheel sea life systems I could throw in with it.

I think i have decided no on the vortechs, which kind of sucks because I loved the software integration between the pumps and their led lighting I was going to switch to.

 

[mahicks1976]

So now into my return pump. Like I said I have a new marineland nj5500 and a mag 9.5 that I used a couple of weeks in a freshwater setup. Which pump would you use? I thought the may was a little noisy so i was hoping the NJ would be quieter and the reviews seem to point to that fact. I also like the suction cup mount (reminds me of a tunze silence) I also no longer have the pad for the mag drive and do not know where to find one.

 

[Radioheadx14]

Thanks for the input on the pumps. I guess i will be doing some research on the roe and the tunzes and the rke . Do you know if the tunes make any noise or clicking when turned off and on with the controller? I know others have said they and the hydors did.

As for the refugium, I am not looking for a complete filtration. Just some nutrient export with the algae harvesting, some reverse lighting to help with Ph swings and a place to culture more pods.
I was thinking about upgrading the Skimmer too but for now and since it is bought and brand new j think I will keep it to start the reef and buy a bigger one when my system out grows it.

Thank you both for your comments and ideas. Anyone else have any input on the system?

The old Tunzes click, new ones doe not. I have some older tunzes I bought used that click. I contacted TUNZE and the referred me to a new spacer disk that will prevent clicking. One of mine is slient when turning on and off, while th other I never let it go below 30%. any controller can turn them on or off, but I know the APEX can controll their speeds out of the box. I think other controllers or the APEX lite nead a separate box to controll pump speed.

EDIT: I also was bummed the vortechs didnt work. Great flow, small in tank footprint, but the noise and maintenance made me switch to tunze. (that and I wanted 2 pumps that I could aim... its hard to get flow right when euphilla are involved.)

 

[mahicks1976]

The old Tunzes click, new ones doe not. I have some older tunzes I bought used that click. I contacted TUNZE and the referred me to a new spacer disk that will prevent clicking. One of mine is slient when turning on and off, while th other I never let it go below 30%. any controller can turn them on or off, but I know the APEX can controll their speeds out of the box. I think other controllers or the APEX lite nead a separate box to controll pump speed.

EDIT: I also was bummed the vortechs didnt work. Great flow, small in tank footprint, but the noise and maintenance made me switch to tunze. (that and I wanted 2 pumps that I could aim... its hard to get flow right when euphilla are involved.)

Thanks for your input. Since the controller was a "wanted" purchase, I have not bought it yet. I have been looking at the neptune apex since I got home. It is more expensive than the Reef Keeper Elite but it has a few nice features out of the box. How do you like yours? Did you compare the RKE before you bought it? I like the fact of not having to disconnect anything before flashing upgrades and that it finds the modules without programming. I also really like that they have a working salinity module and sell a probe for it. RKE just released a working salinity module but it has had some bugs and they do not currently offer a salinity probe. I would be glad to purchase the Apex instead but want some input. I also like that the full apex system has the controller for the pumps built in.
I have a another question though...Since the pump control is built in, I would still need the dimming module for LED lights in the future right?

 

[Sk8r]

Personally, I think live sand is a bit of a waste: I used dry, with live rock, and that set up just as fast, and very well.
Outside of that, I think you'll do very well. There's a post that starts "You asked for it," and another one "Dirt simple chemistry" that will bring you up to speed asap.

 

[mahicks1976]

Personally, I think live sand is a bit of a waste: I used dry, with live rock, and that set up just as fast, and very well.
Outside of that, I think you'll do very well. There's a post that starts "You asked for it," and another one "Dirt simple chemistry" that will bring you up to speed asap.

Thanks for the reply. I will review both threads and appreciate the info.

 

[Tennsquire]

I think a Mag 9.5 is a bit much for a return on a 75 gallon. I have a Mag 7 on my 75 gallon reef, and it runs through the chiller before going back to the sump. I don't think you want that much flow through your sump; it doesn't give your skimmer a chance to do its thing if the water is rushed in and out of the sump.

I've also been running Tunze 6100's for a while, and mine don't click. Mine hum ever so slightly as the speeds ramp up and down, but you really have to be listening for it to hear it. I think it also may be a little more pronounced when I don't clean them as frequently as I should.

 

[Radioheadx14]

I dont have an apex, so im not the one to ask. I just read into them a little as i was looking for something to control my pumps. I bought a tunze 7096 which is just a pump controller. Im running a semi-low maintenance tank so i only have the basics.

 

[mahicks1976]

since I have dropped the Vortech idea completely I have been reading up on the apex for use with the tunze pumps and using AI SOL lights for my tank and controlling them through the Apex controller. I liked the idea of the Ecotech vortechs tied to the Ecotech LED lighting and controlled with each but the Apex/Tunze/AI Sol seems like a better match for my needs and far more adjustable.

So, I think I have decided on the Apex controller and Tunze controllable pumps. We can talk about the LED lights and how many later since I have a good lighting system to get me through for now.

The Tunze are almost as expensive as the Vortechs so I hope they do a good job. Here are my thoughts on what I would like to purchase and why. PLEASE give me some feedback before I make my purchase.

I am looking at:
The full Apex controller system with PH probe, temp. probe and 8 plug module. I chose this system because it already has the built in controller for the controllable pumps and few other features I need/want.

Two Tunze 6095 Controllable pumps (2,510 GPH each) I chose these because:
-I have 2 other Evo non controllable pumps for additional flow. And would like to buy another small tunze or evo for behind my rockwork.
-I have good dual flow from my return lines
-It will be a 75 gallon mixed reef so I don't want to sand blast everything.
-The Tunze are similar priced to the Vortechs and with the additional higher price of the Apex controller over the RKE, I don't want to exceed my budget for this piece of the pie unless you feel I really need to.

Thanks for looking and PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.
Thanks in advance!