Mike's 200g
- Thread starter MichaelW
- Start date
FloformAustria
New member
Thanks Shih. I was pretty shocked when I saw it in photos like that. When we are them everyday it's harder to notice how much they have grown.
Angled FTS from the weekend.
love it!!
looking great Michael!!! :thumbsup:
Cheers
MichaelW
New member
Ok so looking for advise from my sps friends.
I have a low boy frag tank (48x24x10) I need to drill (never done before) any way it will drain into its own sump, then that sump will drain into my dt sump with a ball valve on it. This way I can keep them as one connected system, or , I can run the frag tank seperate. The frag tank sump can house a skimmer and also hoping to put a bunch of matrix or sopirax in there. Hoping to build a stand that will have a raised shelf for the sump so it can gravity feed into my dt sump. The new set up will be in garage and be plumbed through the wall and under the stairs to my tank.
Questions are
1. Is just a simple 1.5 inch standpipe fine for drain from frag tank or is there a huge bonus to installing an overflow box?
2. Lighting will be a 8bulb 3ft sunpower .looking for good bulb combo, thinking 6blue blus, one purple plus, one coral plus..thoughts and what order of bulbs
3. With little water height how high do you think I would need fixture above water?
Other things I'm hoping is that being in the garage it might help bring my tank ph up. Currently sits very low and I would like it higher. Guess being in the garage I will have less co2 in there? Kinda like running a skimmer line outside.
I have a low boy frag tank (48x24x10) I need to drill (never done before) any way it will drain into its own sump, then that sump will drain into my dt sump with a ball valve on it. This way I can keep them as one connected system, or , I can run the frag tank seperate. The frag tank sump can house a skimmer and also hoping to put a bunch of matrix or sopirax in there. Hoping to build a stand that will have a raised shelf for the sump so it can gravity feed into my dt sump. The new set up will be in garage and be plumbed through the wall and under the stairs to my tank.
Questions are
1. Is just a simple 1.5 inch standpipe fine for drain from frag tank or is there a huge bonus to installing an overflow box?
2. Lighting will be a 8bulb 3ft sunpower .looking for good bulb combo, thinking 6blue blus, one purple plus, one coral plus..thoughts and what order of bulbs
3. With little water height how high do you think I would need fixture above water?
Other things I'm hoping is that being in the garage it might help bring my tank ph up. Currently sits very low and I would like it higher. Guess being in the garage I will have less co2 in there? Kinda like running a skimmer line outside.
Moser
Active member
Stand pipe is fine, but no doubt at some point you will want to put a couple of fish, maybe a wrasse it a couple snails in there. For that reason, I put a full width weir box in mine.
Difficult to catch fish if you have an odd shape in the middle of one side.
I have 6 blue+ over my frag tank- works well!
My frag tank is 12" tall. ATI is about 9" above it. As corals settle in, I tend to lower it even more!
Mo
Difficult to catch fish if you have an odd shape in the middle of one side.
I have 6 blue+ over my frag tank- works well!
My frag tank is 12" tall. ATI is about 9" above it. As corals settle in, I tend to lower it even more!
Mo
reefmutt
Active member
Beautiful fts, Mike. Really classy!
I'm pretty much with Mo.
Standpipe is fine.. One thing to consider is if you ever need to work on the bulkhead, it will require draining the whole tank..
I try to put my standpipes in a corner, behind an overflow plate. Just for ease of maintenance... Not often a bulkhead leaks, but ya never know..
All blue+ will certainly do the trick but if you want slightly less blue, your combo will work as well.
I'm pretty much with Mo.
Standpipe is fine.. One thing to consider is if you ever need to work on the bulkhead, it will require draining the whole tank..
I try to put my standpipes in a corner, behind an overflow plate. Just for ease of maintenance... Not often a bulkhead leaks, but ya never know..
All blue+ will certainly do the trick but if you want slightly less blue, your combo will work as well.
MichaelW
New member
Thanks guys, so I think I will but an overflow box in. Any recommendations on one that isn't super expensive like the reef savvy one? Your points of draining while tank, catching fish,are good ones.
All blue plus I'm sure would look good but think it might be a tad too blue. Is there anyone that runs the combo I mentioned before or is it uncommon? Is there much of a need for an actinic or not really?
Do you guys think I will see an improvement in ph with this system in the garage like this. Just for reference my ph is now getting to 7.6 at night so I'm starting to get a little concerned.
All blue plus I'm sure would look good but think it might be a tad too blue. Is there anyone that runs the combo I mentioned before or is it uncommon? Is there much of a need for an actinic or not really?
Do you guys think I will see an improvement in ph with this system in the garage like this. Just for reference my ph is now getting to 7.6 at night so I'm starting to get a little concerned.
Usernam Invalid
New member
Mike for a cheap option on overflow boxes look up modularmarine on flea-bay I have 3 of his boxes and all great quality. Another options is to just install the bulkhead a few inches down from the surface with an elbow and bulkhead strainer.
For bulb combo (6) b+ (2) coral + but can't got wrong with any of the previously discussed options.
For bulb combo (6) b+ (2) coral + but can't got wrong with any of the previously discussed options.
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
Mike,
Just read this entire thread.
Beautiful tank with beautiful corals. Excellent growth in such a short period of time with your Pink Lemonade. You definitely belong with other coral gurus who frequent your thread. You have the touch.
Regarding your frag tank: I would suggest plumbing it into your system, but add a UV Sterilizer to run from the main display to the frag tank. Plumbing it into your main display makes things much easier for you parameter wise. One system to maintain, one set of tests, one system to dose etc. Having run separate systems in the house, it's a PITA IME.
Running an oversized UV sterilizer at a flow rate that will kill virus' will ensure that your frag tank remains AEFW free.
Just my two cents worth of opinion in this matter.
Thanks again for sharing your tank and your trials and tribulations, as it is inspiration for folks like me.
MichaelW
New member
Thanks. I had thought about doing that with a uv on the feed line.. However, it is not Reccomended with the AF system as it will kill much of the bacteria we are trying to help flourish.
Yes the system will be connected for that exact reason of ease maintaining one tank. But, it will be able to be isolated if I decide I want to for whatever reason.
I am pretty sure I will not be able to make my dt AEFW free, but managing them with rodi basting is Woking well and the corals are looking fine.
Thanks for stopping in, your tank is looking awesome (and very full)!
MichaelW
New member
The wrasse love it.
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
I think you have me confused with someone else. Cuurently I have a F&FOWLR tank, Flubber&Fish Only W Live Rock...SPS are in the works, but I just restarted my tank earlier this year.
I've just been reading up on tanks like yours for inspiration and learning the tips and tricks necessary to have long term success with SPS.
MichaelW
New member
My bad, I got you mixed up with Maxwell. Names look similar on my phone.
I say go for it with sps. First coral I ever got was a green acropora stag.. Still have it in my tank to this day.
MichaelW
New member
Been working on the stand for the new frag tank... What a pain.. Garage floor is completely uneven and unlevel, tank wouldn't sit flat, think it's ok now. Also where I had wanted to come in through the house has a solid concrete block there so have to come in further away and actually down lower now but it should work still. Still need to drill the glass for a 1.5 inch bulkhead which I'm a little nervous about. Picked up a nice used acrylic tank to use as a sump. Its basically a 40 breeder but acrylic and has 2 holes drilled in the bottom, this will then drain to my sump. The frag tank is on a 4 foot high stand (really high I know) but this is so the sump can also be elevvated above the dt sump so it can gravity drain. I will then build a "step up" so the frag tank can be viewed from a more normal height.
Going to get a 3ft 8bulb sunpower to put over it and then I can see if there is much difference between led t5 combo or just t5. The sump of frag tank will house a lot more matrix media for bacteria population and will house a skimmer, not really relying on this skimmer for skimming but hoping it will be a way to pull (hopefully) fresher air from the garage into my water to help pull oh up in my system. Then the skimmer will also be there if I isolate the frag tank for any reason.
I have an global sp6 pump laying around that is obviously way to big in normal situation but possibly with all the head pressure of coming out my sump, through a closet, under the stairs,into the garage,up about 5 feet,and 3 feet over,it might not be to much flow. Of it is still too much flow for the overflow to handle I will put a ball valve on it and turn it down. Speaking of overflows still need to order that (along with a glass drill bit and bulkhead)
In my dt one of my SSC rtn'd on my the other day and I'm not sure why. Maybe I had a bunch of sediment sitting on it and it was from the back of the colony which is more shaded. Anyway I fragged it up, most of which are doing fine. Nothing else right now seems to be having any problem so not quite sure what happened there.
Going to get a 3ft 8bulb sunpower to put over it and then I can see if there is much difference between led t5 combo or just t5. The sump of frag tank will house a lot more matrix media for bacteria population and will house a skimmer, not really relying on this skimmer for skimming but hoping it will be a way to pull (hopefully) fresher air from the garage into my water to help pull oh up in my system. Then the skimmer will also be there if I isolate the frag tank for any reason.
I have an global sp6 pump laying around that is obviously way to big in normal situation but possibly with all the head pressure of coming out my sump, through a closet, under the stairs,into the garage,up about 5 feet,and 3 feet over,it might not be to much flow. Of it is still too much flow for the overflow to handle I will put a ball valve on it and turn it down. Speaking of overflows still need to order that (along with a glass drill bit and bulkhead)
In my dt one of my SSC rtn'd on my the other day and I'm not sure why. Maybe I had a bunch of sediment sitting on it and it was from the back of the colony which is more shaded. Anyway I fragged it up, most of which are doing fine. Nothing else right now seems to be having any problem so not quite sure what happened there.
Electrobes
Montipora type guy
Cool build! Sorry to hear about your SSC! Let us know what you think of the combo fixture. I have just the T5 but miss the shimmer from the halide I used long ago.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
MichaelW
New member
So I do not have a combo fixture as in the at I led t5 fixture. On my display a am running radion leds with 4 retrofit t5 bulbs added. On the frag tank I will go with just t5.
I think the SSC will be fine. I cut away the dead area and don't see any more recession. I think it just had a lot of detritus sitting on it for 2 long which killed off part of the base. Tells me I'm maybe not getting enough flow to that area of the tank.
MichaelW
New member
Some recent pics. First time trying out manual focus, some ok some not very good. There is lot of pics, I will get a few up now while I am on break and a few up later.
Skimmer branches recovering after their accidental Fragging
Red dragon frag I had in my frag tank replacing the colony I killed by dipping.
Skimmer branches recovering after their accidental Fragging
Red dragon frag I had in my frag tank replacing the colony I killed by dipping.
