New 29g., light sufficient for SPS?

[BeachBum843]

I have a new 29 gallon nano setup with 45 lbs. of liverock currently curing. I know it's going to be a while before I add some SPS corals to the tank (six months or longer) but i'm wondering if i'll have sufficient light for the tank.

Right now I have a 150 watt JBJ K2-Viper (14,000k) over the tank. It's not running and won't be running for another three weeks or so (post-cure). This light is probably sufficient for softies and most LPS species, and possibly even a few of the hardier SPS corals, but since there's enough space over the tank for an additional light fixture, would adding a second light of this type be sufficient for more intense light loving SPS corals?

The tank depth is 18" deep, and adding an extra light would give me 300 watts of 14,000k HQI light.

Thoughts?

 

[sdwarrior32]

I think you will be more than fine with 300watt over a 29 gal tank I used the same lights for my tank and they do a heck of a job but be careful the viper light get super hot I use a fan to blow excess heat away from the surface of the water.

 

[GSMguy]

two 150w viper lights over a 29 would make a nice amount of light for sps you might need a clip on fan running when the lights are on depends on allot of other issues i run a paddlefan in the room during the day keeps the tank around 80

 

[BeachBum843]

No problem. It's in a very large room with a lot of aeration, ceiling fan and central air. If I notice massive temp problems and runaway evaporation I can incorporate a clip on fan or a room fan as necessary to cool off the fixtures.

Again, i'd like to do mostly SPS corals if I can, with possibly a few high light zoo colonies on the periphery and maybe a small crocea clam in the center on the bare bottom. The only mobile verts/inverts i'm interested for the tank are a six line wrasse, janitor snails (nerites, ceriths, etc.) and a few true mexican red legged hermits for turf algae control.

It's not my first mini reef tank, but it is going to be my first heavy SPS tank. I've been able to keep easier to grow SPS's such as pink bird's nest and brown/green monti in a 20 under 130 watts of CF light, but now i'd like to attempt something more colorful and interesting.

 

[TeeLapia]

Well my main question would be in regards to the kalk, ca, etc. needed for SPS. Are the water changes really gonna be enough for the SPS to bloom, or is dosing required to keep the stock healthy? I have been trying to do a lil research for a SPS nano also.

 

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9434241#post9434241 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TeeLapia
Well my main question would be in regards to the kalk, ca, etc. needed for SPS. Are the water changes really gonna be enough for the SPS to bloom, or is dosing required to keep the stock healthy? I have been trying to do a lil research for a SPS nano also.

depends of how often you waterchange and what salt you use
you definetly can keep sps without dosing it just easier for most of us to dose or run a reactor

 

[BeachBum843]

SPS and dosing

SPS and dosing

According to Sprung and Delbeek, as long as you can maintain the calcium level between 400 and 480 ppm with an alkalinity of 2.3 to 3.5 meq/L, SPS corals should continue to grow and calcify even if the pH drops down to 7.8. Ideally the pH should remain from 8.2 to 8.4 but it can fluxuate slightly during the course of the day.

You should be able to maintain these values using either two part dosing suppliments (one for calcium, one for alkalinity), a calcium reactor, water changes or other means of replenishment.

Of course, test kits for pH, alkalinity and calcium are also useful.

 

[GSMguy]

Re: SPS and dosing

Re: SPS and dosing

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9434403#post9434403 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeachBum843
According to Sprung and Delbeek, as long as you can maintain the calcium level between 400 and 480 ppm with an alkalinity of 2.3 to 3.5 meq/L, SPS corals should continue to grow and calcify even if the pH drops down to 7.8. Ideally the pH should remain from 8.2 to 8.4 but it can fluxuate slightly during the course of the day.

You should be able to maintain these values using either two part dosing suppliments (one for calcium, one for alkalinity), a calcium reactor, water changes or other means of replenishment.

Of course, test kits for pH, alkalinity and calcium are also useful.

well said

 

[TeeLapia]

I know this is out of the topic... But has anyone used "pure ocean water" bought from the LFS? What do people think? I hear they are really great vs. using your own mix.
I wanted to use that when I do the water changes.

 

[BeachBum843]

I've never tried it. I've seen the pre-packaged gallons sitting on the shelfs of a few LFS's over the years but ours have stopped carrying them because they don't sell all that well here. I have a Kent Marine Deion 200-R which is a three stage cati/ani unit that does a better job than most TFC R/O units in stripping everything out of my tap water, plus the bonus of no wastewater (saves big time on my water bill).

I use osmo-prep marine and either coralife salts or instant ocean (depends which is on sale) for reconstituting the tap water into seawater.

The only LFS around us that sells pre-made seawater is a guy that runs a commercial tank maintenance business. He does essentially the same thing I do except using big massive rain barrels for storage and a poly-bio-marine Kold Sterile II unit instead of a cati/ani filter, and bulk synthetic seawater salts.

I live near the beach, too. I don't trust inshore natural seawater enough to attempt to use it because of all of the runoff and stormwater pollution off our coasts. If I were closer to the gulf stream i'd be tempted to use natural seawater, but even so you'd have to probably micron filter it in the dark for a few days to avoid introducing anything nasty into your reef tank.

IMHO, collecting natural seawater isn't worth the risk.