NPS tank connected to reef system?

[Aqualove182]

Hi everyone,

I have just started NPS corals, but have loved them for years. I am so excited that I am now able to proved a system to support their needs!! My husband has 3 reef tanks that are all connected totaling about 180 g. Currently, a have 3 Non-photo gorgonians in one of the smaller tanks that are doing well on hand feedings, but I will be settting up a 4th tank just for them and their feeding needs. I feel that I need to separate the NPS tank completely, so that I can stablize the food within the tank. My husband wants to keep everything connected because of the bio-load and nutrients already in the reef system.

My question is...should I set up a new system just for this tank or can I connect the 4th tank into the larger stable system and still meet the gorgonians needs?

What are the pro's and Con's from everyones experience of keeping them in a reef system?


Thanks

 

[Aqualove182]

Wanted to add:

The reef system has a sulfur denitrator that keeps the nitrates at 0 and a large protein skimmer.

 

[dendro982]

Melev's Reef website has page with sun coralls in the separate tank, connected to the sump.
This is untranslatable website with drawings of possible configurations of sun tank's connections to the main tank.

I would vote for connecting to the tank with good filtration, but you have to watch closely, how the main tank parameters will change, and stop it before it becomes too late, if something goes wrong.

In separate tank you will need (IMHE, your may differ) set flow to keep food and detritus suspended, move it to filtration, and filtration and skimmer, able to deal with cleaning water. Practically this means setting new filtration unit. But main tank is safe from possible pollution, and can be used as a source of good aged, live water for NPS tank, and just as backup, in case if something bad ever happens.

Post photos of your tanks, filtration, feeding, please - for us to learn, how others are keeping their NPS tanks clean and corals - alive.

 

[Aqualove182]

dendro982,

Thank you for opinion. The tank I will be setting up will have a little filtration before it will dump into the reef system. We are talking about making an additional protien skimmer to help with the heavy feedings. The tank is a corner acrylic with an overflow filtration system inside. I think it is about 40-60 g. It is currently in the garage waiting to be cleaned ( I was trying to decide what I wanted to do. At the beginning of the year I wanted a tank for sexy shrimp and after MACNA 2008 I wanted a large biotope tanks possibly seahorses, but NPS has me very excited!) I will posted pictures as soon as I can and details on size and what we are planning to do with the set up.
I am currently feeding Roti's in the evening everyday, only in the tank with the NPS and they are responding. We have a successful rotifer culture and are planning to create a algea reactor to help out.

I want to move them out of the current tank because I have no way of controling the aiptasia. We have a ex-large marroon clown pair that kills any fish or shrimp we put in her tank. I plan to add a copperband butterfly for aiptasia control and maybe a tuxedo urchin. That is as far as my stock list goes at the moment.

I will list details soon...