PHOTOS of 180 gal Mixed Reef (Mostly SPS)
- Thread starter CleveYank
- Start date
sandman111
New member
what kind of lights are you running? calc. reactor?
M007
Acro Whore
Alright, spill the system details
+1. Smokin'!!!!
CleveYank
20 Years and Over
Alright, spill the system details
System is in building process.
Moving up from multi-tank system of 225 gallons to multi-tank system of 505 gallons.
Revamping of growout tanks in progress. Adding some automation. Adding another skimmer, and an elevated (higher than the 180 display) sump.
Currently, my Precision Marine calcium reactor is offline. Had problems with a solenoid and fixed that issue, but in the meantime was dosing 2 part. I also have a Precision Marine Kalk reactor running and go through a full 8 ounces of Kalk powder every 6 to 8 weeks more than likely since I have a dehumidifier driving my humidity down in the basement to keep make-up water use high. This I believe allows for nice stable pH numbers.
My skimmer is a non-pro kit Reeflo ORCA 250, love it.
My lights are Phoenix 250's DE's driven on bluewave 7 ballasts. Currently using up my old stock of URI VHO super actinics 4 staggered 4 footers, that surprisingly although not exact centered you cannot tell. I also will be adding blue and the more purple looking LED cree's and ditching the VHO's by March. My build is going to have 3 major experiments going on after this Spring. I will bring them online in 2 to 3 month increments so I can hopefully get a before and after comparison. But those details are another story.
Thanks for the fine comments and reading.
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CleveYank
20 Years and Over
Yeah, they give the tank more structure. Plus while things are taking shape in the growout tank I can just have lots of tan stags. The one though gets tan at the base and then bluish green with a funky light skin. It was a gift that is one of the most abundant growers and has just the oddest color and growth habit. It's not a name game coral, but I still like it. I am just wondering when my colors will return. I changed up my 2 part dosing and water change schedules about 4 months back and the colors are still kinda blah with a few exceptions from that I believe.
are you dosing the 2 part manually. if you can add it multiple times a day your levels will be more stable. you have a lot of fast growing sps that can drop your calcium and alk fast. with good stability your sps should color up, some faster than others. i started using a controller to dose my 2 part and stir my kalk and after a couple months my colors and growth started looking good and by 6 months most had colored up.
How often are you changing your bulbs. old bulbs could also lead to dulling colors.
How often are you changing your bulbs. old bulbs could also lead to dulling colors.
CleveYank
20 Years and Over
Bulbs are good. I change them out after 12 months no matter what. The HQI ballast tend to cook them. At month 11 it starts to show.
Been dosing the 2 part manually for over a year.
My kalk reactor's recirculating powerhead is on a timer.
The issue that I believe is in play with the 2 part is chemically. I went from calcium chloride for driveway's (higher in borate salt) to bulk reef's supposedly more pure version. (Ya know like when you switch salt mixes?) I also bumped up water change schedules. I pull with the skimmer for lots of micro water changes and do some 10's and 20's throughout the month. After I did these things colors that were gaining ground dropped off. Which has made me wonder. And I am religious about RO/DI filter and resin change out schedule. If I can get to it I will be firing up the mothballed PM Ca Reactor. I'm not about to spend money changing to a dosing system at this time, since I want to buy 2 to 3 more tunze's. I will split the dose in half and dose 1st thing in the AM and then again in the evening.
I am not so sure the 2 part mono dose is a problem, since the kalk reactor is putting out a decent amount of output. Somewhere in the area of 4 to 6 gallons per day or roughly 1% of total system volume is being dosed in kalk enriched makeup water. My evaporation rate is intentionally forced to cause this so I am keeping my pH at 8.3. I've never seen it change even once. Again alk/ca drop-off is not a factor I would suspect, but it's worth a small experiment.
what kind of reactor are you using. i use a aquamedic and i dont think it can saturate more than 2 or 3 gallons a day. adding kalk to your top off container with a pump on a timer to mix it a couple times a day might keep up with your demand better than a reactor. my tank sps tank is a 75 display and i dose about 50ml a day on top of my kalk reactor just to keep up, your tank with the fast growing pieces is going to be eating stuff up fast.
CleveYank
20 Years and Over
I have the above kalk reactor running as I posted before, (someone must be skim reading lol). And I dose daily 1200 ml of A&H baking soda solution and 670 ml of BRS calcium chloride solution. I've also dosed the dry measure equals to these directly in an overflow that is designed to dissolve these additives slowly and gently (non-shocking) mix into the systems sump. Either method works well and I've had no problems.
oscar.millan
Active member
Yeah, I noticed the super clean sand as well. Well done Sir.
CleveYank
20 Years and Over
DING DING DING DING....winner winner Chicken Dinner!!! LOL
:beer:
Sand was added on December 1st, photos were shot December 4th.
coralreefhq
New member
That looks like a very sterile tank, what's your secret?
Spill the beans!
Spill the beans!
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