Planning my next SPS Tank - the options

[chrismhaase]

So I am planning my next SPS tank. Previously I had a 90 gallon display with (2) 250 MH, (8) VHOs and big Euro Reef, etc.

Now for the next tank, I keep seeing the whole ZeoVit method, light (more to follow), water movement (more to follow).

 

[flamron]

Other - good sized skimmer, water changes and feeding to feed coral. Maybe throw in some acro power.

 

[mbingha]

Personally, I prefer the KISS method. Good lights, good water movement, good skimmer, and good husbandry. While I've seen some stunning zeo tanks, I've seen many more just as impressive with good husbandry and only dosing two part.

 

[Dapg8gt]

Zeo while a lot achieve great looking tanks a lot have issues with the commitment and expense attributed to it. If your ready to spend the money do the resewrch and can set aside the time you can go for it but I personally don't see the need to strip the water just to add It all back. I'm not knocking it I just don't see the benefit of paying for something than paying again to add it back and hope you did enough research to not mess up by adding to much or not enough =)..

There's plenty of ways to do it choose your poison lol. I voted skimmer, gfo and carbon that along with maintaining your big 3 and quality flow/light your golden.

 

[madadi]

I'm currently running carbon with a DSB in sump and less than 2in in display with a good skimmer. Filter socks also but actually on only when I do water changes and I stir up the sand and blow off detritus off live rocks.

 

[Reefvet]

While I've seen some stunning zeo tanks, I've seen many more just as impressive with good husbandry and only dosing two part.

+ 1

You can strip the water of everything and then add it all back by a formula (that nobody is willing to reveal) at great expense or you can create strong, random flow, stable water chemistry and learn what the real needs are for your reef. Feed the fish so there's a food chain that begins where it does in nature and watch what the corals look like more than what the test kit numbers tell you.

After 40+ years in this hobby I wouldn't even consider a Zeo system. There's no good reason to.

 

[chrismhaase]

Okay so next question, I see that many people are running dosing systems in lieu of calcium reactors. Why has this new switch come into play? Is there something I missed in not reefing for the last 5 or 6 years? To me in the past with my SPS tank, the Calcium reactor was really easy to use and was cheap to operate.

Whats everyone's thoughts and what are you using?

 

[flamron]

I'm going to use a reactor. I hated making gallons of 2 part every few weeks. I saw no difference in either method. But I used a top of the line regulator which made life easy.

 

[jroovers]

My recommendation would be strong lighting, string flow, quality skimmer that is sized appropriately for the system/bioload, biopellets, GFO, 2-part on dosers, and good husbandry practices.

Not sure about calcium reactors, never used one - but two part on dosers is pretty darn cost effective, and taking 15 minutes every few weeks to mix up a new batch is a pretty small investment in time in the realm of reefkeeping IME.

 

[mbingha]

For most of us, a reactor is overkill. Not to mention the initial investment, the need for co2, and I've read too many threads of the co2 valve getting stuck in the on position and nuking a tank.

 

[chrismhaase]

For most of us, a reactor is overkill. Not to mention the initial investment, the need for co2, and I've read too many threads of the co2 valve getting stuck in the on position and nuking a tank.

Mbingha - wouldn't this also be a concern for the doser? Maybe not as fast I assume.

 

[chrismhaase]

Thanks for the reply everyone. Something else to consider.

 

[chrismhaase]

So next question. I am thinking of doing a 150 gallon tank that measures 60 x 24 x 25 Tall. Typical stand height, what return pump do you guys recommend? I am thinking of an external Iwaki 70 then sending the return through 2 or 3 3/4" sea swirls or just doing a typical return jet with two opposing VorTech MP40s.

Thoughts?

 

[gdemos]

VorTechs on 120-150g: after some initial problems with faulty boards, and finding the sweet-spot aligning wetside/dryside I enjoy 2 MP40s on my 120g. I can't speak to the long-term benefits of random flow patterns for SPS that the synch/anti-synch feature can provide but the versatility is nice especially when paired to Apex and the WXM module. I run mine at 60-90% constant flow, and have the 4 feed cycles at reefcrest, pulse, tidal, nutrient, etc so I can change things around at will. my thinking is constant hi-flow and no dead-spots with occasional variability is better than constant low-ramping up to high flow. the different modes with vortech tend to ramp-up/ramp down in RPM (reefcrest, tidal, etc.) so I most often opt for the constant hi flow with some variations on occasion.

I run WaterBlaster 16000 for main return. they are good, but sensitive pumps backed by a decent warranty.

 

[mbingha]

Mbingha - wouldn't this also be a concern for the doser? Maybe not as fast I assume.

Yes it is, but it's much easier for a nozzle to get some trash in it and have the valve stick open than a pump to randomly stay on.

 

[flamron]

How would trash ever get into a valve? I don't see that. Now if you tell me the regulator is trash, I'll agree with that.

As with anything in this hobby, you get what you pay for.

A reactor for me ran 6-8 months untouched. Which is a nice convenience for those us with less free time on our hands.

 

[jroovers]

A reactor for me ran 6-8 months untouched. Which is a nice convenience for those us with less free time on our hands.

2-part is not time consuming. If I can work full-time, do a masters, and contribute to child care and find 15 minutes every three or four weeks to mix up a couple of jugs, I'm sure anyone can do it. Not advocating for a Ca reactor over 2-part, but anyone who thinks 2-part is time consuming is following some kind of strange mixing routine.

 

[mbingha]

Possibly a bad fill. I know in the drag racing scene it's common for a nitrous solenoid to stick open from a bad fill. To be clear, this is just my though process an not anything I've experienced myself.

 

[flamron]

Come mix mine then.

Bake it for an hour, then mix it Every three weeks and then change out containers. Gotta run RODI for both as well. So another 20ish minutes. I'm up to 1:30 so far.

Or dump media into my ca reactor twice a year. Takes me 10 minutes.

 

[jroovers]

Come mix mine then.

Bake it for an hour, then mix it Every three weeks and then change out containers. Gotta run RODI for both as well. So another 20ish minutes. I'm up to 1:30 so far.

Or dump media into my ca reactor twice a year. Takes me 10 minutes.

I would recommend purchasing soda ash from BRS - very cost effective and doesn't have to be baked. Not sure who stands besides their RO/DI and waits for water to come out these days, get a solenoid and float valve, that way when you go to your reservoir the water is there waiting for you. So far, 0 minutes involved. Mix your containers in gallon jugs, about 15 minutes tops. Is it 10 minutes a year, no, but it isn't what you're describing lol.