SPS Q-tank set-ups

[scyphozoa]

(With all that I have read regarding SPS pests I am considering a better long term Q-Tank.)
For those of you who do quarantine tell me more about your Q-Tank set up;
-How many gallons?
-What type of lighting system?
-What type of protein skimmer (or do you use one)?
-What kind of filtration system?
-How often you do water changes & what %?
-What type of Calcium additions?
-Do you use Carbon etc.?

 

[scyphozoa]

Bump

 

[thereefgeek]

This pic is about a year old. I took it down for a while and I just set it back up about a month ago:

It's a 20 long AGA that fits perfectly in the right side of my stand, next to the main display's sump on the left. Right now I'm running a DIY skimmer sitting in the tank, bare bottom with my quarantined colonies sitting on eggcrate, elevated just off the bottom on short pieces of PVC pipe. The pendant is 175 watt 20K Ushio w/2 32 watt PC's. I'm changing about 4 or 5 gallons a week, and top off for evap is a big hassle right now because it's about the only thing that's not automated. Occasionally I'm dripping Kalk at night.

I'll post a recent pic when I get home from work tonight.

 

[thereefgeek]

Here's a pic from yesterday (obvious from the date stamp I forgot to turn off )

 

[scyphozoa]

Thanks for the reply. Nice set up!
Coincidently I also have a 20 long AGA that I was considering using for this purpose. Do you have any problems with tank temp (esp. in the summertime in CA) with the 175 MH light? Also, do you use anything other than Kalk for Calcium?

(Out of curiosity, have you supplied a particular Rocklin LFS with your own frags from time to time?)

 

[thereefgeek]

I'm keeping the temp down with fans, which compounds the evaporation problem I'm having (no ATO on the little tank), but I'm working on using an Aqualifter pump to drip fresh water, maybe on a timer or something.

No other supliments besides (rarely) Kalk. Just fresh top-off and 20% water changes.

I used to take a lot of frags up to "a particular LFS" for store credit in the past, but mostly I swap with other club members for frags that I covet