SPS Setup suggestions/comments

[bpd964]

OK, I have been planning for some time now to start a SPS only system. Here is what I have so far. I was just wondering if I needed or does anyone suggest anything else that may help in my success..

Thank you..

180G aga dual overflow
3x 250w MH 14K hamiltons on icecaps
260w power compacts 1/2 actinics the other 1/2 10K
mag 9.5 return pump
Tunze 6100 1/2 speed 24hours
2x maxi-jet 1200's, both with 2,000 gph mods. full speed 24hr
MRC dual calcium reactor / sms122 / ph controller
ASM G4 plus protein skimmer with gate mod
55 gallon sump/fuge with cheato on reverse lighting with 65k bulb
2x 300w heaters
Reefkeeper controller
auto top off
20g top off tank
Air water ice 75gpd ro/di
27g saltwater change container
250lbs premium live rock
215 lbs southdown sand
phosguard reactor with maxi-jet 400. (not currently setup because not currently testing phosphate)

Salinity 1.024
temp 80-82
calcium 450 ish.. no supplements
alk 8-10
PH 8.2 / 8.3 sometimes I see it at 8.1
Mag unknown. please recommend test kit
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
nitrite 0
phosphates unknown recommended test
I run 1 cup of carbon in the flow after fuge before return pump

tank has been running for about 6-7 months. Went through a few changes but I saved water and most of my rock from 2 year setup. Some rock has been recured.

Livestock:

3 inch Derasa clam
4 inch sailfin tank
2 blue damsels

about 100 various snail
about 70-80 various hermits
2 coral banded shrimp
5 emerald crabs
2 cleaner clams hiding somewhere under sand
8 peppermint shrimp
3 HUGE snails.. about 2 inches big.


6 inch bubble coral
large cabbage coral
2 small frags of candy cane coral
a few clumps of zoanthids
some mushrooms
yellow polyps
(recently got rid of a bunch of livestock)

Light cycle
Actinics 6am - 11pm
10k pc 10am - 6pm
center halide 10am-6pm
right and left halide together 11am-4pm
tank goes dark at 11pm
fuge light on from 10pm-8am

I know its a bit but hopefully someone can comment. I have pics of everything.

thank you...

 

[bpd964]

anyone?

 

[Lunchbucket]

sounds pretty good.

suggestions:

crack that tunze up. use a controller to cycle the output on it

test you PO4. the Hack po-19 is supposed to be a great kit. or Deltec makes a good one. Salifert is worthless for PO4 IMO.

test you mag w/ a salilfert kit

Lunchbucket

 

[bpd964]

Thank you very much for your comments/suggestions. I am going to shop for the recommended test kits and amp up my tunze. Thank you again..

 

[Serioussnaps]

My suggestions

-dump the fuge and the chaeto unless your purpose in it is to have a safe place to culture fauna...if you are striving to keep a low nutrient SPS tank then chaeto shouldnt even grow IMO

-i am gonna bump one product for you----- here

www.innovativeaquatics.com

great top off...medical pump...unbelievable stability..if you want more details pm me

-DO YOU HAVE CHLORAMINE IN YOUR WATER? if you do you may want to do some reading on the proper RO units to purchase to remove chloramine

-if you are going to set up a GFO reactor DO IT NOW...NOT LATER

-yes lunchbucket is right....SALIFERT IS WORTHLESS FOR PHOSPHATES AND GREAT FOR MAGNESIUM

-can i offer another bump? replace the PC with T5's and make em actinics/or blue plus's

-thats alot of snails...make sure they dont get in your sump

-drop one of the mj mods and get another Tunze..you wont regret it

-RUN CARBON...at least if you are going ot have all those softies in with SPS..you may have to dump the leathers and shrooms...i never had any problems with zoas and Acros(mainly what i keep) so i am not so weary about zoas

-ARE YOU RUNNING A DSB--I ASSUME SO WITH 2OO POUNDS OF SAND??that brings in a whole other topic of reconmmendations from myself

Seems like you got it all thought out, now you just need to put it in practice. Nothing will stay exactly how you planned it as the chips fall differently when you actually start doing it.

 

[bpd964]

I actually have another tunze 6100 with a multi controller on the way but I still wanted to keep both maxi-jets for added flow. The sand bed is shallow.. I would say it's about 2-3 inches. I haven't researched the t-5's enough to decide which setup to use but that's something I am currently reading up on. I am getting rid of the mushrooms as soon as my wife's seahorse tank get's setup. You mentioned a dosing pump. What are you suggesting that I dose?

And I already run carbon and I change it out when I do my bi-weekly 24g water changes.

Also, the cheato has been in there for almost 4 weeks and it actually appears to be shrinking or dying and pieces are getting to my return pump. I guess the fact that it's not growing must mean that it's starving which I am assuming is a good thing. (is it?)
Not sure about CHLORAMINE but my tds is 0.

 

[hans1976]

Salifert test kits all the way. Your club is about to announce a decent group buy on the kits.

You just missed out on the Tunze group buy.

 

[bpd964]

I sure did.. I was hoping someone was going to back out of an order placed and I would have snatched it up.. I will be keeping a close eye on it next time..

 

[Lunchbucket]

Serioussnaps - good suggestions! i agree on the dosing pump. i don't have one but would love one if i dosed kalk. my ca rx keeps things stable and i throttle it back w/ JG micro fine adjustment valves. a dosing pump would make it easier though.

w/ another tunze you would have some nice flow

i like the T-5 idea also

carbon - great practice

Lunchbucket

 

[bpd964]

I'm still wondering what you consider dosing..

 

[bpd964]

what product/chemical?

 

[REEF-DADDY]

fresh water for auto top off

 

[bpd964]

I have that... it auto-fills into a 20g container

 

[bpd964]

I have an auto top-off from my ro/di unit..

 

[Yinger]

if your looking for a dosing pump. i actually ahve one for sale. i got an osmolator instead and have no need for the dosing pump now.

 

[bpd964]

That's the whole thing!


I don't know why everyone is recommending a dosing pump. What is it that I should be dosing?

 

[Lunchbucket]

KALK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you don't HAVE to dose but it is nice. or you can dose your topoff water

you have an autotop off from you RO/DI unit to fill a 20ga container. then how do you get it from the 20gal container to your tank? a dosing pump works great

Lunchbucket

 

[bpd964]

oooooh.. I have a float valve that activates a switch that auto fills my main tank from the 20G. My ro/di float valve auto fills my 20g tank..
I mix kalk in my 20G .... lol.. too funny. I thought I mentioned that I had all that. That's why I wasn't sure why you mentioned the doser.. my bad..

 

[Lunchbucket]

ok so you could potentially keep flooding your tank if your float stuck. your 20gal top off tank would empty and then ro/di would keep filling the 20gal container. something i would change

you mix the kalk in the top off 20g??? if so you do NOT want to dose w/ a float switch. too risk to nuke the tank

Lunchbucket

 

[bpd964]

gotcha.. ok.. haven't realized that risk. Thank you..

Dose pump shopping time..

thanks again..