Stolireef
Active member
As many of you know, I've had almost no success with my reef since moving to AZ. After my first try failed, I did a complete rebuild with a much better plumbing and electrical setup but it still crashed and burned. The basic setup has been a 5 stage RO/DI directly ATO'ing the sump, a 20 gallon fuge, CaRx, all controlled by an Apex. Salt mixing station was next to tank.
I've decided to go in a somewhat different and hopefully simpler system this time.
1. I'm getting a Trigger sump that should neatly house my skimmer, some rubble rock, and a sock filter.
2. No fuge
3. I'm going to skip the CaRx and, instead dose 2 part. Still deciding on the doser. Tempted by the new Neptune DOS but it only has two channels and I think I want the ability to handle more things. Just seems easier to maintain the correct balance in the tank. I can always supplement with Kalk in my topoff.
4. I'm setting up an ATO reservoir. I think this may be the key point. In my last two builds, the RO/DI directly topped off the tank and I suspect that the topoff water quality was problematic. Something about the first gallon out of an RO/DI unit containing more contaminants. It's the only thing I really couldn't test for and it's the only difference between my prior successful tanks and these two miserable failures.
Pretty much everything else will stay the same. 2x250 MH 2xT5 Actinics. MP40 and three Tunze 6095 Turbelles. Sicce Syncra 4 dry plumbed for return.
I should have all of the equipment in by March 1 and will hopefully be water testing by mid-March.
The third time better be the charm!!
I've decided to go in a somewhat different and hopefully simpler system this time.
1. I'm getting a Trigger sump that should neatly house my skimmer, some rubble rock, and a sock filter.
2. No fuge
3. I'm going to skip the CaRx and, instead dose 2 part. Still deciding on the doser. Tempted by the new Neptune DOS but it only has two channels and I think I want the ability to handle more things. Just seems easier to maintain the correct balance in the tank. I can always supplement with Kalk in my topoff.
4. I'm setting up an ATO reservoir. I think this may be the key point. In my last two builds, the RO/DI directly topped off the tank and I suspect that the topoff water quality was problematic. Something about the first gallon out of an RO/DI unit containing more contaminants. It's the only thing I really couldn't test for and it's the only difference between my prior successful tanks and these two miserable failures.
Pretty much everything else will stay the same. 2x250 MH 2xT5 Actinics. MP40 and three Tunze 6095 Turbelles. Sicce Syncra 4 dry plumbed for return.
I should have all of the equipment in by March 1 and will hopefully be water testing by mid-March.
The third time better be the charm!!
