little soprano
New member
Hello 
My tank was setup a little over two months ago, and is doing very well.
The setup is two DSunY (random Chinese LEDs), LEDs that Bosh's Reef out here in GR, Mi recommended. They are run in his display tanks and frag tanks, with some very beautiful LPS and SPS. Along with two 140 Watt VHOs, one Super Actinic one with an AquaSun bulb from the original owner, powered by a Coralvue (Ice Cap) 660 ballast.
The tank has the footprint of a 125 gallon, but with a wet dry in the back, is more around 100 gallons. We are using a PSK-150 in-sump protein skimmer in the overflow chamber, filter pads, zeolite, and ceramic rings in the trickle filter section, along with macro algae both in this section and in the pump section, with SeaMud and live rock pieces and rubble, supported by a 150 Watt Grow light, and a spare T5HO grow light I had left over from my FW tanks.
Currently in the display area, we have 100 pounds of Caribsea live sand, and about 125 pounds of rock, half was LR, the other half was DR in the beginning. Circulation wise, 2 Koralia 1400GPH pumps are on the left hand side of the tank, one pointing straight across the upper layer of the rock structure, and one towards the front tank wall, slightly down, creating current for some Tree Corals sitting on the sand bed. 2 Koralia 600GPH, one at the same end as the Koralia 1400s, pointed towards the surface, to avoid a dead spot, and the other is on the right hand side of the tank, down low, providing circulation behind the LR, with the overflow above it. The return pump is a no-name Adustable submersible pump, set at about 1100-1200 gph. The return is split in two, each facing one side of the tank.
We currently just have 4 Tree Corals. We also have a small zoa colony and a good sized xenia colony acclimating right now. (have been since 7pm, going to check salinity levels soon here). We feed every 3-4 nights, the tree corals phyto feast with a long feeding tube.
Our salt sitting at 1.025 SG, topped off as needed with R.O water, with 10% water changes every other week right now.
I'm really a beginner in SW, my BF knows SW tanks, but has only kept FOWLR style tanks. Keeping coral for him is new, as it is to me. I've only ever done planted tanks and a koi pond. I really love the look of brains, acan, and candy corals as well. Is our set-up sufficient enough to start looking into these corals? Or LPS in general? Any tips for a newbie wanting to get into LPS?
Also, calcium reactors, are they necessary for LPS? At Bosh's Reef the owner was saying for the most part regular water changes should be sufficient, but should I look into calcium dosing anyway? I have pressurized CO2 going into my high-tech style planted tank, could I add another needle valve and bubble counter, and use it to feed a Calcium reactor? The tank sits in between the tank it feeds, and our SW tank, and is a 20lb tank. Would liquid dosing suffice? Or is not a necessity?
Is there anything, as an experienced coral keeper, you would've done differently at the beginning?
Here is our tank, hood is up in the air in the picture, as we just finished redoing our lighting system, and hadn't lowered it yet (got tired of having to lift hood up and put it on the ground for basic maintenance, and feeding). Hood has two computer fans in it for air movement. Tank sits in the basement, and even in the summer our basement typically sits at around 66 degrees, so not too concerned with heat right now. Picture is with both the Aquasun bulbs in it, just added the Super Actinic today. Corals don't look very happy after no light for three days, but they've fully recovered since then, and are full and bushy They are quite small, but we are looking forward to seeing them grow.
We do have 3 Green Chromis, 3 Yellowtail Damsels (left over from cycling, but I love them anyway), a Pink Spotted Goby, a Skunk Cleaner shrimp, and a handful of peppermint shrimp, but they were still a little spooked after no lighting while we redid the hood.
Thank you in advance for any tips and advice! Want to do this right from the getgo, instead of jumping in way too soon!
My tank was setup a little over two months ago, and is doing very well
.The setup is two DSunY (random Chinese LEDs), LEDs that Bosh's Reef out here in GR, Mi recommended. They are run in his display tanks and frag tanks, with some very beautiful LPS and SPS. Along with two 140 Watt VHOs, one Super Actinic one with an AquaSun bulb from the original owner, powered by a Coralvue (Ice Cap) 660 ballast.
The tank has the footprint of a 125 gallon, but with a wet dry in the back, is more around 100 gallons. We are using a PSK-150 in-sump protein skimmer in the overflow chamber, filter pads, zeolite, and ceramic rings in the trickle filter section, along with macro algae both in this section and in the pump section, with SeaMud and live rock pieces and rubble, supported by a 150 Watt Grow light, and a spare T5HO grow light I had left over from my FW tanks.
Currently in the display area, we have 100 pounds of Caribsea live sand, and about 125 pounds of rock, half was LR, the other half was DR in the beginning. Circulation wise, 2 Koralia 1400GPH pumps are on the left hand side of the tank, one pointing straight across the upper layer of the rock structure, and one towards the front tank wall, slightly down, creating current for some Tree Corals sitting on the sand bed. 2 Koralia 600GPH, one at the same end as the Koralia 1400s, pointed towards the surface, to avoid a dead spot, and the other is on the right hand side of the tank, down low, providing circulation behind the LR, with the overflow above it. The return pump is a no-name Adustable submersible pump, set at about 1100-1200 gph. The return is split in two, each facing one side of the tank.
We currently just have 4 Tree Corals. We also have a small zoa colony and a good sized xenia colony acclimating right now. (have been since 7pm, going to check salinity levels soon here). We feed every 3-4 nights, the tree corals phyto feast with a long feeding tube.
Our salt sitting at 1.025 SG, topped off as needed with R.O water, with 10% water changes every other week right now.
I'm really a beginner in SW, my BF knows SW tanks, but has only kept FOWLR style tanks. Keeping coral for him is new, as it is to me. I've only ever done planted tanks and a koi pond. I really love the look of brains, acan, and candy corals as well. Is our set-up sufficient enough to start looking into these corals? Or LPS in general? Any tips for a newbie wanting to get into LPS?
Also, calcium reactors, are they necessary for LPS? At Bosh's Reef the owner was saying for the most part regular water changes should be sufficient, but should I look into calcium dosing anyway? I have pressurized CO2 going into my high-tech style planted tank, could I add another needle valve and bubble counter, and use it to feed a Calcium reactor? The tank sits in between the tank it feeds, and our SW tank, and is a 20lb tank. Would liquid dosing suffice? Or is not a necessity?
Is there anything, as an experienced coral keeper, you would've done differently at the beginning?
Here is our tank, hood is up in the air in the picture, as we just finished redoing our lighting system, and hadn't lowered it yet (got tired of having to lift hood up and put it on the ground for basic maintenance, and feeding). Hood has two computer fans in it for air movement. Tank sits in the basement, and even in the summer our basement typically sits at around 66 degrees, so not too concerned with heat right now. Picture is with both the Aquasun bulbs in it, just added the Super Actinic today. Corals don't look very happy after no light for three days, but they've fully recovered since then, and are full and bushy
They are quite small, but we are looking forward to seeing them grow.
We do have 3 Green Chromis, 3 Yellowtail Damsels (left over from cycling, but I love them anyway), a Pink Spotted Goby, a Skunk Cleaner shrimp, and a handful of peppermint shrimp, but they were still a little spooked after no lighting while we redid the hood.
Thank you in advance for any tips and advice! Want to do this right from the getgo, instead of jumping in way too soon!
