What should my next equipment purchase be?

H

HotRod68Camaro

Premium Member
My tank cycled about a month ago and i just started adding SPS. I am trying to limit myself to $100 on this next equipment purchase (since i just spent wayy more than that setting up the tank) but if necssary i will spend more.

Heres some specs on the tank:
Tank 36"'x18"x18"
29gal converted to sump/refugium
10gal converted to refugium
QO4000 on CLS(about 720gph after head loss split between 4 outlets)
QO4000 return (about 610 after head loss split between 3 outlets)
150gph AC powerhead
CSS65 skimmer
Coralife 25W turbo twist UV
PFO 250W SE w/ 2x32W PC actinics

My total system volume is ~65gal.

I was thinking about trying an enaly onzone setup.
 
refugium is overrated for SPS. if you are growing algae your nutrients are not low enough.
Ozone doesnt clean up your water.. convert to barebottom and keep up with your waterchanges.

If I can say anything.. your on the right track.. Try not to be swayed by the band wagons.. remember simplicity and stability.. Can i suggest and Auto top off or maybe a Kalk/ Ca reactor? More flow is always a good idea too.. try the simple stuff first, If you jump into things that you dont know enough about you can do a lot more damage than good. Plus there are a ton of dedicated successful sps keepers who do not do anything to there tanks but do waterchanges and keep there tank topped off..

Remember all you need is Ca., Stable params, and a protein skimmer... What you put in eventually has to come out so watch what you feed. I always rinse my food in fresh water after it has set out for 30 min or so. (keeps the brown haze off the front glass)

anyway good luck and keep reading!!!!
 
I think the auto top off is a great suggestion form Bpynckel. That has been a great source of stability in my open top tank.
 
Yea i forgot to mention that i already ordered a tunze osmolator (top off) last month but they are on backorder. I already do a 10% water change every week.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8450838#post8450838 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bpynckel
refugium is overrated for SPS. if you are growing algae your nutrients are not low enough.
Ozone doesnt clean up your water.. convert to barebottom and keep up with your waterchanges.
Click to expand...

I disagree with everything above.
 
That's great and all that you disagree, now care to share your reasoning with Mr Camaro? I'm sure that will help him out much more. Like a fuge also houses lots of little animals that help feed your SPS? And ozone has many advantages such as clearer water and better light penetration to name just one...

PK
 
Well, im not going to be changing my system unless its to work with new equipment. So the fuge and sand are staying. The only equipment that i can think of that i dont have is ozone, a calcium reactor, phosban reactor, and a kalk reactor. Now which of those should i get? or if there is anything i left off that i should consider purchasing.

I also forgot to mention that i already have a AC Jr controller.
 
Personally I think you can do without a Ca rx for a little while, but would plan on adding one later. Ozone and a phosban reactor are my vote.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8451842#post8451842 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pk1
That's great and all that you disagree, now care to share your reasoning with Mr Camaro? I'm sure that will help him out much more. Like a fuge also houses lots of little animals that help feed your SPS? And ozone has many advantages such as clearer water and better light penetration to name just one...

PK
Click to expand...

There are thousands of beautiful SPS tanks out there running Refugiums, and harvesting chaeto weekly. The assumption that having enough nutrients to grow algae means you can't have SPS is false, and proven so by all these tanks.

As to ozone, ozone most definitely does make your water cleaner. Do you need it, no, but his statement was flat out wrong.

I'd spend the money on more flow, or a better skimmer. A CSS65 is kind of on the small size for a 50g tank with 80g of water.
 
I say Calcium reactor or doser b/c once you start buying more sps it's gonna be a pain to keep your parameters stable. Ozone is awesome but definately not a must on a 55gal and you already have a UV which should keep that water pristine and it releases ozone. How much Ozone you gonna need?? :) I have the same sized tank fully stocked and it sucks calcium/alk like you wouldnt believe so reactor/doser is my vote.
 
Calcium reactor, or kalk reactor or doser, Your alk can drop up to 2 points a night when you get some more corals. nothing will kill corals faster than low alk for an extended period of time. Keeping your parameters stable will produce better, faster and more colorful colors. Stability is the key., it can be done by dosing, but it can get exspensive and time consuming and a little hard trying to keep it balanced in the begining. Then that will always be changing as corals grow larger , your alk levels will drop faster and you will have to adjust to keep up with the growth. At the start it might be an answer, but a good reactor is nice or a good garbage can of kalk with auto top off unit, and time doser is a great start too. Mag, will be kept in line with regular water changes with a good salt. My 2 cents.
 
The calcium dispenser is a good investment. Just have to figure out how much to put into the canister without skyrocketing your ph and you're all set.

joe
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8454628#post8454628 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HotRod68Camaro
yea i think u guys are right i need either a Ca reactor or a kalk reactor. which would you say should be purchased first? i could get the tunze kalk reacor since it works in conjunction with their top off system. http://www.tunze.com/149.html?&L=1&C=US&user_tunzeprod_pi1[predid]=-infoxunter037
Click to expand...

Don't buy the Tunze Ca dispenser. I did and it's one of those "I spent $90 for this?" purchases. It works fine and I love most of Tunzes stuff but you can make one for ~ $15.
Have you looked into 2 part and a dosing pump? Cheaper than a Ca reactor if you make you own 2 part. Both work well but that's another opton to think about. At any rate I would use a kalk dispenser with either so if you don't want to spend very much right now I would vote for a GEO or PM kalk reactor. Of course you will need a peristaltic pump to run either of those......there are is allways more $ hiding somewhere:rolleyes:

Chris
 
I am pretty sure they are refering to a peristaltic ATO(Litermeter etc...). When I talked to George(Geo) and the Roger from tunze about mine they said the Osmolator pump would not work because there was too much pressure for it to fight. I seem to recall seeing people using the Osmolator pump with Kalk reactors but I am not sure if they are burning up pumps prematurely(which wouldn't be horrible if they lasted a few months because they are only ~ $15 or so) or having other problems. I am just going off recommendations I was given by reps from the respective companies when I was thinking about the same thing:)
Chris
 
looks like a good kalk setup is going to cost about $220 (for a PM reactor) and another $90 (for an aquamedic dosing pump). i might have to make it a christmas present for myself.
 
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