What's next for me?

[ctopal]

I've always been a pretty simple reefer. I'd like to share what I've got and do and see if there's table stake stuff I'm missing out on or what other things I should research next. I'm transferring my remaining coral to this tank tonight and probably my clown and anemone this weekend and will then tear down my 30. Very excited! Thanks for the input.

RODI system
90 gallon display with lifereef overflow, I keep softies and LPS mainly
20 gallon sump with tank return going into an algae tank scrubber
Next compartment was a fuge but now mainly taken up by my new tunze protein skimmer
Last compartment is a return back up using a sicce synchra pump
A couple eheim heaters and one other kind
2 jeboa wp25 pumps - I have a wavemaster pro to hook them up to but haven't yet
Tunze auto top off that I use to replace evap with kalkwasser using pickling lime
Intellifeed auto feeder
Digital thermometer probe, nothing special
Grounding rod in my sump
Photon 48 led light

I have a basic marine seachem test kit and do 10 gallon water change every 2 weeks. I dose calcium and alk if needed and nothing else. I run phos guard and carbon in the sump in media bags.

I'm most curious if there are other basic things I should be testing and dosing. Particularly since I'm about to place a marine depot order :spin3: And is there gotta have equipment I'm missing in your opinion? Or is there nice to have equipment that I should consider saving for? I've seen talk about UV sterilizers and I'm a little juries out on that. I also see the word reactor thrown about a lot with different things put in them??? and I'm not familiar with this at all or the need. Is this a gotta have item now, am I way behind the times to not have one?

 

[james30ct]

I like to test mag from time to time to make sure its where its supposed to be. I also have a dual chamber reactor that I use to run carbon/gfo, its not necessary but I like it.

 

[ctopal]

I like to test mag from time to time to make sure its where its supposed to be. I also have a dual chamber reactor that I use to run carbon/gfo, its not necessary but I like it.

I was thinking mag might be the item I should look into next. What do you dose with when needed?

Dumb question I'm sure, but what is GFO? And what's the difference with running carbon in a reactor versus it sitting in a media bag. I warned you I was clueless about these reactors

Thanks!

 

[phillrodrigo]

I use the brs mag sulfate and mag chloride. You mix some.of each together with rodi water. I dose by hand since my tank doesnt really use it its just instant ocean mixes up to 1100 it shoyld be 1350 at 1.026. The reactor I use is the brs dual its like 80 with a pump at brs. Gfo is granular ferric oxide. Its basically rust but it does a good job of taking out phosphates. Using a reactor is just a more efficient way of using those medias instead of in a bag were flow cant be controlled. So basically you would run gfo on one side then carbon on the other.

 

[phillrodrigo]

And I would just buy the mag test kit for now. I would wait till for a bit before you spend the money on getting it. Depending on the salt you use and how often you change water and what corals you put in. you may never have.to dose anything

 

[ctopal]

I use IO salt. Thanks Phil.

 

[phillrodrigo]

No problem. You have my number any questions I dont mind you texting and asking.

 

[ctopal]

Looking through old paperwork and found my drawn out sump plans, looks like it's a 30, not a 20.

 

[fitch4]

Skip the reactor and UV for now, if you ever, and I vote you start saving for a controller. I was always skeptical but I love having them on my systems.