Your ideas for a LPS only tank.

[fierceseaman]

Within the next year I will probably have the opportunity to do a major upgrade. Right now I'm just sitting on the Rea Sea Max all in one system and its been great for exactly what I bought it for: too see if I like this hobby. And I do, most importantly I really like LPS corals.

When I upgrade I really want the system to be focused on providing the best environment for LPS. I don't want to mess around with SPS except for maybe some monti cap or turbinaria. The main focus on the tank will be the LPS. I enjoy all euphyllia, brains (open and closed of all flavors), acans, elegance, and favia. So pretty much all the popular LPS.

As I understand, the best environment would be a lagoon type display with a little bit lower flow than your average setup.

What would you guys think would make this tank a success in terms of lighting, flow, size, ect? I'd really like any input that anyone can add.

 

[Finding Emo]

Well, I recently just started and I love LPS too. Especially euphyllia. How big of a tank were you thinking of upgrading to?

 

[Mental1]

I have a 65 with a bit of everything and I think it is too small (maybe I have gone a bit over the top!). I have torch, hammer, elegance, frogspawn, blasto, plate, acan, scoly, lithphyllon, chalice, duncans, and leptestrea for LPS. I have leather, xenia, gorgonian, zoas, palys and shrooms for softies. I have oculina, Stephanocoenia, birdsnest, pocilliopora, monti plating and digitata, and capricornis for SPS. I think T5's are fine. I am using hydor koralia for flow and they work great. I am contemplating going to a 180. I would go to at least a 120 because these corals are going to quickly outgrow my tank and they look good big!

 

[ret25yo]

ok . If I was doing a sole LPS tank I would go with a wide as possible, I would want 60"x36"24" this will leave aquascaping easy and simplistic, that would give plenty of space for corals to grow and lighting could be simple t-5 's I wold also include a 4 port close loop on a dart to hide flow. I curently run a 270g with 125g sump. my system entails 2 close loops on darts and 2 6100's w/controller return pumps are 2x1262's and I have one of the closed loops off as its to much flow for the softies and LPS. but I would definatly leave rock to minimal and space to grow and spread to a maximum.

I also run ATI 2x36" 8 bulb powermodules for lighting which is plenty for my 24" deep tank.

I also run a Bubblemaster 250 skimmer which maybe to much for my bioload as softies prefer to "filter" the water themselves... But it's still the best thing Ive spent hobby money on ever.

 

[fierceseaman]

120 to 180 does sound like good numbers. I'd want something large but not larger than 200 gallons I don't think. I'm wanting more of the lagoon look so that wide thing sounds like that would be accommodating.

In terms of lighting you think that T5's would be appropriate for all LPS? Would MH be unnecessary?

The other thing that I want to do is make it a completely free standing tank so that it will be viewable on all 4 sides. I'm not sure how I will hide the overflow (maybe I won't?) and the plumbing, but I really want to have 4 viewable sides.

 

[ret25yo]

AHHH good choice look into ZERO EDGE AQUARIUMS these are amazing tanks and sounds perfect for a lagoon 4 side viewable tank look them up and tell me what you think.

yes t-5's will work

 

[chris wright]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11585120#post11585120 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fierceseaman
120 to 180 does sound like good numbers. I'd want something large but not larger than 200 gallons I don't think. I'm wanting more of the lagoon look so that wide thing sounds like that would be accommodating.

In terms of lighting you think that T5's would be appropriate for all LPS? Would MH be unnecessary?

The other thing that I want to do is make it a completely free standing tank so that it will be viewable on all 4 sides. I'm not sure how I will hide the overflow (maybe I won't?) and the plumbing, but I really want to have 4 viewable sides.

Ok I'm into LPS as well So are you planning on fragging any of these corals? This will help decide the size of your tank.

I have Trachyphilla, Lobophyllia, Duncan's, Euphyllia (Hammer and Torch) Catalaphyllia and a Goniopora, all under t5 lighting. I am upgrading this lighting, but it's to a better t5 unit.

If you don't want to see an over flow, maybe you could look into a central overflow. I don't know much about these though. Personally I'd make it viewable from 3 sides, and have the plumbing hidden as best as you can behind the tank. This is just in case you need to get to this plumbing.

Good luck

Cheers

Chris

 

[ret25yo]

http://www.zeroedgeaquarium.com/index.html

they have a 125 show- 72x36x12-18

 

[fierceseaman]

ret25yo - those are beautiful aquariums but we'll see if i can afford them. i'm also dubious about their claims about salt creep and evaporation.

chris - i would love to frag any coral i have, once they become too large for their areas, if thats what you are asking. it sounds like we are interested are all the same things in terms of corals.

what t5 system are you using? how big a tank? i figured the only way I would be able to hide the overflows would be a central overflow. that takes care of that plumbing but what about the returns? has anyone ever heard of threading the return lines through the central overflows? i know i've seen free standing aquariums in tanks of the month. i guess is this would be too difficult i would go with a 3 sided idea and leave one of the narrow sides as an overflow.

what would you guys suggest for a lagoon area? what sort of flow? would a large central rock group work the best?

 

[chris wright]

My tank is only a 3 footer It's very hard to aquascape when all the corals are doing well, and getting big. I plan to upgrade as soon as possible. It's capacity is 200ltr's, about 55 gallons.

The current lights are a twin tube Litemaster, which is 2 39 watt bulbs. I used to have 4 bulbs, but they unit's bulbs burnt out, before my new lights turned up. I ordered DE lights, which is neat 4 bulb unit, but I'm still waiting on it. This is not really a problem, as I have my tank set up in front of window which gets sun all day.

As for your central overflow and returns, yes you can bring your returns up the overflow. If you do go viewable from 3 sides, try to make the overflow the full width of the side you use for the overflow. If you go with the central overflow, then maybe you could do a central bombie.

As for flow, I'm not going with the norm. I have softies and SPS, so flow is strong. The trick in this case is to try to direct the flow to suit the SPS, which I set high, and the LPS is low. However, I'm finding that the stronger flow is not upsetting my corals, except my Duncan, which should get used to it. My flow was 8500ltr/hr, but I'm seeing deadspots, which with a batch of salt that I don't like, I am getting algae issues.
I have now increased the flow from 8500ltr/hr or 42.5 times tanks capacity, to 11000ltr/hr (approx 3000gallons/hr) or 55 times tanks capacity. My Catalaphyllia loves this increased flow, but the flow is directed away from my Goniopora, so the flow is mild. I have managed to get a better salt, which will obviously improve water quality, and keep my corals in good health.

HTH

CHeers

Chris