40 breeder sps looking for opinions

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jimmybling31

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I've been keeping reefs for a long time and have had success with all types of coral, but I have never set up a tank like this.
Right now I'm thinking:
the tank will be almost completely fishless minus a yellow tang.
The tank will be skimerless
The tank will have a 20 gallon refugium
The refuium will have the heater, ato drip, and a phosban 150 reactor runnimg carbon constantly
The lighting will most likely be a 4 bulb t5ho fixture with 6700k, 12000k, 2 actinic bulbs, but could be switched to led.
Shallow sand bed less than .75 inch
15 to 20 pounds of live rock in display (directly from my 120 gallon )
5 pounds refugium rubble in refugium from my 120 system
Chaeto and calurpa in refugium
Refugium lit with 4 t5ho bulbs at 6700k
Auto top off will run with mixed kalk
Once tank statts consuming high amounts of calcium and alk I will start 2 part dosing
Wavemaking will be done with 2 koralia evolution pumps
Return pump will be mag drive 5 or 7

Any comments on this and is there anythink I'm missing from having a successful build for purely sps here? I am wanting to run this skimmerless, because I feel like if I'm barely feeding I shouldn't need one and the chaeto and kalurpa could take care of the nutrients. On my 120 I run a majorly oversized skimmer. this is not me trying to cut corners

Thanks and if you want to lecture me on doing something wrong go for it. I probably need to hear it.

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Chewy.com
No no no, its all wrong! Ya gotta...wait, I think it sounds like a good system, though I would try I go larger on the actual refugium section if you want nutrient export to be more efficient, but of course stand size or external areas dictate sump size. The lighting should be good as long as you get a high quality brand with really high output, possibly even overdrive some?
 
Top Shelf Aquatics
Sand bed was primarily going to be for looks. The refugium size is being determined by what I can fit under it using the cheap cinder block stand method of stand that I like on smaller tanks. The fixture I have for t5ho is a current one. It's not to notch but I was thinking being shallow it should be fine. If it's not enough I was wanting to try the reef radiance dm 132e and could try that instated.

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Well a development happened. I'm going to be using a high intensity led fixture sold by reefradiance.com instead of the t5ho fixture. It will produce a much higher par than the t5ho

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Deltec
I've been using led as my primay lighting for almost a year and I think this is just another place I will. Unless the need arises though, this tank will be my first skimmerless tank. I'm a little worried about that.

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www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com
Oh algae scrubber. I know they work, but when I used one I wasn't really any more impressed with it than a properly lit refugium.

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I've ran skimmer less since I put up a 65 and am skimmerless now, though I have one for my 225, just haven't plumbed it yet. With only one fish you shouldn't have to worry much at all, I keep up with nutrient export with no skimmer by doing weekly water changes. I currently have 21 fish in my 225.


IMG_9636_zps9451e972.jpg
 
I like the upflow versions better than refugiums only for the fact that it makes sure my mom can't over feed when she watches my house lol. Mine is designed as a Cyanobacteria scrubber rather than hair algae, its really weird
 
Avast
I'm going to do a build thread of the actual tank when I have everything here to start. I realized I need some salt. I only have 10 gallons worth left right now. Lol. My wife did jokingly say I might as well use my other 40 breeder as a sump and put it next to the tank like on my 120 so I might do that just to make for a bigger refugium.

I did read about the algae scrubber and it sounds nice and all, but I just don't know that its right for me. Also when I go out of town a fellow reefkeeper checks on my tanks for me. My mom overfed like crazy when she did, but made a friend for life in my naso tang ( only 4 inch and it is my reason for an upgrade next year. Not just cramming it in a 120)

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Careful what kind of algae you put in the refugium, I hear that caulerpa can spread like wildfire throughout your whole tank sometimes. Otherwise as long as you stick with a lot of water changes I think going skimmerless will be fine with the bioload you will have.
 
If over feeding incidents occur with your tank an ATS is one of the only filtration methods I know of that can consume the excess with no problem. My mom watches my house on vacation and she overfeeds the fish, the cats, and the dogs. I know how that goes haha. My ATS is a very unconventional design but it eats like a pig and I have extremely clear water (when something isn't squirting in it like corals or some type of bacterial blooms that can cloud up sometimes.)

Good idea on the 40 as a fuge. I have a 55g on my 90. Bigger the better :) I've seen refugiums that were larger than the display tank too that really made some good water quality but that's not for everyone of course.
 
Deltec
If it does end up being a pain skimmerless I'll pick up another skimmer for this tank.

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TCK Corals

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%

  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%

  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%

  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
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