Recently set up a 90 gallon drilled with a durso, first drilled tank. I know there's a learning curve on sps but am willing to give it a try, sucessfully kept some of the more forgiving sps but not many other types. So far the 90 has a tunze wavebox, and one hydor in the opposite end, will a gyre 150 and wavebox be enough for sps ? lighting is a 36" 6 bulb ATI, also have 2 150 halides or 2 AI vegas that can supplement.. over sized skimmer rated for 250 gallons i believe and that's really it. what else do i need ? is the lighting and flow sufficient ?
90 build equipment
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Bpb
2500 Club Member
I'll bite.
Sps are both easier and harder than you may think. Rather than using the rather broad term "sps" I'll refer to acropora specifically. Reason being, I have some pocillopora and montipora in my tank that could survive a nuclear fallout winter. When I had my big tank crash last year, I lost montipora, acropora, Zoas, Lobos, leathers, clams, everything...except my pocillopora, stylophora, and montipora spongodes colonies. Which all three appeared as if it were business as usual. So there are some sps corals that are far hardier than even many softies. I digress
Acropora on the other hand have rather simple care requirements, but narrow margin of error. Clean water with lots of flow and good lighting, with plenty of food and stable alkalinity and temperature. Not much else to it. Any other high tech gadgetry is just supplemental and not needed. Have one of the basics falter though, and it can take weeks/months for the coral to recover, if it doesn't die in a hurry anyway
I love tunze products. I use two 6105 pumps on my 90 gallon. I'd say go with the gyre and the wavebox. Not sure how you'd orient those but that would be plenty of horsepower.
The ati fixture is a beast. A little on the short side, but I bet you could squeeze those AI Vegas on each end perpendicularly for 100% full coverage. If you have the ability too you could angle them inward.
Skimmer rates that size should be more than adequate.
At that point really you're looking at making sure your RODI is in working order and you're stocked on filters/salt mix. Plenty of good test kits (Red Sea, salifert, Hanna, elos) for calcium, alk, magnesium. Refractometer, calibration solution for said refractometer and RODI tds meter calibration solution. Good solid return pump. I'm old school and love my Eheim 1262 for my 90 gallon. Auto topoff...lots of patience
Sps are both easier and harder than you may think. Rather than using the rather broad term "sps" I'll refer to acropora specifically. Reason being, I have some pocillopora and montipora in my tank that could survive a nuclear fallout winter. When I had my big tank crash last year, I lost montipora, acropora, Zoas, Lobos, leathers, clams, everything...except my pocillopora, stylophora, and montipora spongodes colonies. Which all three appeared as if it were business as usual. So there are some sps corals that are far hardier than even many softies. I digress
Acropora on the other hand have rather simple care requirements, but narrow margin of error. Clean water with lots of flow and good lighting, with plenty of food and stable alkalinity and temperature. Not much else to it. Any other high tech gadgetry is just supplemental and not needed. Have one of the basics falter though, and it can take weeks/months for the coral to recover, if it doesn't die in a hurry anyway
I love tunze products. I use two 6105 pumps on my 90 gallon. I'd say go with the gyre and the wavebox. Not sure how you'd orient those but that would be plenty of horsepower.
The ati fixture is a beast. A little on the short side, but I bet you could squeeze those AI Vegas on each end perpendicularly for 100% full coverage. If you have the ability too you could angle them inward.
Skimmer rates that size should be more than adequate.
At that point really you're looking at making sure your RODI is in working order and you're stocked on filters/salt mix. Plenty of good test kits (Red Sea, salifert, Hanna, elos) for calcium, alk, magnesium. Refractometer, calibration solution for said refractometer and RODI tds meter calibration solution. Good solid return pump. I'm old school and love my Eheim 1262 for my 90 gallon. Auto topoff...lots of patience
naptalene
Community Member
I found getting them to settle/start growing was a bit hairy.
Now my tank is really stable and even one or two mistakes have been handled easily.
My 2c on extra needed equipment...
ATO - if salinity is swinging then so are the Mg/Ca/KH concentrations - I have an Osmolater but a valve version or whatever is perfect.
Doser - Keeps the KH/Ca/Mg stable, but I have never needed to use a doser for Mg personally, it just doesn't get used that much in my system. I have budget dosing units and as long as you calibrate them correctly they work brilliantly.
Neither of those are necessities but they are cheap in comparison to the Corals and give you stability.
Controllers are awesome for failsafe/automation etc. but not a necessity (I run a Reef Angel)
Now my tank is really stable and even one or two mistakes have been handled easily.
My 2c on extra needed equipment...
ATO - if salinity is swinging then so are the Mg/Ca/KH concentrations - I have an Osmolater but a valve version or whatever is perfect.
Doser - Keeps the KH/Ca/Mg stable, but I have never needed to use a doser for Mg personally, it just doesn't get used that much in my system. I have budget dosing units and as long as you calibrate them correctly they work brilliantly.
Neither of those are necessities but they are cheap in comparison to the Corals and give you stability.
Controllers are awesome for failsafe/automation etc. but not a necessity (I run a Reef Angel)
