Is this set up OK

bobbyreefs · Oct 20, 2014

Hello all. I am fairly new to reefing but I've read a lot on here. This seems like a great place to get some answers so here it goes. I need to know if what I am running is sufficient or if I need to change something around. I have a 40 gallon drilled tank that I am running a very thin layer of sand in. I have a 25 gallon sump and use a sock filter. It's ran by a 1200 GPH external pump. I use a next reef Bio Reactor and a Phosban 550 for carbon being ran off of a 500 GPH pump. I have a huge protein skimmer that pulls out a tremendous amount of dark thick waste. In the tank I have a 850 GPH, 300 GPH and a 260 GPH power heads plus the 2 returns from down under. The flow in the tank seems pretty good. Any advise as to changing anything or should I leave things the way they are. My only issue right now is the red algae that I can't seem to get rid of. I have a cabbage leather, brown polyps, clove polyps, and a kenya tree that are all doing good and growing. There is a yellow tang (of coarse), clown, chromis, and a fire fish and they are all happy. I use a current Outer Orbit light for a total of 342 watts including the 150 watt metal halide. Any help would be great. The picture of the tank below is before adding the 850 GPH power head.

VicD81 · Oct 20, 2014

I think you are good.

ptreef · Oct 20, 2014

looks good in general.

kireek · Oct 20, 2014

Your system looks great! I love the look of a metal halide. If your tank is fairly new I would just give it some more time.It's appears to be a new tank algae bloom.Keep track your water parameters and keep it them stable.Once again,nice system!

bobbyreefs · Oct 20, 2014

Thank you all. I take a water sample to the LFS right before every water change just to make sure I can stick with my normal change. The only real big issue I had which I literally just fixed was the water level in the sump and how it changes the behavior of the protein skimmer. So ..... I did a DIY ATO with a float valve installed in the back of the sump. I ran a water line in to my kitchen (right on the other side of the wall) and put o 5 gallon container in my lower cabinet just higher than the float so the gravity feed works. Tested and it works great, I'm really excited. That was a pretty cheap ATO system. My next step is to continue the water line around the kitchen through the cabinets and get to my RO-DI.

The tank is fairly new by the way. Probably about 4 months old or so. So far it's been pretty good to me, but I've tried to be good to it in return lol.