My path towards SPS

[Shawn_epicurious]

That's a good way to find dead spots and it does sound like a good amount of flow.

I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist with certain perameters. Flow is tricky because certain acros get insane Polyp extension with just the right flow, and anything less bugs me. So, my recommendation is based off the mistakes I've made and what bothers me. Acros don't need insane Polyp extension to live, grow and color up decently nice though

I haven’t even started researching the SPS corals yet : ) I am afraid to right now lol... I’ll end up having things delivered hahahahaha

Perfectionists? I used to be (read my signature line lol ) Perfection is unachievable. The only people that don’t make mistakes are those that don’t do anything.

I am focused on equipment needs first... my first choice was already a mistake lol I’ll make lemonade though. Run carbon thru the reactor... or GFO... my dosing system is on the way... I’ll need some time learning it inside and out.... I am testing for a lot things right now with my water, more often than I need to, but I want to see trends and learn to adapt to them. .....find as much stability as possible.... with a maturing tank. ...just learning where numbers need to be for SPS is still new : )

 

[Albertan22]

I haven’t even started researching the SPS corals yet : ) I am afraid to right now lol... I’ll end up having things delivered hahahahaha

Perfectionists? I used to be (read my signature line lol ) Perfection is unachievable. The only people that don’t make mistakes are those that don’t do anything.

I am focused on equipment needs first... my first choice was already a mistake lol I’ll make lemonade though. Run carbon thru the reactor... or GFO... my dosing system is on the way... I’ll need some time learning it inside and out.... I am testing for a lot things right now with my water, more often than I need to, but I want to see trends and learn to adapt to them. .....find as much stability as possible.... with a maturing tank. ...just learning where numbers need to be for SPS is still new : )

I probably don’t need to tell you this seeing as how I think you said you were an accountant, but graphing things like your alkalinity really gives you a great picture of what is going on. I think there are a few aquarium apps out there that you can log your parameters with and graph them. I have an Apex and their app does it all for you. It’s a powerful tool. Once you figure out your weekly usage of alk and calcium you can convert that to daily usage then use an online calculator to set an initial dosing schedule. Just google “reef chemistry calculator” for that.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

I probably don’t need to tell you this seeing as how I think you said you were an accountant, but graphing things like your alkalinity really gives you a great picture of what is going on. I think there are a few aquarium apps out there that you can log your parameters with and graph them. I have an Apex and their app does it all for you. It’s a powerful tool. Once you figure out your weekly usage of alk and calcium you can convert that to daily usage then use an online calculator to set an initial dosing schedule. Just google “reef chemistry calculator” for that.

I have been researching Apex controllers! (Yup gadget guy lol) I almost hate to admit being this big of a nerd, but... yeah... my log is in a spreadsheet.... the math is already in place to calc a decade of daily water tests (yeah... if ever lol) I have an adaptive graph already set up for each thing I am measuring. I am so bad!

I was going to hold off asking questions about controllers until I get my dosing stuff setup. You beat me to the punch lol

 

[Hydrored]

If you are going the apex route the DOS’s are great, if you decide to go the Trident route it can adjust dosing for you +\- 35% of your set dose along with dosing more during the day while the lights are on and less at night. Good luck!

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

If you are going the apex route the DOS’s are great, if you decide to go the Trident route it can adjust dosing for you +\- 35% of your set dose along with dosing more during the day while the lights are on and less at night. Good luck!

You are gonna have me googling all night now lol More Toys!

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

I noticed a trend on this thread when you guys talk about testing your water. You guys have a very specific list, by brand, that you like for each test. While I respect that.. a lot... I wanna go digital, everywhere possible.

is that what a controller does? I don’t mind spending a few bucks on this, but at what point are the higher end controllers really just a waste of money?

 

[Albertan22]

An apex will have probes for temperature, ph, salinity and ORP (something most don’t know what to do with. You can buy a trident as an add on module that will test Alk, Cal, and Mag. The controller can run various things on your tank as basic as acting as a timer for your lights, to much more complex such as turning off your return pump, running your powerheads at a reduced power setting, turning off your skimmer, then triggering an auto feeder. You can set all kinds of programming scenarios if your equipment is compatible. A Neptune DOS dosing pump is controlled by an apex and can be set up to be largely controlled by the test results of a trident as described by someone else above. There is risk to all this in that if the apex goes down, your whole tank could go down with it. It’s a risk some aren’t willing to take and others are. There is also a cost factor obviously.

If you like digital, buy Hanna testers for Alkalinity and ultra low range phosphate. Some use the calcium one but they’re finicky and a lot don’t. Hanna checkers make daily alk monitoring practical and affordable. An Apex or Alkatronic of course ISL the pinnacle of daily testing being fully automated.

 

[stephj03]

You've already done the most helpful thing you can do to have a good experience with SPS.

You started with a large tank.

In the long run that's going to make stability that much easier to maintain with sticks in the water.

I hate to sound anal but something that might be helpful is if you could post your gear listing by categor (or link to it if it's in a build thread). This will make it a lot easier to get clear and efficient input.

Tank:
-dimensions
-overflow/drain configuration and pipe size -sump size (gallons/dims), return pump
-auto tipoff unit and resevior size/config
Filtration:
-skimmer model
-media reactors and type
-amount of live rock in lbs
-syntgetic media types (like your marine pure blocks)

Flow/circulation:.
-approx gph of flow coming via return pump with position and size of return lines
-qty, brand/model of powerheads and their position in the tank.


Lighting
-qty/brand model of lights with position and height above water
-lighting schedule of LEDs or bulb combo for T5/MJ

Livestock:
-current number and species of fish

Testing:
-kit or device brand/model and typical reading for
All, CA, Mg, No3, Po4

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

You've already done the most helpful thing you can do to have a good experience with SPS.

You started with a large tank.

In the long run that's going to make stability that much easier to maintain with sticks in the water.

I hate to sound anal but something that might be helpful is if you could post your gear listing by categor (or link to it if it's in a build thread). This will make it a lot easier to get clear and efficient input.

Tank:
-dimensions
-overflow/drain configuration and pipe size -sump size (gallons/dims), return pump model

Filtration:
-skimmer model
-media reactors and type
-amount of live rock in lbs
-syntgetic media types (like your marine pure blocks)

Flow/circulation:.
-approx gph of flow coming via return pump with position and size of return lines
-qty, brand/model of powerheads and their position in the tank.


Lighting
-qty/brand model of lights with position and height above water
-lighting schedule of LEDs or bulb combo for T5/MJ

Livestock:
-current number and species of fish

Testing:
-kit or device brand/model and typical reading for
All, CA, Mg, No3, Po4

I have a lot of this in my build thread... by no means all of it. I’ll work on that tomorrow and let you know when I have it updated

 

[stephj03]

From what I see in your posts, you have:

A 200g tank with a fairly beefy cone skimmer and a number of marine pure blocks. I actually like this conbo. I run similar on my 300g. How many gallons per wk is your ATO putting in? If it's a lot you'll be able to start supplementing Alk/CA by simply adding Kalk powder to your ATO resevior.

 

[stephj03]

For flow it looks like you have a couple of locline returns and 3-4 koralia/maxijet type powerheads.. These will be good for pointing towards low flow areas but won't do a whole lot for SPS.

Plan to upgrade these component on your path to SPS.

Research:

-maxspect gyre 330
-ecotech mp40
-tunze stream 6105

Depending on the length of your tank, these will be common options and threads about them on the forum will also discuss budget alternatives.

SPS need a lot of flow,

 

[Hydrored]

I run 4 MP40’s on my 120 with the pumps staggered around the tank, each running different modes 60-80% throughout the day. Only thing that’s tuff is I run a mixed reef, new LPS hate the flow but they get use to it after awhile. Kind of with I just went sps dominate

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

From what I see in your posts, you have:

A 200g tank with a fairly beefy cone skimmer and a number of marine pure blocks. I actually like this conbo. I run similar on my 300g. How many gallons per wk is your ATO putting in? If it's a lot you'll be able to start supplementing Alk/CA by simply adding Kalk powder to your ATO resevior.

My LFS guy is installing the dosing system this week... one of the things I have been putting off is learning more about my RODI system. He and I are going to chat at length about it when he does the install. A few people have mention Kalk... I’ve been googling it. I am almost positive (if I am not already using it) I will by soon.

Dude, I do not know the math for gallons per hour... I can’t answer that yet

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

For flow it looks like you have a couple of locline returns and 3-4 koralia/maxijet type powerheads.. These will be good for pointing towards low flow areas but won't do a whole lot for SPS.

Plan to upgrade these component on your path to SPS.

Research:

-maxspect gyre 330
-ecotech mp40
-tunze stream 6105

Depending on the length of your tank, these will be common options and threads about them on the forum will also discuss budget alternatives.

SPS need a lot of flow,

Wow, you looked thru my build thread : ) thank you for that! Increased flow can come after the dosing system and controller I am looking at... before any livestock. Agreed?

 

[stephj03]

Is your ATO plumbed directly to your RODI? Or is your RODI filling a resevior tank that a separate ATO system pumps water into the tank from?

 

[stephj03]

I would actually say in order if you are going to transition to SPS vs ground up :

1. ATO
2. Flow
3. Lighting
4. Filtration

Because you have such a big tank, you have some time for dosing and controller, but all the better to add whenever they are hot in your mind.

You'd have to put dozens of frags or a handful of softball sized colonies in a 200g tank for dosing automation to become critical out the gate.IMO

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

Is your ATO plumbed directly to your RODI? Or is your RODI filling a resevior tank that's a separate ATO system pumps water into the tank from?

Directly plumbed.... it was messing up maintaining salinity at first. I kept doing a few manual top offs with 1.025 water... I don’t seem to need that now...it is staying really stable

 

[stephj03]

Regarding dosing you've covered the three primary approaches in this thread inadvertently.

1. Kalk, added to top off water or mixed and dripped/dosed. Very cheap,. Required the least amount of gear, but will struggle to keep pace with a 200g tank if you find that you have a green thumb for SPS or if you don't have consistent, high volume evap

2. 2/3 part dosing, requires mixed solutions of All/CA/Mag, can be done manually but often facilitated with a dosing pump (kamoer, jebao, GHL, DOS, bubble magus etc). This prob the most common method for tanks under 150g, easy to adjust, simple dedicated gear for a few hundred bucks.

3. Calcium reactor, which is what you tried to setup with the aquatop. To do this properly expect to Shell out $500-$1k for a quality used setup or $1500+ for new (Geo, Aquamax, reef octopus are common brands)

It's likely option 1 or 2 will be sufficient for at least a yr after adding SPS frags unless you go absolutely crazy.

Option 3 will be money well spent whenever you wake up one day and can't believe how much you spend each month on All/CA powder.

If going with 1 or 2, get your raw materials on Amazon or BRS.

Either way you will find that right now, you don't have to dose that much bc you have mostly softies that don't build skeleton.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

I would actually say in order if you are going to transition to SPS vs :

1. ATO
2. Flow
3. Lighting
4. Filtration

Because you have such a big tank, you have some time for dosing and controller, but all the better to add whenever they are hot in your mind.

You'd have to put dozens of frags or a handful of softball sized colonies in a 200g tank for dosing automation to become critical out the gate.IMO

I hate when logic beats me lol here is the rub... for Me. I did a tank 15 years ago and really couldn’t afford it.... what I am doing now... : ) (I hope this doesn’t sound pretentious) .. fits in my wallet this time : )

I have so much to learn....

I’d like to get the hardware.... and then be able to understand the hardware... so the numbers are right. Before I buy an animal that is depending on me to keep it alive.. I a, really not planning on buying an SPS coral for at least six months..

I want the foundation in place... that’s actually why I bought the big tank : )

Regarding dosing you've covered the three prary approaches in this thread inadvertently.

1. Kalk, added to top off water or mixed and dripped/dosed. Very cheap,. Required the least amount of gear, but will struggle to keep pace with a 200g tank if you find that you have a green thumb for SPS or if you don't have consistent, high volume evap

2. 2/3 part dosing, requires mixed solutions of All/CA/Mag, can be done manually but often facilitated with a dosing pump (kamoer, jebao, GHL, DOS, bubble magus etc). This prob the most common method for tanks under 150g, easy to adjust, simple dedicated gear for a few hundred bucks.

3. Calcium reactor, which is what you tried to setup with the aquatop. To do this properly expect to Shell out $500-$1k for a quality used setup or $1500+ for new (Geo, Aquamax, reef octopus are common brands)

It's likely option 1 or 2 will be sufficient for at least a yr after adding SPS frags unless you go absolutely crazy.

Option 3 will be money well spent whenever you wake up one day and can't believe how much you spend each month on All/CA powder.

If going with 1 or 2, get your raw materials on Amazon or BRS.

Either way you will find that right now, you don't have to dose that much bc you have mostly softies that don't build skeleton.

I can’t keep up lol... I tried... its Saturday night... scotch is involved. Can I answer tomorrow?

 

[stephj03]

As far as Lighting goes you've made a good investment going with Hydras, a lot of ppl use them or Radions. But you have 3 of the smaller ones with only 2 clusters ea on a 200g tank.

This will work to get you going but you will need to plan on placing your first frags directly beneath them.

Over time you will have a decision to make. If you really want mostly SPS and you want it to wall to wall, you'll need more coverage.

I would plan to start by adding a couple of aquatic life T5 hybrid fixtures (comes with mounts that work with your current LEDs) and possible add 2 larger led units (52/64hd).