NPS Build Advice Wanted

[Doug B]

I am thinking about doing a NPS tank in an extra 40 Breeder I have laying around. I have a few questions about equipment and inhabitants. Any help would be appreciated. Specifically:

1) Should I have/do I need a fish or two to produce nutrients?
2) Lighting is obviously not a concern, but what about skimming?
3) Should I worry about a sump? Do I need enough stuff to warrant having one?
4) As far as flow goes, what are recommended flow rates, and power heads?
5) If I go no fish at all how does that change the need for things like water changes, nitrate and phosphate control, etc.?

I have two reef tanks, so I'm not new to the hobby. But this would be my first attempt a NPS tank, so I am not sure how the things I already know apply to a new biome.

Thanks.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I am thinking about doing a NPS tank in an extra 40 Breeder I have laying around. I have a few questions about equipment and inhabitants. Any help would be appreciated. Specifically:

1) Should I have/do I need a fish or two to produce nutrients?
2) Lighting is obviously not a concern, but what about skimming?
3) Should I worry about a sump? Do I need enough stuff to warrant having one?
4) As far as flow goes, what are recommended flow rates, and power heads?
5) If I go no fish at all how does that change the need for things like water changes, nitrate and phosphate control, etc.?

I have two reef tanks, so I'm not new to the hobby. But this would be my first attempt a NPS tank, so I am not sure how the things I already know apply to a new biome.

Thanks.

That's great your trying NPS. Of all threads on R2R, I'm trying to raise 22 Dendronephthya, stereonepthya, Scleronephthya. I was concentrating on only dendronephthya, but vendor doesn't realise I was being shipped other NPS softies. And I thought they were dendro's.

Here's my setup

1. No fish
1a. No skimmer
2. No refugium
3. Tap water (prime) budget? My way
4. No lighting, sun when I like, for lighting
5. Filtration Hiatt filtration. Or no brand carbon.
6. DIY Auto water change outs. 2 1/2 gallons per day. May get away from doing this
7. KEY TO SUCCESS, FLOOD FED, EVERY HOUR, FOR ME.

Just so you know the right now bacteria, and using unstuck from Hiatt products, help me control
NO3 & PO3. NO3 are 2-5ppm, PO3-who knows.

I just discovered flood feeding like 3 days ago, and the corals are recovering, and hopefully regrow.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I am thinking about doing a NPS tank in an extra 40 Breeder I have laying around. I have a few questions about equipment and inhabitants. Any help would be appreciated. Specifically:

1) Should I have/do I need a fish or two to produce nutrients?
2) Lighting is obviously not a concern, but what about skimming?
3) Should I worry about a sump? Do I need enough stuff to warrant having one?
4) As far as flow goes, what are recommended flow rates, and power heads?
5) If I go no fish at all how does that change the need for things like water changes, nitrate and phosphate control, etc.?

I have two reef tanks, so I'm not new to the hobby. But this would be my first attempt a NPS tank, so I am not sure how the things I already know apply to a new biome.

Thanks.

Forgot, for water movement today I picked up 3k. Good for 25 gallon to 100+

My tank 24gallon. Setting up a similar one at the "Backwoods Lab "
Stay tune

 

[Subsea]

@Doug B

Unless you want a lot of work, I suggest something easier to care for NPS than Dendronephthya.

Look at deep water gorgonions
https://www.live-plants.com/redtreegorg.htm

If that works for you then combine it this way: macro lagoon with numerous feather dusters, flame Scallop, sea apple and low light softies. In my 75G display, I use a layer of red grape macro to shade gorgonions at the bottom.


https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/2...m-on-top-with-30g-ecosystem-mud-macro.421526/

 

[Subsea]

I am thinking about doing a NPS tank in an extra 40 Breeder I have laying around. I have a few questions about equipment and inhabitants. Any help would be appreciated. Specifically:

1) Should I have/do I need a fish or two to produce nutrients?
2) Lighting is obviously not a concern, but what about skimming?
3) Should I worry about a sump? Do I need enough stuff to warrant having one?
4) As far as flow goes, what are recommended flow rates, and power heads?
5) If I go no fish at all how does that change the need for things like water changes, nitrate and phosphate control, etc.?

I have two reef tanks, so I'm not new to the hobby. But this would be my first attempt a NPS tank, so I am not sure how the things I already know apply to a new biome.

Thanks.[/QUOTE

I am thinking about doing a NPS tank in an extra 40 Breeder I have laying around. I have a few questions about equipment and inhabitants. Any help would be appreciated. Specifically:

1) Should I have/do I need a fish or two to produce nutrients?
2) Lighting is obviously not a concern, but what about skimming?
3) Should I worry about a sump? Do I need enough stuff to warrant having one?
4) As far as flow goes, what are recommended flow rates, and power heads?
5) If I go no fish at all how does that change the need for things like water changes, nitrate and phosphate control, etc.?

I have two reef tanks, so I'm not new to the hobby. But this would be my first attempt a NPS tank, so I am not sure how the things I already know apply to a new biome.

Thanks.

I suggest skimmerless & sumpless, if you are experimenting. Keep it simple.
Air exchange is critical in maintaining a reef without a surface skimmer that removes scum. Robust circulation at the surface will aid in gas exchange and will accelerate evaporation and cooling. Heater is required.


If you are serious, then set up a sump with a mud/cryptic refugium. IMO, never skim a tank for filter feeders. Corals are filter feeders.

Skimmers remove nutrients like free swimming bacteria that will feed the tank. All filter feeders, including corals, are nourished by bacteria & bacterioplankton.

Before you add any fish to your tank, treat it as a refugium and allow micro fauna & fana to proliferate for 90 days. I would get a large diver collected decorative live rock from the Gulf of Mexico

http://www.gulfliverock.com/premium-decorative-rock.html

and have it air freighted to nearest airport. Have AlgaeBarn cultured copepods seed your tank. Get cultivated detrivores from IndoPacific SeaFarm in Hawaii. Feed your tank to grow the little people that provide food webs that recycle inorganic nutrients into organic live food of differrent sizes. In that manner, a continuous supply of live food is available.

A mature diverse sandbed will feed your system live food. Always use aroggonite as it will assist with pH buffering by providing passive alkalinity management. Most important in the sandbed oxygen and proper grain size to support micro inverts like worms, micro stars and pods. I like CaribSea “special reef grade”.
I am not a proponent of deep sandbed > 2”.

I mimic successes and to that end I suggest a reverse flow undergravel filter. @Paul B dismantled his display after 47 years when he moved to Montogue Point.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/wet-salty-for-christmas-2017.428100/

 

[Subsea]

@Doug B
I suggest skimmerless & sumpless, if you are experimenting. Keep it simple.
Air exchange is critical in maintaining a reef without a surface skimmer that removes scum. Robust circulation at the surface will aid in gas exchange and will accelerate evaporation and cooling. Heater is required.


If you are serious, then set up a sump with a mud/cryptic refugium. IMO, never skim a tank for filter feeders. Corals are filter feeders.

Skimmers remove nutrients like free swimming bacteria that will feed the tank. All filter feeders, including corals, are nourished by bacteria & bacterioplankton.

Before you add any fish to your tank, treat it as a refugium and allow micro fauna & fana to proliferate for 90 days. I would get a large diver collected decorative live rock from the Gulf of Mexico

http://www.gulfliverock.com/premium-decorative-rock.html

and have it air freighted to nearest airport. Have AlgaeBarn cultured copepods seed your tank. Get cultivated detrivores from IndoPacific SeaFarm in Hawaii. Feed your tank to grow the little people that provide food webs that recycle inorganic nutrients into organic live food of differrent sizes. In that manner, a continuous supply of live food is available.

A mature diverse sandbed will feed your system live food. Always use aroggonite as it will assist with pH buffering by providing passive alkalinity management. Most important to the sandbed is oxygen and proper grain size to support micro inverts like worms, micro stars and pods. I like CaribSea “special reef grade”.
I am not a proponent of deep sandbed > 2”.

I mimic successes and to that end I suggest a reverse flow undergravel filter. @Paul B dismantled his display after 47 years when he moved to Montogue Point.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/wet-salty-for-christmas-2017.428100/

 

[lion king]

Funny I just did the same thing, everything is doing great so far. You can check out my build here: www.reef2reef.com/posts/5395593/

I'll keep things updated in my build post, I differs in a few ways because I found most common points still didn't seem to work long term. The main issue I found was feeding. Either they don't get fed enough, or the tank can't support the feeding. So I did go with a skimmer and an automated feeding system to get food though out the day. You could also do powder coral food with an air pump or magnetic stirrer and a doser.