starting over how would you build my tank

saltwaterpicaso · Jul 28, 2016

okay so the title says it all.. I have an oceanic tech 90 tank that I am starting over.. want everyones input how would you set it up. refugium no refugium, bio pellets no biopellets, gfo and carbon. mostly looking to go with a lot of torches and nems.. what would you use for a clean up crew.. bare bottom or sand. I'm barebottom now and kind of want sand again so I can have certain wrasse..

any input would help

thanks

Brad1215 · Jul 29, 2016

Without going into deep detail I'd go with a refugium is you want a wrasse that would help for sure, if you go with sand as I personally would then I would go with black sand. Cuc I've always been a fan of scarlet hermits and a few different turbo snails.
I don't use a gfo or anything to high tech .
Anyway that's just my opinion

saltwaterpicaso · Jul 29, 2016

thanks for the input. my current setup has a refugium and gfo and carbon I'm just trying to figure out what else I could do for options.. might do the aquaforest route

Steve Tobias · Jul 29, 2016

I would strongly suggest a Tunze 3155 ATO! Stable water is essential. With the carbon and GFO you already have you should be able to greatly reduce water changes. Clean up crew should include Nassarius Snails. I have 2 inches of coarse and about 1.5 inches of fine sand and after a while you could see the build up below the sand bed. You can vacuum and clean it out during water changes, but these guys borough into the sand and you rarely see them. They do a great job of sifting the substrate.

DeniseAndy · Jul 29, 2016

If you want bare bottom and wrasse, they have this rock out there that actually has a bubble layer in it for wrasses. Pretty cool. Cannot remember where, but probably google it.

Is the 90g RR? This will affect what I would do.

SeaDweller · Jul 29, 2016

If you're looking to have just torches and nems, why are you trying to run your water so clean? Generally they like dirtier water, so having sand helps keep some nutrients. Running GFO and bio pellets will only strip your water of the available nutrients. Plus you should only run those to control nutrients IF they're a problem to begin with. I run GAC all the time for clearer water, but unless you're having NO3/PO4 through the roof and its putting a damper on the health of your tank I don't see a need for it.

Also having a fuge is good as that is a natural means of exporting nutrients.

Brad1215 · Jul 30, 2016

Just a little IMO
If you want a wrasse id decide which one before going barebottom if you do because a favorite wrasse of mine the leopard wrasse kinda needs substrate to sleep and hide it. Not saying they all do it but most of them do.

Breadman03 · Jul 30, 2016

DeniseAndy said:
If you want bare bottom and wrasse, they have this rock out there that actually has a bubble layer in it for wrasses. Pretty cool. Cannot remember where, but probably google it.

Is the 90g RR? This will affect what I would do.

The Alternative Reef has made a product called a "wrasse den", though this suggests that it was a one-time run. I believe I saw them at MACNA 2015, so maybe @gooch just does a run once in a while.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/wrasse-dens-in-stock-limited-amount-available.150699/

saltwaterpicaso · Jul 30, 2016

I have barebottom now and not sure if I care for the look I do love how clean it stays. whenever I have sand I always have diatoms here and there that annoy me and the rock always has a fine algea layer that I cant stand. the tank is a 90 gallon oceanic tech tank with the starfire glass yes its reef ready. and the sump I have is the eshopps r300 3rd gen I have a reef octopus elite 200 int skimmer 2 vortecs and 2 g3 radions. I just want my tank to look perfect and clean like you see in all the tank of the months lol I will figure it out

SeaDweller · Jul 30, 2016

saltwaterpicaso said:
I have barebottom now and not sure if I care for the look I do love how clean it stays. whenever I have sand I always have diatoms here and there that annoy me and the rock always has a fine algea layer that I cant stand. the tank is a 90 gallon oceanic tech tank with the starfire glass yes its reef ready. and the sump I have is the eshopps r300 3rd gen I have a reef octopus elite 200 int skimmer 2 vortecs and 2 g3 radions. I just want my tank to look perfect and clean like you see in all the tank of the months lol I will figure it out

Just take care of it and it will always look clean

saltwaterpicaso · Jul 30, 2016

how do you suggest keeping it clean I used to vacume it here and there and had various snails in it.. I see a lot of tanks where they don't ever clean it and it looks amazing