Robb in Austin Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 What are your parameters? How much light? How much flow? Between all the recent threads here and this one, http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2085265 and post #24 specifically, it got me to thinking about my practices. I don't have SPS but would like to at some point, at least some of the easier/common ones. I dont want a SPS dominant tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 All my SPS are the most beautiful pure white. They fluoresce so awesomely in my VHO super actinics. I think reds and greens and blues are just overkill. Its much easier to keep a bright white colony in my experience. Let me teach you how..... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don duncan Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 280 gallon tank here are my parameters. Salinity 1.026 ph 7.8-8.1 Alk 11 Cal 450-500 Nitrates - undetectabel Phosphates .02-.03 Hanna checker Mg 1300 Equipment Deltec Skimmer Geo Calcium Reactor PM Kalk reactor Nextreef bio pellets - 6 months Lights 2 200w LED and 1 400 W MH See my tank build for par readings 2 5ft vho bulbs Flow Return Reeflow Dart - 3600 gph or less with head and elbows Closed loop - Reeflow snapper - 2600 GPH Total flow - Approximately 5000 gph internal flow 2 Tunze 6105 set to pulse 90-60% on a 7096 controller (792 to abt. 3,434 USgal./h) Tunze fullsize Wavebox 2 mp40 - Flow: 500-3,000gph set on reef crest total flow - approximately 10k gallons per hour Supplements - occasional ammino acids I think thats everythings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Salinity 1.025 ph 7.8-8.1 in summer, 8.05 - 8.40 currently Alk 6.5 Cal 400-450 Nitrates - undetectabel Phosphates .00 ppb Hanna Ultra Low Range Mg 1300 (can't remember the last time I checked it) Total flow is 7000 gph or about 70x tank turn over an hr Flow is provided by 2x mp40's and 1x Tunze nano wave box Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroadodge Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Salinity 1.026 KH 11 CA 440 MG1400 PH 8.22-8.30 TEMP 79.4-79-7 FLOW (currently) return= MAG 24 & 18, and intank (2) Tunze 6105s and (1) Tunze Big Wave Box Fixing to change return flow to a Reeflo Hammerhead Nitrates O PO4 .02-.04 LIGHTING 2x400wMH, 8x54wT5HO, 2x48"VHOs SA and 3 LED pods for moon light. So IMO the only key to keeping SPS = STABILITY, and KEEPING your levels as close to natural saltwater as possible. I to was scared at 1st of SPS but once you have had them its realy not that hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbnj Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Salinity: 1.026 pH: 7.9-8.4 Alk: 9 Ca: 420-460 Nitrates: low-to-undetectable Phosphates: low-to-undetectable Mg: don't test for it; gets dosed with Calcium via Seachem Reef Complete Temp: 75-80 winter; 79-80 otherwise (chiller & no heater) Flow: 2x Koralia 8 Magnums Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 What temps do yall run and how do you accomplish it, ie heater/chiller(Thanks for including it Jeremy!)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 What temps do yall run and how do you accomplish it, ie heater/chiller(Thanks for including it Jeremy!)? My tank is a constant 78.0 now that I got rid of my halides. IMO..temp is a mute issue unless it swings a lot or gets over 80 ish. I've seen tanks run @ 75, tanks run @ 80 and they all look great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Just looked at the RC thread and the guy who posted #24 sure knows how to oversaturate a photo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I'm posting two tanks I take care of. Here's the first: 240 gallons 8' x 2' x 2', 20 gal water change every other week with tap water. 1/4 cup aragamight added with each water change. (This video was taken about 6 weeks after the original, very old, acrylic tank cracked and was replace with the current glass tank. 1 urchin was accedentaly crushed in the swap but no animals were lost due to the tank failure and miraculously only 2 or 3 gallons was actually spilled) Salinity 1.021 pH ? Alk ? Cal ? Nitrates - 0 (API) PO4 - 2 ppm !!! (I wouldn't normally tolerate this but this system doesn't seem to care so I'm watching it) Mg - never tested on this system Lights 2 250 HQI 10,000K in lumenmax elite reflectors Pumps 2 Koralia 2 (750 gph) one Aquaclear 70 one Aquaclear 70 feeding a 40W UV (currently turned off). Pumps are buried behind the rockwork so there is only minimum flow across the front of the tank. No external or internal filtering sumps/boxes/canisters/reactors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 And the second: 600 gallon (actual) multitank system. Display tank is 500 gal 10' x 2.5' x 3', 6 additional sump tanks for equipment, cryptic and lighted refugiums. 30 gal weekly water change with RO/DI. Separate Calcium and Kalkwasser reactors. Salinity 1.023 pH 8.1 (Aqyadyne ?) alk ? Calcium ? nitrate ? phosphate - P .08 (Elos professional, no GFO used "mud" in lighted refugium has not been changed yet [3 1/2 years]) Mg 1280 (tested 04/11) Lights Display tank has 7 250 HQI in lumenmax elite reflectors (one 10,000K three each 14,000K and 20,000K) and 4 T5 54W actinic. The schedule is varied according to season with about 8-9 hrs in the summer and 11-12 hrs in winter. Lighted, 24/7, refugium has 2 6500K 54w T5 and 3 14W red/blue LED grow fixtures (I don't like them and am glad I traded some used stuff for them and didn't buy them) Supporting Callahan's comment about heat because of noise issues no chiller is used on this system cooling is all done by fans pulling in outside air. Observed temperature varies between 71 and 84. There is occasionally an issue at the extremes with some corals. Notably during last years "big freeze" the Birdsnest bleached partially losing most but not all of its brown and was noticably pinker for a couple of months before returning to it's normal coloration for this tank (there is obviously some variation due to the different bulbs used). Pumps 2 Dolhpin @ 3500gph 10x through the system. Display tank has 4 Tunze 6125 and 2 6105 (?) for an estimated 40X turnover in tank. Regarding the paramaters I can't remember they are tested periodicly, it's that they were acceptable so there was no need to give them further regard. Acceptable for me is pH 8.1 to 8.3, Alk 7-11 dKH, Calcium 350 & up. I have found if consistant maintenance is done Nitrates will be undetectable with Seatest or API even with wet/dry filters and do not test as nearly as often as the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Nice dolly shot! What did you use for that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Plywood, casters and an aluminum extension ladder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 that was my second guess behind skateboard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Very nice looking tanks, Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 that was my second guess behind skateboard Aah yeah, but me balancing a tripod on a skateboard didn't strike me as having a good chance of success and the visual of my tripod going through the front of a tank really sends the heebeejeebees up and down my spine . Skateboard wheels sound like a better choice than the hard plastic casters I used though. You'll need at least 8, 4 for the edges of the rails and 4 for the sides. Alignment needs to be pretty much exact and may take some tweeking. I used bungee cords to hold my tripod on but I'm sure there are better designs. I also have 20 lb lead blocks that hold the ladder in place without getting in the way of the dolly but I would think barbell weights or some such would work ok. Very nice looking tanks, Tim Thank you Pat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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