SPS tank... How close am I???

[jaded]

My plan is to make my tank into a mostly SPS tank. I've added a large skimmer, sump, fuge, lighting and additional LR and LS. I will be adding a barracuda (3000+ gph) to my current manifold as soon as I can get the pump. So how close am I??? I'm reading Eric H. Borneman's "aquarium corals" but I'm not a fast reader, so I thought I'd ask here

Heres where I am now:
1. I've been doing water changes battling a spike after the new tank was moved to the house about 5 weeks ago.
2. I figure I still have a little work to do before the levels are solid at 0 (currently: trace of ammonia, 5-10 Nitrate, 0 Nitrite, 8.2-8.3 PH)
3. I don't run rodi water, nor do I have any plans (money) on adding a system
4. The temp issue seems to be solved... solid 80° with very little flux day/night

Inhabitant:
1 Hippo ~4"
1 Scopas ~4.5"
1 Tomato Clown
1 Purple Fire Fish
1 Abili Angle
1 Mandarin Goby
1 Lawnmower Blenny
1 cleaner shrimp
1 coral banded shrimp
lots of emerald crabs, hermits, snails...
~175 lbs LR
~LS bed (~2.5"

Equipment:
135rr
3 250w MH (1 10K, 2 12K)
2 48" 54w T5 actinic
50 gallon sump/fuge. The fuge is new with rubble, new "seeded" sand & pompom xenia only but I'm picking up cheato tomorrow
32" dual beckett skimmer running well
Dart return pushing most of the water back to the skimmer so my tank is getting under 1000gph

Reef Life:
frog spawn with about 5 heads
bubble coral
Bali xenia
many zoo colonies
many mushrooms (purple, red, green, frilly...)
colt
ricordia
unidentified coral that looks like a small "stubby" kenya tree
cabbage leather
devils hand leather
other stuff I'm forgetting

[alexwolf]

sounds good with the exception of the RODI. I firmly believe that this is a necessary piece of equipment. I would purchase one of those before I bought a protein skimmer. I ran my tank skimmerless for 6 months with no adverse effects. Just kept up with maintaince. However, when i took the RODI to the store, and started topping off with tap, i noticed my corals did poorly. I had some brown out, poor polpy extention. Now, i replaced the RODI and everything seems to be getting better. Heck, you can get a cheap one off Ebay for under $100!!!

[Reef69]

Yeah, everything seems good..just like Alex said, RO makes a big difference. I recently got rid of all my Soft corals, except one big mushroom where my anemone crab lives..im an SPS freak now, tank looks very colorful, you'll enjoy it once you start adding SPSs..

[jaded]

I dont have the test kits for alk and cal but I soon will... money has me kinda limited to what I can do... the great thing is the tank looks fabulous and nothing in there is really calcium hungry (compared to most SPS). With the amount of water changes I've done in the last couple of weeks I think I've got the elements in there. As soon as I get the loop in place and the RODI that it seems I just gotta have then I'll look into the cal and kalk reactors. But until then I'll put the flow and RODI at the top of my to-do list

thanks for the help everyone... an now I'm going to go kayaking, later

[smelleybrad]

I will supply you with all the RO/DI you need until you can get one. I don't have to pay for water so its all free.

[Brett Wilson]

Wow that is generous brad!

I completely agree with Alex as well. I used to run RO only water (from the LFS) on my 45 gallon breeder tank.
I had a VERY hard time keeping the algae under control with the bright lights SPS wanted and the dirty water I was using.
The TDS of the water I was using only measured 30ppm but when I switch to RO/DI (TDS = 1ppm) I stopped having algae issues all together.

[jaded]

I guess I've been lucky with my MASSIVE cleaning crew... I have absolutely no algea at all! In the 5 weeks the tank has been at my place the new sand has barely gotten a brownish tint and the rock is so clean I'm concerned about hermits and snails starving. although I do get a daily film on the glass I have to mag foat



I will supply you with all the RO/DI you need until you can get one.

Thanks man, thats a great offer, but I think I'm going to be getting one next Saturday night. I could use help installing it though. I really have no idea how to do it or how to tell when its time to replace the membrane of cartridges... any help on this would be appriciated

[jaded]

I might want to install it on the back pourch and run the line in through the wall for an auto top off... if thats even possible. Maybe I could even use the outside space for a reactor of 2??? Space is such an issue with this under stand tank... what are your thoughts???

[Brett Wilson]

I did this exact thing. be careful though, any sunlight will penetrate you RO/DI housings and cause algae to grow and then you'll ahve to take it all apart and run bleach through it. pain in the butt!
so keep it shaded AND dont run the clear housings if you keep it outside.

[jaded]

I will build a closed storage area if I end up putting it out there... do you also have reactors outside? I could really use the room... and it seems like a smart idea to run the RODI and the reactors close to one another then just auto top off from there. It's hot in Texas though!!!

[Brett Wilson]

I dont use a reactor, but i think this would work if it were properly protected from the elements.

[Brett Wilson]

And I think it's a neat idea :)

[CD]

1 Mandarin Goby


Jade - a five week old tank is awfully "young" for a Mandarin Dragonette. Do you have lots of 'pods already? If not, your Mandarin will starve. If you want an online source, I can recommend one...?
Also, as far as your spikes in water params, (and please don't take this the wrong way) the amount of livestock is not helping the matter much, but at least your frequent water changes should keep them from getting to dangerous levels to where it would be harmful for your fish and inverts. Personally, I would wait until all your water params have been stable for a couple of weeks before adding SPS or anything else for that matter. Even if it takes a couple of months, you will be glad you did, as we all know most SPS aren't cheap. Being overeager to fill up your pretty, new tank with lots of fish and corals can be costly.

Sounds like you are on your way to one heck-of-a reef tank though. ;) Have you posted pics somewhere?

Wendy

[jaded]

This tank is well established... it’s just new to me! All the inhabitants (other than the mandarin and a few zoo rocks) came with the tank. I’ve only added a clown goby (that I gave to brad) and the M. goby. I took 100% of the water, sand, rock... with the tank. I'd say I only lost about 20 gallons of the total 135+sump during the move. I never had an algae bloom or any other visible effect from the move, at least not yet.

The new skimmer is slimed up nicely now and has begun cranking out gobs of skimate. As a matter of fact I had to switch from a wine bottle as the catch to a gallon jug because the neck was so narrow that the skimmer would blow foam out the end. It's bringing the levels into line pretty quickly now that it's really dialed in. I've decided to go back to a regular schedule of water changes just to see what the levels are doing by themselves. So far (about a week) that has been showing a steady decline in both levels.

I see pods in both overflows… so I have to assume they are in the tank in some quantity. I recently added rubble and sand to the fuge, so I think I’ll start “growing” an even nicer pod population. Other than the occasional dead pod floating around about once a week and the ones in the overflows I rarely see them in the tank, but there are lots of places to hide. If I were a pod, I wouldn’t be hanging out on the sand bed.

[smelleybrad]

I've seen his tank and it looks pretty established! Everything in there is thriving.

[jaded]

I just got done adding the rest of the sand for my DSB in the fuge... I will snap a few pics as soon as the water clears.

I will be running a closed loop powered by a sequence stingray... this in a 135 should be plenty of flow... the manifold I built has 6 outlets with loc-line. I think this should allow me to remove the 2 maxi 1200's http://paddletexas.com/images/temp_images/manifold.jpg

I definately plan on waiting at least 2 weeks after the levels have become solid zeros... the original post was more about equipment then water quality, but I appriciate the help.

thanks again

[Reef69]

As far as equipment goes, you are set, IMO, thats enough light to keep anything you want. Other than light, you will have to keep your parameters in check, specially calcium and such, IMO, you are set to go once everything's ready..good luck ;)

[bigdscobra]

this is the ro/di unit that i bought last week hooked it up under the bathroom sink works great ....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20684&item=4372808 136&rd=1

And only $69.99
thats a deal!!!

[CD]

I think this should allow me to remove the 2 maxi 1200's


LOL...yep, there's going to be some nice flow in your tank! SPSs will be happy! ;)

Wendy

[jaded]

this is the ro/di unit that i bought last week

Yeah I saw when you posted about it a week or so ago... I actually have a line on a used Kent for a very reasonable price. So I should have a RODI system up and running in around a week. I'm pretty sure I can set it and 2 reactors up outside and then run the line through the attic for auto top off. I just dont know how to do it. I'm pretty sure there are switches, levers and knobs involved but thats as far as I've gotten in my research.



there's going to be some nice flow in your tank!

I think this will be the end of my softies though... I doubt if I'll be able to find a place for the bubble and I'll be lucky to keep the frogspawn. :( only time will tell

[jaded]

Hey Wendy, I found this shot in my attachment manager... Its from a few weeks ago before some rockwork and lighting changes but you get the basic idea... I'm sure the water in the tank will be clear by the time I get off work today so I should be able to get a few pics later

http://www.maast.org/modules/PNphpBB2/files/135rr.jpg

[jaded]

Wendy, after much reading of the camera manual that's the size of a small cargo van I got a few shots that were almost as good as the ones I take on "auto" but I figured it was easier to just put up a gallery on my site. Anyone that wants can see the tank, creatures, corals and DIY canopy can do it at thier leisure.

My Gallery (http://paddletexas.com/index.php?module=PostWrap&page=http://www.paddletexas.com/cmgallery)

but for the purposes of the discussion we're having here... a few choice shots
http://www.paddletexas.com/cmgallery/albums/aquarium/normal_aquarium_39_resize.JPG
http://www.paddletexas.com/cmgallery/albums/aquarium/normal_aquarium_40_resize.JPG
http://www.paddletexas.com/cmgallery/albums/aquarium/aquarium_36_resize.JPG
http://www.paddletexas.com/cmgallery/albums/aquarium/normal_aquarium_35_resize.JPG
http://www.paddletexas.com/cmgallery/albums/aquarium/normal_aquarium_31_resize.JPG
One more
http://www.paddletexas.com/cmgallery/albums/aquarium/aquarium_32_resize.jpg

I could really use a picture taking course!!!

[CD]

I could really use a picture taking course!!!


How so? You've taken some wonderful pictures, and that's a VERY nice looking set-up/tank! Nice corals, nice coraline...hey, did you ever check to see if you could spot some 'pods on your rock after lights out?

Wendy

[jaded]

The lights have been out about an hour and a half now... I'll check

LOL... there everywhere... WOW I had no idea!!!

[CD]

LOL... there everywhere... WOW I had no idea!!!


Pretty cool, eh? With a 135G chock full of 'pods, you may be able to support a pair of mandarins.
I really like to check out our tank at night...if you have a light with a red lens (critters can't see red
light) you'll see a lot of activity that you won't see during "lights on". I don't have a red light, but I
partially cover my hand over a flashlight to where it's really dim, and watch that way. Too cool! :D

Wendy

[jaded]

I almost bought a small flashlight with colored lenses from Walmart just a few days ago... I might go back for it now :)



You've taken some wonderful pictures, and that's a VERY nice looking set-up/tank! Nice corals, nice coraline...

Thanks Wendy... I can't take to much credit, this was daniel's (Salty) tank, but its really looking good with the new rock and the 40" stand makes such a huge difference!!! I'll never go back to bending over to view one of my tanks again. It's well worth having a step stool near by

[jaded]

jaded, the "what is it" pic looks like a Pocillopora Damicornis.


Its a softy

[TexasTodd]

Hey Jade same advice here........no sps without rodi.

Also you will probably want to limit the amount of soft corals you have in the system with them.

Todd