Advice on new setup for Acropora

[MeteorFlower]

Hi everyone! I was hoping I could get the advice of you more experienced reefers on my new setup. I am wanting to design a system that will allow me to keep acropora-type corals as I have not had much success with them in my current tank (poor lighting and only Koralias for flow). The new tank will be an Oceanic 156 gallon (5'x2'x2') reef ready tank, with 150+ lbs live rock and a 75 gallon sump/fuge growing caulerpa on a 24 hour light cycle. My real questions are about light and flow. I was thinking of getting a Tunze wavebox for the new tank (my current tank is too old and I don't want to strain the seals); would this be a good choice to encourage polyp extension in Acropora sp.? And for lighting, I was thinking of going with Coralvue Lumenbright retro kits - either 2 x 250 watts, or 2 x 400 watts - as my main lighting. Would this work for Acros? What would be the better option, the 250 watt bulbs or the 400 watt bulbs? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[kkiel02]

As far as lighting I am running the coralvue/lumenbright pendants 20k reeflux and have seen about 1/4 inch of growth out of most my sps in a little over a month. This is in a 180 gallon an as far as flow right now my powerheads are one mp40 and two k4. I'm picking up another mp40 with the group buy. I have only had this setup about two months but so far I am very impressed with the growth rate. You could add another mh than i am using but I just don't see a need and have a center brace. The 250 watts also ought to be ok as your tank isn't too deep at 24" and you should get decent par ratings down low.

[Bill S]

With a 2 foot tank, I see no real need to go to 400w. You will just use more electricity. On a 5' tank, 2 fixtures may not be enough - do you have a center brace to worr about?

As far as flow, I'm NOT a wavebox fan. In the real world, reef currents are unidirectional, not back and forth as we think. In order to maximize your flow, make sure you don't have currents that fight each other. When I had my 215 packed with acros, I had 10,000 gph in it, and it was nearly all in a clockwise rotation, from the top.

[Gseclipse02]

, I had 10,000 gph in it, and it was nearly all in a clockwise rotation, from the top.


how many pumps and what kind did you have ???

[MeteorFlower]

Wow! Do you really get that much growth with 20k bulbs? I love the look of a 20k bulb, but thought that they wouldn't grow that fast under a high Kelvin bulb. I may reconsider going for the blue look if it won't impair the growth...
Can I ask why you don't like the wave box? Because I haven't been getting good polyp extension at all with the laminar flow my Koralias produce... I thought that an oscillating flow would be better for them.
Thanks for the input!

[recoiljpr]

I love my lumenbright reflectors and I wouldn't trade them for anything. I use 10k bulbs with T5 actinic supplementation.

I agree with Bill just through my own experimentation. Using my return and two powerheads (I use 1 MP40, K5 and mag return pump)I've set them up the best I can to create a sort of gyre. The acros seem to really love it.

[TexasTodd]

Go look at 5+ GOOD sps systems in Austin before you buy anything.

JimD, Danny, Acropoorer's, Fishypets (clint) etc.

Ask them what they like and what they would change on their current systems.

This will be well worth your time.

Consistent temps, water parameters, and clean water are more important than the exact lighting or flow options.

Todd

[Bill S]

Go look at 5+ GOOD sps systems in Austin before you buy anything.

Todd

Excellent advice.

BTW, I got great growth with Helios (now EVC) 20K bulbs - and they were a favorite of several online coral producers (I haven't checked in a while).

Flow in my tank:

Return 1800gph
Closed Loops 2X 1300 gph
Seio 2600 x 2 = 5200gph

Total: 9600gph

[kkiel02]

Go look at 5+ GOOD sps systems in Austin before you buy anything.

JimD, Danny, Acropoorer's, Fishypets (clint) etc.

Ask them what they like and what they would change on their current systems.

This will be well worth your time.

Consistent temps, water parameters, and clean water are more important than the exact lighting or flow options.

Todd

This is great advice. Stoneroller also has some nice sps and in cedar creek dena also has a nice setup you might want to swing by if you get the time.

[MeteorFlower]

I believe there will be a central brace, though I've been racking the pictures of my new tank on Oceanic's website and I can't find any images of the top angle... And I was planning on raising the lights a bit to help compensate for only having two fixtures, an idea I got from this review of the reflectors: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-06/review/index.php . Does anyone see any season why this wouldn't work? Please tell me if I'm missing anything! Thanks!

[ErikH]

do a dosing pump setup for ca and alk (what I would do diff), mp40 for flow(this too), 250x HQI with the right bulbs will scare corals from growing upwards(experience). LARGE fuge, no baffles, just a whole lot of sand, rocks and macro(exp). be diverse as the ocean is.

LEAVE ALOT OF SPACE BETWEEN CORALS!~!~!~!~!~!

ONLY BUY RARE STUFF!

STARPHIRE!

:)

[MeteorFlower]

Hee, thanks for that, the front panel of glass should be Starphire ;)

I will probably only be buying coral from people on MAAST from now on; the best stuff I've ever seen has all been here :)

Is there any particular dosing system you like or would recommend?