Fixedwing's 90 Gallon DSA Build (SPS Dominant) [Archive]

fixedwing

Thu, 7th Feb 2013, 06:09 PM

Hello,

Well I think it's about time to start a build thread so I can document my progress from this point on. I've been out of the hobby for a couple years (moved here from Dallas), so I'm excited to get things going again. My last tank was a 140 Gallon mixed reef and towards the end my interests started to shift to SPS.

So now I'm back and with the help from many of you, my goal is to have an SPS dominant tank. I've learned that patience is very important and this time I plan on going slow and doing it right the first time. Over the past few months I've begun acquired about half of the items I need and it will be a few more months before I acquire the rest. Below is what I've purchased thus far and future purchases I plan on. I've added some questions on a few of my future items and I'd love hear your opinions.

Already Purchased:
- 90 Gallon Tank by DSA 36L x 24W x 25T
- Fixtures: (2) Gen 2 Radions
- Dosing: BRS 1.1mil pumps (I know it will be awhile before I needs these, but got a good deal)
- Reactor: BRS Dual Reactor
- Controller: Reefkeeper Lite Plus...It's all I needed
- Mixing station: BRS RODI with 2-20 Gallon Brute Containers

Still need to Purchase:
- Custom Stand: I'm a cabinet builder at heart, so this is going to take some time. I really like the look of the Reef Savvy stands, but I'm not set on anything just yet. Also need a few more things first before I begin planning it out.
- Lights: Since my last setup was MH and don't know what T5 bulb combination will work best for SPS? I prefer a 16k-20k tank, so if you have any suggestions please LMK. Pics or links to pics would be great.
- Sump: I'd prefer an open sump without a refugium, but I'd like to hear some feedback on this. Does anyone have a successful SPS heavy tank without a refugium?
- Skimmer: Either the new Vertex Omega 150 or Sea Side Aquatics xx7 series?? Thoughts or is there something I missed that might be better in this price point?
- Return: Sicce 2.0 or 3.0. Want the least amount of flow to keep things as quiet as possible. Planning on a Herbie overflow, just need to figure out my return situation since I only have 2 holes in my overflow box.
- Power head: (1) MP40wes.. It will be my first vortech, hate the price tag, but after reading the reviews I'm sold. Will keep my eye out for a good used one in the near future.
- Top Off: Thoughts?? Tunze makes a good one, but they sure are proud of their Osmolator ATOs. Any alternatives?
- 50 Lbs of Dry Rock...Don't want any hitchhikers. Will seed with some trusted live rock, any suggestions??
- Sand: Would love to go bare bottom, but would like to hear the pros/cons from someone who has a BB. Is it really that much up keep?
- Quarantine Tank: I'm a little hung up on how to properly quarantine my corals before I place them in my DT. Yes I've read all you need to do is dip them before you put them into your DT, but I'm just not sold and I would like to QT my corals. Let me know if you have any advice on setting up a bare bones coral QT and what I would need. Also would like to know your process (Frequency of water changes, how long, etc...).

Well I guess I've rambled on long enough. I look forward to your responses and thanks in advance for your help!

fixedwing

Thu, 7th Feb 2013, 06:16 PM

Scutterborn

Thu, 7th Feb 2013, 06:24 PM

Sharp tank! I like it! I'm glad you came on board with MAAST. Lots of good people with tons of knowledge.

-Ben-

Scutterborn

Thu, 7th Feb 2013, 06:27 PM

Lets start with the refugium. If you aren't going to run a fuge, what are your plans for nutrient uptake and export?

-Ben-

fixedwing

Thu, 7th Feb 2013, 06:41 PM

Hey Ben,

Thanks! Enjoyed the forum I was apart of in Dallas and I'm looking to be apart of something a little closer. :) I've heard a lot of good things about MAAST and I've met a few people already.

As for the nutrient uptake, well weekly water changes and GFO/Carbon is my current plan.

Zack

Thu, 7th Feb 2013, 07:25 PM

What the heck! Why is everyone coming up with these awesome tank builds lately!!! Making me want to teardown and get something slick like you guys. Great stuff so far!

Scutterborn

Thu, 7th Feb 2013, 07:32 PM

Those are both very nice skimmers. An SPS dominant tank like clean water. We all know that. Can I ask why you'd prefer to not run a fuge?

-Ben-

CoryDude

Thu, 7th Feb 2013, 07:43 PM

For the top off, the tune osmolator is still my favorite, but they are pretty pricey. I have a jbj ato on my wife's tank and its pretty reliable. I found it for $79 on aquacave and then I used an old maxi jet for the supply pump.

Scutterborn

Thu, 7th Feb 2013, 07:46 PM

I also have the tunze osmolator.

-Ben-

CoryDude

Thu, 7th Feb 2013, 07:51 PM

I also ran a 90 gallon sps dominate tank without a refugium. But my 120 gallon has one now. I like them mainly to guarantee I'll have pods somewhere in the system.

As far as a qt tank, I went with the clip and dip method. It's great for sps only but I screwed up on lps and softies. Now I have aiptasia because of that. So if you plan on having a mixed tank, then a qt tank is a good idea.

after dealing with aefw, red bugs, and brypopsis, I went the dry rock method. You can seed the rock with prodibio bio digest and some trusted macro algae from someone's fuge.

Big_Pun

Thu, 7th Feb 2013, 09:40 PM

it's about time, don't know if you rember me, we chatted a while at elegant reef. good luck on your build!

fixedwing

Fri, 8th Feb 2013, 08:18 AM

Nanoreefer,
Thanks!

Ben,
Do you know of anyone on this forum that runs the Vertex Omega. I was pretty much set on the SSA until I saw a write up on the Vertex.
It's not that I don't want one, but over the years I don't know how many times I've heard or read that it's not necessary. I was thinking if I went without it I could save some well needed real estate under the hood. I was hoping I could do a DIY sump using a smaller aquarium, but if I do a fuge I'll probably have to get something bigger.

CoryDude,
Good point on the pods. I would like a mandarin at one point.
Clip and Dip? I'm assuming your saying that when you bought a frag you would only dip it or did I miss something? You have any clue on how to properly qt coral?

Big_Pun
LOL, I know, but my monthly budget allows only so much. Thanks and I'm sure I'll see you around.

Scutterborn

Fri, 8th Feb 2013, 09:19 AM

A fuge isn't necessary. However, I believe it's an important part. You accomplish many things with a fuge.

- you can grow and pull macro (as needed) for nutrient export.
- you can grow macro on a reverse light cycle to help maintain Ph.
- you can provide a safe place for pods to reproduce.
- you can hide "ugly" equipment down there.
-you can grow frags in there (if the light is right) instead of a bunch of frag plugs in the DT.

This is my opinion so, take it at that. It seems like, whilst not necessary, it's benefits outweigh the cost and time. We all know what happens when you don't do it right the first time! You do it again and it's harder and more expensive.

-Ben-

Big_Pun

Fri, 8th Feb 2013, 09:46 AM

i run a low nutrient tank but i love having a fuge and yes even with bio pellets i get decent growth. just as ben stated the life that lives and grows in there is very benificial im sure you know that. Also i like looking into my fuge at night and seeing all the lil "bugs"

CoryDude

Fri, 8th Feb 2013, 10:53 PM

CoryDude,
Good point on the pods. I would like a mandarin at one point.
Clip and Dip? I'm assuming your saying that when you bought a frag you would only dip it or did I miss something? You have any clue on how to properly qt coral?

Sorry, should have been more specific. All sps in my tank were clipped off their original plugs and reattached to new ones. Then I would dip them in a saltwater and betadine mixture for 20-25 minutes.

FireWater

Fri, 8th Feb 2013, 11:37 PM

Part of the fun is seeing what all works and doesn't then forming your own opinion. Chris and I jab each other all the time about equipment and the way we keep our tanks is night and day different. The commonality is we are both enjoying our tanks.

I am another vote for a fuge. I feel the benefits are ample. As for space under the hood it depends on high you want to build your stand. I run an elevated fuge so I could keep a large sump and it doesn't take up cabinet floor space.

I don't know of anyone or talked to anyone yet that runs a vertex skimmer. I have been eyeing their latest ones though.

The t5 combo is the toughest part. You will hear all kinds of opinions for different bulbs. It has been a long time since I ran t5 so I won't be of much help there. I will say that when I did run t5 I always bought a couple of extra bulbs to play with the color to find something I liked.

FireWater

Fri, 8th Feb 2013, 11:38 PM

Oh, and the QT. I don't currently run one. I clip and dip and inspect thoroughly. Not the best choice.

I have been toying with the idea of running an AC110 or AC70 with a smaller impeller over a small cube to quarantine corals. Easy set up and lower cost up front.

fixedwing

Sat, 9th Feb 2013, 10:05 AM

CoryDude,
Thanks for clarifying the clip and dip. It's this first time I've heard of using betadine, I'll have to look into this a little more once I get the tank wet.

John,
With the response I've received from not running a fuge, including yourself, have convinced me to include one. Actually yesterday I was thinking about turning a 45 Gallon cube into a fuge. Yes the cost to do it would probably be about the same as just purchasing an acrylic sump from a local shop, but I really like projects. Maybe I'll layout the flow of the sump and post for feedback.

As for the QT tank, I was thinking of a 20L with a backpack/internal filter as well. The thing I'm stuck on is what lighting to use? Since my DT will be T5, so I was thinking T5 as well, but I don't want a couple hundred wrapped into a QT light. I really need to get a better understanding of how to QT coral first, so I have some researching to do.

Thanks for all the great responses guys!

fixedwing

Sat, 9th Feb 2013, 10:17 AM

Just wanted to share a quick layout of how I would like the setup to look like once it's done. It's only the front view and it's preliminary, but it gives you an idea.

Troy Valentine

Sat, 9th Feb 2013, 10:36 AM

Looks like a real clean setup.

FireWater

Sat, 9th Feb 2013, 11:58 AM

Looks cool. Like the floating shelf to hold the hanging brackets.

I'm going to blasted by Chris for this, but have you thought about running par style led bulbs for the QT? It will cost similar to a good t5 fixture though.

fixedwing

Mon, 11th Feb 2013, 10:14 AM

Thanks Troy. Once things start coming together I will hit you up on your offer.

John,

I've thought about using a PAR style bulb for a fuge light, but not for my QT tank. My concern would be acclimating the corals to the different light source. Would there be any kind of "dialing in" needed to acclimate my corals? If I could set it and forget it then I'd be interested in hearing more about them.

FireWater

Mon, 11th Feb 2013, 11:12 AM

I do not believe you will have issues. There are a couple of things you can do to help with acclimation.
1. Run a controllable or dimmable par style bulb.
2. Use black window screen above the QT tank. Remove it after a week or so.
3. Cut down on the light cycle time.

fixedwing

Mon, 11th Feb 2013, 11:15 AM

John,

Which bulbs exactly? Would you happen to have a link?

fixedwing

Mon, 25th Feb 2013, 10:26 AM

A little update

Well I went to Dallas to visit family and while I was there I picked up a high end system that was about 2 months old and got it for a deal of a life time.

I want to give Jaysen @ Aquarium Designs a HUGE thanks for helping!!! I had to purchase all the livestock and Jaysen went the extra mile to make sure I had everything I needed to successfully transport the livestock from Dallas. Got everything back to his shop and didn't loose a single thing!!

So what I kept:

Equipment:

(2) Gen 2 Radions
(1) MP40wes
(1) NIB Tunze Osmolator

Livestock: (It's all at the babysitters)

(1) Green Catspaw
(1) Pink Birdsnest
(1) 5-6 Hd Branching Hammer
(1) 6-8 Hd Duncan
(1) 12+ Hd Kryptonite Candy Cane

Now I really need to finalize the design of my stand and shelf so I begin building. I'll keep you posted!!

fixedwing

Mon, 25th Feb 2013, 10:27 AM

Here's a pic.

fixedwing

Sun, 3rd Mar 2013, 12:55 AM

A lot has happened this week, so I thought I'd write a little update.

After some back and forth, I decided on the Vertex Omega 150 and I should get it sometime next week. I was able to see one in person and the craftsmanship is second to none. What initially held me back was the footprint, but a custom sump fixed that problem.

I also placed an order for 100lbs of Marco Dry rock. It's a lot more than what I will need, but I wanted a large selection of rock to choose from. I plan to get this in a couple Brute Rubbermaids and seed it with some trusted LR for the time being. If anyone has any LR, that they know is pest free, I'd like to grab a few pounds to get this dry rock kick started.

In addition, I picked up a used Bio Cube that will act as my QT tank.

One problem though!! I'm beginning to second guess my choice on going rimless and I'm considering a DSA 90 instead. Few reasons, my wife is beginning to think it would be better to have the tank in the living room and not the office (sweet), but she doesn't think the open rimless look will fit the surrounding decor and would prefer a canopy. I personally think the rimless tank is too short for a canopy, which is why DSA 90 is a better fit. Same foot print (36 x 24), it's just 6 inches taller. Second, I would like to do a Herbie style overflow and unfortunately the rimless only has 2 holes drilled in it. I had a fix which was to bring the return up and around the top, but at the end of the day it's a fix. Third, I'm still concerned with the possibility of jumpers. Sure I can make a screen for the top, but really think it takes away from the whole rimless look. What do you think... Should I get the DSA90 and put it in the living room or stick with the rimless and keep it in the office?

Scutterborn

Sun, 3rd Mar 2013, 09:46 AM

Do both!

:)

I've got some LR I'll be selling shortly that is pest free.

-Ben-

fixedwing

Sun, 3rd Mar 2013, 09:56 AM

LOL, I wish!!

Just PM me when you're ready and I'll come get 10-15lbs.

rockmp

Sun, 3rd Mar 2013, 10:00 AM

Make sure and cook the Marco rock for awhile before adding it to your tank or it will start to leach phosphates. This happened to me and my rocks are covered with GHA. I am finally winning the battle with it tho.

Thanks
Mark
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fixedwing

Sun, 3rd Mar 2013, 10:12 AM

rockmp

Sun, 3rd Mar 2013, 10:18 AM

Hey Mark,

Did you get the Key Largo rock? I contacted Marc to ask that specific question and he said there where PO4 problems with his pukani rock, but he no longer sells it. He claimed the Key Largo rock has no PO4 issues.

Either way, how do you suggest cooking the rock?

Yup that's the one. It was over a year ago so he may have changed things. There is a great article over on RC that tells you step by step on how to cook the rock. You will get several different opinions on this. The best one is using an bleach and acid bath but I will find the article for you and send it your way.

Thanks
Mark
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

fixedwing

Mon, 4th Mar 2013, 10:23 PM

Well tonight I decided on the 90 gallon and it will be a couple weeks before I receive.

Also excited to receive the few items I ordered last week!!

fixedwing

Tue, 12th Mar 2013, 11:15 AM

Well it's been a little while since my last update and there's been a lot of activity around here.

- Received my 100lbs of dry rock from Macrorocks and it is exactly what I wanted. I'm a little nervous with the phosphates, so I hope a good soak helps.
- Got my Omega 150 skimmer. I still can't get over how well this thing is built for the price. The real test will be when it's put to action, but I'm confident it will rock!
- I finally got my mixing station built over the weekend and my RODI unit is reading 00 solids. I was shocked that my water quality was only 40 solids coming in.
- I picked up a 14 gallon Bio Cube that should work perfectly for quarantining my corals. The lighting is not the best, but should be plenty to keep things alive through the observation
phase. I plan on putting a six line to work as well.

I'm still waiting for my tank and sump to come in and afterwards I'll begin building the stand.

One last thing, I'll need to re-purchase the tank controller. My brother bought my RKL controller and now I'm starting to think Apex, but I'm not sure if it's worth the extra money. If all I'll get is the ability to add a module for the MP40 than it's probably not worth it me. I'd like some feedback and if you could add a why, it would be much appreciated.

FireWater

Tue, 12th Mar 2013, 12:54 PM

Looks great. You need to come rearrange my garage for me, I like the clean look.
The phosphates will be easily remedied with water changes. I saw no issues with mine other than an outbreak of hair algae and since it was a new tank I just included it as part of the cycle and waited it out. Wasn't bad at all and should be alleviated if you soak the rock before hand in a separate tub and do water changes on it.

fixedwing

Tue, 12th Mar 2013, 10:20 PM

LOL, I swear my OCD has nothing to do with it. :wink_smile:

I'm definitely going to start soaking the rock asap. Also trying to hunt down some pest free live rock to throw in with it.

fixedwing

Mon, 20th May 2013, 08:32 PM

Wow I can't believe it's been over two months since I've posted something in this thread, so this is way over due. Due to work, it's going a little slower than I had hoped, but I'm getting close!

What I've received/setup over the past couple months:

- DSA90 Tank
- Custom Sump (21x23x16)
- Coral QT tank w/ Rapid LED PAR38 bulb (Dozen corals waiting for the DT)
- Fish QT tank with (1) Yellow Tang & (1) Tomini Tang

As I've stated before, I enjoy building things in my spare time and I was determined to build the stand. I took as many in process photos I could to share. Yup, I intentionally designed the stand at 38". Looking for a custom look that will be the center piece of the room. Hope it turns out the way I've envisioned it.

fixedwing

Mon, 20th May 2013, 09:09 PM

First round of photos

fixedwing

Mon, 20th May 2013, 09:11 PM

Round 2

fixedwing

Mon, 20th May 2013, 09:13 PM

I have a few more days left of building and I'll post more once I'm finished.

hobogato

Mon, 20th May 2013, 09:19 PM

exceptional job on that stand and canopy, what a great looking design! looking forward to seeing this come together

fixedwing

Mon, 20th May 2013, 09:22 PM

Here are my first round of sps corals. They've been in my QT system for a few weeks now. I'm pretty sure I light shocked a couple of my corals, but things are looking better everyday.

Southern Flame

Mon, 20th May 2013, 09:41 PM

very nice!!

BBQHILLBILLY

Mon, 20th May 2013, 09:41 PM

nice stand pics with all the clamps, nice to see the progress of the build

fixedwing

Mon, 20th May 2013, 09:42 PM

And a couple full tank shots of my quarantine tanks. I really didn't have a place for these tanks, so a couple months ago I also made the "built-in" that these tanks sit on. Another one of those set backs, but it's been a great addition to keep the QT's.

Big_Pun

Mon, 20th May 2013, 09:51 PM

looking good! i see your spa hoarding all ready

fixedwing

Mon, 20th May 2013, 09:53 PM

Thanks!! Goal is to have water in the DT in two weeks, so my next update shouldn't take as long..

fixedwing

Mon, 20th May 2013, 09:56 PM

LOL Chris, yeah couldn't resist.

Southern Flame

Mon, 20th May 2013, 09:59 PM

Seeing the yellow tang how is he doing btw?

fixedwing

Mon, 20th May 2013, 10:10 PM

Hey SF,

He's doing well and I'm pretty sure he's ready for the move over to the DT once he's finished.

How's your blue tang doing?

Southern Flame

Mon, 20th May 2013, 10:50 PM

My regal is in the DT and I went to JOTS(Dan) and picked up a cleaner wrasses also they love each other lol and the wrasse comes and cleans my hands when Mess with the tank

coralreefexplore

Thu, 20th Jun 2013, 07:22 PM

I really like everything you are doing. Keep us updated

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footballdude2k3

Thu, 20th Jun 2013, 07:28 PM

Looks great so far, but that blue tang is quickly gonna be too big for this, if he isn't already.

fixedwing

Fri, 28th Jun 2013, 08:14 AM

Okay, so I've been up and running for almost a week now and I thought I'd provide a little update. The tank is almost as silent as I'd hoped for and the only thing you hear is a hum from the skimmer pump. I hope, with time, this will get a little better, if not I might be in the market for a different skimmer.

I'm a little disappointed in the Sicce pumps and the support I've received so far. I planned on using a Sicce 3.0 as my return, but the second I plugged it in there was a knocking sound, so I purchased a Rio 2500 (impressively pretty quiet) for the time being and contacted Sicce for a warranty request. It's been almost a week and Sicce has been VERY SLOW to respond. All I was hoping to do was mail it in for them to look at, but I guess you have to go through a Q and A first before they will let you. It's a little ridiculous and if they continue to take days to respond to my answers, they can expect to loose me as a future customer.

I still need to hook up the Apex, Lights, (2) MP40 and ATO, but should be able to complete this over the weekend.

Here are in progress pictures along with how my tank looks today.

fixedwing

Fri, 28th Jun 2013, 08:15 AM

more pics

fixedwing

Fri, 28th Jun 2013, 08:17 AM

Looks great so far, but that blue tang is quickly gonna be too big for this, if he isn't already.

I don't have a Regal. We were talking about Southern Flame's.

hobogato

Fri, 28th Jun 2013, 08:21 AM

looking great so far. what is the reason for the pink light in the stand?

fixedwing

Fri, 28th Jun 2013, 08:26 AM

It's a fuge light.

http://www.reefbreeders.com/fuge-lite_leds.html

hobogato

Fri, 28th Jun 2013, 10:08 AM

link isnt working for me, is there a reason for the pink coloration that makes it better than the more commonly used colors used for fuges?

fixedwing

Fri, 28th Jun 2013, 10:33 AM

If you google reefbreeders you should be able to find the main site.

The light uses 10 (660nm - Red) and 2 (450nm - Blue) LEDs and this light spectrum is suppose to prompt rapid algae growth. I've read great reviews from other reefers regarding this exact light, but this is my first experience in using this particular light. I'm sure I'll need to dial in my photo period to keep things in check, but I will keep you posted.

I don't know if you followed LEDs when they first were becoming popular, but I can recall many debates that full spectrum LED were creating algae break outs in people's main displays. People swore that the red LEDs were the culprit and the manufactures were getting it wrong. In time people found the sweet spot to run there reds at. LEDs are completely new to me, so this is all an experiment to me.

hobogato

Fri, 28th Jun 2013, 11:29 AM

cool, i am looking forward to seeing how this works for you.

fixedwing

Fri, 26th Jul 2013, 02:00 PM

Well in less than a month I filled a grocery bag half full of cheato and I was still left with a little smaller than a volleyball size. I started with a liberal fist size worth, so I'd say the cheato quadrupled in size in just a month. The led sump light must work.
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Big_Pun

Fri, 26th Jul 2013, 06:26 PM

wow!! mine hasnt grown in a while lol. so you went back to t5?

ramsey

Fri, 26th Jul 2013, 07:04 PM

Big_Pun

Fri, 26th Jul 2013, 07:12 PM

I'm sure the red and blue LED would grow some mad chaeto. If you look at LED plant grow lights, they're mostly on the red side of the spectrum.

Also curious about the switch back to T5. I like my radion but after seeing Bernie's tank I'm really rethinking it.

lol i got so much flak for my mh fixture now people are going back to t5 and mh and second guessing led

ramsey

Fri, 26th Jul 2013, 07:44 PM

lol i got so much flak for my mh fixture now people are going back to t5 and mh and second guessing led

Yeah, people have been going back lately on other forums. Usually SPS people. I'm still on the fence about it. The colors are good with it but I just wonder about growth. Of course, the idea of changing bulbs and added heat is a turn off. I'll probably give it a few months and see what growth is like. Also, after you mentioned it, I've really started to notice that most (not all!) nice TOTM SPS tanks are NOT running LEDs. It may be that they're late adopters, but it's hard to find really nice SPS tanks that have been grown out under LED. I have seen a few, and I have seen some under LED that were grown out under MH or T5. One thing I will say about SPS under LED is that you better not turn the light up too much unless you want an old school bleached coral tank look.

fixedwing

Fri, 26th Jul 2013, 11:19 PM

Hey Guys,

Why did I switch to T5, there are a couple reasons I guess. From the beginning I was planning to use T5 or MH, but over the months of collecting my gear I got the itch and bought the Radions. As Chris stated in an earlier post, I was spa hoarding many sps frags in a smaller tank and I used a full spectrum Rapid LED PAR light that gave me amazing colors. Once I moved my corals to the DT tank (under the Radions) the colors were not as vivid and some looked completely different. From the begining I was completely disappointed that a $80 light could give me better color than $1,500 lights. I compared led's and found that Rapid used UV's and a higher Kelvin white, so I'm sure this played a role.

Bernie is actually the one that replanted the idea to go back to my ATI fixture. So last weekend I changed everything around and powered on the ATI fixture. Within just a few hours I saw more polyp extension than I had ever seen over the past several months. The "Pop" factor still wasn't exactly what I was looking for, so I ordered a couple Reef Brites. Not only did my corals seem and look happier under T5, but I also wasn't a huge fan of Ecotech Live.

Don't get me wrong, I really think LED's are here to stay, but for me, the G2 just didn't cut it.

ramsey

Fri, 26th Jul 2013, 11:52 PM

Thank you, that's good to know. The pro does have UV (it better at that price) so I'm gonna stick it out a few months and see. I also hate ecosmart live. They need to release a controller or at least make the fixture wifi ready (it should be for the price). Having to pull out my laptop every time I do anything with the fixture is annoying and it defeats the purpose of having the service be in the cloud.

ramsey

Sat, 27th Jul 2013, 12:02 AM

Oh yeah, I also think LEDs are here to stay. I wonder if there're color spectrums that corals use that we don't know about. As humans, we only see a small amount of the full color spectrum and LEDs are all in our visible spectrums. I wonder if there's something in the deeper UV or infrared spectrum that they like and get from other light sources, but not LEDs because they're in isolated spectrums. Ok, ok, I'll take off my tin foil hat. :P

FireWater

Sat, 27th Jul 2013, 07:47 AM

Some of my best colors came from my old T5 set up. I like T5, but have invested too much money and time into my Vegas and the Sols before them. Lol.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

fixedwing

Fri, 2nd Aug 2013, 06:07 PM

Here are some shots of the tank and coral. It's been a couple years since I've used my camera, some pics are a little blurry and they don't hardly show the color. Let me know if you have a Nikon D40 and maybe you can help me with the settings. I never really figured out how to properly use the camera, so maybe now is a good time so I can post some good progress pics in the future!!

Man I really need to clean my bottom!

fixedwing

Fri, 2nd Aug 2013, 06:09 PM

...

fixedwing

Fri, 2nd Aug 2013, 06:13 PM

cont'd

fixedwing

Fri, 16th Aug 2013, 03:22 PM

My newest additions:

Reeftech Starburst Monti
Mystic Sunset
Upscales Mircolados
Ultimates Rose Acro
Tierre Del Fuego
Pro Corals Rainbow Acro
Copps Hoeksemai
Hologram Monti
Shades of Fall Nasuta
Shawn Bennet Yellow Tort
Copps Lemonade

I've had them about a week and a half now, so things are looking good. I just updated my tank inventory list and this puts me at 48 sps frags and 3 LPS corals!!! :bigsmile:

fixedwing

Fri, 16th Aug 2013, 03:26 PM

For grins, my list is below. I have a few doubles.

1. Red Planet
2. Unknown Acro
3. Acropora Humillis (Yellow)
4. Green Birdsnest
5. Sky Tipped Acropora Hyacinthus
6. ORA Hyacinth Birdsnest
7. Pink Birdsnest
8. Duncan Coral
9. Branching Hammer
10. Kryptonite Candy Cane
11. Oregon Tort (I bought it as an Oregon, but I think it's a Cali instead)
12. ORA Blue Milli
13. Neon Green Slimer
14. ORA Red Planet
15. Tyree Red Dragon
16. Purple Haze Monti
17. Atlantis Appleberry Monti
18. Shades of Fall Nasuta
19. Blue Echinata
20. Blue Tenuis
21. Reef Ready Grape Juice
22. Crimson Bliss
23. Efflo
24. Splendid Gremlin Turoki
25. Purple Nana
26. Garf Bonsai
27. Planet Earth
28. Australian Azure Acropora
29. Australian Cyanotic Acro
30. Tropical Punch Millepora
31. Yellow Suharsonoi
32. Fruity Pebbles
33. Blueberry Limeade Acro
34. Smashing Orange Millepora
35. Strawberry Dreams Australian Acropora
36. Blue Dragon Carduus Acropora
37. Arctic Breeze Acropora
38. Tranquility Millepora
39. Boysenberry Millepora
40. Sanguine Millepora
41. Reeftech Starburst Monti
42. Mystic Sunset
43. Upscales Mircolados
44. Ultimates Rose Acro
45. Tierre Del Fuego
46. Pro Corals Rainbow Acro
47. Copps Hoeksemai
48. Hologram Monti
49. Shades of Fall Nasuta
50. Shawn Bennet Yellow Tort
51. Copps Lemonade

FireWater

Fri, 16th Aug 2013, 08:30 PM

Impressive list, good luck.

CoryDude

Fri, 16th Aug 2013, 10:01 PM

Yeah, pretty impressive. Love the pics of the montiporas. But good luck when they start growing out. I didn't have even a fourth of those in my 120g and had to thin some out.

fixedwing

Tue, 26th Nov 2013, 06:35 PM

So it's been a few months since my last update and a few things have changed. I lost at least 50-60% of my sps :(, some that can be blamed on a blue tang and the rest b/c of (still trying to figure this out). I really think it boils down to me being a little too impatient and ramping up the sps in a young tank. I checked my parameters 1 or 2 times a week and got second opinions from LFS and parameters where always in check. I eliminated one of the problems and got the blue tang out of the system and took this opportunity to change things up a bit. Unfortunately I couldn't catch the guy during feeding time, so I had to remove most of my LR to get him out. I decided to add sand and I reaquascaped eliminating about 25% of my LR. I really like the new look and I'm looking forward to the new fish options I have.

With that said, one of my most favorite fish is a leopard wrasse, but as most of you know, they can be very difficult to keep. Does anyone have any tips to successfully keep this species? I had plans to add a mandarin, so since starting this system, I've added copepods every couple months. I'm happy with my growing pod population, but is there anything else I can do?