About done setting up the frag tank. How long before adding SPS?

[cwegescheide]

I picked up this tank from a local guy that was selling his house. The dimensions are 36x36x15. It was pretty scratched up and I spent the better part of 4 weekends with the polishing kit to get it looking just about brand new. I'm putting a single lumenarch 250W SE over the top of it.

I'm pretty sure I'm much closer to arthritis now than I was a few weeks ago. From now on, no more scratched up acrylic tanks for me. What a pain- literaly!

I had a couple year old G-3 I'm going to use as the skimmer and I purchased a used Precision Marine Ca reactor from a guy a while back so I'm pretty much set.

Oh yeah - how long would YOU wait before putting some frags in it? I think I am going to put some rubble from my display in there tonight to help kick start the cycle.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[kevinpo]

Hi Chris,
I also hate to polish acrylic
Are you going to put any liverock in the tank? If so it will depend on the history of the rock. If it came from an established tank or is well cured then I would try a frag or two (we're talking SPS) in a week or so. If you are not putting liverock in or uncured rock I would wait two weeks past the zero nitrite reading as a minimum.

I would start with some hardy SPS like Montipora digitata or a Pocillopora species for a couple of weeks first. They both should exhibit good polyp extension and growth if the water conditions are favorable.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[mmkeeper]

Make sure you go thru the whole cycle. Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 nitrate 0. Go to the new to reefkeeping forum and read thru the stickies.

 

[cwegescheide]

Yeah I am going to see the tank with some rocks from my display. I also have some larger pieces that I couldn't fit into my display that are bone dry and have been for a year or two. I probably wont add anything to the tank for another couple weeks. I want to get a couple small grazing fish and a couple small wrasses as natural pest control as well. After the cycle is over its

GAME ON!! Woo hoo!!

 

[cwegescheide]

Its Alive!!

Put a little rubble in there and some GSP. If it croaks I wont mind. That stuff is a neusance.

 

[cwegescheide]

Another indispensable piece of equipment for all you Ca reactor owners out there. A rotameter. Makes adjusting the effluent rate SOO much easier.

 

[freetareef]

nice job keep the pics coming!!!

 

[lizardarm]

Nice looking start there! What exactly does the rotameter do?

 

[kevinpo]

What exactly does the rotameter do?

It is a flow metering device.

HTH,
Kevin

 

[cwegescheide]

It is a flow metering device.

HTH,
Kevin

I ended up ditching the rotameter as well. Was not as consistant over time as I'd like. I finally just drove my ca reactor with a Litermeter dosing pump. No more problems.