New to SPS need help

[Basile]

Hi guys, listen i just started my new tank and its gona be mostly sps. But since i know nothing about that kind of corals, its hard to focus my research on. So can any of you give me a suggestion list to start with, the easy one of course, moderate care if you will, you can throw some more difficult just let me know what difficulty they have. I'll use those names to research on them and how to prepare myself.

Here's the hardware i'll be using;

65 G 24" deep

Aquamedic 2X 250 MH 2 X 39W T5

2 Vortech pumps

Octopus skimmer

Balling method with Profilux Dosing Unit 3

Phosban and carbon reactor

Eheim return pump 900 GPH

Thanks for your time, much appreciated.

Oh i also have a stalactite in the tank, a reversed rock if you like , suggestions for that would be cool too.

This the rock structure that i'll use for the sps

My stalactite

Left side with the vortech

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[Skimmy]

Wow...and you need advice why??? ...lol
You are off to an EXCELLENT start with your equipment, dosing, and set-up.
what model of octopus skimmer do you have??

anyway, for easy sps corals, I would say:
montipora(capricornus, digitiata, danae)
stylopora pistilatta
pocillopora damicornis
seriotopora hystrix
and most of the "slimer" bali stags are easy too (green, blue, purple)

probably any of the rare captive bred ORA frags would do great in your tank as well.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Welcome to RF, all looks good to me. Might want to invest in an ATO and a controller to time everything. Be sure tank is cycled before any sensitive SPS, Skimerwhisperer's choices are good.

 

[Basile]

Wow...and you need advice why??? ...lol
You are off to an EXCELLENT start with your equipment, dosing, and set-up.
what model of octopus skimmer do you have??

anyway, for easy sps corals, I would say:
montipora(capricornus, digitiata, danae)
stylopora pistilatta
pocillopora damicornis
seriotopora hystrix
and most of the "slimer" bali stags are easy too (green, blue, purple)

probably any of the rare captive bred ORA frags would do great in your tank as well.

Hey thanks Skimer! I've been experiemnting with a biocube 29 g and an algae biotope for the last 2 years. And through reading and advice from my site i've aquired some good advice. Plus my supplier, a great guy is not only in buisiness but in tank counsuling LOL. He's great and have lots of info. The skimmer is an recirculating octopus 150 for a 180G, i got a 65G. And when i'm there i put my overflow outake through a sock before it hits the sump. And thanks alot for those names.

 

[Basile]

Welcome to RF, all looks good to me. Might want to invest in an ATO and a controller to time everything. Be sure tank is cycled before any sensitive SPS, Skimerwhisperer's choices are good.

Thanks , yes i have a ATO and the controler will come when i start to put stuff in. no need now only 4 days into cycling. And i'm told to wait 2 months after cycle befor putting any coral, the parameters will be more stable then.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

This is true. Can add one much fish sooner than 2 months if going to have any. They aren't a bad idea when raising sps, coral food.

Is the rock all base rock, or any live rock from another tank or the sea?

 

[Basile]

This is true. Can add one much fish sooner than 2 months if going to have any. They aren't a bad idea when raising sps, coral food.

Is the rock all base rock, or any live rock from another tank or the sea?

Its all marco rock, i know... but its much cheaper and allowed me to work at my pace. I have some rocks from my other tanks , they're in the sump and will put the rest in the fuge when it complete. I should say when the shelf is complete. it will be a gravity fuge fed by the outake of the return pump. Right now the return is feeding the DT, the skimmer and the phosban and carbon reactor. I know its lots but, limited by space . The fuge has to be in the closet.

the overflow and skimmer outake in the sock

RO/DI rain bucket

The closet space will have the shelf being built ( steel supported by steel legs)

It will also contain, the controllers and the balling method buckets.The fuge is higher than the tank and will rundown to it.

The ballast

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Sweet setup!

 

[Basile]

Sweet setup!

When its over it'll be sweet. I'm motivated by the incident that occur in my abscence, spare no expenses. I was gone to work on my ship for 6 weeks, when the 67 Gallons Ro/DI bucket bursted, my computer room was flooded , so was my computer, carpet and the downstair neigbor.... $ 4 000 damages to her and $ 8 000 for my computer and carpet and my pride. So i don't mess around with maybes anymore i want solid, solid things , solid proof LOL, got to have a sence of humour right? The building commity of the condo's wants to ban aquariums, so my responce , have a bigger one, so after my 65 G here come the 150 G.

 

[Ed Hahn]

It sounds nice everything.

Here is what I would change if it were me. I would put powerheads closer to surface on opposite sides so that water pushes water to opposite side of tank. You want the longest straight path as close as the surface as possible. Push water>>.......on back side nears surface. Push water <<........... close to water surface in front. With Vortechs you should be able to time them for at least 8 minutes a cyle from to back.

Another point so often overlooked is salinity. Mix your salt externally with powerhead to designed manufacturers recomendation. If you do not mix it as designed you other elements like calcium, alk, and magnesium, strontium will all be out of balance and drive you crazy trying to get them to desired points.

3 times Calicium ppm = Magnesium ppm. For example, If Calcium is 380ppm, your magnesium should be 1140 or more for things to be stable, like PH and Alk.

 

[Basile]

It sounds nice everything.

Here is what I would change if it were me. I would put powerheads closer to surface on opposite sides so that water pushes water to opposite side of tank. You want the longest straight path as close as the surface as possible. Push water>>.......on back side nears surface. Push water <<........... close to water surface in front. With Vortechs you should be able to time them for at least 8 minutes a cyle from to back.

Another point so often overlooked is salinity. Mix your salt externally with powerhead to designed manufacturers recomendation. If you do not mix it as designed you other elements like calcium, alk, and magnesium, strontium will all be out of balance and drive you crazy trying to get them to desired points.

3 times Calicium ppm = Magnesium ppm. For example, If Calcium is 380ppm, your magnesium should be 1140 or more for things to be stable, like PH and Alk.

Hey thanks for the salinity info. Didn't know that. As for my powerhead my two powerhead will be opposite but in the middle. I tryed it too close to the surface , i got waves this vortech is mean machine. And i'm going for the gyre effect. Its more effective than the counter current or wave effect. The powerheads are put at same level but one is put in one corner and the other one at opposite corner. So you create a gyre effect. This configuration is better for sps specially. The result is a continious flow and will accelerate to create suction from all side at once. This process , illiminate not only dead spots but clears them of any debris. Counter current only move debris from side to side. The water motion will eventually move them away from any position, but then again it may move near another coral, who's trying to get rid of its waste. The gyre take the step further, it creates motion, suction and displacement of particule from where evr it is. So this process helps your skimmer by increasing its input. With a coast to coast overflow the particule have much greater chance to find their way to the skimmer, but a sock at the end of the overflow output will trap most debris and let only loose particule of 1 micron only, go to the sump and skimmer. I jus need to change the sock. every so days. The article of the gyre effect.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/6/aafeature2

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/8/aafeature/view

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/9/aafeature2/view

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/11/aafeature/view

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/11/aafeature/view

I also have the return pump hooked to the structure and exit holes all over including the bottom. If you look you'll notice the structure is about 2 inch above the sand, by desing, the flow will keep all debris within the water colomb. It was my first sculpture lol so the legs show but with a few well placed clams and a rock with a bottom softy, its should be hidden pretty good. Besides a don't mind the legs . its the dead spot that bothers me most. I made sure i won't have any!!! Tw powerhead at 3000 gallons / hour each in a 65 G no chance at all.

 

[Ed Hahn]

I was trying to point you to the Gyra effect. That is why I wanted you to point them to Parallel to water surface. There is less resistance at water surface. I have seen Jake Adams presentation 3 times. he he. If nothing is infront of water path the water accelerates and will tumble right below on bottom where powerhead is placed. Try it with food sometime and see what happens.

 

[Basile]

I was trying to point you to the Gyra effect. That is why I wanted you to point them to Parallel to water surface. There is less resistance at water surface. I have seen Jake Adams presentation 3 times. he he. If nothing is infront of water path the water accelerates and will tumble right below on bottom where powerhead is placed. Try it with food sometime and see what happens.

Hey thats cool, LOl , Ok if i understand right you say one or both close to the surface. The problem is my sculpture may interfear at one end, but will try it see what happens . I though i red in the article one of the powerheads had to be near the bottom or lower. Its been a while since i red it . let me know if i'm right about one lower. thanks by the way.

 

[Ed Hahn]

Hey thats cool, LOl , Ok if i understand right you say one or both close to the surface. The problem is my sculpture may interfear at one end, but will try it see what happens . I though i red in the article one of the powerheads had to be near the bottom or lower. Its been a while since i red it . let me know if i'm right about one lower. thanks by the way.

You have sand on bottom. Both pumps near water surface. Helps with gas exhange and also moves water along the bottom over your sand if you run each pump a minimum of 8 minutes its You should get a overal increased growth rate. Again, it looks like you did your homework or hand help, nice set up. You are welcome. Good luck!
Ed

 

[Basile]

You have sand on bottom. Both pumps near water surface. Helps with gas exhange and also moves water along the bottom over your sand if you run each pump a minimum of 8 minutes its You should get a overal increased growth rate. Again, it looks like you did your homework or hand help, nice set up. You are welcome. Good luck!
Ed

Thanks Ed, Yes i red alot and for the last 2 years i've been preparing for this project and experiment. You see since i'm gone 45 days at a time i had to find out, 1- if i could manage a SW tank,2 if duable with my time frame, 3 if i could progress to the next level; bigger tank, different set up, money was also an issue. Turns out i'm there, so yes i did read and my buddy helped alot. He's the one who convinced me that i could using controlers and all the fine and expensive gadjets on the market. So the experiment is far from over, just continuying. If this phase succedes, i'll get to the next stage.

 

[Ed Hahn]

Keep temps stable, rinse hands between each coral so slime does not transfer from coral to coral.

First step is check salinity, If you are dosing never take a imediate reading. Calcium and Alkalinity balace each other out. Wait at least 4 hours before testing after dosing. That was very valuable information passed on to me from Kevin P years ago. The aboves were pay it forwards to me. It is a pleasure to share. thanks again and good luck!

 

[burning2nd]

great start...

Im sure i know why.. but why is the return level so high? its just a picture taken when the sump is off? or is the regular "ride hight"

with the depth you want to avoid the lower levels for the greater light demanding ones