I ordered a new tank and could use some advise.

[reefslugs]

Since for some unknown reason I can not keep SPS in my big tank. I decided to set a new tank. I just ordered a 65g Deep Blue Aquarium. I'm going to dedicate this tank to only SPS only.

I'm asking all the big SPS guy's to help me choose the setup and equipment to make it all work.

I will post pictures as I make the build.

[Nanook]

Are you doing a sump?

I’d go with a T5 ATI fixture with reefbrite LED for lighting. Probably do a sump full of live rock and bare bottom tank. No skimmer, no carbon or gfo and a couple wavemaker gyres. Only a few fish and feed moderately. Dosing pump for calcium and alkalinity and let it ride.

[cyricdark]

I'm not a big SPS guy I've had successes and I've had failures, in most of how you set it up is just going to be what kind of reefer you are and how much time you have to spend on it. I personally don't like testing everyday and don't like doing lots of maintenance so if it was me I would try and locate a big Rubbermaid tub somewhere that's plumbed into part of the sump setup preferably 100 + gallon full of live rock just because all that extra water volume will keep your important water parameters like calcium and alkalinity from taking any drastic swings. I would incorporate just some kind of skimmer it doesn't have to be anything rated for the tank volume at all just something small to keep the pH Up by aerating the water and pull out the worst of the Organics. definitely bare bottom I don't think there's any other way to go if you're going pure SPS. I don't think it really matters what kind of lighting you go with as long as you got that par range in between 100 and 300 everywhere , which is pretty easy to do with about anything now T5 metal halide LEDs they can all do that just fine. livestock I would say just go with as much as you want to deal with nutrient export for. If you want a lot then you should probably incorporate carbon dosing and gfo or refugium or both. If you want it to be easier you can do like Nanook suggested it just keep a real small bioload. the absolute number one thing is to keep your temperature and alkalinity stable if you can do that you should have a fairly successful tank.

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[reefslugs]

Originally Posted by Nanook

Are you doing a sump?

I’d go with a T5 ATI fixture with reefbrite LED for lighting. Probably do a sump full of live rock and bare bottom tank. No skimmer, no carbon or gfo and a couple wavemaker gyres. Only a few fish and feed moderately. Dosing pump for calcium and alkalinity and let it ride.

Yes I’m going with a sump. The tank is reef ready. Why no skimmer?

[rams]

Originally Posted by reefslugs

Yes I’m going with a sump. The tank is reef ready. Why no skimmer?

I haven't owned a skimmer since 2007.

[rams]

The best lighting selection can be debated. Good live rock with beneficial sponges/critter life, good flow alternating patterns. I would do sand, not bare bottom, lots of rock in the sump, bare bottom in the sump easy to clean out detritus. My frag tank is plumbed in and acts as a good algae scrubber. I'd buy one of those "algae scrubber" before I'd ever buy a skimmer. Little bio-load 3-4 small to medium fish. No dwarf angels!

[reefslugs]

Ok guys. I do not understand the whole thing about no skimmer and no gfo and carbon. How am I going to control algae? I thought the best thing for filtration is live rock and a skimmer to export waste?

What about filter socks in the sump or sponges?

The biggest thing for me that I am looking at is lighting.

[reefslugs]

Where is Pife and frogspawn74?

[Pife]

Originally Posted by reefslugs

Where is Pife and frogspawn74?

You didn't ask any questions.... 😔. I'm here reading along. Maybe a couple more years and I might be considered successful.

Talk to me on Sunday at the swap. There are many ways to be successful. You just need to pick yours and go with it. I'd like to figure out your big tank.

[cyricdark]

Originally Posted by reefslugs

Ok guys. I do not understand the whole thing about no skimmer and no gfo and carbon. How am I going to control algae? I thought the best thing for filtration is live rock and a skimmer to export waste?

What about filter socks in the sump or sponges?

The biggest thing for me that I am looking at is lighting.

It's one way to do it, there are several. I personally prefer using a skimmer set to a dry skim coupled with a refugium and chaeto, but a good algae scrubber will work just as good, I just prefer a macroalgae refugium because I think it grows more pods. A refugium or algae scrubber consume CO2 which raises your pH and they consume nitrates and phosphates as well so either one make very good nutrient export. I like using them with a skimmer I think it's more effective and allows you to have a heavier bioload and the skimmer oxygenation will raise the ph even higher, plus I'm a firm believer in redundancy of the different nutrient export systems that way if something happens with 1 your tank can just keep on running but you can do either or.

Lights are just all about your budget, you can spend 300$ or 3000$ and either one will do the job lol. You can get on Amazon and buy a 8 bulb t5ho Horticulture fixture for 130$ , buy 8 48" ati blue/purple/coral plus etc at around 20 bucks a piece if you can find them on sale and grow away. for around the same price you could buy four Black Box Chinese lights or SB Reef lights which will also grow SPS Coral, with either one of these set up you will have to buy new bulbs about every year and a half or so for the t5 setup and probably replace a black box LED every so often. The other option is to go with radions or kessils and spend about 2000$ to $3,000 but never have to worry about lights again, and have complete control ability of spectrum and how your tank looks. Or if you're electronically and technically proficient you can do like me and buy a bluefish (not necessary if you have an apex) controller and all the stuff to make your own LED lights that are pretty much the same thing as the kessils only bigger and uglier , but doesn't matter if you hide them in a canopy, and spend about 5-600$

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[frogspawn74]

Originally Posted by Nanook

Are you doing a sump?

I’d go with a T5 ATI fixture with reefbrite LED for lighting. Probably do a sump full of live rock and bare bottom tank. No skimmer, no carbon or gfo and a couple wavemaker gyres. Only a few fish and feed moderately. Dosing pump for calcium and alkalinity and let it ride.

Spot on!

If you have the ability to do 25-30 gallons water changes at least once a month I would go simple and save on gear. I would go with mp40 first. As the Reef grows I would add in the gyre’s. Their are some great higher end salts I would go with instead of all the other gear beside lights and flow.


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[reefslugs]

Originally Posted by frogspawn74

Spot on!

If you have the ability to do 25-30 gallons water changes at least once a month I would go simple and save on gear. I would go with mp40 first. As the Reef grows I would add in the gyre’s. Their are some great higher end salts I would go with instead of all the other gear beside lights and flow.


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I do not have a problem doing water changes at this tanks size. How many T5 bulbs would you recommend for this size tank? I have an extra 6 bulb Tech light. It's not ATI. They are supposed to be the same as ATI but with out built in fans. I have two of them running on my big tank and I am not impressed.

Also I do have two Tunze 6105's with the multi controller I was thinking about selling. Should I sell them and get a wp40? The tunze will look big In such a small tank.

[frogspawn74]

The tunze will last longer. But they have a larger foot print. Personal choice on visual for me. I have a tank running them as well. Havnt touched them in 2 years. Another advantage over profile


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[reefslugs]

Guys I plain on keeping all four sides of the tank clean and clear. What do you think about if I go bare bottom. What do you think about me blacking out the bottom glass to keep crap from growing on the bottom and shade the sump full of live rock?

[cyricdark]

Originally Posted by reefslugs

Guys I plain on keeping all four sides of the tank clean and clear. What do you think about if I go bare bottom. What do you think about me blacking out the bottom glass to keep crap from growing on the bottom and shade the sump full of live rock?

I would do like Bulk Reef Supply did in their video and cover the bottom with black ABS plastic

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[Pife]

Paint the bottom of your tank or get a piece plastic or something to put under it.

[frogspawn74]

I used a natural tile. Lined the bottom of the tank. Great for moving around replacing with new tiles.



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[reefslugs]

What do you guys think would be a bad *** light for this tank size? I'm thinking of getting a hold of a Radion G3 pro.

[Pife]

You'd need two or three of them in my opinion.

[frogspawn74]

3 foot wide at least 2. With that size take I would look at the orphek compacts as well. I will have mine at the swap. Happy so far but it’s only been a few months and love the spread they offer.


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[reefslugs]

Originally Posted by Pife

You'd need two or three of them in my opinion.

Damn there is know way I'm paying 1400 bucks on lighting. I thought Radions were supposed to be the ****, when it comes to LED lighting.

[Pife]

Originally Posted by reefslugs

Damn there is know way I'm paying 1400 bucks on lighting. I thought Radions were supposed to be the ****, when it comes to LED lighting.

I'm with Nook

ATI 6 bulb nondimmable with 2 reefbrite xho on a dimmer.

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[reefslugs]

Originally Posted by frogspawn74

3 foot wide at least 2. With that size take I would look at the orphek compacts as well. I will have mine at the swap. Happy so far but it’s only been a few months and love the spread they offer.


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I currently heard about Orphek lights. I see they are beautiful but also very high dollar.

[frogspawn74]

Pepino has a 2 foot 6 or 8 bulb. Done

Orphek are less than radions. I like the full panel vs pucks.


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[Pife]

It's a 4 foot tank

Originally Posted by frogspawn74

Pepino has a 2 foot 6 or 8 bulb. Done


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