Equipment Preparation Prior Implementation - REEF TANK

[lorinser38]

Dear Management & all members in Spore Reef Club Forum

I am a newbie and hoping to start a reef tank. I hope the members could enlighten me...

But I have too many doubts and somehow got confused after reading too many articles/magazines

Briefly I have a 500L (125G) that consist of:

A) Main Tank 440L (Approx)

Sump Tank 60L (Approx)

- Current equipment:

1) Protein Skimmer (C-skim 1800)

2) Chiller (TR 15 - 400L/hr capacity: Some said this is under sized- Shld I upgrade or it is fine using it? Any Cons in using it in my 500L volume tank)

3) Main Pump Sump return (9000L/hr) + feed to chiller/ reactors/skimmer

4) Additional Sump return + circulation x 3 (11,000 L/hr)

Tank has not filled with water yet as I was thinking to get all my equipment ready before running a reef tank (hopefully with members' assistance):

Need some suggestion / comment on the below before I invest on them (specific brand preference would be good):

My confusion are - there are so many combination - which is effective?:

1) No substrate or with substrate better? I thought of not outing any substrate at all....bare floor...what do you guys think?

Concern 1: maintenance/up keeping cost

Concern 2: Pro & its Con (in terms of water quality as I heard deep substrate can reduce nitrate)

2) Calcium supply - Calcium reactor or using a dosing pump to supply Ca, MG & DKH better?

Concern 1: Reliability

Concern 2: Pro & its Con (do we need constant monitoring?)

3) Reduce Nitrate using bio-pellet?

Concern 1: Reliability

Concern 2: Pro & its Con (do we need constant monitoring?)

4) Reduce Phosphate - Fluid reactor + media?

Concern 1: Reliability

Concern 2: Pro & its Con (do we need constant monitoring?)

Thanks everyone - looking fwd for your invaluable suggestions.

Lawrence Lau

[resser]

Dear Mr Lau,

I like your avatar, very trippy.

I am a newbie, but I've learnt, allow me to help. I am assuming you plan to achieve the holy grail of reef keeping, keeping SPSes.

1) Without substrate is best. If you insist, fill it with a thin layer of larger pebble like coral skeletons or argonite 'sand'. They are heavy enough not to get blow around, sufficient to cover the floor from precipitates and coraline.

2) Keeping SPS, use a reactor, the cost of two parts or balling isn't fun anymore over a year on. Keeping LPS, either way is fine. Calc reactor drops pH for a little everytime you dose, but with your volume and proper aeration and dosing only when lights are on, you should be good.

3) & 4) I can't answer, it's like writing a book if you want to know. Keeping it short, Biopellet is a PITA to tweak and you must run phosphate absorbers. But once you are no longer stocking your tank and found the sweet spot, it's mostly hands off, a year on. The alternative is dripping a few drops of something every week.

Constant monitoring, mostly yes, twice a week over the first 3 months, once a week thereafter for a year. And visually (if you have turned pro) after a year AND you are no longer stocking, otherwise, testing every month.

Anytime you put livestock into the tank or change your lights or flow pattern, you monitor for changes, visually and/ or test kits, your experience counts.

I am in awe with some of the people here, they don't own test kits, they stock up the tank on the first day, they can tell what is wrong by looking, and probably smelling or tasting the water or some zen thing. I am not being sarcastic, I am serious. I hope you get there, good luck.

[Clement_jr]

as much as substrate is concern. I will go for substrate. DSB of about 4-6inch.

basically http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/filtersfiltrationsetup/a/aadsbdiscussion.htm

i prefer the natural sea look. and if you like keeping wrasse. a sand bed is more healthy for them. some wrasse in my friend's tank which is bottomless either jump off the tank, or dies in the tank for no valid reasons.

[lorinser38]

Thanks Resser & Clement_jr for your invaluable input. Appreciated.

[rekian]

I assume your chiller is teco tr15, if so it will be fine. 9000l/h pump for chiller is too fast. Look for the recommended flow rate for the chiller. I would recommend ATS for reducing nitrate and po4, cheaper. Personally I prefer sand bed for viewing purpose but mine is thin kind like half inch.

[iskay]

This is a good step-by-step. Note that adding anything living only happens weeks after initial setup... http://www.fishlore.com/reeftanksetup.htm

Welcome, take it slow and have fun!