Questions Regarding Dominate SPS Reef in RSM650

[Lumen]

Hi All,

I am considering having a full sps reef in my RSM650. Currently, I have about 7 frags in there at the moment which are doing well so I'm feeling a bit bold and decided that maybe I should go all out with a coloured stick tank (with an LPS here and there) :spinner:

At present, I am manually dosing Ca, Alk and Mg to the tank according to consumption. I want to get a dosing pump to dose these (and any other like NOPOX etc) once the coral start growing out and I add more frags but would this be enough?
Do I need to invest in a kalkstirrer and a carx reactor instead of dosing (what would the benefit of this be if choosing this instead of dosing)? Is there any other equipment that I need to consider to maintain a full sps reef (apart from additional powerheads for flow)?

Future equipment that I am looking at getting are:
- 2 MP40s
- Dosing pump (will look at extra heads for the RSM colours program, NOPOX etc)
- Ozone Reactor
- Maybe a controller (Reef Angel or other).

Thanks in advance!

 

[Danreef]

Go for a good set of dosers (dosing pumps) and a system like Reef Keeper or Apex and you will be OK. You will be OK if you also change 10-20% water every week. That will replenish your Magnesium too.
Along the road, depending on your Ca/Alk consumption that will depend on your dosing and how much water you change and you SPS bioload, if it is not enough to keep your parameters stable, then a Calcium reactor will be a good idea.
Start easy and see how things evolve in your system.

My 2 cents.

Cheers
Daniel

 

[Choff]

Tons of opinions on dosing vs CA Rx. Pros and con's to each. You need to decide which works for you.

The 2 40s are great. I run one and I think it's plenty. I wish just wish i went with the 60 and run it at a lower setting. They tend to get loud when they are near max and with a single 40 I need to run it at near max. I could add a 2nd, but I really only want the flow from the opposite side of the return.

...stupid auto correct

 

[Lexinverts]

I am using 2-part dosing (Soda ash [for Alk] and Ca) with two peristaltic pumps controlled by electronic timers. I do an 18% water change once per week with Red Sea Coral Pro salt and dose once per week with Mg. This has been working well for me. In order to determine the amount to dose, I had to determine how much Alk and Ca my tank was using every day, which meant doing lots of tests over several days, but I was able to figure it out fairly easily.

 

[Mrsalt]

If your carbon dosing (nopox) then I think it would be counter productive to also run ozone. The bacteria your trying carbon feed would be destroyed too.

As others have said start with a dosing pump. I have a calcium reactor and don't use it as I'm dosing comfortably with 2ltrs of alk lasting me around a month and I have 85 odd sticks and such like.

 

[Lumen]

Hi All,

Thanks for the replies, sorry for disappearing but my internet went down and didn't come up properly for a while :verymad:
@choff
I bit the bullet and bought two mp60s, I figured that this will also help when my colonies are big and I need adequate flow to go through their branches My wallet is not happy though, lol!

My petstore was also kind enough to let me demo one of their dosers, hopefully it works well enough with the current sps stock for me to buy it.

I have also decided to go the zeo route (the dosing pumps that I will be getting can handle the precision) as I have seen a local tank running on it and that tank is drool worthy! I hope my tank can look as good as that eventually!

 

[goma]

Good luck with the Zeo, Wrangy aka Dom just started the zeo program.

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/reef-chronicles/85186-wrangys-50-gallon-reef-cube-42.html
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/indepth-topics-disscussion/91908-zeovit-users-thread.html

 

[Frankie]

Be prepared for daily investment of time and money with the zeovit method.
You can not just step away from it for a few days like a regular aquarium. It can and will crash if not maintained properly.
Just a heads up. ...

 

[Choff]

Awesome on the mp60s I'm jealous. I think you may only need 1 tbh, but with 2 you could turn some of the rear chamber power heads off, which a few people here have done. Those add quite a bit of heat.

 

[Lumen]

Good luck with the Zeo, Wrangy aka Dom just started the zeo program.

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/reef-chronicles/85186-wrangys-50-gallon-reef-cube-42.html
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/indepth-topics-disscussion/91908-zeovit-users-thread.html

Thanks Greg!

Be prepared for daily investment of time and money with the zeovit method.
You can not just step away from it for a few days like a regular aquarium. It can and will crash if not maintained properly.
Just a heads up. ...

Thanks Frankie! Yeah, those products do dent the pocket a bit but the good thing from what I have seen is that you only need a few drops as opposed to the milliliters that is needed from other products. Please pass any other tips or observations my way as I would like to learn as much as I can before going full into it!

Awesome on the mp60s I'm jealous. I think you may only need 1 tbh, but with 2 you could turn some of the rear chamber power heads off, which a few people here have done. Those add quite a bit of heat.

lol! I also think I over did it but the current mantra here with tanks is "You need more flow" :laughroll I will try what you suggested with the back two pumps off and see how it works out.

 

[Choff]

Run them all at first or you can dial down the power heads in the rear chamber . If you pull off the front covers there is a slider that controls flow. You don't want to create dead spots in that back chamber. I know people have done it, but personally would not. I should have been a bit more clear.

 

[Mrsalt]

I only run two rear pumps, and average temp here at the momment is high twenty s. but my tank seems to stay pretty well at 25, with fans coming on for a hour a day and the chiller has been on once this summer! Those rear pumps add half a degree Celsius each!

 

[Mrsalt]

Oh and the zeovit is awesome way to run a tank. I too have the 3ltr vertex reactor. I'm fairly well programmed now to do my drops before brekkie everyday, and it really is nothing to do. My only concern is if we go away.

 

[Lumen]

Thanks Mike and Alan!

I have decided to keep all four pumps running to be on the safe side plus I am thinking that the more flow generated by those pumps should help make the flow less laminar with the vortechs on either side.
The MP60s arrived today, will need to update my thread soon. I think I am going to have to stick my sps frags down soon!

 

[Choff]

I tossed a spinner on one of my pumps.works pretty well, but does require cleaning a bit mite than I care to do to keep it moving.

...stupid auto correct