New 90 gallon. What do I "NEED"?

cane · Jul 6, 2015

I just set up my 90gal coming from a 20 gal tank. Currently I have a protein skimmer inside a sump with a refugium. I have led and t5 lights running on different timers. I also run a water top off system.

I am considering adding a gfo and carbon reactor. But a friend said I also need a bipellet reactor and a calcium reactor. He also recommended I get a controller for my system.

The tank only has 3 small fish and I plan on setting it up to be a full reef with more fish. Do I NEED all this stuff?

Reefing Madness · Jul 6, 2015

Short term stuff, no. Going to be a reef tank, then yes, piece by piece would help you in the long run. Except the pellet reactor, might not need to run that at all. Controller just helps automate everything for you. GFO, definitely need, calcium reactor will be needed if your going with a SPS system.

cane · Jul 6, 2015

O ok. Thanks.

ncaldwell · Jul 6, 2015

I'm starting up a 120 currently with plans for a mixed reef and thought about this too. It really plans on your schedule for adding coral and fish. If your adding sps frags slowly and a fish a month you like me you should be good to wait a year down the road for the calcium reactor, or maybe even the other reactors too. Controller and carbon reactor would be good upfront

hart24601 · Jul 6, 2015

What you need is a tough question. It also depends on what types of coral you want to keep. Really, very little equipment is absolutely needed but more equipment gives you more buffer zone for things going wrong and/or lets you keep more livestock. People have had great tanks without an ATO, no sump, no skimmer and manual dose, but it's a lot of work and you can't forget to miss a beat.

Now what is recommended is easier to answer. You have the sump and skimmer so that is great. Carbon in a bag works just fine and gfo in a bag can work fine too, although most prefer to run that in a reactor - but it isn't absolutely required. You can manual dose calcium and alk with 2 part or get a dosing pump or calcium reactor so there are options there. As for biopellets I prefer liquid carbon dosing, but you don't need that until you have a large bioload and you may never need it. Controllers are nice, but many get by just fine with timers.

ReelRednekReefer · Jul 6, 2015

My new 90 with one medium clown and several LPS corals and one sps has necessitated a dual media reactor (gfo and carbon), skimmer and ATO. Water changes keep element levels in spec for now. I am adding a fuge also but more for biodiversity and pod cultivation than nutrient removal.

cane · Jul 6, 2015

Thanks everyone. Great info and I have a better direction now. I created a space in my refugium for carbon and gfo but I think I will do the reactor from BRS for both and wait on the controller for now.

Harold Green · Jul 6, 2015

If you have a large container for your ato add kalk dissolved in water to it. Monitor to find out how much you need to add in relation to your evaporation to maintain the calcium levels in your tank. I also add reef advantage calcium to my sump several times a week as it adds mag and strontium along with the calcium.

ReelRednekReefer · Jul 6, 2015

Checkout the Spectrapure dual reactor. It has separate flow controls for each media. More adjustability. IMO

cane · Jul 6, 2015

I thought about doing the kalk dosing in my ATO. I will deff do that.

Checking outSpectrapure dual reactor now.

Harold Green · Jul 6, 2015

I mix the kalk in a separate container and pour the clear liquid into my ato reservoir. It supplies calcium and helps keep the ph high.

cane · Jul 6, 2015

Will do. Where do you guys get your products from?

ReelRednekReefer · Jul 6, 2015

I get my Kalk at walmart. It's just pickling lime. Usually next to mason jars. Everything else from Amazon. Spectrapure site had the best price on reactor plus free shipping over 100

Lynn52 · Jul 6, 2015

I use the BRS dual reactor for GFO and carbon. It does the job and is easy to use. I have mine next to the sump not in it mostly because I don't have room in the sump. In general I get everything I can from BRS but I live near their warehouse/offices so I don't have to pay shipping just pick it up. I dose manually, my tank is fairly new so I don't need to dose much. I don't use a controller. It'd be nice to have but I can't justify the cost for something I have little need for. I use a gravity fed ATO that uses no electricity and it has done the job well, prior to that I just topped off the sump manually every day. There are so many fancy things out there but I see no need for them in my system. Someday when my tank is more mature maybe I will have a greater need for some of the fancy gadgets and can justify the cost. With the set up I have my maintenance is minimal. I scrape algae off the glass as needed, I do a 10 gallon water change every week, change carbon every 2 weeks and GFO every 6 weeks. I test weekly and dose as needed.

cane · Jul 6, 2015

Makes since lynn. It can get overwhelming with all this stuff. Kalk is pickling lime. Would have never guessed lol. I know where to go now. Thanks

AdamNC · Jul 7, 2015

What you want and what you need are 2 different things. I've been running an SPS/LPS/Zoa tank very successfully for the past year with just the equipment in my sig. Would I want a controller/Ca reactor/GFO reactor? sure. Do I need one? no. Besides what you already have the only "need" I would say you would want to get are auto dosing pumps for Alk and Ca.

Harold Green · Jul 7, 2015

AdamNC said:
What you want and what you need are 2 different things. I've been running an SPS/LPS/Zoa tank very successfully for the past year with just the equipment in my sig. Would I want a controller/Ca reactor/GFO reactor? sure. Do I need one? no. Besides what you already have the only "need" I would say you would want to get are auto dosing pumps for Alk and Ca.

If you're adding kalk water to your ato reservoir you probably don't need a dosing pump for it.