600 gallon Grow Out

Pico bam

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Katherine how are you likeing the icons? They seem to be a better light than the radions to me as far as coverage and controllableity. They also seem fairly strong witch is good. I was just reading about the 1000% dimmable control. Witch sounds dumb should be .1% dimmable controllableity or something along those lines. I have a hard time giving up my t5's but recently put two of the orphek or3 bars over one of my frag tanks. And wouldn't you know it coral started growing, corals that were struggling before.
 
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Katherine Corals

Katherine Corals

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Katherine how are you likeing the icons? They seem to be a better light than the radions to me as far as coverage and controllableity. They also seem fairly strong witch is good. I was just reading about the 1000% dimmable control. Witch sounds dumb should be .1% dimmable controllableity or something along those lines. I have a hard time giving up my t5's but recently put two of the orphek or3 bars over one of my frag tanks. And wouldn't you know it coral started growing, corals that were struggling before.
I happen to love Orphek lighting. I had the V4 panels before I upgraded to the iCons. I still, use t5 supplementary lighting though as it does best at reducing shadows. For me, I like the "pop" it gives to the coloration of my corals. I have never used Radion, so I really cant give a solid opinion but people are having great success with their lighting systems too. BRS has some nice lighting videos out, and price per par, Oprhek scored better than Ecotech.. js lol :grinning-face-with-sweat:
 

Poseidon03

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Intro/ About Me: Hello fellow reefers! My name is Katherine and first got into the reefing hobby when I adopted my husband’s 75-gallon LPS dominate tank when we first started dating back in 2017. As time progressed, we opened a saltwater fish and coral shop and were business owners for 3 years between DEC2019 and APR2022 before he was deployed overseas, and we were forced to sell. I wasn’t going to leave the reefing hobby behind as this hobby is a passion and a true addiction. I had a 600 gallon grow out built in our basement and am still able to keep my precious high-end collectables and continue my love for aquaculture. I hope you enjoy the build thread I put together, feel free to ask me questions and please follow me on IG & FB: Katherine Corals.

TANKS: 300 gallon 8’X4’X16” acrylic tank; a 115 gallon hydroponic tub; a 75 gallon hydroponic tub - all plumbed together into the same filtration system.

SUMP: This stand is built for its tight space! On the top shelf, I have a 36 gallon breeder tank with cleanup crew members living in each section. (Peppermint Shrimps, Emerald Crabs, Harlequin Shrimp).
The second shelf is a 50 gallon livestock tank, filled to the brim with rubble rock, and next to it is a DIY Macro Algae bin with chaetomorpha algae. The macro algae bin is supplemented with a Kessil H80 light.
On the bottom, is a 150gal Livestock bin that holds a 7” filter sock, and a ReefOctopus 250 INT skimmer.

LIGHTING: Orphek ICON LED over the Hydroponic tubs; Oprhek LED Hybrid T5 fixtures over the 300. Lights are sitting about 28” over the water. PAR values vary between tanks.

FLOW: I use 2 Syncra ADV 10.0 return pumps to the tanks, and a ADV 9.0 for the heat exchanger.
Internal flow, I use Jebao gyre pumps (budget friendly and reliable ).

HEATING: To cut down on electrical cost and to ensure near pinpoint temperatures, I use a saltwater heat exchanger plumbed through the hot water heater that is conveniently close by.

FISH: I love my fish!! Here is the list: 3 convict tangs, 2 Scopa tangs, 2 Clown tangs, 1 Humu trigger, 1 male Swallowtail angel, 2 female swallow angels, 1 goldspot rabbit fish, 1 whitetail bristletooth tang, 1 purple tang, 1 harlequin wrasse, 1 melanarus wrasse, 3 sixline wrasses, 3 leapord wrasses, 2 yellow coris wrasses, 5 BlueStreak cleaner wrasses, 1 lightning maroon clownfish.

EXTRAS: I use a 80watt UV sterilization that I run 24/7 to fight against bacterial infections, Recirculating CO2 Scrubber, Kalkwasser, 2 part with Liquid soda ash and Magnesium all controlled through the APEX, most importantly though I utilize the MoonShiners program since Feb 2022.

PARAMETERS: I do have a Apex Trident but find it extremely inaccurate so I still test every other day regardless using Hanna and Salifert products. My intended values are the following:
NO3: 40ish
PO4: 0.3-0.4
ALK: 8.3
CA: 430
MAG: 1500
TEMP: 76.3-77.0
SALINITY: 1.026
** To see pictures of my coral collection, please see my FB and IG accounts! @ Katherine Corals **


signal-2022-12-14-09-29-59-985.jpg
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signal-2022-12-14-09-48-56-594.jpg
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To see pictures of my coral collection, please see my FB and IG accounts! @ Katherine Corals

Wow, this is one reason I wish I had a basement. Very nice setup!
 

Dinukb

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It’s still a good amount of increase. Let’s hope it will continue to shoot up. What’s your new low and high now
 
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Katherine Corals

Katherine Corals

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It’s still a good amount of increase. Let’s hope it will continue to shoot up. What’s your new low and high now
My low is 8.0 and my high is 8.05. Its pretty flatlined due to the tubs turning on in the morning, and the 300 frag tank turning on in the evening. There's always a light cycle on in my system.
 

Pico bam

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My low is 8.0 and my high is 8.05. Its pretty flatlined due to the tubs turning on in the morning, and the 300 frag tank turning on in the evening. There's always a light cycle on in my system.
What in all do you do to up ph? I might just set up the same on my sysytem and have opposite light cycles on the tanks, then there's always something to look at with my wonky schedule. I'd imagine that one tank would be kind of fighting the other ph wise. ones raising it the others lowering it so it evens out. Even if you don't achieve 8.3 a solid 8 would probably be better than a drastic swing of a few points.
 

SteveMac84

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Intro/ About Me: Hello fellow reefers! My name is Katherine and first got into the reefing hobby when I adopted my husband’s 75-gallon LPS dominate tank when we first started dating back in 2017. As time progressed, we opened a saltwater fish and coral shop and were business owners for 3 years between DEC2019 and APR2022 before he was deployed overseas, and we were forced to sell. I wasn’t going to leave the reefing hobby behind as this hobby is a passion and a true addiction. I had a 600 gallon grow out built in our basement and am still able to keep my precious high-end collectables and continue my love for aquaculture. I hope you enjoy the build thread I put together, feel free to ask me questions and please follow me on IG & FB: Katherine Corals.

TANKS: 300 gallon 8’X4’X16” acrylic tank; a 115 gallon hydroponic tub; a 75 gallon hydroponic tub - all plumbed together into the same filtration system.

SUMP: This stand is built for its tight space! On the top shelf, I have a 36 gallon breeder tank with cleanup crew members living in each section. (Peppermint Shrimps, Emerald Crabs, Harlequin Shrimp).
The second shelf is a 50 gallon livestock tank, filled to the brim with rubble rock, and next to it is a DIY Macro Algae bin with chaetomorpha algae. The macro algae bin is supplemented with a Kessil H80 light.
On the bottom, is a 150gal Livestock bin that holds a 7” filter sock, and a ReefOctopus 250 INT skimmer.

LIGHTING: Orphek ICON LED over the Hydroponic tubs; Oprhek LED Hybrid T5 fixtures over the 300. Lights are sitting about 28” over the water. PAR values vary between tanks.

FLOW: I use 2 Syncra ADV 10.0 return pumps to the tanks, and a ADV 9.0 for the heat exchanger.
Internal flow, I use Jebao gyre pumps (budget friendly and reliable ).

HEATING: To cut down on electrical cost and to ensure near pinpoint temperatures, I use a saltwater heat exchanger plumbed through the hot water heater that is conveniently close by.

FISH: I love my fish!! Here is the list: 3 convict tangs, 2 Scopa tangs, 2 Clown tangs, 1 Humu trigger, 1 male Swallowtail angel, 2 female swallow angels, 1 goldspot rabbit fish, 1 whitetail bristletooth tang, 1 purple tang, 1 harlequin wrasse, 1 melanarus wrasse, 3 sixline wrasses, 3 leapord wrasses, 2 yellow coris wrasses, 5 BlueStreak cleaner wrasses, 1 lightning maroon clownfish.

EXTRAS: I use a 80watt UV sterilization that I run 24/7 to fight against bacterial infections, Recirculating CO2 Scrubber, Kalkwasser, 2 part with Liquid soda ash and Magnesium all controlled through the APEX, most importantly though I utilize the MoonShiners program since Feb 2022.

PARAMETERS: I do have a Apex Trident but find it extremely inaccurate so I still test every other day regardless using Hanna and Salifert products. My intended values are the following:
NO3: 40ish
PO4: 0.3-0.4
ALK: 8.3
CA: 430
MAG: 1500
TEMP: 76.3-77.0
SALINITY: 1.026
** To see pictures of my coral collection, please see my FB and IG accounts! @ Katherine Corals **


signal-2022-12-14-09-29-59-985.jpg
signal-2022-12-14-09-31-16-987.jpg
signal-2022-12-14-09-41-33-084.jpg
signal-2022-12-14-09-41-33-084-1.jpg
signal-2022-12-14-09-41-33-084-2.jpg
signal-2022-12-14-09-45-15-726.jpg
signal-2022-12-14-09-48-56-594.jpg
signal-2022-12-14-09-48-56-594-1.jpg
signal-2022-12-15-20-31-22-413-2.jpg
signal-2022-12-15-20-31-22-413-3.jpg


To see pictures of my coral collection, please see my FB and IG accounts! @ Katherine Corals
Stunning
 
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Katherine Corals

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What in all do you do to up ph? I might just set up the same on my sysytem and have opposite light cycles on the tanks, then there's always something to look at with my wonky schedule. I'd imagine that one tank would be kind of fighting the other ph wise. ones raising it the others lowering it so it evens out. Even if you don't achieve 8.3 a solid 8 would probably be better than a drastic swing of a few points.
Of course I would love to have the magical 8.3 dragon :grinning-face-with-sweat: but my goals were to achieve as close of a flatlined pH level on this system as I found it produced healthier corals. I do run Kalkwasser during the lower pH swing to help achieve this stability. Im able to run about 13 hours of kalk through a reactor and my calcium stay within 430-440 range I have set as a goal. To supplement the remaining alkalinity I dose soda ash currently, but have future plans to dose sodium hydroxide. I run a DIY algea scrubber 20 hours of the day, but also have future plans to change the bin into a cheato bin, hoping to gain more pH.
Prior to having the ERV installed, I did run a recirculating CO2 scrubber, but have it disconnected atm. In a few weeks, I may hook it back up.
 

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Been about a month since your last update. What’s new and different?
 
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Katherine Corals

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Nothing much new and different! This past month I been focused on a spring cleaning and my annual tank maintenance procedure. This is where all equipment gets cleaned, I do a chemiclean treatment on the tank, a sump clean with LR looked through and inspected, UV bulb replacement, t5 bulb replacements, and PAR testing. I also was finally able to get my Trident up and running again after being without it for nearly 8 months. I had to completely tear down the trident and find the clog in the water sample line, followed by calibrations and fluid changes. Its nice having that up and running again. lol
I added a Bashea 6-12 bioreactor filled with AquaChar. That included adding a new gate valve on the manifold for plumbing. I also switched out the DIY Algae scrubber and turned it into a cheato bin. I just think that cheato would absorb excess nutrients faster and so far has done so.
Since the cleaning and couple of changes, my paramenters have stayed the same, except PO4 is now around 0.3-0.4 and NO3 is 30-40 respectfully.

0h, and I have added a ton more coral too ;)
20230316_180203.jpg 20230316_180224.jpg 20230316_180102.jpg
 
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Katherine Corals

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Hello friends!

Lets cut right to it -

Some of the bigger changes to the system:

1. I have switched salt brands and am very pleased. I now use Red Sea Blue Bag .I switched from using Fritz Pro (still a very good salt to use and will be my plan B). I had no real reason to switch, other than reading other hobbist using the salt and having excellent results with less efforts.
2. I have T5 lights now hanging over all systems. Im running a hybrid approach, using Orphek LEDs and mostly Blue Plus T5 bulbs.
3). The 115 gallon tub has converted into a zoa and shroom tank, leaving the 70 gallon tub open for SPS corals. I plan to have some higher end acropora tenius because of the limited space. The zoa and shroom par levels are anywhere from 80-180 par. The 70 gallon tub for SPS will have Par values of 350-500.
 
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Katherine Corals

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