Andre’s Full blown 300Gallon SPS Reeftank up within a week ;-)

[FarmerTy]

Hey Ty, guess your tank system is running and looking breathtaking by now ;-)
Your tank is well balanced stocked from what I did see. Means loaded but not overloaded.

When I was talking to some guys in the U.K, Aus and here in the US. a few confirmed that they had the same issue.
In some cases the use of Aragonite media plays a big role. Natural media are seem to be even more problematic.

Good advise from UK was actually to mix products like Lazarus into the reactor to reduce the amount of dosing of Calcium Chloride.
Talking to Reef Chemists from Brightwell about this subject, they just simply referred me to the user description of the Brightwell Reactor media since this is a normal characteristic in heavy loaded Reef Aquaria and the use of additional Calcium Chloride addition is described on their media which I never noticed before.

So right now I won't have this issue, but it likely may come back as soon the tank has been grown out more.
When it's back, I will mention it here again.
Since I'm going to dose anyways a few elements, I will be prepped for Calcium Chloride.

Its getting there. I didn't have the adventure you've had with Hurricanes. I did move in March.

I'm not sure where the line is for balanced stock versus overstocked is. Is this from a pure mass perspective of growing corals or a mass of corals/volume of water? From a pure mass perspective, I got plenty of mass between the frag tank and display.

Here's my latest FTS and also my plumbed in frag tank. That's a 215 gallon tank and a 50 gallon frag tank. For perspective, that ORA Chips colony on the top right is 10" wide by 6" deep.

Thank you for sharing your research.

 

[najer]

I lust your frag tank, I really need to set mine up!

 

[FarmerTy]

I lust your frag tank, I really need to set mine up!

They're very fun, I forget about the display sometimes. Andre, are you tying a frag tank into your display as well?

 

[wowkingjames]

Thanks for the ick remedy, enjoyed the thread awesome set up.

 

[PSXerholic]

Its getting there. I didn't have the adventure you've had with Hurricanes. I did move in March.

I'm not sure where the line is for balanced stock versus overstocked is. Is this from a pure mass perspective of growing corals or a mass of corals/volume of water? From a pure mass perspective, I got plenty of mass between the frag tank and display.

Here's my latest FTS and also my plumbed in frag tank. That's a 215 gallon tank and a 50 gallon frag tank. For perspective, that ORA Chips colony on the top right is 10" wide by 6" deep.

Thank you for sharing your research.

Beautiful how it turned out
Wait for it in a year.

Need to get in touch with you in future, I do see a few ones I'm interested in.
Well balanced tank from loading I would say, going to be heavy when corals have been grown out further ;-)

I will share the Calcium reactor behavior, maybe I'm doing something wrong. Always struggling with the decision to run high effluent rate with lower ALK content or low effluent rate with very high ALK content.

 

[PSXerholic]

Thanks for the ick remedy, enjoyed the thread awesome set up.

It works great, the blue tang's eye is clear again and ICH disappeared on all fish that did show signs.

 

[PSXerholic]

They're very fun, I forget about the display sometimes. Andre, are you tying a frag tank into your display as well?

You bringing it straight to the point
Frag tanks are fun !!! Especially if plumbed into the main display like I did before.

Your frag system looks great Ty ;-)

I plan to start building the stand and canopy next and finish all the equipment installation.
Then the tank and house is likely ready for the tank to be moved into it's final spot, means the tank got to move again.

After/During the move, I will make final adjustments to the system and setup depending how its working out. Then I will fill in sand (Reef flakes) and final aquascaping will be done.
Then I plan to have a smaller 40G frag system next to the tank in future.
In the meantime I will use the right sidewall of the tank for all my frag racks and frags I make.
At the time when I ran the temporary 300DD which broke, the frags did actually brilliant on that spot ;-)

 

[marvelousone]

How do you add sand in later and not cloudy up the tank. Is there a trick.

 

[FarmerTy]

How do you add sand in later and not cloudy up the tank. Is there a trick.

Tropic Eden Reeflakes hardly had any dust at all when I added them to my frag tank. Most use a pvc pipe to gently let it fall to the bottom. You'll get clouding a bit no matter what.

 

[mmw64]

following this build.

 

[PSXerholic]

Tropic Eden Reeflakes hardly had any dust at all when I added them to my frag tank. Most use a pvc pipe to gently let it fall to the bottom. You'll get clouding a bit no matter what.

Correct, no secret here.

If you use Tropic Eden Reefflakes, the clouding even if a dry bag is used is super minimal.

Just submerge the bag, cut a corner off and distribute as desired ;-)

This stuff has a very good effect on the PH and Reef chemistry.
And it looks good.

 

[marvelousone]

What size do you put in your tanks.

 

[CNDReef]

What size do you put in your tanks.

Good question
I tend to like the sugar size sand, does it have the same buffering capabilities as the reef flake?

 

[PSXerholic]

What size do you put in your tanks.

Good question
I tend to like the sugar size sand, does it have the same buffering capabilities as the reef flake?

I will use the Tropic Eden Miniflakes in 30lbs bags (aragonite crumbs, 2mm).
Still have 60lbs, but may need another 60-120 lbs.

Later on I need this substrate which is actually like sugar grain for my Wrasses to hide and other sandshifters, starfishes and animals that require sand.

 

[marvelousone]

so do you use reef flakes and miniflakes mixed. I want to add sand and I have a wrasse. I have so sand in the now but not as much I want.

 

[CNDReef]

Guess I’m ordering some argosnow

 

[PSXerholic]

so do you use reef flakes and miniflakes mixed. I want to add sand and I have a wrasse. I have so sand in the now but not as much I want.

No, for clarity..... all miniflakes in my case. Fine enough similar to my previous DSB sand so I will keep using that ;-)
IF not sure just buy one bag to see how it looks like.

 

[PSXerholic]

No, for clarity..... all miniflakes in my case. Fine enough similar to my previous DSB sand so I will keep using that ;-)
IF not sure just buy one bag to see how it looks like.

 

[PSXerholic]

Here some really nasty shiddy Skimmer gunk after 2 days..... buahhhhh
So dark, I was holding it in front of a 500W Halogen light to get an idea.
Not much light penetration ;-)

 

[PSXerholic]

Here some really nasty shiddy Skimmer gunk after 2 days..... buahhhhh
So dark, I was holding it in front of a 500W Halogen light to get an idea.
Not much light penetration ;-)

I clean out my skimmer typically when the neck is dirty.
These large cone skimmer allow to quickly take a kitchen towel and wipe through the upper part of the body.
I do this at least once a week. I'm nuts with the need of a clean skimmer, lol.

Also with the new setup I keep the entire stand dark to avoid algae growth anywhere in the sump and it's equipment.
I hate always all that stuff that grows in a sump that is lighted by a Refugium.
Not that it's a bad idea to run a Refugium, I did that for years, it's just a lot of work to keep it clean from all that growing critters.
Especially the skimmer body is affected by coraline.