This will be my third build, 90 gallon with sump. I'll discuss my journey below but basically want to hear opinions on all dry to all live and everything in between rock. My plan is to set up with dry pukani and some Fiji or branch mixed in. Hopefuly 45-60 lbs. No baths just cured in the cycling tank. I also want to order 15 or 20 lbs premium live rock from KP aquatics to cure in a separate tank and then add to either the display, sump, or both. Really nervous about nasties I dont want in the display, wasnt sure if isolating to the sump would give me all the benefits of liverock without much risk or if id still have issues with the dry in the display since nothing will make its way up there. The sump is going to be dark, no refugium.
My first build was all dry pukani cycled and cured in the tank. I added 1 lbs of coralline covered liverock from a lfs and the tank was overall pretty successful. I bought colonies of corals and added right to the tank and had abundant critters but no pest that overwelmed the system. Had a tank crash after moving and not being preparing for power outages. No sump meant a HOB filter that filled with ammonia during an outage and dumped into the tank when power restarted.
Second setup was the same exact tank rebooted. Figured it did great the first time I'll learn from my mistakes and version 2.0 will be better than the first! Used all dry rock again, this time bleached and acid bathed. 0 live rock and only frags detached from frag plugs. Same equipment as before but went led instead or t5ho lighting. Tank has been a mess of failures for 18 months. Fish thrive but corals struggle and algae blooms one after another. This was always a middle step until I got ready for my larger tank but I hoped to grow out some colonies so I could transfer over.
This time I'm setting up a 90gallon reef ready with my first sump. I have plenty of untouched pukani and branch rock from before the bans, thank goodness as I love the rock so much more than the stuff they sell now. I am thinking agaisnt any bleach or acid baths as I have had algae after algae from bottomed out nutrients.
My first build was all dry pukani cycled and cured in the tank. I added 1 lbs of coralline covered liverock from a lfs and the tank was overall pretty successful. I bought colonies of corals and added right to the tank and had abundant critters but no pest that overwelmed the system. Had a tank crash after moving and not being preparing for power outages. No sump meant a HOB filter that filled with ammonia during an outage and dumped into the tank when power restarted.
Second setup was the same exact tank rebooted. Figured it did great the first time I'll learn from my mistakes and version 2.0 will be better than the first! Used all dry rock again, this time bleached and acid bathed. 0 live rock and only frags detached from frag plugs. Same equipment as before but went led instead or t5ho lighting. Tank has been a mess of failures for 18 months. Fish thrive but corals struggle and algae blooms one after another. This was always a middle step until I got ready for my larger tank but I hoped to grow out some colonies so I could transfer over.
This time I'm setting up a 90gallon reef ready with my first sump. I have plenty of untouched pukani and branch rock from before the bans, thank goodness as I love the rock so much more than the stuff they sell now. I am thinking agaisnt any bleach or acid baths as I have had algae after algae from bottomed out nutrients.