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- Aug 23, 2017
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Thats another reason I was interested in a glass or acrylic top for the tank. I need something that will cover the back portion too. I had over half a gallon of evaporation in one day. Unfortunately my house isnt very big and for now the kitchen is the best place. Fortunately its away from where the cooking happens and away from anywhere where it may get spilled on or any other issues. We always open the window which is inbetween the tank and stove while cooking and quite a ways away from the tank, I'm not super worried about that aspect. Can you setup the maxspect without the ICV6? I guess ultimately I could use the icv6 to setup the light then unhook the icv6 and stow it away and hook it back up if I need to make changes etc correct? My issue is I dont want the icv6 constantly hooked up at the tank. About 15 feet away or less it could be in the stand of my other tank, that would be acceptable for me.Thanks for the kind comments, I've put a lot of work in to my tank, yours will get there too!
Maxspect recommends the ICV6 controller be within a 2-3 meters of the Ethereal. If you go to CoralVue Customer Support (American parent/marketing company for Maxspect), the first thing they will ask you is how far the ICV6 is from the light, I guess its not that strong of a signal transmitter or something. Both the ICV6 and the Ethereal need an outlet. The chord for the ICV6 is either 5 or 6 feet so that gives you a little length to get it closer. The gyre controller will not work with the Ethereal, only the ICV6 will.
I keep my Ethereal at 75%, however, my corals were already adjusted to powerful lighting beforehand. New corals have to be put in a less lighted areas and moved to sequential higher par areas over time before mounting them permanently, otherwise you're going to fry them if you immediately place them in the tank right under the light after bringing them home.
In Florida we have such high humidity all the time that evaporation is slower than it would be for you in Colorado. I have a Tunze ATO that helps me keep up with evaporation and I would highly suggest you getting one as well since you'll be worrying about evaporation much more than I will be. Consistency is key for tanks this small and an ATO is a valuable tool as such. I go through a 5 gallon bucket of ATO reservoir water once every 6 weeks or so to give everyone some perspective. I use the IM Screen Top on my tank but I have considered getting a custom acrylic lid made for the tank, mostly for aesthetic reasons though.
I'd hate to say it since I spend a lot of time there myself, but the kitchen is not a good place for a reef aquarium. Cooking fumes from grease, oils, etc. will mix with the water through gas exchange and possibly have detrimental effects on the water quality. I would maybe look into getting yourself a strong cabinet or build a DIY tank stand for your aquarium. I found mine at a thrift store for $20 and spent $15 on supplies to spiffy it up a bit.