DaveZ

@Zach0225welcome to the most addicting part of the reef hobby. When I first got into reef keeping I never thought I’d be into sps, now I likely will never setup a tank without some sps. Mainly acros for me. I primarily keep nano tanks, so I might be in a more unique position than others on the forum who keep sps dominated tanks. I’ll post pics later to showcase what I’ve done so it’s not all talk. Here would be my advice for someone getting into this side of the reef keeping hobby: First: really consider how much time you have for this. Many tanks can be low key and low maintenance. Sps dominated, especially acro dominated is not this. If you want to be successful long term, you’re going to need to put in elements of work, regardless of automation. There’s no such thing as an ultra low maintenance sps tank. Just ask Ryan from BRS; they threw the kitchen sink worth of automation onto their ULM series and the sps dominated one imploded. Second: pick a mentor and stick with a method. The people who I see failing at SPS are ones who are always trying these things and tinkering. Just find someone who has the tank you want and then model the system after that. Third: chase stability and key parameters for your method, not the name game, color hype, new method fads or newest/flashiest marketing in equipment. Fourth: these tanks can be a roller coaster; one day you’re soaring next you can be falling fast. Color in coral can dip out of nowhere. Stuff can just STN. It happens to us all and although we should always seek to achieve best husbandry, sometimes 💩 happens. Learn from it and become better for it. Fifth: enjoy the process. Enjoy it now even when you don’t have it. Start dreaming and looking up different tanks now to find the one that you want to model after. Find the method that best fits your ideals and style. To answer your question, no you don’t “need” anything other than lights, flow, heat and element replacement. There are areas you can cut corners and some things you just shouldn’t skimp on. Each person will have their own personal preferences there so once again, ask a mentor who has the type of tank you want and do what they’re doing. My tanks: 40Breeder display. Maybe ~50g total water volume. Been running for a little over 2 years. Two bommies with one bigger one that has a ledge, one smaller that sits lower than the ledge. -2 Radions and 1 T5 blue+ bulb. Slightly modified AB+ spectrum. -Tons of flow. MP10s and Gyre. -Oversized skimmer. -Carbon/GFO mixed reactor. -Water changes every week to every 2 weeks. This tank consumes about 120ml of ESV b-ionic 2 part per day. -Lots of amino acids and twice a week I dose Brightwell Replenish. The tank is overran with frags at the moment as my frag tank had a bad swing after my recent move. So it’s just housing everything at the moment. Nuvo20 - this is my original tank I set up 5 years ago. This is far more mixed reef, which I do love. Took years before SPS would stay alive. Once again, high light and high flow for such a small tank. No nutrient export besides rock, sand and water changes. No skimmer. Just a bag of Chemipure blue. Regular weekly water changes at around 20% (4g). Both pictures have been taken in the last week or so. Hopefully this helps in some way. I’m always open to answer questions but far more active in Facebook or text than the forum.

Andy, these i’s mean the pump is internal. Likely a good option for your tank at this stage. 👍

That would be fun. Get me some aiptasia and I can get you some acros 🤣

Ya, thanks Kim! I have ideas on the aiptasia farm but just need to collect as much as I can to start. the goal is going to be to turn around a lot of the Nudis to reefers and stores, so hopefully it’s not about trying to breed 100s and 100s of nudi’s at this stage and just keeping a small amount of breeders. Which means less Aiptasia needed at this stage. but ya, it’s always one of those funny situations where people want to help but also are glad they can’t because then it means they’re dealing with an aiptasia issues. I have a few sources that are going to be able to help over the weekend but really looking to get as much as possible for the time being to build up the aiptasia stock. Figured I’d ask in as many places as possible, especially if people were having issues and wanted to get rid of some.

Thanks! Ya, I saw some good articles on Bergie farms that helped give some inspiration and this is V1 of my system with what I had laying around. I have a few “fat marker” plans of a full system I can put in place that gets water changes through the system with a mini-manifold. Once I get some further experience and really dial in the setup and best methods, I plan on eventually building out a full acrylic farm tank that will make for easier Nudi farming, maintenance, and age grouping for those ready to be sold / brought into shops. But right now the real need is a big aiptasia farm. Hopefully there are enough reefers in the area with aiptasia infestations that can help me out and get some coral or live-rock replacement in exchange

Anyone in the Vancouver (preferable) / Portland area with loads of aiptasia they’re willing to part with? This might sound a bit crazy but willing to trade coral for your aiptasia 🤣 Berghia Nudibranch Farm starting up. Need some food for these little buggers. Looking to eventually supply some local reefers and shops with Berghies. …But need the aiptasia farm to coincide with that Berghia farm.

Got a type of acro that looks exactly like this but cannot verify that it’s a lineage of WWC. Some really big sized frags that might be considered “small colonies” by some that I have available. Old pic of one of the pieces in my Nuvo20 but have a bunch of this in ky acro tank. located in Vancouver WA

Andy, I have 2 Vertex skimmers. The 130 and 150. But neither have a pump with it. I’m giving away the skimmers if you wanted to buy a new pump and have a virtually brand new skimmer. Cost only in getting a pump that works for it. Located in Vancouver WA as well.

All frags currently spoken for. If anyone bails then I will reach out based on order of the DMs

Hey Reefing Fam, got some bright/gold NY Knicks Torches ready for some homes. 👍 Each frags about to split into two heads but not ready to be cut into two yet. Asking same price I get for trade in with shops at $120 per frag. Located in Vancouver WA (right off I-5/500) Available tonight or this Sunday morning/afternoon while I build some frag stands.

DKH - Pending pick up Phosphate - still available

Hanna Checkers available: Phosphate (not ULN) some reagents -$10 Alkalinity DKH - no vials or reagent - Free (if you plan on using it and not flipping for $. I got it for free and just passing it onto someone else) Location : Vancouver WA (East Side) Currently battling a cough, so curbside pick up only for your benefit. No shipping. text only if you want to pick up: Dave Z: 206-930-9952 *also available on FB, so if you want it move fast.

I have never done an ATO like this. I’d say as long as it has enough water to where you’re not needing to refill it all the time, it should be good.

Happy to help in any way I can. 👍 IMO keeping things simple with these little picos is the best for long term success. I would suggest a single head doser before ATO. It was really easy to lock in evap rates over a week. Never gotten close to overfilling. As far as heat exchange, I didn’t like the look with the lid on. Something magical about that top down view. But a mini heater on a timer to only be on at night might be something worth exploring.

100%. There’s something really rewarding about doing something yourself but that doesn’t equal saving time and money. If you were looking for a new skill in soldering and thinking through finding PCB boards and diodes to make a reef light, that is really great…but not as great as seeing a thriving reef. Thanks re: the pico tank. The pico has been really fun and super easy as it’s going to be softies only. No other livestock due to some instability. Temp swings from 74° low to 80°+ high is my biggest issue in the garage office but softies don’t seem to care. I just suck some rodi on an extra dosing head so that is no problem for keeping stable salinity/SG. But overall they are really fun tanks and insanely easy. Not sure why so many reefers say picos and nanos are hard 🤷🏽‍♂️. 100% 1g water change weekly and takes a whopping 3 minutes and then filling up RODI dosing. Just use live rock from the get-go and don’t overstock with animals that produce waste and it’s a piece of cake. Lowest maintenance tank I have.

Hey Vis, I have done a number of LED mods (mainly Viparspectra) but honestly it’s rarely worth the money you put into diodes. If you want a small fixture for reef animals, I’d suggest you look into the Lominie A20. These are awesome little $50 lights that use the same single lens tech as Kessil. I believe they’re under 3” diameter. Lominie LED Aquarium Light, Nano Asta 20 Full Spectrum Remote Control Fish Tank Lamp 4 Channels Dimmable for Rimless Saltwater Coral Reef Aquarium Tank (S20 20W Saltwater) https://a.co/d/hKkqEcx I have the bigger Pixie30 version (30w that I got for fun to see it as it’s $70) and it’s been solid for 3 years now. I have this on the PNW Custom 1g I got from Harley and it’s been awesome but way too powerful. I have to tune it down a ton as the 30w puts out 350+ par when max blues on a tank this small. It’s fun to do those LED mods but unless you know what you’re doing it’s usually not worth the time and costs.

I’ve got one of Harley’s 1g PNW Custom pico tanks. I went with an upgraded Sicce pump but planning on a softies only with a floating reef and GSP carpet. Thinking about getting a small mangrove for it as well. Salinity swings is something to keep in mind. I just use a head of the Jebao doser that I use for the frag tank close by to dose the pico with RODI water. It’s about 120ml per day in evaporation for me. The biggest issue I personally have is the temp swings. Goes from about 80° during the day down to maybe 72° at night. It is in my garage office that’s not the best temp stability in the room so the tank is greatly effected. But softies never seem to kind and everything’s open and healthy so far. I do big water changes but not with brand new water. I use clean discard water from my acro dominated display. Very low phosphates and nutrients in that tank so it’s a great candidate for water swaps. Too small of a tank and too many swings for fish or other livestock IMO. But to each their own with regards to what they’re comfortable with in that. So no livestock doesn’t have a big effect on the parameters. I don’t even bother checking at this point.

Thanks! Ya it’s a baby’s breath favia. Got a few growing in different tanks. I’m not big into Favia’s but that one was always pretty cool with it’s more blue coloration.

Ya, just hard to do that in a nano tank. I’ve always put the blastos under the bridge. It gets enough current flow but nothing direct and a bit of the lighting but nothing full force. Just cannot seem to get them to get mega fluffy.

That thing is epic. 👏🏽 I haven’t gotten into blastos too much. Just a few here and there for trades. The few I’ve gotten have been mixed results…likely due to more sps par intensities. Do you keep these under higher or lower par?

Man, those tank dimensions for the SR60 are awesome. Wish I had the $$$ for the setup.

@Gumbydefinitely interested in the EB8s. Are you around this week if I wanted to swing by and pick them up?

The one I got from Jim looks far more like the one pictured from Rudy. but glad you found one that is what you’re looking for 👍

Gumby/Jim’s stuff is awesome. I got a larger space invader pectina from him and it’s a fast grower. Not as spiny as the mother colony as the growth of those will likely form more out of flow patterns and lighting of each tank.

Glad it made it through. Does well under low or high par values but the really high par 400+ points can bring out some awesome colors of the green base, purple growth tip and then yellow right at the polyp.