SPS, LPS and Mushrooms

fishphreak

fishphreak

Member
I am setting up a 75 gallon reef tank and I want to combine SPS, LPS, and mushrooms.
I was just curious if anyone has this type of set up and has any advice or warnings.
Thanks in advance,
Jessica
 
small time

small time

Member
alot of people who combine softys and sps have there sps up top with a steep shelf with there softys down below on the sand bed. if you put anything near sps (ex.bubble coral)watch sweeper tenticals have plenty of room between corals
a must is to have good circulation and an oversized skimmer and run carbon for chemical warfare in your system
 
fishphreak

fishphreak

Member
I probably should have mentioned the lighting. I planning on getting 2x250watt MH and 4x55watt PC.
It is an over flow tank so with that and 2 maxi-jet 400s would that be enough circulation?
I'm going to have a 29 gallon tank as a sump. So would I just use the carbon bags in the sump along with the LR and LS?
Thanks,
Jessica
 
small time

small time

Member
flow is good
love the lighting. reccomend ushio bulb at 10k
are you going to split the return line? with that size pump you can get the scwc(i think thats what its called) i have one and it switches current between 2 returns. good for back and forth current. seen it ranging in price from 20 to 40 $$
are you going to place one maxijet behind the rockwork?
you design sounds perfect
 
fishphreak

fishphreak

Member
I am seriously considering getting a scwc.
yeah I planned on putting a MJ at the left and right ends of the tank on the back.
If I am lucky eventually the PH should be hidden by the rock work. It will take me some time to build them that high.
I have about 40lbs of LR in my 29 that I will be moving to my 75. I want to get about 100lbs of rock but I want to get them one at the time. Kinda hand pick them for their size, shape, the stuff growing on them, that kind of thing.
Thank you for the compliment. I have been planning this tank little by little ever since I got my 29 saltwater almost a year ago. The 29 was sort of a test, to make sure I could keep up with the tank and keep a few corals healthy before upgrading.
I was told that I should be able to keep SPS, LPS, and mushrooms together with this set up as long as I did 50% water changes twice a month and leave plenty of space between the corals but I just wanted to get some more opinions.
This is my first reef so I am a little paranoid. I have 4 corals in my 29 as test to make sure I could care for them properly but I only have 4 so I don't think that considered a reef.
Thanks,
Jessica
 
iwantacans

iwantacans

Member
with lps just give em lil space and youll be fine... i personally would get a seio or 2.... more flow need for the sps that the 2 maxijets and the pump :)
 
reefnut

reefnut

Active Member
I was told that I should be able to keep SPS, LPS, and mushrooms together with this set up as long as I did 50% water changes twice a month
Do not do that much of a water change... that would not be very unhealthy for your system. I wouldn't do over 20% per-month. 10% twice a month max.
The main concern with mixing sps with LPS and softies is chemical warfare. Running carbon will help alot as will reasonable water changes.
 
fishphreak

fishphreak

Member
I only do 10% water changes on my 29 once a month, sometimes twice if the cyano is bad. I don't want to give anyone the idea that I do 50% water changes. I was just told that I may need to with the corals I want to keep in the 75.
So you think if I run carbon and do a 20% water change once per month I should be able to keep the combination of corals healthy?
As for carbon how do I use it. On my 29 I have a 60 gallon power filter with 2 carbon plates. I know that isn't really a good set up but since I am upgrading I am not to worried about it.
I know you don't use those in a sump but what do you use? the little bags of carbon? Or something else entirely?
Also, I was thinking about something. would 2x250 watt MH on the 75 be enough light for SPS. I was just thinking that if it was I could run 2x55 pc on my sump and the MH on my tank.
Instead of the MH and 4x55 pc on my tank.
Thanks for all the help,
Jessica
 
funkyman

funkyman

Member
Does anyone know if water replacement due to evaporation counts towards the water change percentage? I add a gallon a day to a 50 gallon tank which would be 15% a week right there.
Thanx and PLMK.
 
reefnut

reefnut

Active Member
I don't want to give anyone the idea that I do 50% water changes. I was just told that I may need to with the corals I want to keep in the 75.
Understand :) but I wouldn't do 50% water changes twice a month on any setup... that much new saltwater added each month would stress everything out... including you :D
So you think if I run carbon and do a 20% water change once per month I should be able to keep the combination of corals healthy?
Should, any more than that wouldn't do you any better IMO.
As for carbon how do I use it.
People run is differently. Most important thing it to make sure the water is flowing through the carbon and not just around it. Throwing a bag of carbon in the sump does little good. If you can place it where the water has to run through it then you're good.
I use a DIY Phosban reactor type of thing. The Phosban reactors seem really good for running carbon.
Also, I was thinking about something. would 2x250 watt MH on the 75 be enough light for SPS. I was just thinking that if it was I could run 2x55 pc on my sump and the MH on my tank.
Instead of the MH and 4x55 pc on my tank.
The MH would be enough. Most of the time PC or VHOs are ran with MH to supplement with actinics and to give a dusk/dawn effect... 2-55w PC would be enough to do that IMO.
Is the sump going to have a refug in it?? Is that what the lighting would be for??
 
fishphreak

fishphreak

Member
Thank you so much, you have really been a great help to me.
Here is where I show my ignorance :)
I am not entirely sure what a refuge is. What I had planned on putting in the sump is the substrate from my 29 since it is already established and new LR I was thinking of getting a lot of small chunks and Carbon.
I thought that I could use the pc on the sump to help the coraline agae and stuff spread. I thought if I didn't really the pc to supliment the MH then I could save some money and just use the pc light that I already have on my sump. I like the crystal clear look of the 10k MH by themselves better anyway.
Should I do something differently?
Thanks again for all the help!,
Jessica
 
fishphreak

fishphreak

Member
Or should I just stick to the origional plan of the mh pc combo.
The reason I ask is because that would be 9.6 watts per gallon that should be fine for the SPS but I am a little worried that might be too much light for the mushrooms. I think the LPS should be able to handle it.
It is more difficult than I thought it would be to find lighting that will let me keep everything from mushroom to SPS.
Should I go 2x250watt 10k MH only on the tank with a 2x55watt 10k Pc on the sump
OR
2x250 watt 10k MH and 4x55watt Pc actinic on the tank and nothing on the sump.
Lots of thanks,
Jessica
 
reefnut

reefnut

Active Member
A refuge acts as a safe haven for pods and other critters that will feed the main tank, if the lighting is ran opposite of the display’s lighting it will help stabilize the PH and with macro algae, it will be a place to keep the algae allowing you to use it as nutrient export… some people use DSBs in the refug for nitrate control.
A sump is usually bare (some people add LR) with no lighting. It's used as a place to hold equipment such as the skimmer, heaters, etc. Typically the flow through a sump is higher that the flow through the refug.
Some set up sump/refuges and others set up separate sumps and refuges. I'm running both methods and IMO separate sump and refug is much better.
It sounds to me like your 29g will be a refug. Only problem I see is the amount of flow that is going to be going through it.
 
fishphreak

fishphreak

Member
I forgot to mention the equipment. I will have the protein skimmer, a heater (if I need one but I don't think I will with the MH), ph moniter, and thermometer along with the LR and LS.
Last night my fiancee said that he wants to get the MH and use the 2x55 pc that I already have on the main tank and not use any light on the sump because he paying for all of this. I may still be able to get a light for the sump but I don't know for sure now.
I am pretty sure I won't be able to run a seperate sump and refuge.
We figured out how we could run the carbon. We are going make a plate on the overflow with plenty of holes and just set a bag of carbon on it. We will get the carbon bag about half the size of the plate that way if the carbon bag gets clogged it won't block water flow.
What is the problem with the flow? Is it too much or not enough?
Thank again for all the help,
Jessica
 
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