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BobC63
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Topic: A Nice Reef Tank, Quickly - The BobsReef Method Posted: September 20 2013 at 9:01pm |
Welcome! Having been in this hobby for over 36 years now (I started at age 13... I'm not THAT old!) I have been asked for advice many times. Now, at the suggestion of several others in the hobby, I have been asked to write a kind of "How to" style piece on how to set up a long - term successful reef aquarium; more specifically, how am I able to set up a fully stocked reef tank so quickly? Well, I really don't have any great 'secrets' (at least I think I don't) But I do have a 'formula' a methodology, a plan... that I can share with you. I call it "The BobsReef Method" - and why not? Basically, it entails a system and plan with the goal of going from an empty tank and a bunch of equipment to a fully stocked reef, in as short a time as possible... all while minimizing risk to the inhabitants and maximizing your enjoyment of your reef. Now, I have it all in here <taps head> and I will get it all out on this topic, but first let's talk about how this topic will play out... I will (probably, hopefully?) stick to one specific topic item with each postSo, if I am discussing the merits of (for example) a good skimmer, I will try to stay focused on that subject until I've said everything I wanted to say about it. And, while I certainly welcome questions and comments, if a question is asked about something other than the subject matter of the specific post(s)being covered... it might be a little bit before I change the subject over to answer your question. But I will try not to overlook or ignore anybody... I will try to cover at least one subject a daySometimes I may do more than 1 per day, but I'll try to add something new every day Comments and Questions are WelcomeI don't want to turn this into a 1 - man rant... if you have something to say... SAY IT! If you have a question on your mind...ASK IT! If you are unclear about something I've posted...ASK ME TO CLARIFY OR ELABORATE This SHOULD be Informative, Interesting... and Fun!I'll try to keep things moving with photos, videos, etc. Hopefully I won't drone on and bore people... so, if it get's "slow" - let me know! Now, let's get started!
Edited by BobC63 - September 27 2013 at 11:18am
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- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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Molli
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Posted: September 20 2013 at 9:07pm |
Thank you Thank you Thank you for taking the time to do this!
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BobC63
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Posted: September 20 2013 at 9:52pm |
Topic 1: the 5 Commandments of The BobsReef Method1) Thou Shalt Require More Live RockI have been asked, more times than I could ever count, "What is the single biggest mistake people make when setting up a Reef Tank?" Answer: they don't use enough Live Rock Why not? Because it is A) Expensive; B) Delicate (at least compared to dry rock); C) Laborious (you have to keep it submerged in saltwater which is a lot more work before and during tank setup than carrying a box full of dry rocks around);and D) it is Expensive (note that I said that one twice) Live Rock is your tanks main (biological) filter. It is one of the main reasons we can now keep corals (at all) in an aquarium. It is the single most important thing you will put in your 'box of ocean water'. DO NOT SKIMP ON IT. 2) There is No Such Thing as Too Much FlowThe second biggest mistake people make when setting up a Reef Tank? Not enough water movement (flow) The ocean contains currents that move trillions of gallons of water around at any given point. While we are not looking to duplicate that (nor could we) the animals in our Reef (with few exceptions) do best in an environment where there is substantial water movement. Why is that? Brisk water movement brings fresh, clean, food - filled and oxygenated water to our animals. It sweeps stale, dirty, toxin polluted water away from them. Corals especially can benefit from this type of brisk circulation, as they are sessile (stationary) animals and cannot move in search of food or better conditions. But fish benefit as well. And the more rock you have in your Reef, the more water power you need to ensure no 'dead spots' in your rockwork where detritus and toxins can accumulate. 3) Let There Be Light - But Not Too Much3rd biggest mistake? Poor lighting choices, often coupled with 'overlighting' in an attempt to make up for 'bad' lighting Gasp! Too Much Light! How can that be? It's easier than you think. Lighting can either be too intense (think of a 400 watt Metal Halide over a nano tank) or too long in duration -what we call 'photoperiod'(think of leaving the lights on for 20 hours a day) Be sure to provide adequate lighting without baking your Reef! 4) A Nice Reef Tank is ExpensiveSorry, but it's true. Now remember, the title of this topic is not "How to set up a Saltwater Tank as Cheaply as Possible". We are talking about creating a nice Reef Tank... and they are NOT cheap. Now there are things you can do to help limit expenses; i.e. a 20 gallon Reef tank is going to cost less than a 125 gallon Reef; and you can buy almost everything you need 'used' and save a considerable amount over 'new' - but if you want what most of us consider a 'nice' Reef Tank... be prepared to spend some $$$. I find it helpful to think of that nice Reef Aquarium you want to set up in your living room more as a piece of furniture, or even a 'work of art' - and then expect to spend what you would if you went to RC Willey shopping for a nice quality, brand new leather couch or sectional. That mode of thinking is especially helpful when trying to convince a spouse that this kind of expenditure is justified... 5) Do Not Commit "A la Carte"What does that mean? It means my system works - if you follow it completely. You CAN'T 'Pick & Choose' which parts of my system you want to utilize, and which you don't. You either follow ALL the directions, the entire system... or you shouldn't bother to try it. Why not? Why can't I skip or substitute things, cut corners to save $$$, etc? Why not? Well...At best, you will end up with a mediocre Reef. At worst? A disaster that ends with a tank full of death... and you complaining that "The BobsReef Method doesn't work!" It absolutely does work... you just need to follow the rulesNOTE: I reserve the right to add in additional Commandments later, but we can move on for now...
Edited by BobC63 - September 27 2013 at 11:19am
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- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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phys
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Posted: September 20 2013 at 10:03pm |
The parts about the lighting and the flow... so true... I keep needing to get new powerheads for this spot and that spot... also, just recently my neutral whites had a faulty wire on them and I didn't notice for a few...several... days and the change in the colors of the corals was dramatic. after turning them on, some of them did lose a little color but hopefully they will return.. now, for a more on topic version of the lighting... I purchased a PWM dimmer for my 20g and soon after turning down the lighting (too much indeed), more colors came back into the corals and my hammers are not bleached.
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BobC63
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Posted: September 20 2013 at 10:04pm |
A Bit Of Friendly Advice...People love to give advice. Hey, I'm doing it right now... And you should feel free to accept that advice. But, in this hobby... sometimes the advice ain't too good. So, how to separate the 'good' from the 'not-so-good'? Ask to see what THEIR tank looks likeMost of us - me included - love to show off our Reefs. They are our 'babies', in a way... we are proud of what we have accomplished, and we love the ego stroke So, when you ask a question... and someone goes into a long dissertation of what you are doing 'wrong', and how they know it is 'wrong'... and here's what you should do to do it 'right'... A little 'proof of the pudding' from them really goes a long way. Because if their Reef Tank looks like this RUN AWAY!!! (Unless you want your tank to look that way, too!)
Edited by Upload - September 20 2013 at 10:14pm
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Mike Savage
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Posted: September 20 2013 at 10:07pm |
You are off to a great start Bob. Thanks for sharing all that knowledge!
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Presidency
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Posted: September 20 2013 at 10:18pm |
A note about "Upload":"Upload" is just me (BobC63) using a dummy login to load in pics and video, etc. I have loaded so many photos to my 'BobC' account, that I exhausted my allotted account bandwidth... so I had to open a 2nd account in order to be able to upload more media content So, you may see posts from "Upload", or "Edited by Upload"... it's just me, playing around
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Posted: September 20 2013 at 10:28pm |
Oh, and from the "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" department... With out any further adieu... here is MY Reef Tank: Here's a video... my Reef is just 10 weeks old here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJeXXin46RQ&feature=youtu.be
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Mike Savage
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Posted: September 21 2013 at 7:29am |
Absolutely gorgeous Bob!
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BobC63
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Posted: September 22 2013 at 12:23am |
STEP 1: Choosing a Tank
While choosing a tank size is a personal choice, here are a few things to remember:
- Drilled tanks (tanks with an overflow that allows use of a separate sump) will be able to hold more livestock per gallon than non - drilled tanks
Why? Because utilizing a drilled tank w/ sump will allow a bigger (in-sump) skimmer for additional aeration and waste removal, a return pump for additional water flow, and an indirect location for adding chemicals, top off water, etc without adding things directly into the livestock tank
- For any given gallon size, shallow tanks are better than deep tanks; wide tanks are better than narrow tanks
Why? Greater surface area on the shallow tanks - and wider (front to back) allows for more realistic aquascaping and minimizes lighting "spillover" (lighting the areas in front of and / or behind the actual tank)
- Bigger tanks are 'easier' than smaller ones
Why? Parameters tend to be more stable with a larger water volume. Bigger tanks will obviously cost more in almost all aspects, however...
- Glass tanks are better for 'traditional' tank sizes under 200 gallons; acrylic tanks are better for custom tanks (Bowfronts, Cubes, Corner tanks, etc) and for tanks over 200 gallons
Why? Glass is cheaper (when mass produced), resists scratching better, glass tanks are readily available in most traditional sizes under 200g. Acrylic is lighter, bendable, easier to cut, and the material of choice for most custom applications or large sized (200+ gal) aquariums
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Used or new? Again, mainly a personal choice... buying a used tank can save as much as half over a new tank; however, a used tank will not have any warrantee against leaks, etc. Used tanks may have to be cleaned before use; a used acrylic tank may have scratches that will need to be buffed out.
Final analysis: While it IS possible to have a nice reef tank in a wide variety of sizes, styles, and shapes - a good starting point would be a traditional shaped (rectangular) drilled (w/ overflow) glass aquarium of between 75 and 120 gallons
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- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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BobC63
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Posted: September 22 2013 at 9:53pm |
Steps 2 & 3: Stand & Tank Placement
Stand choice is up to you in terms of appearance... think about what room you want to place your Reef in, and then choose a stand finish that compliments the existing décor. As far as construction goes, just 3 bits of advice:
- Choose a stand that is tall enough that you can see into the aquarium without bending over;
- Choose a stand where you have easy access to the sump area underneath;
- DO NOT buy or use a 'particle board' stand!
Your finished Reef Aquarium will weigh close to 10 lbs / gallon. A 125 gallon reef will weigh in at about a half ton! Don't trust it to a cheap particle board stand! You WILL be sorry!
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Tank placement refers to where in a room you want to put your Reef.
Advice here is:
- Near at least 1 power outlet; 2 or 3 would be even better;
- Out of the direct foot traffic "line of fire", if possible;
- Perpendicular to floor joisting, if possible (especially for systems of 75 gallons or larger)
Why? You will need easy access to electricity to run all the equipment; A quieter location means fish will not be constantly 'spooked' by people and noise; Adequate floor support for safety and keeping the tank level and vibration-free...
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- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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kellerexpress
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Posted: September 22 2013 at 9:56pm |
Great thread thanks for taking the time to do this. Beautiful reef btw!
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IM 30L Kessil A160we x2
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Molli
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Posted: September 23 2013 at 7:27pm |
Well I will fail at step 1 since I don't plan to use live rock for my cube -- I am having a ceramic rock sculpture custom made for the tank. I will seed with a piece of live rock from my other tank, but I guess I will just need to play the waiting game on this tank and not hurry it, which is OK with me. I'll continue to read this tread though as I'm sure you have a lot of good info to share :)
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BobC63
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Posted: September 23 2013 at 9:59pm |
By now, you have picked out your tank and stand, and figured out where the tank will go.
Next comes a series of crucial decisions I will address as...
Step 4: Choosing the Right Equipment
I cannot overstate how important choosing the right equipment is in the overall plan to create a nice Reef Tank. Your equipment choices will dictate not only the overall living conditions for your livestock, but how much livestock - and what types - can even go into the tank.
This is also the #1 place where people start to make decisions that limit the potential of their future reef. And most of it boils down to poor planning, compounded by seriously underestimating the true dollar cost of setting up that nice Reef tank.
So, let's run through all the major equipment purchases involved in turning an empty tank into that 'nice' Reef. I'll cover each piece individually before talking about the setup as a whole.
A) Sumps
The correct sump to use is "YES"...
in other words, how complex, fancy, or expensive a sump you choose is not as important as just using one! A good sump does need a few things, though. At least 2 'chambers'; one large enough to hold your skimmer, the other to house a return pump to send water from the sump back into the main tank. You should also have some space in the sump to house a heater and (could be a 3rd 'chamber') to use as a refugium. Or at least space for a ball of chaeto algae and a spot for a reactor pump (more on that later).
If overall cost is a concern, this is a good place to look for a deal and economize. It doesn't have to be pretty - it just has to hold water.
But they can be quite nice little systems in themselves. Some people will invest in a custom, hand built sump that features room for every possible gadget and looks every bit as nice as their display tank. For others, a sump is a Rubbermaid tote and homemade section dividers. Either way, just make sure you use one!
The best reef tanks use a sump system. Don't skip this!
Edited by BobC63 - September 23 2013 at 10:00pm
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- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: September 24 2013 at 8:44am |
Molli wrote:
Well I will fail at step 1 since I don't plan to use live rock for my cube -- I am having a ceramic rock sculpture custom made for the tank. I will seed with a piece of live rock from my other tank, but I guess I will just need to play the waiting game on this tank and not hurry it, which is OK with me. I'll continue to read this tread though as I'm sure you have a lot of good info to share :) |
I don't see that as failure. I see it as taking a successful approach that will simply require more time, as you said. Consider this: The "Reefkeeping Tips" thread linked in my sig line says that the more live stuff used in start up, the quicker the reef can be up and running with beautiful coral and fish. If it were me, I would temporarily move not just one piece of LR, but as many pieces as possible to the new tank with the ceramic sculptured rock. I would also move over a load of unrinsed LS from the existeing tank and replace it with the new sand you got for the new tank. The older tank will be thus refreshed with some new sand and the new tank will have a much better head start with as much transplanted life as possible. Also remember, "Coral filter the water - Fish pollute." Aloha and have fun, Mark 808-345-1049
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Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Molli
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Posted: September 24 2013 at 8:55am |
Mark Peterson wrote:
Molli wrote:
Well I will fail at step 1 since I don't plan to use live rock for my cube -- I am having a ceramic rock sculpture custom made for the tank. I will seed with a piece of live rock from my other tank, but I guess I will just need to play the waiting game on this tank and not hurry it, which is OK with me. I'll continue to read this tread though as I'm sure you have a lot of good info to share :) | I don't see that as failure. I see it as taking a successful approach that will simply require more time, as you said.
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I just meant that I would "fail" at the quick method. The world is full of people wanting instant gratification and I can see that desire has moved to this hobby. I am a very patient person and will just treat this tank the same way I did with my 65 -- slow and steady and in control of all the creatures that enter my tank. Only downside for me is that it will take many months before I will feel comfortable adding SPS corals, but the wait time will be worth it.
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icenine
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Posted: September 24 2013 at 12:28pm |
Very nice tank Bob!
A comment on LR though, one thing I found myself wishing I had done differently after my fist set up (and second for that matter) was to use less rock and start bare. The last two incarnations of my reef were done with dry rock and the most recent version here in Utah uses only about 30lbs of Pukani in a 57gal display with a 20 gal sump. The qualities of the rock are important, I can get away such a small ratio because pukani is incredibly pours and provides lots of surface area. My sand bed is pretty shallow too, about 1.5".
(excuse the crappy cell phone pic)
Edited by icenine - September 24 2013 at 12:38pm
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BobC63
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Posted: September 24 2013 at 7:58pm |
ice -
Your tank is very nice; however, it looks like your bio load is relatively low (I count 3 fish..?)
If you were to house, say, 10 - 11 fish you would have problems with a build up of nO3 and pO4 that your current quantity of live rock would not be able to process. The fish load is really where the amount of rock comes into play; corals contribute very little to the bioload of a reef tank.
Molli -
I agree that the idea of 'instant gratification' affects this hobby; I disagree that it is a new thing. I can remember dealing with the repercussions of customers rushing to fill their tanks with livestock way back in the late 1970's. The difference now is that we have the know - how and technology to actually pull it off successfully.
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- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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BobC63
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Posted: September 24 2013 at 8:32pm |
B) Choosing the right Pumps & Managing Waterflow
Here is another area ripe with potential pitfalls. IMO people tend to way underestimate the amount of total water movement their reef will need. And a big driver behind this is, (quite frankly) people being cheap.
Rule #1: It is almost impossible to generate enough water movement in a reef tank via the return pump alone.
This is especially true if you want to keep high flow corals such as SPS. Exceptions would be if you have a small tank (i.e. 30g or less). In fact, a high flow pump in the sump can actually work against you. Water entering the sump needs time to pass through the skimmer, reactors, and refugium. A good rule of thumb is to try to either match your return pump to the capacity of your skimmer pump - or the return pump gph should be approx 10X total the water volume, whichever is greater. The rest of your flow rate (and we are shooting for a total flow figure of at least 30X the total water volume) should come via circ pumps.
As far as a 'good' return pump? Most major brands are fine; i.e Danner Mag Drive, Ehiem, Lifeguard /Quiet One, etc. You can opt for an external pump but, IMO, and internal pump costs less and will work just fine. The amount of added heat from an internal pump is negligible unless you are running a huge pump. And here is a good opportunity to save some money by buying used.
Rule # 2: Forget powerheads; prop style circ pumps are best
In the old days we would use powerheads like the Maxijet or Penquin units. Well, we have much more efficient tech than that now. Prop pump wavemakers, such as the Hydor Korallia (OK), Tunze "Stream" (better), and Vortech (even better) pumps offer more efficient operation, more power, a wider flow, adjustability and random flow patterns that a powerhead can't touch.
And you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to get the flow you need. The new Jebao 'wp' series of circ pumps features all the wave action you could ever want, an adjustable output controller, and quiet, dependable operation - all at a price that is more comparable to the more entry - level Korallia products. I use one myself, as the sole circ pump on my own 90 gal reef.
Right now, my top choices would be the Vortechs and the Jebao. Either one will get the job done.
Edited by BobC63 - September 27 2013 at 11:35am
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- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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tileman
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Posted: September 24 2013 at 8:55pm |
Great write up Bob. I'm finding myself agreeing with Everything you are writing.
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335G Reef TOTM. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2015/2/aquarium ReefKeepers TOTM Feb. 2012 http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index....k-of-the-month
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