A Nice Reef Tank, Quickly - The BobsReef Method

Awesome write up bob, I especially agree that planning is the key to success.

We have done a few systems that wanted "instant gratification". However these systems were planned out at least a month in advance. So when the time came to install the new glass box and deliver the water, it only took a few days for the system to settle down. I will attach some pictures of a tank we did this summer that was filled with corals and a full fish load three days after setting up.

Edited by ReefOn - September 25 2013 at 8:54am

Personally, I prefer the wave pattern over the 'else' for the following reasons:

love2skiutah 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 :) Did you end up going with Vida Rock?

OK, back to picking out the right equipment:

C) Choosing the Right Skimmer

A good protein skimmer is the heart of your water quality maintenance system. IMO it is a must for any reef tank that looks to support any kind of realistic fish load.

The biggest problem with choosing a skimmer today is people choose a skimmer that is too small / too inefficient for their size sytem and bioload... again, because they are trying to save $$$.

2nd biggest problem? People who think "OK, I'll spend the cash... and bigger is always better, right..?" so they go out and get a skimmer that is TOO big - and that won't function effectively, either

You need to find the appropriate middle ground, and "right - size" your skimmer!

Fortunately for us, nowadays it is not hard to find a decent skimmer at a fairly decent price. So, where does one start?

Here are some tips to help you choose the right skimmer for your set up:

- Measure your designated sump chamber first, to see how big you can go (if needed)... doesn't help to get a huge skimmer if it can't even fit in the sump  so measure first

- A skimmer pump with a high airflow (measured in scfh, "standard cubic feet per hour" or scfm, "...per minute") is more important than a pump with a high water flow (measured in gph, "gallons per hour") as it is more important to mix a high volume of air into the water inside the skimmer than it is to push alot of water out of the skimmer

- When comparing 2 skimmers of similar overall size, the skimmer with the wider diameter 'neck' (where the collection cup attaches) is probably the better skimmer... a bigger neck means more air mixture foam being created inside the chamber (which is a good thing)

- When comparing 2 skimmers of similar overall size, the skimmer with the larger diameter airline going to the pump is probably the better skimmer... a larger airline also means more air mixture inside the chamber (which we already said is a good thing)

- A 'cone' shaped skimmer is a better choice - generally - than a 'cylinder' shaped skimmer. The cone shape means less back pressure on the pump and that means a smaller (wattage) pump to do the same job

- If possible, ask to see the skimmer run (or another of the same model, if you are at a LFS). You want to make sure the pump is not too loud, nor is the water exiting the skimmer too splashy and loud

- Buying used is a fine option here. Just make sure that your 'great deal' is also the right skimmer for your application... and not just a 'great deal'.

And, of course, ask to see it run first. As an FYI, a skimmer will not produce fine bubbles or skimmate in tap water / fresh water. So if you are buying a used skimmer, and the seller puts it in the sink or bathtub to show you it works, that's perfectly OK - you just won't see the normal "bubble action" you would see on a saltwater reef tank

Edited by BobC63 - September 27 2013 at 5:06pm

I love this thread  and would like to add my opinion about aquascaping.

BobC63 wrote: Vida Rock is awesome because you can (as Molli has said) get custom shapes and sizes made to order. The #1 disadvantage is that it is dry, sterile rock - and that will mean a long cycle time for the tank. If you are up for the wait, go for it!

There are two more disadvantages, to me anyway:
#2 - The surface is relatively smooth. The pattern of random size and shape holes, dents, cracks and bumps is missing. Vida Rock does not look like LR; and
#3 - The algae that coats its surface is dark. Vida Rock does not easily attract a growth of beautiful pink and purple coralline algae.

Note: Further to what Molli mentioned, there is a simple way to somewhat overcome the disadvantages. Temporarily add or permanently use a lot of, and different sizes of, good quality "full of life" LR from an established reef tank. Leave it for 2-6 months with some pieces left permanently, allowing bacteria, bugs worms and sponge to populate the Vida Rock. It can be placed in back of the Vida Rock, down in the tank corners, in any spaces on the Vida Rock, and in the RDP Refugium.

Of course the disadvantages are only my personal opinion, but are the reason why I prefer cultured Live Utah Rock, LR from an established tank, and wild collected, uncured LR (I dislike the sterile, denuded, white LR from a LFS - yuck).

Aquascaping
It's worth pointing out that there is definitely an art to aquascaping. The skill takes time to develop but is worth it. Not to toot my own horn but as an example of how the skill develops over time through the experiences of trial and error, my wife tells me how impressed she is with my artistic and functional rock structures that typically don't use glue, zip ties or acrylic rods. (Yes, I pay her to say that. )

Aloha,
Mark


Edited by Mark Peterson - September 28 2013 at 9:01am

I had a 100% vida rock tank a little over a year ago.....all of it eventually turned black after being covered in coralline due to its nature for absorbing nutrients, in addition, the stuff leeched silicates for over a year and I ended up shutting that tank down due to all the strange algae issues.....I think I gave all my vida away for free to someone on the forums, I wouldn't touch the stuff, but that's just my experience.....

8 months to get coralline going on the vida for me, but the stuff acts like a sponge, becoming saturated with nutrients, not sure who ended up getting the rock from me.....the aquarium also had a white Red Sea max on display they used vida for and had a similar experience as me, maybe the newer vida is different? In the end they too also replaced all the rock with figi before selling the tank several months later to someone here on the forums.....good luck with it, maybe your experience will be different, regardless, I'd cure it for a while and check for silicates....I've dealt with all types of algae, but have never seen the white fuzz algae I experienced that thrived in a ulns environment....RC experts also couldn't ID it....

Sorry bob, I'm done, let's get thread back on track, look forward to more updates

It's all good, guys... for the record I had some Vida Rock in my last tank (the 93 Cube). I didn't have any nutrient problems, but I also added a good quantity of live rock in the tank as well.

I will say that it did take a looooong time - like 7 or 8 months - to get a good amount of coralline coverage on the stuff...

Gotta love this thread. I wait with great anticipation for each new section.
I agree with Bob about picking up MH lights for a good price, but I believe that PC lighting works well too and can also be found at good prices because of the LED rage. I currently have unplugged my DIY dual 55W PC which was lighting the sections of my system located in the shadow to the side of the window.  I had raised it to two feet above the tanks but it was still too bright, causing red Macro, Ulva and Coralline algae to bleach and burn.
I use Helios brand Super Grow tubes in all my PC fixtures. They look like this:
This pink-blue combo combined with a full Actinic PC surprises people at how well it makes colors pop and coral grow. I dislike how the standard blue-white PC tubes make colors look washed out.

My 2 cents,
Mark

P.S. Looking at that tank by Ching, there is so much coral that I cannot see the ceramic towers.  Like I always say, "Coral filters the water". I also see an extremely clean sand bed. I'll bet the key to that system's success is an extensive attached filtration system with its own room which might rival the one put together by our own Tileman/Brad here in Murray.

I see a lot of fake coral on the shelves behind that evidently makes up the beautiful coral heads in this large tank. In the absence of adequate in-tank biological filtration, some extensive filtration equipment must be situated outside the display, right?