My new 100 gal reef

[ntswift]

Hey, I just picked up this 100 gal the other day and wanted to share with everyone! I sold my old 50 gal a while back and have been fiendin for a new one! Anyway enjoy the pics! Did I mention it was free? (well for the most part)

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc159/Serialye/P1000214.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc159/Serialye/P1000215.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc159/Serialye/P1000216.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc159/Serialye/P1000217.jpg

 

[SassyAngel111]

Very nice

 

[chase33]

Nice. Did the inhabitants come with the tank?

 

[ntswift]

Yeah, I just had to buy the lights, skimmer, chiller and RO/DI unit. I got it from a friend who is moving and didnt want to take it with him or bother with shipping it all. Of course all the pet stores would just give store credit and he didnt need that so he hooked me up.

 

[chase33]

Wow,

How lucky are you. That's a lot of stuff.

 

[MT79]

You have some nice looking, big SPS colonies there. Just curious, what are you using to replenish Ca/Alk?

 

[ellisz]

Very nice indeed. That Clam is huge!

 

[ntswift]

Yeah I got really lucky! Good friends are hard to come by. I am using Oceanic salt right now. I also dose with turbo Calcium until I can get a kalk reactor. Yeah the clam is pretty big! I just dont know what I am going to do with it when it gets even bigger!

 

[melosu58]

Way to go NTSwift. Great looking tank. Great deal.

 

[ntswift]

Thanks! How often would you guys recommend dosing with the Turbo calcium in my tank? I know I need to keep it up there but I this is my first true SPS tank so I dont have all the knowledge yet! I am using Oceanic salt because of its high calcium levels. I will be getting a calcium test kit this weekend but for the mean time any suggestions? TIA!

 

[melosu58]

My tank stays near 480 with just PWC`s with oceanic. I would just do that till you get the test kit.

 

[MT79]

How often would you guys recommend dosing with the Turbo calcium in my tank?

By looking at the tank, you'll most likely need/want to dose daily. Alk swings are very stressful for SPS, and many other animals for that matter. Don't forget to dose an Alk supplement, along w/ Ca as well. Both are consumed by stoney coral and clams, in a direct relation to each other, along w/ Magnesium. You'll need to monitor all three long term. Mag is used more slowly than Ca and Alk.
To find out how much Ca/Alk to dose daily, measure the Ca and Alk levels. Make no additions or water changes and measure the Ca and Alk everyday for two or three days at the same time of day(very important). Divide the difference between your first and last result by the amount of days in between to get the daily use. The Alk will be a more accurate number. Start there and monitor/tweek the amounts of Ca/Alk supp. as necessary until you've got it dialed in. Use this calculator in the link below to find out how much supplement to use. I would highly suggest using a balanced Ca/Alk supplement such as kalkwasser and/or a two part solution such as B-Ionic.
Calculator-
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html

Article about Ca/Alk in the reef tank-
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm

 

[ntswift]

Awesome thanks guys! I will be getting the test kit soon, so in the mean time I will just do a PWC once a week. Do you think that will be okay for now? I dont want to over dose my tank and throw everything off. Thanks again!

 

[lando]

What a steal...I love the SPS colonies. Nice find!

 

[MT79]

I will just do a PWC once a week. Do you think that will be okay for now?

No. Maybe if the SPS are stressed due to the move and growth has slowed or just about stopped, but otherwise IMO no. Look at my gallery. My tanks uses approx .9 meg/l Alk and 20 ppm Ca everyday. You have a little more water volume to draw from, but you still have a good amount of SPS mass to feed, not to mention that huge clam.
SPS are demanding in many ways, not just lighting and flow. They are very taxing on water chemistry. They take a lot out of the water quickly relative to softies and LPS. Keep in mind Alk fluctuations will not only kill the color of SPS, but eventually the coral itself. All reasons that add to them being "difficult" to keep.
Find the daily Ca/Alk use ASAP, get the numbers inline/correct, and dose accordingly to maintain them. HTH

 

[ntswift]

Okay, will do! Thanks! I will start today and get my water tested this weekend and see where it is at.

 

[MT79]

Don't dose anything unless you test for it. It will usually only lead to more issues.
Good luck

 

[ntswift]

Very true! I will be picking up a test kit tomorrow. So I will keep you guys posted! Thanks again for the help!

 

[ntswift]

Well I got my water tested and come to find out both the calcium and Alk were low. (Of course) The calcium is at 380 and the alk was at 2.2/2.3ish. So I picked up some test kits of my own and have the additives already so I am going to be dosing/testing daily to see how much my tank uses.