Check out my new coral growth page!

RWD · 07-22-2001, 11:05 AM

Click on the link below.

***Reefland*** · 07-22-2001, 03:17 PM

Excellent job at documenting the rates. Growth rate pictures are definitely something that we lack on the internet. Great job!

Scott

P.S. I'm moving this to where these beautiful corals belong, the Reef Forum.

reefhead · 07-22-2001, 07:08 PM

very cool!!

Joe

ReefHawk · 07-22-2001, 07:18 PM

I really appreciate that page! For newbies to sps like me its really helpful to evaluate our growth rates. SPS corals are fast becoming my favorites. I always liked the shape of colt corals and the hardness of sps is quite interesting, not to mention the challenge.

Thx

fishpoo · 07-23-2001, 05:26 AM

thank's for sharing the pics and info.
Now let's go one step further, my address is.....
thanks Bob.

Biomanjcs72 · 07-23-2001, 11:13 AM

KEWL.....

You must be very proud of your babies!!!

RWD · 07-23-2001, 04:35 PM

Hey thanks guys! I'll be adding a bunch more pics soon so check back.

Barry N. · 07-26-2001, 11:47 AM

Bob, very nice site

Love that 300 gallon tank.

I just went from a 90 to a 180 reef and now am thinking about a bigger one. We just don't stop do we?

Barry

thezookeeper · 07-26-2001, 12:09 PM

Wow! I can't believe they've all grown so much! Excellent reference! Thanks!

Joanne

RWD · 07-26-2001, 04:07 PM

Toptank,
I know what you mean as I'm considering my next tank. I'm thinking along the lines of a 600 or so.

VIC · 07-27-2001, 10:38 AM

Your SPS's look great. Can you give me an insight on how often and what you are feeding them.
Thanks,
Vic

RWD · 07-27-2001, 04:15 PM

Hi Vic,
I don't feed any of the corals directly if that is what you mean. I have several large tangs in the tank that need to be fed a lot so the corals get fed too. I feed spiralina or Formula 2 flake 3 times a day and 4 frozen cubes in the evening. The cubes are a mix of : Formula 1 ,Formula 2, or Prime Reef. I also feed spiralina disks soaked in Kent Marine Zoe once in a while.

mrok12 · 07-28-2001, 11:11 AM

Bob,
Thans for sharing your reef tank pics with all. I'm fairly new at this and in looking over your list of equipment and captions I see that you have A CaCo3 Reactor and also add Kalkwasser. You had mentioned a problem with the P.H. falling? Do you think it was due to the reduced ph in the reaction chamber? I am setting up a reef and had been wrestling with reactor vs. kalk. Any insight is appreciated. Also, Great stand. Impressed that you did it yourself.

Thanks,
MROK12

RWD · 07-28-2001, 01:06 PM

mrok12,
Ever since I started using a reactor on my tanks I have noticed a depressed ph level. I think a lot of other reefers experience the same thing also. I suspect that my reactor is on the small size because I have a hard time maintaining calcium levels over 400. I started using A.R.M. instead of crushed aragonite and it has helped some. Before using ARM I had to crank up the co2 bubble count to keep the calcium levels up. This excess co2 will cause the ph to take a dive. Since switching to ARM I have been able to back off the bubble count a bit and have noticed a slight improvement in tank ph. It still drops to 7.85 or so at night but everything looks great so I have quit chasing perfect numbers.

The addition of kalkwasser is just to add a little boost in calcium and alk and hopefully drive up the ph level but I have not noticed anything dramatic yet. The kalk system has only been on for a few months, too soon to tell.

In my opinion it really depends on tank size and the calcium demand to help decide to go with a reactor or kalkwasser. Tank evaporation rate also has a lot to do with it. If the tank does not evaporate enough water you won't be able to add enough kalkwasser to meet demand. Why not start out dosing kalk and see if you can maintain levels with that. If not then get the reactor. Kalk is way cheaper and if you can maintain levels then a reactor is not necessary. Bob

**scubadude** · 07-28-2001, 05:45 PM

Man I wish I would have been here earlier then I would have been one of the first to congratulate you on the data you have kept! That is very nice growth! thanx for the contribution!

mrok12 · 07-29-2001, 02:44 AM

Thanks for the information BoB. It would seem possible that the excess CO2 would diffinetly have an advers affect on the overall ph in the system. I guess if I do decide to go with the reactor it is essential to get one that is large enough to accomodate the needs of the corals and volume of H2O in the system. Do you think that one should also estimate the volume of H2O in the sump when decicing on a reactor?

Regards,
MROK12

RWD · 07-29-2001, 10:08 AM

Yes I do. That along with calcium demand will determine what size reactor you will need. I bought mine a few years ago before all the dual chamber designs were available. The more media the reactor holds the more efficient the co2 will be used. Most two chamber reactors have a higher effluent ph as a result of more co2 being used up before it has a chance to lower tank ph.

mrok12 · 07-29-2001, 11:03 AM

Bob,
Can I pick your brain some more. My 120 gallon is sitting in the living room (empty) right now. My next immediate purchase, (bsides having two overfows drilled and installled) is the lighting. I asked the question in a post but no one has replied. When keeping SPS corals in a tank thats 48x24x24, If I use MH +PC with 10k bulbs and 7100 K pc shouls I also upgrade the MH to 250 watts vs. staying with 175 watts. Do you think 175 watts x 2 MH + 2 55watt pc is adeguate lighting? Or do I need to increase the watts as well as the Kelvin?

Who turned out the lights?
MROK12

mrok12 · 07-29-2001, 11:09 AM

Holy cow,
Bob great coral page. Did you prop any of the yourself?
Mrok12

RWD · 07-29-2001, 11:38 AM

mrok,
Sure, I'd be glad to help. First let me say that I'm no expert when it comes to lighting. I just upgraded to MH last year when I set up my new tank so take my advice with a grain of salt

If you tank will be mostly sps's then I suggest that you go with the 250's. 175's "might" get you by but sps's need intensity to color up. I have seen some 120 reefs with 400's especially when going with 10K bulbs. 10K's are down on PAR compared to lower K bulbs like the 6500K Iwasaki's. I hope someone will jump in and make a suggestion. Another thing you might want to do is go with 4' vho's instead of the pc's. 2 55 watt pc's is on the low side for a tank that size IMO. 1 4' vho is 110 (double the wattage). KLeep in mind you will have to add some fans or even a chiller depending on where you live with all this added heat. 175's will work but you will be limited in what you can keep. BTW I have taken frags from most of the corals I keep.
Bob

07-22-2001, 11:05 AM	#1
RWD Council Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Chicago,Il USA Posts: 417	Check out my new coral growth page! Click on the link below.

07-22-2001, 03:17 PM	#2
*Reefland* Owner Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Bardstown, KY Posts: 13,031	Hi Bob! Excellent job at documenting the rates. Growth rate pictures are definitely something that we lack on the internet. Great job! Scott P.S. I'm moving this to where these beautiful corals belong, the Reef Forum.

07-22-2001, 07:08 PM	#3
reefhead Governor Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: st.petersburg,Fl. Posts: 1,513	very cool!! Joe __________________ Joseph Abrams Enjoy Being, LLC www.NanoReefCentral.com

07-22-2001, 07:18 PM	#4
ReefHawk Tenant Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: New Johnsonville, Tn. USA Posts: 68	I really appreciate that page! For newbies to sps like me its really helpful to evaluate our growth rates. SPS corals are fast becoming my favorites. I always liked the shape of colt corals and the hardness of sps is quite interesting, not to mention the challenge. Thx __________________ ReefHawk **** Reefkeeping since 1995 and still amazed! .... amazed at the lack of a savings account :-) My 40 gal Reef

07-23-2001, 05:26 AM	#5
fishpoo Citizen Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: north bergen, nj, usa Posts: 174	thank's for sharing the pics and info. Now let's go one step further, my address is..... thanks Bob. __________________ great post! bring this one up to the top.

07-23-2001, 11:13 AM	#6
Biomanjcs72 Mayor Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Birmingham, Al, USA Posts: 815	KEWL..... You must be very proud of your babies!!!

07-23-2001, 04:35 PM	#7
RWD Council Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Chicago,Il USA Posts: 417	Hey thanks guys! I'll be adding a bunch more pics soon so check back.

07-26-2001, 11:47 AM	#8
Barry N. Sponsor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: San Diego Posts: 1,034	Bob, very nice site Love that 300 gallon tank. I just went from a 90 to a 180 reef and now am thinking about a bigger one. We just don't stop do we? Barry __________________ Barry ClamsDirect.Com

07-26-2001, 12:09 PM	#9
thezookeeper Mayor Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Pittsburgh,PA, USA Posts: 992	Wow! I can't believe they've all grown so much! Excellent reference! Thanks! Joanne __________________ "Life savings? Sure, it's that brightly lit object sitting in the livingroom."

07-26-2001, 04:07 PM	#10
RWD Council Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Chicago,Il USA Posts: 417	Toptank, I know what you mean as I'm considering my next tank. I'm thinking along the lines of a 600 or so.

07-27-2001, 10:38 AM	#11
VIC Citizen Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Elmwood Park, N.J. U.S.A Posts: 134	Feeding Questions fof SPS coral Your SPS's look great. Can you give me an insight on how often and what you are feeding them. Thanks, Vic

07-27-2001, 04:15 PM	#12
RWD Council Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Chicago,Il USA Posts: 417	Hi Vic, I don't feed any of the corals directly if that is what you mean. I have several large tangs in the tank that need to be fed a lot so the corals get fed too. I feed spiralina or Formula 2 flake 3 times a day and 4 frozen cubes in the evening. The cubes are a mix of : Formula 1 ,Formula 2, or Prime Reef. I also feed spiralina disks soaked in Kent Marine Zoe once in a while.

07-28-2001, 11:11 AM	#13
mrok12 Mayor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Van Buren, MI Posts: 1,052	Calcium reactor + Kalkwasser? Bob, Thans for sharing your reef tank pics with all. I'm fairly new at this and in looking over your list of equipment and captions I see that you have A CaCo3 Reactor and also add Kalkwasser. You had mentioned a problem with the P.H. falling? Do you think it was due to the reduced ph in the reaction chamber? I am setting up a reef and had been wrestling with reactor vs. kalk. Any insight is appreciated. Also, Great stand. Impressed that you did it yourself. Thanks, MROK12

07-28-2001, 01:06 PM	#14
RWD Council Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Chicago,Il USA Posts: 417	mrok12, Ever since I started using a reactor on my tanks I have noticed a depressed ph level. I think a lot of other reefers experience the same thing also. I suspect that my reactor is on the small size because I have a hard time maintaining calcium levels over 400. I started using A.R.M. instead of crushed aragonite and it has helped some. Before using ARM I had to crank up the co2 bubble count to keep the calcium levels up. This excess co2 will cause the ph to take a dive. Since switching to ARM I have been able to back off the bubble count a bit and have noticed a slight improvement in tank ph. It still drops to 7.85 or so at night but everything looks great so I have quit chasing perfect numbers. The addition of kalkwasser is just to add a little boost in calcium and alk and hopefully drive up the ph level but I have not noticed anything dramatic yet. The kalk system has only been on for a few months, too soon to tell. In my opinion it really depends on tank size and the calcium demand to help decide to go with a reactor or kalkwasser. Tank evaporation rate also has a lot to do with it. If the tank does not evaporate enough water you won't be able to add enough kalkwasser to meet demand. Why not start out dosing kalk and see if you can maintain levels with that. If not then get the reactor. Kalk is way cheaper and if you can maintain levels then a reactor is not necessary. Bob

07-28-2001, 05:45 PM	#15
scubadude Moderator Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wichita, Kansas Posts: 5,293	WOW RW! Man I wish I would have been here earlier then I would have been one of the first to congratulate you on the data you have kept! That is very nice growth! thanx for the contribution! __________________ Rocky

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

07-29-2001, 02:44 AM	#16
mrok12 Mayor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Van Buren, MI Posts: 1,052	Reactor vs. Kalk Thanks for the information BoB. It would seem possible that the excess CO2 would diffinetly have an advers affect on the overall ph in the system. I guess if I do decide to go with the reactor it is essential to get one that is large enough to accomodate the needs of the corals and volume of H2O in the system. Do you think that one should also estimate the volume of H2O in the sump when decicing on a reactor? Regards, MROK12

07-29-2001, 10:08 AM	#17
RWD Council Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Chicago,Il USA Posts: 417	Yes I do. That along with calcium demand will determine what size reactor you will need. I bought mine a few years ago before all the dual chamber designs were available. The more media the reactor holds the more efficient the co2 will be used. Most two chamber reactors have a higher effluent ph as a result of more co2 being used up before it has a chance to lower tank ph.

07-29-2001, 11:03 AM	#18
mrok12 Mayor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Van Buren, MI Posts: 1,052	Turn on the lights Bob, Can I pick your brain some more. My 120 gallon is sitting in the living room (empty) right now. My next immediate purchase, (bsides having two overfows drilled and installled) is the lighting. I asked the question in a post but no one has replied. When keeping SPS corals in a tank thats 48x24x24, If I use MH +PC with 10k bulbs and 7100 K pc shouls I also upgrade the MH to 250 watts vs. staying with 175 watts. Do you think 175 watts x 2 MH + 2 55watt pc is adeguate lighting? Or do I need to increase the watts as well as the Kelvin? Who turned out the lights? MROK12

07-29-2001, 11:09 AM	#19
mrok12 Mayor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Van Buren, MI Posts: 1,052	Excellent farming Holy cow, Bob great coral page. Did you prop any of the yourself? Mrok12

07-29-2001, 11:38 AM	#20
RWD Council Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Chicago,Il USA Posts: 417	mrok, Sure, I'd be glad to help. First let me say that I'm no expert when it comes to lighting. I just upgraded to MH last year when I set up my new tank so take my advice with a grain of salt If you tank will be mostly sps's then I suggest that you go with the 250's. 175's "might" get you by but sps's need intensity to color up. I have seen some 120 reefs with 400's especially when going with 10K bulbs. 10K's are down on PAR compared to lower K bulbs like the 6500K Iwasaki's. I hope someone will jump in and make a suggestion. Another thing you might want to do is go with 4' vho's instead of the pc's. 2 55 watt pc's is on the low side for a tank that size IMO. 1 4' vho is 110 (double the wattage). KLeep in mind you will have to add some fans or even a chiller depending on where you live with all this added heat. 175's will work but you will be limited in what you can keep. BTW I have taken frags from most of the corals I keep. Bob

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