15 gallon SPS

**electric130** · 01-08-2003, 08:33 PM

One stick of epoxy, some super glue and about 10 lbs. live rock later, my 15 gallon SPS only tank is born. This is my first try at an SPS only tank and it looks nothing like the "eye candy" tanks, but it's mine and I like it. Lighting is as follows: 1-32W PC 10000K, 1-32W PC "actinic", 2-15W N.O. fluorescent actinics (URI). I love the color spectrum the PC's give it, and I still have the benefit of true actinics with the URI's. Most of these frags were in my 90 gallon, but I decided to take them out and dedicate a tank to SPS after 4 of them died from either my leather or my frogspawn. They are getting huge and swaying all over the tank stinging things. They are so beautiful, but they can be a pain. Oh well. Let me know what you guys think. Suggestions are always welcome.

J.R.

**electric130** · 01-08-2003, 08:36 PM

above is with flash, this one without. neither show the proper color rendition. maybe it's time to play with photoshop.

**deano** · 01-09-2003, 12:30 PM

Very nice! I had a 10 gal for about 3 years and had a couple SPS in it. When I setup my 135 I had to tear the 10gal down.

Watch out for those Vista Therm heaters. My two big loses in my 10gal was due to Vista Therm heaters. They last forever in FW but something about salt. They just fry! One cooked the tank and the other shorted it out.

I use WONs now and never have had a problem with them.

**MtnDewMan** · 01-09-2003, 08:43 PM

Looks great, like the rockwork ... am interested in how the SPS does under that lighting. That capricornus could really get out of control in a tank that size

Great job

**electric130** · 01-09-2003, 09:13 PM

Thanks guys. The cap has grown from about a half inch frag to what it is now in less than a year. Most of the time it was under the same light it is now. It spent a few months under a pair of 175MH in my 90 gallon. I love the look of the SPS tanks and wanted one, but I'm not ready to give up all of the awesome softies and LPS corals I have in my 90.

deano, what kind of heater do you recommend?

mtndewman, love your tank, I went to your site and the NURCE caught my eye. I was bummed to learn they aren't selling them anymore.

**reefhead** · 01-09-2003, 10:17 PM

look great

here is a pic of my new 54g corner

I started with a 10g and a 175w MH
http://www.coralaquariums.com/54g4.html

**turtlespd** · 01-10-2003, 01:17 AM

Electric,

Thats a really nice set up. What do you plan to use to cool the tank down? Seems alittle difficult to have a 15g MH lit tank. We need some close up pics. By the way where did you get those two green sps on the left hand side, they are awsome. They kinda look like garf plugs..

Paul

**electric130** · 01-10-2003, 07:28 AM

The lighting is not MH, it's a combination of PC and NO fluor. They are in a canopy that I built and have a 3" cooling fan on them. I'm probably going to change the cooling because it's not enough in the summer. The MH I have are on my 90 gallon reef. I can post pics of that too if you want.

I'm still trying to figure out how to get the best pictures from my camera. Neither picture really shows the true color of the tank or corals.

Actually, all but 2 of the corals are from GARF. If you haven't gotten anything from them, I really recommend it. The people are great and so are the corals I've gotten.

**deano** · 01-10-2003, 08:46 AM

Electric130 wrote:

deano, what kind of heater do you recommend?

The WON is my first choice than EboJager. I like the WON because of its titanium heater tube. It will never break and heats much more evenly. Plus the thermastat control is not on the heater its on the power cord. Means you don't have to stick your hand in the tank to adjust it.

Honestly! I'v had 3 of the Vista Therms fry on me in my SW tanks. I think their a great FW heater (which is why I used them to begin with) but their just not up to the job for SW. Its worth $30 to replace it verses wiping out your whole tank.

turtlesp wrote

What do you plan to use to cool the tank down? Seems alittle difficult to have a 15g MH lit tank.

Not a problem! I ran a 175mh over my 10gal nano for 3 years. I had a fan built into the MH fixture which helped, but the big help is the fact that due to the depth of a smaller tank like a 10 or 15 gal you can run your MH a little higher above the tank. (A tall 15 like electric130s might be a problem ) This helps the heat disapate easer. I hung my MH about 10" above the water and never had a over heat problem. Well! once I did when the Vista Therm fried but that storys been told.

**MtnDewMan** · 01-10-2003, 08:12 PM

Originally posted by electric130
mtndewman, love your tank, I went to your site and the NURCE caught my eye. I was bummed to learn they aren't selling them anymore.

electric130 ... I no longer use the NURCE unit. It required filling every other day and that gets OLD ... was doing it for way too long. I now use an automated topoff straight from my RO filter. Works like a charm and no filling of reservoirs any longer.