Aquarium Parameters for our Systems

We basically run two different types of aquarium systems. One for soft corals including LPS, and one for hard corals (SPS). You can mix the two in a reef tank, but we have found for optimal growth, it is better to grow them separately.

Soft Coral Systems

Physical parameters:

Salinity 1.023-1.026

Temp = 78F  (ranges from 72-83 F), target range of 76-79F

Current: Tanks should have moderately high to high water currents, flowing from alternating directions for best results. Timers can be used to vary the frequency and duration of flow.

Lighting: 40 watt, HO, or VHO fluorescents,, power compacts, metal halides, or a combination of them.

Chemical parameters:

pH = 7.8 (nighttime) -8.4 (daytime) with a target of 8.2-8.4

Calcium = 350-450 ppm, target range = 400 ppm

Alkalinity = 3.0meq/L (8.4 dKh)-4.5 meq/L (12.6dKh) with a target of 3.5meq/L (9.8 dKh)

Strontium = 4- 15 ppm, target range 15ppm

Magnesium = 800-1500ppm , target range = 1300 ppm

Molybdenum = not currently testing for

Iodide = 0.02-0.10 with a target of 0.06ppm

Filtration:

Live Rock from the Caribbean, IndoPacific

Live sand beds 4-10" deep

We rarely use a Foam Fractionator (Skimming) on the soft corals systems. We do use activated carbon in a passive way, never running water directly through it.

Ling Miracle Mud filters: using Caulerpa taxifolia, C. prolifera, or C. racemosa, under 24 hour 40 watt fluorescent lighting

Mechanical

RO unit Kent Marine. 1 mechanical prefilter, 2 Carbon filters, 60 gpd TFC RO membrane, CL2 test from

Calcium Reactor: Knop HD with aragomax  substrate from Champion

Circulation Pumps: Eheim 1060, Iwaki xxx, misc Powerheads, Plastic inlet Piping : black octopus stuff.

Lighting

Icecap 660 VHO fluorescents with Actinic 03 bulbs

250 W, 400 W metal halide bulbs and ballasts

5500K Iwasaki, 6500K Iwasaki, 10,000 K, or 20,00K.  from Champion

Foods

Assorted Frozen Foods from Hikari USA including blood worms, ocean plankton, mega-marine, mega-marine algae, mega-marine angel, rotifers. These are the highest quality frozen foods we have found.

Each system has a large colony of a variety of fish. None of our corals require supplemental feeding (although we do feed some supplemental food to increase growth rates), and we strongly discourage the use of particulate foods for filter feeders (because of potential hair algae problems), unless its live food such as baby brine shrimp, rotifers, or other live plankton. By feeding the fish very nutrional foods, their waste provides a continual stream of food for the corals in the form of dissolved organics in the water.

Hard Coral Systems

Physical parameters:

Salinity 1.023-1.026, optimal target 1.025

Temp = 78F  (ranges from 72-83 F), target range of 76-79F

Current: Tanks should have moderately high to high water currents, flowing from alternating directions for best results. Timers can be used to vary the frequency and duration of flow.

Lighting: 40 watt, HO, or VHO fluorescents,, power compacts, metal halides, or a combination of them.

Chemical parameters:

pH = 8.0 (nighttime) -8.6 (daytime) with a target of 8.4

Calcium = 350-450 ppm, target range = 400 ppm

Alkalinity = 3.0meq/L (8.4 dKh)-4.5 meq/L (12.6dKh) with a target of 4.0 meq/L (11.2 dKh)

Strontium = 4- 15 ppm, target range 15ppm

Magnesium = 800-1500ppm , target range = 1300 ppm

Molybdenum = not currently testing for

Iodide = 0.02-0.10 with a target of 0.06ppm

Filtration:

Live Rock from the Caribbean, IndoPacific

Live sand beds 4-10" deep

Foam Fractionator (Skimming): ETS skimmer with x pump, SPS tanks only

Ling Miracle Mud filters: using Caulerpa taxifolia, C. prolifera, or C. racemosa, under 24 hour 40 watt fluorescent lighting

Mechanical

RO unit Kent Marine. 1 mechanical prefilter, 2 Carbon filters, 60 gpd TFC RO membrane, CL2 test from

Calcium Reactor: Knop HD with aragomax  substrate from Champion

Circulation Pumps: Eheim 1060, Iwaki xxx, misc Powerheads, Plastic inlet Piping : black octopus stuff.

Lighting

Icecap 660 VHO fluorescents with Actinic 03 bulbs

250 W, 400 W metal halide bulbs and ballasts

5500K Iwasaki, 6500K Iwasaki, 10,000 K, or 20,00K.  from Champion

Foods

Assorted Frozen Foods from Hikari USA including blood worms, ocean plankton, mega-marine, mega-marine algae, mega-marine angel, rotifers.These are the highest quality frozen foods we have found.

Each system has a large colony of a variety of fish. None of our corals require supplemental feeding (although we do feed some supplemental food to increase growth rates), and we strongly discourage the use of particulate foods for filter feeders (because of potential hair algae problems), unless its live food such as baby brine shrimp, rotifers, or other live plankton. By feeding the fish very nutrional foods, their waste provides a continual stream of food for the corals in the form of dissolved organics in the water.