Need insight on 120 upgrades

[edwar050]

We will be moving and lately slime algae has been taking over
:mad2:
I am thinking of ditching the 175 watt halide and Vho and going with 2 lumenarc reflectors with 250 watt Pheonix 14k on coralvue electronic ballasts.

I am going to rip out my SSB and replace with a thin monthly removable layer of black sand with some crushed rubble and attach encrusting corals when we move. Any ideas "I was thinking I could possible also run some thin carbon with the sand in the display.

Any body know the link to the DIY or buying of the powerhead rotator that rotates them 90 or so degrees? I have 2 seio 1500's~

I am running a 120 with 30 sump Octopus DNW 250 skimmer, phosban reactor, a couple of mangroves, and a small 10 gallon refugium, nitrates low phosphates and siliticates I assume are a little high. I am also considering doing about a 50% waterchange at the new location and following up in three days with another 50% system water change. Any reccomendations?

Thanks in advance~
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http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f251/edwar050/9.jpg

[frederickk]

bump

[Melbourne]

Well if you are considering removing your SSB why not go BB? If you decide to go with the carbon / mixed substrate a good gravel cleaner is in order. I use a Magnum HOT with the micron filter and it works great for my setups with sand and BB. As for rotating your SEIO's do a search on Wavysea's I know they work with Tunze and Maxijets.

[Bax]

Check out the Lumenarc minis, I run them on my 120 with 400 watt Ushios ... love em, perfect spread of light IMO and leaves enough room for some T-5 supplementation.

[edwar050]

Thank you for the bump and for the information. I am still iffy between the lumenarc mini's and full reflector as both will fit. I am thinking about keeping my 2 VHO actinic and using PVC as a reflector with aluminum reflector wrap so I can place them behind the canopy reflecting in for start up sun down.

As far as the substrate - I am going to use a very small ammout of black sand around 1/3 of an inch and have it not cover the bottom. Sort of lick a BB tank. I plan on getting some more corals, fragging some zoa's, and fragging my gsp's and spreading them across the bottom after I break off small pieces of rock for them to encrust onto. "Kinda like a frag growout tank in the main display to make the most of room". The black sand will be at least bi-montly totaly siphoned out and replaced in its entirety. This shoudl allow for a montly water change and bi-monthly heavy blasing of the rocks to remove detritus. I was just wondering if anybody has gone this route with the black sand and bb with frags/encrusting "I would love to go with encrusting SPS eventually if params stabilize for some time". Thanks again for the input/ Any suggestions? Anybody got a excel file of there routine maintenance? I need to get my Aqua Controller Jr Rigged up bigtime -

[RichConley]

You need more flow. Much much much more flow.

[edwar050]

I have entertained the idea of an OM 4 way connected via the two 1.5 bulkheads in the back with a dart, think that would be enough?

[Bax]

A Dart is a good CL pump for a 120 g.

I use a VorTech and two Tunze 6100s for my 120, I get great flow, very few dead spots.

[frederickk]

I use a sequence Dart pump for my CL and it is perfect flow.