WarLobo said:
Warik, make sure you properly cycle the tank with a few "starter fish". You must go through the complete nitrogen cycle before your take will be safe to house your fish.
Jimsbbc, very nice reef, you may wish to move up the Kelvin temp range with your MH bulbs - depending on the variety of corals. I've seen some nice results with 10K and above. The 6.5ks are a bit to yellow in spectrum for my tastes which can promote hair algae growth (and the like). The zooxanthellae algae really respond well to the blue wave length which is more prevalent in the higher temp bulbs.
Crum, most excellent work. Have you happened to review the “under water plenum” filtration setup? And I’m impressed that you have not used a skimmer…. One of my on-going debates with a few other folks. (I’m not for them in a STRICTLY reef tank) Of course the problem is folks ALWAYS want to add in way to many fish….
Ok, that’s enough on that. If you need a FEW questions answered just e-mail me as I don’t want to take up to much board space.
Tha last thing you want to do is Add Tropical Fish to establish tha tank. You need FUCKING patients. Get 6 or 7, 5cent Goldfish. Throw the lil fuckers in there. Let it chill for 1-2 months. Add "Cycle" and a few cups of gravel from an established system (beneficial bacteria to kick start the nitrogen cycle).
After ammonia, nitrites go down, go ahead and take out the gold fish, and add 1 or 2 nice fish. A few weeks later, add another couple of fish...a month later...add a couple more.
Thats it. Taking it slow is the key.
As far as 55k, 65k, or 10k metal Halides go, Basically Kelvin temp. isn't going to encourage undiserable algea growth. Poor water quality (high nitrates/phosphates) will do this. Also 65k lighting has much more PAR than 10k or 12k lights, which means more INTENSITY, which = More coral growth. 65k's will run WHITE if you have a proper ballast (PFO), but supplemental Actinics would still be required to get a more "blueish" look. With 10k You won't need that.
Second, the Blue spectrum, although very appealing to the eye, does very LITTLE for coral growth.
Warik, I don't use a Plenum. DSB or deep sand beds produce the same effect but are much Safer, since there isn't much of a risk to re-realease or leach nutrients into the water, thus degrading the water quality. 3-5 inch deep sand bed should be sufficent.
But I don't even use a DSB, I use the live rock as my main source of filtration, more of a Berlin method (without the skimmer though). My sand bed is only 1 1/2.
You're 100% on point about the people wanting to add too many fish too freakin fast. Taking it slow is the Key. It will seperate success from failure.
Also as far as reef tanks go...to more Corals, the better, Since corals unlike Fish, DO not produce any nutrients, but instead Export nutrients (much like plants/algea). So the more live coral/live rock/live sand...the better.
Peace.
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