65 gallon mixed reef

[Esage]

Nice pics. What's the coral in the top left of the last pic?

 

[Eric W]

What lights are you running ? Also, I always see tanks with mixed corals all so close to each other, how do you avoid warfare. I feel like I have to space my corals so far apart because anytime they get close there's a war.

My lighting for this tank is a frankenstein mix of LEDs - I have two reef radiance dm 155s suspended 21 in above the tank and four of the smaller Kessils (2 a150 deep ocean blues and 2 160 Tuna Blues) strung out as spotlights a few inches above the waterline. The reef radiance fixtures provide the higher PAR and diffused light needed for SPS growth, the Kessils add color balance and control. It's a set up that was stitched together over time as I tried to correct issues I had with each individual fixtures and I figure out what the heck I was doing. Still not there yet, but making progress.

I'm actually planning on adding some T5 supplementation to see if that will help increase acropora growth and density, and help with some coloration issues I seem to have a hard time fixing with certain hues and species.

Re: coral placement - Each coral started as a frag that was originally spaced apart from other ones, but they've all grown in as they've matured and many are starting to crowd in on each other now. It's actually fine by me since that's the look I was ultimately aiming for.
I've had a few small issues with corals fighting, but not too much. They burn each other in some spots occasionally when they touch, but I haven't had one take another out completely yet. I guess it will probably come to that with some pieces - but then that will just make room for the winning coral to grow more - or for me to buy more frags.

It's like "Coral Thunderdome" - two corals enter, one coral leaves.

 

[FlyinBryan]

Great setup! What's your set up? Sump, ps, lights? Thanks in advance and thanks for sharing!

 

[Eric W]

Nice pics. What's the coral in the top left of the last pic?

The one next to the frogspawn? It's a stylophora. Has nice aqua blue polyps that really pop and that I can't accurately capture in that picture. It's body is a light green color and it has pink tips where there's new growth.

 

[CastAway]

Is that a stylo in the last pic, left of the clown?

 

[Eric W]

Great setup! What's your set up? Sump, ps, lights? Thanks in advance and thanks for sharing!

Tank - 65 gallon, 36x18x24
Sump - a trickle filter/sump combo I bought second hand before I realized there were such things as filter socks or learned that bio-balls were bad news. Dumped the bio-balls and now use filter floss in place of a filter sock (no room in this particular sump)
Protein Skimmer - Eshopps S-150
Lights - 2 reef radiance dm 155s, 2 kessil a150 deep ocean blues ,and 2 kessil a160 Tuna Blues

 

[Eric W]

Is that a stylo in the last pic, left of the clown?

Yep, one of my favorite pieces in this tank.

 

[Esage]

The one next to the frogspawn? It's a stylophora. Has nice aqua blue polyps that really pop and that I can't accurately capture in that picture. It's body is a light green color and it has pink tips where there's new growth.

Yep,the one left of the frogspawn. That is a really nice looking coral.

 

[Esage]

Do you run your Vortechs in anti sync?

 

[Eric W]

Do you run your Vortechs in anti sync?

Yeah - anti-sync on reef crest mode

 

[Esage]

I just set mine up like that today. Do you have the slave pump set at the same speed as the master? Or do you run the slave at 100% of the master?

Thanks

 

[CastAway]

Yeah - anti-sync on reef crest mode

Same here. Two MP40's, 100% each.

 

[Eric W]

I just set mine up like that today. Do you have the slave pump set at the same speed as the master? Or do you run the slave at 100% of the master?

Thanks

The slave runs at 100% in anti-sync