Self Contained SPS Garden?

Chris3323 · 08/03/2010, 08:55 PM

I've had my mixed reef up and running for about a year and a half now. Its pretty evenly divided on zoanthids, softies, lps, and sps. I am in love with sps though and that is what is keeping me in the hobby. The problem comes up that I am going away to school in the spring (january). My tank is staying here and no one in my family is wanting to take care of it. Thus, it is on its own.

My plan is to leave it up and running taking care of itself. I am going to remove all fish since I obviously will not be able to feed them. I am going to take out all softies so they do not grow out of control. And I am going to leave all sps and keep collecting up until the day I leave.

I've got an ATO will be purchasing an apex lite controller and a couple of dosing pumps.

What am I missing? What could go wrong? Ultra low nutrients would make color insane. Growth will seem like a lot because I will not be seeing it often. Any ideas? I am beginning the setup and planning now. Any advice would be great!

mutateddogbone · 08/03/2010, 09:05 PM

dosing pumps/calcium reactor.
controller for lights and heat
a very good friend or family member to know what the tank is sposed to look like and do routine maintenance I.E. water changes, feed corals, etc.
change your bulbs

and FYI, you want some nutrients, its actually beneficial to have a fish or 2 to feed your corals in case your family lapses on the coral food. nobody ever forgets to feed fish

EDIT: A LIST OF BACKUP PLANS, CONTACTS, FAILSAFES, EMERGENCY LEAK INFO.... you can never be to cautious

Mmckibben · 08/03/2010, 09:22 PM

Get profilux and an I touch. You can then monitor your aquarium from any where in the world as long as you have an internet connection.

BFG · 08/04/2010, 01:04 AM

My suggestion is to shut the tank down if school is really important to you. You do not want to be distracted due to the tank. You can get all the automation you want but it will still require input from the owner. And you do not want to be pulled back to the tank whilst doing a project or something for the school. You can start the tank again after finishing school.

08/03/2010, 08:55 PM	#1
Chris3323 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: St. Louis Posts: 102	Self Contained SPS Garden? I've had my mixed reef up and running for about a year and a half now. Its pretty evenly divided on zoanthids, softies, lps, and sps. I am in love with sps though and that is what is keeping me in the hobby. The problem comes up that I am going away to school in the spring (january). My tank is staying here and no one in my family is wanting to take care of it. Thus, it is on its own. My plan is to leave it up and running taking care of itself. I am going to remove all fish since I obviously will not be able to feed them. I am going to take out all softies so they do not grow out of control. And I am going to leave all sps and keep collecting up until the day I leave. I've got an ATO will be purchasing an apex lite controller and a couple of dosing pumps. What am I missing? What could go wrong? Ultra low nutrients would make color insane. Growth will seem like a lot because I will not be seeing it often. Any ideas? I am beginning the setup and planning now. Any advice would be great!

08/03/2010, 09:05 PM	#2
mutateddogbone Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Posts: 1,016	dosing pumps/calcium reactor. controller for lights and heat a very good friend or family member to know what the tank is sposed to look like and do routine maintenance I.E. water changes, feed corals, etc. change your bulbs and FYI, you want some nutrients, its actually beneficial to have a fish or 2 to feed your corals in case your family lapses on the coral food. nobody ever forgets to feed fish EDIT: A LIST OF BACKUP PLANS, CONTACTS, FAILSAFES, EMERGENCY LEAK INFO.... you can never be to cautious __________________ 2013 Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society - President An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure Current Tank Info: 75g braceless SPS dominated w/ 50g Frag Tank

08/03/2010, 09:22 PM	#3
Mmckibben Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: CO Posts: 286 Blog Entries: 21	Get profilux and an I touch. You can then monitor your aquarium from any where in the world as long as you have an internet connection. __________________ “We don’t inherit the world from our parents, we borrow it from our children” -Rusi Vulakoro- Current Tank Info: 90 gallon sps fiji reef, 30 gal sump/ refugium, aquac ev-180, 90p marco rocks. LED/ metal halide

08/04/2010, 01:04 AM	#4
BFG Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 700	My suggestion is to shut the tank down if school is really important to you. You do not want to be distracted due to the tank. You can get all the automation you want but it will still require input from the owner. And you do not want to be pulled back to the tank whilst doing a project or something for the school. You can start the tank again after finishing school. __________________ If you've learnt, teach. If you have, give.

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