Tieing softy system into LPs system

TankABLE · 11/04/2016, 12:12 AM

have been an inactive member of this forum sence I got into the hobby about 2 years ago. I never needed to post due to the fact that all the info I ever needed was already here. I currently have a 125g mixed reef that is thriving. I am becoming a home owner in March of 2017. So it seems like a good time to upgrade as I'm quite stocked and have a 30g frag tank full of goodies. So the plan is to set up 2 brand new 200-300g Starfire peninsulas next to each other in an L shape. I will put all my live rock and soft corals from my current system in one tank and LPS in the other. So my quandary is, do I plumb them together with one common sump or have two separate systems. As I see it the pros of sharing sumps and water; easier maintainance, easier set up, less gear=cheaper set up, more water volume= more stability, more redundancies. Cons; softy toxins harming stonies (I do run carbon), share pests and diseases, if there is a crash both tanks get hit, over stocked softy tank dirties understocked stoney tank. Any and all opinions and suggestions would be a help, thanks in advance.

mcgyvr · 11/04/2016, 05:18 AM

I would just continue to run carbon and you should be fine..
Personally 200-300G is enough for me (too much actually).. I'd just do one big mixed reef tank.. I don't have the time to maintain 600G..

TankABLE · 11/05/2016, 05:49 AM

I like the look of the mixed reef alot but I feel the corals suffer. My soft coral get to much flow and my stonies don't get enough. Can't quite get it perfect when they are next to each other.

Sk8r · 11/05/2016, 11:37 AM

Put softies last in the water stream, then carbon in sump.

TankABLE · 11/08/2016, 12:25 PM

I'm doing two tanks one for soft corals and one for stoney corals. The question was do I plumb the two together and share water or keep two separate systems. There is no down stream.

AlSimmons · 11/08/2016, 12:33 PM

I don't think you'll have any problems plumbing the two together. Once this is done it's basically no different than your 125 gallon mixed reef that was thriving only it's been split up into two parts. (but still one body of water)

M.R Cowfish · 11/08/2016, 01:02 PM

I personally did not like running 2 systems off 1 sump . Thought it would be easy but one tank always had issues that the other did not . In the end I went back and separated the systems and everything went back to stable fairley quick . So I would do separate sumps the only downfall is extra equipment .
WIth sps system might be a bit easier on you stabilizing everything with a separate set up .

tklb · 11/08/2016, 03:58 PM

I think it is a matter of preference. I, personally would keep them as 2 separate systems. Just for having more options if you run into any pests, ich, etc. For example, if you have an ich outbreak, you wouldn't have to leave both tanks fallow. If you get AEFW, or some other pest, as you treat colonies, you could temp move them to the other system until the pest is eradicated. Good luck, and I am hoping you have a build thread.

TankABLE · 11/09/2016, 11:46 AM

Thanks so much for the advice, just the insights I was hoping for. Now I gota see if I can run my apex on two separate systems... I'll definitely be creating a build thread. Going to reefapalooza next week to hopefully get the rest of the gear.

11/04/2016, 12:12 AM	#1
TankABLE Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Posts: 4	Tieing softy system into LPs system have been an inactive member of this forum sence I got into the hobby about 2 years ago. I never needed to post due to the fact that all the info I ever needed was already here. I currently have a 125g mixed reef that is thriving. I am becoming a home owner in March of 2017. So it seems like a good time to upgrade as I'm quite stocked and have a 30g frag tank full of goodies. So the plan is to set up 2 brand new 200-300g Starfire peninsulas next to each other in an L shape. I will put all my live rock and soft corals from my current system in one tank and LPS in the other. So my quandary is, do I plumb them together with one common sump or have two separate systems. As I see it the pros of sharing sumps and water; easier maintainance, easier set up, less gear=cheaper set up, more water volume= more stability, more redundancies. Cons; softy toxins harming stonies (I do run carbon), share pests and diseases, if there is a crash both tanks get hit, over stocked softy tank dirties understocked stoney tank. Any and all opinions and suggestions would be a help, thanks in advance.

11/04/2016, 05:18 AM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	I would just continue to run carbon and you should be fine.. Personally 200-300G is enough for me (too much actually).. I'd just do one big mixed reef tank.. I don't have the time to maintain 600G.. __________________ Who me?

11/05/2016, 11:37 AM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Put softies last in the water stream, then carbon in sump. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

11/08/2016, 12:33 PM	#6
AlSimmons Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: California Posts: 2,482	I don't think you'll have any problems plumbing the two together. Once this is done it's basically no different than your 125 gallon mixed reef that was thriving only it's been split up into two parts. (but still one body of water) Last edited by AlSimmons; 11/08/2016 at 01:11 PM.

11/08/2016, 01:02 PM	#7
M.R Cowfish Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: calgary canada Posts: 93	I personally did not like running 2 systems off 1 sump . Thought it would be easy but one tank always had issues that the other did not . In the end I went back and separated the systems and everything went back to stable fairley quick . So I would do separate sumps the only downfall is extra equipment . WIth sps system might be a bit easier on you stabilizing everything with a separate set up . __________________ Stuff Happen's When You Go Outside Current Tank Info: 200g puffer tank , 60 g reef, 45g shallow reef , 16g qt

11/05/2016, 05:49 AM	#3
TankABLE Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Posts: 4	I like the look of the mixed reef alot but I feel the corals suffer. My soft coral get to much flow and my stonies don't get enough. Can't quite get it perfect when they are next to each other.

11/08/2016, 12:25 PM	#5
TankABLE Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Posts: 4	I'm doing two tanks one for soft corals and one for stoney corals. The question was do I plumb the two together and share water or keep two separate systems. There is no down stream.

11/08/2016, 03:58 PM	#8
tklb Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 66	I think it is a matter of preference. I, personally would keep them as 2 separate systems. Just for having more options if you run into any pests, ich, etc. For example, if you have an ich outbreak, you wouldn't have to leave both tanks fallow. If you get AEFW, or some other pest, as you treat colonies, you could temp move them to the other system until the pest is eradicated. Good luck, and I am hoping you have a build thread.

11/09/2016, 11:46 AM	#9
TankABLE Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Posts: 4	Thanks so much for the advice, just the insights I was hoping for. Now I gota see if I can run my apex on two separate systems... I'll definitely be creating a build thread. Going to reefapalooza next week to hopefully get the rest of the gear.