100 Gal Starfire

[Dr. Zoos]

I bought a used 100gal rimless start fire off of the classified from here a few months back. It’s been a bit of a challenge getting to the point in at today with it but to be expected when buying a used system. I did a few changes and added some equipment My best addition so far would be clarisea sk5000. I’m lazy and changing socks on my tank was not an option for me.
I’ve got two different directions I’m going with reactors. Appreciate advice here.....1-brs 2 chamber reactor running carbon and gfo OR 2-tlf 550(the big one) running bio-pellets which to me seems like less work, expense and more stable
I started with some live rock I had in my cube/mangrove system added that to the existing rock that came with the tank and dosing with old Dutch to preform the cycle. It’s done. My tank is converting 4-5ppm ammonia to 0 inb24hrs as well as my nitrites. I need to now bring my nitrates back down with water changes and it’s livestock time. I’ve been in contact with a member here selling a lot of fish over the last few weeks so I am hoping soon I will have more than bubbles to watch.
Unfortunately my iPhone died this week and has taken all of my progress pics with it to iCloud heaven(bright side, here comes my 12pro)
I went bare bottom with this tank again but have plans to tie my mangrove tank into this one how I have it now on my little cube(which will be shut down soon)

 

[TORX]

Well there is some mixed information above. There should be no OR. All those additives do different things. HC GFO reduces phosphates, biopellets reduce nitrates and carbon removed toxins and polishes the water. Ideally you would run all 3 if needed not HC GFO/Carbon or Biopellets.

With that said, I loved my Reef Octopus BioChurn 120R for pellets. It is very pricey and a little too big for your system but if you can find a smaller version, then I 1000% recommend it. I did have great success with the TLF550 reactor. The base on the TLF150 if flat while the 550 is concave and makes for a nice even upflow. The only thing to keep in mind is set it up so there is no back flow if the power goes out. If there is, then the pellets will get pulled back into the pump.

On a side note, if you are having nitrate and phosphate issues, be sure to start with nitrate reduction first. Once nitrates get into an acceptable range, then start with phosphate reduction. As nitrate lower, naturally your phosphates will come down. If you attack phosphates first and your phosphates get too low, then nitrates will be near impossible to come down.

GFO works really well in a TLF150. You can control the flow through it making a nice loose fluidization of the HC GFO. Out of all the ways I tried, it by far was my favorite way to use HC GFO. Just my $0.05

 

[Dr. Zoos]

Thanks for the advise!!! I was under the impression pellets doing their job would bring down phos and negate the need for gfo. What is OR? Lol
And it’s not having issues right now I’m addressing but hoping to keep in check and control over time. I’ve been waiting until my tank finished it cycle before I run any kind of filtering besides the roller filter(bought used and why it looks like I’ve burnt through a roll if anyone noticed, it came with a part used roll and 2 new rolls)

 

[Dr. Zoos]

Coral placed, except for zoa/palys that are still on the rack. 2 clowns, coral beauty and a royal gramma that I have seen no sign of, many snails and crabs. I’m pleased to say I had zero loss during the change over from my cube. My next stage it to figure out how to use a 3 part doser, I’ve got a bubble magus doser and containers I don’t have any knowledge of using one though.
Here’s a warped Saturday view.....

 

[Luke.]

My gramma only shows him self with food other wise hides in the rocks I always thought they’d be more of a swimmer myself ..

 

[Seasquirt]

Im not sold on bio pellets, i have the ATS and my feeding is pretty lite, frozen cubes mostly, brine one day and the next mysis. Half a cube at a time and some small pellets every 3 or for days, with Algae waffers occaisionly for the blenny, my nitrate is 0, i may have to dose Nitrate to get my phos. Down but its early, a small cuc is next.

 

[Dr. Zoos]

My fish list is growing....
2x naked clowns
Blue throat trigger
Foxface rabbitfish
Coral beauty
Royal gramma
Six line wrasse

so now I’m in the market for a screen top amd leaning towards the red sea kit but open to other suggestions. I’ve been dosing aqua forest 3 part and seeing some growth so have added a few sps. The two pics of the spicy lemon favia are 2 weeks apart. There is a new mouth as well as overall growth

 

[Dr. Zoos]

Ps no idea why my pics flip sideways or how To correct that
Sorry

 

[Dr. Zoos]

Trimmed back my mangroves and they have started to spring back.