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Consultancy & 20 Step System

Live-Rock Curing

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Services : Consultancy and 20 - Step System

20 Components and 20 Steps ….. to a Beautiful Reef !

Through years of experience (with a fair dose of trial and error), Reef Encounters has established a proven step by step component approach to setting up a beautiful and successful reef aquarium. Each system designed or installed by Reef Encounters consists of 20 essential components. 20 steps are employed to install the aquarium and then a simple routine maintenance program is established for each aquarium. Independent of the size or design specifications the same 20 components and 20 steps are used to ensure success.

20 Components

    1. Aquarium – preferably glass with factory installed overflows
    2. Stand - off-the-shelf or custom built
    3. Sump – fits in stand and hides all that ugly filtration equipment
    4. Circulation Pump – the “heart” of a reef system
    5. Refugium/Sand Bed – let nature do the hard work
    6. Protein Skimmer – helping nature along
    7. Heating/Cooling – from simple immersion heater to computer controlled heater/chiller systems
    8. Lighting – essential for corals, aesthetic for fish
    9. Fresh Water – basic essential
    10. Salt Mix – we're not talking guppies now
    11. Live Rock – backbone of the reef
    12. Phosphate Filter – controls unwanted algae
    13. Carbon Filter – keeping water bright and clear
    14. Calcium/Alkalinity control – chemicals or reactor
    15. Test Kits and Monitors – the basic 5 (temp, salinity, pH, Ca and alkalinity)
    16. Clean-up Crew – little snails and crabs
    17. Macro Algae – turbo charge that refugium
    18. Corals – choosing wisely
    19. Fish – more than a pretty addition ….but watch out
    20. Patience – the # 1 attribute of the most successful reefer

20 Steps

    1. Position stand and tank
    2. Plumb in sump and water return
    3. Plumb in refugium
    4. Fill with fresh water and test circulation
    5. Add salt mix
    6. Turn on heating and set temperature
    7. Install protein skimmer
    8. Install phosphate filter
    9. Install carbon filter
    10. Add 70% of live rock
    11. Add sand
    12. Leave for 4 weeks with weekly 10% water changes
    13. Add 30% live rock
    14. Add clean up crew
    15. Limited (actinic) lighting for 4 weeks
    16. Start Ca and alkalinity additions
    17. Add first corals and fish
    18. Establish maintenance routine
    19. Fine tune system
    20. Relax, enjoy and educate

Contact us for a quote on planning or installing a beautiful reef tank in your home, office or business and we'll customize a system that works for you.