Keeping LPS Corals: My Secrets Revealed (How I Run This Tank - FULL Rundown)

Buy 3D printed aquarium accessories from my Etsy store: www.reefdork.etsy.com
The best algae scraper in the world - amzn.to/3lRCOVb
The best RO/DI filter for most people - amzn.to/46RXGRq
Best test kits for every parameter:
Salinity - amzn.to/3tkVovy
Alkalinity - amzn.to/3z8kKxM
Calcium - amzn.to/48ubKlL
Magnesium - amzn.to/3rnLYPD
Phosphate - amzn.to/3PQ2OxN
Nitrate - amzn.to/3wWfL1M
Some of these links have an affiliate code - so if you make a purchase, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!
For any commercial enquiries, please send me a PM, contact me via Instagram or leave a comment below.
0:00 Intro
0:13 Lighting
1:15 Flow
1:48 Filtration
2:40 Dosing (major & trace elements)
3:42 Water parameters
5:47 Secrets to my success

[@ReefDork]

6:23 Get your Reef Dork test kit caddies at ReefDork.Etsy.com 🙂

[@jsytnyk]

damn too bad I'm in canada that hanna refractometer caddy looks pretty nice. just picked up the hanna the other day on sale

[@JoshCmartinez]

very useful video, so clear.

[@dc110770]

Is this a Waterbox frag?

[@ReefDork]

@@dc110770 yep 55.2 since discontinued

[@phillipharrison6372]

I’ve been running my mag at 1450 for about six months, it also keeps both alk and calcium stable and corals love it.

[@markweston216]

mine is constantly sat at around 1500, has been fir a year now lol

[@tibetanwaves2671]

Just got back into reef keeping after a 7year break previously kept reef tanks since mid 90’s . Yes it was under gravel back in the day 😂. Interesting regarding the salinity/ conductivity meter. I have one of these since I started my nano 6months ago and don’t feel I can trust it! Might just go and get a good old refractometer. Love the videos, I’ve been using them to catch up on 7 years reef tech😊

[@jaysrealreefuk]

Great video....packed full of great advice 🙌. I love this tank. You have some thriving super nice collectable LPS in it ✨.

[@aqualabcreations]

That’s a nice jam packed reef!

[@RogueAquariums]

Nice video Alex. I like how you’re Nero’s are positioned and the fact that you keep your parameters stable which is key. 👍 I like to keep my magnesium at about 1400ppm as I find that my LPS are happiest.

[@queencityreefs]

Love these types of videos 👌💯🔥👏

[@garymcconnell1072]

Very good Video love this tank

[@Bfamreef]

Beautiful reef. I have always had issues with over lighting my lps. If feels so strange putting corals in the shaded parts of the tank but that seems to be the best placement for many LPS.

[@bluerider0988]

I have had the same tank with LPS for going on 3 years and our setup is very similar. Main difference is I dose AFR instead of 2 part. I run Cheato with the same light, a filter roller and a skimmer. The only thing I do that you didn't is I also have it setup on a continuous waterchange of 1 gallon a day. Good point on the testing. I've definitely slacked on that for the past year.

[@danishqadri]

Beautifull tank !! would love to start a reef tank but seems to complicated and require a lot of work 😮

[@lonzoreacts1190]

Great Video! Could you please create a video discussing long-range transportation of tanks and what to do when going on vacation? I'm eager to dive into the hobby, but I'm hesitant due to uncertainty about these aspects. I appreciate all your advice.

[@kevinw7044]

I find the Hanna salinity pen is fine. My only caution is regular calibration and I also regularly compare mine with a quality refractometer that is also regularly calibrated.

[@lovermansmith9082]

Thinks some kind of a spray bar blowing across your sand bed on a closed loop would work . Less maintenance than a gyro 😊

[@lovermansmith9082]

Beautiful corals . So glad your taking on the LPS 😊 . Your killing me though with the manganese . I researched a bit , but would love to hear from you . Maybe a video on its importance ? Do you use the Hanna Manganese tester ? Again I could probably check what optimine level should be , but I'm lazy 😊 . & I really like hearing you . Another expense but these corals ain't cheap . How often do you test . How many test do get with the kit ? Do you like the bobbing salinity tester . I know their fragile . Maybe one of them their foam pool noodles to protect it ? Thank you Alex . Your my favorite 😊

[@ReefDork]

I try not to think too hard about manganese - apparently it gets consumed quite fast and is difficult to overdose, so I just drop 2ml in per day and send off an ICP test 2 or 3 times a year. My last ICP test 4 months ago said it was 0.42 against an ideal value of 0.9-4 so it seems fine (in that I'd rather not overdose it, but actually as I'm typing I'm thinking of adding an extra 1ml per day!) Bobbing hydrometer is good, but it's a bit of a faff so only gets occasional use when I think something needs double/triple checking. And it's calibrated to 25 degrees C so if your tank is warmer/cooler, it won't be 100% accurate unless you do a conversion. An optical refractometer properly calibrated for seawater (Red Sea or D-D) is the best solution for 99% of reefers - cheap enough, reliable, accurate and easy to use/calibrate. You only need the digital refractometer if you have more money than sense 😆

[@lovermansmith9082]

@@ReefDork Thank you so much for reply . Really appreciate your pro tips on the gonapora & the other beautiful LPS you have . Wish you the best on your new build & am excited to be joining you on your journey . The Amazing Journey of Alex & the LPS 😀 Have you heard of the Reef Casa refractor ? They say it's the most accurate sea water refractometer in the whole wide world 😀

[@N.M.1887]

Thanks for the video. Reef keeping is far too often presented as if it were rocket science and this video shows that it can be easy, except for the 300€ Hanna Refractometer. 😂

[@ASBsweet]

Nice video... tank is looking sweet! I'm dosing reef Zlements PH plus and have issues with sludge build up in the sump. Even with a small pump in the sump to add more flow, I still get sludge 🥴

[@ReefDork]

Yeah, I had that too - I now does it straight into the weir box on this tank but on my other tank I have a powerhead in the sump too :-)

[@ASBsweet]

@@ReefDork thats not a bad shout 👍.

[@faiz_latif]

I will say one thing: swap the hanna salinity checker for a refractometer. or compare the two every single time. If you look online there are plenty of reviews stating that their salinity checker failed. The salinity probe gets worn down by saltwater **Ironic** , and eventually gives inaccurate readings. Mine jumped my salinity from 1.026 to 1.037 in a singular water change, No bueno!! that thing causes tank crashes. I was a big believer in it too! just dip it in for an instant reading, It's convenient and works until it doesn't and when it doesn't you might lose all ur livestock. not worth the risk IMO

[@joshroyce6114]

The AI blade grow seem to do well for our hobby!

[@rosislavrusev9870]

Hi Alex, watched one of your video the other regarding OR3 led bar you installed on one of your tanks. I dont know if you are still using it, but would you recommend that product? I need few bars purely to make the corals pop to be able to photograph them. Otherwise I am running all T5`s. Which one you think is better for colour pop the BLUE PLUS is the SKY BLUE version of the OR3. How long did you use them for? Did you notice any PAR drop or did you have any other issues with your led bar? Thanks a lot. Ross

[@ReefDork]

Yeah, it's good. Spread isn't great but it works well as fill light. In theory the one with all 450nm LEDs should give the bets fluorescence, but I only used the one I made a review of. Didn't monitor PAR over time but it'll be fine.

[@BreakingNewsOnline]

Mr @reefdork what is the bracket you use to hang the blades around the kessil please? I want to do the same on my kessils…

[@ReefDork]

I made it myself using the Reefbrite end brackets.

[@Memesbelike-fh7qq]

Hi mate nice tank but lps tanks are hard i only keep soft and hard corals

[@JCTReefer]

What is the name of the coral at 7:43, above the purple Goni??? It’s yellow/orange with red eyes. Has some green mixed in also. I’m guessing some type of Chalice? Very nice!!! 🔥

[@ReefDorkXtra]

Fascination favia - lovely coral 🙂

[@JCTReefer]

Thanks for the reply! I figured it was either a Favia or Chalice. Sometimes it’s hard to tell😂.

[@EIY_Kumar]

I think the audio gain is a little low in this video compared to your other videos.

[@jsytnyk]

did you make those brackets for the AI blades yourself? looking at either making or buying ones for my max nano peninsula

[@ReefDork]

Yep - with a few parts from my local DIY shop

[@BreakingNewsOnline]

@@ReefDorkany chance you could do a little 5 min video on the bracket please? I need one as well, I’m ok with DIY but I don’t really have an engineers brain so I need inspiration from others..!

[@ReefDork]

@@BreakingNewsOnline It involved a part I had to design and 3D print so it won't work without that I'm afraid...

[@JoshCmartinez]

wich is the other dosing pump that you use, one is vectra s2 and the other ?

[@ReefDork]

Reef Factory dosing pump

[@geekdomo]

4:35 - Salinity is spiking because you are using 2 part and quit kalkwasser.

[@martinward7239]

Salinity was spiking because he wasn't testing. If he had been testing he would have noticed it. Testing is the #1 most ignored, most important part of fishkeeping.

[@ReefDork]

That's part of the reason, but it was also spiking while I was using kalk because my salinity tester was reading low so I was adding higher salinity salt during my water changes. Hence getting rid of the Hanna salinity pen. So if I was using a more reliable method (like the simple optical refractometer), I would have been able to keep it in check.

[@geekdomo]

@@ReefDork Ohh I hear ya. I have ATC, Milwaukee and the one on my Apex to balance it all out One of them has to be right lol.

[@ReefDork]

@@geekdomo drives me crazy that they never read the same 😅

[@mk12347]

what about coral feeding?

[@ReefDork]

Not necessary in my opinion and something you should only do if you have everything in this video (the basics) dialled in properly first.

[@xhongxina286]

40 breeder 2 blades 2xr15 or 4t5 2 xr15??? Please help

[@ReefDork]

Any of those will be fine

[@Paul-mr9wu]

Got any fish in this tank ?

[@ReefDork]

Yep - tomini tang, blue striped pipefish and a banggai cardinal. I did have a foxface but it started eating my corals so I re-homed him...

[@Pastronomer69]

I follow most of the same principles that you do, minus the Mn, but my tank looks like a graveyard of LPS skeletons. This hobby is baffling

[@TomSounds]

Seems you don’t use a filter to film and still get the colors to pop? Straaaange. Not working here 😅

[@ReefDork]

I use a Tiffen 85b filter and shoot at 8200k

[@TomSounds]

Thanks! I am experimenting to post some videos myself 😊.

[@boons8102]

Please Reef Dork if you see this, can you change the background music. I’ve watched a lot of your channel over the years and love the content. But somehow I wasn’t able to drown out what I thought was just intro and exit music. Now I can’t hear anything but that music, and it is killing your content for me. Maybe you can change the song during the main portion of the video? Sorry to be a downer but it is really starting to drive me nuts.