Video by BRStv - Saltwater Aquariums & Reef Tanks · Specs extracted by AllCorals · Watch on YouTube ↗

BRStv - Saltwater Aquariums & Reef Tanks

Ep20: The only SPS reef tank setup guide you'll ever need! - The BRS/WWC System

2

Tanks Featured

25

Minutes

2019

Released

This video outlines the BRS/WWC Hybrid System, a comprehensive guide for establishing a stable, long-term SPS dominant reef tank. It distills six months of debate and experience into direct, actionable steps across eight core components of reefing. The method emphasizes simplicity, stability, and replicable results, aiming for a tank that performs consistently for five to ten years or more.

⏭ Skip to a moment

00:03:03Filtration: Source Water, Biological, Mechanical 00:05:16Biological Filtration: Live Rock & Bare Bottom 00:09:31Mechanical Filtration: Filter Socks/Pads & Carbon 00:11:04Protein Skimmer: Optional Component 00:11:36Flow: Importance and Redundant Return Pumps 00:12:28Return Pump Flow Rates 00:12:45Redundant Return Pumps 00:13:28Lighting: PAR Targets and T5/LED Hybrid 00:15:31The Four-Month Cycle 00:17:15Chemistry: Dosing & Trace Elements 00:19:44Nitrate and Phosphate Management 00:20:32Coral Nutrition and Feeding 00:21:42Husbandry: Utilitarian Fish 00:22:19Maintenance Rhythm: Water Changes & Filter Media 00:23:49Controllers: Optional but Beneficial

The Builds

2 Tanks Featured

Every spec, brand, and livestock mention pulled from the host's narration. Click any tank tour above to compare.

Tank 01

BRS/WWC Hybrid System (XXL 750)

180

Gallons

SPS dominant

Style

Red Sea Reefer XXL 750

Brand

This tank embodies the BRS/WWC Hybrid Method, focusing on long-term stability for SPS corals. It features a bare-bottom design with high flow, extensive mechanical filtration, and a prolonged cycling period. The system prioritizes simple and stable chemistry management, relying on weekly water changes and a calcium reactor, while incorporating utilitarian fish for tank maintenance.

Lighting

EcoTech Marine Radion XR15 ×10 $529.99in stock

Controller

Neptune Systems Apex $989.99in stock

Dosing

calcium reactor

Filtration

bare bottom, live rock, filter socks/roller mat, carbon

Salt

Brightwell NeoMarine

Water Changes

10-15% weekly, automated via Neptune DOS

Feeding

DIY food (fish, shellfish, fish eggs, Reef Roids, Reef Chili, Brightwell Coral Amino, Selcon)

Husbandry & Practices 7

Utilizes a bare-bottom tank with high flow to keep detritus suspended for mechanical removal.
Employs a 4-month cycle for new tanks, adding fish and allowing stabilization before corals.
Changes filter socks or pads twice weekly, or uses a roller mat for less frequent media changes.
Runs carbon in a reactor to remove yellowing, odors, and organic toxins.
Maintains target parameters of 8.6 dKH alkalinity, 480 ppm calcium, and 1440 ppm magnesium.
Focuses on utilitarian fish (e.g., tangs, wrasses, blennies) for algae and pest control.
Cleans pumps when they look dirty, not just when they stop working.

Target Parameters

Alk

8.6dKH

Ca

480ppm

Mg

1440ppm

NO₃

around 20 ppm (for WWC tanks)

Fish

3

Bristletooth TangsWrassesScooter Blennies

Tank 02

BRS 170 Gallon

170

Gallons

The BRS 170-gallon tank utilizes a two-part dosing approach from BRS, supplemented with Tropic Marin Part C for comprehensive element replenishment. It is managed with a Neptune Apex controller, which is crucial for monitoring and alerts during off-hours, ensuring tank stability and preventing potential issues.

Controller

Neptune Systems Apex $989.99in stock

Dosing

two-part

Husbandry & Practices 2

Uses BRS two-part dosing coupled with Tropic Marin Part C for major, minor, and trace elements.
Relies on an Apex controller for monitoring and notifications due to staff being away overnight and on weekends.

Shop the build

Featured products from our catalogue

Equipment mentioned in this tour that we cover in our gear catalog. Click through for full specs, retailer comparison, and where-to-buy.

Neptune Systems Apex Controller

Neptune Systems

Apex Controller

Mentioned as: Neptune Systems Apex

EcoTech Marine Radion XR15 G6 LED

Radion XR15 G6 LED

Mentioned as: EcoTech Marine Radion XR15

In their own words

Notable Quotes

The hybrid method is a path to a five to ten year plus tank that relies on methods of filtration, flow, lighting, element replenishment, and maintenance that performs the same year one as it does year ten.

If you have to be an electrical engineer or marine biologist to produce results, the method isn't really of much use to most people, just reliable time-tested equipment and implementations.

Rather than let the fish waste, uneaten food, and detritus settle out in the sand and become a tank's toilet, or even worse, kitty litter box, we use a bare bottom and high flow to keep all of it suspended so they can be removed by mechanical filtration.

The lower-cost light tuned properly will produce better results than the expensive light tuned to the eye.

The right fish selection can help a plethora of issues common to new tanks.