dtaylor123
02/04/2008, 02:33 PM
First to the mod's, I apologize if this is the wrong place for this thread.
This is my first thread on RC (from time to time I have posted comments), I have had a reef tank for 7 years, last summer I assembled my dream tank. I really think this will be my last reef tank, so I wanted it to look and function the way I have always wanted. I wanted the tank to be in our main living area so my wife and kids can enjoy it, without having to go to a special room. OK, enough about the preface.
The Tank: I have long admired the Japanese reef tanks, not all aspects but the general idea. I bought the tank from Miracles in Glass in Canada. It is a trim-less, brace-less starphire glass tank. The overflow is external and centered, which allowed more room in the tank. The dimensions are 36”x24”x24”, 90 gallon (a standard 180 cut in half).
The Stand: It is a custom made oak veneered stand, built by a fellow reefer.
The Lighting: A lot of thought went into this, I wanted a functional but yet stylish as the tank is open topped (no canopy). I bought a Sfliligoi hanging pendent, it has one 250 watt DE metal halide and four 24” super actinic T5’s. I couldn’t be happier with the lighting, it is superb. It has an IceCap external electronic ballast.
Water flow: Two Tunze 6001’s with the 7095 controller, I use the smaller 15 V insert, I played with the 24 V, but it was too much flow (I have a sand bottom). The return is powered by a Sequence Hammer Head, I have it dialed down to around 900 GPH, I wanted slower flow through the sump. The 6001’s are large, but with an external over flow, I don’t mind.
Sump, Fuge and Frag tank: The tank is on the first floor and the rest is in the basement. Water flows into a 55 gallon Sump-Fuge, and then gravity fed to a 100 gallon rubber maid frag tank. I have one 40 gallon container for top-off and one 40 gallon container full of ready made heated salt water. My back limits my lifting, so I need to make water changes easy. I do a water change without shutting off the system (benefits of having plenty of non tank salt water), I just open a valve and the water flows to the septic, then my salt water reservoir uses the same float switch as my auto-top off does so, I just turn on the salt water pump and it stops when it reaches the proper level. It takes about 5 minutes to change 40 gallons and the most I have to lift is a cup of salt mix! The frag tank has four 39 watt T5’s all aqua blue +.
Filtration: I have a H&S skimmer (I am very pleased with this skimmer), fuge with cheato algae, phos reactor and GAC. I do not use any filter socks or floss.
Fish: Palette Surgeon, Yellow Tang, Kole Tang, Longfin Banner, Lawnmower Blennie, Scooter Dragonet, Mandarin, Fang Blennie, Spot Fin Anthais (2), Percula Clowns (2), Flame Hawk, Bluelined Dottyback and Coral Beauty Angelfish.
Corals: Assortment of Acropora’s, Euphilla, Lobo’s, Duncans, Petina, Pipe Organ, Gorgonian, GBTA (that I think I will remove) and a few others. At this point I don’t have anything extraordinary, the tank is young.
Additives: I use a dosing system (balling method, modified) to dose calcium, alk and magnesium 24/7. The system has an auto-top off, using RO/DI water (with some Kalkwasser to help keep pH up), these keep all parameters in check. I do waters changes bi-monthly (more if I see a need) having water changes easy to do, makes them more frequent. Use amino acids and Ultra Life (Fauna Marin).
Well that about sums it up, here are the pictures:
FTS
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b326/dtaylor123/Reef%20Photos/RC/RS_FTS.jpg
inside the stand, wall cut out for pipes
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b326/dtaylor123/Reef%20Photos/RC/RS_insidestand.jpg
sump and fuge
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b326/dtaylor123/Reef%20Photos/RC/RS_fuge.jpg
frag tank
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b326/dtaylor123/Reef%20Photos/RC/RS_frag.jpg
continued ....
This is my first thread on RC (from time to time I have posted comments), I have had a reef tank for 7 years, last summer I assembled my dream tank. I really think this will be my last reef tank, so I wanted it to look and function the way I have always wanted. I wanted the tank to be in our main living area so my wife and kids can enjoy it, without having to go to a special room. OK, enough about the preface.
The Tank: I have long admired the Japanese reef tanks, not all aspects but the general idea. I bought the tank from Miracles in Glass in Canada. It is a trim-less, brace-less starphire glass tank. The overflow is external and centered, which allowed more room in the tank. The dimensions are 36”x24”x24”, 90 gallon (a standard 180 cut in half).
The Stand: It is a custom made oak veneered stand, built by a fellow reefer.
The Lighting: A lot of thought went into this, I wanted a functional but yet stylish as the tank is open topped (no canopy). I bought a Sfliligoi hanging pendent, it has one 250 watt DE metal halide and four 24” super actinic T5’s. I couldn’t be happier with the lighting, it is superb. It has an IceCap external electronic ballast.
Water flow: Two Tunze 6001’s with the 7095 controller, I use the smaller 15 V insert, I played with the 24 V, but it was too much flow (I have a sand bottom). The return is powered by a Sequence Hammer Head, I have it dialed down to around 900 GPH, I wanted slower flow through the sump. The 6001’s are large, but with an external over flow, I don’t mind.
Sump, Fuge and Frag tank: The tank is on the first floor and the rest is in the basement. Water flows into a 55 gallon Sump-Fuge, and then gravity fed to a 100 gallon rubber maid frag tank. I have one 40 gallon container for top-off and one 40 gallon container full of ready made heated salt water. My back limits my lifting, so I need to make water changes easy. I do a water change without shutting off the system (benefits of having plenty of non tank salt water), I just open a valve and the water flows to the septic, then my salt water reservoir uses the same float switch as my auto-top off does so, I just turn on the salt water pump and it stops when it reaches the proper level. It takes about 5 minutes to change 40 gallons and the most I have to lift is a cup of salt mix! The frag tank has four 39 watt T5’s all aqua blue +.
Filtration: I have a H&S skimmer (I am very pleased with this skimmer), fuge with cheato algae, phos reactor and GAC. I do not use any filter socks or floss.
Fish: Palette Surgeon, Yellow Tang, Kole Tang, Longfin Banner, Lawnmower Blennie, Scooter Dragonet, Mandarin, Fang Blennie, Spot Fin Anthais (2), Percula Clowns (2), Flame Hawk, Bluelined Dottyback and Coral Beauty Angelfish.
Corals: Assortment of Acropora’s, Euphilla, Lobo’s, Duncans, Petina, Pipe Organ, Gorgonian, GBTA (that I think I will remove) and a few others. At this point I don’t have anything extraordinary, the tank is young.
Additives: I use a dosing system (balling method, modified) to dose calcium, alk and magnesium 24/7. The system has an auto-top off, using RO/DI water (with some Kalkwasser to help keep pH up), these keep all parameters in check. I do waters changes bi-monthly (more if I see a need) having water changes easy to do, makes them more frequent. Use amino acids and Ultra Life (Fauna Marin).
Well that about sums it up, here are the pictures:
FTS
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b326/dtaylor123/Reef%20Photos/RC/RS_FTS.jpg
inside the stand, wall cut out for pipes
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b326/dtaylor123/Reef%20Photos/RC/RS_insidestand.jpg
sump and fuge
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b326/dtaylor123/Reef%20Photos/RC/RS_fuge.jpg
frag tank
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b326/dtaylor123/Reef%20Photos/RC/RS_frag.jpg
continued ....