300g Reef Tank at Kyoto Japanese Restaurant

Travis L. Stevens · 03/01/2007, 11:00 AM

Many people have heard me talk about this tank. It is a slow work in progress, but we are just making baby steps. It all started with Jonathan (YoungSilver) taking up the tank as a maintenance account. I later inherited keeping up with it. It started out as a 300g (96" Long x 24" Wide x 30" Tall) acrylic tank with a crushed coral bed, very little rock (live, dead, fake, etc at maybe 30-50lbs), extremely heavy daily feedings (About a half a handful of fish fillets per day), a Snowflake Eel, a California Round Ray, a Dog Faced Puffer, two 5g buckets worth of bioballs in a custom 30g trickle filter, a 700 gph Little Giant Return pump, no waterchages in 8 years, and nitrates estimated at the 750-800 ppm mark. This tank was a nightmare really.
It took 6 weekends worth of a mouthful of food per fish two times a week, pulling all the bioballs, and 50% water changes every week just to get the nitrates readable at 180 ppm.

Tank Prior to any maintenance

**Photo courtesy of Paul Thompson

Now over a year later, we have added a 75g sump, with a huge refugium filled with macroalgae and microfauna, well over 150lbs of more rock, a Mag 18 return, and better water quality. We still need to work on the new canopy to get his new T5 lighting setup. Right now, all he is running is two 4ft T8 Normal Output bulbs; one on each end.

Here is the tank now!

Tanks Stats
300g Acrylic Tank (96"x24"x30"
Open Top Canopy
Steel frame Stand
75g Sump/Refugium
UV Sterilizer
ASM-G3 Skimmer
Mag 18 Return
2x 6,500ÂºK T8 Normal Output Lights (One light on each end)

Water Parameters
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 20-40 ppm
Phosphate: 0
pH: 8.4
Alkalinity: 10 dKH
Calcium: 420 ppm
Temperature: 76-78ÂºF
Specific Gravity: 1.025

Livestock
1x Regal Tang
1x Yellow Tang
1x Pearlscale Butterflyfish
1x Snowflake Eel
1x Clarkii Clownfish
1x Red Belt Anthias
1x California Round Ray
1x Purple Pseudochromis
1x Striped Mandarin
Astrea Snails and Blue Legged Hermits for the Cleanup Crew
1x Toadstool Leather
Red Mushrooms
Green Striped Mushrooms
Ball Tipped Anemones
Bubble Mushrooms
Rhodactis Mushrooms

Travis L. Stevens · 03/01/2007, 11:15 AM

I took the picture last night after doing maintenance on the tank. After I was done scraping, I noticed a pretty uncommon event. The Astrea Snails were spawning! I was very excited and thankful that I had my camera in the car. I rushed out to get it fearing that I might miss the event. Well, as snails are slow moving, they are also slow at reproducing. So, I got to take a lot of different pictures.

It was interesting to watch them all crawl to the highest points on the rock work, stand in the water, and let a smoke of gametes out into the water column. Boardcast spawners are really cool to watch.

This Astrea Snail was in a higher flow area. It would stand up on the tip of its foot, stretch out, and then clamp back dow quickly to let out a huge puff of smoke.

This Astrea Snail was in a lower flow spot. This snail just kind of let it spill out and let the current take it.

I have to say that it was a real pleasure watching this happen.

nIx_tank · 03/01/2007, 11:41 AM

Wow, I really need to get over there! It has been a while since we have gone to Kyoto, probably the last time was when you and I went Travis.

Looking good!

Is the snowflake still real fat? Looks it in the pic.

Travis L. Stevens · 03/01/2007, 11:54 AM

Oh yes. He's a long, multicolored marshmellow.

jeeperrs · 03/01/2007, 11:57 AM

Well that is good to know. I have not been to Kyoto in a long time but everytime I did go that aquarium made me sad lol. I am glad to see it is in much better condition now that you have taken over! I guess I will have to go and eat there soon so I can see the tank ha-ha.

Travis L. Stevens · 03/01/2007, 12:06 PM

I'm tellin ya', there is still a LONG ways to go with this tank. I'll be putting a couple MJMods in there soon. I'll also be adding new doors, and put some moulding around the stand to trim it up and make it look nicer. We'll also be placing a lid on the canopy and putting two sets of 4ft T5HO bulbs. We're thinking of going with 4 bulbs on each side just because we're only going to keep lower light corals with lots of color and movement. Nothing like Acroporas or anything.

Matrexz · 03/01/2007, 01:03 PM

Looking great Travis!!!

Radcat · 03/01/2007, 03:07 PM

Wow that even looks a lot better since that last time I saw it.

Travis L. Stevens · 03/01/2007, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Radcat
Wow that even looks a lot better since that last time I saw it.

Not much different than the last time you saw it probably. We just got a new scraper. Praise the lord!

Travis L. Stevens · 03/02/2007, 01:35 PM

Thanks to the wonderful efforts of Dinoman, I now have animated pictures of the process!

Click a picture to be directed to a larger version.

Astrea Snail #1

Astrea Snail #2

Radcat · 03/02/2007, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Travis L. Stevens
Not much different than the last time you saw it probably. We just got a new scraper. Praise the lord!

The rock looks like it colored up a lot.

Travis L. Stevens · 03/02/2007, 02:33 PM

He's fighting a little cyano in a few spots

Radcat · 03/02/2007, 05:09 PM

Well it still adds color

mdiddy7s · 03/02/2007, 06:22 PM

That looks a heck of a lot better. Good work.

03/01/2007, 11:54 AM	#4
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	Oh yes. He's a long, multicolored marshmellow. __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

03/01/2007, 12:06 PM	#6
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	I'm tellin ya', there is still a LONG ways to go with this tank. I'll be putting a couple MJMods in there soon. I'll also be adding new doors, and put some moulding around the stand to trim it up and make it look nicer. We'll also be placing a lid on the canopy and putting two sets of 4ft T5HO bulbs. We're thinking of going with 4 bulbs on each side just because we're only going to keep lower light corals with lots of color and movement. Nothing like Acroporas or anything. __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

03/01/2007, 01:03 PM	#7
Matrexz Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Stillwater,Oklahoma Posts: 422	Looking great Travis!!! __________________ What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail??? Current Tank Info: 180 with 55 sump/refuge and a 12g nano

03/02/2007, 01:35 PM	#10
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	Thanks to the wonderful efforts of Dinoman, I now have animated pictures of the process! Click a picture to be directed to a larger version. Astrea Snail #1 Astrea Snail #2 __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

03/02/2007, 02:33 PM	#12
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	He's fighting a little cyano in a few spots __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

03/01/2007, 11:00 AM	#1
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	300g Reef Tank at Kyoto Japanese Restaurant Many people have heard me talk about this tank. It is a slow work in progress, but we are just making baby steps. It all started with Jonathan (YoungSilver) taking up the tank as a maintenance account. I later inherited keeping up with it. It started out as a 300g (96" Long x 24" Wide x 30" Tall) acrylic tank with a crushed coral bed, very little rock (live, dead, fake, etc at maybe 30-50lbs), extremely heavy daily feedings (About a half a handful of fish fillets per day), a Snowflake Eel, a California Round Ray, a Dog Faced Puffer, two 5g buckets worth of bioballs in a custom 30g trickle filter, a 700 gph Little Giant Return pump, no waterchages in 8 years, and nitrates estimated at the 750-800 ppm mark. This tank was a nightmare really. It took 6 weekends worth of a mouthful of food per fish two times a week, pulling all the bioballs, and 50% water changes every week just to get the nitrates readable at 180 ppm. Tank Prior to any maintenance Photo courtesy of Paul Thompson Now over a year later, we have added a 75g sump, with a huge refugium filled with macroalgae and microfauna, well over 150lbs of more rock, a Mag 18 return, and better water quality. We still need to work on the new canopy to get his new T5 lighting setup. Right now, all he is running is two 4ft T8 Normal Output bulbs; one on each end. Here is the tank now! Tanks Stats 300g Acrylic Tank (96"x24"x30" Open Top Canopy Steel frame Stand 75g Sump/Refugium UV Sterilizer ASM-G3 Skimmer Mag 18 Return 2x 6,500ÂºK T8 Normal Output Lights (One light on each end) Water Parameters Ammonia: 0 ppm Nitrite: 0 ppm Nitrate: 20-40 ppm Phosphate: 0 pH: 8.4 Alkalinity: 10 dKH Calcium: 420 ppm Temperature: 76-78ÂºF Specific Gravity: 1.025 Livestock** 1x Regal Tang 1x Yellow Tang 1x Pearlscale Butterflyfish 1x Snowflake Eel 1x Clarkii Clownfish 1x Red Belt Anthias 1x California Round Ray 1x Purple Pseudochromis 1x Striped Mandarin Astrea Snails and Blue Legged Hermits for the Cleanup Crew 1x Toadstool Leather Red Mushrooms Green Striped Mushrooms Ball Tipped Anemones Bubble Mushrooms Rhodactis Mushrooms __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

03/01/2007, 11:15 AM	#2
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	I took the picture last night after doing maintenance on the tank. After I was done scraping, I noticed a pretty uncommon event. The Astrea Snails were spawning! I was very excited and thankful that I had my camera in the car. I rushed out to get it fearing that I might miss the event. Well, as snails are slow moving, they are also slow at reproducing. So, I got to take a lot of different pictures. It was interesting to watch them all crawl to the highest points on the rock work, stand in the water, and let a smoke of gametes out into the water column. Boardcast spawners are really cool to watch. This Astrea Snail was in a higher flow area. It would stand up on the tip of its foot, stretch out, and then clamp back dow quickly to let out a huge puff of smoke. This Astrea Snail was in a lower flow spot. This snail just kind of let it spill out and let the current take it. I have to say that it was a real pleasure watching this happen. __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

03/01/2007, 11:41 AM	#3
nIx_tank Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Stillwater, OK Posts: 646	Wow, I really need to get over there! It has been a while since we have gone to Kyoto, probably the last time was when you and I went Travis. Looking good! Is the snowflake still real fat? Looks it in the pic.

03/01/2007, 11:57 AM	#5
jeeperrs Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 572	Well that is good to know. I have not been to Kyoto in a long time but everytime I did go that aquarium made me sad lol. I am glad to see it is in much better condition now that you have taken over! I guess I will have to go and eat there soon so I can see the tank ha-ha.

03/01/2007, 03:07 PM	#8
Radcat Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Jenks Posts: 187	Wow that even looks a lot better since that last time I saw it.

03/02/2007, 05:09 PM	#13
Radcat Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Jenks Posts: 187	Well it still adds color

03/02/2007, 06:22 PM	#14
mdiddy7s Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: OKC area Posts: 761	That looks a heck of a lot better. Good work. __________________ "No success can compensate for failure in the home." Current Tank Info: None for now