July 2015 Tank of the Month!!

Genetics · 06/28/2015, 06:09 AM

This month we are featuring Bryn Roberts’ 360 US-gallon reef aquarium.

More details can be found here.

Congratulations, Bryn!

Also check out the Reefkeeping Blog!

If you'd like to nominate a tank for Tank of the Month, click here or use the button to the right.

DgenR8 · 07/02/2015, 04:31 AM

Love your tank Bryn! Thanks so much for sharing it with us

s2nhle · 07/02/2015, 09:04 AM

Congratulation. Beautiful tank. Thank you for sharing.

joshky · 07/02/2015, 04:44 PM

Congrats! Gorgeous tank and great photography.

bradleyj · 07/02/2015, 05:39 PM

Fantastic reef . I love your choice in fish the most. Congratulations.

VWD · 07/02/2015, 05:53 PM

Congrats!

Beautiful tank

glaukos · 07/03/2015, 05:32 AM

congrats bryn,tank is amazing!

Sugar Magnolia · 07/03/2015, 06:04 AM

Beautiful tank Bryn! Congratulations!

Dustyuk · 07/03/2015, 09:58 AM

Thanks for the kind words everyone its very much appreciated

mwladdicted · 07/03/2015, 12:28 PM

I really like this tank for several reasons. It goes to show that stability is key and that there are no magic numbers. Job well done.

willan · 07/05/2015, 04:50 AM

Amazing tank Bryn, can you teacher me how you set up on your JS1 Ca reactor like which media are you using and how you set it out and in flow rate ,Thank you !!!

Dustyuk · 07/05/2015, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willan

Amazing tank Bryn, can you teacher me how you set up on your JS1 Ca reactor like which media are you using and how you set it out and in flow rate ,Thank you !!!

Sure, personally I don't use a pH controller, I simply test the effluent . For years i have used ARM extra course media though these days i use Triton which is fairly similar in size. If you have a variable speed peristaltic pump, set it to about 50% , if not then don't worry. All you need to do is then start by opening up the needle valve on your c02 regulator so that you get 1 or 2 bubbles per second. After half an hour to an hour test the kh of your effluent , I like to aim for between 30-40 dkh though don't sweat it if its slightly higher. If its lower than that range open up you valve ever so slightly, if its higher close it down a little, wait an hour and test again. Continue this process until you hit the right range. After this leave it alone and just test the kh of your tank water every day or two , if you see its slowly creeping up then you can either adjust the peristaltic speed down and close your needle valve a tiny bit but keep your effluent kh the same, or alternatively just close the needle valve a little so that the effluent is a lower kh. Eventually you will find the sweet spot and you'll find your tank kh levels out. The key is to relax about it and make your changes slowly , the only way you can go wrong is by adjusting too fast , err on the side of caution with the CO2 and you'll be fine.

Best of luck !

Bryn.

Fernando Chang · 07/06/2015, 08:59 PM

Hi Bryn, congrats reef tank very impressed for your ability to keep all together angels and butterfiles in a reef tank full of SPS.

Regards
Fernando Chang
Panama (central america)

BigBlueTang · 07/07/2015, 12:35 PM

Great tank!!!

Just a question, did you QT your regal, and if so, how did you do it? I am about to take the plunge and would love some tips on it

Dustyuk · 07/08/2015, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fernando Chang

Hi Bryn, congrats reef tank very impressed for your ability to keep all together angels and butterfiles in a reef tank full of SPS.

Regards
Fernando Chang
Panama (central america)

Thank you, these days Angels with SPS is becoming standard practice and more and more are trying Butterflies which for me is a great thing. All of the butterflies I have tried have been based on the experience of others , most notably the great "butterflies in reefs" thread on this forum. So I give credit to those Guys for providing the green light to experiment.

Dustyuk · 07/08/2015, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigBlueTang

Great tank!!!

Just a question, did you QT your regal, and if so, how did you do it? I am about to take the plunge and would love some tips on it

Hi Big Blue, I did QT my Regal, despite eating well in the shop it stopped eating in my QT though fortunately it was a nice fat specimen. After entering the display tank it refused prepared food for nearly two months , I have no idea what it was living on but can only speculate it was living off the numerous sponges and pods .

All of a sudden it was like someone had flicked a switch and it started taking everything, frozen, pellet the lot.

The experience was unusual for me , I've never previously had any problems with this species. Nowadays its one of the most aggressive eaters in the tank.

Tanu · 07/09/2015, 01:59 PM

Congratulations, I have been reading on your tank on Ultimatereef before and this TOTM is very well deserved.
How long do you already have the borbonius and at what temperature do you keep your tank?
Again: very very nice and I like your attitude on fish keeping: angels and butterflies in reefs.

Dustyuk · 07/09/2015, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tanu

Congratulations, I have been reading on your tank on Ultimatereef before and this TOTM is very well deserved.
How long do you already have the borbonius and at what temperature do you keep your tank?
Again: very very nice and I like your attitude on fish keeping: angels and butterflies in reefs.

Thanks very much Tanu, I checked out your tank thread all I can say is wow! A phenomenal reef you have there, I see you have a similar taste in fish too , those mitratus are beligerant little fellas aren't they! Your photography by the way is outstanding. One day I'll get myself a decent camera and give that side of the hobby a decent go.

The Borbonius I have had for about 2.5 years now I think , I love them , they've really come on in colour as they've matured.

I tend to keep my tank between 22 and 23c though in the summer it sits around 25. I started lowering it to that level when I was about to pick up a bandit around 3 years ago , the fish never made it out of the shop however I saw no I'll effects on my sps so I just left the temp where it was.

Cujo13 · 07/11/2015, 10:20 AM

Gorgeous tank! Congratulations!

mortenN · 07/11/2015, 04:05 PM

Beautiful tank Bryn! I really like your fishes.
Congratulations!

McPaul · 07/11/2015, 04:20 PM

Hi, amazing tank!
I was surprise your NO3 -15 and PO4 -0.3, KH 6,6.
How long time you are keep these parameters?
Are these parameters good for the corals growing or with these parameters corals growing slowly?
With these level of N03 15, PO4 0.3 bid risk to get cyano and dino.
Do you have them?
If no, what do you think why you don't have microalgae?
What bakto preparates do you use?
Thanks.

CCReefCC · 07/12/2015, 06:09 PM

That's an amazing tank!!

jeffp1 · 07/12/2015, 06:29 PM

Beautiful Tank and really cool fish.

Dustyuk · 07/13/2015, 04:03 PM

Thanks for the plaudits everyone , I'm flattered you like my aquarium. McPaul in answer to your questions:

In all honesty I can't tell you how long the tank ran at those parameters, I can't remember the last time I tested for nitrate or phosphate prior to testing for the TOTM article. Kh wise I found my tank ran best at or around the 7 mark though on occasion I know its been as low as 5 when I haven't noticed my c02 running empty !

I do get small patches of nuisance algae but nothing major and nothing I would describe as a big issue. I know common wisdom is that low nutrients are what we strive for however when my tank is looking good I don't feel the need to try to remedy anything. Growth wise my sps have increased in size exponentially , if you could see what a small proportion on the tank is actually rock it may surprise you.

Bacteria wise I don't dose anything , I have in the past carbon dosed though I found it paled out my montis so I stopped.

salty joe · 07/14/2015, 06:04 PM

WOW! What a gorgeous tank!

Do your pair of C. Paucifasciatus stay close together most of the time?

07/02/2015, 04:31 AM	#2
DgenR8 I'm an American and I remember Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 43,992	Love your tank Bryn! Thanks so much for sharing it with us __________________ “I wish there was a way to know that you were IN the good old days, before leaving them.” ~Andy Bernard Regional Manager, Scranton branch Dunder Mifflin Current Tank Info: Unknown slow drip, over 20 years damaged my house and heating system. No more tank.

07/02/2015, 04:44 PM	#4
joshky Acros & Wrasses Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Central KY Posts: 2,546	Congrats! Gorgeous tank and great photography. __________________ Josh My 80g: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2677031

07/02/2015, 05:39 PM	#5
bradleyj Reefkeeping Mag Staff Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Murray, Utah Posts: 3,454	Fantastic reef . I love your choice in fish the most. Congratulations. __________________ Murray, Utah 335G reef, 72" Maristar, Deltec AP702, PF601S , 2 Darts 4Vortech MP40's 18,000 Gph Feb, 2012 RC TOTM Current Tank Info: 335g Leemar

07/02/2015, 05:53 PM	#6
VWD Smelly fish Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Denham Springs, LA Posts: 262	Congrats! Beautiful tank __________________ Vince 120 RR Bare Bottom & 56 Bean animal connected to one sump. Life Reef external/blueline 40 HDX, Carbon reactor, GFO reactor, proton 48 led, 2 Kessils 160we tuna blue on 120 & 6 HQ t-5 on 56, b

07/03/2015, 05:32 AM	#7
glaukos Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 2,106	congrats bryn,tank is amazing! __________________ Mike Just doing my hobby and having great fun with it....no room/need for drama:) the only way to win with a toxic person, is not to play

07/02/2015, 09:04 AM	#3
s2nhle Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 298	Congratulation. Beautiful tank. Thank you for sharing.

07/03/2015, 06:04 AM	#8
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Beautiful tank Bryn! Congratulations! __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

07/03/2015, 09:58 AM	#9
Dustyuk Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 46	Thanks for the kind words everyone its very much appreciated

07/03/2015, 12:28 PM	#10
mwladdicted Post Count D-M-S Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sharon, CT Posts: 896	I really like this tank for several reasons. It goes to show that stability is key and that there are no magic numbers. Job well done. __________________ Tom Armstrong

07/05/2015, 04:50 AM	#11
willan Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Asia Posts: 63	Amazing tank Bryn, can you teacher me how you set up on your JS1 Ca reactor like which media are you using and how you set it out and in flow rate ,Thank you !!!

07/06/2015, 08:59 PM	#13
Fernando Chang Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Panama, Republic of Panama Posts: 90	Hi Bryn, congrats reef tank very impressed for your ability to keep all together angels and butterfiles in a reef tank full of SPS. Regards Fernando Chang Panama (central america) __________________ Fernando Chang Current Tank Info: 60''L x 24''W x 27''H with a 75 glns sump with no sand nor caulerpa only water but containing: phosphate removal reactor, carbon reactor, biopelets chamber. Have installed P. Skimmer Octopus Super Reef EXT5000 , Chiller 1HP.

07/07/2015, 12:35 PM	#14
BigBlueTang Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Boulder, Colorado Posts: 1,430	Great tank!!! Just a question, did you QT your regal, and if so, how did you do it? I am about to take the plunge and would love some tips on it __________________ 75 gal, 20 L using as sump, MP40Qd , Eheim 1260 Return,Royal Exclusiv Bubble King Mini 160,Kamoer FX-STP Calcium Reactor Setup, ATI Sunpower 6x54W

07/09/2015, 01:59 PM	#17
Tanu Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Netherlands Posts: 420	Congratulations, I have been reading on your tank on Ultimatereef before and this TOTM is very well deserved. How long do you already have the borbonius and at what temperature do you keep your tank? Again: very very nice and I like your attitude on fish keeping: angels and butterflies in reefs. __________________ TOTM: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-02/totm/index.php My current tank: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148461&page=8 My website (info about my tank and about my aquarium book Current Tank Info: 170 G reef, many colored sps, inhabited by beautiful fish

07/11/2015, 10:20 AM	#19
Cujo13 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 189	Gorgeous tank! Congratulations! __________________ 140 gallon DT, 100 g sump, 20L x2 TTM, 40B QT 95 gallon shallow, 40B sump.

07/11/2015, 04:05 PM	#20
mortenN TOTM January 2006 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 606	Beautiful tank Bryn! I really like your fishes. Congratulations! __________________ ---Morten--- TOTM jan 06: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-01/totm/index.php Last edited by mortenN; 07/11/2015 at 04:18 PM.

07/11/2015, 04:20 PM	#21
McPaul Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 7	Hi, amazing tank! I was surprise your NO3 -15 and PO4 -0.3, KH 6,6. How long time you are keep these parameters? Are these parameters good for the corals growing or with these parameters corals growing slowly? With these level of N03 15, PO4 0.3 bid risk to get cyano and dino. Do you have them? If no, what do you think why you don't have microalgae? What bakto preparates do you use? Thanks.

07/12/2015, 06:09 PM	#22
CCReefCC Registered Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 34	That's an amazing tank!!

07/12/2015, 06:29 PM	#23
jeffp1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Walnut Hill, Fl Posts: 52	Beautiful Tank and really cool fish.

07/13/2015, 04:03 PM	#24
Dustyuk Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 46	Thanks for the plaudits everyone , I'm flattered you like my aquarium. McPaul in answer to your questions: In all honesty I can't tell you how long the tank ran at those parameters, I can't remember the last time I tested for nitrate or phosphate prior to testing for the TOTM article. Kh wise I found my tank ran best at or around the 7 mark though on occasion I know its been as low as 5 when I haven't noticed my c02 running empty ! I do get small patches of nuisance algae but nothing major and nothing I would describe as a big issue. I know common wisdom is that low nutrients are what we strive for however when my tank is looking good I don't feel the need to try to remedy anything. Growth wise my sps have increased in size exponentially , if you could see what a small proportion on the tank is actually rock it may surprise you. Bacteria wise I don't dose anything , I have in the past carbon dosed though I found it paled out my montis so I stopped.

07/14/2015, 06:04 PM	#25
salty joe Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: medina, ohio Posts: 2,419	WOW! What a gorgeous tank! Do your pair of C. Paucifasciatus stay close together most of the time? __________________ Time to roll the dice.