January 2015 Tank of the Month!!!

Genetics · 12/22/2014, 04:19 PM

This month we are featuring Alex Costa's (Alex Costa) 200 US-gallon reef aquarium.

More details can be found here.

Congratulations, Alex!

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 · 01/01/2015, 08:12 AM

This tank is beautiful, what a fantastic way to start the year!

Stevenliu9 · 01/01/2015, 09:27 AM

Congrats! so colorful!

glaukos · 01/01/2015, 04:02 PM

congrats alex!
tank is amazing!
I'll go read now your secrets

Nanook · 01/01/2015, 04:43 PM

Awesome tank, I am so jealous!! Congratulations, Alex

Misled · 01/01/2015, 05:51 PM

Congrats Alex!!! Very beautiful tank!!!!

njones · 01/01/2015, 07:49 PM

Amazing tank, to think all that was from frags 4 years ago!

hatfielj · 01/02/2015, 03:19 PM

Congratulations!
How come no pics of your sump/equipment? Do you have a build thread?

Pny · 01/02/2015, 03:51 PM

Congrats! Very nice!

Gondore · 01/02/2015, 04:42 PM

This is the first tank of the month that has utilized leds for an extended period of time isn't it?

BPevito · 01/02/2015, 06:45 PM

Congrats great looking tank

bucknutz · 01/02/2015, 08:18 PM

Congrats! Very beautiful.

Gixxerk4 · 01/03/2015, 03:24 AM

Congrats! Stunning tank.

Idefixes · 01/03/2015, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gondore

This is the first tank of the month that has utilized leds for an extended period of time isn't it?

No august ones was ones before : TOTM August 2014

Marc

Alex Costa · 01/04/2015, 07:19 AM

Thank you all.....
I'm glad that you liked it...

Gools · 01/04/2015, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hatfielj

Congratulations!
How come no pics of your sump/equipment? Do you have a build thread?

Awesome tank! Do you have any pics of equipment and sump set up?

Alex Costa · 01/04/2015, 05:41 PM

No Gools....
I only photograph the reef itself....
No thread either....only the photo diary on Flickr.
Regards,

Alessandro Guim · 01/05/2015, 10:02 AM

Congrats Alex. Very beautiful tank.

Alex Costa · 01/06/2015, 10:31 AM

Obrigado Alessandro.
Abraços,

pimpfish · 01/06/2015, 11:02 AM

Hi Alex, amazing setup. I am new and still learning about reefing. So i wanted to tell you though that i have been in Brazil, my mother is from Sorocaba, not to far from you and i have a large family there. I was there last Christmas but haven't been this year, hope to return soon. Congratulations and awesome reef tank!

Oldude · 01/06/2015, 12:57 PM

Beautiful tank Alex, well done & congratulations.
I have a few questions regarding the following:

I was wondering why you keep your ALK as low as you do? Is this intentional or do you struggle to get it up to natural sea water levels of approximately 7 DKH? (I'm not saying it needs to be fixed since it is obviously working well for you but I am just curious)

Quote:

• Weekly: doses 10 drops of lugol’s, 10ml of Special Blend and 5ml of Vitamarin C

I am also curious about you dosing these items into your system and what you find the advantages are.
Thanks & again congrats on TOTM.

Alex Costa · 01/06/2015, 06:24 PM

Thanks Greg,

I keep my Alk "low" to keep my sps away from STN...
When carbon dosing is usual sps STN if the ALK is above 7. Here in my system every time that ALK goes above 7 I got problems....so...

Special Blend is a bacterial source like Microbacter, Biodigest or Zeoback...
Here I found best results using it instead the others (that I've already used in the past)

Lugol's and Vitamarin C are used to improve grow and healthy of zoas.
There are threads with tons of personal impressions but no cientific proof of the need or the eficieny of neither.
Here my zoas looks happier when I'm dosing, so I'll keep doing it

Regards,

Alex Costa · 01/06/2015, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pimpfish

Hi Alex, amazing setup. I am new and still learning about reefing. So i wanted to tell you though that i have been in Brazil, my mother is from Sorocaba, not to far from you and i have a large family there. I was there last Christmas but haven't been this year, hope to return soon. Congratulations and awesome reef tank!

Hi pimpfish.
Sorocaba is very close....Actually I've worked there from 2010 to 1012, teaching on FATEC.
Thanks.

ksr.aaron · 01/06/2015, 09:44 PM

Thats amazing, cant wait till my 4 Year =)

Alex Costa · 01/08/2015, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ksr.aaron

Thats amazing, cant wait till my 4 Year =)

Thanks.
It pass by faster than I thought...

01/01/2015, 08:12 AM	#2
DgenR8 I'm an American and I remember Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 43,992	This tank is beautiful, what a fantastic way to start the year! __________________ “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.

01/01/2015, 09:27 AM	#3
Stevenliu9 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Madison WI Posts: 795	Congrats! so colorful! __________________ Steven Liu See More at: bluemarineart.com Current Tank Info: 180 Mix Reef + 28G Seahorse Species Tank

01/01/2015, 04:02 PM	#4
glaukos Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 2,106	congrats alex! tank is amazing! I'll go read now your secrets __________________ 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

01/01/2015, 04:43 PM	#5
Nanook Ancient Eskimo Legend Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 41,852 Blog Entries: 11	Awesome tank, I am so jealous!! Congratulations, Alex __________________ The wind blew, the chit flew, and then they came two by two. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Tank Info: 375g Tanganyikan Tank & 470g mixed reef

01/01/2015, 05:51 PM	#6
Misled RC Mod Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa Posts: 11,440 Blog Entries: 11	Congrats Alex!!! Very beautiful tank!!!! __________________ Jesse I'm not saying I'm Batman. I'm just saying nobody has ever seen me and Batman in a room together.

01/01/2015, 07:49 PM	#7
njones Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 32	Amazing tank, to think all that was from frags 4 years ago!

01/02/2015, 03:19 PM	#8
hatfielj Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 1,234	Congratulations! How come no pics of your sump/equipment? Do you have a build thread?

01/02/2015, 03:51 PM	#9
Pny Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 169	Congrats! Very nice!

01/02/2015, 04:42 PM	#10
Gondore Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Fort Wayne, IN Posts: 1,471	This is the first tank of the month that has utilized leds for an extended period of time isn't it?

01/02/2015, 06:45 PM	#11
BPevito Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Blaine, MN Posts: 57	Congrats great looking tank

01/02/2015, 08:18 PM	#12
bucknutz Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 14	Congrats! Very beautiful.

01/03/2015, 03:24 AM	#13
Gixxerk4 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: South Africa, PTA Posts: 2	Congrats! Stunning tank.

01/04/2015, 07:19 AM	#15
Alex Costa Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Itupeva - SP - Brasil Posts: 673	Thank you all..... I'm glad that you liked it... __________________ https://www.flickr.com/photos/49229306@N02/ http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/153-tank-of-the-month Current Tank Info: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2596707

01/04/2015, 05:41 PM	#17
Alex Costa Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Itupeva - SP - Brasil Posts: 673	No Gools.... I only photograph the reef itself.... No thread either....only the photo diary on Flickr. Regards, __________________ https://www.flickr.com/photos/49229306@N02/ http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/153-tank-of-the-month Current Tank Info: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2596707

01/05/2015, 10:02 AM	#18
Alessandro Guim Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Brazil Posts: 3	Congrats Alex. Very beautiful tank.

01/06/2015, 10:31 AM	#19
Alex Costa Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Itupeva - SP - Brasil Posts: 673	Obrigado Alessandro. Abraços, __________________ https://www.flickr.com/photos/49229306@N02/ http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/153-tank-of-the-month Current Tank Info: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2596707

01/06/2015, 11:02 AM	#20
pimpfish Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 19	Hi Alex, amazing setup. I am new and still learning about reefing. So i wanted to tell you though that i have been in Brazil, my mother is from Sorocaba, not to far from you and i have a large family there. I was there last Christmas but haven't been this year, hope to return soon. Congratulations and awesome reef tank! Last edited by pimpfish; 01/06/2015 at 11:55 AM.

01/06/2015, 06:24 PM	#22
Alex Costa Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Itupeva - SP - Brasil Posts: 673	Thanks Greg, I keep my Alk "low" to keep my sps away from STN... When carbon dosing is usual sps STN if the ALK is above 7. Here in my system every time that ALK goes above 7 I got problems....so... Special Blend is a bacterial source like Microbacter, Biodigest or Zeoback... Here I found best results using it instead the others (that I've already used in the past) Lugol's and Vitamarin C are used to improve grow and healthy of zoas. There are threads with tons of personal impressions but no cientific proof of the need or the eficieny of neither. Here my zoas looks happier when I'm dosing, so I'll keep doing it Regards, __________________ https://www.flickr.com/photos/49229306@N02/ http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/153-tank-of-the-month Current Tank Info: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2596707

01/06/2015, 09:44 PM	#24
ksr.aaron Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 67	Thats amazing, cant wait till my 4 Year =)