Greg's (GregP) Reef Tank
1 Introduction
It was around four years ago I started keeping fish.
I started with tropical and then moved onto keeping marines and, after a catastrophic first attempt, I realised the patience and attention to detail that is required to keep such sensitive animals successfully.
I found Ultimate Reef and seeing the incredible tanks of the members on here inspired me.
I then began keeping marines a second time and had a tank of LPS and soft corals.
A new house gave the opportunity for a third new tank and I vowed I would do everything possible not to make the same mistakes I had before.
I had plenty of softies and LPS from my previous tank, so this tank was created to give me the best possible conditions for keeping SPS corals as well.
One year on, and the last PM I ever expected to get was from Chris saying that my tank had been voted as Tank Of The Month.
I started with tropical and then moved onto keeping marines and, after a catastrophic first attempt, I realised the patience and attention to detail that is required to keep such sensitive animals successfully.
I found Ultimate Reef and seeing the incredible tanks of the members on here inspired me.
I then began keeping marines a second time and had a tank of LPS and soft corals.
A new house gave the opportunity for a third new tank and I vowed I would do everything possible not to make the same mistakes I had before.
I had plenty of softies and LPS from my previous tank, so this tank was created to give me the best possible conditions for keeping SPS corals as well.
One year on, and the last PM I ever expected to get was from Chris saying that my tank had been voted as Tank Of The Month.
2 System Details
The tank is a 60x18x18 aquarium. It holds around 300 litres in the display and has a three stage sump which holds another 100 litres.Shallow tanks are becoming more and more popular and I could not resist the temptation to try one myself. It was so easy to scape, and shallow enough to ensure I could keep SPS pretty much anywhere in the tank.
The wood finish was selected to match the furniture in the living room.
FTS 26th November 2010
FTS 27th November 2010
FTS 1st December 2010
FTS 11th December 2010
3 Lighting
Lighting was always the part I agonised most over. I loved the look of my previous tank which had both halides and LED's but, with this tank being mainly about getting the best from SPS, I decided T5 was the way to go to maximise coral colour.
I decided on an ATI Powermodule 6x54w unit and have never looked back. It looks incredible and the overall performance is outstanding.
If anything, it produces a little too much light for the tank, and I have had problems with it bleaching corals, especially my montipora. As a result I have to run bulbs a little longer to reduce the light output and change them one at a time.
I love a blue look to lighting as I think it looks natural so I decided on a tube configuration heavy on blue light. My bulbs are listed below front to back:
1. Narva Blue
2. ATI Blue Plus
3. ATI Purple Plus
4. ATI Aquablue Special
5. AtI Blue Plus
6. Narva Blue
After experimenting with light cycles a lot I settled on a fairly short photoperiod:
1200 - Tubes 2 and 5 turn on
1400 - Tubes 1, 3, 4 and 6 turn on
2000 - Tubes 1,3,4 and 6 turn off
2200 - Tubes 2 and 5 turn off
Since reducing to just a six hour period when all lights are on I have noticed better polyp extension and colours from nearly all of my corals, with no reduction in growth.
I decided on an ATI Powermodule 6x54w unit and have never looked back. It looks incredible and the overall performance is outstanding.
If anything, it produces a little too much light for the tank, and I have had problems with it bleaching corals, especially my montipora. As a result I have to run bulbs a little longer to reduce the light output and change them one at a time.
I love a blue look to lighting as I think it looks natural so I decided on a tube configuration heavy on blue light. My bulbs are listed below front to back:
1. Narva Blue
2. ATI Blue Plus
3. ATI Purple Plus
4. ATI Aquablue Special
5. AtI Blue Plus
6. Narva Blue
After experimenting with light cycles a lot I settled on a fairly short photoperiod:
1200 - Tubes 2 and 5 turn on
1400 - Tubes 1, 3, 4 and 6 turn on
2000 - Tubes 1,3,4 and 6 turn off
2200 - Tubes 2 and 5 turn off
Since reducing to just a six hour period when all lights are on I have noticed better polyp extension and colours from nearly all of my corals, with no reduction in growth.
FTS 11th February 2011
FTS 12th March 2011
FTS 16th April 2011
FTS 6th June 2011
4 Water Movement
I always had to be careful when selecting equipment for this as the shallow but wide dimensions made it difficult to get enough movement across the tank without blowing the substrate everywhere.
My return pump is a Rio Aqua 3000lph which is very quiet and great value for money.
In the tank are two Vortech MP10's. One on each side.
I have only recently added the Vortech pumps in place of Koralias and I must say the performance is outstanding and the tank looks so much more open with the reduced footprint.
Despite the noise they make, and the problems I had just finding one that worked properly, I am still very happy with them and will use them again on future systems.
My return pump is a Rio Aqua 3000lph which is very quiet and great value for money.
In the tank are two Vortech MP10's. One on each side.
I have only recently added the Vortech pumps in place of Koralias and I must say the performance is outstanding and the tank looks so much more open with the reduced footprint.
Despite the noise they make, and the problems I had just finding one that worked properly, I am still very happy with them and will use them again on future systems.
5 Filtration
I started out with a Deltec MCE600 skimmer which has been upgraded to a Bubble Magus NAC7. I can't say enough good things about this skimmer. Its performance and value for money is excellent.
I run Bio Pearls in a Phosban Reactor which feeds right next to the skimmer inlet. This is run with a Rio Aqua 1596lph pump.
The Bio Pearls have nearly always kept my nitrates untraceable, but despite trying everythig possible, they were never able to get phosphate down to an acceptable level. Therefore I have another Phosban reactor running RowaPhos with an Eheim 600 pump.
I also have a TMC V2 Vecton 600 UV which is run by another Rio Aqua 1596lph pump and kept on 24 hours a day.
Lastly, there is around 35 kilos of Fiji live rock in the display.
I run Bio Pearls in a Phosban Reactor which feeds right next to the skimmer inlet. This is run with a Rio Aqua 1596lph pump.
The Bio Pearls have nearly always kept my nitrates untraceable, but despite trying everythig possible, they were never able to get phosphate down to an acceptable level. Therefore I have another Phosban reactor running RowaPhos with an Eheim 600 pump.
I also have a TMC V2 Vecton 600 UV which is run by another Rio Aqua 1596lph pump and kept on 24 hours a day.
Lastly, there is around 35 kilos of Fiji live rock in the display.
6 Heating/Cooling
This is kept pretty simple.
I have a 300w Interpet heater to keep it warm in the winter, and a four fan Azoo unit to keep it cool in the summer. I also have three frozen 2l bottles of water in the freezer ready to chuck in the sump for those extra hot days.
I have a 300w Interpet heater to keep it warm in the winter, and a four fan Azoo unit to keep it cool in the summer. I also have three frozen 2l bottles of water in the freezer ready to chuck in the sump for those extra hot days.
7 Supplementation
I supplement the tank with very little.
Keeping the correct Calcium and KH levels has been the single most important thing I have done to assist coral growth. I used to test for these daily and manually add Fauna Marin balling salts accordingly.
This is very labour intensive, and recently I have invested in a GHL independent three pump doser which has made life a lot more simple.
I have experimented with Grotech trace elements in recent months, but I am still undecided as to whether these make any real difference.
Keeping the correct Calcium and KH levels has been the single most important thing I have done to assist coral growth. I used to test for these daily and manually add Fauna Marin balling salts accordingly.This is very labour intensive, and recently I have invested in a GHL independent three pump doser which has made life a lot more simple.
I have experimented with Grotech trace elements in recent months, but I am still undecided as to whether these make any real difference.
FTS 6th July 2011
FTS 13th September 2011
8 Automation
Other than the doser, the most fancy piece of kit I can shout about here is a digital thermometer and a couple of B&Q timers for the lights.
I have considered using a GHL controller in the past but decided against it. Mainly due to the cost of them, and the limited benefits that I feel it would add to my system.
I have considered using a GHL controller in the past but decided against it. Mainly due to the cost of them, and the limited benefits that I feel it would add to my system.
9 Feeding
I feed the fish mainly New Era Marine Flakes (2-3 times a day), and occasionally mysis or garlic enriched brine shrimp. The tangs also get the odd strip of seaweed during the day.
I also use Aqualabs (now D-D) LPS and SPS food which I use 1-2 times a week, depending on nutrient levels. I also have Cyclopeeze in the freezer which I add when I remember I have it.
I feed the tank lightly as a general rule, in order to maintain the lowest nutrients I can, but I have been increasing this recently as the fish have grown.
I also use Aqualabs (now D-D) LPS and SPS food which I use 1-2 times a week, depending on nutrient levels. I also have Cyclopeeze in the freezer which I add when I remember I have it.
I feed the tank lightly as a general rule, in order to maintain the lowest nutrients I can, but I have been increasing this recently as the fish have grown.
10 Husbandry
I spend a lot of time watching my tank and I visually check all fish and corals on a daily basis, looking for any signs of disease or parasites.
I do a 10% weekly water change using either Tropic Marin pro reef or D-D salt. At the same time I clean the skimmer cup.
I test for Ca and KH daily, and test for Nitrate, Phosphate, PH and Magnesium weekly.
The Rowa gets changed monthly.
I have magnetic algae cleaners for the front and side glass. I rarely clean the back because, as the corals grew, I just ended up inadvertently 'fragging' them through clumsiness.
Now the tank is full, I rarely frag any corals and I just allow them to grow in amongst each other to help add to the natural look.
I do a 10% weekly water change using either Tropic Marin pro reef or D-D salt. At the same time I clean the skimmer cup.
I test for Ca and KH daily, and test for Nitrate, Phosphate, PH and Magnesium weekly.
The Rowa gets changed monthly.
I have magnetic algae cleaners for the front and side glass. I rarely clean the back because, as the corals grew, I just ended up inadvertently 'fragging' them through clumsiness.
Now the tank is full, I rarely frag any corals and I just allow them to grow in amongst each other to help add to the natural look.
11 ProblemsInitially I had problems with microbubbles in the tank which caused me no end of grief for months on end.....until the problem finally resolved itself.
I also seem to get a lot of macroalgae growth in the tank despite having three tangs.
Recently I have had a lot of problems with a loss of colour in my montipora which many of the members have been helping me with. At present, a recent tube change looks like the most likely cause.
As with any tank, little problems always crop up and I find I am still on a very steep learning curve when it comes to keeping SPS
I also seem to get a lot of macroalgae growth in the tank despite having three tangs.Recently I have had a lot of problems with a loss of colour in my montipora which many of the members have been helping me with. At present, a recent tube change looks like the most likely cause.
As with any tank, little problems always crop up and I find I am still on a very steep learning curve when it comes to keeping SPS
12 Fish
I have picked my fish very carefully for this tank and I am very happy with what I have. I have enjoyed watching their behaviour and growth over the last few months, and they live peacefully together. They were added very slowly over an eight month period.
My current fish list is:
Kole tang
Yellow Tang
Red Sea Sailfin Tang
Percula Clown
4 x Bartlett Anthias (1 male, 3 females)
Iridis Wrasse
2 x Striped Mandarins
My current fish list is:
Kole tang
Yellow Tang
Red Sea Sailfin Tang
Percula Clown
4 x Bartlett Anthias (1 male, 3 females)
Iridis Wrasse
2 x Striped Mandarins
13 Corals
I have really developed a love for SPS corals since starting this tank and it has led me to buy far more of them then I originally planned.
As a result, the tank has developed quite a natural look to it and I am very very pleased with the way the corals have grown and formed part of the aqua scape.
The LPS and softies that came across from my old tank are also now thriving and everything is growing well.
As a result, the tank has developed quite a natural look to it and I am very very pleased with the way the corals have grown and formed part of the aqua scape.
The LPS and softies that came across from my old tank are also now thriving and everything is growing well.
14 Invertebrates
I have 2 cleaner shrimps and 2 blood shrimps, all of which act as a cleaning station for most of the fish. Seeing them interact is one of my favourite things that I see in the tank.I also have 6 red legged hermit crabs which keep the coarse gravel substrate nice and clean.
15 Final Thoughts
My impatience and love for corals has led me to create a tank that looks relatively mature considering it is only 12 months old. I constantly strive to make my tank look as good as I possibly can and its always difficult to know when to stop buying, moving, selling, and fragging corals.
For those of you who follow my thread, you will know that I was recently considering stripping the tank of all softies and LPS, and going to an SPS only aquarium. Although, after being voted as TOTM, it has made me reconsider this. In the end, I removed most of the soft corals and placed all the SPS in the best locations possible.
I have been fortunate enough to experience good growth and health with most of my animals and I consider it a privilege to be able to keep them. I sit there staring into my tank at night and, like most of us, sit back in amazement that I am fortunate enough to have my own little slice of the ocean.
I love this hobby and could never give it up.
As for the future, this aquarium will be with me for years to come, but what I stock within it may change as time goes by.
For those of you who follow my thread, you will know that I was recently considering stripping the tank of all softies and LPS, and going to an SPS only aquarium. Although, after being voted as TOTM, it has made me reconsider this. In the end, I removed most of the soft corals and placed all the SPS in the best locations possible.
I have been fortunate enough to experience good growth and health with most of my animals and I consider it a privilege to be able to keep them. I sit there staring into my tank at night and, like most of us, sit back in amazement that I am fortunate enough to have my own little slice of the ocean.
I love this hobby and could never give it up.
As for the future, this aquarium will be with me for years to come, but what I stock within it may change as time goes by.
FTS before the changes
Current FTS
16 Acknowledgments
Firstly, thank you to all of you who voted for my tank. I genuinely never expected I could ever match up to some of the other tanks on this forum.
A big thank you has to go out to everyone at the New Member Help Team for all of their patience, help and advice along the way, and a big thanks to John (Zimreef) who made a 100 mile round trip to come and offer first hand help when I was at my wits end with a problem.
I also have to acknowledge the help and advice of Rory and Pete from the aquatic centre at Homeleigh Garden Centre in Launceston. Their customer service and aftercare is second to none and they have always been on hand for any questions or queries I have had.
Also, thank you to my parents for looking after the tank when I am away.
My biggest thanks has to go to my partner Samantha. She has always supported and encouraged me in my hobby and never moaned at the suggestion of a trip to the LFS. She is the single biggest reason that I have accomplished what I have and I could not have done it without her.
Sam - You know how much I love my aquarium, but know its always a distant second to you.
Thank you to everyone for reading.
A big thank you has to go out to everyone at the New Member Help Team for all of their patience, help and advice along the way, and a big thanks to John (Zimreef) who made a 100 mile round trip to come and offer first hand help when I was at my wits end with a problem.
I also have to acknowledge the help and advice of Rory and Pete from the aquatic centre at Homeleigh Garden Centre in Launceston. Their customer service and aftercare is second to none and they have always been on hand for any questions or queries I have had.
Also, thank you to my parents for looking after the tank when I am away.
My biggest thanks has to go to my partner Samantha. She has always supported and encouraged me in my hobby and never moaned at the suggestion of a trip to the LFS. She is the single biggest reason that I have accomplished what I have and I could not have done it without her.
Sam - You know how much I love my aquarium, but know its always a distant second to you.
Thank you to everyone for reading.
Please leave your comments and questions on the Tank of the Month thread at UltimateReef.com.
Fact File
Water Parameters
Temperature: 24-26
pH: 8
Salinity: 1.026
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: 0-0.024
Calcium: 420-450
KH: 8-10
Magnesium: 1350
Equipment
Skimmer: Bubble Magus NAC7
Pumps: Vortech MP10, Koralia 4000lph
Heaters: Interpet 300w
Phosphate Reactor: Phosban 150 with Eheim 600 lph pump
Dosing Pump(s): GHL triple independant doser
Lights: ATI 6x54w Powermodule
Ultra Violet: TMC V2 Vecton 600 25w UV
RO Unit: D-D 50 GPH with DI resin
Other reactors: Bio Pearls in a Phosban 150 reactor
Tank Specifications
Tank Dimensions: 60" x 18" x 18"
Sump Dimensions (1): 48" x 12" x 12"
Tank Volume: 300 litres
System Volume: 400 litres