"A good skimmer, deep sandbed, high-quality live rock, and good lighting is all you need for a successful tank.
The simpler the better. Think of it as this - the more equipment you have, the more things are prone to go wrong!"
My tank is a 180 gallon All-Glass Reef Ready Tank. This is a great looking tank that I would highly recommend to anybody.
The tank is 72"x24"x24". The 24" depth is great because it gives me more space to place the rocks and other specimens such as clams and SPS frags in the substrate without worrying about rocks falling on them.
Here is a picture of the some-what completed setup.
Controller |
Neptune AquaController III ( website) DC 8 DC4HD |
Hood & Stand |
In-wall system with it's own tank room. The stand is made out of 2x4s and there is no hood. |
Lighting |
3 250 watt 14.5K MegaChrome HQI bulbs on PFO mini pendant.
All bulbs running on IceCap Electronic Ballasts. |
Fans |
8" Clamp-on fan blows across the top of the tank
8" Clamp-on sump fan |
Skimmer |
Geo Skimmer (beckett) running on a PanWorld pump.
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Heater |
200 Watt VisiTherm Heater controlled by AquaController III. |
Ozone |
ENALY Ozone Generator OZX-300U + Air Dryer controlled by AquaController III. |
TopOff |
Grainger Float Switch attached to a small mijijet and a 5 gal reservoir. I use RO/DI water and I add a tablespoon of kalkwasser. |
Circulation |
Return Pump is a Reef-Flo Dart
In-Tank circulation done by VorTech pump and a Tunze Wave Box |
Sump |
Custom-made acrylic sump. (50 gallons) |
Reactor |
Geo Calcium Reactor (2 chambers) controlled by AquaController III. |
RO/DI |
Kent Marine High-Silican 60 gpd unit. |
Backup Battery |
1500VA APC Backup battery that runs a single MJ1200. In case of power loss, backup battery can maintain tank flow for up to 4 hrs. |
Phosphate Reactor |
Kent Marine Phosphate Reactor. I also use Phosban as media. The reactor's flow is provided by a miniJet. The reactor is located in the sump. |
Feeding |
Tank is fed once a day.
Day A: Frozen Mysis, Frozen Daphnia, Freeze Dried Cyclopeze, Spirulina flake, Golden Pearls, Frozen Brine Shrim. All food is soaked in Selcon.
Day B: Frozen Rotifers, Freeze Dried Cyclopeze. All food soaked in Selcon.
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Additives |
Daily: Reef Solution
Weekly: Salifert Coral All-in-One
Daily: Kalkwasser added to topoff reservoir (5 gal) at the rate of one tablespoon per water refill. |
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Always ask questions. Email people and ask them about their experiences. People in the hobby are always willing to help you and unlike Local Fish Stores (LFS), they have nothing to gain by helping you.
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An online magazine for the marine aquarist. |
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What to do about a kalkwasser overdose. |
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See what one hobbyist did with his own two hands. |
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Jake Harvey describes his 90-gallon reef aquarium. |
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A brief description and profile of the Blue Throat Trigger Fish. |
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