Chez's High-Performance Reef System

[mpokerdonk]

Hey everyone, I’m Chez, based in the Bay Area. I’ve been reefing for just under a year, and I’ve approached this hobby like a living science project. My focus is on stability, coral vitality, and accelerated growth through precision control and creative system design.

System Overview

Tank: Red Sea Reefer 425XL

Lights: 4x RL90s

Filtration: Roller mat, protein skimmer with ozone, carbon reactor

Controller: Neptune Apex + Trident

Support Systems: CO₂ scrubber, magnetic stir kalkwasser, chiller, leak sensors

Nutrients:

Nitrate (NO₃): Maintained between 10–20 ppm

Phosphate (PO₄): Kept in the 0.1–0.2 ppm range for optimal balance



Livestock

Corals: Acropora, Montipora, Zoanthids, Leathers, LPS

Anemone: Large, 2 large vibrant Colorado Sunburst Bubble Tip and a large RBTA

Fish: 20+ including tangs, hawkfish, blenny, and gobies

Inverts: Shrimp, emerald crabs, conchs, nassarius snails, hermits


Approach

My system is built around pH stability, nutrient balance, and flow optimization

Coral feeding, light control, and chemistry are all tuned for predictable growth

Everything is tracked and adjusted based on observation and response

This tank is my test bed for building a reefing brand and eventual store


I’m excited to be here and connect with other advanced reefers in the Bay Area. Appreciate the inspiration this community puts out, and I’m happy to share what I learn along the way.

 

[Srt4eric]

Welcome to the best club ever!!! I'm going to move this over to the tank journal section. Looking forward to seeing updates on this system. What part of the Bay are you in?

Also consider becoming a supporting member. It's the best $30 you can spend in this hobby and it comes with a lot of benefits.

 

[mpokerdonk]

Welcome to the best club ever!!! I'm going to move this over to the tank journal section. Looking forward to seeing updates on this system. What part of the Bay are you in?

Also consider becoming a supporting member. It's the best $30 you can spend in this hobby and it comes with a lot of benefits.

I am from the east bay. Where does it talk about the benefits of being a support member? I will do it anyways because this is my passion and I like to support everyone who shares the same passion

 

[dangalang]

I am from the east bay. Where does it talk about the benefits of being a support member? I will do it anyways because this is my passion and I like to support everyone who shares the same passion

How do I become a Supporting Member?

Bay Area Reefers (BAR) Membership Welcome to the San Francisco Bay Area's largest reef club! What YOU get as a BAR Member: Access to equipment such as: PAR Meter Inland Coral Bandsaw or Gryphon Bandsaw Fish Trap Large or Small Suction Cups for tank moves CO2 Meter Calibration Thermometer...

www.bareefers.org

 

[derek_SR]

When did you set up your tank? Welcome!

 

[Turkeysammich]

Welcome. Looking forward to seeing your journey.

 

[JVU]

You seem very confident, so you must be relatively new to the hobby. Welcome, and I hope your setbacks despite doing everything “optimally” are less painful than average.

 

[gmdcdvm]

Welcome, and looks like you play poker too!

 

[Darkxerox]

Welcome! Would love to hear why you made your choices in gear and where you've gathered your reefing knowledge so far. The new reefing experience can be pretty tough so feel free to ask questions here before spending hard earned money.

 

[mpokerdonk]

When did you set up your tank? Welcome!

I set my tank up a year ago, but I bought it 4 years ago and was in thr hobby for 4 months but needed more space at my house so I compromised with my wife and said okay well the next house I'm gonna get is bigger and I am putting it back up. So here we are

 

[mpokerdonk]

Welcome, and looks like you play poker too!

Yes sir I was a professional for 2 decades

 

[mpokerdonk]

You seem very confident, so you must be relatively new to the hobby. Welcome, and I hope your setbacks despite doing everything “optimally” are less painful than average.

Yes I guess a year and a half is fairly new.