I figure I’m way overdue to write up my current tank, which I started in the Summer of 2017.
I’ve been reef-keeping continuously since about 2000, and have had 3 tanks sequentially during the time, each progressively larger and more complicated (and more successful). My first was a 45 gallon bow-front without a sump, with HOB fudge and HOB skimmer, almost no testing, some hand dosing by guesstimation but mainly water changes, mostly softies and easy fish. Several of my current fish are from that first tank. My previous tanks were pretty limited by time and cost constraints, largely on auto-pilot, but still a lot of fun.
With this tank, I decided to try to “do it right” by figuring out and using some of the best options in each category, and giving myself a larger budget to match. Since it’s in the family/TV room, aesthetics, tidiness, and quiet running are almost as important as function. My wife and I decided I’d have only 1 tank, so I wanted to have lots of diversity within a single mixed reef tank, which has it’s own challenges.
Equipment:
Tank: Red Sea Reefer 750 XXL (160 gallon display)
Controller: Apex 2016, Fusion
Lights: Kessil AP700 x2 (recently upgraded to Kessil A360X x8)
Flow: Gyre XF-250 x2
Return: Reef Octopus Varios 8, run at setting 3/5
Skimmer: Reef Octopus Regal 200INT with Varios pump
Refugium light: Kessil H380
Carbon reactor: BRS Deluxe reactor, originally with MJ1200 pump
Reactor media: ROX 0.8 carbon, GFO high-capacity, mixed
UV sterilizer: LifeGard Pro-Max 55 watt
UV/carbon pump: Innovative Marine MightyJet midsize
Heaters: 300W Finnex titanium heaters x2, controlled by Apex, backup InkBirds x2
Dosing: DOS x2, Triton Core7, DDR for parts 1 & 2, DIY container for 3a & 3b
ATO: Tunze ATO from a 5 gallon bucket
ATO of ATO: Tunze Water Controller fills the 5g bucket in batches from the RODI
RODI: Prefilter, carbon x2, 100 gpd membrane x2, DI x2
Other Apex accessories: Water alarm sensors x4, AFS feeder for when away
I’ll start out with some pics from a couple days ago right before I changed out my lights. I’ve done a lot of research, tinkering, experimentation, and changes throughout the process, some of which may be interesting to people. In upcoming posts I’ll fill in lots of other details (not particularly in chronological order) as I get the time.
I’ve been reef-keeping continuously since about 2000, and have had 3 tanks sequentially during the time, each progressively larger and more complicated (and more successful). My first was a 45 gallon bow-front without a sump, with HOB fudge and HOB skimmer, almost no testing, some hand dosing by guesstimation but mainly water changes, mostly softies and easy fish. Several of my current fish are from that first tank. My previous tanks were pretty limited by time and cost constraints, largely on auto-pilot, but still a lot of fun.
With this tank, I decided to try to “do it right” by figuring out and using some of the best options in each category, and giving myself a larger budget to match. Since it’s in the family/TV room, aesthetics, tidiness, and quiet running are almost as important as function. My wife and I decided I’d have only 1 tank, so I wanted to have lots of diversity within a single mixed reef tank, which has it’s own challenges.
Equipment:
Tank: Red Sea Reefer 750 XXL (160 gallon display)
Controller: Apex 2016, Fusion
Lights: Kessil AP700 x2 (recently upgraded to Kessil A360X x8)
Flow: Gyre XF-250 x2
Return: Reef Octopus Varios 8, run at setting 3/5
Skimmer: Reef Octopus Regal 200INT with Varios pump
Refugium light: Kessil H380
Carbon reactor: BRS Deluxe reactor, originally with MJ1200 pump
Reactor media: ROX 0.8 carbon, GFO high-capacity, mixed
UV sterilizer: LifeGard Pro-Max 55 watt
UV/carbon pump: Innovative Marine MightyJet midsize
Heaters: 300W Finnex titanium heaters x2, controlled by Apex, backup InkBirds x2
Dosing: DOS x2, Triton Core7, DDR for parts 1 & 2, DIY container for 3a & 3b
ATO: Tunze ATO from a 5 gallon bucket
ATO of ATO: Tunze Water Controller fills the 5g bucket in batches from the RODI
RODI: Prefilter, carbon x2, 100 gpd membrane x2, DI x2
Other Apex accessories: Water alarm sensors x4, AFS feeder for when away
I’ll start out with some pics from a couple days ago right before I changed out my lights. I’ve done a lot of research, tinkering, experimentation, and changes throughout the process, some of which may be interesting to people. In upcoming posts I’ll fill in lots of other details (not particularly in chronological order) as I get the time.
