R2R Reef of the Month Spotlight: Rob's 300g Deep Dimension - January 2018

Introduction:

I have been in the reefing hobby since 1996 close to 22 yrs. I've had freshwater aquariums since I was 7 yrs old, so I'm considered an old hand and pretty much a lifer. No breaks by the way, always had a tank running. A lot has changed since I started, the only information available were found in books, Marine Atlas was my bible. Now the information highway we call the internet, has so much information makes this hobby a whole lot easier.

This tank has been up and running since 2013 upgraded from a 185g which I had for 9 years prior. I've had about 3 reboots due to too much growth, which is a good problem and keeps my love of this hobby interesting and what I consider a piece of art that's always changing.



System Profile:

• Display tank: Marine Land 300g Deep Dimension 72" x 36" x 27"
• Glass or Acrylic: Glass
• Stand: Custom built by me
• Sump: Advanced Acrylics Custom 100 Sump 48" x 24" x 20"
• Grow-out tank: 80g Frag Tank 48" x 24" x 16"
• Protein skimmer: ATB 1050a Protein Skimmer
• Carbon/phosphate filtration: BRS Dual Reactor, hardly used
• Return pump: Fluval SP6
• Water circulation: Vortech MP60 x3, Vortech MP40, CoralBox QP16 x2
• Lighting (display): 60" ATI Led Powermodules 8x80w T5 4X75w Leds, 2x 72" BML Leds 20k, and 1 Actinic
• Lighting (grow-out): Custom Fixture by Scotts Design, 4x54w T5, Kessil 360we x2
• Lighting (refugium): 5000k Bulb
• Calcium Reactor: Geo 818 Calcium Reactor
• Auto top-off: Tunze Osmolator 3155
• Heating/cooling: Fluval 200w
• System control: Apex Classic
• Any other details: AquaUV 57w

Water Circulation and Flow Summary and Objectives:

I never measured turnover rate, but its maybe close to 10x the water volume. What I consider the 2nd most important element second to water quality is flow and I have lots of it and I like it chaotic and provide great exercise for my fish. I advise it all the time, to always get enough flow especially in a SPS dominant tank.



Water Parameters:

• Temp: 80
• pH: 7.9-8.4
• Specific gravity: 1.026
• NO3: never check
• Ca: 450
• Alk: 7
• Mg: 1400
• PO4: .38
• Ammonia and nitrites: never check

Lighting Summary and Objectives:

Lighting is the 3rd most important element behind water quality and flow in my book. T5 is my choice for lighting, its time tested and proven. Also I like my display on the daylight side, blues are on only briefly in the first hour and 1 hour before all lights are off. Change out the bulbs once a year on Black Friday when they're on sale, also keeps me on track when I need to change them.



Photoperiod:

• Display tank: Leds come on at 10am to 10pm, First set of 4 T5 come on at 12pm to 8pm, 2nd set of 4 T5 come on at 1:30pm to 7:30pm
• Grow-out tank: same as my main schedule.
• Refugium: midnight to noon

Filtration and Water Quality Summary and Objectives:

Water Quality is the most important element in reef keeping. I use the EcoSystem Miracle Mud method, been using it since day 1. with a very efficient skimmer 24/7 is what works best for me and no filter socks. I change out 25lbs of miracle mud once a year. Love to keep dense Feather Caulerpa in my fuge, only trim when I need to. As far as testing, I don't chase numbers and don't test very often, only test alk once a month. Your eyes is the most important tester you can have, and they tell me when there is something wrong. I'm on schedule to do water changes every 2 weeks of about 50g but sometimes go up to 30 days. I never touch the DT, I change the water from the sump, which is plumbed to pump water out to my laundry sink and leave the DT untouched and all I turn off is the Main return pump and let the sump fill up to the highest it can go. Takes about 30 min from start to finish to do a water change.

Changing out the filters on the RODI system is on a calendar schedule.



Tank Inhabitants—Fish:

• Fowleri Tang
• Purple Tang
• Freckled Face Tang
• Gem Tang
• Yellow Tang x2
• Mimic Tang
• Achilles Tang
• Gold Flake Angel
• Golden Dwarf Angel
• Regal Angel
• Mystery Wrasse
• Blue Star Wrasse Pair
• Solar Wrasse
• Yellow Choris Wrasse x2
• Quoyi Parrot fish
• Ring Tail Cardinals x3
• Springeri Damsels x4
• Blue Chromis x2
• Candy Hog
• Blue Throat Jawfish Male
• Borbonius Anthias Pair
• White Cheek Tang
• Bangaii Cardinal x2

Other Invertebrates: Harlequin Shrimp & BTA





Tank Inhabitants— Corals: SPS

• RR Wolverine
• ASD Wolverine
• RR Prometheus
• RR Pink Floyd
• Walt Disney Tenuis
• JF Fox Flame
• ORA Purple Plasma
• ORA Red Planet
• Strawberry Fields Sarmentosa
• CITR Red Dragon
• RMF Last Dragon
• O St Rainbow Mille
• Oregon Tort
• TFP Purple Austera
• TFP Green Table
• Rob's Feathermoon Efflo
• 500 efflo
• Neptune Ultimate Shortcake
• Bali Green Slimer
• Ultimate Blue Stag
• Karl's Candlelight
• RMF Superman Stag
• Garf Bonsai
• Gemmiferra
• ORA Purple Stylo
• ORA Green Stylo
• Sour Apple BN
• Oculus TDF
• Tyree Blue Matrix
• ORA Rose Mille
• WWC Red Ferrari
• RR Angry Bird
• RR Medusa
• Stuber Stag
• ASD Rainbow
• Various Montiporas
• BC Ultimate Table
• Diablo Mille
• CC Home wrecker
• JF Homewrecker
• Strawberry Shortcake
• Tyree Pink Lemonade
• TFP Miyagi Tort
• WWC Grafted Cap
• WWC Yellow Tip
• Paletta Pink Tip
• Tri Color Valida
• ORA Pearl Berry
• ATL Shades of Fall
• Purple Passion
• RR Royal
• Branching Cyphastria
• Setosa
• Red Fandango
• Vivids Rainbow
• TCK King Acro
• Wet Thumbs Bubblegum Digi
• German Blue Digi
• Rommels Watermelon
• Hawkins Echinata
• Various Maricultured milles
• ORA Birds of Paradise
• PC Rainbow
• BC Sky Dopple
• CC Needle in a Haystack
• RRC Pink Cadillac
• RR Northern Crush
• TCK Pikachu
• ORA Rainbow Stylo
• Polleti Red Robin

I have more, but too much to list..

















Fish and Coral Feeding: I feed my fish 3-4 times a day, combination of pellets, seaweed and mixture of frozen foods.

Who was responsible for getting you into the hobby?

I was already in the aquarium hobby, with my planted Discus tanks, and every time I went to the LFS I always found myself in the salt water aisle, so it was inevitable.

How long have you been doing this?

Reefing 22 years



Who or what in the hobby most influences/inspires you?

Just the overall reef community inspire me, met some great friends through this hobby. What keeps me going is the challenge in keeping my little piece of the ocean in my family room. Also the support of my beautiful wife Joleen, who never questions me on any decisions I make with this hobby.

What are your future plans for improvement/upgrade of the tank?

Purchasing a 84" x 48" x 25" 436g Rimless from Crystal Dynamics Aquarium Mfg. from Oceanside Ca. Hope to have it running by the summer of 2018, so keep a lookout for my build thread.



Final Thoughts?

There has been a lot of changes since I started 22 years ago, And in my honest opinion the Art of Reef Keeping has fallen a bit, and I dont see many full blown reef tanks now a days. Alot of high end collectors with frag tanks. Which I think is fine, its just another part of the hobby. But I always pictured a reef tank with large colonies, and let the corals create the aquascape, and create a beautiful piece of art. I just want to see more of it, whether its a full blown 10g nano or a 500g behemoth.