60 Gallon Office Tank

Sold4jc7

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Instagram: Officereef760

I am excited to share my 60-gallon reef tank, which I upgraded from a 20-gallon office tank almost a year ago. The tank has been up and running for almost a year now, and I'm thrilled with how it's progressing. It's an Aqua Japan (36"x24"x16") 60-gallon reef tank with an external overflow.


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Under the Tank
One of my main goals for this upgrade was to invest in a quality sump system that would allow me to maintain a healthy and balanced environment for my fish and corals. After researching various options, I decided to go with an Advanced Acrylic Hybrid PVC sump, fuge, and frag tank. This system has proven to be an excellent choice for me, as it provides ample space for my equipment, easy maintenance access, and flexibility in how I set up my filtration and refugium.
One of my goals for the tank was to hide the plumbing and wiring. I didn't want my reef tank to look cluttered or unsightly. While it's not perfect and took some time I'm happy with the look.


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Tank Contol

I use a full Apex system from Neptune Systems to keep an eye on my tank's parameters and control my equipment. Additionally, I use the Apex Trident to monitor my alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium levels. To maintain my levels, I use a Neptune Systems controlled dosing with a DoS to keep major trace elements in check.
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Flow
I use a combination of equipment to ensure adequate circulation in my 60-gallon reef tank. Two Ecotech MP 40s and an Ecotech MP 10 provide in tank flow of about 6,400 GPH. While a Cor 15 and a Varios 2 are used for the return pumps. I have been especially surprised by the output of the Varios 2 pump, which feeds the right side tank return and the fuge. The return flow is monitored by Neptune System flow meters. The flow in the sump is about 5xs tank turnover.

Equipment
Clarisea SK-5000
Royal Exclusive BK 160 Mini
AquaUV 25-watt (285 GPH flow rate)
Helio Temperature Controller with BRS heaters
GHL SA2.1 4 head doser
Simply fan for cooling

Lighting
Main display

3 XR 15 Gen 4 Pros
1 AI Prime
2 Quanta Meso blue light bars.
Frag tank
12" AI Blade Grow
12" AI Blade Glow
Refugium
AI Fuge Light

Livestock


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In an effort to reduce the number of fittings and create a clean and streamlined look, I used a unique method to bend the PVC piping for my tank. I packed the PVC with sand and heated it with a heat gun, which allowed me to form the pipe to the desired angle while maintaining its shape. This approach allowed me to create custom curves and angles without the need for additional fittings, resulting in a cleaner and more polished look for my tank.


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Original Scape

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The first week after the upgrade

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March 2023 FTS

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January 2024 FTS

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May 2024 FTS
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Oct 2025 FTS
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Feb 2026 FTS
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Last edited:

Gumbies R Us

God, Bouldering, and Reefing
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Great looking tank!! The stand and how you have it organized looks really nice as well! Love the method you used to bend the pvc pipes, never heard of someone doing that before!!
 
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Sold4jc7

Sold4jc7

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The tank has stayed stable with good coral growth. Kalk is keeping the Ph up between 8.12 and 8.40. Regular ICP tests have helped fine-tune major and minor elements. My biggest struggle is maintaining iodine. I've doubled the iodine dose recommendation by Reef Moonshiners, and the last test showed iodine in the 30s.


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Top Down.

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A few pieces I'm excited to see how they grow out.

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New supplies and supplement organization.


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Gumbies R Us

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The tank has stayed stable with good coral growth. Kalk is keeping the Ph up between 8.12 and 8.40. Regular ICP tests have helped fine-tune major and minor elements. My biggest struggle is maintaining iodine. I've doubled the iodine dose recommendation by Reef Moonshiners, and the last test showed iodine in the 30s.


20240111_092332.jpg



20240111_092105(0).jpg

Top Down.

20240111_093105 (1).jpg


A few pieces I'm excited to see how they grow out.

20240111_092536.jpg


20240111_092837.jpg


20240111_092601.jpg


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New supplies and supplement organization.


20240111_092251.jpg
Amazing looking coral!
 
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Sold4jc7

Sold4jc7

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I got my AquaBiomic test back a while ago. When I upgraded, I used half a bag of Ocean Direct sand and the live rock from my 20-gallon system. I dose Zeobak once a week. The test showed a mature reef.

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Sold4jc7

Sold4jc7

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Here are a few photos to show that the tank is still around and growing. I've replaced a few of the acros with different Tenuis frags. The coral colors are good, and growth requires constant fragging to prevent warfare.

Oct 2025 FTS
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Coral shots

Red Beard
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Strawberry Shortcake
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Battle Coral Backdraft
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The tank looks great. What phosphate, nitrate, and KH levels do you maintain? What brand of salt do you use, and what brand of balling do you use?
 
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Sold4jc7

Sold4jc7

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The tank looks great. What phosphate, nitrate, and KH levels do you maintain? What brand of salt do you use, and what brand of balling do you use?
Thank you for the great questions.

Phosphates: .06-.1
Nitrates: 5-10
KH 7.5-.8.25
Ca 425
Mg 1300

Salt: Nyos Pure.
I take the ICP test from the Nyos salt and make a trace correction to my water change salt. I do AWC with an occasional 5-gallon water change to remove detritus.

I've been using ATI Essentials Pro for 5 years, along with a 30-day mixture of trace elements from Captiv8 Trace and the Reefability app.

100% of my makeup water is dosed with kalk. I use a DOS to add kalk throughout the day to keep my salinity in check and help buffer pH.
 
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Sold4jc7

Sold4jc7

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Quick tank update: Everything is doing well, and the corals are growing at an even faster rate. My Apex brain glitched out on me last week, which forced a full reprogram. It made for a stressful morning, but thankfully, the tank never skipped a beat.
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Ultimate Orange Passion/ Walt Disney/ Malaysian Tenuis
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A Carpet of Magic Carpets

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Left Side
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