Hi Folks,
Ozi here from Downunder in Melbourne- about to start a journey back into Reefing.
As a bit of background, I've been around aquariums for almost all the 50 years of my life (a hobby picked up from my dad who started it in Germany). I slowly progressed through various Amazonian and SE Asain Freshwater setups, through to more complicated Malawi tanks and then Tanangnikan Tropheus ecosystems (learnt a lot from those sensitive fish).
About a decade ago I tried a reef setup. After thousands of dollars and many hard lessons, I was moderately successful, but nothing to write home about. Now after a 7-year hiatus and in a new apartment I planning to try reach the pinnacle of the hobby - A true SPS reef - but preparing for the climb with slow methodical patience and planning that I have finally understood is the only acceptable approach.
The plan for my small(ish) city-centre modern apartment is a setup totalling about 1000l (250gal) across three inter-connected tanks:
But before any of that comes the balcony processing plant - Two custom made large wood boxes - The first contains a 400l tub for processing 200Kg of Live Rock over the next 9 months to make it ready for the 650. The Tub is equipped with over 30,000lph flow - in the form of a Jebao 15000 that is PVC plumbed to circulate flow from directly under the rock to the surface, and another 15000lph of Gyres and powerheads. As its basically outside the tub has 5cm thick insulating board around it and temperature controlled with an Inkbird 308, with heater. When the Oz summer starts I also have fans, Auto-top-up and a 1/2hp chiller to keep things stable. As I want not just mature LR but also coralline, the tun box has a 108W reef led and kalkwasswer stirrer that the RODI top-up flows through. Additionally, I will be running a Turbo Aquatics L4 ATS in the tub to mature before moving across to the tanks.
Slow and steady is the approach this time - with lessons from the past and reading mountains of great info from you good folks, I hope by this time next year I have something pretty special to show.
But for now, all I can offer are some fairly uninspiring balcony tub pics.
Ozi here from Downunder in Melbourne- about to start a journey back into Reefing.
As a bit of background, I've been around aquariums for almost all the 50 years of my life (a hobby picked up from my dad who started it in Germany). I slowly progressed through various Amazonian and SE Asain Freshwater setups, through to more complicated Malawi tanks and then Tanangnikan Tropheus ecosystems (learnt a lot from those sensitive fish).
About a decade ago I tried a reef setup. After thousands of dollars and many hard lessons, I was moderately successful, but nothing to write home about. Now after a 7-year hiatus and in a new apartment I planning to try reach the pinnacle of the hobby - A true SPS reef - but preparing for the climb with slow methodical patience and planning that I have finally understood is the only acceptable approach.
The plan for my small(ish) city-centre modern apartment is a setup totalling about 1000l (250gal) across three inter-connected tanks:
- In around a month from now, I will be bringing in a 150l Cube that will be the starter tank for SPS frags, that will eventually (when SPS colonies are transferred) be home for a Purple Magnifica Anenome and a colony of clowns.
- Connected to the Cube (on the other side of the living room) will be a 170l Remote Deep Sandbed - The processing plan of my setup. Multiple chambers running in W shape with water processing across 70l of DSB and a further 70l of Marine Pure bio balls and blocks. A Turbo ATS L4 sits over this tank and its all contained in a 100cm x 60cm x 200cm ventilated cabinet.
- In April next year, I will be gifting myself (for my 50th) a Red Sea Peninsular 650, that will back onto the cabinet and be hooked into the well-matured DSB and 150 tanks.
But before any of that comes the balcony processing plant - Two custom made large wood boxes - The first contains a 400l tub for processing 200Kg of Live Rock over the next 9 months to make it ready for the 650. The Tub is equipped with over 30,000lph flow - in the form of a Jebao 15000 that is PVC plumbed to circulate flow from directly under the rock to the surface, and another 15000lph of Gyres and powerheads. As its basically outside the tub has 5cm thick insulating board around it and temperature controlled with an Inkbird 308, with heater. When the Oz summer starts I also have fans, Auto-top-up and a 1/2hp chiller to keep things stable. As I want not just mature LR but also coralline, the tun box has a 108W reef led and kalkwasswer stirrer that the RODI top-up flows through. Additionally, I will be running a Turbo Aquatics L4 ATS in the tub to mature before moving across to the tanks.
Slow and steady is the approach this time - with lessons from the past and reading mountains of great info from you good folks, I hope by this time next year I have something pretty special to show.
But for now, all I can offer are some fairly uninspiring balcony tub pics.
