Ash's 400 Gallon Reef

Ashish Patel · Sep 15, 2026

McPuff said:
A year ago my nitrates were over 200 and after adding a nitrate destroyer reactor I've been able to get it down to 30 or so (I need to test to make sure it's not much lower!). Actually 40ppm isn't a bad value at all. I have the opposite problem with phosphates so I continue to use GFO to reduce them (also need to test again!).

I have typically had the same issue not being able to keep millepora... although I currently have 2 and they have been doing really well for a couple of months. Staying colorful and fuzzy! I really don't know why though. But I'm at the point where I will just keep whatever is doing well and not sweat the rest of it. I like the look of a smaller number of big colonies so whatever corals give me that reef will stay in my tank.

My phosphates drop because of the vodka dosing. I am dosing about 22ml per day and honestly I think i could create additional issues if I try to force the nitrates down. I think its the number of fish and how much I feed them. I have been ramping up my light intensity the last weeks and notice a big improvement. Especially on the bleeding tree which is starting to put out branches after 5 years of encrusting..maybe the next batch of corals will do better now that the tank is more established. But I hate that I cant even keep zoas..they are supposed to be bullet proof

Ashish Patel · Oct 15, 2026

Its time to setup a frag tank, my sump frag tank is a total failure, aiptasia growing all over the frag rack, not able to add inverts or fish because i dont have a proper divider, MP40 and light spill into the sump just creates a mess. So the goal is to not spend any money doing this, use my existing radions and Mp40, Tee my vectra m1 that feeds my protein skimmer and ATS and just have a 30-40 gallon dedicated frag tank next to the sump. This way I can actually have a place to add my frags and see them. Stay tune.

Ashish Patel · Oct 16, 2026

Look at me trying to take macro shots with my smartphone. The bleeding tree has got me pumped. Easily my favorite acro ever only took 5 years of encrusting.

Ashish Patel · Saturday at 10:53 AM

So its time to retire this sump frag tank mess. I got a 30 gallon frag tank coming so moved my kalk setup next to the QT setup. Hopefully I can grow frags in this area and enjoy watching them. It will be alot of plumbing length but will just tee into my skimmer feed pump. I am wondering if I should use T5s with the radions.

Ashish Patel · Sunday at 4:32 PM

Your boy is going to finally try to build this white oak stand. Still need to buy some baseboards but figured id use AI to help visualize the look

Ashish Patel · 2026-11-04T23:14:55-0500

Just finished plumbing to my frag tank. Figured id rework the ATS plumbing so it stops leaking from the top. I also decided to run plumbing to my QT for each water changes from the main display. Only thing left is to finish the drain from the QT to sink.

Gumbies R Us · 2026-11-05T09:22:32-0500

Ashish Patel said:
Just finished plumbing to my frag tank. Figured id rework the ATS plumbing so it stops leaking from the top. I also decided to run plumbing to my QT for each water changes from the main display. Only thing left is to finish the drain from the QT to sink.

Can't wait to see that tank once it is full of frags!