Coral408’s Max S650 Reef Journey

coral408

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I have been reading and observing member’s tanks on this forum for a while and now for the first time I like to build this thread to share my mixed reef tank’s journey.
Deeply involving in this hobby only just a few years, I hope I can learn more and get valuable advices, inputs from experienced reefers, share some of my successes, and failures in this exciting and challenging hobby.
So here is the tank’s setup:
- ** Equipment
- 150 gal RS Max S650
- 25 gal Sum and refugium with chaeto.
- protein C-schim 1800
- Co2 scrubber
- Apex controller
- Battery back up
- 1 x 300w heater
- 6 stage RODI system
- Coolant AquaEuroUSA 1/4hp
- ** Lighting:
- 4 x Hydra 26HD
- Kessill 160w for Chaeto
- ** Flows:
- Main return RS Max p7000 pump
- 4 circulation pumps
- 1 MP 40
- 2 x Gyre 200
- **Doses:
- Ca Reactor
- Red Sea AB ReefEnergy 15ml/wk
- Reef Roids, Reef Chili once / wk
- RS Trace colors once/wk
- Water changes 20 gallons every 3-4 wks
- Phosphate Rx/ wk
- Parameters :
* Kh 8.0-9.0. using Hanna
* Ca ~ 380 “Hanna
* Mg 1360. “ Red Sea
* Salinity 1250.
* Ph 7.90 - 8.10 “ Hanna
* No3 ~20ppm. “ Red Sea
* PO4 ~ .10-.30 ppm Hanna
- Fishes:
* 3 Lyretail Anthias
* 4 Ocellaris Clownfish
* 2 White Clownfish
* 1 Naso Tang
* 1 Purple Tang
* 1 Yellow Tang
* 1 Sohal Tang
* 1 Leopard Wrasse
* 1 Melanarus Wrasse
Basically, that’s all of my tank’s setup!
I apologize for not a step by step build thread since I started the tank before joining this forum. However, I will try my best to recall what had happened since the beginning with the available photos.
I really appreciate any of your comments and advices.
Here is the tank’s story:
The tank was updated from this 90 gallon tank which I had no idea of how to run successfully a reef tank for years!

069C5FE7-3852-4983-A34F-2A702D2C2BD7.jpeg 7667F1B3-8C53-46EE-868F-55C0F2B52DFE.jpeg 19BB1EA2-5783-4C46-882F-B5278BA0FA29.jpeg 0A06BD39-C8FB-4096-AEA6-C2C2C69D2B7B.jpeg
 
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coral408

coral408

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My first big problem was the uncontrolled growths of Blue Clove Polyps on the rocks. I didn’t realize these pretty color polys could spread like wildfires. Within months, they covered every single rocks of the scape...

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..and choked lots of other corals...

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Fighting the battle with these BCP seemed like forever, I finally claimed victory by ending up breaking down the tank...!! totally got rid of them! ...yeah...!!
...but...with some casualties!
...then, redo my aquascape in Nov 14, 2018

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..alive again..!

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...some more frags...

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everyone seems happy now...

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...most BCP were gone ...!
and..., FTS with a Polyp lab lens.

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coral408

coral408

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Most of LPS and zoanthids came from popular vendors like WWC and TCK Corals while SPS and Acropora were ordered from Top Shelf Aquatic, Unique Corals, AquaSD and some of well known reefers on this forum. just name a few Bubbaque, Mr. V’s Corals...
New acropora was arrived...
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coral408

coral408

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Acropora had improvements but slowly grew due to imbalance of the nutrients, at some times PO4 > 1.0ppm while NO3 ~ 0.2ppm.
Dosing Lanthanum weekly to keep po4 ~ 0.1-0.2ppm and feeding more daily to raise No3 ~ 10-20ppm improved growth.
Photos showed coral growth within 6 months...

A11C915D-099E-495C-84CA-A3C3AC02E851.png 48130342-FD61-409A-B6D9-F037BFDFD654.png 19AD64E8-33D4-48AD-9C13-64796E405FD5.png 79159C15-2379-4C5B-AC46-28C307A28CD9.png 8DC7AA2C-F264-4D47-BEAB-974F2B0541B4.png 510E34C2-795F-456C-8BA6-E8C779074F23.png D7068F56-6327-4116-9A4B-8E8C0B6EC123.png C4448575-E7E3-4CB0-98C1-0A67DB8E50A2.png
 
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coral408

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Lighting set up for Hydra 26 HD is as below graphs with 9 hrs lighting period and 3hrs ramp time...

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coral408

coral408

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As some of reefers in the forum recommended T5 lighting for coral growth, I did add a T5 hybrid later with total of 4 light bulbs, 3 BP + 1CP to my existing AI LED for experiments and found some improvements in colors and growth...

AC27D7A1-6EF7-44CC-A1D3-D7A9D5C1AAFC.png 6FD4B256-FFA0-4DA3-B435-4373264CB7F0.jpeg 43E2117E-A8CD-409F-9C9F-223CABC9F3A4.png 4ADE8701-65D5-4684-85A9-44BC9753E3CC.png E5489216-6C29-478E-B33F-952487321309.png DB92556B-6CD6-4249-AE7A-88188A1BE302.png
 
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coral408

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Rather than to bore you with coral growth , let come to welcome all ... residents of the tanks!

First, here’s my best socialized Naso Tang,

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and, come to the shy Blue Tang,

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Next, an active buddy of the tank, the Yellow Tang,

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Then, the most beautiful but aggressive guy is this Sohal,

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now, here is the elegant and peaceful Leopard Wrass,

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Watch out this Melanarus Wrasse...very very fast...hard to have a good shot!

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and then, the pretty family of Lyretail Anthias,

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Last but not least, communities of Oscellaris and White Clown Fish are constantly on war, especially dinner times...!

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coral408

coral408

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I try to keep reefing as simple as I can.
I am growing chaeto using Kessil 160w for 15hrs/d to control NO3 level.

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Ca RX is main source to provide KH, Ca to the coral. Once in 2-3 months Mg is dosed manually. Recently, I have just learned that Mg can be added to the Carx. So, will try that soon!

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This carx does decent job to keep Ca level ~ 380-420 and Kh~ 8.0 - 8.5. But sometimes the levels swing by the filter and the pump getting stuck with debris. I have to disconnect the
parts and clean frequently.

To keep PO4 level less fluctuation and limit Lanthanum dosing, water changes have been done every 2-3 weeks about 20 gals instead of 5-6wks as before.
Here’s BRS’s 6 stage RO/DI system

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Hm...m..! time to change the filters!
 
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coral408

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ONE YEAR after rescaping, some of acropora have grown into mini to full colonies.

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WWC Dragon Slayer

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Strawberry Shortcake

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WWC Little Red Ferrari
 
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