Custom 100 gallon built in stair landing with slide access

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Ancient Mariner

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Part 8

Overgrown Reef


IMG_3243.jpeg


This is year 4.5! And the reef has grown fully to the surface with significant shading and flow restrictions. The top half of the reef are large fast growing Acropora sp. like Cali Tort, ORA The Carl, Green Slimer, Pink Cadillac, and WWC Yellow Tip. The shading is pretty significant that most Acropora at mid tank have suffered and I have lost several Acropora colonies that were doing well at lower light levels but then became too shaded (eg ORA Pearlberry). Similarly all the stylophora and Seriatopora have done poorly. Acropora carduus (Red Dragon) is doing great at the bottom as they are low light species.

The bottom of the reef is doing OK with pavona, ORA Sprung Stunner, pocillopora, and sinularia sp.

The fish are doing well with the 7 Chromis still all getting along. I lost the Citrinis clown goby. It was a pig and did very well, but I think it has a short life span. Tangs, clowns, Anthias, and angel are thriving still.

I haven’t added a thing in a year and a half. I still only add 2 part Ca/buffer along with the Ca reactor. I feed the fish heavily with no specific coral feeding or trace element/nutrient supplementation.

The major task is to trim back the reef slowly as to not make it look mown down!
 
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Abyzter

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Current status Feb2024:
IMG_3243.jpeg



Oct 2022:
55779E9A-0EA3-4886-857F-5F681DD98558.jpeg


This built in 100g reef was constructed in 2003 when we did a major whole house renovation. It was placed inside the landing of the stairs as that really was the only location for a built in aquarium that didn’t require the construction of an additional wall/room/area. To have the tank at eye level when sitting, the top of the tank had to be very close to the floor joist in which the metal halides were to be placed. This imposed design challenges for lighting, temperature control and tank access. The area below the stair landing was developed into a cramped aquarium room. It has a sink, tiled shower pan with drain, 6 outlets on 2 different circuits, and a ventilation fan with an in line supplemental fan that is constantly on. It is accessed through the coat closet.

I had decent success although suffered 3 major crashes. I replaced the display tank in December 2019.

This build thread will concentrate on the development of the replacement tank.

Display tank: 2019 custom acrylic with no center brace 40”X24”HX26”D with exterior overflow box.

Sump: 55g stock acrylic tank (Tenocor 2003) with 4 drilled holes (1”? I can’t recall the exact size) for external pumps. I only use 2, 1 for return pump and 1 for skimmer

Return pump: Iwaki MD-40XRT

Skimmer: external Aqua-C EV-240 driven by Iwaki MD-40RT

Lights:
2 400w MH (20K) —Hamilton Lighting fixture built into floor joist of stair landing.

2 Reefbrite XHO 50/50 36” strips that just rest on top of the tank without mountings.

Circulation pumps:
2 MP-40 Vortech
1 4K maxspect gyre

Calcium reactor:
Korallin C-1502

Chiller: Arctica 1/3 hp

Details of the build to follow!

8D0D352C-6142-4A57-9E06-A20E8C84F980.jpeg BF0A3042-ECA0-4AEE-BF5A-103A01B84D4E.jpeg 9435B33A-5ADA-41C1-83F6-9FF51F7120AD.jpeg
I'm excited to see how your tank turns out!
 

Peter Houde

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I've seen your posts before, and surprised that some others haven't. Yes, what you built is unique, spectacular, and something to truly be proud of. But, what I want to know is...
 

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I've seen your posts before, and surprised that some others haven't. Yes, what you built is unique, spectacular, and something to truly be proud of. But, what I want to know is...
Those are purple stylophoras. They did well and grew large and hosted a couple of trapezia crabs. Unfortunately they have both faded away (and a third one in the back of the tank) as they got shaded by their neighboring corals. I actually lost a green stylophora and an ORA stellar stylophora as well. And similarly I lost a pink, green, and ORA Bird of Paradise Seriatopora. All these corals were towards the bottom of the reef as they preferred lower light and did great until they got too shaded.
 

Peter Houde

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Those are purple stylophoras. They did well and grew large and hosted a couple of trapezia crabs. Unfortunately they have both faded away (and a third one in the back of the tank) as they got shaded by their neighboring corals. I actually lost a green stylophora and an ORA stellar stylophora as well. And similarly I lost a pink, green, and ORA Bird of Paradise Seriatopora. All these corals were towards the bottom of the reef as they preferred lower light and did great until they got too shaded.
Very nice, thanks. Any advice as to how you got them to grow tall and tight instead of a ball?
 
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Very nice, thanks. Any advice as to how you got them to grow tall and tight instead of a ball?
I didn’t do anything special. I placed three different specimens in three different areas with relatively moderate light (16-18” from 400w metal halides) with moderate flow. They initially turned pinkish. But then developed into the deep purple with white tips. Maybe it’s the lower light.
 
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I finally did a full slate of testing. I was pretty lax on water changes over the winter and really didn’t test alk for a few months. When I finally tested my alk was 15 DkH!!! I don’t know how long it was at this level but everything was fine in the tank. I stopped 2 part Ca/alk dosing and did a couple of 30 gallon water changes.

Current water test results:
Specific gravity 1.025
pH 7.7
Alk 10.4 DkH
Ca 430
Nitrate 50 ppm
Phosphate 0.5 ppm

The tank is humming along. I have the usual bubble algae and Aiptasia levels that I’ve had for years. It’s not really noticeable and I don’t do any bubble algae harvesting anymore. I don’t have any hair algae although it does show up on the acropora tips that reach the water surface. I’ve trimmed those tips back. I have introduced 12 Berghia nudibranchs a month ago mainly because I’ve seen one or two Aiptasia in between some coral branches. Again not a problem but I just took that as a sign that I should stay on top of the Aiptasia.

I now only run the calcium reactor and not the 2 part Ca/alk via the automatic doser and I will continue to do monthly or twice monthly water changes. I’ll accept current test levels and do nothing more.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 71 37.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 63 33.5%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.3%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 14.9%
  • Other.

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