Innovative Marine 30 gallon bare bottom mixed reef
Aquarium Profile and Equipment
- What type of saltwater aquarium is this?
- Mixed Reef
- Total Water Volume
- 30
- When did you start this tank?
- Jun 15, 2022
- What is your aquarium made of?
- Glass
- Aquarium Length (inches)
- 36
- Aquarium Width (inches)
- 15
- Aquarium Height (inches)
- 13
- Aquarium Overflow/Drain
- External Overflow
- Aquarium Sump
- YES
- Sump Water Volume
- 7
- Aquarium Stand
- Innovative Marine White Aluminum
- Aquarium Controller
- NO
- Aquarium Controller Make and Model
- Hanna Checkers for Nitrate, Alkalinity, Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphate
- Protein Skimmer
- YES
- Protein Skimmer Make and Model
- Ice Cap K1-Nano
- Aquarium Reactors
- Algae
- Other
- Return Pump
- Coral Box DCA 2000 and Backup Battery V2
- What types of equipment are you using for water flow and circulation?
- Powerhead
- Wavemaker
- Water Flow and Circulation Equipment List
- Two Little Fishies In/Out Overflow and Return, 2 Hygger Mini Wavemakers 1600GPH,
Hygger Wavemaker 1321GPH
- Aquarium Lighting
- LED
- T5 Fluorescent
- Hybrid Fixture
- Lighting Equipment List
- Reefbreeders Meridian 24 on an Aquatic Life adjustable T5 HO Hybrid 4-Lamp Fixture with 2 Blue Plus , 1 True Actinic bulb and 1 purple plus
- Lighting PAR and Goals
- Middle top of aquascape 350 par slightly lower on the sides, 200-100 middle below 100 bottom I love the new meridians,and added them easily to a aquatic life hybrid T5 fixture and love the combo. The T5's provide more UV, violet and light blue. I run them 7 hours during my cycle. My meridians run through a high noon white period then go deep blues later in the day for that evening pop. I wanted full representation of the color spectrum and have achieved it with these lights and my schedule.
- Dosing Equipment
- Calcium
- Alkalinity
- Magnesium
- Other
- Dosing Equipment Detail
- Kamoer F1 Liquid Dosing Pump
- Auto Top Off or ATO
- YES
- Aquarium Heating and Cooling
- I am using a heater or heaters
- Water Temperature
- 76
- Heating and Cooling Equipment Detail
- Heater in my sump
Aquarium Water Chemistry and Parameters
- pH Level
- 8.3
- Specific Gravity
- 1.024
- Nitrate or NO3
- 10-15 ppm
- Phosphate or PO4
- 0.08
- Calcium
- 448
- Alkalinity
- 8.5
- Magnesium
- 1348
- Salt Brand
- natural seawater
- Trace Element Dosing
- All for Reef dosed 4 times daily and occasional Balling B for Alkalinity. Red Sea Trace Colors A and B weekly and iron monthly
- Water Chemistry Detail
- Stability is key. I test alkalinity, nitrate, phosphate and calcium weekly using Hanna checkers. I like my Nitrates between 10-15 ppm. They move up to 20+ occasionally. Phosphates between .05 and .1. I feed reef roids to maintain phosphates, otherwise they drop with carbon dosing and my algae scrubber.
Aquarium Natural and Mechanical Filtration
- Substrate
- Bare Bottom (BB)
- Substrate Level
- No Substrate
- Live Rock
- 25
- Live Rock Type
- Caribe Sea Life Rock. The shapes were amazing for building my scape, but maturity and biodiversity took a while. The rock will still not grow Coraline on it.
- Nutrient Export
- Algae Scrubber
- Protein Skimmer
- Denitrater
- Filter Sock
- Carbon
- Water Changes
- YES
- Water Change Details
- 10% water changes weekly or bimonthly as needed to resupply trace elements and reduce nitrates. I use a turkey baster to siphon detritus from my display and use a power gravel washer in my sump to remove water. I have a jug of natural seawater in a decorative amphora next to the tank. Water changes and weekly maintenance takes 30 minutes.
- Nutrient Export Details
- Drop .6 algae scrubber with Chaeto 10 hours opposite of my light cycle, Brightwell Bio Blocks, Cycled rock and water changes, protein skimming, carbon dosing with microbacter 7 and a 200 micro filter sock.
Aquarium Tank Inhabitants (fish, coral, invert etc.)
- Fish List
- Anthias
- Cardinalfish
- Damselfish
- Total Fish
- 3
- Coral List
- SPS Coral
- LPS Coral
- Zoanthids
- Mushroom Coral
- Total Corals
- 100
- Invert List
- Anemone
- Crabs
- Snails
- Clams
- Other
- Total Inverts
- 30
- Livestock Detail
- My reef is space limited obviously, so rapid growth of my corals in not a priority. Great color, nice shape and solid growth are my goals I have lots of frags and small colonies living in relative harmony. I am able to keep some SPS happy and colored up. Deep water (Smooth-Skin) Acropora, a few high end tenius, Anacropora, Montipora, Pocillopora, Psammacora, and Stylocoeniella.
LPS include Lobophyllia, Torch coral, Goniopora, Duncan, Favites, Cyphastrea, Trachyphyllia, Cup coral, Caulastrea and multiple chalice corals. My bare bottom is filling in nicely with multicolor Florida Ricordea, and I have some Zoanthids as well. Cerith snails are my main algae control workforce with turbo snails and a few emerald crabs to round out my cleanup crew. Fish are great but not my priority. My Sunburst Anthias is beautiful, my Pajama Cardinalfish is a stud, and my Yellow Tail Damsel is a model citizen.
- Livestock Quarantine
- No Quarantine
Aquarium Nutrition (fish, coral, invert etc. feeding)
- Fish Feeding Frequency
- One Daily Feeding
- Coral Feeding Frequency
- Every Other Day
- Fish and Coral Feeding
- Flake
- Frozen
- Other
- Auto Feeder
- Trips Only
Additional Aquarium Information
- What do you think are the keys to your success in reefing?
- Understanding my goals and limitations going in was key. I wanted a mixture of sps, lps and anemones. Flow and lighting has to be just right to accommodate the varied needs of theses different organisms. Consistent maintenance routine and making changes slowly is important. All for Reef has been a game changer. Modern technology is extremely helpful.
