The Reef Dork
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2017
- Messages
- 277
- Reaction score
- 445
Latest FTS & FTV (3 Feb 19)
Intro
I closed my last tank at the start of last year ahead of a house move and i’ve been desperate to set up again (The Interim Tank doesn't count). We all know that when you change tanks, you have to upgrade. So here I am with my third setup, the largest yet. The difficult 3rd album. Only it doesn’t work that way in reefkeeping – you should only get better with experience so this will be more Led Zeppelin IV than III. Maybe even Physical Graffiti.
With my last tank I’d reached a crossroads – carry on with a system I’ll always look at critically or sacrifice the 2 years of growth in return for another shot at perfection
The latter was definitely the right choice! The rockscape had some great features but wasn’t quite right – too many steep edges which made coral placement difficult. I also wasn’t totally happy with the tank itself – at 45cm, it wasn’t quite tall enough and I wanted a little more water volume.
Apart from that, I also bought cheap filler corals (bland zoas, dull montis and even boring acros that I bought just because they were acros ;Facepalm) rather than focussing on quality. And I ended up with fish I didn’t necessarily want – a bicolour blenny that meant I couldn’t keep clams, a hoeven’s wrasse I decided was boring and the same for a banggai cardinal (who could also be a right eejit at times!)
I even secretly wasn’t completely happy with my trio of Pyramid Butterflies ;Yawn They were the defining feature of my tank but they were a little too big for the space and they’re not as pretty as some of the other butterflies - they looked great in photos but less colourful in the flesh and I found them a bit underwhelming day to day.
The plan
Tank - Red Sea Peninsula 500;
Lights - Kessil AP700 (soon to be supplemented with 4 T5s)
Flow - 2 x MP40QDs with a Reeflink;
Return - Ecotech Vectra L1
Filtration - Nyos Quantum 220 skimmer, ALR1 chaeto reactor, SIPORAX and Eheim Reeflex UV800;
Dosing - Kamoer x4 wifi doser running ATI Essentials;
Heating - Schego 300w & 200w heaters with Simply Aquaria controller and JBL cooling fans.
Monitoring - Seneye Reef with Web Server
What tank
I was looking at a RSR 425XL or an EaReef 1200s Pro but that all changed when I saw a Peninsula in the flesh ;Woot I much prefer the sump layout too - it seems more flexible than the XL and has lower sides than the EaReef which makes taking stuff out easier (i’m looking at you, ALR1).
I don't like the idea of having flow only coming from one end of the tank but I can always change that if needed, albeit at the cost of the aesthetics. It won't be a room divider, it'll be against a wall albeit far enough away to allow me to clean all 3 glass panels.
What lights?
I’ve said a number of times that i’d never go back to LEDs from T5s. My ATI 8x54w Powermodule was a behemoth. A coral-growing machine. Total light spread, grows corals like a teenager grows spots and no messing around with spectrum settings. The undisputed and unbeatable King of SPS!
So yeah, i’m changing back to LEDs ;Facepalm
The ATI unit is ruddy massive. It weighs a metric ton and makes getting your hands in the tank a long and drawn out affair, much like trying to overtake a National Express coach in a Renault Megane.
It also has a face only a Metal Halide could love but I could forgive all of that if it had shimmer. The shimmer on the Kessils is immense and gives more depth to the tank but I do want to supplement it with some tubes. If Aquatic Life don’t start selling their DIY hybrid over here, I might import one from the States. That, in my opinion, is the perfect lighting solution.
I loved my Kessil on The Interim Tank so i’ve gone nuclear and got the Kessil Daddy, the AP700 (shades). It looks better than 3 a360s and has better controllability. Plus it saves 3 plugs over having 3x a360s and a Spectral Controller
Aquascape
The rockwork for me was absolutely essential this time. I rushed both my previous scapes and while I still thought they were OK, they had some fundamental flaws as outlined above. I will be using mostly dry rock so I can take my sweet time - plan, plan then plan some more.
Rich (@mrfaggle) introduced me to R&R Aquascapes. They produce bespoke ceramic ‘scapes, have made a few that look stunning and are made to your order. Check out the one Rich ordered - it looks really cool and is totally different to the usual rock wall or bommie setup.
Ultimately though, I prefer the additional fish hiding places you get with a traditional ‘scape over a one-piece block and I will have lots of fish in this tank so that’s important. This R&R ‘scape in a Red Sea Peninsula nearly changed my mind though…
Key areas with an aquascape are the rule of thirds, mixing negative and positive space, use of gullies and use of triangles. I’ve also looked at various threads on here and tanks on YouTube to see what appeals to me. I like bommies and islands so i’ll get a load of RRR and will play around until I get something I like.
There’s a very good article on Reef Central (which is otherwise a totally inferior forum) that explains why certain colours go well together and how to maximise the effect. It’s the sort of thing you do without realising what you’re doing and having the theory behind the practice sharpens your eye and takes away the element of chance.
The trouble is, i’m rubbish at arty stuff so when it comes to colour schemes, i’m going to use science! And when I say science, I mean Google. “What colour goes with [insert colour of coral to be placed]” brings up suggestions so you can get an idea of what will look good. I’ll also be using the colour wheel below as a rule of thumb.
Nutrient export
My nutrients were too low in my last system so i’m going to combat that by jamming in as many fish as is physically possible. I’ll keep my filtration fairly simple. Big skimmer, siporax, ALR1. I’ll also have a phosphate reactor on standby in case algae takes hold.
No water changes as i’ll be using ATI Essentials
Water chemistry
I’ll be using ATI Essentials because water changes suck. To get me off on the right foot, i’ll use only ATI Absolute Ocean so my parameters should be mint from the word go.
Was it Shakespeare who once said we don’t keep fish and corals, we keep water? Well, whoever it was: I hear you loud and clear.
On the subject of water, there’s no point investing serious effort to export pollutants if you’re going to add them every day from your RO top up. For now, I have 2 membranes, a booster pump and 3 DI pods. I’ve been watching a lot of BRS videos on that subject though so may upgrade it in due course.
Fish
My fish plan last time was pretty solid in terms of swimming space occupied – I went for a mix of rock-hopping, benthic, pelagic, big, small, secretive, pairs/groups, show-offs and symbiotic relationships. So combining this with a more considered approach should be the recipe for success. I may have 1 or 2 bigger fish (Genicanthus Angels and a Yellow Tang) but I’m trying to keep mostly smaller fish with a focus on bright colours. Rarity or difficulty of keeping don’t turn me on so my criteria are bold colours, character and lastly utility.
I will have a few fish for pest purposes – some Halichoeres Wrasses and a Peacock Wrasse. I love a bit of character and I’ll have that in spades – Hawkfishes, Blennies and the Shrimp Gobies. I’m reliably informed the Midas Blenny will think it’s a Lyretail Anthias and will school with them! On my list currently is:
2x Clownfish (type not yet decided)
7 Lyretail Anthias
Midas Blenny
Scarlet Hawkfish
Longnose Hakwfish
Iridis Wrasse
Peacock Wrasse
Koi Wrasse
Scooter Blenny
Wheeler’s Goby with Pistol Shrimp
Silver Belly Wrasse
Royal Grammar
Algae Blenny
I’ve gone as reef safe as possible as I don’t want to inhibit polyp extension or risk corals and I want to keep clams this time round. However, butterflies and angels are so dang gorgeous, I’m sure I’ll end up getting at least one! I’d sacrifice my first born to Lucifer for a healthy Regal Angel! A close 2nd would be a Mitratus Butterfly which I think would be a safer bet with corals.
I’m not going to be scared of buying expensive fish and corals this time. Cost was too high in my decision-making process last time and hindered the tank as a result. That doesn’t mean I’ll have Peppermint Angels and Feminus Wrasses everywhere though. It just means that I won’t pick a coral or fish because it’s cheap.
Quarantine
I used to QT every fish but I found I was losing loads of fish during the process. I tried lots of methods of QT and kept it as simple as possible but I just didn’t get on with it. Plus I like to live dangerously so i’m not going to QT this time ;Jawdrop
My view now is that it is far better to carefully select a healthy looking specimen, minimise stress during transfer, provide a good environment for them to live in and feed them well. I will also run an Eheim UV steriliser which I think is pretty important if you don’t QT. I won’t run it 24/7 - only during certain periods such as when I introduce new fish or if I see any issues.
Corals
I’m mainly going for Acropora this time although I’m not a total snob so I’ll still have some plebby corals. I love stylo so will have a green and a purple. I'll also have a bird's nest but this time it'll be Aussie which I think looks much better. I’ll have some montis – sunset, rainbow and maybe other similar types – but my focus is on high-end corals. My preference is the branching acros but variety is the spice of life so I’ll have tabling and staghorns as well. I’ll get a mix of frags and colonies – I love the idea of seeing the tank grow out but I don’t want to just stare at frags for the first 2 years.
I may also have some LPS for a bit of movement – maybe a Torch, some Duncans and Acans. I’ve never been able to get the best out of Acans though which ticks me right off! Softy-wise maybe a few nice zoas and ricordeas but that’s it. The softies might have to be confined to an island to stop them taking over but we’ll see.
I also have some coral projects in mind. I want to make some kind of structure for an encrusting monti to grow on – maybe a dead branching acro skeleton. That would essentially give me a branching sunset monti which I think would look amazing! Encrusting montis look best when they’re on contours so you can see the base as well as the polyps. I started that process in The Interim Tank but it’ll be years before it starts to look good.
I also want to cover a ceramic zoa rock in either a few different types of encrusting monti, zoas, acans and chalices. I think chalices are massively under-used although that might have something to do with aggression, price and availability in the UK! Finally, i’ll have a euphyllia garden for a bit of movement.
CUC
Although I love watching hermit crabs bimble around and climb corals like monkeys in a tree, they can be right little jerks at times! So I’ll instead focus on snails – Conches galore, Trochus, Nassarius and Mexican Turbos. I’ll also have a few Cleaner Shrimp, Blue Tuxedo Urchins and a Brittle Star. Maybe a Mithrax Crab or 6 for bubble algae.
Photos
For me, the best threads on here are full of high quality photographs. I’ll use my DSLR/macro lens where possible but I need to figure out how to use it a bit better. Simple snaps will be taken with my Samsung S8 Plus which has an excellent camera. I’ll put the best photos on Instagram too.
YouTube channel
I’ve also set up a YouTube channel under the name ‘The Reef Dork’. I don’t look as good in a yoga top as Miss Saltwater Tank so i’m going to have to smash the content quality out of the park! That's a separate venture though so you won't see any of those videos on here.
So that’s it. My stated intentions. I can look back at this in 6 months and see how much I stuck with! If you’ve got this far without skipping ahead, well done - you’ve earned yourself a cuppa
Intro
I closed my last tank at the start of last year ahead of a house move and i’ve been desperate to set up again (The Interim Tank doesn't count). We all know that when you change tanks, you have to upgrade. So here I am with my third setup, the largest yet. The difficult 3rd album. Only it doesn’t work that way in reefkeeping – you should only get better with experience so this will be more Led Zeppelin IV than III. Maybe even Physical Graffiti.
With my last tank I’d reached a crossroads – carry on with a system I’ll always look at critically or sacrifice the 2 years of growth in return for another shot at perfection
The latter was definitely the right choice! The rockscape had some great features but wasn’t quite right – too many steep edges which made coral placement difficult. I also wasn’t totally happy with the tank itself – at 45cm, it wasn’t quite tall enough and I wanted a little more water volume.
Apart from that, I also bought cheap filler corals (bland zoas, dull montis and even boring acros that I bought just because they were acros ;Facepalm) rather than focussing on quality. And I ended up with fish I didn’t necessarily want – a bicolour blenny that meant I couldn’t keep clams, a hoeven’s wrasse I decided was boring and the same for a banggai cardinal (who could also be a right eejit at times!)
I even secretly wasn’t completely happy with my trio of Pyramid Butterflies ;Yawn They were the defining feature of my tank but they were a little too big for the space and they’re not as pretty as some of the other butterflies - they looked great in photos but less colourful in the flesh and I found them a bit underwhelming day to day.
The plan
Tank - Red Sea Peninsula 500;
Lights - Kessil AP700 (soon to be supplemented with 4 T5s)
Flow - 2 x MP40QDs with a Reeflink;
Return - Ecotech Vectra L1
Filtration - Nyos Quantum 220 skimmer, ALR1 chaeto reactor, SIPORAX and Eheim Reeflex UV800;
Dosing - Kamoer x4 wifi doser running ATI Essentials;
Heating - Schego 300w & 200w heaters with Simply Aquaria controller and JBL cooling fans.
Monitoring - Seneye Reef with Web Server
What tank
I was looking at a RSR 425XL or an EaReef 1200s Pro but that all changed when I saw a Peninsula in the flesh ;Woot I much prefer the sump layout too - it seems more flexible than the XL and has lower sides than the EaReef which makes taking stuff out easier (i’m looking at you, ALR1).
I don't like the idea of having flow only coming from one end of the tank but I can always change that if needed, albeit at the cost of the aesthetics. It won't be a room divider, it'll be against a wall albeit far enough away to allow me to clean all 3 glass panels.
What lights?
I’ve said a number of times that i’d never go back to LEDs from T5s. My ATI 8x54w Powermodule was a behemoth. A coral-growing machine. Total light spread, grows corals like a teenager grows spots and no messing around with spectrum settings. The undisputed and unbeatable King of SPS!
So yeah, i’m changing back to LEDs ;Facepalm
The ATI unit is ruddy massive. It weighs a metric ton and makes getting your hands in the tank a long and drawn out affair, much like trying to overtake a National Express coach in a Renault Megane.
It also has a face only a Metal Halide could love but I could forgive all of that if it had shimmer. The shimmer on the Kessils is immense and gives more depth to the tank but I do want to supplement it with some tubes. If Aquatic Life don’t start selling their DIY hybrid over here, I might import one from the States. That, in my opinion, is the perfect lighting solution.
I loved my Kessil on The Interim Tank so i’ve gone nuclear and got the Kessil Daddy, the AP700 (shades). It looks better than 3 a360s and has better controllability. Plus it saves 3 plugs over having 3x a360s and a Spectral Controller
Aquascape
The rockwork for me was absolutely essential this time. I rushed both my previous scapes and while I still thought they were OK, they had some fundamental flaws as outlined above. I will be using mostly dry rock so I can take my sweet time - plan, plan then plan some more.
Rich (@mrfaggle) introduced me to R&R Aquascapes. They produce bespoke ceramic ‘scapes, have made a few that look stunning and are made to your order. Check out the one Rich ordered - it looks really cool and is totally different to the usual rock wall or bommie setup.
Ultimately though, I prefer the additional fish hiding places you get with a traditional ‘scape over a one-piece block and I will have lots of fish in this tank so that’s important. This R&R ‘scape in a Red Sea Peninsula nearly changed my mind though…
Key areas with an aquascape are the rule of thirds, mixing negative and positive space, use of gullies and use of triangles. I’ve also looked at various threads on here and tanks on YouTube to see what appeals to me. I like bommies and islands so i’ll get a load of RRR and will play around until I get something I like.
There’s a very good article on Reef Central (which is otherwise a totally inferior forum
) that explains why certain colours go well together and how to maximise the effect. It’s the sort of thing you do without realising what you’re doing and having the theory behind the practice sharpens your eye and takes away the element of chance.The trouble is, i’m rubbish at arty stuff
so when it comes to colour schemes, i’m going to use science! And when I say science, I mean Google. “What colour goes with [insert colour of coral to be placed]” brings up suggestions so you can get an idea of what will look good. I’ll also be using the colour wheel below as a rule of thumb.Nutrient export
My nutrients were too low in my last system so i’m going to combat that by jamming in as many fish as is physically possible. I’ll keep my filtration fairly simple. Big skimmer, siporax, ALR1. I’ll also have a phosphate reactor on standby in case algae takes hold.
No water changes as i’ll be using ATI Essentials
Water chemistry
I’ll be using ATI Essentials because water changes suck. To get me off on the right foot, i’ll use only ATI Absolute Ocean so my parameters should be mint from the word go.
Was it Shakespeare who once said we don’t keep fish and corals, we keep water? Well, whoever it was: I hear you loud and clear.
On the subject of water, there’s no point investing serious effort to export pollutants if you’re going to add them every day from your RO top up. For now, I have 2 membranes, a booster pump and 3 DI pods. I’ve been watching a lot of BRS videos on that subject though so may upgrade it in due course.
Fish
My fish plan last time was pretty solid in terms of swimming space occupied – I went for a mix of rock-hopping, benthic, pelagic, big, small, secretive, pairs/groups, show-offs and symbiotic relationships. So combining this with a more considered approach should be the recipe for success. I may have 1 or 2 bigger fish (Genicanthus Angels and a Yellow Tang) but I’m trying to keep mostly smaller fish with a focus on bright colours. Rarity or difficulty of keeping don’t turn me on so my criteria are bold colours, character and lastly utility.
I will have a few fish for pest purposes – some Halichoeres Wrasses and a Peacock Wrasse. I love a bit of character and I’ll have that in spades – Hawkfishes, Blennies and the Shrimp Gobies. I’m reliably informed the Midas Blenny will think it’s a Lyretail Anthias and will school with them! On my list currently is:
2x Clownfish (type not yet decided)
7 Lyretail Anthias
Midas Blenny
Scarlet Hawkfish
Longnose Hakwfish
Iridis Wrasse
Peacock Wrasse
Koi Wrasse
Scooter Blenny
Wheeler’s Goby with Pistol Shrimp
Silver Belly Wrasse
Royal Grammar
Algae Blenny
I’ve gone as reef safe as possible as I don’t want to inhibit polyp extension or risk corals and I want to keep clams this time round. However, butterflies and angels are so dang gorgeous, I’m sure I’ll end up getting at least one! I’d sacrifice my first born to Lucifer for a healthy Regal Angel! A close 2nd would be a Mitratus Butterfly which I think would be a safer bet with corals.
I’m not going to be scared of buying expensive fish and corals this time. Cost was too high in my decision-making process last time and hindered the tank as a result. That doesn’t mean I’ll have Peppermint Angels and Feminus Wrasses everywhere though. It just means that I won’t pick a coral or fish because it’s cheap.
Quarantine
I used to QT every fish but I found I was losing loads of fish during the process. I tried lots of methods of QT and kept it as simple as possible but I just didn’t get on with it. Plus I like to live dangerously so i’m not going to QT this time ;Jawdrop
My view now is that it is far better to carefully select a healthy looking specimen, minimise stress during transfer, provide a good environment for them to live in and feed them well. I will also run an Eheim UV steriliser which I think is pretty important if you don’t QT. I won’t run it 24/7 - only during certain periods such as when I introduce new fish or if I see any issues.
Corals
I’m mainly going for Acropora this time although I’m not a total snob so I’ll still have some plebby corals. I love stylo so will have a green and a purple. I'll also have a bird's nest but this time it'll be Aussie which I think looks much better. I’ll have some montis – sunset, rainbow and maybe other similar types – but my focus is on high-end corals. My preference is the branching acros but variety is the spice of life so I’ll have tabling and staghorns as well. I’ll get a mix of frags and colonies – I love the idea of seeing the tank grow out but I don’t want to just stare at frags for the first 2 years.
I may also have some LPS for a bit of movement – maybe a Torch, some Duncans and Acans. I’ve never been able to get the best out of Acans though which ticks me right off! Softy-wise maybe a few nice zoas and ricordeas but that’s it. The softies might have to be confined to an island to stop them taking over but we’ll see.
I also have some coral projects in mind. I want to make some kind of structure for an encrusting monti to grow on – maybe a dead branching acro skeleton. That would essentially give me a branching sunset monti which I think would look amazing! Encrusting montis look best when they’re on contours so you can see the base as well as the polyps. I started that process in The Interim Tank but it’ll be years before it starts to look good.
I also want to cover a ceramic zoa rock in either a few different types of encrusting monti, zoas, acans and chalices. I think chalices are massively under-used although that might have something to do with aggression, price and availability in the UK! Finally, i’ll have a euphyllia garden for a bit of movement.
CUC
Although I love watching hermit crabs bimble around and climb corals like monkeys in a tree, they can be right little jerks at times! So I’ll instead focus on snails – Conches galore, Trochus, Nassarius and Mexican Turbos. I’ll also have a few Cleaner Shrimp, Blue Tuxedo Urchins and a Brittle Star. Maybe a Mithrax Crab or 6 for bubble algae.
Photos
For me, the best threads on here are full of high quality photographs. I’ll use my DSLR/macro lens where possible but I need to figure out how to use it a bit better. Simple snaps will be taken with my Samsung S8 Plus which has an excellent camera. I’ll put the best photos on Instagram too.
YouTube channel
I’ve also set up a YouTube channel under the name ‘The Reef Dork’. I don’t look as good in a yoga top as Miss Saltwater Tank so i’m going to have to smash the content quality out of the park! That's a separate venture though so you won't see any of those videos on here.
So that’s it. My stated intentions. I can look back at this in 6 months and see how much I stuck with! If you’ve got this far without skipping ahead, well done - you’ve earned yourself a cuppa
Last edited:
2018-05-21_08-42-30
