300 Gallon Reef-O-Matic: 5+ years!

[reefpizza]

Any update?

 

[TheHarold]

Any update?

I haven't done much with this tank. Everything seems to do well and grows reasonably, but honestly I have been a bit disenchanted with the hobby ever since losing my pride-and-joy acropora tank to flatworms. Corals are expensive... and can be gone in an instant if anything goes wrong.

This tank gets feed daily and the floss/skimmer changed once a week, and that's about it. I do have a batch of Nudibranches coming to deal with the aptasia issue. I need them every 8 months or so to knock down 99.9% of the aptasia, but then the Nudis starve and the few (not visible) surviving aphasia make a comeback.

There is a nice amount of fish here too.

 

[TheHarold]

These colonies are monsters! Up to 150ml ESV B-Ionic per day is getting to be $$$$, I might need to switch to @Bulk Reef Supply bulk supplements!

 

[TheHarold]

Going on 5 years and change for this tank!

Doing a big rock work change to get rid of some bubble tip anemones, which are becoming pests.

 

[TheHarold]

 

[jphilip813]

Going on 5 years and change for this tank!

Doing a big rock work change to get rid of some bubble tip anemones, which are becoming pests.

What kind of wave pumps are you using other than the MP 40 (I assume they are)? Nice mixed tank

 

[TheHarold]

What kind of wave pumps are you using other than the MP 40 (I assume they are)? Nice mixed tank

Those are big MP60wQDs running at 80%, with no additional wave pumps. Keeps things moving for sure! Thanks

 

[drcrook]

Updated photo: 10/12/19

Hello Reef2Reef'ers!

My ~300 gallon system is up and running, and I wanted to put up thread here to get feedback/suggestions/etc on my progress. It was started August of this year, and I think it is the right point in time to share the build. It is a custom 300 gallon low iron aquarium: 96x27x27. The cabinetry is also custom, faux coral rock. I friggin love it.

I am a pretty techy person, so everything about this setup is "smart" and optimized. Physical buttons to start a feed modes or photography mode, stand lights turn on automatically, complex multi-factor apex programming for redundancy and control.

I will organize the equipment details from top-down, and then left-to right in the stand.

Lighting:
4x Radion XR30w Pro Gen 4 and 2x Radion XR30w Pro Gen 4 inside two 48" white aquatic life hybrids.
Flow:
2x MP60wQD
1x Jebao CP 150 Wave Pumps
1x Jebao 3000gph return pump.
Rock:
ALL @reefcleaners dry rock. It is incredible; no curing, no problems. Just add it and it colors up. I am a huge fan after wasting a lot of money on other brands of rock that kept leaching phosphates.
Sand:
Carib-Sea Special Grade, ~220lbs.
Sump:
BashSea 48x15x15 smart series sump, customized with sock section.
Heater:
JBJ 1000w heater. I have their controller plugged into the apex, to cut it off if there is a problem.
UV:
LifeGuard Aquatics 40w UV. I did not originally plan on it, but it was really cheap on sale.
Skimmer:
Open Box Regal 250SSS with auto-neck cleaner from @Bulk Reef Supply . Love it! Built in auto-cutoff when skimmer is full, and then my apex will alarm at the lack of power being drawn (when it should be on) and notify me when that is full.
ATO:
Tunze 3155 with 15 reservoir.
Controller/dosing:
Apex 2016, 2 EB832s, WXM, breakout, 3 DOS.

Spoiler: Startup photos

The beginning:

First aquascape and "the big fill"

Living room view- I need to clean up those hideous air vents!

The most incredible lighting combination, Radion Gen 4s and @AquaticLifeProducts hybrids. Unfortunately, a month after I installed these I learned of a new version with dimming and a single power cord. Oh well! Still amazing.

After that, I started adding sticks from @Battlecorals , because cycles are for losers! ;Blackeye;Blackeye;Blackeye


Current critter stocking:
Acropora galore, maybe 30-40 frags
2x isolated RBTAs
3x wall hammer colonies
1x frogspawn colony
Plate Coral
Torch Coral

Sailfin Tang
Lieutenant Tang
Powder Blue Tang
Blue Tang
4 clownfish- 2 pairs. (Hopefully this will work out)
3x Cardinalfish

(Shoutout to @4FordFamily for both writing bunch of information on tangs and also answering my questions )


Now, photos from today, 10/27/18.


This is how is looks overall, during the lighting ramp-up:

The right side has most of the sticks, so far. I need more @Battlecorals to stock the center.

(I know the placement is way too close together; they are not glued down yet)

The center:

This morning I added a beautiful huge RBTA from @Cultivated Reef . It attached immediately, and is expanding as I watch! This is only ~20 minutes after adding it, it is totally attached and exquisite. Stocking in this area will be sticks on the top, and LPS/encrusting montiporas in the mid/lower sections.

Another photo of the anemone right after adding it. Just WOW! And these are honest-to-eye photos; from my iPhone. I am with @bubbaque in that I dislike the whole "actinic with orange gel filter" photo craze. What you see here is what you would see in my living room

The left side:

Work in progress. I intend to add a column/bridge from the top of that side to the rock in front of it, using acrylic rod and rubble like I did on the right side.

Right side of stand is a bit of a horror story at the moment after I set up dosing! I will fix it up, I promise

Left side, with the fledgling refugium. Also needs to be reorganized

Oh and this is my 3 year old reefer 350. I keep running out of room and breaking colonies, so definitely needed the space! You can see that this tang will be a similar style; I put in whatever the heck I think is pretty xD

Updated photo: 10/12/19

Hello Reef2Reef'ers!

My ~300 gallon system is up and running, and I wanted to put up thread here to get feedback/suggestions/etc on my progress. It was started August of this year, and I think it is the right point in time to share the build. It is a custom 300 gallon low iron aquarium: 96x27x27. The cabinetry is also custom, faux coral rock. I friggin love it.

I am a pretty techy person, so everything about this setup is "smart" and optimized. Physical buttons to start a feed modes or photography mode, stand lights turn on automatically, complex multi-factor apex programming for redundancy and control.

I will organize the equipment details from top-down, and then left-to right in the stand.

Lighting:
4x Radion XR30w Pro Gen 4 and 2x Radion XR30w Pro Gen 4 inside two 48" white aquatic life hybrids.
Flow:
2x MP60wQD
1x Jebao CP 150 Wave Pumps
1x Jebao 3000gph return pump.
Rock:
ALL @reefcleaners dry rock. It is incredible; no curing, no problems. Just add it and it colors up. I am a huge fan after wasting a lot of money on other brands of rock that kept leaching phosphates.
Sand:
Carib-Sea Special Grade, ~220lbs.
Sump:
BashSea 48x15x15 smart series sump, customized with sock section.
Heater:
JBJ 1000w heater. I have their controller plugged into the apex, to cut it off if there is a problem.
UV:
LifeGuard Aquatics 40w UV. I did not originally plan on it, but it was really cheap on sale.
Skimmer:
Open Box Regal 250SSS with auto-neck cleaner from @Bulk Reef Supply . Love it! Built in auto-cutoff when skimmer is full, and then my apex will alarm at the lack of power being drawn (when it should be on) and notify me when that is full.
ATO:
Tunze 3155 with 15 reservoir.
Controller/dosing:
Apex 2016, 2 EB832s, WXM, breakout, 3 DOS.

Spoiler: Startup photos

The beginning:

First aquascape and "the big fill"

Living room view- I need to clean up those hideous air vents!

The most incredible lighting combination, Radion Gen 4s and @AquaticLifeProducts hybrids. Unfortunately, a month after I installed these I learned of a new version with dimming and a single power cord. Oh well! Still amazing.

After that, I started adding sticks from @Battlecorals , because cycles are for losers! ;Blackeye;Blackeye;Blackeye


Current critter stocking:
Acropora galore, maybe 30-40 frags
2x isolated RBTAs
3x wall hammer colonies
1x frogspawn colony
Plate Coral
Torch Coral

Sailfin Tang
Lieutenant Tang
Powder Blue Tang
Blue Tang
4 clownfish- 2 pairs. (Hopefully this will work out)
3x Cardinalfish

(Shoutout to @4FordFamily for both writing bunch of information on tangs and also answering my questions )


Now, photos from today, 10/27/18.


This is how is looks overall, during the lighting ramp-up:

The right side has most of the sticks, so far. I need more @Battlecorals to stock the center.

(I know the placement is way too close together; they are not glued down yet)

The center:

This morning I added a beautiful huge RBTA from @Cultivated Reef . It attached immediately, and is expanding as I watch! This is only ~20 minutes after adding it, it is totally attached and exquisite. Stocking in this area will be sticks on the top, and LPS/encrusting montiporas in the mid/lower sections.

Another photo of the anemone right after adding it. Just WOW! And these are honest-to-eye photos; from my iPhone. I am with @bubbaque in that I dislike the whole "actinic with orange gel filter" photo craze. What you see here is what you would see in my living room

The left side:

Work in progress. I intend to add a column/bridge from the top of that side to the rock in front of it, using acrylic rod and rubble like I did on the right side.

Right side of stand is a bit of a horror story at the moment after I set up dosing! I will fix it up, I promise

Left side, with the fledgling refugium. Also needs to be reorganized

Oh and this is my 3 year old reefer 350. I keep running out of room and breaking colonies, so definitely needed the space! You can see that this tang will be a similar style; I put in whatever the heck I think is pretty xD

Do you automate salt water mixing and water changes and if so are you living inan are with freezing winters and if so how do you ensure transfer lines don’t freeze or what is your proximity of tank to those supporting systems?

 

[TheHarold]

Do you automate salt water mixing and water changes and if so are you living inan are with freezing winters and if so how do you ensure transfer lines don’t freeze or what is your proximity of tank to those supporting systems?

I have no space for water change automation. Once a month the system gets a 100g water change by bringing over two 50g buckets and connecting them to my RODI with extended tubing (about 75 feet away). The buckets fill overnight with a Float valve shutoff, and then I add salt and allow to mix for a few hours. Drain 100g directly outside (there is a mark on the tank to signify 100g), and refill.

 

[Troylee]

I have no space for water change automation. Once a month the system gets a 100g water change by bringing over two 50g buckets and connecting them to my RODI with extended tubing (about 75 feet away). The buckets fill overnight with a Float valve shutoff, and then I add salt and allow to mix for a few hours. Drain 100g directly outside (there is a mark on the tank to signify 100g), and refill.

Best way to do it in my opinion! I see much, much better results with one big water change vs a tiny daily one. I do 100 gallons myself every 2-3 weeks.

 

[revhtree]

Well done and beautiful!!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Incredible looking coral!

 

[Raptor72]

I just upgraded to a 330 gal and am not looking forward to the water changes on that beast.