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Learning as I go

210 gallon mixed reef
Introduction
I have been in the hobby since September 2025, quickly got addicted and learning as much as I can as I go.

Here is a comprehensive summary of the tank

Saltwater Aquarium Overview

Tank Specifications

  • Type: Saltwater Aquarium
  • Established Date: September 24, 2025
  • Previously 75 gallon, transferred to 210 gallons aqueon megaflow (two overflows) on January 24, 2026
  • Sump: Eshopps AR-300
  • Total actual system volume: 220 gallons
Equipment

  • Circulation:
    • 4 circulation pumps
  • Lighting:
    • 3 NICREW NavaReef 135 Reef LED Lights (for Display Tank)


• 5 inches above water line

• 1 hour ramp up/down

• 10 hour total on time

• Vi: 45

• B: 47

• W: 40

• G: 30

• R: 30



    • Kessil H80 (for sump; on when Display Tank lights are off, set to grow, max intensity)
  • Return Pump:
Aquatop max flow MWP-1500 set to about 50%

  • Heating:
    • 1 500-watt heater
    • 3 200-watt heaters
All in sump

  • Dosing pump
    • Jabeo WiFi doser 2.4
    • Dosing 43 ml every 24 hrs of All for Reef divided equally throughout the 24 hr period
  • Sump Features:
    • Chaetomorpha algae (for nutrient export)
    • Seeded with copepods
Water Parameters

  • Salinity: 35 ppt
  • Temperature: 78°F
Substrate and Rock

  • Display Tank:
    • 100 lbs Fiji pink live sand
  • Sump:
    • 20 lbs coarse Hawaiian black aragonite
  • Live Rock: Approximately 95 lbs
Livestock

Invertebrates

  • 2 blunt spined brittle starfish
  • 2 Emerald crabs
  • 19 Small hermit crabs
  • 13 Nassarius snails
  • 2 Trochus snails
  • 1 top crown turbo snails
  • 2 small turbo snails
  • 1 bumblebee snail
  • Multiple dwarf cerith snails
  • 2 fire shrimp
  • 2 skunk cleaner shrimp
  • 1 Long tentacle anemones
Fish

  • 1 Lawnmower blenny
  • 1 Lagoon goby
  • 2 Ocellaris clownfish
  • 1 One-spot foxface (4 inches long)
  • 1 Flame angel (3.5 inches long)
  • 1 Aiptasia-eating filefish
  • Scopas Tang (3 inch)
  • Blonde Naso Tang (4.5 inches)
  • Powder Brown Tang (4 inches)
  • Arc Eye Hawkfish
  • 4 banggai cardinal fish
Corals

  • 4 Duncan corals
  • 2 Toadstool leather corals
  • 1 large short tentacle toadstool leather coral
  • 2 Sinularia finger leathers
  • 1 Favia coral
  • Pulsating Xenia
  • Multiple green and red mushrooms
  • Ultra Micromussa lordhowensis
  • Devils armor Zoanthids
  • 3 other types of Zoanthids
  • Hammer coral
  • John Deere Leptastrea
  • Purple Montipora
  • Acropora millepora
210 gallon mixed reef

Aquarium Profile and Equipment

What type of saltwater aquarium is this?
Mixed Reef
Total Water Volume
220
When did you start this tank?
Jan 24, 2026
What is your aquarium made of?
Glass
Aquarium Length (inches)
72
Aquarium Width (inches)
24
Aquarium Height (inches)
29
Aquarium Overflow/Drain
Internal Overflow
Aquarium Sump
YES
Sump Water Volume
38
Aquarium Stand
Aqueon brand stand that came with the tank
Aquarium Controller
NO
Protein Skimmer
NO
Aquarium Reactors
  1. None
Return Pump
Aquatop max flow MWP-1500
What types of equipment are you using for water flow and circulation?
  1. Powerhead
Water Flow and Circulation Equipment List
5 budget power heads, 3 of which are 1500 gph or greater, the other two are very small for deadspots
Aquarium Lighting
  1. LED
Lighting Equipment List
3 NICREW NavaReef 135 Reef LED Lights
1 Kessil H80 for sump
Dosing Equipment
  1. Calcium
  2. Alkalinity
  3. Magnesium
Dosing Equipment Detail
Jabeo WiFi doser 2.4
Dosing AFR
Auto Top Off or ATO
YES
Aquarium Heating and Cooling
  1. I am using a heater or heaters
Water Temperature
78
Heating and Cooling Equipment Detail
3 200 watt heaters
1 500 watt hygger heater

Aquarium Water Chemistry and Parameters

pH Level
8.15
Specific Gravity
1.026
Nitrate or NO3
10
Phosphate or PO4
0.01
Calcium
435
Alkalinity
8.1
Magnesium
1350
Salt Brand
Red Sea blue bucket

Aquarium Natural and Mechanical Filtration

Substrate
Sand
Substrate Level
Shallow
Live Rock
95
Live Rock Type
Dry base rock
Nutrient Export
  1. Refugium
  2. Filter Sock
  3. Carbon
Water Changes
YES
Water Change Details
40 gallons every 2 weeks

Aquarium Tank Inhabitants (fish, coral, invert etc.)

Fish List
  1. Angelfish
  2. Cardinalfish
  3. Clownfish
  4. Foxface
  5. Goby
  6. Hawkfish
  7. Surgeonfish Tang
Total Fish
15
Coral List
  1. SPS Coral
  2. LPS Coral
  3. Zoanthids
  4. Soft Coral
  5. Mushroom Coral
Total Corals
21
Invert List
  1. Anemone
  2. Crabs
  3. Starfish
  4. Shrimp
  5. Snails
Total Inverts
70
Livestock Quarantine
  1. No Quarantine
Favorite Fish
Blonde Naso
Favorite Coral
Zoas
Favorite Invert
Cleaner Shrimp

Aquarium Nutrition (fish, coral, invert etc. feeding)

Fish Feeding Frequency
Multiple Daily Feedings
Coral Feeding Frequency
A Few Times Weekly
Fish and Coral Feeding
  1. Frozen
  2. Algae Strips
Auto Feeder
Trips Only

Additional Aquarium Information

What do you think are the keys to your success in reefing?
Researching everything

Gumbies R Us

God, Bouldering, and Reefing
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