MTBake
2500 Club Member
Going to start off by saying that I'm about year late starting this thread as this tank was officially started on 7/30/2017.
Little about me;
I've been keeping saltwater aquariums since 2004. I live in IL about 40 miles west of downtown Chicago. I like to keep my setups as simple as possible as I feel the less equipment, the less that can fail.
The plans for this tank from the get go was sps dominate mixed reef. I chose Kessil lighting because I like the shimmer they provide. However, I soon added 4x39w T5 via LET retrofit kits mounted to a piece of plywood with a rectangle cut out of it to accommodate my Kessils. I've noticed quite a difference really. I use ATI bulbs for the T5s. Back to front, blue plus, aqua blue special, blue plus, coral plus. I don't ramp my Kessils or change color throughout the day. They are set to 60% intensity and 60% color. T5s come on at 10am and shut off at 9pm. Kessils are on at 11am and off at 8pm.
Filtration is as simple as a hob Reef Octopus BH2000. I really like this skimmer as far as hobs go. It is a work horse and has been in service for well over 6 years now. I just don't see a reason to change it.
Flow is provided by one Icecap 3K set on 40% continuous mode.
I do not have a sump on this setup and use an AutoAqua micro ATO to keep salinity stable.
The stand is a simple 2x4 and plywood stand. It isn't even finished to be honest but works great for what I need.
Here's some pics of of my setup;
I like to let algae grow on the glass a bit. I feel it helps feed pods and snails. Probably running against the crowd on this one but it works for me. I have loads of pods on the glass and they do seem to feed off the film algae.
That's about it for now. I have to finish dinner
Thanks for reading,
Matt
Little about me;
I've been keeping saltwater aquariums since 2004. I live in IL about 40 miles west of downtown Chicago. I like to keep my setups as simple as possible as I feel the less equipment, the less that can fail.
The plans for this tank from the get go was sps dominate mixed reef. I chose Kessil lighting because I like the shimmer they provide. However, I soon added 4x39w T5 via LET retrofit kits mounted to a piece of plywood with a rectangle cut out of it to accommodate my Kessils. I've noticed quite a difference really. I use ATI bulbs for the T5s. Back to front, blue plus, aqua blue special, blue plus, coral plus. I don't ramp my Kessils or change color throughout the day. They are set to 60% intensity and 60% color. T5s come on at 10am and shut off at 9pm. Kessils are on at 11am and off at 8pm.
Filtration is as simple as a hob Reef Octopus BH2000. I really like this skimmer as far as hobs go. It is a work horse and has been in service for well over 6 years now. I just don't see a reason to change it.
Flow is provided by one Icecap 3K set on 40% continuous mode.
I do not have a sump on this setup and use an AutoAqua micro ATO to keep salinity stable.
The stand is a simple 2x4 and plywood stand. It isn't even finished to be honest but works great for what I need.
Here's some pics of of my setup;
I like to let algae grow on the glass a bit. I feel it helps feed pods and snails. Probably running against the crowd on this one but it works for me. I have loads of pods on the glass and they do seem to feed off the film algae.
That's about it for now. I have to finish dinner
Thanks for reading,
Matt
