My SPS reef resurrection

Skippyreef · Apr 3, 2007

Well being new here I guess I will post a little history about my current set up

Tank 270 gallon
Sump 112 gallon
Lights: 2-400 watt Ushios and 6 80 watt T5
Ballast PFO m59 and ice caps
Skimmer H&S A-200 (twin Eheims)
Reactor Schuran Jet Stream 1
Ozone generator (25mg/hr)
Tunze 6100 (2)
Tunze Wave Box
Red Dragon 6.5m3 return pump

I have recently made over the reef and took out the reef ceramics in favor of natural filtration. Using the ceramic rock my Nitrate was over 100 and I was losing SPS corals. Since removing that product the tank has done a 180 and things are growing well and coloring back up.

before

after

divecj5 · Apr 3, 2007

Sweet reef Skippyreef. As I'm sure you do, I definitely like how open and BIG the tank looks without the ceramics in there. I would love to see some more closeups of the corals and the anthias you have in there.

Skippyreef · Apr 3, 2007

Ok LOL
mandoman

pink milli with yellow tips (cultured and growing like nuts now)

the lighting rack (angled aluminum)

quad colored humulis

Skippyreef · Apr 3, 2007

Super male Lyrtail

Kigs! · Apr 3, 2007

awesome tank!!! i think you need some zoas in there

Dejavu · Apr 3, 2007

glad to see that things are starting to come around.

MarvinsReef · Apr 3, 2007

wow.. nice tank...

Skippyreef · Apr 3, 2007

Thanks guys

I am still trying to figure out which SPS to keep in the tank LOL. I sold off some stuff to make room for some different stuff too

All in all though things have turned the corner. Once the ceramic rock came out the nitrates dropped like a rock. They are no longer detectable in the aquarium either. I was using the ZEO stuff and stopped that when I noted some growth issues and STN starting. I lost in the neighborhod of a few 1000 between the corals I lost and the ceramics that now reside in a garbage can in my garage. My friend had the same thing happen using these and so have other people I have talked to on line. Some are just now seeing the Nitrate spikes in there tanks.

I am going to hopefully be getting more stuff at the end of the month to finish this off and what I dont end up keeping I am putting in the frag system attached to the tank for grow out and fragging. None of the stuff is ugly at all its just some of it does not work once I get it LOL. It is sort of nice though to have a collection of corals to choose from when aquascaping your reef LOL.

JGoslee · Apr 4, 2007

Nice looking tank!

surfn · Apr 4, 2007

love the rock work...

yeah, stay away from the zeo stuff, not worth it IMO. i know some people trying to do it, but by only using half of the stuff, and no reactor...they have nitrates out the wazoo.

Skippyreef · Apr 7, 2007

The rock is attached (well the base of the islands) to small egg crates (office storage) and then stacek on top. This increases the hiding area for fish as well as flow thouigh the tank. It also allowed me to do this with about 150 pounds of fiji premium. There are a few more areas I need to fill in here and there but I like the open look.