Our 400 Gallon In Wall Natural Sun-Lit Reef

Miami Reef

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Excuse me! Whoo-hoo! Little fella? Hello! Don't be rude, say hi. H E L L O W H A L E! Maybe a different dialect? Dory, this is not whale. You're speaking, like, upset stomach. Maybe I should try Humpback.

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Look how big and beautiful she is! She looks so good in natural sunlight!!
 

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Who wants to see another happy fish?

This is 'Bridget' a White-tailed Kole Tang her favorite hobbies are grazing live rock and sunbathing under the natural sunlight!

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I’m jealous of the colours! NOTHING gets more natural than those colours in captivity, wonder if it would be possible to make lights have the exact same proportions of light as what your tank is getting
 
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jdpiii3

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I’m jealous of the colours! NOTHING gets more natural than those colours in captivity, wonder if it would be possible to make lights have the exact same proportions of light as what your tank is getting
The direct intensity of the natural sunlight rays on the reef a remarkable, I think you would have to use a high intensity metal halide in order to try to replicate. Even then with the metal halide reflectors you would get more of a broad spread of light than direct sunlight rays.

That's what I love the most, while I enjoy the coral I've always been fascinated with the way the fish interact and shine under natural sunlight the fish are the main attraction.
 
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jdpiii3

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This is what happens when you don't follow the posted safety instructions before entering our natural sunlit reef. Keep fins away from moving parts at all times.

Poor little guy.
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Happy Monday!
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It looks beautiful!
Have you tried to grow any SPS in there and are you currently trying to now?
If so then does it revert to a dull brownish colour or keep its more natural colours?
 
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jdpiii3

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It looks beautiful!
Have you tried to grow any SPS in there and are you currently trying to now?
If so then does it revert to a dull brownish colour or keep its more natural colours?
I was growing SPS quite successfully in the beginning when my wife took ill most of it died off because I couldn't maintain the tank properly. I haven't tried since but I am thinking about diving into the SPS world again. Coloring is definitely muted.
 

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I was growing SPS quite successfully in the beginning when my wife took ill most of it died off because I couldn't maintain the tank properly. I haven't tried since but I am thinking about diving into the SPS world again. Coloring is definitely muted.
You totally should! It could make the tank look so nice and even more natural to go along with the huge colonies of Fimbriaphyllia.
 
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You totally should! It could make the tank look so nice and even more natural to go along with the huge colonies of Fimbriaphyllia.
I'm getting there it's been baby steps since the refresh, it was only a few months ago I was contemplating taking the system down. I feel the system is definitely a lot more stable than it was just last year.

The Fimbriaphyllia grows crazy, that was one head just a few years ago.
 

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I'm getting there it's been baby steps since the refresh, it was only a few months ago I was contemplating taking the system down. I feel the system is definitely a lot more stable than it was just last year.

The Fimbriaphyllia grows crazy, that was one head just a few years ago.
I wish I could get nice sized colonies in the time many other reefers get theirs. I mean I’ve seen some people with 2’ acropora colonies from 1” frags that only took… 3-4 years to grow!
My acros would probably take 3-4 years to even get 1’ across.

This hammer is I believe a year old (Will check in my build thread), I bought it at 2 heads and now I have I believe 7 heads if we include the ones splitting. I’m still trying to get it to show the full PE it used to show (Flow for this guy and several SPS is a pain to create).
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