The ins and outs of my 20,000 gallon reef tank .

Saltwaterwill · Apr 24, 2015

This is a great inspiration, thanks for sharing with us all

zesty · Apr 24, 2015

BigMike81 said:
Did you see the size of the foxface in there, it was massive.

I know, but to see a tank like this with all the tangs in there is just amazing!! I would love to see this someday!

Plus, tangs are just too cool when you get to play with them like this :bigsmile::smile::xd:

BigMike81 · Apr 24, 2015

zesty said:
I know, but to see a tank like this with all the tangs in there is just amazing!! I would love to see this someday!

Plus, tangs are just too cool when you get to play with them like this :bigsmile::smile::xd:

I totally agree, I just have a kole tang but he's a little scared right now for some reason.

zesty · Apr 24, 2015

BigMike81 said:
I totally agree, I just have a kole tang but he's a little scared right now for some reason.

I have a tomini and he's skittish too, healthy, eats like a pig. I think it comes with their size; but I'm not even close to an expert.

BigMike81 · Apr 24, 2015

That's good I just wish mine was a little more social. He gets along good with the other fish in my tank and actually really likes the pellet food.

Ginu · Apr 24, 2015

Awesome

Awesome to see you here Bill, I've been following you on different blogs and such. Great inspiration and sorry about the leak in January; glad you got it back under control.

TJ's Reef · Apr 24, 2015

Very very NICE to see you over here on R2R Bill, followed from the beginning like many on another Forum that no longer gets my participation. Impressive recovery from the spill, have you determined what the break was caused by and have you switched to schedule 80 because of it ?

Really looking forward to seeing your NEXT Reeftank....... seems like no one caught that in your statement above.... lol

Cheers, Todd

acidtablockshifty · Apr 25, 2015

very awesome builds, the rubber bolted seals for the pipes going through the concrete in one of the pics, did those get sealed with silicone or concrete or something from the inside of the tank or do you leave them open/accessible. The setting of the acrylic must have been one the coolest moments of it... like its a tank!

Pigpen · Apr 25, 2015

This is how you add Mg to a 20,000 gallon tank . Mark at Me corals makes me the raw cemicals and I add them to 50 gallongs of rodi water very slowly as it is very exothermic and gets very hot fast . once it mixes for a few hours it pump it into the tank .

Mustbenuts · Apr 25, 2015

sand filters

Congratulations on your really big live reef tank, it looks great; but just some friendly advise about the sand-filters you are using.
Looking at the picture you show, these are the common fat swimming-pool sand filters, short and stubby.
These filters are not so suitable for reef-tanks because after a while their outside layers of sand become clogged and do not work anymore, leaving only the inner central layers of sand to do the filtering.
To make sure this is not happening already, you should open the filter from the top and manually inspect the sand; if you have problems moving the sand you should change these filters to the "skinny" & high type of sand-filters, which have less problems with live seawater.
Cheers,

Pigpen · Apr 25, 2015

Way ahead of you , I dont use sand in them . the stuff I use does not channel or clump like sand . it filters way better tan sand and it flufs nice for good backwashing .

Mustbenuts · Apr 25, 2015

Good job! would you share with us what is that super stuff you are using in those filters?

Pigpen · Apr 25, 2015

Anhydrous silicon dioxide .

Pigpen · Apr 25, 2015

Used in industrial filtration .

Mustbenuts · Apr 25, 2015

Thanks for the info, in what form would this be, granules, pellets, balls, tubes, ?????

luxtom · Apr 25, 2015

This is really awesome. Thank you for sharing this.
And my wife says I am spending too much time with my tank :wink:..... I will have to show her your incredible work....

Riley S · Apr 25, 2015

Bill, with your sand filters, are you doing any sort of backwash recovery? I think that's what the cone bottom rotomold tank you have is for. With your backwashed water, how are you doing your solids separation and are you doing any sterilization with that water before you use it again?

A_CoupleClowns · Apr 25, 2015

How often do you have to add back the mag when the tank is stocked with corals? I bet its takes quite a bit to fluctuate parameters at all on 20,000g, LOL!