Victory Reef 600 Gallon SPS Dominant 4.5 years Growth

I want to share the reef I have maintained for the last 6 years.
It was selected as R2R Reef of the Month for Oct '23 Thread 'REEF OF THE MONTH - October 2023: Victory Reef! 650 Gallons of Thriving Marine Splendor!' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/r...-gallons-of-thriving-marine-splendor.1014060/
It was also featured in Reef Hobbyist Magazine. There are specs and stories of the tank in the article here:
https://www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com/
I have had a few people ask if I had a build thread, so here I go..The display is 54"x54"x48"T. It is essentially a big cube with 4 viewing panels in 4 different rooms.
Current Picture:

We completely stripped down and sanded the acrylic tank 4.5 years ago. The aquascape is Real Reef rock that I free stacked in a volcano shape around the 4ft tall center overflow. There are two pvc vertical columns with horizontal arms that I mounted drilled Real reef and some Marco rock on. A diamond bit was necessary to avoid breaking the rock.

A 600 gallon RO/DI water storage tank is outside and was used to fill the aquarium and for water changes.
Equipment list and parameters:

Unique Tank Size: 54"x 54"x 48"T
Lighting: 8 Ecotech Radion XR30 Pro, 2 Kessil A500x, 2 Kessil Ap700, 3 Kessil A160 Tuna Blue for vertical rock columns


Filtration:
Deltec 6000 series protein skimmer,
Pax Bellum Chaeto Reactor,
JBJ 1HP commercial chiller,
Aqua UV 120 watt UV sterilizer,
Vectra L2 return x2,
Deltec Kalkwasser Stirrer,
Deltec Calcium Reactor
PhosBan 550 w/ high capacity Ferric Oxide,
Neptune Apex system with Dos
Foam and media chamber,
Live rock chamber,
Refugium with Caulerpa,
4 EcoTech Vortech Mp60s, 2 Maxspect Gyre XF280s, and 3 Neptune Wavs

10% weekly water changes with Reef Crystals.
I dose soda ash, calcium chloride, Reef energy AB, Red Sea trace colors. Bulk Reef Supply Kalkwasser for all top off water. ICP tests are sent to ATI, and corrected with their elements.
Aim for 450 calcium and 9dkh. Phosphate between .03 and .08ppm. I dose Pax Bellum Nitrogen to around 5-10ppm, and Iron to feed the Chaeto reactor. Reef Roids and Polyp Booster are fed once a week.
Keeping pH above 8 has been crucial for the Acro growth and color. The pH swing is 8.2 at night to 8.3 during the day

Bedroom View:

Fish list:
Achilles Tang "Acanthurus achilles"
Scopas Tang "Zebrasoma scopas"
Tomini Bristletooth Tang "Ctenochaetus tominiensis"
Spot cheeked Surgeonfish "Acanthurus nigrofuscus"
Heniochus Butterflyfish "Heniochus acuminatus"
Potter's Angelfish "Centropyge potteri"
Golden Dwarf Angelfish "Centropyge aurantia"
Marble Wrasse "Halichoeres hortulanus"
Dusky Wrasse "Halichoeres annularis"
Melanarus Wrasse " Halichoeres melanurus"
6 Line Wrasse " Pseudocheilinus hexataenia"
Ignitus Anthias "Pseudanthias ignitus"
Blotchy anthias "Odontanthias borbonius"
Maroon Clownfish "Premnas biaculeatus"
Mandarin Dragonet "Synchiropus splendidus
Red Mandarin Dragonet "Synchiropus splendidus cf."
Sleeper Goby "Valenciennea strigata"
Purple Dottyback "Pictichromis porphyrea

Coral Genera:
Acropora, Montipora, Seriotopora, Stylophora, Pocillopora, Pavona, Stylocoeniella, Porites, Psammocora, Cyphastrea, Leptoseris, Turbinaria Duncanopsammia, Goniopora, Bernardpora, Euphyllia, Echin
ophyllia, Mycedium, Leptastrea, Favia, Acanthastrea, Caulastraea, Lobophytum, Zoanthus, Palythoa, Sinularia, Anthelia, Rhodactis, Gorgonians

Let me know what pics and other info y'all would like to see!
Growth pics over the years:

Videos of the aquarium over the years: Aquarium Videos by Intrinsic Reef Design in Austin, Tx

 

[KrisReef]

How often do you trim frags?
It's amazing.

 

[IntrinsicReef]

 

[IntrinsicReef]

 

[IntrinsicReef]

How often do you trim frags?
It's amazing.

Every week. I spend an average of 5 hours a week servicing the tank. I have to trim the fast growers (slimer acros, Miyagi Tort, stylos, Montipora caps, pavona) constantly. It is a process of making room for the slower growers while maintaining the full look and keeping nutrient/ elemental consumption stable.

 

[blaxsun]

Wow. Just... wow!

 

[IntrinsicReef]

Wow. Just... wow!

Thank you! That means a lot!

 

[blaxsun]

Thank you! That means a lot!

To quick questions for you: How many fish in total and what is the grey/silver padding on the ceiling and walls?

 

[IntrinsicReef]

To quick questions for you: How many fish in total and what is the grey/silver padding on the ceiling and walls?

On the fish list in the post above, everything is individuals except 4 of the anthias, 2 Maroon clownfish, 2 Dusky wrasses, and multiple mandarins. It is lightly stocked. The focus of the tank has been coral. The silver padding is a fiberglass insulation. The owner is an audiophile, and sound insulation is important. I removed all equipment, lights and power supplies from the wall/ ceiling and added that with another contractor. He ordered the insulation from an audio company and don't remember the name.

 

[blaxsun]

On the fish list in the post above, everything is individuals except 4 of the anthias, 2 Maroon clownfish, 2 Dusky wrasses, and multiple mandarins. It is lightly stocked. The focus of the tank has been coral. The silver padding is a fiberglass insulation. The owner is an audiophile, and sound insulation is important. I removed all equipment, lights and power supplies from the wall/ ceiling and added that with another contractor. He ordered the insulation from an audio company and don't remember the name.

The fish certainly won't complain about having to not share all that real estate! I imagine your tank has a very quiet footprint!

 

[IntrinsicReef]

The fish certainly won't complain about having to not share all that real estate! I imagine your tank has a very quiet footprint!

We have actually tried to add some fish to the original "gang" without success. The Achilles is a murderer with limitless energy. I ( and the owner) prefer a lightly stocked tank to the aggression and disease potential of adding new fish. So we stopped.

 

[blaxsun]

We have actually tried to add some fish to the original "gang" without success. The Achilles is a murderer with limitless energy. I ( and the owner) prefer a lightly stocked tank to the aggression and disease potential of adding new fish. So we stopped.

Freakin' tangs... I went in the opposite direction, but I've had reasonably good success with "reef safe with caution" and "not reef safe" fish. Showed the wife your tank and I'll probably have to step up my coral game now as a result...!

 

[IntrinsicReef]

The massive Red Dragon colony is probably one of my favorites.

 

[IntrinsicReef]

One of the vertical rock columns and horizontal arms.

 

[IntrinsicReef]

A couple close ups of coral growing together. Macros are tough on this tank. The 2" thick acrylic is a nightmare to shoot through

 

[blaxsun]

That last red/green plate is probably my favorite. 2"... yikes! What do you use for scraping the sides?

 

[IntrinsicReef]

That last red/green plate is probably my favorite. 2"... yikes! What do you use for scraping the sides?

I mostly use Mighty Magnets products. The coralline algae grows so fast. They make algae cutter bags and plastic blades for their magnets. It builds up at the tank corners and I end up having to sand the the coralline off the acrylic almost yearly.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

A couple close ups of coral growing together. Macros are tough on this tank. The 2" thick acrylic is a nightmare to shoot through

Some amazing looking coral!

 

[Troylee]

Insane tank!

 

[IntrinsicReef]

Insane tank!

Thank you! I love your setup as well. It's gonna look gorgeous when it's all grown in.