Vols Reef 260 Gallon Build

[Bozburn]

Hey everyone, been skimming the pages for a while now but I figured I would finally post my build thread. I named it Vols Reef because that's the IG handle (Vols_reef) for my tank and I am still learning how to post better on that platform. I am a huge University of Tennessee fan so that's where the name came from. Will do a quick history on my time in the hobby and then get to the good stuff.

History: Back in college I had a buddy who had a 24 gallon nano cube and I immediately took an interest in it. In no time I had a similar nano cube with two clowns, royal gramma and a few soft corals. When I moved into my place that I knew I was going to be at for a while I had to upgrade. I made the upgrade to a 125 gal build with sump and the basic needs and halides. I had this tank for a few years but never fully got into corals outside the easy LPS and Soft corals. Fast forward to 2012ish, I graduated and decided to move back to Nashville so I had to take down the tank. After I moved back I worked on setting the tank back up but was focused on starting my career and never got it up and running.

I moved into my current house a few years ago and my wife and I know we are going to be here for a good long time, so early last year I told her I wanted to get back into the hobby and she was fully supportive of it. That's where this tank began so I will go through the equipment and some pictures then a follow up post with current fish list and the quick history of the struggle with the beginning.

Equipment:
Planet Aquariums Tank - Euro Braced - 84"x29.5"x24" - 260 Gallon
Trigger Platinum Sump 39" with fleece roller
NYOS 220 Skimmer - This thing is a beast
2 EcoTech MP60's
3 EcoTech Radion XR30 G5 Pro
Sicce Syncra SDC 9.0 return pump
RedSea Dosing Pump - just added
2 Bashea media reactors - GFO and Carbon
Neptune Apex controller with trident
BashSea Tank for both ATO and Mixed water for auto water changes

 

[dstockwell]

Lookin good !

 

[Bozburn]

So I started putting fish in there last July/August but a few months later put in a fish or two that somehow brought in Ich and wiped out the entire tank. I let the tank sit empty for 60-90 days to eradicate the Ich and I told myself I would slowly add fish back, hence why I don't have a large amount of fish in there yet.

Current fish list:
Blonde Naso Tang
2 Snowflake Clowns
Copperband Butterfly
Desjardini Tang
White Tail Bristletooth Tang
2 Firefish (started with 4, one didn't make it immediately and one somehow recently jumped even with a top)
Orange Back Fairy Wrasse


Trying to decide what to get next. Here is the wish list for the remainder of the fish:

Anthias
Gem Tang
Foxface
Melanurus Wrasse
Royal Gramma (on the fence with this once because ive heard they can be aggressive)
Sailfin/Starry Blenny
Midas Blenny
Some sort of Goby

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Hey everyone, been skimming the pages for a while now but I figured I would finally post my build thread. I named it Vols Reef because that's the IG handle (Vols_reef) for my tank and I am still learning how to post better on that platform. I am a huge University of Tennessee fan so that's where the name came from. Will do a quick history on my time in the hobby and then get to the good stuff.

History: Back in college I had a buddy who had a 24 gallon nano cube and I immediately took an interest in it. In no time I had a similar nano cube with two clowns, royal gramma and a few soft corals. When I moved into my place that I knew I was going to be at for a while I had to upgrade. I made the upgrade to a 125 gal build with sump and the basic needs and halides. I had this tank for a few years but never fully got into corals outside the easy LPS and Soft corals. Fast forward to 2012ish, I graduated and decided to move back to Nashville so I had to take down the tank. After I moved back I worked on setting the tank back up but was focused on starting my career and never got it up and running.

I moved into my current house a few years ago and my wife and I know we are going to be here for a good long time, so early last year I told her I wanted to get back into the hobby and she was fully supportive of it. That's where this tank began so I will go through the equipment and some pictures then a follow up post with current fish list and the quick history of the struggle with the beginning.

Equipment:
Planet Aquariums Tank - Euro Braced - 84"x29.5"x24" - 260 Gallon
Trigger Platinum Sump 39" with fleece roller
NYOS 220 Skimmer - This thing is a beast
2 EcoTech MP60's
3 EcoTech Radion XR30 G5 Pro
Sicce Syncra SDC 9.0 return pump
RedSea Dosing Pump - just added
2 Bashea media reactors - GFO and Carbon
Neptune Apex controller with trident
BashSea Tank for both ATO and Mixed water for auto water changes

Love the stand for your tank!

 

[Bozburn]

Love the stand for your tank!

Thanks! It really fits in well in my office.

I will work on getting more pics today.

 

[thelonereefer1]

I like your stocking list. You have a couple of larger fisher and a few smaller ones creating a whole lot of movement. I personally prefer this over a bunch of smaller fish only or a few bigger ones. Usually my larger fish just slowly swim around while my wrasses and other small fish are darting in and out of the rock work

 

[Bozburn]

I like your stocking list. You have a couple of larger fisher and a few smaller ones creating a whole lot of movement. I personally prefer this over a bunch of smaller fish only or a few bigger ones. Usually my larger fish just slowly swim around while my wrasses and other small fish are darting in and out of the rock work

I know I can add more, and I likely will but I like having a mix. Agree with you, tanks with a ton of bigger fish are great but I like having a nice balance.

 

[Bozburn]

Thought I would do a photo dump of some random pics. Copperband and Naso are the two kings of the tank right now. Still trying to decide what fish to get next.

Also working on honing in the dosing pumps so the SPS will stay alive in the tank. If anyone is on the fence for the NYOS skimmer, get it, its a beast!

 

[Bozburn]

Got a melanurus wrasse and possibly a pink diamond goby coming my way soon.

Having some trouble with SPS, did the tidal gardens sale a month or so ago and half of them are dead already. I didnt have any phosphates in my tank so I recently turned off my GFO reactor until they get out of hand so I can bring some of that back into the tank.

Alk is ~7.7
Cal is ~430-450
Mag is 1378
Nitrates ~20ppm
and Phosphates .07

Any thoughts?

 

[Bozburn]

Still having trouble with SPS so I sent off an ICP test and am planning on starting the reef moonshiners program to get it dialed in.

My orange back fairy wrasse is a BEAST. Also figured out why my acans were disappearing.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Still having trouble with SPS so I sent off an ICP test and am planning on starting the reef moonshiners program to get it dialed in.

My orange back fairy wrasse is a BEAST. Also figured out why my acans were disappearing.

That wrasse is nice!

 

[Bozburn]

Thank you! Having some coral issues, all my SPS have died and my LPS are not doing great. Trying to figure that out.

My blonde naso also stopped eating a few weeks ago, so I took him out and put him in a bucket with tank water and epsom salt and acclimated him back in the tank. He started eating again this past weekend finally.

 

[Stevorino]

Thank you! Having some coral issues, all my SPS have died and my LPS are not doing great. Trying to figure that out.

My blonde naso also stopped eating a few weeks ago, so I took him out and put him in a bucket with tank water and epsom salt and acclimated him back in the tank. He started eating again this past weekend finally.

Great tank, fellow Vol alum!

I just fired up a 280g Planet Aquarium tank in May... reading through your build has been a ton of fun: Many similarities!

What are you doing for water changes? I've been trying to figure out how much to start doing as I ramp up out of my extended dark cycle. Dosing 2-Part for Alk/Cal?

 

[Bozburn]

Great tank, fellow Vol alum!

I just fired up a 280g Planet Aquarium tank in May... reading through your build has been a ton of fun: Many similarities!

What are you doing for water changes? I've been trying to figure out how much to start doing as I ramp up out of my extended dark cycle. Dosing 2-Part for Alk/Cal?

Right now I am doing ~15-20 gal a week through the Neptune Dos pumps that will run for about a minute 2 times an hour. The left section of the holding tank underneath is saltwater and it pulls from that and it will take 5-6 days to go through that. Right side is fresh for ATO.

I stopped dosing when the SPS died, but I was doing RedSea Cal, Alk and Mag. I think I might switch to 2-part Brightwell since I just started Reef Moonshiners and thats the brand he uses and recommends.

 

[Stevorino]

That's right in line with what I am planning until things stabilize (~80g-100g/month). I'm surprised that the strong WC volume alone hasn't resulted in more favorable SPS results for you.

I'm stoked to hear about your Moonshiners experience. I've considered one of these ICP-test related methods in the past, it'll fun to see it perform on a similar spec'd tank.

Go Vols!

 

[Digitalfirex]

@GoVols look mate! A vols reef 2.0?? Following!

 

[Bozburn]

@GoVols look mate! A vols reef 2.0?? Following!

There is another Vols Reef?!?!?! Heck yeah!

 

[Bozburn]

Still working on the algae, it looks like brown carpet on the sand, but I have been doing coral snow with MB7 and it seems to be receding, but still have some work to do.

Corals on the other hand are not doing great and I have no idea why. Torch isnt looking great, and my duncans still dont open up at all. My Nem did split in two the other day so that is good.

Parameters as of yesterday.

Alk - 7.7ish
Nitrates 12
Phos - .03
Mag - 1350
Cal 380

Dosing RedSea Mag, Alk and Calcium so I am upping those doses a bit to slowly bring cal and alk up.

 

[BlakeStew]

I saw your post in the thread about have you considered quitting the hobby. Do you have an up to date shot of your tank. I'm curios to see what it looks like. Also, I frequent Nashville a lot so I'm also curious to see what LFSs you visit regularly.

 

[Bozburn]

I saw your post in the thread about have you considered quitting the hobby. Do you have an up to date shot of your tank. I'm curios to see what it looks like. Also, I frequent Nashville a lot so I'm also curious to see what LFSs you visit regularly.

This is from the first of last month, don’t have anything more recent.

The only store I really know or go to is aquatic critter, but I have never gotten anything outside of dry goods from there.