Why I still love this hobby, my SPS tank all grown up!

JBNY · Dec 22, 2017

It's been a while since I have posted in the main forums. I've had ups and downs with keeping tanks over the years but when the tank is on a roll, it's the best. So here are some pictures of my 270 Gallon SPS tank.

Tank has been setup for 9 years, but I restarted the tank 2 years ago with only frags. So all growth is from those little frags we buy online.

Brief overview of my system: 270G SPS Tank, 140G sumps, 35G Frag Tank, Ultra Reef Akula UKS-200 Skimmer, Apex, Giesemann Spectra 3x250W MH 4x80W T5, 2xReefbrite Tech 72" Blue LED, Triton Dosing, ARID C30 Algae Reactor, Maxspect Gyre.

My Maintenance is: Ozone 6 hours a day for water clarity. 2 cups Carbon changed out every 4 weeks. Clean out ARID reactor every 4-6 weeks. Dose trace a elements homemade mixture of Zinc and Manganese daily. Dose KNO3 when needed to keep Nitrates at 10ppm. Vanadium, Strontium are dosed every two weeks. Dose microbe-lift Special Blend every two weeks. Skimmer cleaned once a week. filter socks changed daily. Triton dosing for alk/Mg/Ca 334ml per day using Triton Elements. No Water Changes.

Some pictures of the tank and setup. Yes my Phosphates are at 1ppm.

Tank from 5/2016

Tank last month 2017

Some pics

JBNY · Dec 22, 2017

JBNY · Dec 22, 2017

Video from this month.

Equipment Room

Triton ICP test from Dec 6, 2017

914joe · Dec 22, 2017

Beautiful tank, great growth over the last year and a spotless fish room. I envy

XNavyDiver · Dec 22, 2017

My tank seems to do best at .1ppm po4 and 8-10 no3 also.

siggy · Dec 22, 2017

PHENOMENAL!

Capital J · Dec 22, 2017

Love your tank. I've been following it over on RC for a while... question, I noticed you have few, if any, stags. How come?

Flippers4pups · Dec 22, 2017

@JBNY Beautiful system, Bravo!

PaulPerger · Dec 22, 2017

Tanks like this are what enticed me to give SW a try... I'm in the very beginning stages curing rock, equipment gathering and stand building at the moment...

JBNY · Dec 22, 2017

914joe said:
Beautiful tank, great growth over the last year and a spotless fish room. I envy

Thank you, I am really happy with the tank right now. Growth is only a little better than I have had in the past, I don't move my corals that much and they seem to take off if you can keep your hands out of the tank. The fish room was put in when I upgraded to this tank from my old 180 gallon sps tank. I love it.

XNavyDiver said:
My tank seems to do best at .1ppm po4 and 8-10 no3 also.

Yeah, I now find that some phosphates seem to be perfectly find and can even help with coloration. I stopped testing them a little over a year ago, so I only see where they are when I get an ICP test. But I may do something just to keep them under 1, not sure yet.

Capital J said:
Love your tank. I've been following it over on RC for a while... question, I noticed you have few, if any, stags. How come?

I purposefully did not put stags in this tank. All my other tanks had them, they grow too fast and choke off flow to the rest of the corals. So I don't have them now, and I do not miss them.

Flippers4pups said:
@JBNY Beautiful system, Bravo!

Thank you, I'm glad you like the tank!

PaulPerger said:
Tanks like this are what enticed me to give SW a try... I'm in the very beginning stages curing rock, equipment gathering and stand building at the moment...

That's my favorite part in all honesty. I really like the setup part and growing the tank from nothing but frags glued to rock to a full reef is the fun part. This is the reward, but after a while all I am doing is fragging corals, it starts to be not as much fun anymore.

Flippers4pups · Dec 22, 2017

JBNY said:
Thank you, I am really happy with the tank right now. Growth is only a little better than I have had in the past, I don't move my corals that much and they seem to take off if you can keep your hands out of the tank. The fish room was put in when I upgraded to this tank from my old 180 gallon sps tank. I love it.

Yeah, I now find that some phosphates seem to be perfectly find and can even help with coloration. I stopped testing them a little over a year ago, so I only see where they are when I get an ICP test. But I may do something just to keep them under 1, not sure yet.

I purposefully did not put stags in this tank. All my other tanks had them, they grow too fast and choke off flow to the rest of the corals. So I don't have them now, and I do not miss them.

Thank you, I'm glad you like the tank!

That's my favorite part in all honesty. I really like the setup part and growing the tank from nothing but frags glued to rock to a full reef is the fun part. This is the reward, but after a while all I am doing is fragging corals, it starts to be not as much fun anymore.

Much like terrestrial gardening. It becomes a different perspective as a tank matures and trimming is required, for sure. All in all, it's what we all strive for.

PaulPerger · Dec 22, 2017

JBNY said:
That's my favorite part in all honesty. I really like the setup part and growing the tank from nothing but frags glued to rock to a full reef is the fun part. This is the reward, but after a while all I am doing is fragging corals, it starts to be not as much fun anymore.

I enjoy the building process too. This is my first SW tank, but I have several FW tanks and the build, plan, stocking is my favorite part. I enjoy watching the fish swim around too, but overall, the build is the most interesting part. That's why I am now at 7 tanks working on 8! I am finishing my basement and my Mancave/Fishroom will be the last part of that renovation. This SW tank will be in my Family Room, but how well it progresses will be a contributing factor in what goes into my new reconfigured space which will give me room for several more 55 gallon tanks or two much larger tanks.... Time will tell whether they will be FW or SW...

revhtree · Dec 22, 2017

Oh my goodness man! Your reef is amazing! And what you have accomplished in such a short time deserves some mucho congrats! Thank you for not forgetting about us over here at R2R!