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Latest articles
Hello everyone, we wanted to highlight @ReeferTCG's, and his Red Sea Reefer 200 G2 tank that he calls his "box of crayons"! Omar has an impressive reef tank and a good story to back it all up! If you want to learn more about this tank and follow more of @ReeferTCG incredible progress, be sure...
R2R Username: @Janniks_reef
Introduction:
My name is Jannik, I’m 27 years old and from Germany. Aquariums and terrariums have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My grandfather introduced me to the hobby, and I had my first aquarium when I was only two or three years old...
View the video here:
View the thread here.
Coral Spawning in Captivity Becomes Reality in This Orphek User’s Reef
A few weeks ago, we published an article exploring one of the most fascinating phenomena in marine biology: Coral spawning.
Shortly after publishing that article, we received exciting news:
One of our long-standing U.S...
Read the original article here
Thank You, Reef2Reef Community
Bulk Reef Supply is honored to be recognized in the Reef2Reef Industry Best Awards, and we could not be more grateful to the reefing community that made it possible.
These awards mean a lot to our team because they come from the...
Beginner Topic
Why One Alkalinity Test Does Not Tell the Whole Story
Alkalinity is one of those numbers reef keepers obsess over, and honestly, I get it. I do it too.
You run a test, you expect to see 8.3, and it comes back 7.8. Now your brain immediately starts doing reef math, panic math, dosing math, and “what did I screw up this time” math all at once.
Then...
Reef aquarists frequently discuss the point at which an aquarium can be considered “mature.” It is, in many ways, an elusive concept. Experienced hobbyists intuitively understand what they mean when they use the term, yet the mechanisms underlying that perception are not always easy to define. A...
Beginner Topic
Underwater Photography in Aquariums
Basic Underwater Photography in Aquariums
C. 2026 Jay Hemdal
Aquarists often have difficulty photographing animals in their aquariums. Not only do they have the same problems as other photographers (flash reflection off the glass, issues with white balance, fast moving subjects, etc.) they have...
Most reef keepers have taken this photo.
The tank looks great in person. The corals are glowing, the water is clear, the fish are out, and everything looks exactly how you hoped it would look. Then you pull out your phone or camera, take the picture, and somehow the entire tank turns into a...
R2R Username: @ReefRealmGlow
Hey R2R! I'm Naz, and I've been keeping reef aquariums for about 8 years now. What started as a casual hobby quickly turned into a full-blown obsession. I love the unique balance of science, art, and patience that reef-keeping requires. It’s been an amazing ride...
Latest items
Mixed reef
- Introduction
- I’ve been raising fish for over 35 years and took a break in 2020. In July of 2024 I broke down and modified a 30 gallon freshwater water box to start a sps dominant tank but ended up with a mixed reef system. I’ve had two resets on the tank in 18 months but it has finally stabilized and growing coral.
- What type of saltwater aquarium is this?
- Mixed Reef
- Total Water Volume
- 30
- When did you start this tank?
- Jul 18, 2024
- What is your aquarium made of?
- Glass
- Aquarium Length (inches)
- 24
- Aquarium Width (inches)
- 20
- Aquarium Height (inches)
- 18
- Aquarium Overflow/Drain
- External Overflow
- Aquarium Sump
- YES
- Sump Water Volume
- 5
- Aquarium Controller
- NO
- Protein Skimmer
- YES
- Protein Skimmer Make and Model
- Icecap
- Aquarium Reactors
- None
- Return Pump
- Hydor seltz
- What types of equipment are you using for water flow and circulation?
- Wavemaker
- Water Flow and Circulation Equipment List
- 2 Mp 10’s running at 90% on lagoon mode
- Aquarium Lighting
- LED
- Lighting Equipment List
- AI Hydra 32
- Lighting PAR and Goals
- I’m hoping to be between 250 and 400
- Dosing Equipment
- Calcium
- Alkalinity
- Magnesium
- Dosing Equipment Detail
- BRS dosers on timers
- Auto Top Off or ATO
- YES
- Aquarium Heating and Cooling
- I am using a heater or heaters
- Water Temperature
- 77
- pH Level
- 8
- Specific Gravity
- 35
- Nitrate or NO3
- 3.9
- Phosphate or PO4
- 0.04
- Calcium
- 440
- Alkalinity
- 8.5
- Magnesium
- 1340
- Salt Brand
- Tropic Marin pro
- Trace Element Dosing
- All for reef, potassium
- Water Chemistry Detail
- I dose 6.5 ml of soda ash in my fresh salt mix plus 3 ml daily of all for reef. Started 5ml of potassium a week after ice’s showed it was always on the low side. Since I started potassium dosing it has stayed steady at 400
- Substrate
- Sand
- Substrate Level
- Shallow
- Live Rock
- 30
- Live Rock Type
- Real reef
- Nutrient Export
- Protein Skimmer
- Filter Sock
- Water Changes
- YES
- Water Change Details
- I try to do a 10% water change every 6 to 8 days… I’m old school lol
- Nutrient Export Details
- Skimming and water changes
- Fish List
- Blenny
- Cardinalfish
- Chromis
- Clownfish
- Dottyback
- Hawkfish
- Wrasse
- Total Fish
- 12
- Coral List
- SPS Coral
- LPS Coral
- Soft Coral
- Total Corals
- 12
- Invert List
- Crabs
- Snails
- Urchin
- Total Inverts
- 21
- Livestock Detail
- 2 bangay cardinals, 2 pajama cardinals, pair of Mocha oscellaris clowns, 1 lawnmower blenny, 1 blue chromes, 1 royal gramma, 1 Pygmy hawk, 1 white belly , 1 neon blue goby
- Livestock Quarantine
- No Quarantine
- Favorite Fish
- Black tang
- Favorite Coral
- Acropora
- Favorite Invert
- Peppermint shrimp
- Fish Feeding Frequency
- One Daily Feeding
- Coral Feeding Frequency
- Do Not Feed Coral Directly
- Fish and Coral Feeding
- Frozen
- What brands of foods are you feeding?
- Frozen brine and mysis shrimp in the mornings
- Auto Feeder
- NO
- What do you think are the keys to your success in reefing?
- Being patient and definitely listening to others on this page and podcasts. Its truly amazing how far this hobby has gone.
20 gallon AIO sps and LPs system
- Introduction
- Moved all my sps and most of my LPs from my 30 gallon to this little 20 gallon AIO system. Life has been good since splitting my bio load up.
- What type of saltwater aquarium is this?
- Mixed Reef
- Total Water Volume
- 20
- When did you start this tank?
- Mar 6, 2026
- What is your aquarium made of?
- Glass
- Aquarium Length (inches)
- 15
- Aquarium Width (inches)
- 18
- Aquarium Height (inches)
- 15
- Aquarium Overflow/Drain
- All In One Tank
- Aquarium Sump
- NO Sump
- Aquarium Stand
- Jbj white stand
- Aquarium Controller
- NO
- Protein Skimmer
- YES
- Protein Skimmer Make and Model
- Aoi
- Aquarium Reactors
- None
- What types of equipment are you using for water flow and circulation?
- Wavemaker
- Water Flow and Circulation Equipment List
- Vortech mp 10
- Aquarium Lighting
- LED
- Lighting Equipment List
- Current USA 60 watt
- Lighting PAR and Goals
- Between 100 and 350
- Dosing Equipment
- Calcium
- Alkalinity
- Magnesium
- Dosing Equipment Detail
- BRS 1.1 mil doers on timers
- Auto Top Off or ATO
- YES
- Aquarium Heating and Cooling
- I am using a heater or heaters
- Water Temperature
- 78
- Heating and Cooling Equipment Detail
- 100 watt heater
- pH Level
- 8
- Specific Gravity
- 35
- Nitrate or NO3
- 2.0
- Phosphate or PO4
- 4
- Calcium
- 450
- Alkalinity
- 9.6
- Magnesium
- 1350
- Salt Brand
- Tropic Marin pro
- Trace Element Dosing
- Tropic Marin Part A and K added to two part
- Substrate
- Sand
- Substrate Level
- Shallow
- Live Rock
- 20
- Live Rock Type
- Man made stuff seeded from my 2 year old 30 gallon
- Nutrient Export
- Protein Skimmer
- Filter Sock
- Water Changes
- YES
- Water Change Details
- Around 10% every other week depending on nutrients
- Nutrient Export Details
- Water changes and filter floss with a skimmer
- Fish List
- Cardinalfish
- Goby
- Hawkfish
- Total Fish
- 4
- Coral List
- SPS Coral
- LPS Coral
- Total Corals
- 20
- Invert List
- Snails
- Urchin
- Total Inverts
- 8
- Livestock Detail
- Geometric hawk, neon goby, two pajama cardinals
- Livestock Quarantine
- No Quarantine
- Fish Feeding Frequency
- One Daily Feeding
- Coral Feeding Frequency
- Once weekly
- Fish and Coral Feeding
- Flake
- Frozen
- Auto Feeder
- Trips Only
- What do you think are the keys to your success in reefing?
- Patients and consistency
IM 20g tank upgraded to a Reefer 170.
- Build Thread Link
- https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/reefer-170-mistress-upgrade.1164093
- Introduction
- Started out as an IM 20g tank and found a to good of a deal on this reefer 170. Transferred everything over from the IM 20g April 9th 2026. Love zoas and shrooms along with a few lps especially chalices. It’s been through some neglected/rough patches but trying to get it back going into the right direction.
- What type of saltwater aquarium is this?
- Mixed Reef
- Total Water Volume
- 33
- When did you start this tank?
- Apr 9, 2025
- What is your aquarium made of?
- Glass
- Aquarium Length (inches)
- 24
- Aquarium Width (inches)
- 20
- Aquarium Height (inches)
- 20
- Aquarium Overflow/Drain
- Internal Overflow
- Aquarium Sump
- YES
- Sump Water Volume
- 10
- Aquarium Stand
- Red Sea
- Aquarium Controller
- NO
- Aquarium Controller Make and Model
- BN-Link Smart Plug power strip.
- Protein Skimmer
- YES
- Protein Skimmer Make and Model
- Ice Cap nano skimmer
- Aquarium Reactors
- None
- Return Pump
- Jebao 6500
- What types of equipment are you using for water flow and circulation?
- Powerhead
- Water Flow and Circulation Equipment List
- Pair of AI Nero 3
- Aquarium Lighting
- T5 Fluorescent
- Lighting Equipment List
- 4 bulb ATI fixture
- Dosing Equipment
- Calcium
- Alkalinity
- Dosing Equipment Detail
- Pair of kamoer single dose pumps.
Want to switch over to a ice cap kalk stirrer
- Auto Top Off or ATO
- YES
- Aquarium Heating and Cooling
- I am using a heater or heaters
- Water Temperature
- 78
- pH Level
- 7
- Specific Gravity
- 1.026
- Nitrate or NO3
- 6
- Phosphate or PO4
- 0.40
- Calcium
- 420
- Alkalinity
- 8.5
- Magnesium
- 1425
- Salt Brand
- Tropic Marin pro reef
- Substrate
- Sand
- Substrate Level
- Shallow
- Live Rock
- 25
- Nutrient Export
- Protein Skimmer
- Water Changes
- YES
- Water Change Details
- Try 10% every 2 weeks
- Fish List
- Clownfish
- Wrasse
- Total Fish
- 4 pair of clowns, blue hippo tang, and 6-line wrasse
- Coral List
- LPS Coral
- Zoanthids
- Mushroom Coral
- Total Corals
- 30
- Invert List
- Crabs
- Snails
- Total Inverts
- 10
- Livestock Quarantine
- No Quarantine
- Favorite Fish
- Clowns
- Favorite Coral
- Zoas and shroom
- Fish Feeding Frequency
- Multiple Daily Feedings
- Coral Feeding Frequency
- A Few Times Weekly
- Fish and Coral Feeding
- Pellet
- Frozen
- Auto Feeder
- YES
- What do you think are the keys to your success in reefing?
- Patience and stability.
My first saltwater aquarium. 240 gallon mixed reef, 6’X2’x32”.
- Introduction
- Been working on this aquarium for about 2 years. Had some trials and tribulations, but I’m happy with the progress I’ve made.
- What type of saltwater aquarium is this?
- Mixed Reef
- Total Water Volume
- 280
- When did you start this tank?
- May 25, 2025
- What is your aquarium made of?
- Glass
- Aquarium Length (inches)
- 72
- Aquarium Width (inches)
- 24
- Aquarium Height (inches)
- 32
- Aquarium Overflow/Drain
- External Overflow
- Aquarium Sump
- YES
- Sump Water Volume
- 40
- Aquarium Stand
- Built it myself out of 2x4, nothing special
- Aquarium Controller
- NO
- Protein Skimmer
- NO
- Aquarium Reactors
- None
- What types of equipment are you using for water flow and circulation?
- Wavemaker
- Water Flow and Circulation Equipment List
- Return pump from sump, Nero 7, an hob, and some misc wave maker
- Aquarium Lighting
- T5 Fluorescent
- Lighting Equipment List
- ATI 5’, 6 bulb t5 fixture
- Auto Top Off or ATO
- NO
- Aquarium Heating and Cooling
- Neither
- Water Temperature
- 78
- Substrate
- Sand
- Substrate Level
- Deep
- Live Rock
- 200
- Nutrient Export
- Filter Sock
- Water Changes
- YES
- Fish List
- Goby
- Coral List
- Mushroom Coral
- Invert List
- Urchin
- Livestock Quarantine
- Fish
- Fish Feeding Frequency
- One Daily Feeding
- Coral Feeding Frequency
- Do Not Feed Coral Directly
- Fish and Coral Feeding
- Algae Strips
- Auto Feeder
- NO
Reef mix tank, Sps, LPS, Goni, frag, scape made by myself
- Introduction
- I have been in the hobby 5 years and now I am doing a bigger tank and fish room.
- What type of saltwater aquarium is this?
- Mixed Reef
- Total Water Volume
- 300
- When did you start this tank?
- Jul 22, 2021
- What is your aquarium made of?
- Glass
- Aquarium Length (inches)
- 82
- Aquarium Width (inches)
- 25
- Aquarium Height (inches)
- 25
- Aquarium Overflow/Drain
- External Overflow
- Aquarium Sump
- YES
- Sump Water Volume
- 80
- Aquarium Stand
- APS alumium
- Aquarium Controller
- YES
- Aquarium Controller Make and Model
- Neptune system
- Protein Skimmer
- YES
- Protein Skimmer Make and Model
- Octopus
- Aquarium Reactors
- Carbon
- Return Pump
- Vectra
- What types of equipment are you using for water flow and circulation?
- Powerhead
- Water Flow and Circulation Equipment List
- Mp60 and Mp40
- Aquarium Lighting
- Other
- Lighting Equipment List
- Meridian and Ecotech
- Lighting PAR and Goals
- 150 - 300 Par
- Dosing Equipment
- Other
- Dosing Equipment Detail
- Reefmoon shiner
- Auto Top Off or ATO
- YES
- Aquarium Heating and Cooling
- I am using a heater or heaters
- Water Temperature
- 78
- Frag Tank Details
- 2 Frag tank connect with main tank sump
- pH Level
- 8.0
- Specific Gravity
- 1.026
- Nitrate or NO3
- 3ppm
- Phosphate or PO4
- 0.01
- Calcium
- 400
- Alkalinity
- 8.2
- Magnesium
- 1400
- Salt Brand
- Redsea
- Trace Element Dosing
- Reefmoonshine system
- Substrate
- Bare Bottom (BB)
- Substrate Level
- Shallow
- Live Rock
- 200
- Live Rock Type
- nature rock
- Nutrient Export
- Filter Roller
- Water Changes
- NO
- Fish List
- Clownfish
- Total Fish
- 20
- Coral List
- LPS Coral
- Total Corals
- 100
- Invert List
- Snails
- Total Inverts
- 10
- Livestock Quarantine
- No Quarantine
- Favorite Fish
- Tang
- Favorite Coral
- Goni and sps
- Fish Feeding Frequency
- One Daily Feeding
- Coral Feeding Frequency
- Once weekly
- Fish and Coral Feeding
- Flake
- What brands of foods are you feeding?
- mysis
- Auto Feeder
- NO
- What do you think are the keys to your success in reefing?
- keep it balance
- Build Thread Link
- https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/wills-100-gallon-reef-tank.863764/
- What type of saltwater aquarium is this?
- Mixed Reef
- Total Water Volume
- 130
- When did you start this tank?
- Jul 1, 2017
- What is your aquarium made of?
- Glass
- Aquarium Length (inches)
- 60
- Aquarium Width (inches)
- 18
- Aquarium Height (inches)
- 24
- Aquarium Overflow/Drain
- Internal Overflow
- Aquarium Sump
- YES
- Sump Water Volume
- 30
- Aquarium Stand
- Wood
- Aquarium Controller
- NO
- Aquarium Controller Make and Model
- I do not use any one specific controller but instead a variety of individual units for each function.
- Protein Skimmer
- YES
- Protein Skimmer Make and Model
- The skimmer is a second hand body that I plumbed up to the main pump and a venturi from an irrigation system.
- Aquarium Reactors
- Carbon
- Phosphate
- GFO
- Biopellet
- Algae
- What types of equipment are you using for water flow and circulation?
- Powerhead
- Aquarium Lighting
- LED
- Lighting Equipment List
- The lighting is 6 Orphek OR3's
- Lighting PAR and Goals
- PAR varies from 100 - 400 throughout the tank. The lights at 100% produce a PAR of 750.
- Dosing Equipment
- Calcium
- Alkalinity
- Magnesium
- Dosing Equipment Detail
- I does BRS liquid calcium, alkalinity and Reef trace elements.
- Auto Top Off or ATO
- YES
- Aquarium Heating and Cooling
- I am using a heater or heaters
- Water Temperature
- 78
- Heating and Cooling Equipment Detail
- There are two titanium heating elements in the sump. No chilling is needed.
- Additional Equipment Detail
- I build a custom manual fleece roller.
- pH Level
- 8
- Specific Gravity
- 36
- Nitrate or NO3
- 20
- Phosphate or PO4
- 1
- Calcium
- 450
- Alkalinity
- 9
- Magnesium
- 1500
- Salt Brand
- Reef Crystals
- Trace Element Dosing
- Reef Trace elements
- Substrate
- Sand
- Substrate Level
- Shallow
- Live Rock
- 200
- Nutrient Export
- Macro Algae
- Protein Skimmer
- Filter Roller
- GFO
- Carbon
- Water Changes
- YES
- Water Change Details
- I have two pumps on a dual timer exchanging 1 gallon every day.
- Fish List
- Blenny
- Cardinalfish
- Clownfish
- Damselfish
- Goby
- Hawkfish
- Surgeonfish Tang
- Wrasse
- Total Fish
- 18
- Coral List
- SPS Coral
- LPS Coral
- Zoanthids
- Soft Coral
- Mushroom Coral
- Total Corals
- 25
- Invert List
- Crabs
- Starfish
- Shrimp
- Snails
- Urchin
- Total Inverts
- 10
- Livestock Quarantine
- Fish
- Fish Feeding Frequency
- One Daily Feeding
- Coral Feeding Frequency
- Once weekly
- Fish and Coral Feeding
- Frozen
- Auto Feeder
- Trips Only
- What do you think are the keys to your success in reefing?
- The key to any great tank is being consistent with maintenance and chemistry.
An old acrylic tank I’ve had for nearly a decade… I had the idea to build in a tubular center overflow years ago, but lacked the motivation/skills...
- What type of saltwater aquarium is this?
- Soft Coral Dominated
- Total Water Volume
- 45
- When did you start this tank?
- May 6, 2025
- What is your aquarium made of?
- Acrylic
- Aquarium Length (inches)
- 18.5
- Aquarium Width (inches)
- 21
- Aquarium Height (inches)
- 24
- Aquarium Overflow/Drain
- Drain Style (durso, herbie, etc)
- Aquarium Sump
- YES
- Sump Water Volume
- 15
- Aquarium Stand
- — Hexagonal 3/4” marine grade plywood tabletop, 32” short diagonal.
— 32”X18”X3/4” marine grade plywood rectangular table/stand bottom plate.
— 1.5” X1/4” Steel L Chanel under bottom plate for long span.
— .875” X.085” U-Chanel steel around bottom plate short span edges.
— 2x4X24” uprights X8.
— 4X Fully boxed in tabletop support 2x4, laying on end grain of uprights.
—5.5” hole in center of table for plumbing/wiring bulkhead clearance.
— All tabletop corners radiused, all OD and ID cut edges routed to a quarter-round.
— Steel gussets between uprights and tabletop framing.
— Entire assembly is on four 450lb capacity ratcheting leveling casters.
- Aquarium Controller
- NO
- Protein Skimmer
- YES
- Protein Skimmer Make and Model
- Simplicity 120DC
- Aquarium Reactors
- Carbon
- Return Pump
- Sicche syncra 4.0 for now, May go bigger to avoid needing powerheads
- What types of equipment are you using for water flow and circulation?
- Other
- Water Flow and Circulation Equipment List
- High pressure external return pump in the long term, SLA 3D printed 6-port hexagonal return manifold, 3-6 1/4” RFGs (and possibly eductors) to serve as primary means of display circulation. Zero visible wires/equipment in display.
- Aquarium Lighting
- LED
- Lighting Equipment List
- Kessil A150W - ocean blue. — It belongs in a museum!
- Lighting PAR and Goals
- I prefer PUR, thank you.
- Dosing Equipment Detail
- TBD
- Auto Top Off or ATO
- YES
- Aquarium Heating and Cooling
- I am using a heater or heaters
- Water Temperature
- 78
- Heating and Cooling Equipment Detail
- —Eheim Jager 150W heater, Inkbird controller.
— Whole room climate control for cooling and majority of heating. (Three separate systems in one room, easier to keep the room comfortable than three independent closed systems!)
- Additional Equipment Detail
- Algae scrubber prototyping tank. That build will come later once it’s actually useful to employ!
- Substrate
- Crushed Coral
- Substrate Level
- Shallow
- Live Rock
- 45
- Live Rock Type
- Mixed rock from my and others tanks. bleach cured, acid dipped, then bin cured.
10-20lbs of live rock seeding system
- Nutrient Export
- Algae Scrubber
- Protein Skimmer
- Filter Sock
- Floss
- Carbon
- Water Changes
- YES
- Water Change Details
- Rarely, as needed, but usually only 10-20% every few months when up and running in its old, far less efficient design…
- Nutrient Export Details
- Algae scrubber, skimmer, water changes, possibly refugium under scrubber to utilize light spill.
- Additional Maintenance Details
- All six viewing panes of this tank are maintained, I like 360degree visibility!
- Fish List
- Blenny
- Clownfish
- Dartfish
- Goby
- Wrasse
- Total Fish
- Currently? Four.
- Coral List
- Soft Coral
- Mushroom Coral
- Other
- Total Corals
- 6
- Invert List
- Shrimp
- Snails
- Total Inverts
- 2
- Livestock Detail
- two ocellaris clowns, lawnmower blenny, diamond watchman goby… just the basics so far…
- Livestock Quarantine
- Fish
- Coral
- Invert
- Other
- Never Livestock
- Palys, Six-line wrasse, longspine sea urchin…
I think these ones speak for themselves!
- Fish Feeding Frequency
- Multiple Daily Feedings
- Coral Feeding Frequency
- Once weekly
- Fish and Coral Feeding
- Flake
- Pellet
- Frozen
- Live Food
- Algae Strips
- What brands of foods are you feeding?
- New Life Spectrum
Hikari
SF Bay
- Auto Feeder
- Trips Only
- What do you think are the keys to your success in reefing?
- Make changes slowly when you have any livestock in the tank… invest in good filtration, whether it be off the shelf, or of your own design! I had a rare opportunity to restart things the way I’ve always wanted them to be, but wont make significant changes in any sort of hurry!
I have a 120 gallon mixed reef consisting of a couple torches, BTA’s, montipora, chalice coral, RFA’s acan/favia Duncan, and a hammer
- Introduction
- Hey! My name is Tristan, I’m a relatively new reefer. At the time of posting this I have been reefing for 7-8 months now. It has been an amazing journey and super rewarding. I took my time setting up my original tank and it really payed off when I decided to upgrade. I was able to skip the whole cycle process practically immediately (2 days)
- What type of saltwater aquarium is this?
- Mixed Reef
- Total Water Volume
- 120
- When did you start this tank?
- Jun 1, 2026
- What is your aquarium made of?
- Glass
- Aquarium Length (inches)
- 48
- Aquarium Width (inches)
- 24
- Aquarium Height (inches)
- 30
- Aquarium Overflow/Drain
- Internal Overflow
- Aquarium Sump
- YES
- Sump Water Volume
- 15
- Aquarium Stand
- Custom built stand using steel beams. And custom face plates that my friend helped me put together. Still need to sand em smooth but do the job for now
- Aquarium Controller
- NO
- Protein Skimmer
- YES
- Protein Skimmer Make and Model
- Bubble magnus 7
- Aquarium Reactors
- Algae
- Return Pump
- Vectra(can’t remember model)
- What types of equipment are you using for water flow and circulation?
- Wavemaker
- Water Flow and Circulation Equipment List
- Using 3 jebao wave makers still messing with settings. But my torches flow nicely currently.
- Aquarium Lighting
- LED
- Lighting Equipment List
- 2x smatfarm 140w reef lights
- Lighting PAR and Goals
- Top of tank 300-350. Sand bed 70-115
- Dosing Equipment
- Calcium
- Alkalinity
- Magnesium
- Dosing Equipment Detail
- Currently dosing All for reef daily 16-18ml. Has been working for the last 5 months with all parameters within specs. May end up switching as I get nervous my calcium rises sometimes and I have to take a day break or 2
- Auto Top Off or ATO
- YES
- Aquarium Heating and Cooling
- I am using a heater or heaters
- Water Temperature
- 78
- Heating and Cooling Equipment Detail
- I use dual 300w titanium heaters both controlled by an INKBIRD controller.
- Frag Tank Details
- Not currently setup, but I got a free redsea reefer 250 that came with everything. It was leaking so I have to reseal it (I have experience doing this )
- pH Level
- 8.1
- Specific Gravity
- 1.026
- Nitrate or NO3
- 8ppm
- Phosphate or PO4
- 0.01
- Calcium
- 421
- Alkalinity
- 8.6DKH
- Magnesium
- 1280
- Salt Brand
- Red Sea coral pro red bag
- Trace Element Dosing
- All for reef
- Water Chemistry Detail
- Nope, I like to keep things stable as I’ve learned stability is key and not to chase numbers.
- Substrate
- Crushed Coral
- Substrate Level
- Deep
- Live Rock
- 70
- Live Rock Type
- Was dry Marco rock when I started. Then when I bought my 120 it came with a ton of rock. Lots of caribsea light weight rock but super good
- Nutrient Export
- Refugium
- Macro Algae
- Protein Skimmer
- Floss
- Carbon
- Water Changes
- YES
- Water Change Details
- Yes, I should be better about them. But I’ve honestly never had nitrates go over 10 ppm yet and I don’t want to bottom them out. So I’ll do 5-10 gallon water changes a month sometimes. And sometimes I won’t do any.
- Nutrient Export Details
- I was using chaeto and it grew extremely fast and kept escaping my sump section and getting into the main display so I switched to caulerpa and it’s been doing great. Still somewhat a small ball. But tumbling good.
- Additional Maintenance Details
- I scrape the glass just about every time I walk by it because it’s satisfying. Feed 1-2x a day frozen mysis/ brine w/spirulina and seaweed for tangs.
- Fish List
- Blenny
- Clownfish
- Goby
- Wrasse
- Total Fish
- 12-14
- Coral List
- SPS Coral
- LPS Coral
- Zoanthids
- Soft Coral
- Mushroom Coral
- Total Corals
- 14
- Invert List
- Anemone
- Crabs
- Starfish
- Snails
- Total Inverts
- 20
- Livestock Detail
- I currently have 4 clowns. Will be getting rid of one pair as they were with the tank when i got jt. Just hard to find someone able to take them and be ready to care for them. Reefing isn’t very common in my area
- Livestock Quarantine
- Fish
- Coral
- Invert
- Favorite Fish
- Purple tang/Yellow tang
- Favorite Coral
- Holy grail torch
- Favorite Invert
- Star fish
- Never Livestock
- I’ve not had many fish to know what ones are buttheads in a reef tank. I tend to dive deep on research when I get something to ensure my tank will stay happy and pest/trouble free
- Fish Feeding Frequency
- Multiple Daily Feedings
- Coral Feeding Frequency
- Once weekly
- Fish and Coral Feeding
- Frozen
- Other
- What brands of foods are you feeding?
- Hikari frozen brine/mysis spirulina.
Couple different brands of sea weed I soak in kanaplex/garlic to keep fish happy
- Auto Feeder
- NO
- What do you think are the keys to your success in reefing?
- Constant research and asking questions.
Like Confucius once said. The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute. The man who doesn’t is a fool for life. And I live by that. I don’t care what people may think when I ask questions as long as I’m learning and being successful that’s all that matters to me.
I use TurboStart900 to cycle 5/8/26-5/19
Biotope: North Sentinel 🏝️ using W. Andamans as reference as tribe there hates outsiders, Raja Ampat...
- Introduction
- Only got in late April after finishing my 11g freshwater tank next to it. Apologies for any spelling mistakes as I had to truncate text to fit below 255 word limit and also I tend to mispell things on mobile
- What type of saltwater aquarium is this?
- Mixed Reef
- Total Water Volume
- 11
- When did you start this tank?
- May 19, 2026
- What is your aquarium made of?
- Glass
- Aquarium Length (inches)
- 20.1
- Aquarium Width (inches)
- 10.2
- Aquarium Height (inches)
- 12.8
- Aquarium Overflow/Drain
- Internal Overflow
- Aquarium Sump
- NO Sump
- Aquarium Stand
- Walmart Heavy Duty Shelf
- Aquarium Controller
- NO
- Protein Skimmer
- NO
- Protein Skimmer Make and Model
- I don’t as I plan to get a sea sponge or tunicate which would suck away their food
- Aquarium Reactors
- Carbon
- Other
- What types of equipment are you using for water flow and circulation?
- Other
- Aquarium Lighting
- LED
- Lighting Equipment List
- 14w LED gooseneck
- Auto Top Off or ATO
- YES
- Aquarium Heating and Cooling
- I am using a heater or heaters
- Water Temperature
- 77
- Heating and Cooling Equipment Detail
- 25w heater
- pH Level
- 8.2
- Specific Gravity
- 1.025
- Nitrate or NO3
- Roughly 8-20 ppm
- Alkalinity
- 10 dKH
- Salt Brand
- Instant Ocean Sea Salt
- Water Chemistry Detail
- Tank had bad start (minicycle leading to ammonia spike led to my black clown goby dying & amm. burned my default clownfish, I managed to save clownfish & now he is normal, as if never happened
Also bc me dosing over the course of a week, ~50 ml of Microbe Lift Special Blend
- Substrate
- Sand
- Substrate Level
- Shallow
- Live Rock Type
- CaribSea dry rock
- Nutrient Export
- Macro Algae
- Floss
- Carbon
- Water Changes
- YES
- Water Change Details
- 10 percent once every Friday
- Nutrient Export Details
- Chaeto, Gracilaria and mangroves
- Fish List
- Clownfish
- Goby
- Total Fish
- 3
2x ocelladis clownfish in a pair
(1 default male 1 platinum female)
1x yellow clown goby
- Coral List
- LPS Coral
- Soft Coral
- Total Corals
- 6
- Invert List
- Shrimp
- Total Inverts
- 4
- Livestock Quarantine
- No Quarantine
- Favorite Fish
- Ocellaris and Percula clownfish
- Favorite Coral
- candy cane, duncan and daisy
- Favorite Invert
- Sponges esp Haliclona sp. and tunicates esp Pycnoclavella and Clavelina sp. (which I plan to get) and cleaner shrimp
- Never Livestock
- Mollusks of any kind, almost all echinoderms except for sea urchins and sea anemones as I have a phobia of them
- Fish Feeding Frequency
- Other
- Coral Feeding Frequency
- Other
- Fish and Coral Feeding
- Flake
- What brands of foods are you feeding?
- Hikari, Aqueon and Imaginaturium
- Auto Feeder
- NO
- What do you think are the keys to your success in reefing?
- Stuff a lot of sponges in the filter to maximize as much benefixial bacteria surface area so it can process nutrients better
Innovative Marine 30 gallon bare bottom mixed reef
- What type of saltwater aquarium is this?
- Mixed Reef
- Total Water Volume
- 30
- When did you start this tank?
- Jun 15, 2022
- What is your aquarium made of?
- Glass
- Aquarium Length (inches)
- 36
- Aquarium Width (inches)
- 15
- Aquarium Height (inches)
- 13
- Aquarium Overflow/Drain
- External Overflow
- Aquarium Sump
- YES
- Sump Water Volume
- 7
- Aquarium Stand
- Innovative Marine White Aluminum
- Aquarium Controller
- NO
- Aquarium Controller Make and Model
- Hanna Checkers for Nitrate, Alkalinity, Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphate
- Protein Skimmer
- YES
- Protein Skimmer Make and Model
- Ice Cap K1-Nano
- Aquarium Reactors
- Algae
- Other
- Return Pump
- Coral Box DCA 2000 and Backup Battery V2
- What types of equipment are you using for water flow and circulation?
- Powerhead
- Wavemaker
- Water Flow and Circulation Equipment List
- Two Little Fishies In/Out Overflow and Return, 2 Hygger Mini Wavemakers 1600GPH,
Hygger Wavemaker 1321GPH
- Aquarium Lighting
- LED
- T5 Fluorescent
- Hybrid Fixture
- Lighting Equipment List
- Reefbreeders Meridian 24 on an Aquatic Life adjustable T5 HO Hybrid 4-Lamp Fixture with 2 Blue Plus , 1 True Actinic bulb and 1 purple plus
- Lighting PAR and Goals
- Middle top of aquascape 350 par slightly lower on the sides, 200-100 middle below 100 bottom I love the new meridians,and added them easily to a aquatic life hybrid T5 fixture and love the combo. The T5's provide more UV, violet and light blue. I run them 7 hours during my cycle. My meridians run through a high noon white period then go deep blues later in the day for that evening pop. I wanted full representation of the color spectrum and have achieved it with these lights and my schedule.
- Dosing Equipment
- Calcium
- Alkalinity
- Magnesium
- Other
- Dosing Equipment Detail
- Kamoer F1 Liquid Dosing Pump
- Auto Top Off or ATO
- YES
- Aquarium Heating and Cooling
- I am using a heater or heaters
- Water Temperature
- 76
- Heating and Cooling Equipment Detail
- Heater in my sump
- pH Level
- 8.3
- Specific Gravity
- 1.024
- Nitrate or NO3
- 10-15 ppm
- Phosphate or PO4
- 0.08
- Calcium
- 448
- Alkalinity
- 8.5
- Magnesium
- 1348
- Salt Brand
- natural seawater
- Trace Element Dosing
- All for Reef dosed 4 times daily and occasional Balling B for Alkalinity. Red Sea Trace Colors A and B weekly and iron monthly
- Water Chemistry Detail
- Stability is key. I test alkalinity, nitrate, phosphate and calcium weekly using Hanna checkers. I like my Nitrates between 10-15 ppm. They move up to 20+ occasionally. Phosphates between .05 and .1. I feed reef roids to maintain phosphates, otherwise they drop with carbon dosing and my algae scrubber.
- Substrate
- Bare Bottom (BB)
- Substrate Level
- No Substrate
- Live Rock
- 25
- Live Rock Type
- Caribe Sea Life Rock. The shapes were amazing for building my scape, but maturity and biodiversity took a while. The rock will still not grow Coraline on it.
- Nutrient Export
- Algae Scrubber
- Protein Skimmer
- Denitrater
- Filter Sock
- Carbon
- Water Changes
- YES
- Water Change Details
- 10% water changes weekly or bimonthly as needed to resupply trace elements and reduce nitrates. I use a turkey baster to siphon detritus from my display and use a power gravel washer in my sump to remove water. I have a jug of natural seawater in a decorative amphora next to the tank. Water changes and weekly maintenance takes 30 minutes.
- Nutrient Export Details
- Drop .6 algae scrubber with Chaeto 10 hours opposite of my light cycle, Brightwell Bio Blocks, Cycled rock and water changes, protein skimming, carbon dosing with microbacter 7 and a 200 micro filter sock.
- Fish List
- Anthias
- Cardinalfish
- Damselfish
- Total Fish
- 3
- Coral List
- SPS Coral
- LPS Coral
- Zoanthids
- Mushroom Coral
- Total Corals
- 100
- Invert List
- Anemone
- Crabs
- Snails
- Clams
- Other
- Total Inverts
- 30
- Livestock Detail
- My reef is space limited obviously, so rapid growth of my corals in not a priority. Great color, nice shape and solid growth are my goals I have lots of frags and small colonies living in relative harmony. I am able to keep some SPS happy and colored up. Deep water (Smooth-Skin) Acropora, a few high end tenius, Anacropora, Montipora, Pocillopora, Psammacora, and Stylocoeniella.
LPS include Lobophyllia, Torch coral, Goniopora, Duncan, Favites, Cyphastrea, Trachyphyllia, Cup coral, Caulastrea and multiple chalice corals. My bare bottom is filling in nicely with multicolor Florida Ricordea, and I have some Zoanthids as well. Cerith snails are my main algae control workforce with turbo snails and a few emerald crabs to round out my cleanup crew. Fish are great but not my priority. My Sunburst Anthias is beautiful, my Pajama Cardinalfish is a stud, and my Yellow Tail Damsel is a model citizen.
- Livestock Quarantine
- No Quarantine
- Fish Feeding Frequency
- One Daily Feeding
- Coral Feeding Frequency
- Every Other Day
- Fish and Coral Feeding
- Flake
- Frozen
- Other
- Auto Feeder
- Trips Only
- What do you think are the keys to your success in reefing?
- Understanding my goals and limitations going in was key. I wanted a mixture of sps, lps and anemones. Flow and lighting has to be just right to accommodate the varied needs of theses different organisms. Consistent maintenance routine and making changes slowly is important. All for Reef has been a game changer. Modern technology is extremely helpful.
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