660G - Great Beringer Reef - Video Update

friendlyguy · May 20, 2024

Hi there!
Its been a while since i posted something here.
During the setup of my Reef I was in discussion with some of you guys... so i thought i`d give you folks an update on how its going.
@Gumbies R Us @sam.veilleux30 @Johnz @CHEF @blaxsun @MrPike @Forty-Two @New&no clue @Saltysecondsreefing @LilsReefTank @Squidward @Lost in the Sauce
@bnord @i cant think @Chrisv.
I`ve been struggeling to beef up my filtration game for the last year, unfortunately I underestimated the amount of crap my lovely fish produce

I try to get back into the sps-range when it comes to nitrate and phosphate. Hard to keep No3 below 40 mg/l and Po4 around 0,5 mg/l.
Still, the reef is somewhat triving. Not the brightest coloration, not the most stunning growth and with some loss due to the swings.
Nevertheless: I LOVE MY REEF

I absolutely love the diversity when it comes to my reef inhabitants: i can stare in there for hours and hours and always see something "new" or exiting.
Hope you enjoy it as much!
Here is a link to a youtube video I´ve recorded yesterday evening.
Also: first steps with video editing. At least i managed to remove the original sound from the video and put some relaxing sound to it.
I hope you like it.

56longroof · May 21, 2024

Nice!

Johnd651 · May 21, 2024

How long is that? Amazing

revhtree · May 21, 2024

friendlyguy said:
Hi there!
Its been a while since i posted something here.
During the setup of my Reef I was in discussion with some of you guys... so i thought i`d give you folks an update on how its going.
@Gumbies R Us @sam.veilleux30 @Johnz @CHEF @blaxsun @MrPike @Forty-Two @New&no clue @Saltysecondsreefing @LilsReefTank @Squidward @Lost in the Sauce
@bnord @i cant think @Chrisv.
I`ve been struggeling to beef up my filtration game for the last year, unfortunately I underestimated the amount of crap my lovely fish produce
I try to get back into the sps-range when it comes to nitrate and phosphate. Hard to keep No3 below 40 mg/l and Po4 around 0,5 mg/l.
Still, the reef is somewhat triving. Not the brightest coloration, not the most stunning growth and with some loss due to the swings.
Nevertheless: I LOVE MY REEF
I absolutely love the diversity when it comes to my reef inhabitants: i can stare in there for hours and hours and always see something "new" or exiting.
Hope you enjoy it as much!
Here is a link to a youtube video I´ve recorded yesterday evening.
Also: first steps with video editing. At least i managed to remove the original sound from the video and put some relaxing sound to it.
I hope you like it.

Man what an awesome reef!

friendlyguy · May 22, 2024

Thank you so much for your feedback!
Yes, this is pretty much a dream tank for myself. in the last system corals went crazy but the fish population wasn`t nearly as fascinating as its in the "new" system.
Since i am still pretty new to the hobby, like 4 years into it, i had noooo idea when to stop adding fish. I just went with the recommendations from here and eventually accepted a few refugees from tanks that were shut down in my area.
Now i am trying to match filtration with bioload... what a struggle.
What i did in the past year to the filtration:
1. upgraded my lifereef skimmer against a bigger venturi based skimmer. something from a german company called knepo.
2. added a 2nd zeolite reactor
3. exchanged the skimmer against an even bigger skimmer from aquacare. (this beast is like 170cm / 66inch tall and needs an Abyzz A200 to power it: running at 88%!.)
4. added a biopellet reactor with a volume of > 6 liters / 1,6 Gal
5. rearranged all the stuff in the sump.
6. added a 2nd reefmat (i was running a 1200 and due to size limitations i had to go a little smaller for the 2nd one: 500)
7. added 4 packs of maxspect Nano-Tech Anaerobic Blocks
8. added automatic water changes to my reef-routine: 15 liters a day, 500 liters a month... roughly.
9. started to clean my sandbed manually again. (roughly every 10 days i clean what i can with 20L water exchange...so basically small batches.
10. also added a bunch (4) of gobies again hoping they will help me to keep it cleaner.

Still: i struggle with my nutrient levels

Phosphate levels plotted in a chart:

Nitrate levels plotted in a chart:

The source is clear to me: the huge bioload and "proper feeding":
Several times a day, different types of food: artemia, mysis, krill, formula one flakes, supreme doctor pellets in different sizes for every size fish and 1-2 (big) sheets of algea every day.
the question i am still searching an answer to (mostly due to try and error) is:
will i ever be able to bring them down to ideal sps range again: po4: 0,03 and no3: <10 mg/l
I use the zeovit method, so there is carbon dosing involved(Zeostart is a carbon source if i understand it correctly). also the biopellet reactor is basically the same thing with particular organic carbon plastic (if i am not mistaken)
my reefmats "digest" like 3 meters each per day... the skimmer is sucking out at least 5 liters of dirt every day...
the next thing i was thinking about is to run the biopellet reactor anearobic but thats really a challenge to modify as well as to control and monitor it. (yeah, of course i am going to smell the exit water that is directly feeded into my skimmer pump to detect stinking egg smell on a daily basis...)

So: not sure if i further want to add more filtration or just accept the load / nutrient levels i created. It just has to be maintainable in the end.