The 300G SPS & Angel Tank

[roberthu526]

After keeping fish for over three years and keeping reef tanks for over two year, I have finally started my dream build. This is something I have planned for over a year and been actively preparing since last June. But I didn’t really know if or when it was going to happen until my wife gave the green light a month ago

Brief background: I have been keeping fish for a little over three years. First year was just fresh water tropical fish. Then in February of 2016 I started trying out saltwater fish and I thought I would never get into reefing because all corals seem so boring to me: they don’t move or even eat. However after merely 2 months I started to realize that a tank with just fish and rocks were even more boring


My first salt water tank was a 40G breeder and it quickly escalated to a 125G which I am still running. Although everything is going pretty well with this tank, there are a couple of not-so-good side of this system: 1st, the dimension is not ideal: 5' long and only 1.5' deep. It is very hard to create depth. 2nd, the tank is overstocked with three tangs, one foxfish, three wrasses and one anthias. Three fishes are over 6" already and one of the wrasses is around 5" already. I need something bigger! 3rd, the tank is filled with LPS and I love angels!

So with the new build, I am going to make it a angelfish dominant tank. I plan to get six large angels: a pair of regal, goldflake, and majestic each. And I want to have some dwarf angels like flame angel, coral beauty and potters or flameback. I want to have a total of 9-10 angels in this new tank. Plus the fish I already have in the LPS tank, it's probably going to be overstocked again.

With this many angelfish, I am going to risk it by putting any LPS or softies in this tank. Plus water quality requirement for angefish and SPS are quite similar and many people on the forum already have had success hosting angels and SPS together so it's totally worth a try!

[carrots]

Wow you are asking for a lot. With that many Angels you had better be prepared to have some super filtration system. Keeping nitrates & phosphates at levels to maintain SPS is going to be difficult with that bio load once the fish are full size. You may find that you are able to keep a few LPS corals with those fish. My Majestic did not bother any LP corals for about two years, then one day it ripped them all apart. My Regal took a liking to my favorite softy, Green Nephthea, but leaves hammers, grapes and duncans alone. My experience has been that adding any soft corals after the Angels are in the tank is difficult. They pick at it as if I added a new food. While the same type of coral that was in the tank before the fish were added seem to go untouched. We share the same dream. I failed with creating pairs and filtration. I wish you better success.

[roberthu526]

Originally Posted by carrots

Wow you are asking for a lot. With that many Angels you had better be prepared to have some super filtration system. Keeping nitrates & phosphates at levels to maintain SPS is going to be difficult with that bio load once the fish are full size. You may find that you are able to keep a few LPS corals with those fish. My Majestic did not bother any LP corals for about two years, then one day it ripped them all apart. My Regal took a liking to my favorite softy, Green Nephthea, but leaves hammers, grapes and duncans alone. My experience has been that adding any soft corals after the Angels are in the tank is difficult. They pick at it as if I added a new food. While the same type of coral that was in the tank before the fish were added seem to go untouched. We share the same dream. I failed with creating pairs and filtration. I wish you better success.

Thank you for your reply! This tank is going to need some serious filtration for sure. I already bought a Super Reef Octopus 6000 Ext. I also plan to run a refugium while carbon dosing. I am not sure if it is going to work out this way but if not, carbon dosing alone should work. I have had pretty good results with Red Sea’s NOPOX so I am fairly confident that it will work on the new build as well.

As for angels and LPS? I am just not going to risk it at all. I love my LPS too much to even try it out. Eventually I am going to setup another 150-20G in the same room just to host LPS and softies with some reef safe fish.

I used the term “pair” loosely in my original post. I am not looking for male&female paired. Just two of the same fish.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[roberthu526]

Finally got some pukani curing! 120 pounds from premium Aquatics and 50 pounds from marine depot. The first three to four days were horrible smell wise. But after dosing some MB7 the smell went away.

Just changed out water yesterday and the water was extremely yellow almost brownish.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[roberthu526]

Wanted to share a side project: a 150G LPS dominant tank. It's going to be in the same fish room.
So far I have built the utility panel and the stand. The stand still needs some paint work and the doors. But I want to get the plumbing done before wrapping it up.

[carrots]

Will it be connected to your other tank so you will only have one sump/filtration to maintain? I’m Considering doing that on my next build.

[roberthu526]

Originally Posted by carrots

Will it be connected to your other tank so you will only have one sump/filtration to maintain? I’m Considering doing that on my next build.

I thought about it but since the two tanks are not on the same side of the room, it is pretty difficult to get them plumber into one system. Besides, LPS like a little dirtier tank so they are going to use two different sumps.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[roberthu526]

Another update to the side project: finally got the tank on the stand! Took five people and two dollies. Test filled tonight and so far no leaks. Fingers crossed! Now just waiting for the overflow to arrive. Supposed to be here next week but somehow got delayed by one full week...



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ardeus]

There's an online store that states that keeping flame angels in mated pairs is the way to prevent them from nipping corals. I have tried to contact them to try to find out how do they know that, but I haven't received any reply yet. I keep a pair ans they have behaved well until now.

[roberthu526]

Originally Posted by Ardeus

There's an online store that states that keeping flame angels in mated pairs is the way to prevent them from nipping corals. I have tried to contact them to try to find out how do they know that, but I haven't received any reply yet. I keep a pair ans they have behaved well until now.

Thanks for chime in. I am not counting the Angels not nipping on corals. Just hope to keep them at bay with a big tank filled with SPS.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[roberthu526]

Here is another update on my youtube channel. It's focusing on my QT tank and procedure and why I am a strong believer of hypo-salinity.
https://youtu.be/sKBHP41hf7s

[roberthu526]

Apparently I am no artist, at least when it comes to aquascape a reef tank...

Threw two piles of rocks in the tank and called it a day. No glue no epoxy, I will likely redo the rock work anyway.

[roberthu526]

Then spent an entire day to fill the tank and sump with RODI water. Used three bags of special grade sand and the water is still pretty cloudy. With two filter socks hooked up I hope everything clears out pretty quickly. We shall see.

[Ardeus]

I really like your aquascape. 3 structures with different heights make it interesting.

[roberthu526]

Originally Posted by Ardeus

I really like your aquascape. 3 structures with different heights make it interesting.

Thank you. My idea is once it’s ready for corals, I will put some acans, Goni, and fungia toward the front of the tank on the sand bed and some branching corals like torch, hammer and frogspawns on the rocks to create high low effect. It will add some depth to the look I think.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[roberthu526]

https://youtu.be/-2nUt_7hFGk
Quick video update on my build. Everything is moving along pretty well.

[roberthu526]

Not everyday you get a cool poster in the office!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[roberthu526]

Got an email today and I felt it was from Santa when I opened it. Needless to say I am super pumped now!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Redeyes31]

Originally Posted by roberthu526

I am super pumped now!

That is a nice big tank! 300 gallons Im assuming. Are those pre-drilled holes on the upper back side of the tank? How big of a sump will you use with that?

Happy Reefing!

[roberthu526]

Originally Posted by Redeyes31

That is a nice big tank! 300 gallons Im assuming. Are those pre-drilled holes on the upper back side of the tank? How big of a sump will you use with that?



Happy Reefing!

Yes it is the 300G. The holes are drilled for overflow and return. I am going to use a 125G tank for sump in the garage.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[McPuff]

I like the tank and the plan!

My 300 sps dominant reef now has two large angels in it: blueface and annularis. Neither are picking at any corals at this point. Before adding the angels I removed all LPS as I knew they would probably be dinner. I left a bunch of zoas and they seem to be ok. The green sinularia does not get touched at all. Nor do the mushrooms. I've had leathers before with angels and those were not bothered (by French, blueface, annularis, Eibli, flame). Most of my sps colonies are pretty large so if they do get nipped once in a while it doesn't bother them. The same may be true of other corals types too.... the larger the better. They can handle a bit of stress.

I've also got 4 large tangs and a large foxface (and several small fish). Filtration seems to be doing just fine as the fish get larger. I've got a Reef Dynamics INS300 skimmer. Then I also run small amount of GFO along with a DIY chaeto reactor and 2 marine pure blocks. Keeps the algae growth pretty low. I actually don't do water changes that often, nor do I perform large water changes. I'd say perhaps 10% per month, rarely 20%. Instead, I focus on removing the dirtiest water (i.e., sump, lagoon, where settling occurs) as it seems to be much more efficient. I use a single 4" mesh sock in the sump as well which does a decent job though I should definitely have 2 at least. :0) For circulation I've got a Tunze stream 3 (6150) and 2x Tunze 6105 pumps. The latter two I control with apex. This seems to do an adequate job but is by no means overkill. I may even add another pump at some point.

Anyway, as long as your angels get along then I think your plan can certainly come to fruition. Good luck. Looking forward to the updates!

[roberthu526]

Originally Posted by McPuff

I like the tank and the plan!



My 300 sps dominant reef now has two large angels in it: blueface and annularis. Neither are picking at any corals at this point. Before adding the angels I removed all LPS as I knew they would probably be dinner. I left a bunch of zoas and they seem to be ok. The green sinularia does not get touched at all. Nor do the mushrooms. I've had leathers before with angels and those were not bothered (by French, blueface, annularis, Eibli, flame). Most of my sps colonies are pretty large so if they do get nipped once in a while it doesn't bother them. The same may be true of other corals types too.... the larger the better. They can handle a bit of stress.

Thanks for the input! You definitely gave me a lot of confidence in the plan. With three and half years of experience under my belt I am finally brave enough to get this build started. If everything works out as expected, I should have the tank sometime next week and have the plumbing done by the end of this month. Then take another month or so to cycle and stabilize then I will have fish in it! I can’t tell you how excited I am!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[McPuff]

Originally Posted by roberthu526

Thanks for the input! You definitely gave me a lot of confidence in the plan. With three and half years of experience under my belt I am finally brave enough to get this build started. If everything works out as expected, I should have the tank sometime next week and have the plumbing done by the end of this month. Then take another month or so to cycle and stabilize then I will have fish in it! I can’t tell you how excited I am!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just take your time adding fish. Go through the TTM (for ich) and a proper quarantine procedure. You definitely want to start with a clean system. If you can, stock the angels as juveniles and try to add them in pairs or a few at a time. This should reduce any aggression towards one another. It took more about a year and a half to get my first angel into the tank but there were many reasons for that. It was about 6 months from the day I got the annularis to the day I stocked it into DT. Anyway, just be patient and enjoy.

[roberthu526]

Originally Posted by McPuff

Just take your time adding fish. Go through the TTM (for ich) and a proper quarantine procedure. You definitely want to start with a clean system. If you can, stock the angels as juveniles and try to add them in pairs or a few at a time. This should reduce any aggression towards one another. It took more about a year and a half to get my first angel into the tank but there were many reasons for that. It was about 6 months from the day I got the annularis to the day I stocked it into DT. Anyway, just be patient and enjoy.

Definitely! I actually have quite a few angels quarantined for over two months now and they are all doing really well. However I did purchase a large goldflake from my LFS the past weekend because the price was too good to pass and the fish had been in the store for over a month and was actually eating pellets like a pig. This morning I found the fish was showing white spots so I am going to treat the tank again tonight and go through another 45-day treating period. That's enough time for the 300G to cycle.

I bought an Emperor Aquatics High Output 120W UV sterilizer for the 300G but I am still going to go through all the QT procedures for extra caution.

[hottuna]

who made the tank ?