My 120G SPS Dominated Reef Tank

[DCG1286]

Tank Specifics:

• 120G Custom made Starfire Glass RR Tank
• Lighting: 2x250W MH with 2x96W PC's Coralife Aqualight PRO
• Sump: 40G Sump with fuge (mixture of live sand and fiji mud ... fuge light reverse cycle)
• Skimmer: Euroreef CS8-2 with Sedra 5000 pump (gate valve has been modded)
• Flow: 1x Vortech MP40w, 2x Koralia 3, 1x Koralia 4
• MRC CR-1 Calcium Reactor
• 2x Phosban Reactors
• Return Pump: Eheim 1262
• JBJ Auto-Top Off (15 Gallon Reservoir)
• APC Battery Backup

• SPS Dominated Reef (with scattered LPS and zoanthids)

• Salt: Neo Marine by Brightwell Aquatics
• Aquarium parameters: SG - 1.025-6, Nitrates - undetectable, Cal - 420-450ppm, Alk - 9dKH, Mag, 1300-1350ppm, Temp - 76-78F, PH 8.1-2
• Cooling: 2 Small Honeywell Fans, One room fan

Lighting schedule:

• PC's: ON = 9am-12pm/7-9pm OFF = 12-7pm/9pm-9am
• MH: ON = 12pm OFF = 7pm
• LED's (Moonlight): ON = 9pm OFF = 1am (one set remains on all night)
• Fuge Light (LED's) Reverse Cycle 9pm-9am

Dosing:

• Brightwell NeoZeo - Zeolite Media
• Brightwell Aquatics MicroBater7
• Vodka (80 Proof)
• Brightwell Aquatics Reef Biofuel
• Brightwell Aquatics Potassion
• Brightwell Aquatics Neo Mag (Magnesium)
• Brightwell Aquatics Reef Code A and B (Calc & Alk) - although I have a calcium reactor I keep these on hands at all times.
• Brightwell Aquatics KoralColor
• Brightwell Aquatics Restor
• Brightwell Aquatics Lugol's Solution
• Brightwell Aquatics CoralAmino
• Korallen-Zucht Amino Acids
• Kent Tech M Magnesium
• Two little Fishies Kalkwasser

Feeding (fish and corals):

• Brightwell Aquatics Zooplanktos-S - Zooplankton (small) 50-300 micron
• Reef Nutrition Oysterfeast, Phytofeast and Arctipods
• Ocean Nutrition Formula Two Pellets
• New Life Spectrum Pellets
• Rod's Food
• Hikari Mysis Shrimp
• Cyclopeeze

FTS (sorry for the so-so pictures ... my camera is not the best ... ALSO ... I will be putting a backround on the tank ):


Jedi Mind Trick, ORA Oregon Tort, Vermiculata, ORA Miami Orchid:


ORA Tricolor Valida, ORA Rose Milli, ORA Green Birdsnest


Enjoy everyone!

-David

[enerfin]

nice, don't forget to dose yourself with some vodka everyone's doing it!

[DCG1286]

Originally Posted by enerfin

nice, don't forget to dose yourself with some vodka everyone's doing it!

Thanks Enerfin, actually I had been doing the vodka for a while on my previous 90G ... I am going to start up again on this one soon. Got my bottle of Smirnoff sittin' on the shelf right now.

I have the Brightwell's Biofuel ... but definitely do not achieve the same results as I had with the vodka!

[karoljablonski]

I have hangover next day unless I drink Belvedere or Kettle one. Never drank Brightwell's Biofuel. What is the purpose of dosing vodka??? (aquarium wise)

Karol

[DCG1286]

Originally Posted by karoljablonski

I have hangover next day unless I drink Belvedere or Kettle one. Never drank Brightwell's Biofuel. What is the purpose of dosing vodka??? (aquarium wise)

Karol

Hahaha ... same here! ... Here is a great article on vodka dosing (I think we have ALL read this one at some point.)

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php

[DT's_Reef]

Is this a brand new set-up? Nice.

My biggest challenge in past years was making certain the corals had enough nitrogen to use for growth. Nitrate never registered on my test kits but I found the corals needed more nutrients than what they were getting, in order to color and grow properly.

I added more food very slowly, but the challenge was to provide more nutrients, but not more phosphate. As long as my skimmer was truly kicking butt, this wasn't a problem. But if my skimmer was too oversized for my low nutrient system, it would not function properly and then all sorts of problems ensued.

[DCG1286]

Originally Posted by DT's_Reef

Is this a brand new set-up? Nice.

My biggest challenge in past years was making certain the corals had enough nitrogen to use for growth. Nitrate never registered on my test kits but I found the corals needed more nutrients than what they were getting, in order to color and grow properly.

I added more food very slowly, but the challenge was to provide more nutrients, but not more phosphate. As long as my skimmer was truly kicking butt, this wasn't a problem. But if my skimmer was too oversized for my low nutrient system, it would not function properly and then all sorts of problems ensued.

Thank you!

No it is not a new set-up ... I have had this tank up and running (rock included) for the last year or so ... I started with a 90G then upgraded to a 120 ... then broke the tank down to make a move ... set it back up ... My Long spine urchin went to town on my coralline algae ... he does an AMAZING job cleaning, but I am sad he devoured the beautiful purple/pink coralline I had growing!

[gt6188a]

Have you ever used the Backup battery?

I am trying to buy one.

Louis.

[salali]

I love the corals. Are you going to use Vortech pump?

[DT's_Reef]

Originally Posted by DCG1286

Thank you!

No it is not a new set-up ... I have had this tank up and running (rock included) for the last year or so ... I started with a 90G then upgraded to a 120 ... then broke the tank down to make a move ... set it back up ... My Long spine urchin went to town on my coralline algae ... he does an AMAZING job cleaning, but I am sad he devoured the beautiful purple/pink coralline I had growing!

That always seems to happen to one degree or another with urchins. Instead, I now use common Mexican hermits (grey legs, red/orange antennae) to keep my rocks completely clean. They don't mow down the coralline like the urchins do, and frags are mostly safe from them unless they're not secured.

[DCG1286]

Originally Posted by gt6188a

Have you ever used the Backup battery?

I am trying to buy one.

Louis.

The guy I bought this 120 from threw it in with the tank ... I have yet to actually use it ... HOPEFULLY I never will ... but it's definitely not a bad thing to have!

[DCG1286]

Originally Posted by salali

I love the corals. Are you going to use Vortech pump?

Thank you very much! I guess the FTS didn't capture my Vortech on the left side ... I do have it on there. I run it on short pulse creating a nice wave ... then it goes into night mode when the final set of lights go off.

Originally Posted by DT's_Reef

That always seems to happen to one degree or another with urchins. Instead, I now use common Mexican hermits (grey legs, red/orange antennae) to keep my rocks completely clean. They don't mow down the coralline like the urchins do, and frags are mostly safe from them unless they're not secured.

Yes ... actually this is the first urchin i have kept in my reef in years ... he is doing a great job cleaning the tank, I have yet to stab myself ... we will see how long that lasts ... I usually putty down all of my frags ... so I haven't had too much of a problem with them being knocked over ... ALTHOUGH i used to have a Hippo Tang that loved to pick frags up off the rocks ... swim up to the top of the tank ... then drop them down wherever she pleased.

[DT's_Reef]

Originally Posted by DCG1286

... ALTHOUGH i used to have a Hippo Tang that loved to pick frags up off the rocks ... swim up to the top of the tank ... then drop them down wherever she pleased.

Hippo's are so high energy, lol. Beautiful fish, but unless I have a truly large reef system, I won't put one in.

[DCG1286]

Originally Posted by DT's_Reef

Hippo's are so high energy, lol. Beautiful fish, but unless I have a truly large reef system, I won't put one in.

LoL ... that they definitely are!!! Thank goodness she went to a nice 400G system ... Hippo Tangs are cute when they are small ... but boy do they grow fast!!!

I have to get a shot of my two FAVORITE fish in the tank ... my pair of Bellus Angels ... I have grown so fond of these two fish. I have had them since March or so now ... beautiful fish!

[DCG1286]

Here is a list of my fish:

Bellus Angel (pair) (Genicanthus bellus)
Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon)
Blue Spotted Jawfish (Opistognathus rosenblatti)
Rose-band Fairy Wrasse (pair) (Cirrhilabrus roseafascia)
Yellow Flanked Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura)
Blue Sided Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura)
Yellow Coris Wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus)
Melanarus Wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus)
African Midas Blenny (Ecsenius midas)
Diamond Goby (Valencienneapuellaris)
Ocellaris Clownfish (breeding pair) (Amphiprion ocellaris)
Pink Sunk Clownfish (Amphipirion perideraion)

[Dan22]

where do you do your shopping

[DCG1286]

Originally Posted by Dan22

where do you do your shopping

Hey there,

Online:
Liveaquaria (some corals and fish)

LFS:
Ocean Gallery II (North Plainsfield, NJ)
Manhattan Aquariums (NYC)
Greenwich Aquarium (Riverside, CT)
House of Fins (Greenwich, CT)
Then a few others I visit on occasion.

Then I purchase a lot of stuff from locals ... check out Manhattanreefs.com ... They have some great vendors for fish and corals!

-David

[almees]

Nice looking tank. would love to see some pics of your fish selection.. Im trying to decide what type of fish to put into my tank.

[DCG1286]

Originally Posted by almees

Nice looking tank. would love to see some pics of your fish selection.. Im trying to decide what type of fish to put into my tank.

I will start working on a collection of fish shots today!

[super1man]

love the tank one day my 120 will look that good

[mdemuth]

Nice aquascaping. Plenty of room for corals to grow

[DCG1286]

Originally Posted by super1man

love the tank one day my 120 will look that good

Thank you very much ... The 120 is the perfect dimensions for reef building 4x2x2 IMHO ... it's amazing what you can do with the aquascape!

Originally Posted by mdemuth

Nice aquascaping. Plenty of room for corals to grow

Thank you ... it took many rocks tumbling over ... getting pricked by random creatures coming out of the rocks to get it this way ... lol ... but in the end I am very happy with the final result ... I usually put things too close so that the SPS would grow on top of each other and cause chemical warfare ... I am trying to avoid this as much as possible in this tank as I can ... as well as allowing for flow throughout the whole tank ... so that there are no dead spots. I am thinking of adding another vortech ... only time will tell as the corals grow and take up more space!

[hfleming]

nice tank!

[DCG1286]

Here are a few shots with only the actinics!







Enjoy!

-David

[DCG1286]

Recently I have been thinking of adding a nitrate reactor (aka Vodka Reactor) similar to the one Deltec recently came out with ... http://www.theaquariumsolution.com/n...te-filter-pump

Anyone have any experience using a nitrate reactor?
I have also thought of building it myself ... anyone with plans on building one by any chance?

-David