My low tech mixed reef = Biology > Technology.

[FragBox]

A few of you may recognize me from another forum but for all the others here I am going to make my introduction by posting some pics and info about my tank. The tanks is LPS and soft coral dominated. There are 5 fish in the tank.

Here are the specs:

Total cost of hardware: $475.00 (new).
Display: 40 Gallon Breeder 36" x 18" x 16"
Lighting: 4 x 39w HOT5's overdriven to 64 watts each are housed in a custom made fan cooled aluminum hood with remote ballasts.
Circulation: 4 Hagen Elite Mini Powerfilters @ 58GPH each. One Aquaclear 200 HOB with modified surface skimmer. The powerheads are configured for a Gyre style flow pattern.
Filtration: Live rock, macro algae, and carbon.

Maintenance:
25% water changes are typically performed every 2 months. New carbon is exchanged at least once a month. Calcium and alkalinity levels are maintained almost daily with a 2 part additive. Magnesium is added when needed. Other tasks include; stirring up the shallow sand bed with an acrylic rod, basting the live rock, cutting back macro algae, beating the chaeto with a stick, cleaning the glass with a razor, cleaning powerheads + filter, and manually topping off daily with distilled water.

The tank is as close to an all in one eco-system as you are going to get I think.

Here are some tank shots:

Here is an unflattering pic of my chaeto patch which is hidden behind the rock-wall and corals.

That's all for the tank shots. Hope you all like my low tech reef. I'll post some pics of my corals and fish soon. Please feel free to respond with any questions or comments and I hope the server works better here!

 

[Anonymous]

Wow, that's gorgeous! Very nicely done. Thinking myself that my next tank might be relatively shallow and it's nice to see it can be well executed. 8)

Some lovely coral (in particular that chalice). I can see a blue chromis and a damsel of some sort. What are your other fish?

 

[Len]

Really pretty tank I should just go back to LPS/Softies too ... SPS are too much of a PITA to keep, especially these days.

 

[FragBox]

Thanks for the responses guys! No more SPS for me. I simply can't afford everything that comes with it, especially the commitment long term.

Here are some pics of my fish:

Orange-tail Damsel

YWG:

Dragonface pipefish:

I also have a couple of chromies.

 

[FragBox]

Here are some pics of my corals:

Zoas and Shrooms

Tubipora

Echinophyllia

Frogspawn, Hammer & Zoas

Frogspawn

Symphyllia

Candycane

Crocea Clam

Well that's all for now.

 

[Anonymous]

wow!!!

 

[Anonymous]

I love the Dragonface pipefish! Brilliant shots of everything as well. 8)

 

[Anonymous]

:welcome:



Very nice!

 

[Ben1]

Sweet tank, I agree that the chalice is a stand out. The tubipora is very lovely as well. Nicely done! Tanks looks clean with no coraline on the sides to take away from the reef, I like it.

 

[Anonymous]

Awful tank....you should give it to me .

Where is the "macro algae" you list in your filtration section?

 

[Anonymous]

Isn't that the chaeto in the final pict of the last post?

 

[FragBox]

Thanks again for the kind responses everyone!

PaintGuru ~ as The Escaped Ape pointed it is in the last pic of the tank shots. That pic was taken just after pruning. In 2-3 weeks that whole area will be full. The growth rate is very high do to the fact that it mainly gets light from a high PAR 6500K HOT5 bulb.

Another cool thing is that the Gyre flow pattern dumps all the detritus right over the chaeto. I often tap the chaeto repeatedly with an acrylic rod. This releases the mulm into the water column again where it can consumed by the corals. The bacterio-plankton that can be created as a result is an excellent food source for them. Its also a hunting spot for my pipefish.

 

[Anonymous]

gorgeous tank, amazing pics

8)

 

[Anonymous]

Gorgeous tank.

Less is more.

 

[Anonymous]

UNDER $500 for the entire set-up, including lighting and 'filtration'?? So, you've essentially made the tank itself a 'refugium'?

I can't tell you how close this brings me to wanting my own tank again.

MUST.

RESIST.

URGE.!!

Yeah, no. Wow. I'm conflicted. Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

SKOO SKAHHH...SKOOO SKAHHH (darth vaderish breathing)

seamaiden, the power of the reefside is useless to resist!

 

[FragBox]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

UNDER $500 for the entire set-up, including lighting and 'filtration'?? So, you've essentially made the tank itself a 'refugium'?

That's a good way of putting it!

 

[Anonymous]

Ugh! Why did I click this thread again? Even peering between my fingers, it's too pretty to take. :lol:

Seriously, that's some impressive reefkeeping.

 

[fcmatt]

awesome! thanks for sharing it.

 

[ltd]

Nice tank. What sort of bulbs do you have for the four T5's?