Wow, this was a surprise attack!
Got a call tonight that some reef buddies were prowling in the neighborhood, didn't see the camera coming.
Thanks for the compliments guys, I was actually inspired by cali_reef's tank a year ago when I met him and he invited me over to see his 180g. Didn't know the difference between an acro and a stylo then. But in all honesty, I've seen much better tanks then what I have and a lot of them are out there in MR land!
Pierce, Steve, Rich and David, you know that your tanks are awesome so stop the shoveling
Kasei, haven't seen your tank in pics yet but I'm sure it be a beaut.
Some specs on the tank:
Tank was purchased in Jan. '05 from Glass Cages and set up in Feb. '05. It's a 1/2" (but I call it a 7/16") euro-braced 120g with low iron glass on 3 sides. Center humungo over flow with two 1.5" holes drilled and two additional 1.5" holes drilled on the back wall for the closed loop drains. Simple canopy and stand is also from Glass Cages.
Lighting is dual XM 250 watt 10,000k SE bulbs run with Ice Cap ballast in two 24" PFO parallel reflectors for 6 hours and two URI 110 watt actinic VHO bulbs also with an Ice Cap ballast for 10 hours per day.
Closed loop is accomplished with a Reeflo Dart through an Oceans Motions 4-Way returning via four 1" returns over the top front corners and the back center on either sides of the overflow. I'm also using their 1" Flexi-Nozzles to direct the flow a little better then when I just had 45 degree elbows.
Tank drains into a standard AGA 30g long which was fitted with four baffles. Water is returned via another Reeflo Dart. The return manifold is branched to three lines, a 3/4" going to a Pacific Coast 1/4 hp chiller then to a 3/4" Sea Swirl, second branch is another 3/4" line that goes to the other Sea Swirl and the last branch goes to a 1" line that is further broken down into two 3/4" returns to a 102g tank that you don't see in the pics so the total water volume is about 220g. (The additional tank was done recently within the last month or so)
Now Rich will frown on this one:
Skimming is done with just a Deltec AP600. Pierce helped me tap the collection cup so that I don't need to empty it every three days. Now it just drains into an AquaC waste collector but I still clean the cup about every 10 days or so.
I run 120 grams of Phosband in a Phosband reactor and change out the media about every 4 months. I also run about a litre of Hydro Carbon in a MRC fluidized reactor and change that out when I do the Phosband.
Alkalinity & Calcium uptake is handled with a K2R Calcium reactor. I keep my alkalinity at about 9 DKH and the calcium at about 440. My nitrate levels have always measured low from near 0 to .02 ppm, my phosphate levels run about the same as the trates based on Salifert test kits. I keep my salinity between 1.025 & 1.026 and the temp between 78 to 81 degrees.
I use a Reef Keeper to control all the lights on both tanks, chiller, heaters and canopy/sump fans.
This is a BB tank with 1/2" star board/marina board. There is no refugium, just a bare sump that houses the heaters, probes and powerheads to feed the reactors & skimmer. With no sandbed or refugium, I am still able to maintain an 8.5 PH at peak and 8.2 at night.
Tank has 11 fishies and 6 more in the 102g that is plumbed in-line.
Joe,
The front and back returns are due to the OM 4-Way and the Sea Swirls, I would also say that multiple flow from different directions will create a chaotic flow pattern that is desired, so the 2' depth is not the reason why there are returns in the front and back. Yes that is starboard, no sand here.
Kris,
The clam is a blue dot Squamosa. This is an earlier pic but might be clearer:
I moved my other 5 clams into the 102g cause it was getting pretty crowded.
No problem with stopping by but I'm kind of far from ya!
Steve,
You change and upgrade equipment like I change underwear :lol:
You know you have a nice setup