9 months, updated pics on 425

[55semireef]

The best part of this tank is the S. Gigantea for sure.

 

[Jeff]

Very very Very nice

 

[ThaNgBOm321]

i just want to tell you that YOUR A VERY SICK MAN!!!! SICK I TELL YOU!!!!!

nice set-up .. clean !!! i likes!!!

YzGyz

 

[55semireef]

I like where the tank is too. Looks like a meausam (sp?) almost.

 

[nyvp]

I remember as well the build amazing job well done.
ok here is what we need.
Close up pics of the tank from different angles as well as the basement and all equipment. when can we expect them......( J/K) Again great job amazing tank.

 

[reefkeeper2]

Right now I'm at work until 11:30pm tonight. I will try and take those pics tomorrow and get them on line before I leave for work again at 3pm.

 

[dgasmd]

Pictures of the corals upclose is a must. I know the colors must be outstanding, but from the distance the pictures were shot it looks like everything is brown. I second the equipment pictures as well.

 

[reefkeeper2]

Ok , I'll start with the sump and equipment.
This is an overall view of what I have in the basement. You can see the Dialyseas unit which controls the water changes and monitors the conductivity. To the left is the water reservoir. To the right is the kalkwater stirrer. To the far right is the battery backup. It is connected to the four Tunze pumps upstairs in the tank. Should the power go out there is enough in reserve to last for days. I have a generator as well.

 

[reefkeeper2]

I don't have a big problem with humidity and here is why. I vent air from outside into the skimmer and back out again. I have discovered that it's the little things you do that add up to make a big difference. I try and supply a lot of outside air for good exchange (there is another pump with venturi in the deep sand bed container) and to get rid of excess CO2 from the calcium reactor. But I vent that humid air right back out. Thats what all those lines to the basement window are for. Naturally, the humidty in the summer will still be higher than normal, but it is well within tolerable limits and I rarely have to turn on the dehumidifier. A pox on the electric company! I also make sure that there are no objects down there that can absorb and retain moisture like cardboard.

 

[asnatlas]

Where did you get that HUGH funnel at that is over your BK skimmer ??

 

[reefkeeper2]

Here is the carbon and anti phos reactor. It's a converted MRC calcium reactor. An Ehiem pump pushes the water thru the carbon first and then a portion goes off to the the other reactor thats filled with GFO. I change the carbon once a month. The GFO gets changed about every other month depending on what I observe upstairs in the tank. You can also see in this pic the calcium reactor effluent being dripped into a funnel that leads directly to the pump that drives the skimmer. This is to help drive off as much CO2 as I can.

 

[reefkeeper2]

I got the funnel on line from a place that sells home brewery supplies.

 

[reefkeeper2]

Here is the RDSB. I just placed a pump inside with a venturi to increase oxygenization.

 

[invincible569]

Awesome ideas! I really like how you thought outside the box.

 

[reefkeeper2]

This is the calcium reactor. It's a Schuran and the pH coming out of it is low, 6.5 to dissolve that media. I piggy backed an old Koralin reactor to it to take advantage of the low pH effluent. It almost doubled the alkalinity of the effluent. I don't know the pH of the effluent now as my hand held pH meter finally died. Got to get another.

 

[reefkeeper2]

Here is my cooling system. When the tank temp reaches 80 degrees, a temp controller in the basement turns on this fan. It blows across the surface of the water and keeps the temp stable. It has never reaches 81 degrees. The room also has AC but it has to work like crazy to keep that room cool in the summer. I keep the room temp set to 78 in the summer.

 

[reefkeeper2]

Now some tank pics. I love the look of an SPS dominated tank, but I really want to see diversity like you would on a real reef. Of course this is harder to do because you have to deal with the chemical toxins softies can release and you have to have the variety of light conditions required for both hard and soft corals. I think I am getting there but have a long way to go. Here is my colt coral that has really shot up in the past few months.

 

[reefkeeper2]

I'm hoping to add rockwork and/or coral that will help hide the Tunzes. Here is a view of the backside.

 

[reefkeeper2]

My H. gigantea

 

[reefkeeper2]

Frog spawn