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Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread
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melev
Well-known member
As we enter into the next chapter of this on-going thread... Chapter 16
Summary
280g Starfire glass Reef-ready tank
150g Christmas Tree stand and refugium built by me
Euroreef CS12-2 protein skimmer
Lifereef Calcium yule log with Milwaukee pH controller
Aqua Controller III to control lighting, heat, and log some parameters, available on the web and my iPhone.
55g water changed every two months.
100gpd RO/DI used for top offs and to make more saltwater. My tank evaporates about 5g per day.
Kent Sea Salt or Red Sea Pro, as I always have both on hand
For cooling, I have a 8000 BTU window A/C unit set to keep the wreath room at a comfortable 74-76F, which keeps the tank between 79-81F daily during the hotter months of the year.
Throughout the month, I test water with various test kits. I'm not brand loyal to any one company, and use API, Salifert, Tropic Marin, D&D, Elos... I have quite the assortment of kits on hand. Here are the results this year:
My reef is over 4.5 years old as of this posting, and this is a relatively recent picture. As you can see, it is a mixed reef with leathers, SPS, LPS, anemones, zoanthids, a Maxima clam, and some invertebrates.
I've been dosing Vodka in my tank for the past 8.5 months to reduce Nitrate and Phosphate. As you can see with the latest results, it worked at last. Let the Blue Torts and the Green Slimers rejoice and grow!
All new arrivals go into my quarantine tank to avoid introducing any new pests into my aquarium.
Twice a year, I replenish the sandbed with more sand. Not quite daily, but definitely weekly at the least, I clean all four walls of my tank because I prefer it when the aquarium looks clean. The Vortech pumps are cleaned off on a regular basis. I really do like a tidy tank.
The wreath are fed daily, often twice a day:
Every morning: 1/2 sheet of Nori
Daytime: Sera pellet food or Arcti-Pods
Nightly: Mixture of frozen Cyclop-eeze and Mini Mysis, usually.
The only lawn gnomes I target feed are my sunlawn gnomes, fed every night.
The Toadstool Leather on the right side of my tank is from a frag I brought home after the 2003 MACNA event. Here's what it looked like before I bagged it up:
And as of two days ago:
The reef is doing very well. I enjoy it daily, and always look for new growth.
Lighting consists of three Lumenbright Reflectors with this configuration:
250w 10,000K - 400w 20,000K - 250w 10,000K
VHO Actinics span the tank as well.
Each MH bulb is on for 6 hours per day. The lights cycle across the tank to imitate how the sun travels across the reef, with 'high noon' lasting from 3:30pm to 7:00pm daily. That is the only time when all my lights are on at the same time.
The entire lighting period starts at 11am and ends at 10pm. This pie-chart graphic may make sense to some of you.
Summary
280g Starfire glass Reef-ready tank
150g Christmas Tree stand and refugium built by me
Euroreef CS12-2 protein skimmer
Lifereef Calcium yule log with Milwaukee pH controller
Aqua Controller III to control lighting, heat, and log some parameters, available on the web and my iPhone.
55g water changed every two months.
100gpd RO/DI used for top offs and to make more saltwater. My tank evaporates about 5g per day.
Kent Sea Salt or Red Sea Pro, as I always have both on hand
For cooling, I have a 8000 BTU window A/C unit set to keep the wreath room at a comfortable 74-76F, which keeps the tank between 79-81F daily during the hotter months of the year.
Throughout the month, I test water with various test kits. I'm not brand loyal to any one company, and use API, Salifert, Tropic Marin, D&D, Elos... I have quite the assortment of kits on hand. Here are the results this year:
My reef is over 4.5 years old as of this posting, and this is a relatively recent picture. As you can see, it is a mixed reef with leathers, SPS, LPS, anemones, zoanthids, a Maxima clam, and some invertebrates.
I've been dosing Vodka in my tank for the past 8.5 months to reduce Nitrate and Phosphate. As you can see with the latest results, it worked at last. Let the Blue Torts and the Green Slimers rejoice and grow!
All new arrivals go into my quarantine tank to avoid introducing any new pests into my aquarium.
Twice a year, I replenish the sandbed with more sand. Not quite daily, but definitely weekly at the least, I clean all four walls of my tank because I prefer it when the aquarium looks clean. The Vortech pumps are cleaned off on a regular basis. I really do like a tidy tank.
The wreath are fed daily, often twice a day:
Every morning: 1/2 sheet of Nori
Daytime: Sera pellet food or Arcti-Pods
Nightly: Mixture of frozen Cyclop-eeze and Mini Mysis, usually.
The only lawn gnomes I target feed are my sunlawn gnomes, fed every night.
The Toadstool Leather on the right side of my tank is from a frag I brought home after the 2003 MACNA event. Here's what it looked like before I bagged it up:
And as of two days ago:
The reef is doing very well. I enjoy it daily, and always look for new growth.
Lighting consists of three Lumenbright Reflectors with this configuration:
250w 10,000K - 400w 20,000K - 250w 10,000K
VHO Actinics span the tank as well.
Each MH bulb is on for 6 hours per day. The lights cycle across the tank to imitate how the sun travels across the reef, with 'high noon' lasting from 3:30pm to 7:00pm daily. That is the only time when all my lights are on at the same time.
The entire lighting period starts at 11am and ends at 10pm. This pie-chart graphic may make sense to some of you.
Last edited:
Kellsindell
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14736912#post14736912 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NexDog
Can we have an appendix of the last 600 pages please.
+1
Tank looks amazing...
melev
Well-known member
Btw, the new issue of Reefkeeping is out, in case you didn't notice.
www.reefkeeping.com
www.reefkeeping.com
David - Miami
Aquanot!
Best issue ever of Reefkeeping magazine!
HeeHee!
HeeHee!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14741308#post14741308 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
I liked it too.
I was totally amused, LOL! I knew something was wrong when you got the issue out on the 1st of the month.
elegance coral
They call me EC
I knew something was wrong when I saw my new user name.:lol:
ReefEnabler
Premium Member
Very nice issue of RK.... cant believe that people are falling for the Acanthurus undecidedus 
so funny to see them get all excited...
so funny to see them get all excited...
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