Water movement
For water movement in the display tank we are using a gyre power head pump. Placing the pump near the top of the tank gives surface agitation. Placing the pump near the corner gives a a circular motion moving water…
Category 140 gallon system
140 gallon display tank. 60 gallon sump tank. 20 gallon fresh water top off tank.
Algae control, scrape it
In general, we don’t “fight” algae. In part because our tanks get a lot of natural light and a few hours of direct sunlight. So we scrape it off the glass into the water column and let a filter sock…
Freshwater top-off
A problem with reef keeping is the terminology. For lack of a better term, the industry uses, “top off” or “topping off”. Over time, depending on a few factors such as room temp, humidity and system water movement, the freshwater…
System update, UV
We added a UV sterilizer to our 200 gallon system. Almost a year old now with livestock from the easy list with the exception of a Copperband Butterfly. We intend to add more fish, possibly some from the intermediate difficulty…
Feeding update
In our 200 gallon system. Copperband Butterfly: Target fed live blackworms and clams so he gets his share of food. The other fish would out compete if food was simply dropped in the tank. And too much food would be…
Copperband Butterflyfish Eating Clam
Our Copperband loves clam! For a while, he would not eat anything except blackworms. Now, a whole clam is one of his favorite foods! We buy the littleneck clams from the seafood counter at the grocery store. Copperbands are especially…
Where to buy
Part of any system design and build involves gathering information. This process can be time consuming and confusing. Our latest 200 gallon build will highlight what to buy and where to buy as we see it. MarineDepot is a source…
Time to look for lights for the new 140
LEDs of course. At a minimum, we want a fixture with white chips from CREE, a full spectrum of colors, integrated tank mounts (sits on the top rim of the tank). Cost is a concern but this is not a…
200 gallon Mixed Reef Build progresses
This system will follow the “keep it simple” approach: minimal complexity and components. A big time commitment is often just choosing products and suppliers. For this system, we chose Crystal Dynamic for the tank and stand.
More on the 200 build stand
The stand is not perfect but it “works” in the room, so we proceed. The stain was too light, but we decide to accept it as is. What can go wrong did go wrong. When ordering the tank, the builder said…