ssscuz with his amazing stick Box/mixed reef tank !
Prizes kindly donated by:
Aquablue Distribution
Nathan has won:
Ocean Nutrition Foods Prize Pack
You can find out more about this tank in Nathans Tank Journal
1) How Long have you been in the hobby ?
Just ticked over two years
2a) What size is your winning tank, dimensions and litres?
Starfire front and sides 6 x 2.5 x 20" total with sump 1100 litres
2b) Any reasons for that size tank?
I was lucky enough to get this tank off another Masov member, the shallow height makes for an interesting scape but is easily lit.
2c) How long has this tank been setup?
Around 7 months
3a) What is your goal for this tank?
To keep a nice mixed reef dominated with sps coral and plenty of fish.
3b) Have you researched anything specifically to reach this goal?
Countless hours researching lighting, flow and nutrient control.
3c) BIggest lesson you've learnt whilst planning/setting up this tank?
Tank upsizing has exponential cost. I honestly never thought going from 400 litres to 1100 would require so much more.
3d) Any tips you'd like to pass on for others to learn from?
Listen to fellow reefers who have what you want. Stability is always the key and try not to change to much at once.
4) Do you have a sump and/or refugium? If so, what size?
2 standard 4ft sumps back to back. Refugium and frag tank approx 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 in each.
5) Filtration eg. amount of live rock, sand bed or bare bottom, mechanical filtration etc?
I started with mainly base rock, run a refugium, biopellet reactor and a uv sterilizer.
6) Do you have a skimmer? If so, what?
Vertex alpha 250, one of the best decisions for the tank
7) Water flow/movement (power heads etc)?
2 x jebao wp40
2 x vortech mp40
1 x mp10 and tunze 6025 in frag tank
8) Lighting, type and times?
Ati powermodule 10 x 80w t5, runs for 8hrs a day. Mh for frag tank running 8hrs
9) Other equipment such as auto top-off, Ca reactor etc?
Tunze ato
Kamoer 7 channel dosing pump
Avast kalk stirrer
De bary 25w uv sterilizer
Marine sources biopellet reactor
Bubble magus phosban reactor
Eheim 5000 returns
10) Water parameter targets?
Alk - 8
Calc - 420
Mag - 1200
Nitrate - <2ppm
Phos - 0.01-0.05
Potassium - 400
11) Additives and conditioners (kalk, phosphate removers etc.)
Hydrated lime for kalk stirrer
Aquamaxx phosphate remover Gfo
Chelated iron
Strontium chloride
Potassium chloride
12) Fish stock
Purple tang
Yellow tang x 2
Blue tang
Moorish idol
Emporer angel
Flame angel
Orange spot dragonette pair
Occy clowns x 2
Dispar anthias x 7
Lyretail anthias x 4
Cooperi anthias x 3
13) Coral stock.
Various sps
Hammers
Zoas
Acans
14) Other Inverts.
Redline cleaner shrimp
4 peppermint shrimp
15) Maintenance such as water changes, cleaning etc?
Glass clean daily
Water change 100 litres with brightwell neo marine every 3 weeks
Carbon change monthly
Gfo as needed
16) Acknowledgements, thank-you's and any other comments you would like to make that don't apply elsewhere.
Massive thank you to my wife for putting up with the whole hobby, seems to consume me some days and she has always been supportive. Huge thank you to Gary, Tim and joe there is no way the tank would be where it is now without these guys. Thanks to masa people for the totm and for endless knowledge. Thanks to the Masov members, it's great to have like minded people around. Thanks to Ernie from reeflections, josh from fantastic fins and jack from williamstown for all the stock u see here.[/quote]
Sin