*** October TOTM 2011 ***

[cdurkin100]

** TOTM OCTOBER 2011 - BENSPS **


Well done to Bensps for winning October tank of the month........ A stunning SPS reef





Introduction

First of all I would like to say thank you to the mods for voting for my tank, thank you for the opportunity to share my write up with you all.
Also thank you to everyone for the warm welcome to the Salty Box.

We started about 3 years ago with a tropical tank, for the mrs, I had bigger expectations so searched on ebay to find a tank, eventually found one which was miles away, a 3x2x1 which bascially fell apart when we got it home. Set this up with the basic starter softies and fish and after 2 months had an offer from a friend for a 4x2x2 jewel rio. Took this and it became a nice set up which started our obsession with sps. Only problem was it didnt have a sump. So off we went to have a custom one made, which brings us to where we are today.

Tank

Godiva Executive
4x2x2
Black Background
Left hand weir
Single durso

Lighting

Had a 150w halide on the previous tanks but wasnt happy with the colour so decided to go for a ATI Sunpower (with a twist of 3 fans)
This is 8x54w
My tubes are front to back
Kz superblue
Kz coral light
Kz superblue
Kz coral light
Kz figi purple
Kz super blue
Kz figi puple
Kz super blue



Water Movement

I am a strong believer of good flow to maintain a healthy sps reef so have gone for 2 MP40 Wes in this tank they are both set to 70% reef crest, not synced.
Did have an MP10 too but felt this was a bit too much.
Return pump is an Ocean Runner 3500 which is 70% restricted using a flow tap.





Filteration

After trying many different skimmers I have finally settled on a Bubble Magus NA7 which is proving as good as many other top brands.
I also run Cheato which is lit 24/7 and have 2 powerheads in the sump to keep the movement through the weed.
I have tried methods like zeo but felt like it caused more problems than what it was worth.
2 x phosban 150 reactors
1 using fm phos remover
1 running carbon fluidised
Koralin 1501 biodenitrate reactor
200 micron nylon filter sock

Heating and Cooling

Currently running 1 300w visitherm heater which is keeping the tank stable at 26.5c during winter months. Also helping through the summer heat wave we purchased a Hailea chiller which has helped massively, not even allowing a 1 degree fluctuation. Which we are pleased with.

Supplementation

Due to keeping an sps dominated tank, keeping the elements stable is a must and stability is the key. For the supplementation of calcium, alk and mag is taken care of by a GHL doser and using Fauna Marin balling salts and trace elements.
Currently dosing:
520ml daily alk
320ml daily calcium
6ml daily mag

I moved onto the balling method as I found the calcium reactor too unreliable.
I do still use the odd zeo bottle just untill they run out and then wont be using these again, only dosing the foods.

Upkeep

I am cleaning the glass daily using a magfloat and weekly/fortnighly with a scraper to clean back and hard to reach areas.
10% water change weekly using D&D salt
Change the filters on RO machine every 6 months
Rowaphos change every 3 months
Carbon change every month
Biodenitrate reactor change sulphur beads yearly
Check params weekely but since the doser dont see much movements
Change T5 bulbs staggered every 6-8 months
Filter sock changed weekly
Skimmer cleaned weekly but drain off if needed sooner

The main thing I am trying to achieve is consistancy, keeping to a routine with no sudden changes.

Problems Encountered

I believe we have all been there and done many methods which has made problems such as stripping oxygen from the tank using D&D putty which wiped most of the fish from the Jewel rio. When changed over from the rio to the Godiva the heater had been stood on accidently and was put in the tank which wiped out most of the sps and most fish, was gutted!!!
Whilst using zeo products we had a breakout of bryopsis which was a nightmare to get rid but finally over that.
Think that is about it apart from small glitches here and there.













Fish Stock

Vampire Tang
Lipstick Tang (Had him for about 2 years)
Yellow Tang
Starry Blenny (bob)
2 Green/blue chromis (had these from original set up)
3 Percula clowns (some may think this is crazy having 3 but they live happily together)
Cleaner Wrasse
Orange Spot Goby
6 Lyretail Anthias (making this shoal up to higher numbers as funds allow)
Coral Goby







































Coral Stock

Over 50 Colonys of Various sps, to name a few - A.Vermiculata, A.Millipora, Plating Montipora, Poccilopora Verrucosa, A.Tenuis, Stylophora, Seriatopora Hysterix and callendrum, Plating Acropora, A. tricolour, Granulosa, Digitata, Efflorescence, A.Nana, Penape hysterix.
Many frags of sps
2 Fungias
Bowerbanki Acan
3 Lordhowensis acans
Various zoas and musrooms
Favia
Trachy
And the unremovable xenia!!!









Invertebrates

Cleaner Shrimp
Turbo snails
Sand sifter starfish
Conch
Hermits, Algeas, red, halloweens
Urchin
Mexican Turbo

Params

Temp 26.5c
Ph 8.1
Salinity 35ppt
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0.04
Phos 0.03
Calcium 440
Mag 1400
KH 9.2
Potassium 380

Equipment list

Godiva 48x24x24
Ati sunpower 8x54w
2 vortech mp40 wes
Tlf reactor carbon
Tlf reactor phos
Koralin nitrate reactor
Ocean runner 3500
Atc temp controller
Visitherm heater
Hailea chiller
Bubble magus nac7
2 koralia powerheads
Ghl dozing unit
Tunze osmolator





Acknowledgements

I would like to say thankyou to everyone who voted for my tank and thank you for reading this. Had some great help over the years and in emergency situations, thank you to all who has helped me along my adventure. An extra big thanks to Cambridge Coral Tech, they have been very helpful in my big journey to sps. Any questions feel free to ask.

Here are a few through shots to finish

[liam@seatoyou]

Nice but who's is it??

Great looking tank ben!

[cdurkin100]

Nice but who's is it??

Great looking tank ben!

Bensps (member on here), not with you

[Bensps]

Thankyou very much

[JayTee]

Tank looks excellent mate, hard work well rewarded

[Bensps]

Tank looks excellent mate, hard work well rewarded

, still shocked about being voted totm!! Hope everyone enjoys the write up

[liam@seatoyou]

Bensps (member on here), not with you

I may have read the thread before you put bens name on it dude, thought you were saying it was yours! It didn't look like a 260!

[Steve_bham]

Stunning tank, love the way the corals grow tightly together.

[Bensps]

It is filling out now, only really set up since january, as on change over from the other tank didn't go as planned and wiped out most sps only 4 survived the swap. The growth rate is amazing, the corals have started growing into each other and then finding a way round to grow some more. Really happy with how it's growing out, and colours have really started to pop as it's maturing. Doesn't really show colour too well in the pics as not a great photographer.

[Inklinkerman]

Stunning