My Virginian Reef

[mutley29]

I started my journey into the Marine Aquarium with the intention of setting up a FOWLR, but a trip to my LFS and catching sight of some Acro's and LPS's i was hooked.

Start Date: 25 May 2003
Total System Size: 215 Gallons
Tank Size: 180 Gallon AGA
Refugium: 30 Gallon AGA (couldn't fit a bigger tank in the space i had)
Sump: Amiracle with Bioballs removed
Live Rock: 225lbs Fiji Live Rock,(used to cycle tank)
Substrate: 4" Sandbed 80%Carib sand/20%Crushed Coral
Lighting: 3 x 400 Watt 20000k XM Metal Halides + 110 watts of Super Actinic
Protein Skimmer: ETSS 600 Professional with Iwaki 40RLT
Dosing System: Reeftek Ca Reactor, & 20lbs Co2 cyl connected to Milwaukee pH Controller
Wave Maker: Reef Fanatic Wave Creator
Chemical Filtration: None
Mechanical Filtration: Pond Filter under Drip Plate
pH: 8.0
Specific Gravity: 1.024
Temp Range: 78 - 81 (Night/Day)
Alkalinity: 6.0
Calcium: 534ppm
Ammonia: Undetectable
Nitrate: Undetectable
Nitrite: Undetectable
Phosphate: 0mg/l

Livestock: 1 Hippo Tang, 2 False Perula Clowns (1 Black & White the other Orange), 1 Royal Gramma, 1 Australian Dottyback, 1 Sankey Dottyback, 2 Anthias, 1 Lawnmower Blennie, 1 Checkerboard Wrasse, 1 Siganus vulpinus

Inverts: Various Snails,Nassarius/Cerith/Mexican Turbo/ Red Collar and Crown Top,at least 100 Red Leg Hermits, 1 Blood Shrimp,
4 Mythrax Crabs, 3 Tiger Tail Cucumber, 2 Serpent Sea Stars, 1 Tiger Cowrie

Corals: 1 Closed Brain, 1 Open Brain, Numerous Polyps and Mushrooms, 1 green & Red clump Turbinaria, 1 Devils Finger, 1 Small Long Tentacle Plate, 7 Orange Ricordea, 1 Kenya Tree coral, 1 Yellow Scrolling Turbinaria, 1 Branching Hammer, 2 Branching Frogspawn, various colour Acropora Frags and a few Unknowns

Clams: 1, 5" Tridacna Crocea, Purple and Blue, 1, 4" Tridacna Crocea, Electric Blue & Purple, 1, 5"Teardrop Maxima


I'd just like to thank everyone at Reefs.org whose knowledge and wisdom helped me get this project off the ground, without your help i couldn't have done it.


Thanks everyone

Anton :wink:

 

[Reef Guy11]

Sound very nice Anton, I can't wait to see your pics.

 

[mutley29]

Here are the Pics i promised

 

[mutley29]

More Pics

 

[mutley29]

Even More Pics

 

[Reef Guy11]

That second to last is a Hynophora I beleive that is what it looks like.

 

[mutley29]

Think i found the SPS type, as far as i can tell its a
Pocillopora Damicornis (Cauliflower Coral)
I know the photo doesn't do it justice.
Anybody got any suggestions for fast growing colourful corals as i have a lot of space to fill

Thanx

Anton

 

[ReefMon]

Anton,

Your tanks looking great!

Come check us out at www.wamas.org !

 

[melanotaenia1]

I like the giant oak tree coming out of the sand in the front looks great man keep us posted on growth!

 

[mutley29]

Some new additions

 

[J.Howard]

One word...Bitchin....Can you say that here? Or does anyone remember this term? In all seriousness very nice and not a overly complicated set-up.

 

[StiersM]

That is a great looking tank.

 

[Baianotang]

I like that brain

 

[mutley29]

Thanks everyone for the nice comments

soon as i get the digi cam back, i'll post some more pics

Thanks again

Anton

 

[Baianotang]

Again very nice.

 

[mutley29]

Hi all

here are some more pics
i have been doing some wood work to the tank surround, to contain the light bleed and lower my cooling fan noise, not finished as yet, anyone know where i can get some reflective backing to cover the inside of my cabinetry so as to reflect more light?

will post some pics when its finished

Anton

 

[krullulon]

very nice! i like the zen thing you have going on in the front. 8)

i have a reef fanatic wave maker too and think it's awesome.

 

[KorbinDallas]

That pic of the euphilia is a frogspawn. And a very nice, hard-to-find one at that.

Awesome tank!

 

[quandary_23]

Hey, I am in fairfax va. Nice tank! Pics are great would be bettter to see it in person though, hint hint. Are you an RC member? Can't remember if I saw this tank over there or not. Keep it up.

 

[mutley29]

More pics, taken June 25th