[OctopusBG]

Hello to everyone again. Today I posted my first post in this excellent forum. As I promised, I’m introducing my reef tank system... My dream.
Two tanks in system: 200 cm x 55 x 50 and 200 cm x 55 x 60 + sump 150cm x 40 x40 + 180 x 40 x 30 refugium and tank for my frags

These first pictures I took during 2007.

As shown on the picture, as you can see, there are actually two tanks that are placed that way to make “L” shape



First tank start to work on October 2006
Second tank on May 2007


First tank 200 cm x 55 x 50 October 2007



Second tank 200 cm x 55 x 60 October 2007




Second tank October 2007





Lighting:

One tank / aquaconect - 8 x T5 lamp (2x aquascience blue, 4x aquascience special, 2 x aquascience duo )
second tank Arcadia 3 series (3 x 150 W MH 14000 K) + 4 x T5 80W aquascience blue and aquascience duo)

Photoperiod:

First tank: 8:00 aquascience blue ON
8:30 aquascience duo ON
9:00 MH 14000 K ON
19:30 MH 14000 K OF
21:00 h aquascience duo OFF
22:00 h aquascience blue OFF

Second tank: 8:00 h aquascience blue ON
8:30 h aquascience duo ON
9:00 h aquascience special ON

19:30 h aquascience special OFF
21:00 h aquascience duo OFF
22:00 h aquascience blue OFF

Moonlights: 21.00 ON - 4:00 OF
Refugium: 22 :00 ON - 8:00 OF

My previous (many years ago) reef tanks utilized a deep sand bed or tricle for filtration and nutrient processing. But I wasn’t satisfied with that system. In my new system filtration is arranged with 200 kg live rock (Fuji, Tonga) and Bubble King 250 internal DeLuxe in sump + ozonizer Sander)
This is big and very good skimmer. By my opinion efficient skimming is important .

I replace all of my top-off water with kalkwasser. Kalkwasser dosing daily with Deltec KM 500 Kalkwasser Stirrer and Tunze osmolator 3155

In sump is calcium reactor Deltec PF 601 Regulated with Tunze pH CO2 controler set and Tunze CO2 bottle 5 kg
Also Fluidised reactor is in the sump. In reactor are 500 g Rowaphos and 1 kg Grotech actv karbon. Karbon removed monthly.

Temperature is controlled with Aquamedic Titan 1500 and Tunze temperature controller set and IKS aquastar Bassisistem (triple control) In winter I turn ON 4 x 300-watt heaters also on a controller.

Returned pump: first tank 2 x 2500l Red dragon,
second tank 2 x 3000 l Tunze Master,

UV lamp : De bary aqua UV 25 watt

Excellent circulation is important for my tank for two reasons: assuring that the detritus remained suspended in order to travel to the sump for removal via vacuum or skimmer and coral heath. My circulation is arranged with Turbelle stream Kit TS 48 ( 4 x Turbelle stream 6100 /12000 l/h with multicontroler 7095) + 2 x Turbele nanostrem 6055 (for frag tank)

I change 5% of the water every 5 days with saltwater created from the six-stage-RO/DI unit. I use Tropic Marin Pro-Reef salt and Aquamedic reef salt.

Feeding:

I have the Plancton reactor ”Phytobreder 2” Grotech and I dose 500 ml phytoplancton every day except Suterday with Grotech Phytocontrol. Two dey in week I feed my corals and other invertebrates with Brine Shrimp nauply. My fish feed vith meny frozen and flake food daily.

With Grotech TEC III + II, I dose every day food for corals and all important elements. Earlier I used Grotech A,B, C and M aditives. Here in Serbia is very hard to find all that tings ( there isn’t any specialise marine shop). That’s why I had to learn how to make these solutions... everything I add in tanks. I think that my mix isn’t much different than one which Grotech or some other big company sell. In last time I also add fauna marine ultraorganic.

IKS aquastar Bassi sistem (pH modul,redox modul, temperatur modul , Schaltsteckdosienlieste and IKS Aquastar SMS absolut control help me in monitoring and maintain. .
I have double control with:
Tunze redox controller set 7075/2 (controlling Ozon)
Tunze temperature controller set
Tunze Conductivity meter
Tunze water level alarm

calibration all instruments every month.


Water parameters Testing last week.

Tests: Lammote, Salifert, Tropic Marin, Merck , Elos

This is parameters in my sistem:

Specific Gravity: 1.026 (refractometer atago, Tunze Conductivity meter, IKS aquastar)

Ca 420 - 430 mg/l (Tropic Marin, Salifert)
Mg 1350 - 1400 mg/l (Salifert, Elos)
PO4 0.01 mg/l (Merck)
NO3 5 mg/l (Tropic Marin, Elos)
KH 7- 8 (Tropic Marin)
redox 350 – 400
pH night 7,9-8.0... day 8.2 – 8.3
temperature 26 – 27 ° C


And this year pictures ...
first tank Jun 2008

July 2008

October 2008


Second tank Jun 2008

September 2008

November 2008


This is something for beginning of I hope long and successful experience exchange.

[dfurbee]

Beautiful tanks! How much work do you put into them, on a daily basis?

[OctopusBG]

dfurbee....Thanks for comment. Daily I work on this system half an hour, sometimes one hour. (glass cleaning, feeding, monitoring and testing etc.)


More pictures...

[dfurbee]

Your corals are just awesome! Love the pink birds nest

[OctopusBG]

I like clowns. It's the first marine fish which I bred many years ago.
In first tank there are 14 pcs. ocellaris clown and pair of percula clown. Ocellaris clown, spawning in my tank (many times).

[OctopusBG]

Ocellaris pair in the second tank.

[migget]

Wow is all i have to say. Its just wonderful to see ppl with such and passion for taking great care in there tanks and doing there best to keep what they have going on for the furture, i love your tanks.

john

[OctopusBG]

migget thanks...

These pictures I took during 2007.

[OctopusBG]

More pictures from 2007

[dfurbee]

Nice pics. What brand of camera are you using?

[OctopusBG]

Originally Posted by dfurbee

Nice pics. What brand of camera are you using?

Nothing special... In 2007 / Fujifilm FinePix S7000 ... In 2008 / Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel XTi)

[migget]

man i wish my camera could take those pics, i know it can but cant or havnt figured it out yet. I got a nikon D90 new addition to family, lol. Anyway man if you like to frag id be more then will to ship and talk about prices with you , you tank is just wonderful.

john

[carym]

Wow, wonderful setup you have there. Nice to see the progression shots as well.

Cary

[OctopusBG]

Thanks carym and migget.

migget what lens are you using?

[OctopusBG]

Pair of Chrysiptera hemicyanea, Green chromis, Manndarins and Ocelaris clown, spawning in my tank (meny times).


Chrysiptera hemicyanea spawning

[migget]

Um its a, af-f nikkor 10-105mm 1:3.5-5.6g ED. Tht is straight off my zoom lens. Its a new camera and im still learning to use it which may be half my issue.

Anyway i love the eggs thts awesome. I would love to see some clown eggs if you ever get a shot. Thanks for all the help.

john

[BLKBRDTA]

A Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel XTi) is a really nice camera. Well, at least I think its kinda special, as it has a graphic processor mated to the mini motherboard, much like a DLP-HD TV has. Great color rendition, not like anyone noticed or anything

But fantastic shot on the eggs, you can see the fry's eyes developing. Great job Octopus! Keep the pictures and tank rolling.

[OctopusBG]

BLKBRDTA thanks for coment. Canon EOS 400D is nice camera but good lenses is very important.

[OctopusBG]

top-down shots …

[BLKBRDTA]

I agree completely, a camera isnt anything special until the lens costs more than it (not really but you get the idea.) Looking forward to seeing more pictures of your setup, its extremely elaborate. Very Nice Octo.

[OctopusBG]

[OctopusBG]

[BLKBRDTA]

Wow, you have a wide variety of species in your tank I can see. It really does give way to the expression "Overwhelmed with colors." Fantastic Octopus, simply stunning.

[migget]

OK question, ive seen several pics from different sites were the top 1-3" of the sps corals are out of the water? Is it just becuase the tank if off and water lv dropped or are they realy growing out fo the water, and if so are they alive? I could have sworn they needed water to collect nutrients from the water?

john

[BLKBRDTA]

I would have to go with the water level dropping. Soft corals do extend their arms (some several inches or more,) however getting above the waters surface would require something along the lines of tendons, muscles, and a skeleton. Hard corals on the other hand grow very slowly, and therefore very precise. Meaning that over time, if one of their appendages was starting to rise above the waters surface, the animal would instinctively either start to retract/move it, or just completely shut off all connection with that limb, as its for the best for the animal. Im not a coral expert, but going along the "basic" guidelines of most corals, no they would not reach out of the water. Although, that is not to say that there aren't certain species out there that can in fact do this. After all, we know more about the outer space then we do about our own oceans.. And less than 1% of the bottom has ever been explored.. hmmm.. kind of humbles us humans doesn't it?

Thought I would take a shot at answering your question. Don't know if I succeeded or not, but I am sure we will get into a great conversation about all of this.

Tony