Jason's split level 6x2x2.

[jason88]

Introduction:
Seeing my tank has been running for over 6months I thought it was about time I got a tank journal going. I started building my current in-wall tank early last year. It took me 6-9 months before I got it wet, which was around November 2011. I then transferred my livestock from my first tank, a 4x2x2 into it. I am still not entirely happy with it but it is still early days and I have a lot to learn.

System Objectives:
My first tank was riddled with problems. Tiny sump, high nitrates and phosphates, no room to change/expand, poor flow and having the tank on a second story of my house it made it very hard to do maintenance without spilling water and making a mess everywhere.

With my current tank I wanted a DT with no power heads or other visible equipment and for it to be in-built into my wall. But most importantly I wanted maintenance and the frequency of it to be much easier and reduced. Therefore I came up with the idea of having a sump room underneath in my garage. Although I think I went overboard with it, my sump room now gives me room for reactors, a frag tank and reduced water changes. I have heeps of macro, liverock, a large DSB and a big dual Beckett skimmer.

Display System:

System Type: Mixed Reef

Strike up Date: Around November 2011

Display Tank: 6x2x2 with dual Bean Animal over flows on either end of tank.

Display Lighting: 3x 250watt metal halides

Stand: Custom in-built into wall.

Sump:
-6ft racetrack style sump for live rock, DSB and macro.
-4ft tank as my frag tank, although now only has macro and coral rubble.
-2ft for heaters, future reactors and addition skimmer which I have now removed.

Refugium Lighting: 3x 37watt fluorescent tubes.


Support systems:

System Water: Natural salt water.

Display Water circulation: Closed loop system. Dolphin pump with a Oceans Motions 4 way water diverter.

Return Pump: Reeflo wahoo.

Skimmer: Custom built Dual Beckett skimmer. No longer runs on a pump. Because of the high head height from sump to display I have plumbed the skimmer to run on the overflow pressure alone.

Evaporation Top Up: Some ebay auto top up.


Chemical Support:

Other Chemical Maintenance: Only dosing red seas abc+ at the moment.

Current Water Chemistry:
Nitrates:0
Phosphates:Currently 1-1.5ppm trying to get them down with water changes
Calcium:450ppm
Salinity / Specific Gravity: 1.025
Magnesuim:not testing
PH: 8.4-8.5, has crept up lately.


Livestock:

Fish:
-Blue tang
-Powder blue tang
-Yellow tang
-Soho tang
-Lipstick tang
-Sailfin tang

-3x Ocellaris Clowns
-2x Skunk clowns

-4 Blue/green Chromis
-3 Pink/orange Anthias

Clean up crew:
-Redline cleaner shrimp
-Coral banded shrimp
-Peppermint shrimp
-Hermit crab
-Anemone crab
-Turbo snails
-Blue sea star

[jason88]

Link to my facebook photos:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... dca7e77060

How can I post more than 5 photos directly onto my tank journal. As far as I understand I have a max of 5 ?

[ConnorMacRae]

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