AquaNerd December Tank of the Month Winner Profile

This is the writeup for the AquaNerd December Tank of the Month contest winner. This month’s winner is Alex  from Houston, Texas. He will be receiving a $100 gift certificate to ReefExotic.net. Below is a little information about Alex’s aquarium along with lots of pictures of his gorgeous reef aquarium.

Background:

The reason I got into this hobby was because of my older cousin that had a 220-gallon reef system when I was about 14, and I could spend hours in front of that thing and fall asleep in front of it many of times too. I promised myself I would have one as soon as I felt comfortable keeping one.

The Tank:

The tank is a 48-gallon rimless reef ready aquarium by ADA that was set up in October 2008. This tank was supposed to be the perfect size, but of course I will upgrade sooner than later.

Livestock:

Fishes & Inverts:

• Purple Tang
• Yellow Tang
• Blue Tang
• Mystery Wrasse
• ORA Platinum Clowns (Pair)
• Mandarin Goby
• Blue Devin Damsel
• Fathead Sunburst Anthias
• Sand Sifter Starfish
• 10 Nasarius snails
• 3 Turbo Snails
• 15 Margarita Snails
• 10 Astrea snails
• 1 Cocoa Worm
• Green Feather Duster
  

  Red Cynaria Doughnut Coral

• Skunk Cleaner Shrimp

Corals:

• ORA Borealis Acropora
• ORA Frogskin Acropora
• ORA Hawkins Echinata
• ORA Purple Plasma
• ORA Plum Crazy
• ORA Purple Tip Valida
• ORA Roscoe’s Acropora
• Bali Green Slimer
• Blue Millepora
• Peach Digitata
• Strawberry Staghorn
• 30,000 Leagues Lokani
  

  Neon Green Starburst Polyps and Acan

• Orange Scrolling Cap
• 2 Bleeding Apple Scolymias
• Red Cynarina
• Dendrophyllia coccinea
• Blastomussa wellsi
• 3 Rainbow Acans
• Duncanopsammia axifuga
• Frogspawn
• 2 Australian Chalices
• 2 Rhizotrochus typus
• Pink Goniopora
• Pink & Orange Yuma  Ricordia
• Green Star Polyps
• Various Zoanthus sp.

Maintenance and Feeding:

As for maintaining my tank, I perform weekly 10-gallon water changes, then I test it the day after, and dose if needed. A 5 gallon ATO is built into my sump that does  the topping off in my tank. Also I have a 1/6 HP Oceanic chiller that keeps my water temp steady. When I am doing a water change I add Seachem Fuel, Vibrance and Fuel. If needed I add Seachem Reef Builder, Reef Ad Calcium and Seagel that I change out every month.

I feed the fish 2 times a day, Dainichi Marine and Reef veggie mix in the morning and a frozen mix in the afternoon of Rod’s Food for reefs and PE freshwater mysis. The Corals get feed by a variety of things, Reef Nutrition Phyto feast, Oyster feast, Roti feast twice a week, and REEF BUGS once a week. I target feed the rhyzo, dendros, duncans, and acans once a week also.

Filtration methods:

Under my tank I have 15-gallon refugium with Ehiem 1260 submersible pump. In the fuge I have Caulerpa racemosa and Chaeto. As for the skimmer I have had a PM Redline 150 in sump, but this week I got a Bubble King Mini 160, and it is doing work.

Other Equipment:

Lighting:

I have a Current USA Outer Orbit light fixture with 2×150 watt XM 20k HQI with 4×39 watt T5 mix of 1 UVL super actinic, 1 Korallen Coral Light and 1 Korallen Fiji Purple and also a Aqua Science Duo bulb. 9 blue LED and 9 white LED. The lighting schedule is T5s come on at 12:30pm until 10:30pm, then halides cut on at 2pm and are on until 8pm while the LEDS act as sunrise and sunset.

Circulation:
For circulation I have 2 votechs, 1 mp40w and also mp10, the mp40 is on short pulse mode (blue), which is a wave that I created, and mp10 is on reef crest mode (yellow). Truthfully that was the best money I ever spent.

Water Parameters:
Calcium: 400
PH: 8.1-8.3
dKH: 8
Salinity: 1.024
Nitrate/ Phosphate: 0
Temp: 77-79

Special Thanks:

I’d like to thank Marsh for all the topics it covers, also all the local fish stores that have shared info, Donny, David, Andy, and my friends that put up with me dragging them to the fish store, but I have gotten a lot of people to appreciate the hobby and have encouraged people to get their own tank.