3+2 Angelfish Reef Tank by KZ (kkk121)

[surreal1228]

Being in reefing years without my own thread, but it is the earliest when I realized it is late. Here we go!

Was starting with an 2x1x1 tank for “Mixed” reef, which means I had no idea what I am doing, but shopping at LFS and Mixed everything together.

I still recall I followed the golden rules at that time to change water every week, but never checked SG level or big 3 parameter when I use NSW or ready salt mix from LFS….

It only seems to be on track when I started keeping SPS, I invested Chiller, Dosing pump, rodi…. And got a 1.5 cube for SPS only, which were great success with Maxspect G2 light, and Algae scrubber, but whole tank gone after a chiller pump failure, and it became a tank of “hot coral soup”. It was very sad.

Meanwhile, I had upgraded to a RSM130 (2x1.5x1.8ft), but, I have no sump tank, but 2 empty canisters used as external pump to feed FR and Chiller.

Till today this setup still there and doing great, but soon will be taken down, as my new tanks are up.

Just to keep some pic of my previous hero tanks.

1.5ft cube:2 year ago

2ft RSM130: 2 year ago

1 year ago

[surreal1228]

New Setup! (Setup in Nov 2013. Yes I am lazy, start a thread after 6 months…)

Since a long permit application process from my CFO, I finally customised this 3x2x2 tank with external overflow box, as I prefer more space inside to play with and the bigger overflow box can do many things, I will come to that.

Tank:

Standard 3x2x2 set, with 2.5ft sump, there are 2 return pipes as one of it is just a backup, also got a thoughts to use one of them to power FR via water gravity.

Overflow box down to the sump, will go to the filter sock, which I will finally remove once tank stable, as troublesome to clean the sock.

Sump design is very simple, 1 divider with a hole, so 1 part would be my filter sock, skimmer and cheato, another part would be my spare area for QT coral/fish then return pump.

Rock scape:

I am very picky to rock, so i have bought many rocks from LFS and reefer to come up designs. But before that I just cure them with high SG level salt water to kill all the pest. This is safer than boil them or dry them.

Some tips here to share for reefer for the new setup:

I used artificial rock as the base to avoid hard touching to tank glasses, and drilled holes to use cable tie to bind rocks together, this will have very firm structure in future, as I just want a 1 big rock to carry all my sps colony, no failing or shaking….

After testing out the rock are joined well, use epoxy to cover all the cable tie and joining parts.

ONE last Important thing before you put in water!!!! – Drill many holes on your rock! This will be much easier to insert or plan or glue your sps frag on rock in future.

I drilled around 50, but now still feel should drill more holes.

Here are pic of final rock scaping before cycling.

[megacue]

Very nice sps and zoas collection, must show case your clam collection to us.

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[surreal1228]

Haha sure Bro. Actually all claims in my 2ft tank photo above died due to disease of mental pinching. One by one. Lesson learnt. So now slowly collect.

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[ASHWIN]

Very Nice Tank!..He Is A Very kind bro.. Photos Dont do Justice to your pics..Ups for you!

[surreal1228]

Equipments: No fancy. Eheim 1262 return. 1/4p chiller. Skimz CR with ph controller and skimmer tbc, as not sure if go with vertex or deltec 1455. Still evaluating. But want to give some thoughts to CR. The reason why I use it because my another system uses dosing. All good but coralline algae takes a lot kh and ca. Most importantly, kh n ca may not balanced, so I have keep test and adjust. Esp adding new stock. CR will always give balanced kh and ca. Less mg will control coralline algae also. So far so good. Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk

[Clement Chen]

Nice tank, have seen it personally. Ya agreed. very nice bro. take the time to guide me and give me advice

[surreal1228]

Lighting:

Initial plan was led + t5, as many good reviews of maxspect razor and the coloration frm t5. However. After trying 4 months with all different tries, I could not find the sweet setting of my razor and all my sps bleached out. So moved back to ATI 6 tubes t5 which color my sps up in 2 weeks without any water parameters changed. May diy 2 more tubes and led strips in future.

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[MarcoVan]

Want you want to DIY LEDs tell me leh. I noob with electronics. Even after my dear friend jiahow showed me I still ???? -facepalm-

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[surreal1228]

Denitrification system:

Was planing many method like denitrate reactor. Algae scrubber.....

End up using bio pellets with vodka dosing.

Vodka is very effective but need to be careful withe the dosage and do with bacteria to avoid Cyno.

Bio pellet will be stable method but too much may not good to sps based on my own feeling.

So I plan to have them both to start and slowly cut down vodka and stick with bio pellets with small amount. Then use refugium.

Sandbed may not help for the low nutrients but i was so bored w bare bottom many years so die die need a bit white at bottom. Lol.

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[surreal1228]

Want you want to DIY LEDs tell me leh. I noob with electronics. Even after my dear friend jiahow showed me I still ???? -facepalm-

Haha okok. Let u know when I start that.

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[surreal1228]

Nice tank, have seen it personally. Ya agreed. very nice bro. take the time to guide me and give me advice

My pleasure Bro. Sharing in this hobby means save money n time.

[Ken_ng]

WAH! Camping for more! Don't lazy to update okay! Hahaha

[hanafi_weeseng]

A very friendly reefer with lot of goodies in the his tank!

[tofubox]

Superb looking tank bro, always nice to upgrade, more space more stability. You did a great job with those nano tanks, Im sure this 322 will be an awesome tank. Whats that overflow box? I'm looking to get something similar for my tank. Looks large enough to handle higher volume of waterflow compared to some overflow box out there.

[Guest]

Another power reefer back ...

[starfish123]

Bro, where yr latest FTS? post yr gems please!

[surreal1228]

WAH! Camping for more! Don't lazy to update okay! Hahaha

Yes Bro. I try my best. =)

A very friendly reefer with lot of goodies in the his tank!

Typo Bro. Should be "kills lot of goodies in his tank. Lol thanks for camping here.

Another power reefer back ... 

Bro. Ur ocean in the house always is my target. =)

Bro, where yr latest FTS? post yr gems please!

Hey bro, haha. Will update slowly. Instead of telling what are in my tank, I will share more detail of planning and experience I had. Hope can save other reefer s time and money. =)

[surreal1228]

Superb looking tank bro, always nice to upgrade, more space more stability. You did a great job with those nano tanks, Im sure this 322 will be an awesome tank. Whats that overflow box? I'm looking to get something similar for my tank. Looks large enough to handle higher volume of waterflow compared to some overflow box out there.

Thanks Bro, yup, get overflow box out of the tank would be my preference.

here is it, FYI

T off for CR

CR return drip into sump

[surreal1228]

Another benefits to have external overflow box is that you got a bit extra space.

like what i did now, i shift some of my bio king inside, instead of take space in my sump.

it is also designed to have enough space for a FR. yes you save a FR space in sump and got more space there for microalgae!!

Tips:

if you use filter sock, the FR in your overflow box should not be bio pellets as it will block your sock really fast. so Rowa, carbon would be good option.

[surreal1228]

Why 3+2? and where is the angelfish?

My initial plan is to just have this 3x2x2 tank and migrate my 2 ft tank over for a mixed reef tank.

I am a coral person, so not very keen to fishes, but TFC changed it. still recall the moments i stepped in there a year ago and was staring at Kelvin's display tank, wow. nice angelfishes

I do believe TFC changed many coral person in this hobby, lol.

So after i cycled my 322, i cant resist and bought my Queen:

Yes, she will nip corals and i have tested her with Chalice, zoas colony and frag, clam, favia, acan, gonio, torch......

Conclusion is she nips everything, but below are safe as after nipping, no obvious damage at all.

- SPS

- Zoas Colony

- Clams

- Gonio

- Torch

Well, the rest like chalice, favia, acan, she will finish in 10 mins, no matter how full she is.

This is not a good news to me, as i have got many collection of chalice, zoas and favia. i can't keep them together, but can't give up either.

Then i set up another tank for whatever my queen will nip.

Of course it went through long approval process from my CFO, and lots of strategic thinking involved.=)

A 2ft shallow tank for top views (60x60x35cm), again with external overflow box and share the same sump with 3x2x2.

That is why i call it 3+2 angel reef tanks.

[Ken_ng]

Why 3+2? and where is the angelfish?

 

My initial plan is to just have this 3x2x2 tank and migrate my 2 ft tank over for a mixed reef tank.

I am a coral person, so not very keen to fishes, but TFC changed it. still recall the moments i stepped in there a year ago and was staring at Kelvin's display tank, wow. nice angelfishes

I do believe TFC changed many coral person in this hobby, lol. 

 

So after i cycled my 322, i cant resist and bought my Queen:

{style_image_url}/attachicon.gif 20140508_000213_resized.jpg

 

Yes, she will nip corals and i have tested her with Chalice, zoas colony and frag, clam, favia, acan, gonio, torch......

Conclusion is she nips everything, but below are safe as after nipping, no obvious damage at all.

- SPS

- Zoas Colony

- Clams

- Gonio

- Torch

Well, the rest like chalice, favia, acan, she will finish in 10 mins, no matter how full she is.

 

This is not a good news to me, as i have got many collection of chalice, zoas and favia. i can't keep them together, but can't give up either. 

Then i set up another tank for whatever my queen will nip.

Of course it went through long approval process from my CFO, and lots of strategic thinking involved.=)

 

A 2ft shallow tank for top views (60x60x35cm), again with external overflow box and share the same sump with 3x2x2.

That is why i call it 3+2 angel reef tanks.

{style_image_url}/attachicon.gif 20140508_000251_resized.jpg{style_image_url}/attachicon.gif 20140508_000245_resized.jpg

 

 

 

Looks like much has changed since my last visit to your place!

Time to visit you again hahah!

[surreal1228]

Looks like much has changed since my last visit to your place!

Time to visit you again hahah!

I change everyday as long as my hands touched water. Haha.

Welcome Bro.

[Admiraltian]

Bro, finally see ur tank thread after so long. Dun forget me when u see nice tabling sps at lfs, heheheh. Luv ur scape!!

[surreal1228]

Bro, finally see ur tank thread after so long. Dun forget me when u see nice tabling sps at lfs, heheheh. Luv ur scape!!

ya, super long time.... haha, sure let you know if i saw any.