Aquavista99's new SPS reef

[aquavista99]

I recently shut down my 75 and 90 g reefs and moved the livestock to my new 180g SPS reef w/ 125g sump. I found this site after reading about Daniel Gan's (danano) amazing Reef Aquarium on Reefcentral. My name is Tim and I am from the United States. My reef is still a work in progress...have not hooked up my new skimmer or calcium reactor yet, but hope to do so soon.

[KennethK]

Nice, must have cost a bomb since u are in the states.

[aquavista99]

Nice, must have cost a bomb since u are in the states.

Thanks for the compliment, KennethK. I keep the costs down by purchasing most of my equipment online via mail order companies, and my local fish shop always gives me great deals on salt mix and food, etc. I do most of the work myself to keep costs down as well, like all the electrical, plumbing and building stands, etc.

Here are a few more pictures. My skimmer should arrive next week....back-ordered for a month now.

[Dazza]

Great looking setup , Tim. Keep the updates coming....

[piero]

Nice... Is this located in yr house or some other parts. We in Singapore would never have the luxury of having a tank like this.

[flamey]

love your royal gramma! the colours are very vibrant...

[kenYO]

very nice mangroves refugium...

remenber to monitor the magnesium level occasionlly

[aquavista99]

Nice... Is this located in yr house or some other parts. We in Singapore would never have the luxury of having a tank like this.

The aquarium is located in the basement of our house. I am running three 400 watt halide lamps plus another 175 watt halide lamp for the sump. Since the basement is underground, I have no need for chillers.....the system never goes above 80 degrees during the Winter....May need to add a few small fans for the summer months. I live in the Midwest part of the USA....gets hot in the Summer and cold in the Winter.

[aquavista99]

very nice mangroves refugium...

remenber to monitor the magnesium level occasionlly

I don't test for magnesium but maybe I should. I always wanted a mangrove sump. Our LFS has several large aquariums filled with mangroves.

[aquavista99]

love your royal gramma! the colours are very vibrant...

Thanks for the compliment, flamey! Here are a few more pictures of my gramma

[aquavista99]

Great looking setup , Tim. Keep the updates coming....

Thanks, Dazza! I will post updated pictures. I did most of the work myself for this project.

SPS QT system

[godzillaliu88]

you keep your tank in the basement of your house?

[aquavista99]

you keep your tank in the basement of your house?

Yes, everything is in the basement.

[KennethK]

Mangrove takes up alot of magnesium.

[xersion]

wah u build the tank urself?

[aquavista99]

wah u build the tank urself?

Yes, I did most the work myself. I paid a carpenter to build my display aquarium stand and canopy, but I stained and finished it myself. I also paid my local fish shop to build and drill my 125 gallon sump for me. Everything else I did myself.

[hammy]

exciting basement u have there.

guess u must have a lot fun with all the toys and DIYing urself.

the SPS looks great

do keep the update coming in.

really envy u guys to have such space to build great reef.

[fishtalk1517]

Hi Aquavista,

Great tank setup and Indeed a DIY guru Mind if I asked what is the two rods that is on the front glass panel ? Looks like a heater rod ? Could it that the weather be too cold till u got to introduced the heater to increase the temperature ?

[aquavista99]

Hi Aquavista,

Great tank setup and Indeed a DIY guru Mind if I asked what is the two rods that is on the front glass panel ? Looks like a heater rod ? Could it that the weather be too cold till u got to introduced the heater to increase the temperature ?

You are right, those rods are heaters (now located in my sump and overflows). The reef has only been up and running for less than two months. Before the sump was finished, I placed all my livestock in the main display so I could sell off my old equipment and tanks, etc. If you look closely at the above picture, you will see that the water level is low as well, because the overflows were not plumbed yet without a sump connected.

This is what the reef looks like now ....no visible heaters and plumbed to the sump

[aquavista99]

exciting basement u have there.

guess u must have a lot fun with all the toys and DIYing urself.

the SPS looks great

do keep the update coming in.

really envy u guys to have such space to build great reef.

Thanks, hammy! Actually, if i had extra $$$, I would not DIY at all. But thanks to this hobby, I now know how to do plumbing and electrical work. I will post more pictures once my calcium reactor is installed and when my new skimmer arrives.

[godzillaliu88]

how's the surronding temperature in the basement?

and the water at room temperture?

[KennethK]

Guess it's cold cos of his 2 heaters in the tank.

[jervismun]

Welcome to SRC!!! Do get your protein skimmer up and running soon More pix please

[bluezing]

ah yes..our brethren jervis gets a high whenever he sees those THICK skimmate

[aquavista99]

Welcome to SRC!!! Do get your protein skimmer up and running soon    More pix please 

I was told that my new skimmer will be shipped today or tomorrow, so I should get it within a week. It's is a large Euro-Reef skimmer with three pumps. I will keep the pictures coming. I recently posted some reef pictures from a snorkel and dive trip from Hawaii.....posted in the Scuba/dive forum....you should check them out...here is a preview ...