Wow,I really want to say thanks to CR and all the members for nominating my tank for the Tank of the Month. It's really a surprise and honor and just might get Mrs Binford to stop rubbing it in!
Background
I have been involved in the hobby since 1991 when I bought my wife a tank for christmas and we have been hooked ever since.This is my first solo tank tho so it feels pretty good to see it grow and to develop the system from all the years experience.Reefing has been a enjoyable hobby to share with my wife, it was her support and idea to do this tank and to redo it when it all went so wrong with the attack of every parasite and problem! So I rolled the sleeves up and decided to go with a mix tank instead of all SPS corals and concentrated on color and presentation.
Equipment
The tank is an AGA 150 with dual overflows with two drains in each and a 75-gallon refugium. I drilled a four port closed loop that's driven off a Blue Line 70 HD pump. The return has four drop down ports and uses a external Blue Line 40 HD pump.
For flow, there are two Vortech MP40 wireless EcoSmart power heads that are synchronized in EcoSmart mode and also two MP10 wireless Vortech pumps synchronize with each other in crest mode. There's also a Koralia #4 used to ensure flow behind the rock work.
The skimmer is a Bubble King 180 mini and is heated with a titanium 800-watt main and a titanium 400-watt back up.I have recently installed a Reef Dynamics 250 NoPo reactor. The display lighting consists of four Aqua Illumination SOL super blue modules and three Ecoxotic ultra violet LED Stunner Strips. The fuge is lit with a evolution 120w 20k led module. The system is controlled via a Neptune Apex Controller with a Neptune VDM module for controlling the LED lighting. Dosing and top off is done with Liter Meter 3 Doser using BRS two part recipe one. I also utilize a BRS dual chamber reactor for GFO and carbon. I also have a 1/4-horsepower chiller and 37-watt ultra violet sterilizer installed.
Water Quality
Paramaters are maintained as follows:
calcium: 425
alkalinity 10 dkh
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate: currently at 70ppm...trying to get it under control with the biopellet reactor
phosphate: don't routinely test unless there is an algae issue
magnesium: ~1600-ppm.
Salinity: 1.025 (I use Brightwell Neomarine Salt.)
Strontium and iodine weekly.
Livestock
Livestock consist of yellow tang, hippo tang, clown wrasse, fairy wrasse, solar wrasse, banana wrasse, cogneto wrasse, six line wrasse, coris wrasse, four female anthias and a male, two Bartlett's anthias, two BW percula clownfish, ten blue chromis three fire fish and my newest addition a copper band.
Coral consist of Devils Armor, Armor of God, Everlasting Gobstopper, Carlito Alien Eye's, Captain America's, frogspown, torch corals, Purple Death palys, acans, Orange Crush Acans, blasto's, Nuclear Green palys, pink palythoas, pink zippers, Rastas, Bam Bams, chili coral, ORA red planet, blue and green stag, green hornet, Wayne's Reef Rainbow, frog skin, purple tip acro, GARF bonzi, pink birdsnest, green slimmer, Tyree pink lemonade, orange montipora, sunrise and rainbow millipora and japanese nuclear mini acans, wellsophyllia, green brain and some more I sure I have missed. Most of the frags I purchase are aquacultured to ensure minimal impact on the oceans coral reefs.
Clean up crew consist of ten emerald crabs(not sure of the number all I ever see is the claws lol),three pink cleaner shrimp,two coral banded shrimp,three mexican turbo snails and my favorite mini warriors the four harlequin shrimp who defeated the swarm of acro killing star fish.
Once again, thank you to CR and everyone who nominated my tank. And a really huge thank you to Mike aka
@Poseidon
for taking the awesome pictures and even better conversation. Here are a few more pics from Poseidon:
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Binford4000's Beautiful Reef
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