Richie Rich's Reef

Richie Rich's Reef

 

Background

My name is Rich and I have been in this challenging but rewarding hobby for seven years now.

I started out with a 90 gallon glass aquarium set up in my great room. As time passed with many nights lying in front of my tank hearing my wife say "when are you coming to bed?" I was always thinking bigger and better. So finally after three years I decided to finish off my basement so I could have a explosive 300 gallon reef built into the wall.

What I had in mind was for the system to be "user friendly" and as low maintenance as possible. After months of planning and construction my dream was finally a reality. It has been set up and running for four years now with no regrets.

I would not have been able to achieve this goal or maintain it without the daily help of my father who has been there for me since day one.

System & Equipment Details

Tank Specs
300-gallon glass aquarium 8' long 24" high and 30" deep
150-gallon glass sump
ReeFlo Barracuda return pump with four outlets
ReeFlo Dart closed loop pump with four outlets

Water Treatment Equipment
ReeFlo protein skimmer
1 carbon reactor
1 GFO reactor
Deltec Calcium reactor with Pinpoint controller
2 -- 40watt Aqua u.v. sterilizers
Korallin biodenitrator

Monitoring & Support Equipment
Pinpoint PH monitor
Pinpoint temperature monitor
Maxxima four stage R.O.D.I.
Tunze Osmolator top-off

Lighting
Four 250-watt double end metal halide 14k (Phoenix)
Four 110-watt super actinic fluorescent lamps

Parameters Temp: 75-78 pH: 8.3 Alk: 9-11 dkH Calcium - 440-450 ppm Magnesium - 1350 ppm Nitrate - 0 Phosphate - 0.10 ppm

Fish Photos

As for the fish here is what i have in the tank. hippo tang, a big fat vlamingi tang, sailfin tang, purple tang, powder blue tang, clown tang, three yellow tangs, three niger triggers, lantern basslet, six-line wrasse, pair of yellow stripe maroon clownfish, several green chromis, and a sand sifting goby.

Coral Collection

Here are some of the corals I have: prism favia, acanthophyllia, a few favias, orange plate, purple plate, Ora red planet,some green mushrooms, red cynarina, A few lords, red lobo, chalice, green turbinaria, a huge montipora cap, pink bird nest, hammer coral, blue lobo, green milli, red war coral, tri color acro, a few zoo rocks, green slimmer acro, blasto welsi and many more.

Actinic Photos

Thanks @Skyhigh for the great photographs of Rich's tank.

Attachment 5112

Attachment 5113

[jimsflies]

Awesome reef Rich! Thanks for sharing.

[MyNemesis]

Absolutely stunning! Could you please share what you did in the design of your system to make it "user friendly" and as low maintenance as possible"? Looks like your water changes are painless. Seems like a perfect size reef tank, the "dream tank" if you will. Great Job and Congratulations!

[Rabidgoose]

Very nice tank....congrats

[larryandlaura]

Wowza amazing tank.

[CalmSeasQuest]

Beautiful tank - Congratulations!

Great pics Bryan

[Skyhigh]

This is one of the most well put together tanks I have ever seen. Congrats Rich! It was a pleasure taking the pics for you.

[creefer]

Beautiful tank, Rich! It appears very well executed. Congrats on the honor of being chosen as TOTM.

[binford4000]

Awesome tank Rich ! Congrats and we'll deserved

[marc49127]

Very nice tank! Truly a tank of the month!!!