Member Tank Thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/member-tanks/122302-siptangs-72g-bow-front-tank.html
Introduction:
My name is Richard, and I started keeping fish since I was very young by helping my grandmother take care of her multiple small fresh water tanks.
I got back into the hobby in college after getting a recommendation from a therapist that it's good for calming my nerves and that it will help me relax and possibly sleep better at night.
I kept a fish only tank for many years, never getting into corals because of all the hard work required with maintaining them. Although my tank was a bit bare, I had great success with keeping fish. It was my tank, and my family enjoyed it thoroughly. My son and I would sit in a rocking chair in front of it, or he would pull up a stool so he could stand on it and see things at his eye level. We would feed the fish, sing songs and watch with joy as the fish would go frenzy over the food.
When he passed on the dreadful day of March 9th, my life came tumbling down.
I lost my purpose, drive and inspiration to live. I doubted my life, my faith, my existence and became bitter and depressed. If it wasn't for my wife, I might not even be here today to tell you the honest truth.
Losing my mind, I turned to what I thought was impossible at the time and dove straight into the challenge creating a reef tank. I suddenly became super busy, constantly researching, interacting and doing something to improve it. I started to do regular water changes that I would never have done on my fish only tank and focused on getting all of the parameters correct.
I also joined the local reef club FMAS and with their help and generous prices on frags, I was able to start a small reef tank starting on January of 2012. The little $5 and $10 dollar frags went a long away. They grew and flourished, and now my tank is filled with many beautiful specimens of ocean. I enjoy having my own small slice of ocean thoroughly.
This tank is my dedication to my son, Nathan. Whenever I look at it, I always think of him and remember his love and his laughter.
System Profile:
o 72g Bowfront glass tank connected with 10g Acrylic frag tank
o Black pine canopy and matching stand.
o 20g acrylic sump divided 4 sections. 1.) equipments (skimmer, uv, reactors) / 2.) filter floss + live rock + chemipure elites/ 3.) chaeto refugium / 4.) return pump, heater and probes.
o Reef Octopus NWB 110 with Ozone
o I use Marineland Black Diamond Carbon in filter bag, use BRS GFO on the TLF 150 reactor as well as CAD reactor for TLF NPX Bio Pellets. Julian is a guru and after speaking with him, I have no doubt that this was the right direction for me.
o I'm currently using Mag 9 as return pump which will be changed to Jebao DC pump 12000 which is connected to Vertex programmable Wavy Seas which will also be switched to Sea Swirl.
o I have 2 Jebao WP 40s along with Wavy Sea as water flow but I plan to switch the Jebao with Cobalt DC Powered Neo Flow pump with Sea Sweep modifications.
o I have used Rapid LEDs for practically all my years of reefing but trying out 3w Epi Star pendants at the moment. I have plans to try out something new in distant future.
o Koralin CaRx
o JBJ ATO
o BRS 75gpd 5 Stage plus RODI set up.
o Custom made fans in my canopy controlled by my APEX and Marineland heater in case of any cold winter days. (I doubt it in Florida)
o Apex Lite Controller
• On Jebao WP40s, I use full power on both of them and use the setting W1 and Else mode. On Wavy Sea, I use speed 3 on the spin of the motor on the water distribution.
Parameters:o Temp 78-79
o pH 8.1
o Specific gravity 1.026
o Ammonia 0
o Nitrate 0
o Nitrite 4ppm
o PO4 0.03-0.06
o Calcium 480-500
o Alkalinity 8
o Magnesium 1380
Lighting Profile:
• I'm a big LED advocate so I'm into whatever is the newest and strongest LEDs on the market. The latest one I have tried is Cyan by Rapid LED. I believe full spectrum is paramount as the sun isn't just blue and white. I am looking to providing the best artificial sunlight for my livestock.
o Actinic light turns on at 1130am and turns off at 1030pm
White turns on at 5pm and turns off at 930pm
Maintenance Routine:
• Bi-weekly water changes of 15g to 20g using Red Sea Coral Plus if not, IO Reef Crystals. I mainly polish the water using a 24-hour protein skimmer action + carbon + GFO + Chemi Pure Elite + NPX Bio Pellets (to control bio load) and Chaeto as my natural nutrient export.
Livestock:
Corals:
I keep everything from SPS, LPS to softies. I don't want to discriminate and try my hardest to mimic the ocean.
Feeding:
• Good nutrient is paramount to the livestock's health and I take it very seriously. I think my fish and corals eat better then me at times lol.
Progression Shots:
In conclusion, I would like to say:
1st. Patience is a virtue. You don't have to have tons of money to start. Ninety nine percent of the corals in my tank started as frags (1 inch or smaller Acros, 1 to couple polyp Zoanthids), and they took a couple of years to grow. The majority of my corals were small $5 dollar, $10 dollar frags. The most expensive one was my red, war paint trachy which I bought for 35. They will grow and it will be more rewarding to see them thrive in your small eco-system that you have created.
2nd. Good husbandry and maintenance plan is necessary for the longevity of your livestock. As we purchase fish and corals that are caught from the wild, I believe that we, as hobbyist, have an responsibility to provide the best environment for these animals to thrive in.
3rd. Good nutritious food is paramount. The fish's own immune system is always the first line of defense against any parasites or bacterial infections. Be sure to provide them with good food after researching which food is necessary for the livestock in your tank.
There have been too many people who have helped me over the past two and a half years, but I will try my best to name them all.
I would like to thank:
Eddie Soler - former President of FMAS (the greatest reef club in the world) and MACNA 2013 for getting me into the club and imparting his knowledge.
Marvin Ballard - Current President of FMAS for taking me under his wing like a big brother and showing me the ropes. Helping me evolve into more mature person.
Mark Esquenazi - for his wisdom and for my first Acropora.
Trayonne Mitchelle - for my first SPS along with a great friendship over the years.
Rogger Castells of Rogger's Reef Food for constantly helping me and impressing the importance of good food for my tank.
Julian Sprung of Two Little Fishes for putting up with my annoying questions.
Marlon Bloch and Charles Steinfeld of Global Oceanic Life and Andrea Stockhausen and Matt Schmidt of Exotic Sea Life for giving me the opportunity to see some of the CRAZIEST corals and fish that come into United States.
Chingchai Uekrongtham - for his inspiration and encouragements.
Koji Wada of Blue Harbor Aquarium Factory in Osaka, Japan for expanding my horizons.
KRC for extending friendship all the way across the world and showing the ways of great aquascaping (Asian Aquascaping abilities are mind boggling)
Menfis Marmolejos - One of my closest friends and founding member of our channel Afishionado on Youtube for sharing my love and dedication of the hobby and helping bring my dream to reality.
Thomas Brown of Thomas Vision Reef for encouragements and sharing his insights with his fellow Youtuber.
Last but not the least, Tony Vargas for instilling my love for wrasses and for constant check ups and encouragements for not only my tank's well being but on a personal level as well.
Introduction:
My name is Richard, and I started keeping fish since I was very young by helping my grandmother take care of her multiple small fresh water tanks.
I got back into the hobby in college after getting a recommendation from a therapist that it's good for calming my nerves and that it will help me relax and possibly sleep better at night.
I kept a fish only tank for many years, never getting into corals because of all the hard work required with maintaining them. Although my tank was a bit bare, I had great success with keeping fish. It was my tank, and my family enjoyed it thoroughly. My son and I would sit in a rocking chair in front of it, or he would pull up a stool so he could stand on it and see things at his eye level. We would feed the fish, sing songs and watch with joy as the fish would go frenzy over the food.
When he passed on the dreadful day of March 9th, my life came tumbling down.
I lost my purpose, drive and inspiration to live. I doubted my life, my faith, my existence and became bitter and depressed. If it wasn't for my wife, I might not even be here today to tell you the honest truth.
Losing my mind, I turned to what I thought was impossible at the time and dove straight into the challenge creating a reef tank. I suddenly became super busy, constantly researching, interacting and doing something to improve it. I started to do regular water changes that I would never have done on my fish only tank and focused on getting all of the parameters correct.
I also joined the local reef club FMAS and with their help and generous prices on frags, I was able to start a small reef tank starting on January of 2012. The little $5 and $10 dollar frags went a long away. They grew and flourished, and now my tank is filled with many beautiful specimens of ocean. I enjoy having my own small slice of ocean thoroughly.
This tank is my dedication to my son, Nathan. Whenever I look at it, I always think of him and remember his love and his laughter.
System Profile:
o 72g Bowfront glass tank connected with 10g Acrylic frag tank
o Black pine canopy and matching stand.
o 20g acrylic sump divided 4 sections. 1.) equipments (skimmer, uv, reactors) / 2.) filter floss + live rock + chemipure elites/ 3.) chaeto refugium / 4.) return pump, heater and probes.
o Reef Octopus NWB 110 with Ozone
o I use Marineland Black Diamond Carbon in filter bag, use BRS GFO on the TLF 150 reactor as well as CAD reactor for TLF NPX Bio Pellets. Julian is a guru and after speaking with him, I have no doubt that this was the right direction for me.
o I'm currently using Mag 9 as return pump which will be changed to Jebao DC pump 12000 which is connected to Vertex programmable Wavy Seas which will also be switched to Sea Swirl.
o I have 2 Jebao WP 40s along with Wavy Sea as water flow but I plan to switch the Jebao with Cobalt DC Powered Neo Flow pump with Sea Sweep modifications.
o I have used Rapid LEDs for practically all my years of reefing but trying out 3w Epi Star pendants at the moment. I have plans to try out something new in distant future.
o Koralin CaRx
o JBJ ATO
o BRS 75gpd 5 Stage plus RODI set up.
o Custom made fans in my canopy controlled by my APEX and Marineland heater in case of any cold winter days. (I doubt it in Florida)
o Apex Lite Controller
• On Jebao WP40s, I use full power on both of them and use the setting W1 and Else mode. On Wavy Sea, I use speed 3 on the spin of the motor on the water distribution.
Parameters:o Temp 78-79
o pH 8.1
o Specific gravity 1.026
o Ammonia 0
o Nitrate 0
o Nitrite 4ppm
o PO4 0.03-0.06
o Calcium 480-500
o Alkalinity 8
o Magnesium 1380
Lighting Profile:
• I'm a big LED advocate so I'm into whatever is the newest and strongest LEDs on the market. The latest one I have tried is Cyan by Rapid LED. I believe full spectrum is paramount as the sun isn't just blue and white. I am looking to providing the best artificial sunlight for my livestock.
o Actinic light turns on at 1130am and turns off at 1030pm
White turns on at 5pm and turns off at 930pm
Maintenance Routine:
• Bi-weekly water changes of 15g to 20g using Red Sea Coral Plus if not, IO Reef Crystals. I mainly polish the water using a 24-hour protein skimmer action + carbon + GFO + Chemi Pure Elite + NPX Bio Pellets (to control bio load) and Chaeto as my natural nutrient export.
Livestock:
Fish:
I blame this on Tony Vargas but I am a wrasse addict.
Wrasses:
Cleaner Wrasse - Labroides dimidiatus
African Exquisite Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus exquisituso
Multi Color Lubock's Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus lubbocki
Line Spot Flasher Wrasse - Paracheilinus lineopunctatus
Rhomboid Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis
Christmas Wrasse - Halichoeres claudia
Pylei Fairy Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus pylei
Naoko Wrasse mated pair - Cirrhilabrus Naokoae
Clown Fish:
Pro Aquatix Premium Snowflake and Platinum Clownfish
Tang:
Purple Tang - Zebrasoma xanthurum
Trigger:
Male Blue Throat Trigger - Xanthichthys auromarginatus
Dragonet:
Ruby Red Dragonet - Synchiropus sp.
Anthias:
Indian Ocean Male Lyretail Anthias - Pseudanthias squamipinnis
FemaleBali Lunate Anthias - Pseudanthias cf. lunulatus
Male Bartlett's Anthias - Pseudanthias bartlettorum
Male Carberryi Anthias - Nemanthias carberryi
Female Ignitus Anthias - Pseudanthias ignitus
1 Male and 2 female Dispar Anthias - Pseudanthias dispar
Basslets:
Royal Gramma Basslet- Gramma loreto
Black Cap Basslet - Gramma melacara
Swissguard Basslet - Liopropoma rubre
Yellowlined Basslet - Gramma linki
Dwarf Angel:
Marshall Island Multi Bar Angel fish - Paracentropyge/ centropyge Multifasciata
Inverts:
I have about
30 dwarf blue legged hermit crabs.
1 red emerald crab
1 green emerald crab
30 Astrea snails
1 pink sea cucumber
2 Indo cleaner shrimps
1 Carribean cleaner shrimp
2 peppermint shrimps
1 Antonbrunns cleaner shrimp
1 Ultra grade Maxima Clam
Cleaner Wrasse - Labroides dimidiatus
African Exquisite Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus exquisituso
Multi Color Lubock's Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus lubbocki
Line Spot Flasher Wrasse - Paracheilinus lineopunctatus
Rhomboid Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis
Christmas Wrasse - Halichoeres claudia
Pylei Fairy Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus pylei
Naoko Wrasse mated pair - Cirrhilabrus Naokoae
Clown Fish:
Pro Aquatix Premium Snowflake and Platinum Clownfish
Tang:
Purple Tang - Zebrasoma xanthurum
Trigger:
Male Blue Throat Trigger - Xanthichthys auromarginatus
Dragonet:
Ruby Red Dragonet - Synchiropus sp.
Anthias:
Indian Ocean Male Lyretail Anthias - Pseudanthias squamipinnis
FemaleBali Lunate Anthias - Pseudanthias cf. lunulatus
Male Bartlett's Anthias - Pseudanthias bartlettorum
Male Carberryi Anthias - Nemanthias carberryi
Female Ignitus Anthias - Pseudanthias ignitus
1 Male and 2 female Dispar Anthias - Pseudanthias dispar
Basslets:
Royal Gramma Basslet- Gramma loreto
Black Cap Basslet - Gramma melacara
Swissguard Basslet - Liopropoma rubre
Yellowlined Basslet - Gramma linki
Dwarf Angel:
Marshall Island Multi Bar Angel fish - Paracentropyge/ centropyge Multifasciata
Inverts:
I have about
30 dwarf blue legged hermit crabs.
1 red emerald crab
1 green emerald crab
30 Astrea snails
1 pink sea cucumber
2 Indo cleaner shrimps
1 Carribean cleaner shrimp
2 peppermint shrimps
1 Antonbrunns cleaner shrimp
1 Ultra grade Maxima Clam
Corals:
I keep everything from SPS, LPS to softies. I don't want to discriminate and try my hardest to mimic the ocean.
Feeding:
• Good nutrient is paramount to the livestock's health and I take it very seriously. I think my fish and corals eat better then me at times lol.
I specifically target feed several different blends of Rogger's Reef Food as I know from first hand experience that he makes good organic, human grade food.
I honestly never really had a chance to try other food, but I'm happy with my choices.
Feeding Time!!!
I honestly never really had a chance to try other food, but I'm happy with my choices.
Feeding Time!!!
Progression Shots:
1st. Patience is a virtue. You don't have to have tons of money to start. Ninety nine percent of the corals in my tank started as frags (1 inch or smaller Acros, 1 to couple polyp Zoanthids), and they took a couple of years to grow. The majority of my corals were small $5 dollar, $10 dollar frags. The most expensive one was my red, war paint trachy which I bought for 35. They will grow and it will be more rewarding to see them thrive in your small eco-system that you have created.
2nd. Good husbandry and maintenance plan is necessary for the longevity of your livestock. As we purchase fish and corals that are caught from the wild, I believe that we, as hobbyist, have an responsibility to provide the best environment for these animals to thrive in.
3rd. Good nutritious food is paramount. The fish's own immune system is always the first line of defense against any parasites or bacterial infections. Be sure to provide them with good food after researching which food is necessary for the livestock in your tank.
There have been too many people who have helped me over the past two and a half years, but I will try my best to name them all.
I would like to thank:
Eddie Soler - former President of FMAS (the greatest reef club in the world) and MACNA 2013 for getting me into the club and imparting his knowledge.
Marvin Ballard - Current President of FMAS for taking me under his wing like a big brother and showing me the ropes. Helping me evolve into more mature person.
Mark Esquenazi - for his wisdom and for my first Acropora.
Trayonne Mitchelle - for my first SPS along with a great friendship over the years.
Rogger Castells of Rogger's Reef Food for constantly helping me and impressing the importance of good food for my tank.
Julian Sprung of Two Little Fishes for putting up with my annoying questions.
Marlon Bloch and Charles Steinfeld of Global Oceanic Life and Andrea Stockhausen and Matt Schmidt of Exotic Sea Life for giving me the opportunity to see some of the CRAZIEST corals and fish that come into United States.
Chingchai Uekrongtham - for his inspiration and encouragements.
Koji Wada of Blue Harbor Aquarium Factory in Osaka, Japan for expanding my horizons.
KRC for extending friendship all the way across the world and showing the ways of great aquascaping (Asian Aquascaping abilities are mind boggling)
Menfis Marmolejos - One of my closest friends and founding member of our channel Afishionado on Youtube for sharing my love and dedication of the hobby and helping bring my dream to reality.
Thomas Brown of Thomas Vision Reef for encouragements and sharing his insights with his fellow Youtuber.
Last but not the least, Tony Vargas for instilling my love for wrasses and for constant check ups and encouragements for not only my tank's well being but on a personal level as well.
I still love and research seahorses.
