June 2014 R2R Spotlight: GlennF
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/large-aquariums-180g/138700-glennfs-300-gallon-dsr-reef.html
My name in Glenn Fong , from the Netherlands and I live in Rotterdam. All my life I have been keeping all kinds of fresh water aquariums,that was until I was infected with the saltwater virus . My current tank is 250x80x70cm(60cm WH) and was built in 1994. Until December 2004, it was a fresh water tank inhabited with Malawi cichlids. In Dec 2004, I drilled a hole into the bottom, placed a sump, and filled it with saltwater. This was the start of my saltwater adventure.
From the start, I never did any water changes (same as in my fresh water time). I started with the usual soft corals, a few LPS, and some easy SPS. I built my own skimmer and calcium reactor. For a while, everything went quite well, until I start putting more SPS into the tank. In 2008, I lost a few SPS/LPS due to a calcium reactor which was insufficient, so I built a larger one and reintroduced new SPS corals. Arounnd the end of 2010, I lost the majority of my SPS/LPS Corals. This was due to a few factors: 1) Defective RO device, 2) Calcium reactor which was acting up, 3) a 500L NPS tank which I connected to my reef. Looking back, the last action was not a wise thing to do, on top of the calcium problem I had a sky-high PO4 level into my reef (0,64ppm). I decided to give up the hobby. I left the tank with minimal care, renovated my house and in August 2011 I went on a 30 day vacation to Thailand.
In November 2011, I decided to give it another try. This time I was determined to do it the right way. I started reading into the chemistry and decided to design my own reef salt. I started with a 10L fishbowl and filled it with my own saltwater blend and placed some small frag. I was pleasantly surprise when I saw some growth into this little tank. After 2 months, I decided to apply it to my reef and replaced 450 liter with my own synthetic saltwater. (this water had not been replaced since 2004). The reason I did this water change was, I could not lower my PO4 Level with GFO (all the time is was between 0.16-0.64). The synthetic water had 0.0ppm PO4, so I could dilute down the PO4. This was just enough to turn around the downward spiral I was at. I started stocking the reef with SPS and LPS corals frags again. The following half year I start measuring and controlling as much parameters as possible using the minerals to compose the synthetic salt. All went well and my PO4 and NO3 were unmeasurable low.
Fish Bowl:
After a while, some corals were growing and others turned pale. Eventually, all corals turned pale, started to bleach and lose tissue from the bottom up . I nearly lost the complete colony of Green Caliendrum. There were only a few branches left, which I fragged onto a small rock. After hesitating for a long while, I decided this was not the way to go. So, I started dosing PO4(0,08ppm) and NO3(2,5ppm) to my reef. To my surprise, all corals regained their polyps and the color and growth returned. For a while, I was playing with the PO4/NO3 levels to see what was optimal and saw how many corals reacted differently to different levels. I decided that controlling PO4 and NO3 together with all the parameters were the key to success. So, I started to find ways to control all the water parameters both ways (up/down).
After fine tuning, my water parameter from January 2012 until now, I learned a lot about corals and their needs. This ended in the way I keep my reef now without water changes. I named it the DSR method, which stands for Dutch Synthetic Reefing. At the moment, I control 12 parameters in DSR using 15 minerals and supplements. To make it easy to use and exclude calculation errors, I also developed a DSR calculator using a spreadsheet. With the calculator, it is possible to calculate exactly what you need to dose in order to top-up all your levels of minerals. This is done by measuring and feeding those parameter into the calculator and dosing the calculated weight/volume into the tank. Now, the calculator can be used for controlling: Salinity,KH, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Strontium, Boron, Iodide, phosphate, Nitrate, Iron. I use a Carbon Source (vinegar/Sugar) to lower nitrate and a iron solution to lower Phosphate. In addition, I also use an amino acid supplement which benefits buttons the most. I am experimenting with a few other new minerals, but for now I don’t see any benefit for using them. With the calculator, it is also possible to make your own saltwater. The benefit is that you can design salt water that suites your own need.
Progression Videos:
25okt2012
[video=youtube_share;259lIvgIm6Q]
[video=youtube_share;x0lPoBbmM2U]
2apr2013
[video=youtube_share;DKjlVNs7AP4]
18jun2013
[video=youtube_share;FHu-cY0bxuo]
18okt2013
[video=youtube_share;Tt4SxJhIGqs]
27dec2013 Fish feeding
[video=youtube_share;n6eW3AHtj5Y]
Now, my tank is a mixed reef with soft corals, LPS, and SPS and it’s thriving like never before. Currently, I have 182 species of corals and invertebrates living in my display tank. My future challenge will be introducing NPS corals and a diversity of colorful sponges into my tank, which will require more specialized feeding. A few species seems to be doing fine already: Red menella with yellow polyps, Tubastrea faulkerni, Yellow Comanthus Comatula. I recently introduced two more feather stars, a green and red one. I daily feed the reef with a mix of ~25gram deepfreeze mysis, lobster eggs, copepod, dryfood , D&D LPS food. I put this in a 300ml jar, fill it up to 250ml with reefwater and shake till is dissolves into small particles. This is then fed into the tank throughout the day using a turkey blaster. Additionally, I feed the tangs a half sheet of nori.
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/large-aquariums-180g/138700-glennfs-300-gallon-dsr-reef.html
My name in Glenn Fong , from the Netherlands and I live in Rotterdam. All my life I have been keeping all kinds of fresh water aquariums,that was until I was infected with the saltwater virus . My current tank is 250x80x70cm(60cm WH) and was built in 1994. Until December 2004, it was a fresh water tank inhabited with Malawi cichlids. In Dec 2004, I drilled a hole into the bottom, placed a sump, and filled it with saltwater. This was the start of my saltwater adventure.
From the start, I never did any water changes (same as in my fresh water time). I started with the usual soft corals, a few LPS, and some easy SPS. I built my own skimmer and calcium reactor. For a while, everything went quite well, until I start putting more SPS into the tank. In 2008, I lost a few SPS/LPS due to a calcium reactor which was insufficient, so I built a larger one and reintroduced new SPS corals. Arounnd the end of 2010, I lost the majority of my SPS/LPS Corals. This was due to a few factors: 1) Defective RO device, 2) Calcium reactor which was acting up, 3) a 500L NPS tank which I connected to my reef. Looking back, the last action was not a wise thing to do, on top of the calcium problem I had a sky-high PO4 level into my reef (0,64ppm). I decided to give up the hobby. I left the tank with minimal care, renovated my house and in August 2011 I went on a 30 day vacation to Thailand.
In November 2011, I decided to give it another try. This time I was determined to do it the right way. I started reading into the chemistry and decided to design my own reef salt. I started with a 10L fishbowl and filled it with my own saltwater blend and placed some small frag. I was pleasantly surprise when I saw some growth into this little tank. After 2 months, I decided to apply it to my reef and replaced 450 liter with my own synthetic saltwater. (this water had not been replaced since 2004). The reason I did this water change was, I could not lower my PO4 Level with GFO (all the time is was between 0.16-0.64). The synthetic water had 0.0ppm PO4, so I could dilute down the PO4. This was just enough to turn around the downward spiral I was at. I started stocking the reef with SPS and LPS corals frags again. The following half year I start measuring and controlling as much parameters as possible using the minerals to compose the synthetic salt. All went well and my PO4 and NO3 were unmeasurable low.
Fish Bowl:
After a while, some corals were growing and others turned pale. Eventually, all corals turned pale, started to bleach and lose tissue from the bottom up . I nearly lost the complete colony of Green Caliendrum. There were only a few branches left, which I fragged onto a small rock. After hesitating for a long while, I decided this was not the way to go. So, I started dosing PO4(0,08ppm) and NO3(2,5ppm) to my reef. To my surprise, all corals regained their polyps and the color and growth returned. For a while, I was playing with the PO4/NO3 levels to see what was optimal and saw how many corals reacted differently to different levels. I decided that controlling PO4 and NO3 together with all the parameters were the key to success. So, I started to find ways to control all the water parameters both ways (up/down).
After fine tuning, my water parameter from January 2012 until now, I learned a lot about corals and their needs. This ended in the way I keep my reef now without water changes. I named it the DSR method, which stands for Dutch Synthetic Reefing. At the moment, I control 12 parameters in DSR using 15 minerals and supplements. To make it easy to use and exclude calculation errors, I also developed a DSR calculator using a spreadsheet. With the calculator, it is possible to calculate exactly what you need to dose in order to top-up all your levels of minerals. This is done by measuring and feeding those parameter into the calculator and dosing the calculated weight/volume into the tank. Now, the calculator can be used for controlling: Salinity,KH, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Strontium, Boron, Iodide, phosphate, Nitrate, Iron. I use a Carbon Source (vinegar/Sugar) to lower nitrate and a iron solution to lower Phosphate. In addition, I also use an amino acid supplement which benefits buttons the most. I am experimenting with a few other new minerals, but for now I don’t see any benefit for using them. With the calculator, it is also possible to make your own saltwater. The benefit is that you can design salt water that suites your own need.
Progression Videos:
25okt2012
[video=youtube_share;259lIvgIm6Q]
[video=youtube_share;x0lPoBbmM2U]
2apr2013
[video=youtube_share;DKjlVNs7AP4]
18jun2013
[video=youtube_share;FHu-cY0bxuo]
18okt2013
[video=youtube_share;Tt4SxJhIGqs]
27dec2013 Fish feeding
[video=youtube_share;n6eW3AHtj5Y]
Now, my tank is a mixed reef with soft corals, LPS, and SPS and it’s thriving like never before. Currently, I have 182 species of corals and invertebrates living in my display tank. My future challenge will be introducing NPS corals and a diversity of colorful sponges into my tank, which will require more specialized feeding. A few species seems to be doing fine already: Red menella with yellow polyps, Tubastrea faulkerni, Yellow Comanthus Comatula. I recently introduced two more feather stars, a green and red one. I daily feed the reef with a mix of ~25gram deepfreeze mysis, lobster eggs, copepod, dryfood , D&D LPS food. I put this in a 300ml jar, fill it up to 250ml with reefwater and shake till is dissolves into small particles. This is then fed into the tank throughout the day using a turkey blaster. Additionally, I feed the tangs a half sheet of nori.
System Profile
- Display tank : custom buils250x80x70cm(60cm WH)
o Plain Glass - Stand : Self build and welded from steel profiles
- Sump: single compartment 75x42x65cm (13cm water heigh)
- Protein Skimmer: using an old shuran skimmer as base, I modified it to run on 4 wooden air stones driven by a velda silenta pro 1800 pond air pump.
- I use a 150mg/h ozone reactor connected to a mv controllers, which is dosed through the skimmer.
- Zeolite reactor for bacterio plancton breading as food for the corals, which I shake once a week only.
- 18 watt UV lamp
- Carbon/phosphate filtration: No use of carbon, GFO or bio-pellets. Self build zeolite reactor filled with pond zeolites.
- Return Pump: Royal exclusive red dragon 6500 (6500l/h) with filter wool on the intake which i clean every 3-5 days.
- 3 tunze 6100 (12000L/h) connected to a IKS computer .
Ca/Alk/Mg dosing:
- I use DSR, my own method with no water changes.
- I use a Aqua Medic KR1000 which is way to small for this system, so I use is it as a backup system.
- If needed I dose my own made supplements.
- Manually: PO4, NO3, Boron, Potassium, Magnesium (measure and correct)
- On dosing pumps:
- Aqua Medic reef doser 2channel for : Alk and Calcium
- IKS 4 channel for : iodide – iron - Carbon V/S – Strontium
- DIY Auto water filler (works on a siphon and gravity from a 50 liter tank place in the bathroom)
- simple 375 liter /day 3step RO device with an additional silicate filter, daily turned on by a garden timer.
- Room temperature is set at 21 degrees Celsius
- I use a 300 watt thermostatic heater in the sump, no chiller only 10x 8x8cm 12volt fans mounted on the tank cover to blow cool air through the lamps an surface and remove heated air out of the tank.
- IKS Aquastar which control: lighting, 3x tunze 6100 streamers, 4 channel dosing pump, water level alarm and also measure temperature, Ph tank, Ph, Calcium reactor, redox.
- All three tunze 6100 are connected to the IKS computer with interval timer and simmod for modulation and are programmed to randomly power on and off . This is to create random streaming patterns. Because of the random pattern I never know how many pumps are active . I could be 1,2,3 or none at all.
- Temp: 25-26 degrees celcius , testing with digital ear thermometer
- pH: 7,95-8,20 night/day max. variation
- Salinity : 34-35ppt using a refractometer
- Ammonia: not measured
- Nitrate: 1-2,5ppm using salifert NO3 test
- Nitrite: not measured
- PO4: 0,04-0,08ppm using redsea PO4 test
- Calcium: 440ppm using salifert Ca test
- Alkalinity: 8-9KH using salifert Kh test
- Magnesium: 130ppm using salifert Mg test
- Photoperiod
- blue bulb nr 4 / 4.1 turns on /off at 9:30am – 10:30pm
- all other turns on/off at 10:00am – 9:30pm
- Bulbs are being replace after ~12months of use
- no structural water changes since 2004, i developed my own methode (DSR) to add supplements and reduce nutrients.
Tank inhabitants:
Fish:
2x Amphiprion ocellaris, Pterapogon kauderni, Oxymonacanthus longirostris, Zebrasoma flavescens, Zebrasoma xanturium, Naso lituratus, Acanthurus leucosternon, Acanthurus lineatus, Acanthurus tenetti, 3x Acanthurus triostegus, Ctencheatus tomini, Ctencheatus striatus, Ctencheatus binotatus, Ctencheatus strigosis ( juvenile in fragtank), Salarias fasciarus (in fragtank), Scarus quoyi, Atrosalarias fuscus, Salarias ramosus, Synchiropus splendidus couple m/f, Synchiropus ocellatus couple m/f, 2x Ecsenius stigmatura, Meiacanthus atrodorsalis, Amblyeleotris wheeler + symbiotic shrimp, Halichoeres chrysus, Macropharyngodon ornatus, 3x Pseudanthias squamipinnis, 6x Pseudanthias dispar, 1x Psuedanthias Evansi, 3x Chromis viridis,
Other inverts:
6x lysmata amboinensis, 2x Enoplometopus debelius, Turbo fluctuosa (Mexican Turbo Snail) with countless offspring, Astraea tecta (Turbo Snail ) with offspring, 4x Tripneustes gratilla (pincushen urchin), Echinometra sp. (Shortspine Urchin), Diadema setosum (Longspine Urchin, Black )
Corals:
Countless corals and invertebrates, my list include 182 species, some i don't even know their name.
purchase date / name specie / color
30-12-11 Tubinaria Reniformis - yellow/brown
08-11-12 Acanthastrea echinata*- orange/green
08-11-12 Acanthastrea lordhowensis - orange/green
08-11-12 Acanthastrea lordhowensis - red/blue
06-08-12 Acropora Formosa - Blue
07-01-12 Acropora Formosa - Blue tip
29-11-11 Acropora Formosa - yelow/green
13-12-12 Acropora hycinthus - pink/green
17-03-12 Acropora Millepora -pink
17-03-12 Acropora mintgreen( specie unknown)
26-01-13 Acropora purple green
18-11-13 acropora purple/green (unknown)
17-03-12 Acropora purple/green (specie unknown)
26-01-13 Acropora Secale - purple
05-03-12 Acropora sunorsonoi
30-12-11 Acropora Valida - Deep Purple
17-03-12 Acropora Valida - deep purple
17-03-12 Acropora Valida - green/grey
13-12-12 Acropra Echinata - purplegreen
12-02-13 Acropra hyacinthus - green
13-11-12 Acropra Millepora - purple
13-12-12 Acropura - dark green
08-11-12 Amplexidiscus fenestrafer
01-01-2008 Anthelia sp. 02
07-02-13 Black Sponge
08-11-12 Blastumosa- orange
01-01-08 Briareum s.p01 fluo green
01-01-07 Briareum s.p02 mint green
08-11-12 Briareum sp. Green (unknown sub specie)
08-02-12 Brown Acro with blue tips (specie unknown)
01-01-05 Capnella imbricata
02-06-12 Caulastrea echinulata - green/brown
24-12-11 Caulastrea Furcata - Fluo green
12-05-12 Cerianthus filiformis
13-12-12 Cerianthus filiformis - Green/pink
12-05-12 Cerianthus filiformis - Green/purple
01-01-2006 Cladiella sp.01 dark brown
11-05-13 Clavularia viridis
08-03-14 Comanthus Comatula - green/blueish
03-10-13 Comanthus Comatula - yellow/black
12-05-12 Cycloseris tenuis - green
18-10-13 Cyphastrea - fluo green
05-03-12 deep green acro ( specie unknown)
01-01-11 Discosoma sp. 15 - green striped
01-01-11 Discosoma sp. 33 - red
01-01-11 Discosomas sp.04 - Marble green
01-01-11 Discosomas sp.12 - Blue/purple
01-01-2005 Discosomas sp.12 Green
06-08-12 Duncanopsammia Axifuga
08-11-12 Echinophyllia costata - orange/brown/green
08-11-12 Echinophyllia costata - orange/green
01-01-2008 Entacmaea - red anemone
10-12-11 Euphyllia Glabrescens - green/brown
17-12-11 Euphyllia Ancora - green/brown
07-01-12 Euphyllia divisa green/ brown
07-12-12 Euphyllia paraancora White/green
15-11-11 Euphyllia Paradivisa -green/brown
11-09-12 Favia - green/brown
Favia green/red
08-11-12 Favia sp. 01 - fluo green
08-11-12 Favia sp. 02 - green/brown
08-11-12 Favia Sp. Red/Green
08-11-12 Favia speciosa - red/green
25-02-12 Fungia - orange
18-10-13 Fungia - purple
12-05-12 Fungia seychellensis
08-11-12 Galaxea fascicularis
20-10-12 Goniopora - green
17-12-11 Goniopora lobata - red
08-02-12 Green Acro (specie unknown)
08-02-12 Green Acro with blue tips
25-02-12 Heliofungia actiniformis - green
01-01-10 Heliopora coerulea
17-12-11 Hydnophora grandis - green
05-03-12 Hydnopora Polisa
08-11-12 Lobohyllia orange/brown
01-01-07 Lobophytum sp. 01 yellow/brown
01-01-10 Lobophytum sp. 05 green/lightbrown
13-02-14 menella red with orange polyps
12-10-13 Menella red with yellow polyps
03-06-12 Merulina ampliata -green
08-02-12 Mint Blue Acro (specie unknown)
07-01-12 Montipora capricornis - green
01-01-11 Montipora Confusa - brown/green
15-09-13 Montipora Danea
12-02-13 Montipora Digitata - Blue
12-12-11 Montipora digitata - Green
07-01-12 Montipora Digitata - green
08-11-12 Montipora Digitata - grey/brown spotted
07-01-12 Montipora Digitata - orange
15-09-13 Montipora Digitata - orange spotted
15-09-13 Montipora Digitata - Purple
08-02-12 Montipora effusa
30-03-12 Montipora foliosa - Red
01-12-12 Montipora undata - green/blue
03-03-12 Nemenzophyllia turbida - fox coral
01-01-08 Neospongodes sp. - pink
01-02-11 Orange sponge
01-12-12 Oxypora cf. Lacera green/red
08-11-12 Oxypora greem/brown
16-01-12 Parazoanthus sp. 02 - yellow
17-03-12 Parazoanthus spp. - yellow polyps
06-08-12 Pavona Cactus - green
08-11-12 Pavona decussata - pink/brown
01-01-10 Phymanthus buitendijki
01-01-10 Pinnigorgia sp.
01-01-08 Plexaurella dichotoma
01-01-10 Plexaurella nutans
02-06-12 Pocillopora damicornis - full green
10-12-11 Pocillopora damicornis - pink
24-10-13 Porites attenuata
01-01-2007 Protopalythoa sp. 04 full green
01-01-2005 Protopalythoa sp. 05 green/brown
21-09-12 Pseudocolochirus Violaceus
08-11-12 Pseudocolochirus Violaceus
01-01-10 Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata
30-12-11 Red Anemone
01-01-11 Rhodactis indosinensis - Green
01-01-11 Rhodactis rhodostoma - Green
01-01-11 Rhodactis sp. 35 - green
01-01-11 Rhodactis sp.35 - deep green
11-09-12 Ricordea Florida - Orange
11-09-12 Ricordea Florida - Blue
11-09-12 Ricordea Florida - Orange/green
28-01-12 Ricordea floride - green
01-01-06 Ricordea Yuma - green
01-01-12 Ricordea yuma - metalic blue/grey
26-05-12 Ricordea Yuma - orange
01-01-12 Ricordea yuma - Purple
08-11-12 Rumphella sp
01-01-07 Sarcophyton sp. 05*
08-11-12 Sarcothelia edmondsoni
27-09-13 Scleronephthya - pink
25-09-13 Scolemia Australis "bleeding Apple"
08-11-12 Scolymia vitiensis - light green
08-11-12 Scolymia vitiensis - dark green
29-11-11 Seriatopora caliendrum - green
13-12-11 Seriatopora hystrix - pink/purple
13-12-12 Seriatopora hystrix - yellow/green
01-12-12 Sinularia asterolobata - yellow/green
01-01-07 Sinularia brassica
01-01-10 Sinularia flexibilis
01-01-2006 Sinularia mollis
03-11-12 Sinularia sp. 02 - yellow/green
15-09-13 Sinularia sp. 05 - fluo green/green
01-06-13 Sinularia sp. 09 - yelow/green
01-01-10 Sinularia sp. Green with Brown polyps
08-02-13 Stylopora pistillata - green
06-10-13 Stylopora pistillata - green2
14-09-13 Stylopora pistillata - pink
15-09-13 Stylopora pistillata - pink2
15-09-13 Stylopora pistillata - pink3
09-12-11 Stylopora pistillata - purple (sp.1)
15-09-13 Stylopora pistillata - purple 2
09-01-14 trachyphyllia - deep green
09-01-14 trachyphyllia - mint green
14-09-13 Tridacna Clamtridacna
19-10-13 Tubastraea faulkneri
08-11-12 Tubinaria Peltata
08-02-12 Tubinarie - green/purple
01-01-11 Tubipora musica
01-01-10 Xenia umbellata
17-12-11 yellow/green acropora - specie unknown
17-03-12 Zoanthus sp. 06 - green/green
05-03-12 Zoanthus sp. 08 - orange/brown/green
06-08-12 Zoanthus sp. 11 orange/blue/brown
11-09-12 Zoanthus sp. 41 green/pink/brown
13-12-12 Zoanthus sp. 44 - yellow/blue/brown
11-05-13 Zoanthus sp. Blue/orange/brown/orange
02-06-12 Zoanthus sp.07 - orange
Fish & Coral feeding:
I daily feed the reef with a mix of ~25gram deepfreeze mysis, lobster eggs, copepod, dryfood , D&D LPS food. I put this in a 300ml jar, fill it up to 250ml with reefwater and shake till is dissolves into small particles. This is then fed into the tank throughout the day using a turkey blaster. Additionally, I feed the tangs a half sheet of nori.
Progression photos:
2011:
Feb 2013:
June 2013
July 2013
August 2013
October 2013
Conclusion:
My advice to newbies : learn the reefing basics , set a goal, find a method that suits your needs and go for it. A nice reef don't come by itself, it's a hobby and if you see it as a burden to keep up , don't even start because it will become a burden.
Special thanks to my family and the dutch reefing community who supports my effort to innovate the dutch hobby with new insights.
Yours truly,
Glenn Fong
I still love and research seahorses.
