R2R Username: @W.vreeswijk
Build Thread: Tank w.vreeswijk
Let's jump right in! Tell us about your system!
This home was built, and we had our aquarium built into the wall with all equipment being put into the garage, so no dirty smell of the skimmer anymore for my wife (Happy wife, happy life!).
Here are a few pics of the tank being installed:
This system has now been running for 2 years. The system is back on track after a big power outage, but all corals seems happy and growing very nicely. I'm very happy with this system and love to work it with very simple maintenance. For my work, I sometimes need to leave home for a week, and during those times, my son of 8 years is doing the maintenance. He feeds the fishes, empties the skimmer, and he now knows a lot of the hobby.
System Profile Questions
- Display tank: Aquarium 265x100x84cm (104"x39"x33")
- Glass or Acrylic: Glass 15-18mm
- Stand: Aluminum
- Sump: Dreambox Fleece Filter 3.0 200x74x40 (79"x29"x17")
- Grow-out tank: 100x60x40 (39"x24"x17")
- Protein skimmer: Bubble King Supermarine 300
- Carbon/phosphate filtration: ATI phosphate stop/ ocean art reef fuel
- Return pump: Pump Royal Exclusiv speedy rd3 18000L
- Pump Royal Exclusiv 80 watt 8000L
- Pump Royal Exclusiv 50 watt 5000L
- Pump Royal Exclusiv 60 watt
- Water circulation: 2x Panta Rhei ECM 63
- Lighting (display): 10x philips CoralCare gen2
- Lighting (grow-out): 2x philips CoralCare gen2
- Lighting (refugium): no refugium
- Calcium/alkalinity/magnesium dosing equipment: Focustronic Alkatronic, 2x focustronic dosetronic, focustronic mastertronic
- Auto top-off: direct from ro unit controlled by apex
- Heating/cooling: heating by titanium heater controlled by apex, cooling by air conditioning.
- System control: full apex system together with the focustronic system.
- Any other details: Troptronic uv 85 watt, sanders ozone c200.
Water Circulation and Flow Summary and Objectives:
We use 2x panta rhei ECM63 51,000L each. These together with the Royal Exclusiv Red Dragon 18,000L we have a flow of 120,000L on 100% mode. We use reef crest mode to have a nice random flow throughout the day.
Water Parameters:
- Temp: 24,5/25
- pH:7,8/8,2
- Specific gravity:
- NO3: 2
- Ca:420
- Alk:7,5
- Mg:1350
- PO4:0,02
- Ammonia and nitrites:0
- Salt 35
- Kh 7,5
- Ph7,5/8
- Ca 430
- Mg 1330
- Po4 0,01
- No3 0,5
- K 400
- Sr 8
- I 0,04
What salt mix do you use?
I use ATI Absolute Ocean and Tropic Marin. The Absolute Ocean is a liquid salt and so easy in use with the perfect water parameters.
What kind of rock did you start with?
My rockwork is made of dead coral branches.
What is your substrate?
I love to use live sand and always choose the CaribSea special grade.
Calcium/Alkalinity/Magnesium Summary and Objectives:
I am running the complete ATI system, so we use the essentials pro. In feature we will swap to the ATI essentials plus (more for the sps tanks).
What and how do you dose for the big 3 (alk/cal/mag)?
That is automatic controlled by the Focustronic Alkatronic and Dosetronic. The Alkatronic does the measurements and controls the Dosetronic to dose, so we have a very very stable Kh.
Are you dosing anything else for your reef health (carbon dosing, aminos, etc.)?
Yes we dose some Ocean Art Reef Fuel together with the Ocean Art Reef Balance. Reef fuel is a very strong carbon source, and it is a natural product. It helps to maintain my nutrition how I want. The balance is a vitamin and amino.
Lighting Summary and Objectives:
We have done par measurements over the day to mimic the sun in the ocean. The photoperiod starts at 6:30 with blue, from 12:00/20:00 white sun light, and from 20:00/23:00 blue. For all the tanks, we use the same schedule.
Filtration and Water Quality Summary and Objectives:
We always do the ATI ICP OES test to keep the water in the best conditions. So we dose some extra iodine iron manganese fluo strontium to keep all our levels perfect.
What is your maintenance routine?
Daily: Feeding the fishes, clean the glass
Weekly: Empty the skimmer, level out the sand bed, clean the dreambox.
Monthly: clean the skimmer and do a water change.
Tank Inhabitants—Fish: (Please List)
Acanthurus fowlerii
Naso elegans
Naso litratus
Acanturus lineatus
Acanthurus japonicus
Zebrasoma flavences 4x
Zebrasoma xanthurum
2x lymma stingray
Chelmon rostratus
Pterosynchiropus sedus paar
Synchiropus occelatus paar
Pseudanthias flavoguttatus 10x totaal 20x
Pterapogon kauderni paar
Paracheillus attenuatus paar
Halichoerus melanarus
Labroides dimidiatus
Salarius ramosus
Escenius midas orange
Escenius bicolor
Amphiprion percula black pair
Valencienna wardii pair
Valencienna bella pair.
Other Invertebrates:
nassarius vibex
Sea stars
Sea urchins
Tank Inhabitants— Corals: (Option to List)
Acropora spathulata
Acropora millepora
Acropora Formosa
Acropora humilis
Hystrix
Some lps
Sorry... A complete list is too long...
Fish and Coral Feeding: We feed the fishes 2 times a day.
How did you decide what to keep in your tank? I always read a lot, and I never by fish just because I see one in the shop. I have a list of what I want to add and hold my hands on that list.
Any stocking regrets? A pair of pygo and a zanclus.
Any fish, invert, or coral you will NEVER keep? Murene
What do you love most about the hobby? The diversity of all fish and making your own ecosystem.
How long have you been doing this? 15 years
Who was responsible for getting you into the hobby? Myself
Who or what in the hobby most influences/inspires you? Mm... That is not easy. What interests me is to have a nice colorful tank, but always looking at it myself, it is never perfect. I love the technical parts of the hobby with all the new computers and products and I love to hold all very clean.
If you could have any tank, what size would it be and why? I think this is big enough hahaha but if it was possible I want to have a 400x400x200cm tank
Favorite fish? Lymma stingray
Favorite coral? Acropora spathulata
Favorite invert? Acropora symbiose crab
How do you typically get over setbacks? Looking forward keep pushing.
Have you faced any major challenges with this particular tank, and if so, how did you overcome? Yes. We had a power outage for a weekend: 6 hours, 5 hours, and 4 hours in 1 weekend. I lost a lot of my lovely corals, crying out and start building up the tank, have focus me on holding the lymma stingrays.
What's the best thing you ever bought for your tank?
Royal Exclusiv equipment skimmer etc and the Focustronic Alkatronic & Dosetronic.
What are your future plans for improvement/upgrade of the tank?
For now, I don’t know, but you never know in our hobby what comes out. If they make a frozen food dispenser with automatic doser I want that. Hahaha!
Any special tips for success or advice you'd like to share with other reefers?
Don’t think to long about a loss; try to understand your reef and your corals, feed your fish what they need and don’t just think about the colors of your corals...Keep all healthy and stable.
Final Thoughts?
Thanks for featuring my reef! I love reef2reef! I always love to see your tanks and to see nice actions you all are taking.
I wanna thank my wife for letting me do this hobby. Hahaha.. and please follow me on Instagram at Wesley’s Reef.
If you're on Facebook, check here my facebook page!
If you do YouTube, Check out my YouTube channel!!! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCELfmxXsv4zp7yo7PYlwQRw
Kind regards,
Wesley Vreeswijk
