The Aquarium of Coralfriend

My 7 year old aquarium is a 120 gallon(48x24x24"). The aquarium is a standard 4 foot tank with a custom make woodern cabin for support. No hole is drilled and no overflow underneath. Initially, it is a fish only tank. Three years ago, I changed it to a reef tank. There is a excessive outbreak of algae about one year after I change it to a reef tank. I reconstruct the whole design and reset it up until now.

Philosophy/Methodology

My aim is to construct a community tank with stoney coral dominent. I try to use a high input and output modulus to built my tank. I used high intensity of light and excessive feeding for energy input. On the other hand, heavy protein skimming and periodically harvest of macroalgae act as output. Besides that, I used a 3-4" lived sandbed,lots of liverock and asisted by a well established mud tank for biological filtration. Those methodologies seems to work fine in my tanks for at least two year.

Full view of my tank

*Water Circulation*
I used 3 tunze + 1 Taiwan power head to provide a random current throghout the tank.All the powerhead is controlled by timer. The Tunze power head can provide pulsating current. I also employ a Seaswirl ocillator connected to a IwakiMD30 to provide turbulence. Furthermore, I make a rucecarlson surge device on top of the tank. Every 1 minutes, a huge amount of water is pour into the tank by the surge device. The water level of my tank rise up and down periodically due to the surge device. There is no dead sport in any part of my tank.	*Sea-Swirl ocillator*
	*Surge device-water outlet*
	*SeaSurge is coming out.Huge amount of water is pouring out from the reservor within seconds***

Lighting

The 6 metal halide light on top of my tank. Only the upper left one is switch on in the picture.

Lighting is provided by 6 metal halide industrial light. One 1000walts with 10000k(BLV) bulb. Two 400walts with 20000k(Radium) bulb. Three 250walts with
10000k(BLV) bulb. The lighting period of 5 metal halide are 12 hours while the 1000walts metal halide is only 6 hours everyday.The bulb is renewal every 9 months. Therefore, my tank is extensively illuminated. It needs a certain period of time for my coral to adapt this lighting scheme.

1000walt 10000k bulb manufactured by BLV

Different type of bulb for compare From left to right

250walt 10000k AB double ended bulb

150walt 10000k AB double ended bulb

1000walt 10000k BLV single ended bulb

400walt 20000k Radium single ended bulb

250walt 10000k Radium single ended bulb

*Filtration*
Three protein skimmer serves my primary filtration system. One H&S,one AB and one DIY skimmer. There is no mechanical filtration of any kind. Activated carbon is used occasionally. Macroalgae is harvested from the mud tank periodically. The live sandbed of my tank and the mud tank is fully accupied by live creater such as bristle worm,pods,copepod and mysid,etc. It makes them an excellent nutrient export device.	*AB protein skimmer*
	H&S protein skimmer
DIY 6 feet air driven protein skimmer The green one is the powerful pump while the yellow box on the right is a automatic feeder of plankton at night

Calcium and Addictives

H & S calcium reactor

A H&S calcium reactor and a DIY calcium reactor is used to supply the calcium and alkalinity for my tank. All the evaporate water of the tank is replaced by the
calcium hydroxide in the DIY calcium reactor. Calcium hydroxide is made by DI water and automatically dripped into the tank during night time. No other
chemical additives are used.

left-DI water reservior

Right-Calcium hydroxide tank on top of a magnetic splinter

DI water producer machine

Mud tank

A mud tank grow with macroalgae is connected to the main tank. The mud tank is supply by a 150waltAB metal halide lamp which is switch on during night
time(switch-on after the light of main tank switch-off). This reverse cycle makes the pH of my tank water maintain in a steady reading both day and light.

macroalgae mud tank

top-view of mud tank

Feeding Regimen

baby brineshrimp hatching tank

I feed a variety of foods. Huge amount of live baby brineshrimp and DT live phytoplankton is feed twice a day. Live rotifer is feeded twice a week. All the baby brineshrimp and rotifer is enriched by Selcon or Zoecon before feeding. Nori is occasinally feed to the fish as well. No target feeding is needed.

rotifer hatching tank

DT live phytoplankton, zoecon and roti-rich liquid

Maintenance Regimen

I clean the front glass twice a week. Keep the skimmer clean as frequent as possible. I did small water changes twice a week. Macroalgae is harvest once a
month.

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