My reef aquarium
Please note, this aquarium has been running only since 5.2.2009 – I had to move everything from my old tank when it broke
Tank: 160 x 80 x 70, 896 liters
Sump: 120 x 40 x 40, 192 liters
Light: 2 x 250W HQI (BLV 10kK), 4 x 54W T5 (Osram 67), moonlight, Aqua Medic light computer
Flow: 2 x Stream 6200, Eheim 5000+, Fishstreet Wavebox
Heavy skimming, using ATB Dual Cone
Testing a new filtration media from Reef Interests, BioPellets
Balling for alkalinity and calcium supplementation
Currently experimenting with clay-based filtration, using ATI Easy Vital but soon switching to Zeoton from AQUAfair
10 cm (4”) fine natural coral sand
Lots of high quality live rock. High quality means lot’s of small invertebrates and great diversity
Lots of water flow, directed in 3 dimensions meaning some pumps (Tunze Streams, naturally) are blowing from bottom to surface
A lot of corals but only a relatively few species and large colonies. The amount of corals have a direct effect on the well being of the whole ecosystem. At the same time, a good amount of open water
Heavy feeding using high quality powdered invertebrate foods. I use mainly foods from Reefintrests (Reefpearls), Fauna Marin (UltraMIN F, Ultra Seafan and UltraMIN D) and various aquaculture feeds (Rotofer, Spirulina). These foods are by far the best I’ve tried (and I’ve tried many!).
High quality flake foods for fishes (Omega One). Absolutely no frozen foods
I don’t concentrate on corals. Instead, I try to grow filter feeders which are much more difficult. If you can provide good conditions for many of these cryptic animals the corals will also thrive
Natural salinity and calcium level, elevated alkalinity and “zero” inorganic nutrients. It is not acceptable to have any measurable phosphate or nitrate
I dose silicate as it’s unnaturally low in most reef aquariums and yet it is absolute requirement for one of the bases of the whole coral reef ecosystem, diatoms. It won’t hurt sponges, either
Trace element and strontium supplementation (coral-shop Marine Line)