HMA’s 115 gal. Reef Tank

[hma]

Well, Frank (FFrankie) wrote me these days „Start a thread on one of your tanks so we can experience the build of it and how you deal with your issues.”. OK Frank here’s the Thread.


HMA’s 115 gal. Reef Tank



The choice of marine aquarium or reef aquarium you plan to set up often begins with the choice of saltwater fish species you would like to keep in it. Besides personal preferences, there are many other important issues to be taken into consideration:
Each marine fish's adult size, behaviour, water preferences, feeding habits, compatibility with other saltwater species and, in modern fish keeping, environmental awareness is extremely important.

My journey with saltwater tanks started in the spring of 1986 with a 75gal. Fish tank and this hobby has gone wild on me since then! I set up my first tank with the mindset that I'd keep things simple in order to keep the cost down. A Skimmer of course, but no metal halides, no fancy power heads or reactors and of course no stonis. I'd stay with mostly softies and anemones. No live rock or live sand, that knew at that time (mid 80’s) still nobody. Industrially mixed sea salt, ready to use like today? That simply did not exist in Germany in the mid 80’s. At this time we had to learn so much and we did it.

Today I have 5 tanks, three 68gal. “Nano”, one Fish tank (almost exclusively with aggressive fish) and my current 115gal. Reef tank, first set up in Nov. 2004.

I would like to present today only my 115gal. reef tank. Otherwise it would be too much for me and my troubled English.



Technology, Maintenance and Livestock


Tank:
Aquarium: 49" x 24" x 26" with black silicone joints.
gross volume: c. 440 l (115 gal. overall dimensions –
including cabinet (l x w x h): c. 49" x 24" x 44"

Sump (onboard):
Trickle filter - with Ocean Runner PH 2000 (500 gph) circulation pump on SCWD, I use the
filter exclusive for ROWA Phos and/or Carbon, no Baktoballs or other filter materials.

Circulation:
2 Ocean Runner PH 2000 Circulation pumps.

Skimmer:
Needle wheel protein skimmer Aqua Medic Turboflotor 1000 - with Ocean Runner PH2500
pump

Lighting:
Metal halide lamps with 2 x 150 w aqualine10000 14000ºK,
2 x Fauna Marin 24 Watt T5 AQUA Science Blue and an aquafit steel wire support system.

UV-C:
Helix Max UV steriliser 18 watts (insertable if necessary with a small 125gph pump)

Ozonizer:
Sander CERTIZON C50 continuous operation with c.15mg to produce transparent and
healthy water, diminishes the load of nitrite and ammonia to zero.


Niveaumat:
The Niveaumat will automatically top up evaporated water in my tank. It comprises an
SP 3000 peristaltic pump with a directly connected float switch. The float switch is
installed in the tank at the desired level using its holding unit. As the level drops the
SP 3000 automatically tops up the tank with osmosis water from a 10gal. Reservoir. The
Reservoir is filled once each week with osmosis water.

Reverse osmosis:
Aqua Medic Premium Line 150 with 100g reservoir (used for all tank’s (5))

Salt:
Red Sea Coral Pro, Tropic Marin PRO – REEF, Reef Crystals, I change the salt each
month.

Supplements:
The main sources of supplements are my weekly water changes, which seem to be well received by my animals. I use Mrutzek Organotrace every day c.5ml depending upon result of measurement, an easy supplementation of calcium, magnesium, carbonates, as well as essential trace elements.

Maintenance:
My weekly tank chores include doing a 15% water change, cleaning the skimmer’s neck and dumping the full waste collector, pruning the macroalgae and cleaning the salt creep on the braces. Every three months I clean the sump, skimmer and of course all air hoses. I always have new salt water ready to perform a water change any time it’s needed.

Live rock/sand:
70Kg live rock from Tonga island with a “basement” of 30kg dolomite stone and 30Kg live sand.





My Livestock:






Fish
My favorite fish in this tank is my Yellow boxfish, which I bought in 2004 from a local reefkeeper. It is not senior fish in my tank, thats my Twotone tang (6 Years old), but I love him. He eats right from my hand like a Dog.

2 x Amphiprion clarkii (Yellowtail clownfish)
1 x Zebrasoma scopas (Twotone tang)
1 x Ctenochaetus strigosus (Spotted surgeonfish)
1 x Calloplesiops altivelis (Comet)
1 x Amblygobius phalaena (Banded goby)
1 x Halichoeres leucoxanthus (Whitebelly wrasse)
1 x Canthigaster papua (Papuan toby)
1 x Ecsenius midas (Persian blenny)
1 x Ostracion cubicus (Yellow boxfish)





SPS/LPS and Gorgons

1 x Montipora delicatula (green)
1 x Montipora hodgsoni (orange/red)
1 x Seriatopora caliendrum (Neongreen)
1 x Acropora nana (light blue)
1 x Tubinaria mesenterina
1 x Tubastrea faulkneri
1 x Euphyllia paraancora (pale greenish branching anchor coral)
1 x Euphyllia glabrescens (Goldtipped Torch Coral)
2 x Caulastrea curvata (Trumpet Coral)
1 x Blastomussa merleti (Merlet's Pineapple Coral)
1 x Clavularia viridis (Green Star Polyp)
1 x Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata (Gorgonia)



Softcorals

1 x Capnella imbricata (Kenya Tree Coral)
1 x Gladiella sp. (Blushing Coral)
1 x Lobophytum sp. (Finger Leather)
1 x Sarcophyton sp. (Leather Coral)
1 x Sinularia dura (Flower Leather)
1 x Sinularia flexibilis (Polyp Soft Coral)
1 x Xenia umbellata (White Pulse Coral)






Anemones

3 x Entacmaea quadricolor (Bulb-entacle sea anemone)
1 x Actinia equina (Beadlet Anemone)
6 x Ricordea spp. (Ricordia Mushroom "green")
7 x Ricordea florida (Ricordia florida)
4 x Discosoma spp. (Mushroom "dark red")
div.Protopalythoa spp. (red/green)



Invertebrates

30 x Clibanarius sp. (Hermit crab)
2 x Lysmata amboinensis (Cleaner Shrimp)
1 x Linckia laevigata (Blue Starfish)
2 x Salmacis sphaeroides (Green Sea Urchin)

I would like to say thank you for giving me this opportunity to share my tank and experiences with you. Let me say in german “ Ich wünsche Euch allen, immer einen “salzigen” Daumen!” , I always wish you a “salty” thumb.

Heinz

[kinghokus420]

very nice indeed!!

[cheeks69]

Looking great Heinz !
The Boxfish does it touch any of the sessile/motile inverts ?

[hma]

Originally Posted by cheeks69

Looking great Heinz !
The Boxfish does it touch any of the sessile/motile inverts ?

...I never saw that the last years Robert

[boozeman]

very nice reef ...and a great start to a thread

[hma]

Hi together....

some new pic's from my reef:

[blue_eyes53813]

Tank and livestock looks great. I love midas blennies.. They are so personable

[jrf1175]

Looks very nice, love your livestock selection. I'm jealous (-;

[Dentoid]

BEAUTIFUL! The clarity in those pictures is outstanding! I felt like I could just reach into my computer screen and touch your reef. Very nice indeed!

[ScubaDrew]

Amazing!

I wish I could get photos like that...

Also, your yellow box fish is great, thought I might have found my first fish. It appears they are venomous and could wipe out a tank if they die so I think I'll hold off on that one!

[caitrina]

Originally Posted by Dentoid

BEAUTIFUL! The clarity in those pictures is outstanding! I felt like I could just reach into my computer screen and touch your reef. Very nice indeed!

Just so you put your gloves on Scott...lol

Heinz, I havent seen one of those little box fish since sometime in the 90's and I remember that was one of the fish that really made me decide that one day I was going to have a SW tank. They are so cute the way they kind of bob around. Really really nice pictures....

[hma]

@caitrina
the yellow boxfish is my absolute favorite in this tank which I bought in 04 only whole 0.8” (2cm). he was so small and fragile, I had always fear the others in this tank fight or snap at him. from the first day on I had to feed him by hand, he was simply too slow and it remained until today. he is slowly however constantly grew , today he is 4”.

@drew
yepp, this small fry is venomed, but ….the longer he in the tank, the more leaves the poisonous effect. however it is a risk. But… I have a further poisonous fish in this tank, my small Toby (Canthigaster papua)…. By the way, I feed him also by hand.

@scott
unfortunately i cannot tell you why the pictures are so clear. Perhaps it is the water, or maybe the camera (LUMIX DMC 20)? I “click” only, in the proper moment.

[AQTCJAK]

I really enjoy your pictures. They reef you have is about as close as I have seen fish wise to the wild. Well minus the sharks & eels of course

[hma]

Many thank Jack! Like that it was also planned, as near to nature as possible.

[bluespotjawfish]

HMA your tank is lovely. I felt like I was right there watching it in the water with them!