Reef Discussion Tinkerman's tank

Intro
My name is Lyle and I have a 125 gal tank. I live in Moorhead, MN.

About me
I started with oscars and such in a 75 about 18 yrs ago. I did famaliy fish and planted fresh water tanks for 4 yrs and am now into reef tanks for the last 3 yrs.

A little history on the tank
I have made some mistakes since the tank was first started, I'll list some of them. I started with a hob overflow box, this didn't last long about 3 mo. Didn't dip and quarentine, ended up tearing the tank down and acid wash, bleach and recycle the rock. Figureed while I did that might as well redo the overflow and added the external overflow box and made a new stand as the old one was too short.

Filtration
I run a beananimal over flow system, 3x 1in pipes,with internal/external overflow box.
Sump is a 33 gal long tank.
Skimmer is a reef octopus sro xp2000
I run a filter sock
BRS gfo reacter with maxijet 1200
Frag tank section
Quiet one 4000 return pump
Flow consists of 2x Koralia magnum 6's, and 2 mp10's
2x BRS 2 part dosing pumps for ca and alk




Other equipment
Lighting is 3x lumenbright mini reflecters
reeflex hqi ballasts
250 watt Radium bulbs
6 9 bulb blue led strips for a car for night lighting
Frag tank light is a rapidled 12 bulb retro 8 royal blue and 4 white
I run a reef keeper lite for a controller



I use instant oceans reef crystal salt mix. Have a 5 stage ro/di unit.
Parameters are
sg 1.026
nitrate 0.02(salifert)
Phosphate 0.03(hana pocket checker)
ca 460-470(salifert)
alk 9.6 dkh(salifert)
mag 1380(salifert)
Nitrite 0
Amonia 0
PH dont test

I have these fish 1 Desjardini sailfin tang, coperbanded butterfly, Melanurus Wrasse, manderain goby, 1 Maldives Lyretail Anthias, 2 pink skunk clownfish, 2 chaulk bass, and a yellowheaded goby.
































I would like to work to get better color and growth out of the corals. Please feel fre to post suggestions, comments, or ask any questions.

Lookin good!

What is that fuzzy SPS on the right side of the tank? It looks cool with the growth pattern on it.

Regarding coloration, what bulbs are you using and when were they changed out last? Also have you seen any color changes under the LEDs on your frag rack? It would be interesting to see if the colors were different on the rack with the LEDs.

Curtis not sure which coral you are talking about but I think the one you are asking about is the 19th pic? If so it is a cats paw I think. The bulbs are radium 250 watt se and were changed about 2 mo ago. The leds were on a 10 gal until recently and I have had problems with bleaching and killing corals until I put them over the frag section. They don't dim so have been playing with hieght and photo period. I have a tri color down there that was in the main tank that has been bleached for some time and wanted to see if the led's would get it to color back up. My brother has some corals I am holding for him and one is a tri color and his colored up in 2 weeks in the main tank, so I am hoping that the led's work but not holding my breath.

Wow not much chatter. Any suggestions or recommendations, it pretty hard to hurt my feelings. I have a bit of an aptasia problem and have been using kalk paste and added a copperband butterfly hoping it will help.

Forums have been pretty quiet lately. Not too much chatter anywhere really. I think people are taking advantage of the delayed freezing weather. Once the white stuff flies the forums will get active again.

I like the tank and how the corals are growing well. What you are doing seems to be working so that's good.

One note, Copperband Butterflies "can" eat aiptasia, but they are a shot in the dark with the aquarium hobby. Unfortunately they are hard to get onto frozen food and once they eat frozen they usually leave the aiptasias alone. I would like to get one, but because I think they look really cool. I have no aiptasia for it to eat so no help there...lol.

Tank looks nice and clean! Growth will come, I know it about drives you crazy to buy a bunch of corals that do nothing for months but seems like they take off eventually. Aiptasia, battling it myself, never had a problem with it over the years but now it's spreading and seems like the same few I just cannot manage to kill no matter what.

Paste the heck out of them and let the paste stick on it for a few days. They will go away, assuming you can reach them.

looks pretty.

Well the copperband eat in the store have yet to see it eat here but there are quite a few aptasia missing. I paste the tank every week never mess with the paste. They always seem to come back in the same spots. The rock work is pretty easy to take apart and get together pretty easy to get to the ones on the back of the rocks. Anyone have any constructive critisium? Corals they think should be placed differently rocks that look funny,ect....

Behrgia i always spell it wrong but they work great for apstatia ! The only thing i see with your parameters is calcium could come down a bit to like 433 and alk could come up to 10.2 since your mag I's at 1380 it would put you on a nice level plain balanced if ya will ! Otherwise stuff looks good ! Thanks 4 the pics and sharing !

I like the layout a lot Lyle. I can't see any corals I would move up or down or anything either but the pis are a bit small so I can't always tell what I'm looking at. Actually, when I look at the pics, it makes me think it's time to come pay you a visit and see it up close and personal!

OH wait....duh. I just realized I can click on them and get a bigger version of the pic.

I usually aim for 440 on my calcium. (Reminds me, I should test...haven't for a while.)

What's your maintenance schedule? W/C's? filter sock cleaning? etc.

I have a few aptasia too and same thing happens to me. I paste them and they pop up right next to the paste. I got a couple of peps in there but they don't seem to have an appetite for the pests.

I remember when I wanted my corals to grow. Now, I want them to STOP! I think your color looks like it's coming around. It may just take a bit after switching the bulbs and adjusting them?

Bam Bams I have thought about the nudi's but never see them in town and don't order live stuff online yet. The parms are just staigh IO reef crystals don't add anything to it before adding it to the tank. Cammie you made me laugh with that one. If anyone wants to stop by and check the tank out they are more than welcome to just let me know. I have tried the peps a couple times and the chalk bass keep eating them. WC's very but weekly seemed to do best and think I will be getting that going again. They tend to be weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Filter socks start over flowing around the 4 day mark and get changed out then. Skimmer gets cleaned weekly. GFO was getting changed weekly then went to every other after I got the pocket checker and I have started feeding heavier so I will have to go back to changing it weekly again. Thanks for all the great feed back.

The parameters aren't really off. I keep mine at 460 ca, 10 alk, 1450 Mag. With the higher mag I can safely overdose alk to 11 or 12. I have seen very successful tanks at 500 Ca as well.

Lately I have been bad at water changes, GFO/Carbon, Skimmer cleaning, etc. Been better at dosing, but really need to get the others changed again. It does make a difference.

Cammie, I'll have room for more frags soon, so happy fragging