The 14 day Upgrade to a 280g Starfire Reef tank

After almost 7 years in the hobby, I upgraded to a huge tank. About 3 years ago, I announced that my 29g reef was full, and that I was content. Many online friends accused me of sacriledge, telling me that I had to upgrade. I resisted the temptation for a while, knowing that expenses would rise in the process. A 55g set up fell into my lap a few months later, and while I enjoyed that extra tank, ideas were running through my head about an L-shaped tank that wrapped around a corner so it could be viewed from the living room and kitchen. Talking about that tank for over one and a half years, it never came to fruition. Suddenly a 280g reef set-up became available in my area and I decided it was time to take the plunge.

August 2007

The livestock and live rock from both the 29g and 55g were transplanted into the larger tank after it was installed and ready - my goal was 14 days. The diary of these events can be read here Days 1 - 7 and Days 8 - 14 (these are large downloads). On Reef Central, I maintain a diary with images and answer questions as they occur. The thread started in August 2004 is currently over 440 pages long and growing. On my site, my personal log is updated with interesting topics when they occur so as to avoid being boring. Hopefully these various links will help keep you up to date with the latest. :)


Equipment:
Return pump - Little Giant (spec sheet)
Euro-Reef 12-2 Protein Skimmer, using (2) Sedra 5000 pumps
LifeReef Calcium Reactor
Milwaukee pH Controller & Regulator w/ solenoid
3 VorTech pumps
150g Sump & Refugium, self-built
3 x American DJ PC100/A Power Stations
Aqua Controller II regulates the tank's needs
Phosban Reactor with ROWAphos to lower phosphates
Phosban Reactor with Carbon, changed weekly

Lighting:
2 x 250w Electronic IceCap Metal Halide ballasts (10,000K Reeflux)
1 x 400w Magnetic Metal Halide ballast
(20,000KRadium bulb)
3 LuminBrite large reflectors

2 x 160w URI Actinic VHO with IceCap 660 ballast
3 x 19w 5100K Floodlight (refugium)

Tank:
280g Starfire Glass tank - 72" x 30" x 30"
1/2" thick glass
Dual Overflows in rear corners - 1.5" drains, 1" returns
Euro-braced around edges - no center brace
Drilled for closed loop - unused

Construction:
Tank is in-wall, viewable from front and side.
The platform was built to support the tank using 2x6s and 2x4s.
3/4" sheet of rigid foam between the tank and plywood-topped platform.
Fish room is 8' x 7', cooled via 8000BTU A/C unit.
3 x 20amp circuits are used to distribute the load.

Water:
RO/DI water - 100gpd 5 stage unit
Red Sea Pro Reef Salt
Top-off with RO/DI, 5g per day.
Calcium and Alkalinity provided by Calcium Reactor
55g water change monthly.

Feeding:
1/4 cup thawed frozen mixture (home made) evenings

Cleaning:
Hammerhead Cleaning magnet
Kent metal and plastic scrapers, credit cards, acrylic
Dawn battery-powered Dishwasher Scrubber





Livestock

(updated 05/27/2008)

SPS:
Pink Pocillopora (MACNA 05)
Fuzzy Green Pocillopora
Pavona, green
Psammacora (6 years old)
Orange Montipora digitata
Montipora undata
Sunset Montipora
Orange Montipora capricornis
Purple rim green M. foliosa frag
Acropora rosetta
Acropora micropthalma (Scripps)
Light Blue Tipped Acropora sp.
Tricolor Acropora sp.
Green Slimer (Acropora yongei)
Crayola Acropora (Acropora plana)
Blue Acropora millepora
Purple Acropora millepora
Acropora granulosa
Acropora lokani
Green tabling Acropora sp.
Acropora sp.
Pink tabling Acropora sp.
Acropora sp.
Acropora sp.
Birdsnest colony
Birdsnest frag
Tyree Sunset Monti frag
Tyree Acropora valida
A. millepora - pink
A. millepora - superman
A. millepora - light blue
Blue tipped Acropora sp. staghorn
Blue Acropora tortuosa
Blue Acropora tortuosa
Acropora sp.
Acropora sp.
Acropora yongei - green slimer
Acropora efflorescens
Acropora abrolhosensis frag

LPS:
Frogspawn
Green Hammer Coral
Pink branching Hammer Coral
Sun Coral
Fungia (plate) Coral
Green Candy Cane

Other stony corals :
Platygyra pini
Moon coral
Favia
Purple Favia
Echinophyllia (bright blue)
Echinophyllia (green)
Bubble coral
Blue Ridge coral

Leathers:
Devil's Hand frags
Toadstool Leather (4 years old)
Colt Coral (7 years old - current frag)

Zoanthids:
Bytor Orange Zoanthids
Safecracker Red Zoanthids
Mean Green Zoanthids
Golden Zoanthids
Sundial Zoanthids
Plasma Green Zoanthids (only 2 or 3 polyps)
Burnt Orange Zoanthids
Orange skirt (Jimmies) Zoanthids
Green Ringed Zoanthids
Beige speckled Zoanthids
Green & Orange Center Zoanthids
Palythoa - brownish button polyps

Other soft corals:
Neon-blue Star Polyps
Red mushrooms
Assorted mushroom hitchhikers
Lavendar Frilly mushrooms

31 Fish:
Naso Tang
Purple Tang
Percula Clown (11 yrs old)
Ocellaris Clown (2) (5 yrs old)
Lawnmower Blenny
Six Line Wrasse
Psychedelic Mandarin - female (Nov. 05)
Lyretail Anthias (4 female: 1 male)
Blue Chromis (12)
Yellow Coris Wrasse
Blue Gudgeon Gobies (5)

Inverts:
Bubbletip Anemones (6 yrs old) (4)
Serpent Starfish (2)
Brittle Starfish
Peppermint Shrimp (2)
Astrea snails (20)
Cerith snails (25)
Nassarius snails, large & small
Stomatella (unknown, over 12)
Blue Maxima Clam (5" long)
Gold Maxima Clam
Tigertail Cucumber (4)