robchuck
Active Member
For reasons discussed towards the end of this thread, I recently have been tearing down my 300g reef to convert it into a FW planted tank. I could never give up reefkeeping cold turkey, so I managed to find a way over the past few weeks to get my old 65g tank set back up as a reef.
All of the livestock in this "new" tank came out of the 300g (there's still TONS in there; AW2 will be picking it up soon, plus I couldn't net any of the fish that I'm moving over). And alot of the equipment was either from my stockpile or aquired through trades with local reefers.
I wanted to keep this tank very simple, so I decided to set it up without a sump. This decision made it difficult to choose equipment, but luckily I had a pair of Tunze Stream 6060 pumps laying around to provide circulation and found a Deltec MCE600 HOB skimmer at a great price. After setting the tank up, I found that both Tunzes running together were too much, and that one 6060 by itself provides about the perfect amount of flow throughout the tank.
Lighting was easy, as I simply moved my SLS 2x250W HQI MH setup w/ Phoenix 14,000K lamps over from the 300g. These are suspended from a rig I made and are hidden behind removable bamboo panels.
Ca/Alk are handled by a topoff system that starts via a Life Reef floatswitch that I've had in storage for 3 years, RO/DI gets pumped via an old peristaltic pump, and then passes through a MRC Nilsen Reactor.
I did make one splurge after IMAC this past weekend however. After seeing the Lighthouse Controller at the Premium Aquatics booth (a nice discount helped in the decision!), I decided that it would a good investment for the tank (and a cool toy!). I've got it running the HQI lights, heater, pH (in case the topoff goes nuts and tries adding too much kalkwasser), and also have it set up to cut off the MH lights if the tank's temp gets too high. It also measures and logs the tank's temp, pH, ORP, and even has a built-in webserver that will allow me to see graphs and such through the internet once I get it networked!
As it stands, the tank has about 60 lbs or so of LR right now on top of a 1-2" sandbed. I moved some zoanthids, a few mushrooms, and a few other large pieces from the 300g, along with several frags and other small corals that I've had growing in a frag tank. Two of my six LTA anemones also made the trip. I also planted several tufts of Halimeda throughout the tank. My Colt has been one of my favorite corals, but dominates most of the left side of the tank, so I'm not sure if it will stay or go.
Eventually, I'll also move the Multicolor Angel, Royal Gramma, pair of Neon Gobies, and pair of Clowns (once I can catch them all!).
Enough about the tank, how about some pics!
Here is what the 65g looked like when I last had it set up in the Summer of '04:
All of the livestock in this "new" tank came out of the 300g (there's still TONS in there; AW2 will be picking it up soon, plus I couldn't net any of the fish that I'm moving over). And alot of the equipment was either from my stockpile or aquired through trades with local reefers.
I wanted to keep this tank very simple, so I decided to set it up without a sump. This decision made it difficult to choose equipment, but luckily I had a pair of Tunze Stream 6060 pumps laying around to provide circulation and found a Deltec MCE600 HOB skimmer at a great price. After setting the tank up, I found that both Tunzes running together were too much, and that one 6060 by itself provides about the perfect amount of flow throughout the tank.
Lighting was easy, as I simply moved my SLS 2x250W HQI MH setup w/ Phoenix 14,000K lamps over from the 300g. These are suspended from a rig I made and are hidden behind removable bamboo panels.
Ca/Alk are handled by a topoff system that starts via a Life Reef floatswitch that I've had in storage for 3 years, RO/DI gets pumped via an old peristaltic pump, and then passes through a MRC Nilsen Reactor.
I did make one splurge after IMAC this past weekend however. After seeing the Lighthouse Controller at the Premium Aquatics booth (a nice discount helped in the decision!), I decided that it would a good investment for the tank (and a cool toy!). I've got it running the HQI lights, heater, pH (in case the topoff goes nuts and tries adding too much kalkwasser), and also have it set up to cut off the MH lights if the tank's temp gets too high. It also measures and logs the tank's temp, pH, ORP, and even has a built-in webserver that will allow me to see graphs and such through the internet once I get it networked!
As it stands, the tank has about 60 lbs or so of LR right now on top of a 1-2" sandbed. I moved some zoanthids, a few mushrooms, and a few other large pieces from the 300g, along with several frags and other small corals that I've had growing in a frag tank. Two of my six LTA anemones also made the trip. I also planted several tufts of Halimeda throughout the tank. My Colt has been one of my favorite corals, but dominates most of the left side of the tank, so I'm not sure if it will stay or go.
Eventually, I'll also move the Multicolor Angel, Royal Gramma, pair of Neon Gobies, and pair of Clowns (once I can catch them all!).
Enough about the tank, how about some pics!
Here is what the 65g looked like when I last had it set up in the Summer of '04:
