Matt Dean's 125 Gallon Peninsula Mixed Reef

[mattdean]

I posted this in the Intro forum but thought I should post my tank here.

I started with a 46 gallon bow front:

Then upgraded to a 5 X 2 peninsula with a 55 gallon sump. Lighting is an 8-bulb Tek light supplemented by 2 Reefbrite XHO Actinic LEDs. Red Dragon pumps for the return and closed loop. A Vertex Omega 180i skimmer and an MP40 QuietDrive on the end. The3re are no dead spots anywhere in the tank!

Here is the first version of the tank in 2011:

A little 'remodelling' gave me this in 2013:

Here is the other side of the peninsula at that time:

This year, I restarted the tank, as I had some problems with pests - blue clove polyps taking over and cyano (thanks to bio-pellets). All new rock, sand and corals. So this is the tank now, after a few months. Still some SPS to add and let things grow in. I think this is going to be the best version of my tank.

Struggling to get a high quality pic of the tank. Going to keep trying different settings.
Cheers!

 

[reeferkeeper420]

Great looking tank. I like how you have your returns running through the sandbed aswell to have them down that low. Do you have check valves or something on them to stop a syphon during a power outage?

 

[mattdean]

Hey Riley,

Those are the returns for the closed loop. The sump returns are top left.

 

[reeferkeeper420]

Ohh ok sorry musta misread lol.

 

[unibob]

Just the one MP for flow from powerhead? I like the super clean look.


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[mattdean]

Just the one MP for flow from powerhead? I like the super clean look.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

One MP 40 on the end but there is a closed loop with 4 returns. There is a LOT of flow in the tank but it's varied and the corals and fish love it. I really wanted a clean look. And the tank is dead silent.

 

[MrHermit85]

Your tank is freaking awesome! Great job!
I love the anenomes on the left, and pretty much everything else

You don't run any media though?
Did I read incorrectly or did you say that bio pellots caused a cyano problem?

 

[mattdean]

No media! I never had No3 or Po4, but thought I would be proactive and run a 'small' amount of bio pellets so i could feed the tank more. Got cyan right after and could never get rid of it. So, I'm not running anything. Just dosing Ca, Alk and Mag with a doser. I found with a good skimmer and good flow, and decent husbandry, there is no need.

Tha

Your tank is freaking awesome! Great job!
I love the anenomes on the left, and pretty much everything else

You don't run any media though?
Did I read incorrectly or did you say that bio pellots caused a cyano problem?

nk

 

[reefjunkie86]

Matt the tank looks great. Any chance you could explain how to did the restart as I'm thinking I might do the same.

 

[deeznutz]

Always looking good buddy! I think this one looks much cleaner then the previous one. This is what I loved about my old peninsula.

 

[mattdean]

Thanks Deeznuts. I think it's going to be better too. Being more discriminating about the corals I choose and there will be more room for things to grow.

Reefjunkie. I basically sold off all the rock with corals on it and dumped the sand. I kept the rock in my sump in pails with a powerhead, but still had significant die off The fish went into a 200 gallon tub that I was lucky enough to borrow. Before that, i made sure i had everything ready to go, the new rock planned out, etc. Of course I didn't know my skimmer would die, my GHL fan would die and the LED strips would need replacing, so it got more involved and expense than I anticipated.

So, all the water was drained and put into the tub and pails for the fish and rock. new sand and rock in with new water and the old rock in the sump. A week later I had the fish in and no problems with them. I did trade a couple fish and get new ones, but that's it. Have lots of already seeded rock really speeds up the process.

 

[jroovers]

Tank looks great, I love the scape.

So, I'm not running anything. Just dosing Ca, Alk and Mag with a doser. I found with a good skimmer and good flow, and decent husbandry, there is no need.

How long have you been going with this approach? This is what I'm doing with my tank at the moment, so far so good, but only 7 or 8 months in, so a bit too soon to tell.

 

[reefjunkie86]

Perfect thanks for the info.

 

[mattdean]

This method has worked for me for a few years now. As long as you are reasonable with stocking and feeding and stay on top of water changes. I will every now and then put some carbon or gfo in a bag in the sump just to keep everything right.

 

[Kevin Tran]

I have a chance to view this tank in person yesterday and I must say! Very nice clean looking tank. The corals placement, colors are as is or even better in person.

Oh nice guy too

 

[mattdean]

Thanks Kevin! it was good meeting you as well!

I will have an 'open house' in the new year as I have had lots of people ask to see the tank.