Setting Up a New Reef Aquarium - How I Did It!
By Jason Kim
Jason is the founder of AquaC. Inc.
From his web site www.proteinskimmer.com
Aquarticles
This week I am going to discuss some of the interesting events going on in one of my
very own reef tanks. For those of you who are new to the hobby and are considering setting
up a well-balanced aquarium, you may find this information useful. I recently decided to
set-up a smaller sized tank which would primarily house small polyped stony corals such as
species of the Acropora, Pocillopora, and Montipora genera.
These quick-growing corals are well suited for so called "micro" reefs for a
number of reasons...
First of all, smaller tanks are much easier to illuminate. High intensity lighting, a
must for SPS corals, is extremely costly. Small tanks, which are reduced in length and
shorter in height, require less sophisticated lighting set-ups. Since the
photosynthetically active wavelengths of light are greatly attenuated with increasing
water depth, lower-wattage bulbs can produce the same affect in a short tank that higher
intensity ones might provide in a larger aquarium. Your electricity bill won't skyrocket
nearly as high, and, when that time inevitably rolls around, bulb replacement should not
bring tears to your eyes. Smaller tanks can also make do with some of the miniature
versions of the ultra-efficient protein skimmers on the market, and will require less live
rock.
Another benefit of small tanks is circulation.The water movement over a natural coral
reef is strong! Tidal surge, currents, and turbulence make for extremely powerful water
flow. This wave action cleanses corals of sediment, mucus, and debris, and serves as a
transport for scarce nutrients and oxygen. Without a doubt, the importance of water
flow/circulation is one thing that all but the most advanced aquarists realize. In a small
tank, the strong laminar (flow in one direction, or along a single vector) flow produced
by powerheads can be easily manipulated into healthy turbulence. By aiming a few
strategically placed powerheads directly at each other, you can fill every nook and cranny
of the tank with exceptional water motion.
The benefit of this turbulence is far reaching - coral health should increase, detritus
will remain in suspension to be filtered/skimmed (no more "dead spots"), and
algae growth could very well decline.
It's often difficult to achieve good water motion in larger tanks since numerous
powerheads or more sophisticated apparatus must be used from a variety of angles. So those
are a few reasons why a small tank might appeal to you. Here are some of the details on my
set-up, which I am proud to say, is already home to two small SPS fragments. This tank is
less than three weeks old and already I am very happy with it. For those of you who are
interested in a small, relatively inexpensive, and fairly maintenance-free reef tank, give
this a try!
Materials
26 gallon flat back hex acrylic tank
Unfinished pine stand and canopy
2 x 96 watt power compact retrofit lighting system
45 pounds Fiji and Tonga live rock
80 pounds aragonite sand (mixture of fine oolith and medium grade sizes)
DIY sump
Prototype air-induction protein skimmer
Some might wonder why I chose power compact lighting. To those I pose the question,
"does money grow on trees??" As a thin-walleted owner of a metal halide set-up
on a larger tank, I didn't see the need to dive further into the realm of bankruptcy and
spring for another HID luminaire. I did want to see, firsthand, just how good these power
compact bulbs are, and whether or not they could keep the most light-loving species of
Acropora alive. Another factor, besides money, was heat.
One drawback to small tanks is that heat is much harder to manage.
I knew that a metal halide system would warm the water dramatically. The heat from
power compacts can be offset by a couple of reliable and inexpensive fans. First, I
finished my stand and canopy with regular water based primer/paint from Home Base. I then
drilled a 1" hole in the tank with my cheap, handy Dremel motor tool and installed a
1" bulkhead fitting. This hole serves as the overflow. I got my hands on a
polyethylene storage container from a local shop for about $20 and converted it into a
sump. This container is transparent and holds approximately 30 gallons of water, so my
sump actually contains more water than the main tank. Inside the sump, I built a standard
Jaubert-style plenum (1.5" high) and placed a 3" layer of the sand mix over
this. I also constructed a prototype protein skimmer which sits in the sump on a few
stilts. This skimmer is unlike any other design currently available, and it works so well
I am considering getting it patented and selling it to the public. That is, of course, a
whole other story.
The sump also contains two submersible pumps - one which powers the skimmer, the other
which serves as the tank return. Those who are keen and hate water leaks/spills should
have noted by now that I have minimized any potential for leaks by limiting all external
plumbing. I placed about 10 pounds of live rock in the sump to aid in sand cultivation,
and arranged the remaining rock in a very open scaffold-type structure inside the main
tank. Water circulation is accomplished through the use of three submersible powerheads
(flowrated at approx. 200 gallons/hour) plus the main sump return (approx. 300
gallons/hour). Water movement is very strong and turbulent. These pumps do turn off
intermittently throughout the day to simulate periods of "calm." Once again, I
saved plenty of cash by purchasing inexpensive appliance timers from Home Base rather than
those sophisticated wave-making devices. Will my corals know the difference? Maybe, but I
doubt it. There is a 1" thick layer of fine grade sand on the bottom of the tank,
mainly for asthetics. The power compacts are mounted 4" from the water's surface, and
cooled by a computer fan I purchased at RadioShack. There is no cover between the lights
and the water surface. This aids in evaporative cooling and prevents the light's intensity
from being attenuated before it hits the water. Despite all the heat-producing pumps and
bulbs, I am very happy to report that the water temperature remains at a constant 78
degrees Farenheit.
Through the proper use of fans (evaporative cooling), you can usually drop a tank's
temperature by a good 5 degrees. Fans are great!
As I mentioned before, I acquired several fragments of two different species of Acropora
from the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, where I volunteer. The generosity of the senior
aquarist, Fernando Nostrapour is unparalleled. These fragments came from two very healthy
and successful mother colonies which are over two feet in diameter. We recently clipped
them back since their rapid growth shaded some of the smaller corals lower in the tank.
These mother colonies are illuminated by several 250 watt 6,500 K halides. One species
possesses bright purple tips and the other is a furry emerald green. I am curious to see
if their colors change under the less intense power compacts. These week-old fragments are
already beginning to show signs of encrusting growth at their epoxy-covered bases, but
polyp extention is not as impressive as in the mother colonies. I believe that this is a
temporary effect due to the change in light intensity.
That is all for now, but I will be certain to keep you updated on the growth and health
of these organisms.
***
(Note: This article is actually about a year old, and was originally published
elsewhere. I've had great success with this tank and all the SPS species have shown
considerable growth during the last year. Several Acropora fragments have
increased in branch size by as much as six inches!)
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