stickx911
04-09-2009, 6:16 PM
April 2009 TOTM : Bob Z.
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/2541/bobz210g1.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:void%280%29;)
After too much delay the Atlanta Reef Club's own TOTM committee is happy to present Bob Z with this month’s Tank of the month.
While his pairs tank is the tank that won, we thought we would do a full profile on his setup and system as it is really cool!
Introduction
A bit about you as the hobbyist
I got started keeping saltwater tanks back in the early 1980’s after having kept and raised freshwater fish growing up as a kid in New York. My first SW tank was a 70 gallon tank with crushed coral, under gravel filtration and an Eheim canister filter. It was state of the art at that time! After I relocated to Atlanta in the mid 80’s, the tanks came down and it was another 20 years before I got back in to the hobby. My current passion is trying to breed marine fish. After being back in the hobby for a couple of years, a pair of my Bangaii Cardinals spawned in one of my display tanks. That was all it took for me to get hooked, and I’ve spent the past year converting my set up to be able to spawn and raise some of my fish.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZ210g2.jpg
About this same time, I had the pleasure of meeting and talking to Matt Wittenrich and John Lauth (Baboon Science) at MACNA XX in Atlanta. Seeing Matt’s tank raised mandarins, the juvenile Marine Bettas, clowns and cardnals at the MOFIB booth was enthralling! The conversation with Matt and John inspired me to continue with my plans to try and raise saltwater fish. Matt’s book, “The Complete Illustrated Breeder’s Guide to Marine Aquarium Fishes” was especially influential in how I configured my system to support this aspect of my addiction. I highly recommend his book to any one interested in getting started.
I was quite surprised when my system was selected for the ToTM honors this month. My system is very much a work in progress and has been constantly adapting to meet the changing needs of the breeding challenges. I truly appreciate the committee’s recognition of my breeding efforts and I look forward to passing on my passion and inspiration to others interested in this aspect of our hobby.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZ210g3.jpg
Overview
My current 210 Gallon display tank was an upgrade and combination of several smaller reef tanks that had been running for a few years. The majority of the display came from my 70 Gallon Reef tank. The 210 G tank came from another ARC reefer, Scott Rogers, who had to take the tank down. The build for this system began in March of 2008. There was a lot of work to do to clean and get the tank ready for filling. After several months, the tank was ready to start moving the livestock from my other tanks to the new reef. Over a series of weeks, I moved the contents of the smaller systems in to the larger system and took down those tanks. About six months ago, I combined my breeding tanks with the main display system and sump, which increased the total volume in the system to close to 400 gallons.
In addition to the main display and the breeding / grow out tanks, I also maintain my “pairs” tank. This is a 70 Gallon RR tank that supports many of my paired breeding fish. The tank is a soft coral reef tank which contains breeding pairs of Bangaii Cardinals, Tail Spot Blennies, Yashia Shrimp Gobies, Threadfin Cardinals, Ocellaris Clownfish, Yellow Rose Shrimp Gobies, Yellow Clown Gobies and Green Mandarins (not yet spawning but a pair!).
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZ210g4.jpg
I have a small nano tank that is plumbed in to the system, that houses my pair of Flaming Prawn Gobies and five extremely cute Sexy Anenome Shrimp!
My larva tanks include a series of 2.5 Gallon tanks and “goldfish” bowls which I use to grow out the larva to the point that they go through meta and grow to the point that they can safely be moved to the main system.
I also maintain quite a few rotifer grow out vessels, which provide a constant supply of food for the larva in the beginning stages of life.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZ210g5.jpg
System Profile
My main system, which consists of the 210 display tank and the broodstock and juvenile grow out tanks, has a total capacity of more than 400 gallons. The display tank is 6’X24”X30” and has a DIY stand and canopy. The main display is the 210 Gallon glass reef ready tank with dual overflows. The sump is a DIY converted 55 Gallon glass tank with and external Blueline return pump. There is also a gravity fed 55 Gallon refugium with several macro algaes that is on a reverse lighting schedule. Also plumbed to the main system are the breeding tanks which consist of a series of 10 Gallon brood stock tanks, and a 25 Gallon grow out tank. The system is configured to be able to add or remove tanks, as well as expand to a second level of breeding or grow out tanks as the need dictates
The water from the display overflows is split below the tank and a portion is fed to the refugium and the remaining flow of water is to the sump. The refugium is then gravity fed to the sump, before returning to the tanks through an external return pump that supplies water back to the 210 and to all the brood stock and grow out tanks. The Brood stock and juvenile growout tanks are a series of four 10 gallon and a 25 gallon tank that are plumbed in to the same sump, and fed through the same return pump. I have the ability to expand both the return plumbing and the overflow drain to a second level of tanks when I need to expand this part of the system.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank1.jpg
The lighting on my display tank is a combination of Metal Halide (MH) and VHO lighting that is DIY and built in to the canopy. The MH lighting is comprised of a dual 250W magnetic ballast and a single 250W electronic ballast. I am currently using a combination of bulbs comprised of the ReefLux 10000K, ReefFlux 120000K and the South Pacific Sunlight Blue Life 20000K SE bulbs. The VHO lighting is two 54W UV Super Actinic bulbs which adds additional blue to the system. I also have a set of moon lights that provide the 24 hour lighting cycle for the display.
The system is monitored with a Digital Aquatics Reef Keeper Elite system, which monitors pH, ORP and temperature. The system also controls the MH lighting, moon lighting, the refugiium lighting and the power heads in the display. The RKE is configured to set off alarms if the temperature exceeds my thresholds and to cycle down the MH lighting and turn off the heating elements to help reduce the heat load on the display. My system is also backed up by two portable UPS units which will provide uninterrupted power to provide up to one hour of continuous power to the return pump and several other critical components, in the event of short power interruption.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank2.jpg
The system is also supported by the following equipment;
MRC 3R Recirc Skimmer – this thing rocks!
Vortech MP40W powerheads, two in anti-synch Lagoon mode with battery backup
UPS Battery backup to support the return pump and skimmer pumps
Koralia Powerheads for circulation in the brood stock & growth tanks
Finnex titanium heaters with external digital controller
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank3.jpg
More in depth sections
I maintain my display tank and the brood and growth tanks on a 14 hour lighting cycle for day lights. The MH on the display tank cycle on for eight hours during the day cycle. To complete the full 24 hour light cycle, I use the moon lights on the display and the breeding tanks. I run the lighting on the refugium on a reverse cycle from the display system so the ten hours that the display tank is on moon lighting, I cycle the lights up on the the refugium.
The filtration on the system is primarily accomplished with the more than 250 pounds of live rock in the display and refugium. The MRC Skimmer removed dissolved wastes and I use filter socks in the sump to remove solid waste. I also augment the filtration in the brood stock tanks with HOB filters equipped with filter pads to help remove some of the excess food and waste being produced in those tanks.
The temperature in the fish room typically remains fairly constant so I have not yet added a chiller to the configuration but I may look in to adding one in the future.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank4.jpg
Livestock
My display tank is stocked predominately by soft corals and LPS. Some of the nicer pieces in the collection are:
LPS
Euphyllia paradivisa – Frogspawn
Euphyllia ancora – Hammer
Tubinaria sp. – Pagoda
Favites sp. – Brain corals
Fungia sp. – Green Plate Coral
Scolymia sp. – Doughnut Coral
Caulastrea furcata – Candy Cane
Leathers
Sinularia sp – Cabbage Leather
Sinularia sp – Green Finger Leather
Sarcophyton sp. – Toadstool Leathers
Cladiella sp . – Colt Corals
Lobophytum sp. – Devil’s Hand Leather
Eunicea sp. – Purple Gorgonian
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank5.jpg
SPS
Montipora sp. – several varieties
Seriatopora sp. – Birdsnest
Pavona sp. – green encrusting & cactus
Echinophylllia – Green Chalice & Yellow-eyed Chalice
Acanthastrea sp. – assorted acans
Assorted Zoanthus & Protopalythoa:
Eagle Eye, Lord of the Rings, Cherry Garcia, Grateful Dead, Night Crawler, Tomato Reds, Armor of God, Green Dragon Eyes, Fire and Ice, Purple Death, Mint Chocolate Chip, Pinks.
Assorted Mushrooms and Ricordea
The system is heavily stocked with community fish including;
Blue Regal Tang
Chevron Tang
Yellow Tang,
One Spot Foxface
Dwarf Flame Angelfish (2) paired
Blue-green Chromis (6)
Yellow Coris Wrasse (2)
Six-line Wrasse
Yellow Watchman Goby
Yellow-tailed Blenny
Wheeler’s Shrimp Goby
Smith’s Blenny
Royal Gramma
Orchid Dottyback (2) not paired yet!
Neon Dottyback
Lawnmower Blenny
Bangaii Cardinalfish (2) paired
Pajama Cardinalfish (2) paired
Ocellaris Clownfish (2) paired
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank6.jpg
The brood stock tanks contain:
ORA Flame Clownfish (2) paired with Sebae Anenome
ORA Pink Skunk Clownfish (2) paired
Tomato Clownfish (2) paired (tank raised from another ARC member)
Twin-spot Gobies (2) paired
Golden Coral Banded Shrimp (2) paired
The juvenile growout tanks include:
Ocellaris Clownfish juveniles (18)
Bangaii Cardinalfish juveniles (43)
Some of the inverts in the systems:
Long Tentacled Anenome
Purple and White Tube Anenomes
Long-spined Urchin
Caribbean Pistol Shrimp
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (4)
Coral Banded Shrimp
Astrea Snails
Nassarius Snalis
Blue-legged Hermit Crabs
Red-legged Hermit Crabs
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank7.jpg
My “Pairs” 70G tanks contains:
Bangaii Cardinals (2) paired
Ocellaris Clownfish (2) paired
Green Mandarin (2) paired
Yashia “White Ray” Shrimp Goby (2) paired and Pistol Shrimp
Yellow Rose Shrimp Goby (4) paired and (3) Candy Cane pistol shrimps
Twin Spot Blenny (2) paired
Yellow Clown Gobies (2) paired
Thread-fin Cardinalfish (3) trio-paired
Scooter Blenny
Rainsford Goby
Twin-spot Goby
Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp (4)
Peppermint Shrimp (3)
Long-spined Urchin
Feather Duster
Coco Worm – headless
Feeding and Additives
Since I am trying to condition many of my fish to spawn, I feed a wide variety of foods over the course of a day. The majority of my fish get Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef flakes, Ocean Nutrition Formula One & Two pellets, Spectrum Pellets, Frozen PE Mysis, Rod’s Food, Cyclopeeze, Frozen Enriched Brine Shrimp, Frozen Emerald Nutrition, Nori Sheets. I also feed adult enriched live Brine Shrimp as a treat several time a week. The brood stock pairs are fed three to five times daily. The main display tank usually gets fed twice a day.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank8.jpg
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/2541/bobz210g1.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:void%280%29;)
After too much delay the Atlanta Reef Club's own TOTM committee is happy to present Bob Z with this month’s Tank of the month.
While his pairs tank is the tank that won, we thought we would do a full profile on his setup and system as it is really cool!
Introduction
A bit about you as the hobbyist
I got started keeping saltwater tanks back in the early 1980’s after having kept and raised freshwater fish growing up as a kid in New York. My first SW tank was a 70 gallon tank with crushed coral, under gravel filtration and an Eheim canister filter. It was state of the art at that time! After I relocated to Atlanta in the mid 80’s, the tanks came down and it was another 20 years before I got back in to the hobby. My current passion is trying to breed marine fish. After being back in the hobby for a couple of years, a pair of my Bangaii Cardinals spawned in one of my display tanks. That was all it took for me to get hooked, and I’ve spent the past year converting my set up to be able to spawn and raise some of my fish.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZ210g2.jpg
About this same time, I had the pleasure of meeting and talking to Matt Wittenrich and John Lauth (Baboon Science) at MACNA XX in Atlanta. Seeing Matt’s tank raised mandarins, the juvenile Marine Bettas, clowns and cardnals at the MOFIB booth was enthralling! The conversation with Matt and John inspired me to continue with my plans to try and raise saltwater fish. Matt’s book, “The Complete Illustrated Breeder’s Guide to Marine Aquarium Fishes” was especially influential in how I configured my system to support this aspect of my addiction. I highly recommend his book to any one interested in getting started.
I was quite surprised when my system was selected for the ToTM honors this month. My system is very much a work in progress and has been constantly adapting to meet the changing needs of the breeding challenges. I truly appreciate the committee’s recognition of my breeding efforts and I look forward to passing on my passion and inspiration to others interested in this aspect of our hobby.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZ210g3.jpg
Overview
My current 210 Gallon display tank was an upgrade and combination of several smaller reef tanks that had been running for a few years. The majority of the display came from my 70 Gallon Reef tank. The 210 G tank came from another ARC reefer, Scott Rogers, who had to take the tank down. The build for this system began in March of 2008. There was a lot of work to do to clean and get the tank ready for filling. After several months, the tank was ready to start moving the livestock from my other tanks to the new reef. Over a series of weeks, I moved the contents of the smaller systems in to the larger system and took down those tanks. About six months ago, I combined my breeding tanks with the main display system and sump, which increased the total volume in the system to close to 400 gallons.
In addition to the main display and the breeding / grow out tanks, I also maintain my “pairs” tank. This is a 70 Gallon RR tank that supports many of my paired breeding fish. The tank is a soft coral reef tank which contains breeding pairs of Bangaii Cardinals, Tail Spot Blennies, Yashia Shrimp Gobies, Threadfin Cardinals, Ocellaris Clownfish, Yellow Rose Shrimp Gobies, Yellow Clown Gobies and Green Mandarins (not yet spawning but a pair!).
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZ210g4.jpg
I have a small nano tank that is plumbed in to the system, that houses my pair of Flaming Prawn Gobies and five extremely cute Sexy Anenome Shrimp!
My larva tanks include a series of 2.5 Gallon tanks and “goldfish” bowls which I use to grow out the larva to the point that they go through meta and grow to the point that they can safely be moved to the main system.
I also maintain quite a few rotifer grow out vessels, which provide a constant supply of food for the larva in the beginning stages of life.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZ210g5.jpg
System Profile
My main system, which consists of the 210 display tank and the broodstock and juvenile grow out tanks, has a total capacity of more than 400 gallons. The display tank is 6’X24”X30” and has a DIY stand and canopy. The main display is the 210 Gallon glass reef ready tank with dual overflows. The sump is a DIY converted 55 Gallon glass tank with and external Blueline return pump. There is also a gravity fed 55 Gallon refugium with several macro algaes that is on a reverse lighting schedule. Also plumbed to the main system are the breeding tanks which consist of a series of 10 Gallon brood stock tanks, and a 25 Gallon grow out tank. The system is configured to be able to add or remove tanks, as well as expand to a second level of breeding or grow out tanks as the need dictates
The water from the display overflows is split below the tank and a portion is fed to the refugium and the remaining flow of water is to the sump. The refugium is then gravity fed to the sump, before returning to the tanks through an external return pump that supplies water back to the 210 and to all the brood stock and grow out tanks. The Brood stock and juvenile growout tanks are a series of four 10 gallon and a 25 gallon tank that are plumbed in to the same sump, and fed through the same return pump. I have the ability to expand both the return plumbing and the overflow drain to a second level of tanks when I need to expand this part of the system.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank1.jpg
The lighting on my display tank is a combination of Metal Halide (MH) and VHO lighting that is DIY and built in to the canopy. The MH lighting is comprised of a dual 250W magnetic ballast and a single 250W electronic ballast. I am currently using a combination of bulbs comprised of the ReefLux 10000K, ReefFlux 120000K and the South Pacific Sunlight Blue Life 20000K SE bulbs. The VHO lighting is two 54W UV Super Actinic bulbs which adds additional blue to the system. I also have a set of moon lights that provide the 24 hour lighting cycle for the display.
The system is monitored with a Digital Aquatics Reef Keeper Elite system, which monitors pH, ORP and temperature. The system also controls the MH lighting, moon lighting, the refugiium lighting and the power heads in the display. The RKE is configured to set off alarms if the temperature exceeds my thresholds and to cycle down the MH lighting and turn off the heating elements to help reduce the heat load on the display. My system is also backed up by two portable UPS units which will provide uninterrupted power to provide up to one hour of continuous power to the return pump and several other critical components, in the event of short power interruption.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank2.jpg
The system is also supported by the following equipment;
MRC 3R Recirc Skimmer – this thing rocks!
Vortech MP40W powerheads, two in anti-synch Lagoon mode with battery backup
UPS Battery backup to support the return pump and skimmer pumps
Koralia Powerheads for circulation in the brood stock & growth tanks
Finnex titanium heaters with external digital controller
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank3.jpg
More in depth sections
I maintain my display tank and the brood and growth tanks on a 14 hour lighting cycle for day lights. The MH on the display tank cycle on for eight hours during the day cycle. To complete the full 24 hour light cycle, I use the moon lights on the display and the breeding tanks. I run the lighting on the refugium on a reverse cycle from the display system so the ten hours that the display tank is on moon lighting, I cycle the lights up on the the refugium.
The filtration on the system is primarily accomplished with the more than 250 pounds of live rock in the display and refugium. The MRC Skimmer removed dissolved wastes and I use filter socks in the sump to remove solid waste. I also augment the filtration in the brood stock tanks with HOB filters equipped with filter pads to help remove some of the excess food and waste being produced in those tanks.
The temperature in the fish room typically remains fairly constant so I have not yet added a chiller to the configuration but I may look in to adding one in the future.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank4.jpg
Livestock
My display tank is stocked predominately by soft corals and LPS. Some of the nicer pieces in the collection are:
LPS
Euphyllia paradivisa – Frogspawn
Euphyllia ancora – Hammer
Tubinaria sp. – Pagoda
Favites sp. – Brain corals
Fungia sp. – Green Plate Coral
Scolymia sp. – Doughnut Coral
Caulastrea furcata – Candy Cane
Leathers
Sinularia sp – Cabbage Leather
Sinularia sp – Green Finger Leather
Sarcophyton sp. – Toadstool Leathers
Cladiella sp . – Colt Corals
Lobophytum sp. – Devil’s Hand Leather
Eunicea sp. – Purple Gorgonian
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank5.jpg
SPS
Montipora sp. – several varieties
Seriatopora sp. – Birdsnest
Pavona sp. – green encrusting & cactus
Echinophylllia – Green Chalice & Yellow-eyed Chalice
Acanthastrea sp. – assorted acans
Assorted Zoanthus & Protopalythoa:
Eagle Eye, Lord of the Rings, Cherry Garcia, Grateful Dead, Night Crawler, Tomato Reds, Armor of God, Green Dragon Eyes, Fire and Ice, Purple Death, Mint Chocolate Chip, Pinks.
Assorted Mushrooms and Ricordea
The system is heavily stocked with community fish including;
Blue Regal Tang
Chevron Tang
Yellow Tang,
One Spot Foxface
Dwarf Flame Angelfish (2) paired
Blue-green Chromis (6)
Yellow Coris Wrasse (2)
Six-line Wrasse
Yellow Watchman Goby
Yellow-tailed Blenny
Wheeler’s Shrimp Goby
Smith’s Blenny
Royal Gramma
Orchid Dottyback (2) not paired yet!
Neon Dottyback
Lawnmower Blenny
Bangaii Cardinalfish (2) paired
Pajama Cardinalfish (2) paired
Ocellaris Clownfish (2) paired
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank6.jpg
The brood stock tanks contain:
ORA Flame Clownfish (2) paired with Sebae Anenome
ORA Pink Skunk Clownfish (2) paired
Tomato Clownfish (2) paired (tank raised from another ARC member)
Twin-spot Gobies (2) paired
Golden Coral Banded Shrimp (2) paired
The juvenile growout tanks include:
Ocellaris Clownfish juveniles (18)
Bangaii Cardinalfish juveniles (43)
Some of the inverts in the systems:
Long Tentacled Anenome
Purple and White Tube Anenomes
Long-spined Urchin
Caribbean Pistol Shrimp
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (4)
Coral Banded Shrimp
Astrea Snails
Nassarius Snalis
Blue-legged Hermit Crabs
Red-legged Hermit Crabs
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank7.jpg
My “Pairs” 70G tanks contains:
Bangaii Cardinals (2) paired
Ocellaris Clownfish (2) paired
Green Mandarin (2) paired
Yashia “White Ray” Shrimp Goby (2) paired and Pistol Shrimp
Yellow Rose Shrimp Goby (4) paired and (3) Candy Cane pistol shrimps
Twin Spot Blenny (2) paired
Yellow Clown Gobies (2) paired
Thread-fin Cardinalfish (3) trio-paired
Scooter Blenny
Rainsford Goby
Twin-spot Goby
Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp (4)
Peppermint Shrimp (3)
Long-spined Urchin
Feather Duster
Coco Worm – headless
Feeding and Additives
Since I am trying to condition many of my fish to spawn, I feed a wide variety of foods over the course of a day. The majority of my fish get Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef flakes, Ocean Nutrition Formula One & Two pellets, Spectrum Pellets, Frozen PE Mysis, Rod’s Food, Cyclopeeze, Frozen Enriched Brine Shrimp, Frozen Emerald Nutrition, Nori Sheets. I also feed adult enriched live Brine Shrimp as a treat several time a week. The brood stock pairs are fed three to five times daily. The main display tank usually gets fed twice a day.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk275/jlhand/BOBZ%20ToTM%2022%20Mar%2009/BOBZPairsTank8.jpg