Dave Mello's Reef Aquarium


Fabrication of a Downdraft skimmer
 Most recent pictures 01-16-01 Contact
The Main Tank!


Original tank


Current tank aprox 9 months old
There is less than a 9 month span between the two pics; notice club coral in center, the number of fingers has almost doubled. I lost the plate coral a couple of months ago, from what I have heard and read the plate only lasts a year or so. the orange and red sponges I traded for a few frags of the Xenia.(had a hard time keeping sponges). In the current photo you can see the white of eggcrate edge, occasionally I move smaller Bottom rocks to expose edge, in a couple weeks that will be covered in coraline




Hardware

  • 75gal.tank/15gal.DIY sump
  • 4gal.DIY skimmer
  • DIY hood 20,000/10,000/50-50/actinic blue
  • 1 intake fan 1 exhaust fan
  • 300gal hr turnover
A view of the hardware
.

This is the sump before modifications, added dividers, went to a larger return pump, eliminated green bin; you can see kalkwasser drip bucket next to sump




Livestock

  • 1 yellow tang
  • 1 brown tang
  • 2 clowns
  • 1 yellow tail damsel
  • 1 cleaner wrasse
  • 3 green chromis
  • 1 brittle star
  • red/blue leg crabs/various snails
  • plate coral
  • hammer coral
  • branch sponge
  • ball sponge
  • 3 feather dusters
  • 70lbs fiji rock
  • green emerald crab
  • 6 anemones
  • cleaner shrimp/ peppermint back shrimp
Left side of the tank


These pics were taken a week or two after the transition to the eggcrate, I had a hard time finding black crate, and I was a little leery of the white, but as you can see in the next page the rock covers most and coraline Covers everything else. I can't wait to see what will be growing in the next 9 months!




Additives- Details

  • kalkwasser,Iodine,strontium
  • Evaporation- 3/4-1 gal day
  • Water changes  30-35 gal. monthly
  • TWP - D.I. water
  • D.I.Y airstones 4"x3"x12" basswood cut=40+ 1"x1"x3" stones drilled  with 3/16 holes($9.00)
  • D.I.Y skimmer 1/4" plex 8"x8"x40" 4 airstones, approx. 200 gal.hr. CC








Complete Tank with canopy



Tank center     Tank Right     Brown Tang     Clown Fish     Brittle star - cleaner      Behind the scenes... DIY