aquapetz.com

HI Guys,
I'd like to show you my current mixed reef tank. Tank specs are as following.
Dimensions: 48" x 24" x 18" (LxWxH)
Sump: 20 gallon
Skimmer: Reef Octopus NWB 150
Lighting: LED

Tank turned an year old this 15th of August.
Here are some of the snaps. They are mostly from mobile, will be uploading better pictures in future.
Special thanks to Ashok ji. He is truly a gem of a person and an experienced reef hobbyist. I would say that anyone who wants to have a slice of reef hobby have a word with him for guidance!

Aditya, you are rocking.

I like the tank and your hard work.

thanks Rajiv ji

some more pics

some more snaps...for some reason I'm only able to attach 3 pictures to a post.

Ashokji is always one of Best in India.

Amazing tank you have.

Can you show us a details of expenditure for a start up tank!!!

Thanks Partha.
Honestly, coming from the freshwater planted side to reef can be daunting. The upfront cost would obviously be getting the right equipment. Light has been the biggest expenditure for me followed by the protein skimmer. I already had a chiller running since my planted days as my tank is on the second floor and gets its fare amount of sun. I started with t5ho but quickly realised longterm it would turn out to be expensive as I would have to keep replacing the tubes every year. Actinic tubes can run steep. I tried making DIY LED bulbs but couldnt find suitable spectrum for reef available locally. Ultimately plunged into getting a comercial fixture from zetlight. Best investment so far. Tank remains cool and coral growth has been amazing.
My filtration setup is fairly simple. I rely heavily on skimmer for nutrient outtake. I'm also using large amount of live rock in display as well as sump to reduce nitrate and to some extent phosphate with the addition of vinegar. I also tried an algae scrubber for sometime with good results but it tends to be too messy so went back to vodka and vinegar dosing. I also run activated carbon to mitigate some of the toxins made by corals.
All in all I might have spent close to 50k including live rock and sand. These costs dont include fauna. I'm fairly sure that the costs can be brought down for a smaller tank as lighting needs and filtration needs go down. I also have less bioload in terms of fish but i do end up feeding my corals a lot.
The costs can be a bit heavy if invested in one go. I would advise to break it down.
P.S. If you do want to give it a shot, I have 6 t5 tubes lying with me for donation

Edit: Forgot to mention one of the most overlooked equipments being a R.O. unit. Ordinary tap water just wont cut for a reef tank.

aquascapist wrote:Thanks Partha.
Honestly, coming from the freshwater planted side to reef can be daunting. The upfront cost would obviously be getting the right equipment. Light has been the biggest expenditure for me followed by the protein skimmer. I already had a chiller running since my planted days as my tank is on the second floor and gets its fare amount of sun. I started with t5ho but quickly realised longterm it would turn out to be expensive as I would have to keep replacing the tubes every year. Actinic tubes can run steep. I tried making DIY LED bulbs but couldnt find suitable spectrum for reef available locally. Ultimately plunged into getting a comercial fixture from zetlight. Best investment so far. Tank remains cool and coral growth has been amazing.
My filtration setup is fairly simple. I rely heavily on skimmer for nutrient outtake. I'm also using large amount of live rock in display as well as sump to reduce nitrate and to some extent phosphate with the addition of vinegar. I also tried an algae scrubber for sometime with good results but it tends to be too messy so went back to vodka and vinegar dosing. I also run activated carbon to mitigate some of the toxins made by corals.
All in all I might have spent close to 50k including live rock and sand. These costs dont include fauna. I'm fairly sure that the costs can be brought down for a smaller tank as lighting needs and filtration needs go down. I also have less bioload in terms of fish but i do end up feeding my corals a lot.
The costs can be a bit heavy if invested in one go. I would advise to break it down.
P.S. If you do want to give it a shot, I have 6 t5 tubes lying with me for donation

Edit: Forgot to mention one of the most overlooked equipments being a R.O. unit. Ordinary tap water just wont cut for a reef tank.

Lighting is always a pain for a reef tank keeper. When I setup first reef in 2011, I faced lighting problem. I spent thousands on 3watt LEDs but not satisfied. I also used T5s, PLLs etc.

How much you spent on zetlight?

About 25k Rajeev ji

Very nice.