Saltwater Reef Tank
by Don Geddis

This 250g reef tank started in November 2005. The initial livestock came from my previous 55g reef tank.

The major part of the display tank is a community reef, including fish, corals, invertebrates, live rock, and live sand. There is also a partition 1/3 of the way on the left side (which allows water to cross but prevents large animals from switching sides). The smaller section holds seahorses, which share much of the maintenance requirements of reef fish (and thus can share water), but which thrive better in their own section (because they prefer low current, low light, and are such slow hunters that they might starve in a tank with fast, aggressive fish).

250g system

192g display (66"x28"x24")
- 1/3 seahorses
- 2/3 reef
40g refugium (36"x15"x16"")
40g sump (36"x15"x16")

2x250W 10K Metal Halide
2x60" VHO Actinic White
3 SCWDs (6x2 = 12 returns)
ASM G-4 skimmer (Sedra 5000)

I originally imagined that I would design a custom (multi-level!) tank system of my own, but without any building experience I decided it was wiser to get professional help with my first major system. This tank was built by Nemo Marine Systems in San Jose, CA.

Newest Photos
Newest Photos	Antler Coral Pectinia alcicornis September 20, 2010	Antler Coral Pectinia alcicornis September 17, 2010	Hawkin's Blue Acropora Acropora echinata May 29, 2010	Disk Coral Fungia sp. May 29, 2010

Newest
Videos

Video: mpg

Fish

(Brazilian Seahorse) Hippocampus reidi	(Copperband Butterfly) Chelmon rostratus	(Coral Goby) Gobiodon okinawae	(Cubical Boxfish) Ostracion Cubicus	Firefish Goby Nemateleotris magnifica
Flame Angel Centropyge loriculus	(Flounder)	(Neon Goby) Elacatinus oceanops	Ocellaris Clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris	Psychedelic Mandarin Dragonet Synchiropus splendidus
Purple Tang Zebrasoma xanthurum	Spotted Mandarin Dragonet Synchiropus picturatus	(Sunburst Seahorse) Hippocampus erectus	(Sunburst Seahorse ponies) Hippocampus erectus	(Zebra-snout Seahorse) Hippocampus barbouri

Corals

(Antler Coral) Pectinia alcicornis	(Bird's Nest Coral) Pocillopora damicornis	Branching Frogspawn Coral Euphyllia paradivisa	(Bubble Coral) Plerogyra sinuosa	(Button Polyps) Zoanthus sociatus
Colonial Polyps Parazoanthus gracilis	Disk Coral Fungia sp.	Green Zoo Zoanthus sp.	Hammer Frogspawn Coral Euphyllia parancora	Hawkin's Blue Acropora Acropora echinata
(Miami Orchid Staghorn) Acropora sp.	Moon Brain Coral Favites sp.	(Octopus Frogspawn Coral) Euphyllia divisa	Plate Coral Montipora capricornis	(Pocillopora) Pocillopora sp.
(Rose Millepora) Acropora Millepora	Star Polyps Pachyclavularia violacea	(Tort Staghorn Coral) Acropora tortuosa	(Turquoise Acropora) Acropora sp.	Velvet Horn Coral Hydnophora microconos

Invertebrates

Astraea Turbo Snail Astraea tecta	(Atlantic Sea Cucumber) Holothuria floridana	Bristleworm [Polychaeta]	Cerith Snail Cerithium sp.	(Cleaner Shrimp)
Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab Clibanarius tricolor	Emerald Crab Mithrax sculptus	Feather Duster [Unknown sp.]	(Feather Star)	Glass Anemone Aiptasia sp.
(Horseshoe Crab)	(Maxima Clam) Tridacna maxima	Peppermint Shrimp Lysmata wurdemanni	(Queen Conch) Strombus gigas	(Red Sea Star) Linckia multifora
Red-footed Snail [Unknown sp.]	(Sand-sifting Starfish) Astropecten polycanthus	Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab Paguristes cadenati	(Sea Hare) Aplysia juliana	Serpent Sea Star Ophioderma appressum
Shield Limpet Scutus unguis	(Tube Anemone) Cerianthus sp.	White Sponge [Unknown sp.]

Plants

(Bonzai Ogo) Gracilaria sp.	Brown Leafy [Unknown sp.]	Brown Net [Unknown sp.]	Bubble Algae Valonia ventricosa	Caulerpa Caulerpa taxifolia
Club Bubble Algae Valonia aegagropila	Feather Hair Algae Bryopsis sp.	Green Leafy [Unknown sp.]	Green Round Leafy [Unknown sp.]	Hair Algae Derbesia sp.
(Sea Lettuce) Ulva lactuca