Ricardo Pinto
Community Member
Hi there,
My name is Ricardo and I'm from Portugal (EU). I've been a Reef2Reef member since 2011 and I was a regular visit until 2012, time when I temporarily left the hobby. But a couple of months ago I've started a new tank and when digging information for this project I ended up on reef2reef several times. You guys are the upfront train of reef aquariums and I've learned a lot in here over the last months. So I think is time for me to share my tank here and hopefully you will have comments or suggestions to improve my tank.
My History in Reef Aquariums
I have begun reefkeeping on 2004 with an 80-gallon rimless tank. It was a great start and the hobby really kicked in since this aquarium. By 2007, I had finished college and I started working, so I left my parents’ house, moved to another town, and dismantled my first aquarium. On 2008, after moving back to my hometown, Porto (Portugal) I got myself an apartment and started a 200G project. This tank was a great lesson and I’ve learned a lot from it. By 2009, me and some friends have created a reef blog called H2O + Something on which I’ve shared many of my learnings throughout these years.
Fortunately (or unfortunately for the reef side of my life) I had to move into London (UK) in 2010 and left the hobby for a few months. By 2012, I moved again to Porto and got back the 200-gallon running. After a promising start, I found myself not enjoying the hobby as much as before and I almost have any spare time for aquarium - life had changed, I was now married and father of two wildly active boys. The hobby was put again on hold for indefinite time and I was not able to carry a reef tank for more than 1-2 years.
However, there is this thing when you really enjoy reef-aquariums; you can live without it, you kind a feel like its missing a part of your life. Therefore, in 2014 I’ve decided to get a 50-gallon aquarium and this project did really well. So well that I’ve now to move it into a bigger one. After a careful planning, I have come out with the idea of a 150-gallon aquarium. My career is now consolidated in my hometown (I don’t see myself moving again) and my two boys, who are now 7 and 3 years old, are much more independent, which give me plenty of time to take care of a larger aquarium. Let’s see how this tank goes but at least I expect it last more than my previous tank, I would like to have this tank at least 5 years.
Finally, I would like to thank to some of my fellow local reef friends because without them, I would not have built this project nor I would have had some much fun over the past ten years.
Setup Date 14/08/2015
Aquarium
- Tank: 150 x 70 x 50 cm or 60 in x 27.5 in x 20 in (length , width and height, respectively)
- Total volume = 525L + 75L (sump) which makes a volume up of approx. 150-gallon.
- Rimless low iron-glass 12mm or 1/2in
- Sump 110 x 40 x 40cm or 43 in x 15 in x 15 in
Overflow
- DIY Ghost Overflow + modified (simplified) Bean Animal with 2 x 32mm (1-1/4") holes
Tank Stand
Custom made iron structure, coated with white wood
150 x 70 x 80 cm or 60 in x 27,5 in x 31.4 in (length , width and height, respectively)
Circulation
- Return pump: Jebao DC 3000 (fully controllable, uber silent pump).
- Power heads: 2 x Jebao RW-8
Lightning
- 4 x Ocean Revive Arctic t247
48 x 3 watts LEDs, with timer, a 2 dimmable channels included and wireless control through a remote control.
Great value for the money. It lacks a few prime "functions" such as full control on dimmable channels and daylight schedule intensity but besides that it provides an optimal light for SPS. Be sure to cover your surface area with more light fixtures or else you will face too many shadows in some areas of your tank.
Skimmer
Skimmer Wo! - W202
Wo! is a Chinese skimmer brand which I think was formerly known as KCR Marine. The skimmer had been recently introduced onto the European market (at least Portugal and Spain) and my first impressions are very good. It is equipped with a DC 3000, electronic adjustable pump. Again, similarly with the return pump, the skimmer is impressively noiseless.
Calcium/Kh supplementation
- Randy's 2-part solution through a Jebao Dosing Pump (w/ “4-channel")
Sand and Rock display
- SSB (Small Sand Bed of 2-3cm, aprox. 1 inch) of CaribSea Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand (27Kg total)
- Live Rock 30Kg – 20Kg of “Walt Smith Reef Rock” + 10 Kg of Live Rock that was in my previous aquarium.
Maintenance
- No chemical additives or pro biotic methods are being applied at this moment
- I've just been doing regular 10% water changes with natural sea water (from east atlantic coast).
Fish
Here is a list of my current fish stock:
- 2 x Pseudochromis fridmani
- 8 x Chromis viridis
- 1 x Stonogobiops nematodes (+ 1 alpheus randalli in simbiosis)
- 2 x Elacatinus oceanops
- 2 x Amphirion ocellaris
- 1 x Salarias ramosus
- 1 x Zebrassoma flavescens
- 1 x Ctenocheatus tominiensis
- 1 x Acanthurus leucosternon
- 2x Halichoeres chrysus
- 1x Cirrhilabrus exquisitus
Total: 22 fishes
And a few photos of my system, currently on Day+80
(Many thanks to my friend Pedro Torres by is great macro-shots of my tank... you are a great photographer, congrats)
Hope you enjoy. Please feel free to comment.
Full tank shots are just coming next....
My name is Ricardo and I'm from Portugal (EU). I've been a Reef2Reef member since 2011 and I was a regular visit until 2012, time when I temporarily left the hobby. But a couple of months ago I've started a new tank and when digging information for this project I ended up on reef2reef several times. You guys are the upfront train of reef aquariums and I've learned a lot in here over the last months. So I think is time for me to share my tank here and hopefully you will have comments or suggestions to improve my tank.
My History in Reef Aquariums
I have begun reefkeeping on 2004 with an 80-gallon rimless tank. It was a great start and the hobby really kicked in since this aquarium. By 2007, I had finished college and I started working, so I left my parents’ house, moved to another town, and dismantled my first aquarium. On 2008, after moving back to my hometown, Porto (Portugal) I got myself an apartment and started a 200G project. This tank was a great lesson and I’ve learned a lot from it. By 2009, me and some friends have created a reef blog called H2O + Something on which I’ve shared many of my learnings throughout these years.
Fortunately (or unfortunately for the reef side of my life) I had to move into London (UK) in 2010 and left the hobby for a few months. By 2012, I moved again to Porto and got back the 200-gallon running. After a promising start, I found myself not enjoying the hobby as much as before and I almost have any spare time for aquarium - life had changed, I was now married and father of two wildly active boys. The hobby was put again on hold for indefinite time and I was not able to carry a reef tank for more than 1-2 years.
However, there is this thing when you really enjoy reef-aquariums; you can live without it, you kind a feel like its missing a part of your life. Therefore, in 2014 I’ve decided to get a 50-gallon aquarium and this project did really well. So well that I’ve now to move it into a bigger one. After a careful planning, I have come out with the idea of a 150-gallon aquarium. My career is now consolidated in my hometown (I don’t see myself moving again) and my two boys, who are now 7 and 3 years old, are much more independent, which give me plenty of time to take care of a larger aquarium. Let’s see how this tank goes but at least I expect it last more than my previous tank, I would like to have this tank at least 5 years.
Finally, I would like to thank to some of my fellow local reef friends because without them, I would not have built this project nor I would have had some much fun over the past ten years.
150 gallon - "H2O+Something" Shallow Reef
Setup Date 14/08/2015
Aquarium
- Tank: 150 x 70 x 50 cm or 60 in x 27.5 in x 20 in (length , width and height, respectively)
- Total volume = 525L + 75L (sump) which makes a volume up of approx. 150-gallon.
- Rimless low iron-glass 12mm or 1/2in
- Sump 110 x 40 x 40cm or 43 in x 15 in x 15 in
Overflow
- DIY Ghost Overflow + modified (simplified) Bean Animal with 2 x 32mm (1-1/4") holes
Tank Stand
Custom made iron structure, coated with white wood
150 x 70 x 80 cm or 60 in x 27,5 in x 31.4 in (length , width and height, respectively)
Circulation
- Return pump: Jebao DC 3000 (fully controllable, uber silent pump).
- Power heads: 2 x Jebao RW-8
Lightning
- 4 x Ocean Revive Arctic t247
48 x 3 watts LEDs, with timer, a 2 dimmable channels included and wireless control through a remote control.
Great value for the money. It lacks a few prime "functions" such as full control on dimmable channels and daylight schedule intensity but besides that it provides an optimal light for SPS. Be sure to cover your surface area with more light fixtures or else you will face too many shadows in some areas of your tank.
Skimmer
Skimmer Wo! - W202
Wo! is a Chinese skimmer brand which I think was formerly known as KCR Marine. The skimmer had been recently introduced onto the European market (at least Portugal and Spain) and my first impressions are very good. It is equipped with a DC 3000, electronic adjustable pump. Again, similarly with the return pump, the skimmer is impressively noiseless.
Calcium/Kh supplementation
- Randy's 2-part solution through a Jebao Dosing Pump (w/ “4-channel")
Sand and Rock display
- SSB (Small Sand Bed of 2-3cm, aprox. 1 inch) of CaribSea Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand (27Kg total)
- Live Rock 30Kg – 20Kg of “Walt Smith Reef Rock” + 10 Kg of Live Rock that was in my previous aquarium.
Maintenance
- No chemical additives or pro biotic methods are being applied at this moment
- I've just been doing regular 10% water changes with natural sea water (from east atlantic coast).
Fish
Here is a list of my current fish stock:
- 2 x Pseudochromis fridmani
- 8 x Chromis viridis
- 1 x Stonogobiops nematodes (+ 1 alpheus randalli in simbiosis)
- 2 x Elacatinus oceanops
- 2 x Amphirion ocellaris
- 1 x Salarias ramosus
- 1 x Zebrassoma flavescens
- 1 x Ctenocheatus tominiensis
- 1 x Acanthurus leucosternon
- 2x Halichoeres chrysus
- 1x Cirrhilabrus exquisitus
Total: 22 fishes
And a few photos of my system, currently on Day+80
(Many thanks to my friend Pedro Torres by is great macro-shots of my tank... you are a great photographer, congrats)
Hope you enjoy. Please feel free to comment.
Full tank shots are just coming next....
