Nick's 360 Gallons Reef Tank with Angels

[ReefParadox]

Hey Nick, just wanna say that of all the build threads I have read I always come back and read yours again, and again, and again. I currently have a Red Sea 525 that has been running since June 2017 and is way overstocked with fish and corals lol and am getting close to ordering a tank for a new build. I am amazed at how beautiful and natural looking your tank is. I love your wide peninsula approach and I'm not ashamed to say I'm copying as much of it as possible. You mentioned early in your thread that if a piece of food falls to the bottom and is not blown along on the sand you dont have enough flow. Would you mind telling me exactly what kind and brand of sand you used in your tank? I will be using the sand in my red sea but will need to add much more and would like to add exactly what you used as it seems the perfect size and shape to handle high flow without getting blown around the tank.
Would love to see some new pics and video!

 

[this is me]

Hey Nick, just wanna say that of all the build threads I have read I always come back and read yours again, and again, and again. I currently have a Red Sea 525 that has been running since June 2017 and is way overstocked with fish and corals lol and am getting close to ordering a tank for a new build. I am amazed at how beautiful and natural looking your tank is. I love your wide peninsula approach and I'm not ashamed to say I'm copying as much of it as possible. You mentioned early in your thread that if a piece of food falls to the bottom and is not blown along on the sand you dont have enough flow. Would you mind telling me exactly what kind and brand of sand you used in your tank? I will be using the sand in my red sea but will need to add much more and would like to add exactly what you used as it seems the perfect size and shape to handle high flow without getting blown around the tank.
Would love to see some new pics and video!

Sorry for the late reply. I haven't been logged in and check this thread unless I get quoted or PMed.

For sand, I've been using the CaribSea Aragonite Special Reef Grade Sand since my last two tank large display tanks and a variety of Caribsea sand in the past.
https://caribsea.com/aquarium/
For display tank, I don't like the sand to be too fine, ie. Oolite sand. The flow required for SPS will endlessly blow the Oolite around. Sand in the display tank is mainly for sand dwelling critters like leopard wrasse I like to keep. Therefore, I don't need it to be deep. My sandbed is ~2" in the display.
Be careful with sand that are too large. They're more likely to get coralline on and it'll look dirty in no time. I always see tank with large crushed corals have pink/green coralline covered the substrate.
My recommendation for sand in display is Special Grade Reef sand at 1.0 - 2.0mm grain size for SPS dominant followed by AragaMax Select at 0.5 - 1.5mm grain size for mix reef with minimal SPS.
I would use the Oolite and Aragamax Sugar-Sized at 0.25 - 1.0mm grain size for deep sandbed in the fuge with minimum flow.
If you want the sand to clear up quicker(and maybe cycle quicker??), they have them soaked in ocean water in the bag. But it costs about twice as much. I've used the wet bags in my smaller tanks but I didn't want to pay for it in the larger tank so I went with the dry stuff. Been too long to remember if there's any difference in cycling time. But to me, a newly set up tank will go into the "ready to give up" algae phase regardless until it gets cleared up with or without your intervention. I have not found a way to set up a new tank or a tank transfer with new rocks without algae showing up a month or two later on the rocks and last about 2-3 months. Most people will feel like giving up including myself but you just have to tell yourself it's just a phase.

 

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I had some time over the long weekend(Lunar New Year) and took come pics for update.
Everything is going well. I did lose a couple pieces due to overshading and I didn't feel like putting my hands in the tank. I'm at a point where I just want the natural growth of the large colony to take over.

Desjardin Sailfin.
Probably over 7" now. The largest fish in the tank. It can be the boss if it wants to but stay very friendly with other fish.

 

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Here's the Emperor. Next to the sailfin, it's the fastest growing fish from a 2" Juvi I've experienced. 4" now and dwarfed my juvi Regal angelfish that's in the tank for over a year.
It should be going into puberty soon.

 

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Powder Brown. I think I like it more than the Powder Blue even the blue has always been my sought after fish. Not acquiring it but to keep one alive.

 

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One of the most underrated fish I think.

Magnificent Foxface. Great grazer and very beautiful color fish. Mine doesn't grow as much giving that it's a rabbit fish.

 

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Blue Reef Chromis. I have 5 of these along with 4 blue/green ones.

 

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All angelfish keepers must have a Flame Angel.

 

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One of my 3 Regal Angelfish.
Undoubtedly one of the best looking fish. I traded being able to keep LPS for this.

 

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Royal Gramma

 

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Powder Blue.

 

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You don't see a lot of red in tangs. But the White Tail Bristletooth Tang is one of the best red tang available.

Look at those DSL lips. Make Kim Kadashian looks like an amateur.

 

[this is me]

Blueline Angelfish. I'm not sure if it has reached its full size but LA listed as 8" max and mine is around 6.5-7". It hasn't grown since I got it from a local member over a year ago who said he has kept it for over 5 years.
I like the colored pectoral fins.

 

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Male Interrupta Angelfish

 

[luis carreiro]

Beautiful pictures Nick

 

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Interrupta pair. I guess I was a little high when I pull out the credit card on these. But look at the colors.

 

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Fish always follow me around.

 

[luis carreiro]

gorgeous

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sorry for the late reply. I haven't been logged in and check this thread unless I get quoted or PMed.

For sand, I've been using the CaribSea Aragonite Special Reef Grade Sand since my last two tank large display tanks and a variety of Caribsea sand in the past.
https://caribsea.com/aquarium/
For display tank, I don't like the sand to be too fine, ie. Oolite sand. The flow required for SPS will endlessly blow the Oolite around. Sand in the display tank is mainly for sand dwelling critters like leopard wrasse I like to keep. Therefore, I don't need it to be deep. My sandbed is ~2" in the display.
Be careful with sand that are too large. They're more likely to get coralline on and it'll look dirty in no time. I always see tank with large crushed corals have pink/green coralline covered the substrate.
My recommendation for sand in display is Special Grade Reef sand at 1.0 - 2.0mm grain size for SPS dominant followed by AragaMax Select at 0.5 - 1.5mm grain size for mix reef with minimal SPS.
I would use the Oolite and Aragamax Sugar-Sized at 0.25 - 1.0mm grain size for deep sandbed in the fuge with minimum flow.
If you want the sand to clear up quicker(and maybe cycle quicker??), they have them soaked in ocean water in the bag. But it costs about twice as much. I've used the wet bags in my smaller tanks but I didn't want to pay for it in the larger tank so I went with the dry stuff. Been too long to remember if there's any difference in cycling time. But to me, a newly set up tank will go into the "ready to give up" algae phase regardless until it gets cleared up with or without your intervention. I have not found a way to set up a new tank or a tank transfer with new rocks without algae showing up a month or two later on the rocks and last about 2-3 months. Most people will feel like giving up including myself but you just have to tell yourself it's just a phase.

The liquid is aragamilk which they sell separately and can be added to sandbed

 

[fabutahoun]

Amazing Photos and fish collection !!