Greg & Renee's 100g Volitans/Rhinopias Tank

Introduction:yghjgu

This tank has been a work in progress since May 2006,
when we brought this little guy home smaller than a thermometer. His journey started in a 6 gallon cube, to his first move, a 24g JBJ, followed by a 60 gallon. Then in year 3, his size grew as we focused on nutrition and the 100g was buffed in preparation for his next transfer. We'd like to think this will be his final home, but we know already that we will be moving in 2010. He'll then make his way into our dream "Lion's Lair" which will house several larger lions.

This tank was a second hand scratched mess when we bought it. The hours of buffing will NEVER be repeated on another tank in the future... been there, done that, bought the MicroMesh.

Measuring at 46" L x 19" T x 24" D, we really wanted to take advantage of the depth and had an external overflow placed on the back versus the originally planned placement within the tank.

The inhabitants exceed the size limit of the slot, so we didn't have to go with vertical slots. Although we have found some smaller snails in the sump sock below.

System Profile

System Water Volume: ~125 gallons
Main Tank: 100 gallons
Sump: 25 gallons
Skimmer: Eshopps S-150 Cone Skimmer.
Return Pump: Little Giant 'Quarium Pump 4-MDQX-SC
Closed Loop Pump: Iwaki MD40RLT
Lighting (display): 6X 54 Watt T5 HO, 48'' long X 18'' wide and 2.5'' tall.
Lighting (sump): Whatever we end up hanging.
Cooling: 1/4hp Primer In-line Chiller by Current. Set at 77°F.
Digital Monitor: Digital Aquatics Reefkeeper Elite..
Misc: Dual BRS GFO and Carbon Reactor, second thermometer,
Water: RO/DI water. Water stored in "Water Prep Closet. Buffered with Reef Buffer from Seachem.

Water Parameter Management 

There is no real need for close monitoring of this FOWLR tank, but we like gadgets and do require such things as Auto Top Off, pH, temperature controller and light controller. We opted for the Reef Keep Elite and hope in the future to be able to control our tanks over the internet. We'll be interested to see the correlation, if any, between the nitrates rising and the Orp falling. It would be great if we could rely on the orp as an indication that a water change it do.

The only thing we really dose the tank for is we buffer the top of water with Seachem Reef Buffer. It keeps our pH and alkalinity stable and our coralline and shelled critters growing like crazy.

Photos are owned by Digital Aquatics
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Plumbing, Filtration & Circulation:

The sump is housed in the cabinet below the main display tank and contains approximately 25 gallons. Originally, we were going to go with Flex PVC for the plumbing.We thought it would be a nice "in-between" from the beauty of hard plumbing and the workability soft plumbing. At the last minute, and after a 50' roll purchase of Flex PVC, we decided to go with black thick-walled soft tubing. To maximize flow and minimize in-tank eyesores, a closed loop was incorporated into the plumbing scheme. One outlet and three returns were plumbed to the Iwaki MD40RLT to make up the closed loop. The external overflow was drilled to hold two noise-reducing standpipes to drain directly into the sump sock.

Cooling/Heating: Multiple fans in stand 1/3 hp Current Inline Chiller 300-watt heater

Save yourself the pain of daily top offs or the salinity swing for when you don't do it daily. Our water level is controlled via a float switch/RKE in the sump connected to a 8 gallon hopper. If the float should fail, there will not be an unlimited supply of water pouring into the sump, but just a mere 8 gallons. We've had 2 float valves fail in the past, so this in not an over precaution. The hopper pump is a Maxi 400 with a built in siphon breaker.

Water Parameters: Temperature: 76 - 78°F Specific Gravity: 1.023 pH: 8.1 - 8.3 Alkalinity: 10.0 dKH Calcium: 410 - 430 ppm Phosphate: 0 Nitrate: <25

We change 25% of the total tank volume once a month. In between these changes we do mini 5 gallon changes weekly that can be completed without turing off either pump. We use a 300GPD RO/DI unit, and the water is buffered before the addition of salt mix (Instant Ocean) or before using as top off.

Filtration: ~100lbs of live rock 1" live sand bed (#3) Fast growing macroalgae 200 micron sump sock. BRS GFO/Carbon reactor Eshopps S-150 Cone Skimmer.

Lighting Plan:

Lighting & Photoperiod: Three 10K 54-watt T5 HO tubes 3:00pm - 10:00pm Three actinic 54-watt T5 HO tubes 2:00pm - 11:00pm

We don't plan on much in the way of corals. The volitans has a history of sitting on corals leading to their demise. Some mushrooms, GSP and zoanthids will pretty much be the extent. We chose T-5s over Power Compacts to encourage macro algae growth. At night, the "Nocturnal Blue" POD from Digital Aquatics, puts a beautiful moon effect at a wavelength of 465nm-470nm. We also installed a couple of Midnight Red PODs to watch some after hours activities undetected. The tubes are approximately 5" above the water's surface and is open on all sides for ventilation

Coming to Life:

We let the tank cycle for 3 months, in which time the rock went from a stark barron white, to a lovely diatom brown and then finally onto the beginning stages of coralline. Everything placed in this tank after the cycle was complete was previously in a fallow tank to eliminate the risk of introducing Cryptocaryon irritans , more commonly referred to as Ich.

Feeding around here occurs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and includes a wide variety of food items. The picture to the left depicts a typical mixture of clam, table shrimp (with the shell on) and fish flesh. Silversides are fed once a week because due to the ease at which they are able to hold marine food pellets, Beta Glucan, Vitamin B, NatuRose etc. Most fish have now taken to a gel "pill" in which they willingly take off the feeding stick. These vitamins and the varied diet are of the upmost importance in longevity and coloration. Here's a video of this "process".

Inhabitants:

Fish: Weedy Scorpion Fish (Rhinopias frondosa) Lionfish (Pterois volitan) Leafy Scorpion Fish (Rhinopia eschmeyeri)

Macroalgaes: Fire Moss (Laurencia poitei) Galaxy macro (Galuxaura rugosa) Feather caulerpa (Caulerpa mexicana) Grape Caulerpa (Caulerpa racemosa) Red Grape (Botryocladia sp.)

CUC: Nerites () Nassarius Astraea Ceriths

Future Fish Additions:

As was said in the intro, this tank will be the step before our final "Lionfish Lair" tank that will house several large lions and scorps. The lions we have yet to acquire include a Pterois miles, a black Pterois volitans and a Pterois russelii. The miles and the black volitans will only be purchased once the larger system is up and running. If we see a small enough Russelli, he would be purchased now and grown out in an isolation tank. The scorpions we have already acquired that need to be grown out is 2 - Scorpaena brasiliensis' (Barbfish) and an Inimus japonicus (Goblin). When they will go into the tank depends on their growth rate.

Ever Changing:

Even as this look at one of our "little slices of ocean" is posted, we may make various adjustments in the equipment, or stocking as the tank matures and our ever-growing collection of these fascinating fish changes. We have enjoyed sharing our passion with you, and remember: Please don't pet the fish!