(Editor's
Note: click on any image to be taken to a Photo Gallery of Ignasi's
aquarium)
On January of 2003
I started my biggest dream which was to have a marine aquarium.
I began with a 25 gallon tank that I wanted as a fish only system.
My first coral was a palythoa polyp and with it started my passion
for corals.
Six months later
I upgraded tanks to a 50 gallon and after that I upgraded again
to another of 75 gallon. During those two years I've learned
many things. But because I had to move to another house, I was
forced to disassemble it to smaller tank of only 16 gallons.
That was the moment to put into practice all my knowledge. Obviously
I had too much rock, too many corals, too much equipment, etc.,
and it allowed me to shuffle through everything and to choose
the best for my new system.
Setup
I bought the 16
gallon tank, and because I haven't too much space, I decided
to get one which measures 15.7 "x15.7 " x 17.7 " (wide x length
x high), mainly because let me take advantage of the space and
the light.
The first step was
to decide which corals to take and which to reject. I chose
my "dears" zoanthus and my SPS. All should be the best for them.
I had to keep in mind that they never can contact one to another
to prevent burns. Because of that each species occupies one
side of reef tank.
To mount the aquascaping,
I used plastic reef racks. First I took a big piece and started
to hold the Zoanthids with bridles and epoxy making a waterfall
of colours. This assembly was made before the change to a 16
gallon tank. I did the same for the SPS.
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Once all of this
was ready I prepared my new small tank. I took the water, structures,
and the mature sand. Later I put in the SPS.
Filtration
Biological filtration:
25 lbs of live
rock and 25 lbs of live sand (DSB) which consist of kenya
live sand and aragonite. All was taken from my old tank.
Mechanical filtration:
1 Biostar Flotor
Skimmer
Lighting
This point was the
most difficult goal to me. What would be better to do? Use MH
of 150w, 250w or 400w? I want my SPS to remain in perfect condition
and maintain their great shining colour. But I knew that zoanthids
would not tolerate that intense lighting. Because of that, the
MH idea was refused and I decided to use PC's (I choose 4x36w).
Lamps:
2x36w actinics
1x36w 10,000Kº
1x36w blue (no
actinic)
Photoperiod:
12:00 AM On 1-actinic
and 1-10Kº
13:00 PM On 1-actinic
and 1-blue
24:00 PM Off
1-actinic and 1-10Kº
01:00 AM Off
1-actinico and 1-blue
When the moon is
in it's full phase I turn on two blue led's (only one night).
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Equipment
Osmolator Aquamedic
pH computer Aquamedic
Temperature controller
Aquamedic connected to a cooling fan
Wavemaker Aquamedic.
2 eheim of 250
g/h
2 maxijets of
137 g/h
1 OR of 312 g/h
Maintenance
Twice a week
KH buffer (salifert)
Twice a week
calcium (salifert)
Once a week iodine
(salifert)
Once a week magnesium
(seachmen)
Once a week strontium
(salifert)
Twice a week
plankton (Two little fishes)
Once a month
I change 4 gallons of water with 4 new gallons with Reef Crystals
Once a month
I filter the aquarium along one day with activated carbon
to eliminate toxins of zoanthus and clarify the tank.
Parameters
Temperature:
In
winter (during the day -75.2 ºF-78.8 ºF) - (during
the night 73.4ºF-75.2ºF)
In summer
(during the day-77ºF-80.6ºF) - (during the night
75.2ºF-77ºF-)
pH: night (min.
7,80 max 7,95) day (min. 8.05 max 8,25)
Specific gravity:
1.025
Ca: 420-450
Mg: 1300-1350
PO4: <0.02
NH3: undetectable
NO2: undetectable
NO3: <10ppm
Fish
1x Amphiprion
ocellaris
1x Pseudocheilinus
hexataenia (sixline wrasse)
Invertebrates
Tridacna maxima
(5cm)
2 x Thor amboinensis
7 x turbo castaneus
2 x trochus
4 x cerithium
2 x pusiostoma
1 x planktobranchus
ocellata
Corals
SPS:
4- species of
Montipora digitata
4- species of
Montipora capricornis
8 species of
Acropora
1 Stylophora
1 Seriatopora
histrix
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LPS:
Caulastrea curvata
Cicloserys
Favites
Soft:
Xenia (pumping)
Polyps:
Parachiclavuaria
violacea
30 different
Zoanthid colonies
Mushrooms and Ricordeas:
4 varieties
actinodiscus, red, green, blue and red intense
4 varieties ricordeas,
rose, green, orange and violet.
I thank for all
the people who have made possible my great dream, specially
to: Delvl (davidlove), Dani de Granada, Gizvo, Toni Cid, Pedro
Siles, Manuel Barea, Dani Arnanz and to the forum of drpez to
hold my beatings and specially to my girlfriend Mireia and family
for her patience.
