Leaves filter socks uncleaned for weeks and only cleans one at a time, deliberately building nutrients because the low fish load kept the tank too clean and caused SPS tip burn. Corals grew healthier once he stopped obsessively cleaning.
Graham Stephan's 310-gallon peninsula-style mixed reef (plus ~50 gallon sump) has been running 18 months and grown out entirely from small frags with no Acropora loss or RTN. It's run for stability with intentionally elevated nutrients, low alkalinity (~7.5 dKH), a calcium reactor plus kalkwasser, and an outdoor chiller. Fast-growing corals and pests like palys and Aiptasia are the main ongoing management challenges.
Leaves filter socks uncleaned for weeks and only cleans one at a time, deliberately building nutrients because the low fish load kept the tank too clean and caused SPS tip burn. Corals grew healthier once he stopped obsessively cleaning.
Lowers tank temp to 76-77F to stifle Monti-eating nudibranchs and other pests, since corals are hyper-adaptable to temperature but pests are not. Can be done immediately with his outdoor chiller.
Tank is plumbed outside and the chiller sits outdoors with its own electricity, so it's silent inside the house and handles Nevada heat while enabling rapid temp control.
Runs both calcium and kalkwasser reactors but still doses ESV single-part alkalinity separately because ALK stubbornly drops from fast coral growth, keeping it pinned at 7-7.5.
Graham Stephan's 310-Gallon Reef — Full Equipment List
$400
est. build cost
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Filtration
Nyos
Quantum
Protein skimmer
Sandwiched between two stages of filter socks — socks left deliberately dirty for weeks to keep nutrients elevated for the SPS.
Lighting
EcoTech Marine
Radion Gen 6
Display lights ×6
Six units at just ~40% intensity; started with four, added more after a water-change splash shorted one — and the app still frustrates him.
Flow & Circulation
Abyzz
A-Series
Return pump
⭐ Premium pick
The host's all-time favorite pump — one unit feeds everything, picked on Nick's reliability recommendation.
EcoTech Marine
VorTech
Wavemakers ×2
One on each side of the peninsula, working alongside the Panta Rhei pumps.
Panta Rhei
Powerhead
Wavemakers ×2
⭐ Premium pick
German-built high-end pumps prized for moving huge volume gently — flow muscle for a 310-gallon SPS-heavy peninsula.
Panta Rhei
Powerhead
Wavemaker
Monitoring & Control
Neptune Systems
Apex
Controller
Alk trending gets cross-checked against Salifert and Hanna kits — three readings before any number is trusted.
