Tank 01
Ancient Mariner's 100 Gallons of Acropora Splendor
100
Gallons
SPS dominant
Style
48
Months Old
Midwest Custom Aquarium
Brand
40" x 24" x 26"
This 100-gallon custom acrylic tank, built into a staircase landing, is a mature SPS-dominant reef. It features a unique slide-out design for access, relies on high-wattage metal halide lighting, and uses a combination of calcium reactor and 2-part dosing for alkalinity stability. The reefer employs a simplified water preparation method using filtered tap water and focuses on hardy, 'old school' corals.
Lighting
Radium 20K ×2 $999.99in stock, 
Reef Brite XHO 50/50 LED ×1 $359.73in stock, Reef Brite XHO white LED ×1 $359.73in stockSkimmer
Return Pump
Flow
ATO
Tunze Osmolator 3155 $76.49in stockDosing
calcium reactor and two-part
Filtration
protein skimmer
Salt
Instant Ocean Reef Crystals $63.74in stockWater Changes
20% biweekly water changes using filtered tap water (pre-filter and carbon only).
Feeding
Fish are fed frozen mysis (1 cube twice daily), nori (2x2 inch square every other day), and 2 algae wafers every other day. Corals are not specifically fed.
Husbandry & Practices
15
- The tank is built into a staircase landing and slides out 8 inches for access.
- Uses filtered tap water for ATO and water changes, bypassing RO/DI membranes.
- Maintains high circulation flow with two MP40s and a Maxspect Gyre for SPS dominance.
- Employs both a calcium reactor and a 2-part doser for alkalinity supplementation as a buffer against malfunctions.
- Does not dose trace elements, nitrate, phosphate, nutrients, or coral food.
- Relies on 400w metal halides for high light, with LEDs used only for viewing.
- Performs daily fish feeding and calcium reactor checks.
- Tests alkalinity weekly, cleans glass panels weekly, and performs biweekly 20% water changes.
- Refills calcium reactor substrate and 2-part solutions every two months.
- Cleans skimmer and circulation pumps every 3-4 months, and changes metal halide bulbs annually.
- Started with a mix of old cultured artificial live rock, dry rock, and accumulated debris (muck) from a previous reef.
- Maintains a bare bottom tank, having siphoned out aragonite that became covered with nuisance algae.
- Focuses on hardy, proven 'old school' corals, particularly ORA corals.
- Learned to wait 6-12 months before adding Acropora to a new reef to reduce losses.
- Avoids keeping organisms known to be nearly impossible to keep alive in captivity.
Target Parameters
Salinity
1.026 sg
Alk
8.5dKH
Ca
400ppm
NO₃
10 mg/l
PO₄
<0.1ppm
Temp
78.5°F
pH
>7.7 <8.0
Corals
49
Cali Tort AcroporaORA Yellow tip green staghorn AcroporaORA The Carl AcroporaORA Hawkins AcroporaORA Purple plasma AcroporaORA Miami Orchid AcroporaORA Indo Purple tip AcroporaORA Skyline granulosa AcroporaORA Pearlberry AcroporaORA Green Planet AcroporaORA Imperial stag AcroporaWWC Yellow tips AcroporaRR Pink Cadillac AcroporaPC Rainbow AcroporaGreen Slimer AcroporaRed Dragon AcroporaOrange Dragon AcroporaGreen branching MontiporaPurple branching MontiporaOrange branching MontiporaOrange plating MontiporaPurple plating MontiporaGreen plating MontiporaORA Lantana MontiporaPink bird's nest SeriatoporaBird of paradise SeriatoporaGreen seriatoporaPurple Stylophora (Milka)ORA green stylophoraORA Stellar stylophoraVivid's neon green PocilloporaVivid's pink PocilloporaORA pink PocilloporaORA green PocilloporaORA pink and green PocilloporaGeneric brown/tan PocilloporaORA yellow poritesORA Sprung's stunnerORA red gonioporaPectiniaDuncan coralTurbinaria sp. (3 types)ORA neon green sinulariaGeneric tan sinularia sp.Kenya treeCespitulariaPom Pom XeniaPavonaMummy eye chalice
Fish
8
Yellow tangBlue tangCoral Beauty angelfishLawnmower blennyBlue chromis (7)Ocellaris clownfish (2)Citron gobyLyretail anthias
Inverts
3
Tetralia cinctipes (commensal coral crab)Trapezia commensal coral crabs (2)Lysmata striped cleaner shrimp
