Sanjay's 500 Gallon Mega Reef

Gear in this tank

Lighting

EcoTech Marine Radion G4 Pro ×8 $999.99in stock

Skimmer

DIY (ETS knockoff)

Flow

EcoTech Marine MP60 ×3 $836.99in stock, EcoTech Marine MP40 ×1 $431.99in stock, EcoTech Marine Vectra L1 ×2 $52.99in stock, Sea Swirl ×3

Dosing

calcium reactor

Filtration

skimmer, refugium (chaeto reactor)

Water Changes

25% monthly

Protocols & Practices

• Maintains an Acropora-dominant reef, focusing on high flow and specific lighting for SPS.
• Uses a combination of internal powerheads, closed loops, and Sea Swirls for randomized flow.
• Switched from metal halides to 8 Ecotech Radion G4 Pros to reduce heat and eliminate the need for a chiller.
• Lights are on a daylight schedule, with blues dimming slightly when the host is home for viewing, followed by a blue twilight period.
• Utilizes a large external overflow box as a holding tank for clownfish, which have bred there.
• Employs a DIY protein skimmer (ETS knockoff) built 20 years ago, emphasizing regular cleaning of the skimmer cup.
• Uses a Geo's Reef calcium reactor for alkalinity and calcium maintenance.
• Manages nitrates with a Pax Bellum ARID Chaeto Reactor, sometimes directing calcium reactor effluent into it.
• Performs 25% water changes monthly.
• Does not use mechanical filtration like filter socks, relying on the skimmer to remove debris.
• Maintains a sand bed, acknowledging it gets blown around by high flow, and would consider coarser sand in the future.
• Does not worry excessively about minor cyanobacteria outbreaks, viewing them as temporary and self-correcting.

Target Parameters

Livestock