The choice of marine aquarium or reef aquarium you plan to set up often begins with the choice of saltwater fish species you would like to keep in it. Besides personal preferences, there are many other important issues to be taken into consideration:

Each marine fish's adult size, behaviour, water preferences, feeding habits, compatibility with other saltwater species and, in modern fish keeping, environmental awareness is extremely important.

My journey with saltwater tanks started in the spring of 1986 with a 75gal. Fish tank and this hobby has gone wild on me since then! I set up my first tank with the mindset that I'd keep things simple in order to keep the cost down. A Skimmer of course, but no metal halides, no fancy power heads or reactors and of course no stonis. I'd stay with mostly softies and anemones. No live rock or live sand, that knew at that time (mid 80’s) still nobody. Industrially mixed sea salt, ready to use like today? That simply did not exist in Germany in the mid 80’s. At this time we had to learn so much and we did it.

Today I have 5 tanks, three 68gal. “Nano”, one 255 gal. Fish tank (almost exclusively with aggressive fish) and my current 115gal. Reef tank, first set up in Nov. 2004.

Technology, Maintenance and Livestock

Tank:
Aquarium: 49" x 24" x 26" with black silicone joints.gross volume: c. 440 l (115 gal. overall dimensions – including cabinet (l x w x h): c. 49" x 24" x 44"

Sump (onboard):
Trickle filter - with Ocean Runner PH 2000  (500 gph) circulation pump on SCWD, I use the     filter exclusive for ROWA Phos and/or Carbon, no Baktoballs or other filter materials.

Circulation:
2 Ocean Runner PH 2000 Circulation pumps and additionaly 1 x Tunzen Stream 6055

Skimmer: 
Needle wheel protein skimmer Aqua Medic Turboflotor 1000 - with Ocean Runner PH2500 pump

Lighting:
Metal halide lamps with 2 x 150 w Giesemann 14500ºK, 2 x Fauna Marin  24 Watt T5 AQUA Science Blue and an aquafit steel wire support system.

UV-C:
Helix Max UV steriliser 18 watts (insertable if necessary with a small 125gph pump)

Ozonizer:     
Sander CERTIZON C50 continuous operation with c.15mg to produce transparent and  healthy water, diminishes the load of nitrite and ammonia to zero.

  
Niveaumat:
The Niveaumat will automatically top up evaporated water in my tank. It comprises an SP 3000 peristaltic pump with a directly connected float switch. The float switch is   installed in the tank at the desired level using its holding unit. As the level drops the SP 3000 automatically tops up the tank with osmosis water from a 10gal. Reservoir. The  Reservoir is filled once each week with osmosis water.

Reverse osmosis:
Aqua Medic Premium Line 150 with 100g reservoir (used for all tank’s (7))

Salt:
Red Sea Coral Pro, Tropic Marin PRO – REEF, Reef Crystals, change salt each month.

Supplements:
The main sources of supplements are my weekly water changes, which seem to be well received by my animals. I use the Balling Methode and dose every day, depending upon result of measurement, an easy supplementation of calcium, magnesium, carbonates, as well as essential trace elements.

Maintenance:
My weekly tank chores include doing a 15% - 20% water change, cleaning the skimmer’s neck and dumping the full waste collector, pruning the macroalgae and cleaning the salt creep on the braces. Every three months I clean the sump, skimmer and of course all air hoses. I always have new salt water ready to perform a water change any time it’s needed.

Live rock/sand:
70Kg live rock from Tonga island with a “basement” of 30kg dolomite stone and 30Kg live sand.

Livestock 115 gal. Reef:

Fish
My favorite fish in this tank is my Yellow boxfish, which I bought in 2004 from a local reefkeeper. It is not senior fish in my tank, thats my Twotone tang (6 Years old), but I love him. He eats right from my hand like a Dog.