WMAS - Tank of the Month
Galen Hutchings

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Hi, Future Tank of the month WMAS member! Thank you for allowing us to showcase your tank on our website. To assist you in your write up, we have compiled a list of things to consider:

1) Your name, location and occupation. Include how long you have been an aquarist, how long you have been a WMAS member and how you heard of our club.
Name: Galen Hutchings
Location: Eagle Mountain, Utah
Occupation: Credit Manager
How long have you been in the hobby? 15 Months - I have had fish only in the past
How long have you been a member of the club? Approx. 1 year
How did you hear about the WMAS? Surfing the internet for answers to snails dying

2) Describe your tank. Acrylic or glass? Size in dimensions and gallons. How long has it been set up?
Acrylic / Glass: Glass
Size in gallons: 120
Dimensions: 2x4x2
Age: (how long has the system been running) 1 Year

3) Describe your lighting system, including your photo-period. Add what you would change if you could.
I like my lighting system! I am running 6 t5�s on ice cap 660�s with individual ice cap reflectors. The first bank is a 6500 k and blue+ they come on at 7:30 and go until 10:00. The second set is 2 10k and 2 blue+ that run from 2:30 until 9:00. My front refugium has 2 6500 k on individual icecap reflectors they are ran on a standard t5 ballast. My moonlights are also icecap along with the 4 fans that I run.
(Special thanks to Icecap for allowing me to purchase direct from them to promote a t5 setup using their equipment)

4) Describe your filtration system. Include: How deep is your sand bed, plenum, your skimmer size and model and how long you run it, your circulation pumps (how many and their size in gallons per hour), your sump/refugium including Reverse Daylight, biowheels and skilters, HOT systems, clean up crew.
The main aquarium has sugar sand with crushed coral on top the depth ranges from 2 to 7 inches. I run two Seio 820�s in addition to the refugium pumps. The clean up crew consist of 2 stars, some regular and emerald crabs, at least 1 peppermint and skunk shrimp and a bunch of snails. No ideas on the numbers.
I have two 50 gallon aquariums underneath for filtration. The front holds a ASM G-3 (I occasionally run Ozone in the skimmer) in the first chamber followed by a second chamber with a sand bed of approx. 5 inches of sugar sand, a couple good size pieces of live rock and multiple multiple species of alagae. The return also has an inline 13 w UV filter. This refugium is ran on Reverse Daylight with t5�s with individual reflectors.
The second 50 gallon aquarium has a filter sock and approx. 5 inches of sugar sand with lots of ruble coral on top. The lights in the front refugium are directed enough that I don�t get alagae growth in the back aquarium.
I have a siphon tube between the two aquariums to keep the water level the same. The returns from both aquariums are mag 7�s

5) What are your maintenance techniques? Include water change schedule.
I am lousy at maintenance. Basically just water top off and a weekly glass cleaning, with good intentions of a weekly 10 gallon water change.

6) What additives do you use?
Kalkwasser, Strontium, Molybdenum, Iodine, Magnesium, Other
I have only added baking soda to keep my alkalinity up.

7) Describe your feeding philosophy. Include your schedule, and what you prefer to feed your system?
Daily � half a sheet of nori and a half ounce to an ounce of Reeds phyto feast. Then I have an assortment of frozen foods or artic pods that I feed at night. Sometimes on the weekends and Holidays the fish might be fed a couple times a day, just to keep them fat and happy.

8) DIY ie, Calcium reactor, stand / hood, skimmer, sump, ect. Any Do-it-yourself items of interest? Web-sites that you may have referenced?
Cabinet and hood is do it yourself 2X4�s (Not very attractive). Someday it will have bead board to hide everything
9) Stand and Canopy
Wood:
Color:
Special Characteristics:

10) Items of interest: Favorite or unusual Fish, coral, or invertebrate
Favorite Fish: : Tangs in general I have 6 different types (Yellow, Hippo, Purple, Chevron, Desjardini Sailfin and a Sohol
Favorite Coral: Sun Polyps
Favorite Polyps:
Favorite Sponge: The orange sponge on the Thorny Oyster
Favorite Crab:
Favorite Clam: Couldn�t decide � 1 Gigas, 2 Crocea, 1 Derasa, 3 Maxima, 1 Squamosa and Thorny Oyster

11) Can you include a table showing your elemental levels of Ca+, alkalinity, S.G., temperature, pH and other interesting testables?


12) What experiences and challenges have you had with the tank? Any lessons learned? Is there anything you do differently than others (or differently than previously)? If so, why?
I still don�t know what the heck I am doing! For the moment everything is still alive and growing.
All I know is that if you use Lava Rock your snails might die.

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