May Tank of the Month
Diana Tabor

Check out the PowerPoint presentation on Diana's tank by clicking here!

Below are some questions we asked Diana to answer:

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.
Diana Tabor
Layton, UT
Software Engineer/Manager
I had freshwater tanks when I was a kid, but have only been a saltwater aquarist since August 2003.
I’ve been a WMAS member since September 2003 (? I’d have to check with Mark)
I first heard of the WMAS because of the Reef Tour in 2001.

2) Describe your tank. Acrylic or glass? Size in dimensions and gallons. How long has it been set up?
I have a hex front acrylic aquarium. It measures 30” L x 12” W x 12” H with hex angles at the two front corners. It holds 17 gallons. It has been set up since August 2003.

3) Describe your lighting system, including your photo-period. Add what you would change if you could.
I have a CustomSeaLife PowerCompact fluorescent lighting system that contains 65W daylight (10K), 65W actinic, and two moonlights. My photo-period is 11 hours. I use an unusual schedule that appears to work well for my tank. Things stay happy but still seem to grow too fast for my small tank.

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Noon

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Moonlights

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Daylight

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.
I have a Penguin 170 (170 gal/hr) hang-on filter (minus bio-wheel) running full-time and a PowerSweep 214 (160 gal/hr) power head to mix things up. It continuously cycles 2 ¾ hour on and 15 minutes off. I use filter pads in the 170 only about half of the time and use carbon, when necessary. I occasionally add a pouch of Algone to clarify the water and remove excess nutrients (Nitrates). I mostly rely on my live rock, live sand, snails, crabs, and numerous filter feeders (6+ types of sponges, flame scallop, carnation coral, small clams, feather dusters, etc.) to keep things “clean.” My tank also contains several kinds of macroalgae that I periodically remove to help export contaminants and to utilize excess nutrients to prevent algae growth. I do not use a skimmer, plenum, deep sand bed, sump, or refugium.

5) What are your maintenance techniques? Include water change schedule.
I wipe down the inside of the acrylic about once a week, then do a 2 – 3 gallon water change the next day or later in the week. In my small tank, stability is important, so I always add new water slowly into the hang-on filter during the water change to minimize the impact of water parameter changes on tank inhabitants. I take my filter and power head apart and clean it about every month or two. I trim/rearrange macro algae and frag corals as necessary. I’m constantly pulling out xenia.

6) What additives do you use? Kalkwasser, Strontium, Molybdenum, Iodine, Magnesium, Other
I dose with Strontium/Molybdenum about every week. I also use Coral Accel on occasion. I own numerous test kits, but have found that the most reliable indicator of deficiencies is how my tank inhabitants look. I dose Iodine very rarely – only when xenia pulsing begins to slow. I slowly add calcium when my Halimeda looks like it needs it. I know that my alkalinity is low when my toadstool leather doesn’t stay open fulltime and then I’ll slowly add Kent Superbuffer-dKH or PH buffer (depending on my calcium level).

7) Describe your feeding philosophy. Include your schedule, and what you prefer to feed your system?
I think that variety is important, so I try to mix things up. I usually feed once or twice a day, but don’t really have a set schedule. I usually feed my fish and corals with droppers, but also add food like Cyclopeze in front of the power head, so they scatter throughout the water. When I know that something likes a certain food, I try to feed it that about half of the time. I have a clown that gets all excited whenever it sees me getting out a little orange pouch of Tetra Nature’sDelica Whole Brine Shrimp. My neon goby won’t touch the stuff, but he goes crazy for frozen brine shrimp (which I mix with a few drops of Kent Zoe, Golden Pearls, and a drop of Garlic Extreme). The other clown eats anything and everything. Everyone is happy with Cyclopeze. I also stir up the sand bed in certain areas every few days, so that my filter feeders (especially the carnation coral) can utilize the bacteria and micro particles.

8) Components not addressed above; ie, Calcium reactor. Any Do-it-yourself items of interest?
DIY – I made the frame that my lights sit on. (Since it’s a hex front aquarium, none of the light stands would fit.)

9) Address the stand and canopy.
I couldn’t find a stand anywhere that I felt matched my room and fit my personality, so I purchased a bow-front maple stand, then covered it with varnished fruitwood blinds for a stylish tropical look. It turned out great!

10) Items of interest: Favorite or unusual Fish, coral, or invertebrate
Favorite Fish: All of my fish have unique personalities, and I love them all equally. J
Favorite Coral: Carnation Coral – I love the bright pink and it’s texture.
Favorite Polyps: Sun Polyps – Their bright color keeps me staring at the tank, even when the only lights on are the moonlights.
Favorite Sponge: Blue sweeping filament sponge – It’s interesting and ever changing.
Favorite Crab: My Boxer Crab (a.k.a. Pom Pom Crab) – He’s got real personality, especially when he shows others who’s boss. Though, it is entertaining to watch the porcelain crab fishing for Cyclopeze. Hmmm…
Favorite Worm: My Coco Worm – Beautiful color, mesmerizing to watch.
Favorite Clam: Flame Scallop – When I wake up at night, I sometimes find it exploring the tank, clicking its shells loudly to swim. In the morning, it’s always back in its usual spot. Sneaky. Also, I like how it stirs up the sand for the Carnation Coral and its beautiful color.

11) Can you include a table showing your elemental levels of Ca+, alkalinity, S.G., temperature, pH and other interesting testables?
Salinity: 1.0245 – 1.025 (tested twice daily with refractometer)
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
pH: ~ 8.2 (haven’t tested for months)
Calcium: 400 – 450 ppm

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?
Overall, owning this tank has been a enjoyable experience. The greatest challenge came when my house was unexpectedly damaged by water leakage (not caused by the tank). I called a LFS to have the tank professionally moved to a “safe zone” in another room, as requested by the insurance company. The guys that came to move it removed about half of the water, moved the tank to the other room, and then proceeded to pour gallons and gallons of their saltwater directly into the top of the tank. They didn’t bother to measure the temperature, salinity, or pH. The water flooded over my button polyps, down the tube of my coco worm, and over my beautiful sponges. The tank was full before I could even tell them to stop. Sadly, everything in the tank that was hit directly with the water suffered serious damage. The button polyps slimed over in the next few days, my coco worm lost both of its feather heads, and the sponges died and turned gray.

I learned a few things from this unfortunate experience.

1. I learned the importance of stability, especially in small tanks. I always add new water slowly into the hang-on filter using airline tubing to blend the new water with the old, minimizing the impact of the change to my tank inhabitants.
2. I learned that corals are tougher than they appear, but patience is key.
     • It took about a month before tiny button polyps started to regenerate. After a couple more weeks, they were doing better than ever.
     • The coco worm had no activity for the first month, and I was beginning to think that it was dead. Then, I noticed that it would start to come out at night, slowly regrowing its feather heads. After about two more months, the spiral feather heads have grown about three and a half revolutions each.
     • The dead sponge residue had to be siphoned out. A few areas of sponge lived through the ordeal. They are slowly growing to recover the bare patches of rock.
3. I learned that you shouldn’t blindly trust anyone with your tank. Not even those that call themselves “professionals.” Tank activities should always be supervised by you. Ask all of your questions and discuss your concerns. If you don’t, you may regret it later.