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WAMAS Tank of the Month


It's an honor to be selected for WAMAS TOTM for August 2013, and definitely my biggest accomplishment in this hobby so far.

This is a 22 gallon tank that I built back in 2009. My original intention was to build an easy to clean and maintain tank where you can see through all 4 sides. The tank measures 24"x24"x9" and all sides are low iron glass. It has three holes drilled in the bottom glass: 2 for the overflow and 1 for the return. The sump / refugium is a 15 gallon high with 4 chambers.

I use 2 koralia nanos for in-tank circulation, and a Mag 2 return pump.

I built a dimmable LED fixture around 4 years ago and it has been working very well. It consists of 18 Cree XR-E LEDs (9 cool white, 9 Royal Blue) with no lenses. Whites are dimmed to 50% and blues run at 100%. LEDs come on at 1000 and go off at 2200.

I use a skimmer rated for 75 gallons, 4" filter sock, GFO reactor, 2" sand bed, rubble rock & chaeto algae. The tank also has a 1" or less sand bed & live rock that has been with me for more than 10 years.

I use a dosing pump to dose two part calcium and alkalinity, as well as vinegar. I add 2 500mg vitamin C tablets & iodine once a week.

I have two percula clowns, a yellow tang, a yellow watchman goby, an emerald crab, peppermint shrimp, 18 nerite snails & 1 astrea snail. I would have to say that my yellow tang is my favorite because I received it as a gift from my wife. I think he is happy; he swims all over the tank & eats very well.

I feed Formula One & Formula Two pellets, green seaweed, mysis shrimp, and Reef Roids by Polyp Lab.

My biggest challenges so far have been keeping parameters stable and battling pests. Some of the pests I've faced include bubble algae, aiptasia, hair algae, and cyano algae. Dinoflagellates algae was the worst of all. I tried several different ways to remove it with no success, and almost gave up on the hobby. I got rid of it by just increasing the flow in the tank--who would have guessed?

In the near future I will fix small issues with the tank and expand my light fixture. I will add a sunrise/sunset controller, upgrade to a 10"x10" square heatsink, and add more LEDs.

I would like to thank my wife for her continuous support and love for me and my hobby. I would also like to thank the WAMAS community for all their support, advice, and feedback, and for nominating my tank.


  • Salinity: 1.023 (swing arm)
  • Temperature: 79°F
  • Alkalinity: 9dKH (API)
  • Calcium: 420 ppm (API)
  • Magnesium: 1500 ppm (Salifert)
  • Phosphate: 0.015 (Hanna)
  • Nitrate: 0 ppm (API)

  • Small yellow tang
  • Percula clownfish pair
  • Yellow watchman goby
  • Green slimer
  • Frogspawn
  • Blue Hawkins
  • Bonsai acropora
  • War coral
  • Hurricane Eye chalice
  • PPE zoas
  • Green, rainbow, Ponape, Bird of Paradise, and pink birdnest
  • CUC

  • Display - DIY 24" x 24" x 9"
  • Sump - 15g tall
  • Skimmer - Eshopps PSK-75 in-sump
  • Lighting - DIY 18 Cree fixture (9CW / 9RB)
  • Return Pump - Mag 2
  • Circulation - 2x Koralia Nanos (425gph)
  • Media reactor - GSA
  • Dosing pump - Marine Color MCD-3-M
  • RO/DI - Ebay 5-stage
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