Click on picture for larger view.

Video Clip available further down page This was our first reef tank, overall it was four foot wide, although  almost a foot of the tank (to the right of the shot) was sectioned off to to act as a sump.  The sectioned off area contained the unsightly equipment . The tank was run as a modified Berlin, and despite the lack of a sump, proved very successful.  As far as the livestock was concerned we tried to only purchase inverts or fish if we were sure the tank would provide the correct conditions for them to flourish. Towards the end, space was so very limited, any new inhabitant had to have more than just good looks to offer! e.g a Copperband with a taste for Aiptasia. To deal with the lack of space, a separate sump-less 4ft coral farming / fragging tank was set up.  This proved successful with the propagation of hard and soft corals, despite advice that they should ideally be propagated separately. The duplication of tasks with the two tanks was the perfect justification for moving to a single larger system 

Equipment List

  You will see from the equipment lists below, that the display tank became quite automated.  This was primarily to reduce the level of maintenance required.

•  Metal Halide lighting, 2 x 150w
•  2 x T8 3ft tubes, one Actinic and one 'marine white'
• Six circulation pumps controlled by an IKS Aquastar
•   ORP controlled sulphur based nitrate filter, modified from a fluid bed filter (which slightly acidic output helped feed the calcium reactor (Not done in new system))
•    Calcium Reactor, containing a magnesium enriched media controlled by an IKS Aquastar
•   Phosphate filter
•  Carbon filter
•   30W UV sterilizer
•   Red Sea, Berlin Classic with another make of needle wheel pump
•   Living rock for filtration (raised above the sand bed)
•   Thermostatically controlled evaporation fan
•   Water top up system, with RO water via a peristaltic pump (taken from old air conditioning equipment)
•   Kalkawasser stirrer fed by top up system controlledby an IKS Aquastar
•  External chiller unit for extra cooling and absolute temperature control
•    ORP controlled ozone unit, maintaining ORP at 410 mv
•  Peristaltic Dosing pump, for multiple uses (depending on current need) e.g.  marine snow, Mg etc

The use of gadgets obviously increase the cost of the hobby; not being made of money, where possible, equipment has been purchased second hand.  I have found that very cheap vinegar (basically acid) removes any calcium deposits quickly (especially when pre-warmed).  Leaving you with a shiny piece of kit for, often, a lot less than half the price