REEF OF THE MONTH - January 2025: Steve Weast's Beautiful 400 Gallon Mixed Reef

[KQuillan]

Simply stunning. I am blinded by the brightness and beauty of your tank~!

 

[rishma]

I made a short video on the flow system a few months ago which might explain it better.

I love this idea! Well done, sir.

 

[KDH]

Can you send another picture of the front of the tank. The current picture is dark and hard to see how it fits in the room. Thank you!!

 

[steveweast]

It’s not in a room. It’s in the garage.

 

[vitaliyphoto]

Fantastic tank!! I can’t believe the colors actually, they are fascinating!
Do you know the rough par range you are cooking them at?

 

[steveweast]

The bottom of the tank is generally around a par of 200….the middle sections are around 700……and the top of rock pinnacles can exceed 2000. For example, the Magnifica anemone is about 6 inches away from an XR30 and experiences a par at 2000. The Gigantea anemone sits vertically on a pinnacle with its top tentacles also reaching a par of 2000 but its lower tentacles only experience 1300 par.

The aquascaping creates a few areas of excruciating high par…..along with areas of near darkness…..and everywhere in between. The vertical pinnacles can have a par of 2000 on top…and just below in a shaded area have less than 20 par. So…..it’s all over the map. In general though….most of the SPS are under a par of 700…..but a few have much much higher levels.

 

[hatfielj]

Wow! Another amazing tank! Your 850 gal Oregon Reef was probably the most inspirational tank I’ve seen in the near 20 years I’ve been in this hobby. I remember drooling over your pictures of that system years! I couldn’t get over the dimensions of that tank and the packed coral growth. Looked like a shot of a natural reef.

 

[Imrahilwjz]

Beautiful tank!

 

[Rocks reef]

Do you have a picture of the aquascape before adding the corals?

 

[Paulandreti]

Great tank! very nice and unique flow system!

 

[lombeard]

Beautiful reef!

 

[steveweast]

Do you have a picture of the aquascape before adding the corals?

I do not. However….even if I did, it would not be representative of the current rock structure. I change things a bunch over time and especially in the early stages…..by removing rock as the tank grows in.

I know some folks aquascape to allow future growth for years in advance. When I start a tank, it is aquascaped to look good from day one with too much rock for the long term…but it looks good in the beginning…..then rock is removed as corals grow.

 

[Arie_Idaho_Reef]

Absolutely stunning, great job!!!!

 

[Shevlin77]

What a gem of a tank. Amazing work.

Is managing the coral growth a frequent part of your maintenance too?

 

[steveweast]

What a gem of a tank. Amazing work.

Is managing the coral growth a frequent part of your maintenance too?

It certainly is a major part of regular maintenance. Jake Adams once told me “Given enough time, everything becomes a pest”. If our tanks were left to their own devices, it would like an episode of Survivor…..with just a sole Survivor left standing in the end. Creating and maintaining diversity within our tanks takes constant diligence.

 

[Reefing102]

Holy trip down memory lane. I remember your 850 from RC. It’s what’s inspired me to always dream of an extra wide custom tank. I normally don’t comment on ROTM threads but dang, thanks for the help with reliving memories

 

[Goubli]

Having had a total tank loss myself I remember reading about oregonreef going down and my heart broke. Knowing how much work and time went into that true masterpiece broke my heart for you. This is the first I have known you got back onto the horse (as so happens to many of us who get the reefing bug). I am so happy to see you back at it and crushing it-making me to question what can and cannot be done in this hobby.

It’s nice to have what I consider an OG Reefer back in the hobby. As soon as I start feeling like I have built a pretty nice system etc guys like you w more experience and attention to detail post and make me realize there is always room to grow and improve with experience.

I need to watch that flow video as I also hate the look of pumps and cords in tank, but have never figured a way around it.

Other questions I have for you would be around stocking.

I see a plethora of angels which I think make reefs really look the best. But how are you keeping the open brains and duncans and zoas in there? How much infighting and aggression are you getting (including tangs)?

Do you use an autofeeder? I got the plank and it has really helped fish health.

Thanks for sharing your tank!

 

[revhtree]

Well….there’s a change now. I’m glad that I took photos earlier for this expose. For the last week, my four year old Magnifica has been looking off. Now I know why. It’s splitting. I just took these photos. It’s using a pointed end of his rock to tear apart through the mouth all around that point. The split is nearly complete and looks to be two equal parts. The photos are kind of poor since they are from my iPhone with no filter.

WOW that's awesome and what a beautiful anemone!!

 

[steveweast]

Having had a total tank loss myself I remember reading about oregonreef going down and my heart broke. Knowing how much work and time went into that true masterpiece broke my heart for you. This is the first I have known you got back onto the horse (as so happens to many of us who get the reefing bug). I am so happy to see you back at it and crushing it-making me to question what can and cannot be done in this hobby.

It’s nice to have what I consider an OG Reefer back in the hobby. As soon as I start feeling like I have built a pretty nice system etc guys like you w more experience and attention to detail post and make me realize there is always room to grow and improve with experience.

I need to watch that flow video as I also hate the look of pumps and cords in tank, but have never figured a way around it.

Other questions I have for you would be around stocking.

I see a plethora of angels which I think make reefs really look the best. But how are you keeping the open brains and duncans and zoas in there? How much infighting and aggression are you getting (including tangs)?

Do you use an autofeeder? I got the plank and it has really helped fish health.

Thanks for sharing your tank!

There’s no doubt that I have had some success with questionable reef safe fish like an Emperor and Regal angel. I mostly attribute this to obtaining very small juveniles and having them grow up in the tank….becoming accustomed to aquarium foods instead of corals. This plan has worked out for me for an Emperor, a Regal, and a Copperband. The tangs were all added at once as juveniles four years ago. They too gre up in the tank.

This plan though didn’t work out for a Clown tang or a Clown trigger. Win some….lose some.

I hand feed. No auto feeder.

 

[steveweast]

WOW that's awesome and what a beautiful anemone!!

Both half’s of the Magnifica are now fully healed with each half eating again. They still occupy the same spot…so, it looks the same other than now there are two mouths to feed.