SCR Member: StickMaster18
First Name: Scott
Years in Hobby: 12
Age of Featured Reef: 4 Years
INTRODUCTION
Hey everyone! My name is Scott and I’ve been in the saltwater hobby for about 12 years. Before this reef system, I spent years learning the ropes with larger fish-only setups. My first true dive into saltwater was a 180-gallon FOWLR tank, where I kept a mix of tangs, triggers, and angels. It was all about the fish back then—and that experience helped me understand the importance of stability, water quality, and husbandry before diving into corals.
From there, I upgraded to this 250-gallon FOWLR system that ran successfully for six years. That tank allowed me to refine my equipment setup, filtration approach, and maintenance routines. It was a great system, but eventually I caught the reef bug. I started experimenting with a few easy corals in the corners of the 250, and the rest is history.
The transition to a fully mixed reef tank was a big leap, but having a solid foundation from those fish-only years gave me the confidence and discipline to take on the challenges that come with coral care—especially in a high-bioload system.
I am really excited to share all of the details on my SPS dominant reef system which has been up and running for the last 4 years. I have now spent the last year running the Moonshine Method on the tank and the results have been incredible!
As you can see from the pictures one of my biggest passions in the hobby is collecting tangs and other hard to keep fish and corals. There’s something incredible about their personalities, movement, and the vibrant colors they bring to a reef. I’m always on the lookout for unique additions to my tank and love discussing different species, their behaviors, and the best ways to keep them healthy. Currently in this system there are 27 tangs in various groups and soon to be schools in the large system. The highlight of the tank is definitely the 5 gems tangs that all cruise around together. I will list all of the other inhabitants below.
Right now, I’m in the process of setting up my dream build—a 1,000-gallon SPS-dominated reef system with a dedicated fish room. Because of this, my 300-gallon tank will only be operational for the next few weeks as I transition to the larger system. I’m excited about the challenges and opportunities that come with scaling up, and I look forward to sharing the journey with you guys. I will be listing my tank for sale if anyone has an interest show me a message. Here are all the specs for the tank.
SYSTEM PROFILE
Display tank: 265G , 300G Total with Sump
Dimensions: 84" x 24" X 30"
Stand: Custom Built Stainless Steel Stand by my good friend at RighteousWeld
Sump: 60 gallon ero-fil
Protein skimmer: 2x Aquamaxx ConeS Q-6 protein skimmers
Return Pump: 2x Ecotech L2 Vetras
Water circulations: 2 Ecotech MP40s, 2 Maxspect Gyre xf 350s, 3 AI Nero 5s
Lighting: 7 Ecotech Radion XR 30 Gen 5 and 6 Blues
Doser: 1 Neptune DOS, 1 Ecotech Versa, 1 Bubble Magus
Heater: BRS 600 watt titanium heater
Chiller: JBJ 1/3 HP Arctica Chiller
Controller: Neptune Apex with Trident & Trident NP
UV: Aqua UV Classic 57 Watt
Reactor: Aquamaxx GFO, Avast Marine Kalk Stirrer
ATO: Tunze Osmolator
WATER PARAMETERS & DOSING
ALK: 8.2 - 8.5 dkh
CA: 420 - 440 ppm
MAG: 1400 ppm
PHOSPHATE: 0.07-0.12 ppm
NITRATE: 10-15 ppm
TEMP: 77-78 F
SALINITY: 1.026 sg
Currently dosing 300 ml of BRS Soda Ash and 240 ml of BRS calcium chloride. My ATO doses all of my Kalk but I will be changing that as of this week. Just bought a new Neptune DOS QD that arrives this week.
LIGHTING
I run my light from 6:00am-5:00PM on TSA's farm schedule program I got from their website. I run the light intensity at 80%. I had to turn it down when I put the 6th and 7th light on the tank.
WATER FLOW
My tank has (2) MP40s sitting on opposite ends from each other. I run them on the Ecotech Reef Crest mode at 80%. The 2 gyres run during the daytime at 50% on the randomized gyre flow setting. The 3 Nero 5s along the back wall are all programmed differently based on the corals that are in front of them.
FILTRATION AND MAINTENANCE
For filtration, I am mostly dependent on my my skimmers that are a bit overkill for the tank. Having over 50 fish in a 300 gallon system has it challenges but all of the corals typically consume as much as I feed and my nutrient levels in the tank are generally pretty stable. I am currently running the moonshine method on the tank for the past year and things have really started to take off.
CORALS AND FISH
Fish
5 Gem Tangs
1 Black Tang
3 Purple Tangs
1 Achilles Tang
1 Power Blue Tang
1 Orange Shoulder Tang
1 Koi Scopas Tang
4 Vlamingii Tangs
1 Regular Scopas Tang
4 Blue Tangs
1 Sailfin Tang
4 Convict Tangs
1 Quoyi Parrotfish
9 Lyretail Anthias
7 Blue Green Chromis
1 Ocellaris Clownfish
1 Redtail Trigger
1 Rabbitfish
1 Sixline wrasse
1 Cleaner wrasse
1 Laboute's Fairy Wrasse
1 Mystery Wrasse
1 Leopard Wrasse
Corals
50+ Various SPS Colonies
TSA Sugar High Monti Covering the whole back wall of the tank
1 Holy Grail Torch
2 24 Gold Indo Torches
1 Malaysian Pink Tip Torch
1 New York Knicks torch
Various Zoas
Indo Hammers
Goni Garden
The Tang Gang
What makes this tank truly unique—and a bit of a spectacle—is the number of tangs I’ve successfully kept together. At one point, I had over two dozen tangs in the system, including several species that typically don’t get along. From Achilles to Gem, Purple, Powder Blue, Desjardini, and more—it’s a full-on tang paradise.
Tips for Keeping Many Tangs Together:
- Introduce them in groups: Adding multiple tangs at once helps spread out aggression. I rarely add a single tang without pairing it with others.
- Size matters: I try to introduce new tangs that are either much smaller or larger than existing ones. This disrupts the pecking order less.
- Mirror trick: Placing a mirror on the side of the tank can distract the dominant tangs during acclimation.
- Feed heavy and often: A well-fed tang is a less aggressive tang. I feed a variety of nori, pellets, frozen blends, and even graze-based auto feeders multiple times a day.
The Frag Tank: Controlled Coral Onboarding
One of the smartest decisions I made with this system was plumbing in a dedicated frag tank as part of the overall filtration loop. This separate but connected system gave me a controlled environment to onboard, observe, and acclimate all new coral before introducing them into the main display.
The frag tank was critical for:
- Monitoring new corals for pests, stress, or tissue loss
- Dipping and quarantining without risking the display
- Allowing frags to recover and encrust under stable parameters
- Testing placement and lighting response before full integration
Because it shared water with the main system, the transition was seamless once corals were ready. I could match lighting intensity and flow more gradually, which helped minimize shock and losses—especially with high-end pieces or more sensitive SPS. The frag tank also doubled as a place to grow out frags for trade or redistribution after trimming colonies in the main tank.
Having this dedicated space gave me a lot more confidence when bringing in new pieces and played a huge role in the coral health and stability I saw in the 300-gallon display.
Lessons Learned
Here are a few key takeaways for anyone looking to build a high-bioload reef like this:
- You can’t shortcut stability. Give the tank time to mature and avoid chasing every new product or method.
- Test consistently. Trust, but verify. Even with automation, I double-check key parameters weekly.
- Don’t rush livestock. Quarantine, acclimation boxes, and patience go a long way—especially with tangs.
- Design your tank for maintenance. Accessibility saved me countless headaches over the years.
FINAL THOUGHT AND RECOMMENDATION
In closing, my 300-gallon mixed reef has been an incredible journey—one that truly transformed over the past year thanks to the Moonshiners Method. What was once a solid system became a thriving, vibrant ecosystem, with dramatic improvements in coral coloration, polyp extension, and overall stability. This method gave me the precision and control I needed to take my reef to the next level. As I now prepare for the next chapter—a 1,000-gallon dream build—I’m more excited than ever. I look forward to creating a thriving reefscape with over 100 fish, including a curated collection of rare angelfish and wrasses, blending beauty, biodiversity, and balance on an entirely new scale.
Feel free to reach out to me for any more details on my current system or the exciting new build in the works—I'm always happy to share and connect with fellow reefers.
Please help me congratulate @StickMaster18 on this informative writeup for the SoCaliReef's community.
I definitely wanted to capture this tank as a TOTM before you tear it down and upgrade to the next massive 1000g adventure. Congrats!!!
