This 9 Year Old Aquarium is PACKED with Corals

Summary

In this video, we explore Alexander's stunning 9-year-old saltwater aquarium, featuring an extensive array of thriving corals and fish. The tour highlights his dedication despite challenges like frequent power outages and the war in Ukraine, showing how he maintains energy efficiency with LED lighting, generators, and innovative heating solutions. Alexander’s reef is heavily overgrown, requiring careful lighting and flow management, supplemented by Tropic Marine dosing and a 24/7 calcium reactor. The video also showcases his custom-made protein skimmer, designed for efficiency and aesthetics, and offers viewers a chance to acquire one for free if they can host its installation, making this both an inspiring and interactive aquarium feature story.

Takeaways

• 🐟 Alexander owns both a saltwater fish store in Odessa, Ukraine, and a private aquarium at home, both featuring large, well-established tanks.
• 🐾 Visitors to the store are greeted by a friendly cat who demands attention before checking out the aquariums.
• 💡 The store has faced frequent power outages over the past two years, prompting Alexander to use generators and switch from T5 lighting to energy-efficient LEDs.
• 🔥 A fireplace in the store helps maintain warmth during winter and reduces electricity use, ensuring aquariums remain safe during outages.
• 🕰️ Some of Alexander’s tanks in the store are over 10 years old, with one even over 14 years, showcasing well-maintained corals and healthy fish.
• 🏠 The private aquarium at Alexander’s home is almost 10 years old, holds about 650 L of water, and has a diverse, overgrown reef that requires careful maintenance.
• ⚡ The ongoing war in Ukraine has created challenges for maintaining aquariums due to unstable energy infrastructure, but Alexander mitigated this with a small generator.
• 🌈 The private aquarium uses LED bars from Orac to provide adequate light for the heavily overgrown corals, helping them thrive while reducing energy consumption.
• 💧 Alexander employs a dosing pump for Tropic Marine’s All for Reef supplements during the day, along with a calcium reactor to maintain stable alkalinity.
• 🌊 Proper water flow is maintained using five pumps to ensure all corals receive adequate circulation.
• 🛠️ Alexander develops his own innovative aquarium equipment, including protein skimmers and reactors, which are highly efficient and uniquely designed.
• 🎁 The video offers a free custom-made skimmer installation opportunity for someone in the Netherlands, Germany, or Belgium, provided the installation is filmed.

Q & A

Who owns the saltwater aquariums featured in the video?

Alexander, who also owns a saltwater fish store in Odessa, Ukraine, owns the aquariums featured in the video.

How old is Alexander's private aquarium?

Alexander's private aquarium is almost 10 years old.

What is the size and water capacity of Alexander's home aquarium?

The aquarium measures 207x46x77 cm, holds about 650 liters of water, with the water level sitting at approximately 70 cm.

What lighting system does Alexander use in his aquariums, and why?

Alexander switched from high-consuming T5 fixtures to LED bars from Orac. This reduces energy consumption and ensures adequate light coverage for the overgrown reef.

How does Alexander maintain coral health in his reef tank?

He uses a dosing pump to supply All-for-Reef supplements containing calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, and trace elements, and also runs a calcium reactor 24/7 to maintain stable alkalinity.

What challenges did Alexander face during the war in Ukraine regarding his aquariums?

Frequent power outages and attacks on the energy infrastructure threatened the survival of his aquariums. He managed by using a small generator to keep the tanks running.

What flow system is used in the home aquarium and why is it important?

Alexander uses five pumps to ensure proper water flow throughout the aquarium, which is essential for coral health and nutrient distribution in such a large and overgrown reef.

What is unique about the coral setup in Alexander's aquarium?

The reef has been heavily overgrown over the years, creating massive coral colonies that produce shadows, making lighting coverage a complex challenge.

What kind of protein skimmer is featured in the video?

A custom-made, innovative protein skimmer designed by Alexander, with a sleek design suitable for large saltwater aquariums.

What issue does the video presenter have with installing the skimmer?

The presenter lacks a sump under their aquarium, which is usually required for installing such a skimmer, so they are looking for someone in the Netherlands, Germany, or Belgium to help install it.

How has Alexander adapted his aquariums to frequent power outages?

He uses generators to maintain electricity for pumps, skimmers, and lighting, and a fireplace to keep the room warm during outages, reducing reliance on electrical heating.

What does the video reveal about Alexander’s store aquariums?

Some of the show tanks in Alexander’s store are over 10 years old, with one tank being over 14 years old, all filled with healthy corals and a few fish, demonstrating impressive long-term aquarium maintenance.