A 7-Year SPS Reef Tank That’s Still Running (350 Gallons)

A 7-Year SPS Reef Tank That’s Still Running (350 Gallons)

Real-world experience from a ~350-gallon system

Before anything else, I want to be clear — this is not a sales post, and it’s definitely not a “tank show-off” thread.

Over the years, I’ve had a lot of people ask me the same questions over and over again: system parameters, equipment choices, maintenance routines, and what actually matters long-term. Instead of repeating myself each time, I figured it was easier to write everything down in one place and share it when asked.

Another reason I wanted to write this is because most SPS-related content online focuses on tanks during their best-looking phase — usually the first year or two, sometimes even just a few months. When things are going well, people post. When things start going sideways, tanks crash, or people quietly step away from the hobby, updates usually stop.

That creates a lot of survivorship bias.

From my own experience, an SPS-dominant reef doesn’t really stabilize until around year three, and it isn’t truly mature until five years in. Any system that has been running for seven years or more has almost certainly gone through multiple failures, adjustments, and corrections before finding a balance that actually lasts.

I don’t consider this a “right way” to run a reef. It’s simply a system that has been running for seven years — and is still running.

The System at a Glance

  • Main display: 72" × 24" × 24"
  • Frag tank: 72" × 24" × 18"
  • Total system volume: ~350 gallons (including sump and auxiliary tanks)
  • System age: 7 years (no full reboot, no major teardown/redesign)
  • Corals: ~99% SPS (no real focus on LPS/softies in this system)
  • Fish load: ~45 fish (kept intentionally moderate)

Parameters I’ve Been Able to Hold Long-Term

I don’t chase perfect numbers. What matters to me is staying within a range that has proven stable over years, not weeks. I’m far more concerned with consistency than hitting a specific target number.

  • Temperature: 77°F year-round
  • Salinity: 1.025
  • Alkalinity: 7–8 dKH
  • Calcium: ~450 ppm
  • Magnesium: ~1350 ppm
  • Nitrate: ~5 ppm
  • Phosphate: 0.07–0.15 ppm

Equipment That Stuck Around

Nothing here is about chasing the newest or strongest gear. Everything still in use earned its place by being reliable and low-maintenance.

  • Skimmer: Simplicity 800DC skimmer (dependable and easy to maintain)
  • Flow: Five Ecotech MP40s + one MP60, all running Crest Mode at 100% (strong directional flow across the tank length)
  • Lighting: Nine Ecotech Radion XR30 G5 Blues on AB+, whites dialed down to ~30% (this setup has stayed largely unchanged for years)
  • Return: Two Ecotech Vectra M2 pumps
  • Heating: 600W BRS titanium heater
  • Element supplementation: Apex DOS for alkalinity & calcium
  • ATO / Kalkwasser: Ecotech Versa running kalkwasser (also doubles as ATO)
  • Monitoring: AquaWiz (primary), with Apex A2 Pro still integrated

Equipment I No Longer Use

I ran a Trident for a period of time, but long-term stability wasn’t there for my system. After switching to AquaWiz, I stopped chasing automated testing solutions and haven’t looked back.

Day-to-Day Maintenance (Nothing Fancy)

Daily tasks are simple: feeding fish and cleaning glass.

  • Feeding: Hikari frozen Mysis and Brine Shrimp, with occasional Nori; Selcon added periodically for nutritional support
  • Top-off: Fully automated using kalkwasser
  • Daily focus: Observation matters more than action — especially SPS polyp extension and overall coral behavior

Weekly routine:

  • Water change: ~10% weekly using Aquaforest Reef Salt
  • Cleaning: Filter socks and skimmer during water-change day
  • Amino: Aquaforest Amino Mix, twice per week
  • Trace elements: Tropic Marin Trace Elements, ~15 ml every three days
  • Manual testing: Once per week (even with automation)
  • AquaWiz calibration: About once per month

Lessons That Repeatedly Proved True Over Seven Years

Quarantine is not optional.

Every new coral spends at least a month in quarantine. Pest management is dramatically easier and cheaper in a small system. Once pests like red bugs, white bugs, or AEFW reach a mature SPS display, the situation becomes exponentially more complicated. I’ll likely write a dedicated post on this alone.

Less tinkering leads to more stability.

New gear and new products often introduce more risk than benefit in established systems.

Automation doesn’t replace manual testing.

I still trust my own test results more than any single device.

Consistency beats intensity.

Wild swings between “over-maintaining” and neglect are far worse than a steady routine.

Keep fish load reasonable.

High bioload SPS systems eventually pay the price.

This is simply one system, run one way, over a long period of time. It won’t apply to everyone.

But if it helps someone planning a long-term SPS system — or trying to keep an established one alive — then writing it was worth it.

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