![]() Cirrhilabrus johnsoni (Johnsoni Fairy wrasse).Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis (Rhomboid Fairy wrasse).Chaetodon kleinii (Sunburst butterflyfish).Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis (Blue-stripe Angelfish).Genicanthus melanospilos (Japanese Swallowtail Angelfish).Genicanthus watanabei (Watanabei Angelfish).Pygoplites diacanthus (Regal Angelfish).Centropyge joculator (Joculator Angelfish x2).Paracanthurus hepatus (Blue Regal tang).So I used an idea that Gary Majchrzak came up with that has become famous, clear mesh netting with window screen framing. When I first started collecting wrasses, I learned fast that I needed to find some sort of cover to keep the wrasses from jumping out of the tank. I fell in love with Wrasses and Angels 4 years ago and they have multiplied to quite a nice collection. Other Reactors: Deltec fluidized reactor, Korrallin Bio Denitrator, Enaly Ozone generator.RO/DI: Spectrapure Max 90 RO/DI unit for all top off water, which first runs through a DIY 36" kalkreactor.Circulation: 2x Vortech MP40, closed loop Reeflo Sequence Dart. ![]() Bulbs: 3x 250w DE Phoenix 14k bulbs on Bluewave ballasts, 4x 39w T-5 Geissmann blue plus actinics.Lighting: Maristar 72 inch lighting fixture.Sump: 50 gallon sump with 2 inch drain line that is a manifold to feed equipment.Display tank: 72”L x 24’H x 30”W Acrylic Tank.That was June of 2006, I have not looked back since. I added some new equipment to the tank closed loop, ozone, and then I buffed out the scratches. Off to Los Angelos we went, and the adventure began, although Vickie swears she will never drive through downtown LA again. I asked my wife to come and take a look, I surely knew what she was going to say, but to my complete surprise, she said, “If you are absolutely sure” and that was all it took. ![]() It was the perfect size for my spot downstairs, and it came with all the equipment I had hoped I would own someday. One night I was on the PC and on Reef Central when I stumbled upon a beautiful 225 gallon setup for sale in Los Angeles. I had no more room and I was really getting the itch to expand, but Vickie was still not convinced on a larger system. The spring of 2006, my 65 gallon was as full as it could get with coral. It was at this time that I started working on my wife for a larger tank. Soon this tank was full of life and thriving. I remember seeing amazing TOTM features and was in total awe. I also learned that year of a Website called Reef Central. It is here that I really began to learn from people that had a common goal of being successful with saltwater livestock. Later that same year I discovered that Salt Lake had a local reef club, Wasatch Marine Aquarium Society, and that they met once every first Thursday of the month. I eventually became friends with a local guy starting up his own reef shop, he sent me on the right road to a successful reef tank. I had no idea what it took to start a saltwater system, and I about gave up on it when I investigated further and found out how much it would cost me to start up compared to freshwater. Needless to say, with many questions to my LFS I finally had the equipment to start my 65g saltwater setup. So on my birthday 2003, after asking permission first of course, I decided to buy a 65 gallon aquarium/ stand/ canopy. After 3 years of freshwater, I found myself becoming less and less enthused. I immediately fell in love with the variety of fish and eventually had a 29 gallon tank as full as possible, always maintaining quality water and healthy fish. Vickie and the girls decided to buy me a small 29 gallon freshwater fish setup. The first 20 years kept me traveling quite a bit and never really having much of a family life, but Christmas 1999 changed my whole life. I’ve been a ceramic tile installer ever since I was 20 years old, traveling the western states installing ceramic tile projects in LDS churches and McDonald’s restaurants. I’m 52 years young now, married to a lovely and very understanding wife, Vickie, and have two beautiful daughters, Natalie, Megan, and now, one son in law, Alex. My name is Brad Syphus and I feel I am in a fictional story, because it is truly a dream come true to be nominated, and then asked by my peers on Reef Central to be Tank of the Month. I was so excited the day I received the invite that I asked a friend how can I write this article and not have it sound stupid? He replied, ‘Try to just be yourself and everything will be alright.' Well, I said, I’ll give it a try. Hello all, Let me take a moment and introduce myself.
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