Tank Profile: Roy Seine’s Alluring 312-Gallon Reef

When I came across a full-tank shot of this large aquarium, I knew I had to learn more about the system and its owner. Great profiles, large coral colonies, showcase-size specimens, and a clean bare-bottom layout all collaborate to catch the eye of many an aquarist, including myself. So let’s dive in…just try not to splash!

The Aquarist

An interesting aspect of profiling aquariums that have drawn my gaze is finding out about the hobbyists behind them. Roy Seine, the aquarist responsible for the previously mentioned acrylic box reef, has been keeping marine aquariums since 1990. It’s not surprising to hear he favors small polyp stony (SPS) corals and giant clams, and that appreciation comes through in this salty display.

During his two-plus decades in the hobby, Roy has maintained a number of aquariums ranging from 1 gallon all the way up to 500 gallons. A look into this past lineup reveals two species-specific tanks, a 120-gallon focused on chalice corals, and another specifically designed for Montipora. In the future, Roy hopes to build a seagrass system that’s home to Fungia corals and pipefish.

Aquarium & System Overview

With an impressive, outside-the-box 5’x5’ footprint, this 20”-tall display tank equates to 312 gallons. The all-acrylic construction features a coast-to-coast internal weir with dual Bean Animal overflows. Also, a 1” drain line is installed in the back panel to expedite evacuating the entire display should the need ever arise. A fish room houses most of the support systems and equipment, including a large sump, dedicated frag tank, and separate refugium.

The fish room houses support equipment for Roy’s reef display

Equipment & Maintenance

Roy utilizes a variety of manufactured equipment and DIY builds to support his reef. The equipment list looks like this:

2x 1.5” Sea Swirl wave maker
2x EcoTech MP40
Return pump: ReeFlo Hammerhead (@ 5,800GPH)
4x EcoTech Radion G1 LED light (with TIR lens)
Ocean Revive Arctic-T247 LED lights
2x 300w EHEIM Jager heater
Neptune Apex aquarium controller
DIY Kalkwasser reactor setup (with float switch in sump)
Korallin C3002 calcium reactor (controlled by APEX)
Reef Octopus SRO 5000 skimmer (with Bubble Blaster 5000 pump)

His maintenance routine breaks down as follows:
Daily: Feed fish, fill auto-top-off (ATO) reservoir, clean aquarium panels
Weekly: Clean skimmer, remove excess chaeto algae, add kalkwasser to reactor
Monthly: Check calcium reactor media, clean pumps, etc