I did not have a clear plan in mind of what I wanted to achieve when getting into marine for the first time. All I knew was that I had always wanted a pair of clownfish, and the list grows as you get more into the hobby.
If you have limited space, or limited budget (yes, it can get far more expensive) then a Kent Bio Reef is the ideal starter tank, or indeed a tank for the long haul.
In marine you will never stop learning, ever...and the Kent is the perfect tank to facilitate the enormous learning curve.
Stability
You will quickly learn the importance of stable water parameters and how to manage them effectively, keeping on top of any fluctuations, and there are many in this smaller water volume than in a larger aquarium.
Nutrient control
You will soon understand nutrient control and how to control it effectively. Again, in this smaller water volume, phosphate and nitrate can quickly become very evident in algae growth. But equally so, because it's a small water volume any water changes are very easy when you consider that a 20% water change will fit in a 20L bucket. Imagine having to carry out a 20% water change on a 400L system!!
Also manual cleaning of the Kent (sand syphoning, glass cleaning, blowing rocks off with a powerhead to dislodge detritus) is far less labourious than it would be in a larger system.
How many fish can you keep?
The Kent limits you to the number of fish you can practically keep, as any specific water volume does. Having a water volume of 94L means that you are limited to 4 or 5 small fish.
I keep four fish. Two clownfish, a Randalls Goby and a Royal Gramma Basslet. These were all chosen for their temperament, their vibrant colour, and in the case of the Goby, his relationship with a Pistol shrimp.
Having any more fish will increase the bioload. In layman's terms...fish poo a lot. Poo becomes nitrate. Excess poo becomes excess nitrate which the bacteria in the tank can't deal with fast enough. Excess nitrate becomes unwanted algae and cyanobacteria.
So stick to 4 or 5 fish and you'll do well.
What coral can you keep?
Theoretically the compact T5 lights fitted are perfect for the growth of all coral. However, due to the smaller water volume and small changes in stability, the Kent is only really suitable for soft coral and some LPS.
If you're considering keeping SPS coral, consider a much larger water volume.
Rear filtering compartments
As mentioned above, you learn pretty quickly what does and doesn't work in such a small volume of water. In my case, I had planned to use filter floss in the second compartment. This is a big NO NO!! Filter floss and marine do not go hand in hand.I saw my nitrates rise pretty quickly doing this, and fall just as quickly when I stopped using it.
Plans do change and mine did just that.
You quickly realise that you need an efficient means of nutrient export as well as water changes, and in that vein I did the following:
I purchased a JBL Nano-glo 4 LED light that mounted on the outside of the tank at the first compartment with a with a magnet. This did mean that I had to cut away black film on the outside of the tank to allow the LED's to shine into the compartment.
This allowed me to grow and harvest cheatomorpha macro algae in the first compartment which drastically reduced reduced both phosphate and nitrate levels.
You also have the option of chemical nutrient export in products like Phosguard (which is ideal for rear filter compartments), and Purigen (also a good choice)
I also discovered how inefficient the Kent skimmer is, and soon replaced it with a Hydor Slim-skim Nano. This skimmer proved to be far more effective, and fitted perfectly into the third compartment, allowing the lid to close properly too.
The Kent weir height does come into conversation quite often as an annoyance, but I found with the Hydor skimmer that it was no longer a problem.
This is my filtration system, and it is very effective.
Bear in mind that that the live rock in your display is your primary filtration after all.
A word on light upgrading.
I had read many a post on fellow Kent owners changing the lighting wiring and adding a separate power source to run the blues on a separate timer. Crucially, I could never find an outcome.
Blue LED plug in the circuit board
I unplugged the LED from the circuit board, then cut the plug from the dual core cable.
I then joined the exposed LED cables to the exposed cables of the new power supply.
My suggestion would be to buy a separate blue led strip with it's own power supply and fit it, if you would like to run the blue on a separate timer.
To summarise....
It's a fantastic all in one marine tank with huge potential.
If you know practically nothing about marine, this is a good place to start. It's a make or break experience. Either you'll become addicted and make it your pride and joy, or use it as a stepping stone to something more advanced. Or you'll jack it in because you don't have the time, the patience, or the desire. Both ways, the expense was fairly minimal.
So it's an emphatic 'yes' to the Kent Bio Marine.
But be careful, if you don't lock your wallet up and throw away the key, you could end up spending a lot more than you had ever intended!!!!
My upgrade to a Red Sea Reefer 350
