225g CDA SPS dream build

[SmCaudata]

Woooo! Thanks @Bulk Reef Supply ! Just saved $450 on six Radion XR15 gen 5 blues. Worth the wait of about 6 months to get that savings. So the tank will be lit by 6 Radion Xr15 gen 5 blues and two 72” reef brite XHO actinics.

The tank and stand are built and the bar got epoxied but I am just waiting to confirm I like the look of the epoxy work enough to let it ship. So it should be very very soon! I have five banggai cardinals in quarantine and am removing the copper from my tang/clown/sixline wrasses QT system. The sixline will go back into the lagoon when it finishes the fallow to pick off the vermetid snails that have built up.

Looking forward to seeing this.

Do you know what size holes you had them drill in the bracing for cord management? I'd hate to do this and then go too small.

 

[AaronFReef]

Looking forward to seeing this.

Do you know what size holes you had them drill in the bracing for cord management? I'd hate to do this and then go too small.

CDA will drill one of two sizes for you in the eurobracing. 1.25” and 1.5”. A Gyre XF350 cable is 1/2” at the plug end so there’s more than enough room for it. I had the same thought to check the actual equipment size.

 

[SmCaudata]

CDA will drill one of two sizes for you in the eurobracing. 1.25” and 1.5”. A Gyre XF350 cable is 1/2” at the plug end so there’s more than enough room for it. I had the same thought to check the actual equipment size.

Thanks bks. Seems like the DC plugs will fit just fine. Wonder if the ac heater plug will go through the smaller....

 

[Daniel@R2R]

I drove an insanely long day yesterday from Monterey to Oceanside and back which for you non-Californians is a metric boatload of miles. I went down to CDA to look at the stand as it is nearing completion. I’m glad I did as I got to see the color in person and realized my custom color choice was a lot lighter than I had realized once you saw the full thing and even my own pictures standing in front of it didn’t capture that as the phone darkened it. Also saw an issue or two that are luckily easy to resolve and got to chat with Trent about how to take the tank from delivery to install with a lift table. They are still being slowed by supply issues, this time from stainless hinges. But after a couple fixes, and staining and finishing a sealant on the eurobracing it will be ready. Hopefully that means this month it will be coming. I took plenty of pics so enjoy! The tank on the stand isn’t mine btw; it was going to be but they just built a new one when they realized they forgot the cord holes in the eurobracing so it’s the one in the pics on the floor.

Man, that's beautiful! What's the depth of the bar? That is awesome! Can't wait to see it filled!

 

[AaronFReef]

Thanks bks. Seems like the DC plugs will fit just fine. Wonder if the ac heater plug will go through the smaller....

I’m not sure. I think a plug is probably around that size if I had to guess but I don’t plan to use a heater in the main display anyways until this retires to a frontosa cichlid tank when I’m too tired to maintain a reef anymore

 

[AaronFReef]

Man, that's beautiful! What's the depth of the bar? That is awesome! Can't wait to see it filled!

Thanks! We measured our dinner plates and added an inch so I believe it’s 13”.

 

[AaronFReef]

Looking forward to seeing this.

Do you know what size holes you had them drill in the bracing for cord management? I'd hate to do this and then go too small.

I just googled this and a standard AC plug has the bars separated 1/2” so it should be small enough with the plastic part of a typical plug to also pass through.

 

[AaronFReef]

Tank is shipping any day and is all finished! Did some work on the water station shed and have it wired and with a front minus the doors now.

Banggais are in copper and I can add the sixline wrasse back to my display very soon! All seem happy in quarantine but my male percula clown is definitely going to be gimpy for life from spinal or swim bladder issues he’s had for a long time. Even with him in top shape again as far as his fins go he isn’t swimming regular again. We will see if we don’t swap him for a more healthy guy..

 

[AaronFReef]

So. A thing happened two days ago.

It was quite the moving day. Long story, but it involved encouraging a semi with a 28 foot trailer to try to drive through my back lawn which now has some nice long areas where he had to burn out to get unstuck lol. In the end he had to drop it at the closest point he could drive which meant what seemed a daunting move but turned out not to be so bad with some sheets of plywood and a pallet jack plus dollies and a lift table for the final 40” lift.

 

[AaronFReef]

The bar is here but will be attached today. I’m focusing on getting the water change she’d finished today as quickly as possible so I can begin working on the tank this week and ordering pieces.

My radions arrived and though they are called XR15 “blues” I underestimated how heavily blue they were. They don’t make much beyond an actinic color without turning the blues nearly off from a quick test of one. I may exchange them for pros as I am using a couple reef brite actinic xho strips already and worry I won’t be able to get a bluish but full spectrum color from these during the peak of the day as I had planned. Thoughts anyone on the blues versus pro with reef brite strips?

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Dude!!! I'm so excited for you!! That tank looks awesome!!!

 

[Marine Iguana]

Following, this tank is gonna be incredible

 

[RGoltz]

The bar is here but will be attached today. I’m focusing on getting the water change she’d finished today as quickly as possible so I can begin working on the tank this week and ordering pieces.

My radions arrived and though they are called XR15 “blues” I underestimated how heavily blue they were. They don’t make much beyond an actinic color without turning the blues nearly off from a quick test of one. I may exchange them for pros as I am using a couple reef brite actinic xho strips already and worry I won’t be able to get a bluish but full spectrum color from these during the peak of the day as I had planned. Thoughts anyone on the blues versus pro with reef brite strips?

I have XR15 PRO and can at least tell you that my peak lighting is:

• Blues: 100
• Green, Red: 20
• Warm White: 35
• Cool White: 80

Of course that is just a 4 hour peak added into a modified AB+ program. I like the colors throughout the day. PAR is basically 275-325 across 80% of the tank, only limited by rockwork.

On my next tank, I would happily add additional XR15 PRO and also add the Quanta Meso Blue LED bars. I’ve never seen anyone with this combination but I think it would pop.

 

[AaronFReef]

So last night we went to put the bar on and found it had to have some hardware installed before the tank was slid into place and my wife and I can’t budge the tank on our own….. Delay to get that tested out.

Got my shed mostly constructed now. Has a roof and the frames of the doors. So it won’t be long before the actual equipment construction begins in there and I can turn my attention to the tank fully.

 

[AaronFReef]

I tested out the Reef Brite and XR15 blue combo on my lagoon for a second. The color is actually not as blue as I feared in Coral Lab AB+ with the reef brite actinic but I’d still prefer a smidge more full spectrum. I plan to swap my unopened reef brite actinic for a daylight model and place that up front to light the fish normally. Fish lose their apparent colors under blue and I want to enjoy them fully.

Alternatively, I put my Kessil a360x on white and used it to fill and that was beautiful. I may plan to throw that in for q spotlight shimmer effect but I was going to use that in the frag compartment of the sump so we will see.

 

[AaronFReef]

I’ve been sitting around sick all week so lots of time to do little prep and planning for when I’m healthy again and can get back to work. I’ve researched Co2 degassers for RODIs a lot in an effort to reduce how often I have to change my anion resin which is about once per 80g. Quite annoying and expensive. I think I’m going to use a degassing tower with a Aquatec supply pump pumping through the DI canisters from it.

I haven’t been able to make much progress on plumbing but I’m considering the ReefMat pretty heavily since watching @Reef Breeders review of it and seeing how it would likely work well in my Trigger Sapphire 44 if I don’t have to move my skimmer down a chamber. Measurements needed to consider that.

 

[AaronFReef]

I got my hands on a purple tang, a Desjardini tang, and a Midas Blenny. I’m having trouble locating a yellow tang or a gem tang locally but these guys can start QT and get introduced all at the same time to the DT. They’re gorgeous and the purple in particular looks super healthy.

It was also the local Coral Farmers Market and I scored a TGC Cherry Bomb, (TSA? What I was told but think it’s CB) Pretty in Pink, Vivid Confetti, and JF Fox Flame. They were looking great but lost all color just from the car trip… hope they come back well

 

[AaronFReef]

We did it! We got the tank set in its final spot, leveled, and mounted the bar. Even cracked a cold one on it and watched my kids take a pretend swim in the tank after I did my pose!

 

[AaronFReef]

The work begins.

 

[AaronFReef]

We got the LED strip lights in yesterday and man does that make it nice under there for like $20. It’s controllable by Alexa and has a cool mode that flashes the lights in different colors according to music it must be able to pick up on a microphone! Crazy!

I’m struggling a bit to determine how to plumb and brace it. Bracing in a stand with minimal drillable areas is difficult. More on that after the plumbing plan. I think I’ll reduce from 1-1/4” off the COR20 union after a short vinyl hose connection. Some people say silicone but I worry that won’t have the longevity that vinyl will. Thoughts?

Then after the hose section I’ll reduce to 1” and stay 1” through the four port manifold I will make which will be 1” because I so happen to have four 1” Cepex ball valves and then I will reduce to 3/4” for the final run. The other return will just reduce to 3/4” its hose section.

What I’m actually struggling with is how to secure the manifold and overflow lines to anything. The deck is recessed above the steel tubing so I can’t flush mount the pipe into it with normal brackets. I’d have to drop them down with a cheater piece of 2x4 or something perhaps a bit ugly. The stand is painted steel and the manufacturer said he doesn’t suggest drilling it. Thoughts on that? Pics to show what I’m working with.
Green is the beananimal overflows and the purple is the two returns with one having a manifold.

the thin white is the deck that would be drillable on the back here as well as wood wrapping that center brace.