4ddiction’s 60g Mixed Reef Build

4ddiction

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New reefer to these forums. Starting a new build since I am moving locations of my tank. Decided to start a thread to document and share my progress enjoy!

Background:
Started my addiction to salt water tanks about 8 years ago. First tank was a 6g where I had no clue what I was doing. Slowly I learned via my own mistakes and help from various reefing sites. I ditched the 6g and started up a 40g with a 10g sump.

Over time the 40g became a mixed reef with decent success!

ZXaqodL.jpg


Tank was growing and doing well until hurricane Sandy came around and we lost power for 9 days straighht. 98% of everything died. I had fish die in my hands as I tried to keep the tank warm/oxygenated. The sole two survivors were the black clown fish and one blue reef chromis who are still alive and well today.

I rebuilt the tank with foam rock walls but it was short lived as I soon found out the bottom of the tank was cracked and started to leak. So the project was scrapped.

oujYUf3.jpg


Finally I purchased a 60g cube rimless tank and it flourished once again.

EedH3az.jpg


The tank was up and running for a few years but it eventually experienced a crash most likely due to an Alkalinity swing. I lost some fish, most sps and lps. The zoanthids managed to survive and took over the tank.

Rw8UlsR.jpg


The Move

Present day I have moved to a new house and the 60g was still at my parents home. I always wanted to go larger (Red Sea 750xxl) but I had to move the tank to my house. So i began building a fish sump room in the basement and kept the 60g tank upstairs. The entire fish room was designed with the 750xxl in mind as a future upgrade. Hope you guys enjoy the build!

Equipment

Tanks
  • 60g 24” Rimless Cube
  • Trigger System 39 Sump
  • 18”x18”x10” frag tank
Lighting
  • Ecotech Radion G4
  • Kessil H160 Flora
  • Led frag light
Flow
  • Ecotech Mp10s
  • Iwaki MD55rlt
Filtration
  • Vertex Omega 150 skimmer
  • BRS reactor w/ Carbon
  • 10L of 25mm Siporax Ceramic media
  • 3 filter socks
  • Cheato fuge
Cooling and heating
  • 1/4hp chiller
  • Eheim Jagger 150w x 2
Electrical
  • Two dedicated 20amp electrical circuits
  • Apex Lite
  • Apex PH module
  • Apex WXM, VDM module
  • Avast Marine break out box
  • Avast Marine skimmer swabbie
  • Avast Marine RO Barrel tender
  • Grounding probe
  • Custom undersump LED lighting
The Build

Built a monster stand to house the sump tank, equipment and frag tank.

g0MF8Hg.jpg


Along the wall I hung up a base to house the equipment feed and return manifold. The return and drain lines are plumbed along the wall as well.

dJLwtO8.jpg


Drilled sump for external filter

q1WaNYs.jpg


Plumbing galore

snfMoii.jpg


Used a laundry plumbing line box for the upstairs to keep the plumbing somewhat neat.

sahy14P.jpg


Completed the main drain lines for the herbie overflow, and the main return line upstairs.

Unb9Nfu.jpg


8aCZ5x1.jpg


Picked up a 44g brute trash can to house my fish during the move and while I set up the display tank with its new aquascape.

Waiting on BRS to deliver some more goodies so I can turn my current 4 stage water filter into a 7 stage water filtration system.

Started to make RO/DI water for the sump to run a leak test on the basement plumbing. So far no leaks on the manifold system!

In addition I plumbed in my second RO filter to my drinking water filter system. Probably the best upgrade was the addition of a permeate pump and removal of the stock ASOV which has increased my pressure. Increased pressure at my refrigerator and ice maker which is great! With the addition the system currently sits like so:

QVJq6wN.jpg


  • 5 micro sediment filter
  • 5 micron VOC carbon
  • 1 micron carbon
  • 75 GPD RO membrane plumbed in series with anothe 75 creating a 150 GPD permeate
    • Tees into drinking water loop with omnipure filter
  • Other portion of tee feeds DI resins
    • Cation DI resin
    • Anion DI resin
    • Mixed DI resin
Town TDS:
  • 387 PPM
Drinking water TDS
  • 20 PPM
Reef Rodi water TDS
  • 0 PPM
Set up my Avast Marine Barrel tender to ensure maximum and most efficient resin consumption.

36kcyE8.jpg


The Big Move
Been a crazy few weekends but the move happened and the tank is all set up.

Temporary holding tank where the fish lived for a day and half. Had to paint the stand along with the back and bottom of the tank.

UAWWJlR.jpg


Thank god for lasers making hanging of the Radion G4 a lot easier

UvhQVVJ.jpg
rU51odz.jpg


So far I have a carbon filter running along with the skimmer. Waiting on my chaetomorpha to be delivered.

D4vJwjT.jpg


Also have 3 jars of various copepods arriving to stock the refugium and the new rock.


Avast skimmate locker added

ycMqdGF.jpg
 
Last edited:

Hemmdog

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New reefer to these forums. Starting a new build since I am moving locations of my tank. Decided to start a thread to document and share my progress enjoy!

Background:
Started my addiction to salt water tanks about 8 years ago. First tank was a 6g where I had no clue what I was doing. Slowly I learned via my own mistakes and help from various reefing sites. I ditched the 6g and started up a 40g with a 10g sump.

Over time the 40g became a mixed reef with decent success!

ZXaqodL.jpg


Tank was growing and doing well until hurricane Sandy came around and we lost power for 9 days straighht. 98% of everything died. I had fish die in my hands as I tried to keep the tank warm/oxygenated. The sole two survivors were the black clown fish and one blue reef chromis who are still alive and well today.

I rebuilt the tank with foam rock walls but it was short lived as I soon found out the bottom of the tank was cracked and started to leak. So the project was scrapped.

oujYUf3.jpg


Finally I purchased a 60g cube rimless tank and it flourished once again.

EedH3az.jpg


The tank was up and running for a few years but it eventually experienced a crash most likely due to an Alkalinity swing. I lost some fish, most sps and lps. The zoanthids managed to survive and took over the tank.

Rw8UlsR.jpg


The Move

Present day I have moved to a new house and the 60g was still at my parents home. I always wanted to go larger (Red Sea 750xxl) but I had to move the tank to my house. So i began building a fish sump room in the basement and kept the 60g tank upstairs. The entire fish room was designed with the 750xxl in mind as a future upgrade. Hope you guys enjoy the build!

Equipment

Tanks
  • 60g 24” Rimless Cube
  • Trigger System 39 Sump
  • 18”x18”x10” frag tank
Lighting
  • Ecotech Radion G4
  • Kessil H160 Flora
  • Led frag light
Flow
  • Ecotech Mp10s
  • Iwaki MD55rlt
Filtration
  • Vertex Omega 150 skimmer
  • BRS reactor w/ Carbon
  • 10L of 25mm Siporax Ceramic media
  • 3 filter socks
  • Cheato fuge
Cooling and heating
  • 1/4hp chiller
  • Eheim Jagger 150w x 2
The Build

Built a monster stand to house the sump tank, equipment and frag tank.

g0MF8Hg.jpg


Along the wall I hung up a base to house the equipment feed and return manifold. The return and drain lines are plumbed along the wall as well.

dJLwtO8.jpg


Drilled sump for external filter

q1WaNYs.jpg


Plumbing galore

snfMoii.jpg


Used a laundry plumbing line box for the upstairs to keep the plumbing somewhat neat.

sahy14P.jpg



And the build continues. Still need to finish the plumbing, do a leak test, and eventually move the entire tank to its new home.


Stay tuned!





Dude!! This is sweet!!!! That drilled trigger sump with good return and plumbing lines literally gave me chills, good chills... keep up the good work!
 
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4ddiction

4ddiction

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Completed the main drain lines for the herbie overflow, and the main return line upstairs.

Unb9Nfu.jpg


8aCZ5x1.jpg


Picked up a 44g brute trash can to house my fish during the move and while I set up the display tank with its new aquascape.

Waiting on BRS to deliver some more goodies so I can turn my current 4 stage water filter into a 7 stage water filtration system.
 
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4ddiction

4ddiction

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Started to make RO/DI water for the sump to run a leak test on the basement plumbing. So far no leaks on the manifold system!

In addition I plumbed in my second RO filter to my drinking water filter system. Probably the best upgrade was the addition of a permeate pump and removal of the stock ASOV which has increased my pressure. Increased pressure at my refrigerator and ice maker which is great! With the addition the system currently sits like so:

QVJq6wN.jpg


  • 5 micro sediment filter
  • 5 micron VOC carbon
  • 1 micron carbon
  • 75 GPD RO membrane plumbed in series with anothe 75 creating a 150 GPD permeate
    • Tees into drinking water loop with omnipure filter
  • Other portion of tee feeds DI resins
    • Cation DI resin
    • Anion DI resin
    • Mixed DI resin
Town TDS:
  • 387 PPM
Drinking water TDS
  • 20 PPM
Reef Rodi water TDS
  • 0 PPM
Set up my Avast Marine Barrel tender to ensure maximum and most efficient resin consumption.

36kcyE8.jpg



 
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4ddiction

4ddiction

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Been a crazy few weekends but the move happened and the tank is all set up.

Temporary holding tank where the fish lived for a day and half. Had to paint the stand along with the back and bottom of the tank.

UAWWJlR.jpg


Thank god for lasers making hanging of the Radion G4 a lot easier

UvhQVVJ.jpg
rU51odz.jpg


So far I have a carbon filter running along with the skimmer. Waiting on my chaetomorpha to be delivered.

D4vJwjT.jpg


Also have 3 jars of various copepods arriving to stock the refugium and the new rock.
 
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4ddiction

4ddiction

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Mounted the carbon reactor on the wall and plumbed it to the feed and return lines. Also did a little air mod on the Vertex Omega 150. The pump is over sized imo and needs to adjust the air intake to make more efficient. Using a Hayward needle valve I was able to fine tune the skimmer and produce some nasty dark skimmate.

EHRgX8j.jpg


Just finishing up the cabinet that will house the apex system and it’s modules along with the eb8 and eb4

Teaser

Ef3sOMY.jpg
 
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4ddiction

4ddiction

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Added WWC aussie blue zoanthids and WWC toxic slime acropora to the tank today. We’ll see if the tank is ready for more corals.
 
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4ddiction

4ddiction

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Decided to see what all the hype is about t5 led hybrid lighting. I picked up an Aquatic Life 24” t5 hybrid fixture and needed to mod it immediately. The two ballasts had power cords on opposite sides. Being OCD there was no way that was staying. In addition the ballasts either turned the front two or back two bulbs on at the same time. I wanted to have my blue plus bulbs front and back and then in the center have my color bulbs.

First flipped the ballast so all power cables were on one side of the fixture.

B4yNzTq.jpg


Then I re wired the fixture to allow one ballast to control the first and last bulb, and the other ballast to control the inner two bulbs.

So now my bulbs will be arranged as follows:
ATI blue +
ATI Purple+
KZ New Generation
ATI blue+

I’ll have the two blues turn on then the inner colors.

JIIEo0i.jpg

hilHB9t.jpg
 

Hemmdog

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Decided to see what all the hype is about t5 led hybrid lighting. I picked up an Aquatic Life 24” t5 hybrid fixture and needed to mod it immediately. The two ballasts had power cords on opposite sides. Being OCD there was no way that was staying. In addition the ballasts either turned the front two or back two bulbs on at the same time. I wanted to have my blue plus bulbs front and back and then in the center have my color bulbs.

First flipped the ballast so all power cables were on one side of the fixture.

B4yNzTq.jpg


Then I re wired the fixture to allow one ballast to control the first and last bulb, and the other ballast to control the inner two bulbs.

So now my bulbs will be arranged as follows:
ATI blue +
ATI Purple+
KZ New Generation
ATI blue+

I’ll have the two blues turn on then the inner colors.

JIIEo0i.jpg

hilHB9t.jpg
That’s awesome! Come mod mine please ! Haha
 

Fusion in reefing: How do you feel about grafted corals?

  • I strongly prefer grafted corals and I seek them out to put in my tank.

    Votes: 3 3.6%
  • I find grafted corals appealing and would be open to having them in my tank.

    Votes: 47 56.0%
  • I am indifferent about grafted corals and am not enthusiastic about having them in my tank.

    Votes: 24 28.6%
  • I have reservations about grafted corals and would generally avoid having them in my tank.

    Votes: 7 8.3%
  • I have a negative perception and would avoid having grafted corals in my tank.

    Votes: 3 3.6%
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