95G Rimless build

Sleepingtiger

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2020
Messages
755
Reaction score
751
Location
Dallas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
About a year ago, I picked up a 95G rimless cube with a very beat up stand. I decided to just build a new stand. Being a seasoned reefer, I kinda had an idea what I wanted or not.

  • Stand must be tall to make it eye level
  • All seems/joints to be caulked
  • Adjustable feets
  • Waterproof paint
  • Full extension drawer
  • Equipment display panel

After building the stand, I decided to sell the tank and stand. After many people on Facebook kept comparing my aquarium and stand to the petco $1/gallon sales or other crappy aquarium and stands to lowball me. I gave up and decided to set it up myself. My budget is very tight so everything I buy will be used and abused. Things might change dependent on Reef2Reef Marketplace availability.

  • Ecotech XR15 G5 (acquired)
  • Trigger System Sapphire 20 (acquired)
  • Octopus 170sss Skimmer (pending)
  • Apex Controller (pending)
  • Varios 6 return pump (acquired)
  • Ecotech MP40 (acquired)
  • Ecotech Versa (good luck to me)
I just acquired about 100lbs of macro rock and will start construction soon. I was going to use the E Macro mortar from BRS, but have decided to use Gluemasters instead.
 
OP
OP
Sleepingtiger

Sleepingtiger

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2020
Messages
755
Reaction score
751
Location
Dallas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
2BF12588-28E3-4A4E-8265-FB22667934D0.jpeg
C81B09DB-50D4-439C-8D17-4B786D365797.jpeg
C98DC229-8EBE-45C2-81CF-3698B070586F.jpeg
95697A88-C0F9-4301-A2D9-8D0B32198758.jpeg
 
OP
OP
Sleepingtiger

Sleepingtiger

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2020
Messages
755
Reaction score
751
Location
Dallas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Doesn’t look petco to me. Resealed/reinforced tank yet? What size sump will fit in the cabinet? Trigger cube or diy?
I know, people kept lowballing me saying they can get a better deal from petco. The area for the sump is 28x21. I got a trigger system sump.

do I need to reseal the tank? Silicon is still soft and not brittle
 

mike89t

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 29, 2021
Messages
529
Reaction score
566
Location
Chandler
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
good luck finding a reef ready tank and stand like this at PetCo. Cheap people.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
OP
OP
Sleepingtiger

Sleepingtiger

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2020
Messages
755
Reaction score
751
Location
Dallas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
good luck finding a reef ready tank and stand like this at PetCo. Cheap people.
Its the same people you see on Facebook laughing at someone selling an Abyzz pump for $700. Saying they bought a Mag drive pump with a higher output for $50. SMH
Some people just don't realize what they are getting and what drives the cost. Most people who keep aquariums buy their fish from Walmart and don't know how crazy reefers are. LOL We put the O in OCD
 
OP
OP
Sleepingtiger

Sleepingtiger

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2020
Messages
755
Reaction score
751
Location
Dallas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Great luck to me. A local reefer who gave up the hobby gave me tons off gear cheap. Scored a octo 170sss and a skimmate container, brute trash cans, two mp40wes test kits and some other stuff.
the skimmer he sold me has a neck extension for further skimming.
EFD83A58-0543-4FD4-B369-DC0DE99B50CC.jpeg
66BCBF87-73E2-4A2C-84BD-55F7F9502917.jpeg
 
OP
OP
Sleepingtiger

Sleepingtiger

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2020
Messages
755
Reaction score
751
Location
Dallas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am so close to being done. Plumbing wasn’t so hard. Electrical is just a nightmare. Back in the day, I just had to account for one power cable. Since everything I am using is DC and has a controller, it required double the cabling. Everything has a block for power supply. Completed the wiring for the 170sss skimmer, Vectra s2 return pump, cabinet fan controller and two mp40. All my cable channels are nearly filled and I still have Neptune DOS, Apex and the Trident. Not sure how I will be able to get everything nice clean. However, so far so good
 
OP
OP
Sleepingtiger

Sleepingtiger

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2020
Messages
755
Reaction score
751
Location
Dallas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I started on the rock work. Big props to Gluemasters. This stuff made aquascaping a breeze. I cannot be any happier. I built a total of three structures.
I had two goals when doing the rock work. One was to avoid the wall of rock. The second was to create plenty of hiding space for fish. I really like negative space rick work, but they provide no place for fish to hide and feel secure.
After building the three structures and placing it in the aquarium, I realized I created a wall of rock. I then removed one of the structure and it looks good. Amazingly, the foot print of the rock that is touching the bottom is only about 1 sq ft. This should allow for little detritus build up. Lots and lots of overhang and places for frags. I am really happy with the build.
 
OP
OP
Sleepingtiger

Sleepingtiger

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2020
Messages
755
Reaction score
751
Location
Dallas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So ran into some issues. I wanted to add an additional MP40 and the cable raceway isn't big enough. On top of that, I forgot to wire in my Tunze ATO, the Reef Octopus skimmate collector and still awaiting my Apex unit. So I ordered new cable race ways. It was a mess. 7 power supply bricks. On top of that, I ran out of plugs on my 8 outlet DJ switch. I need an additional 4 outlets. As soon I get the Apex, this should alleviate the problem.
 
OP
OP
Sleepingtiger

Sleepingtiger

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2020
Messages
755
Reaction score
751
Location
Dallas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So besides the wiring issues, good news is I received the bio brick, bacterial and purple coraline algae from BRS. I managed to add both. On top of that, I begin dosing ammonia. Was reading 3.0 last night after 40ml of pure ammonia. Water immediately clouded up and still cloudy this morning. My skimmate collector is half full. Having a heck of a time adjusting the overflow. Should of just spent the money and got the Spears gate valve. Its either too open or too closed. Because I only have one drain for the overflow, the water is always too high or too low. Can never adjust it correctly
 
OP
OP
Sleepingtiger

Sleepingtiger

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2020
Messages
755
Reaction score
751
Location
Dallas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I love that stand, and the ocd that led you there. TBH the tank is just a pleasant bonus to that stand lol. I appreciate a clean set up.
Thanks... i am a little ocd.
The tank has a few scratches and the clear silicon really bothered me. I thought about trashing the tank and build a new one using low iron glass. Now with the water in it, I can't see the scratches and the silicon no longer bothers me. Which is great because I save $1500 from not building a new tank.
 
OP
OP
Sleepingtiger

Sleepingtiger

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2020
Messages
755
Reaction score
751
Location
Dallas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The power bricks are bothering the crap out of me. They are extremely ugly ruining my clean look. I think I might have a solution. Time for me to spend some time in the work shop and let my ideas come to life. More to come.
 
OP
OP
Sleepingtiger

Sleepingtiger

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2020
Messages
755
Reaction score
751
Location
Dallas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Update!

Well, not sure what happened but I way over dosed ammonia and it shot up to 8ppm. That was Friday night. I checked my ammonia last night and it was down to 2ppm

Nitrate is right around 5ppm
Nitrite is 0

I managed to get an Apogee SQ-420 usb par meter and I was doing some readings last night. So the current setup is two Radion G5 Pro at 70%. Let me know what you all think of my readings?
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 64 36.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 33.9%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 14.4%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 14.9%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top