Aquaforest OceanGuard 275

booker1978

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 10, 2014
Messages
80
Reaction score
40
Location
Prosper, TX
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello all!
I am been out of the hobby for about 7 years now and have recently been bitten by the reef bug once again. I was looking for a smaller tank (my last tank was 210g) and I have always liked the look of a rimless cube. I got the ok from the wife and then the research began! I looked at all of the options from building the system with individual parts to kits and came across the tanks by Aquaforest. They had the quality and the options that I was looking for, but I was a bit hesitant with the starting price and the lack of reviews, but that sump was just so sexy!!!! I went for it and I must say, I have not regretted it once after it arrived about a week ago.

I ended up buying it when Bulk Reef Supply had a sale going on a few weeks back on all Aquaforest products. After factoring in the quality build, the discount and all of the "stuff" that comes with it in the starter pack.... it made the price much more palatable.

Here is what I am using in the setup currently:
  • Aquaforest OceanGuard 275 Setup (73 total gallon Setup)
  • Radion RX15 Blue w/ mounting arm (I may change this out to a RX30 depending on how coral growth is.)
  • AI Nero 5 Powerhead
  • Syncra SDC 3.0 WiFi Controllable Pump
  • BRS 200W Titanium Aquarium Heater w/ Helio Controller
  • Tunze Osmolator Universal 3155 Auto Top Off
  • Aquamaxx FC-80 In-Sump Protein Skimmer
  • Aquaforest Rock (approx 40lbs)
  • CaribSea Special Grade Sand
I placed my order with BRS and within less than 2 weeks, it was in my possession. The quality of this setup is second to none. I had pretty high expectations, but this truly blew me away from the quality and details of the stand, sump and tank alike. I wish I had taken some pictures of the crated setup, because that was impressive enough. I was just too exited and had to get it inside as soon as I could.

The setup arrived via freight and included all of the starter pack accessories which were wrapped on top of the crate. I needed some help bringing everything indoors so I got the help from my next door neighbor teenagers to bring it in. I was not not expecting each part to be so heavy! The stand alone was enough for me to need some help and my back thanks my neighbors!

Looking forward to getting back into the hobby. I am going to begin by posting all aspects of the build focusing on certain parts of the tank. In my next post I'll talk about the sump and myu thoughts. After that, I'll go through all of the rest of the sections of the tank in an attempt to keep it organized.

This tank has exceeded my expectations in every way so far and I look forward to bringing you along in my journey!
IMG_4024.jpeg
 

SaltyT

Wrasse obsessed!
View Badges
Joined
Apr 26, 2015
Messages
4,015
Reaction score
23,565
Location
St. Louis
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Welcome back to the hobby and congrats on the new tank! What are your future stocking plans for it?
 
OP
OP
booker1978

booker1978

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 10, 2014
Messages
80
Reaction score
40
Location
Prosper, TX
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Welcome back to the hobby and congrats on the new tank! What are your future stocking plans for it?
Thanks! It is going to be a mixed reef coral tank. I just have too many coral interests.... although I LOVE me some acroporas! I am taking my time through this one and really only placing corals that truly interest me. I've got a while to establish the tank before I begin to add, but planning is the fun part for me!

As for the fish, I'm looking at complete maturation:
  • Two paired Black Ice Ocellaris Clownfish
  • Yasha Goby/Shrimp pair
  • Flame Hawkfish
  • Helfrichi Firefish
  • Rainford Goby
  • Some sort of sand sifting fish
My goal is to try to diversify the fish selection as much as possible, while still not overcrowding the tank. As I said before, I'm taking this nice and slow and seeing what is best for the health to the tank.

Any thoughts from forum are always welcome!
 

SaltyT

Wrasse obsessed!
View Badges
Joined
Apr 26, 2015
Messages
4,015
Reaction score
23,565
Location
St. Louis
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Sounds like a good plan! I recommend getting a captive bred rainford goby they're easier to feed and less likely to wither away over time than a wild caught. They also sift sand so they'll be in competition with another sand sifter. Just something to consider.
 
OP
OP
booker1978

booker1978

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 10, 2014
Messages
80
Reaction score
40
Location
Prosper, TX
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
THE SUMP

I'm going to be honest here..... this is one of the main reasons why I was sold on this tank. While I loved the low iron glass on the aquarium itself, the robust stand, the colors, and the included imperial plumbing, this sump was REAL nice. It is on the small side; however, for this size tank I think it is perfect. The PVC material and overall makeup of the sump it REALLY well done. In addition, the weight of it is quite substantial. It reeks of a quality build, much like the rest of the setup.
IMG_4057.jpeg

There are three chambers on the left side of the sump 1) the back drain section 2)Filter sock 3) Mesh sock.

I placed my heater in the back drain section, as that was the only place that I was able to ensure that it would stay submerged. None of the other chambers would allow for it.

Both of the sock chambers have removable holders so you could put anything in those chambers that you wish. I am currently using the middle chamber as a sock filter chamber and filled the mesh sock in the front chamber with Aquaforest's Life Bio Fil. I've never used it before but it came in the starter kit and may help with developing biodiversity with the porous substrate. I'm also dosing with the Aquaforest's Bio S drops... 3 drops per day. It helps add more nitrifying bacteria to the tank as it starts up.
IMG_4058.jpeg

The front large chamber is for a skimmer of choice. The size of the area severely limits your choices of skimmers, but I settled on the AquaMaxx FC-80. I haven't taken it out of the box yet to test fit it, as I am in no rush as the tank is still cycling, but the footprint will work perfectly in this sump. There is a sliding comb divider that allows you to adjust the water depth in the skimmer chamber via two thumb screws and measurements are clearly labeled on the outside of the sump. Pretty cool.

In the back chamber is the return. I have the Sicce Syncra pump feeding the aquarium along with the thermometer to the heater controller and Tunze ATO resting in the back chamber. The return hose is really flexible and was easy to install with some scissors and plastic clamps. The emergency drain exits in the back sump chamber as well.

All of the plumbing that came with the setup is schedule 80 using sizes that we can easily pick up in the states! The gate valve is super easy to turn to adjust the drain rate. I have been able to make this tank nearly silent. Overall good design.

The far right chamber is the ATO tank that holds pretty close to 3 gallons. I'll be curious how long that will last over a course of the week through evaporation. It's relatively small, but fits well in the sump section. The view window on the front is great and easily readable. There are two holes in the upper back side of the ATO tank to allow for the ATO pump cord and the tubing to drain into the return sump. The Tunze ATO fits perfectly!
IMG_4059.jpeg
 

Tstanfill

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 29, 2015
Messages
51
Reaction score
4
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’ve ordered one of these as well. Curious as to how it’s going with yours.
 
OP
OP
booker1978

booker1978

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 10, 2014
Messages
80
Reaction score
40
Location
Prosper, TX
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Things are going well on the tank so far. I have added my first inhabitants. Please welcome two frostbite ocellaris clownfish, Joe and Momma... named by my 11 year old daughter. They have been in the tank for about a week now and have been doing great! I need to learn how to take good pictures of moving fish, because currently I suck at it or I would post pictures of them. Everything I take are blurry and do not give true justice to the beauty of these creatures. So cool!

I have added a few things already to the functionality of the tank. I purchased a Neptune Apex Pro and the Adaptive Reef mounting board to organize all of the electronics. I spent the day today doing wire management on the new mounting board and setting up the Apex. It turned out great plus there still is room for anything else I may add down the road. I considered building something to mount all of the electronics, but I was convinced with purchasing from Adaptive Reef from a YouTube interview with the owner and tour of their shop. I'm a sucker for supporting small businesses and the quality of this Canadian based company was quite impressive. I was sold!

IMG_4098.jpeg

IMG_4099.jpeg

I'm considering purchasing a tablet to place directly above the mounting board so I can have access to the Apex Fusion Webpage, but have also looked at making (or purchasing from Adaptive Reef) a toggle box that I could use for feeding, turning off certain things, etc. I'm leaning towards a tablet as it would be cheaper and more functional, but I do like the tactile aspect of a toggle box. Anyone have any experience with either and have opinions?

The only other thing that I have on the way is a custom screen by Top Lids. I knew that I would need a screen as I have had my fair share of jumpers since I began this hobby 8-9 years back, but wanted something that looked great and provided as many options and light penetration as possible. While I haven't received it yet, I can say that communication has been second to none! They sent me a mock up withing a few days of ordering it for approval and addressed all concerns and additions that I requested. I still have a few weeks, but I'm really looking forward for it to come in.
 

BR260354

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 12, 2022
Messages
72
Reaction score
32
Location
The Woodlands, TX
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
How is your 3g ATO reservoir holding up? Curious on how often you have to fill it.

I'm torn between this and the RS 200 G2. Prefer the cabinet and pumping of the AF 275. Not wild about the glossy finish, but I think most are like that.
 

Tstanfill

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 29, 2015
Messages
51
Reaction score
4
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Things are going well on the tank so far. I have added my first inhabitants. Please welcome two frostbite ocellaris clownfish, Joe and Momma... named by my 11 year old daughter. They have been in the tank for about a week now and have been doing great! I need to learn how to take good pictures of moving fish, because currently I suck at it or I would post pictures of them. Everything I take are blurry and do not give true justice to the beauty of these creatures. So cool!

I have added a few things already to the functionality of the tank. I purchased a Neptune Apex Pro and the Adaptive Reef mounting board to organize all of the electronics. I spent the day today doing wire management on the new mounting board and setting up the Apex. It turned out great plus there still is room for anything else I may add down the road. I considered building something to mount all of the electronics, but I was convinced with purchasing from Adaptive Reef from a YouTube interview with the owner and tour of their shop. I'm a sucker for supporting small businesses and the quality of this Canadian based company was quite impressive. I was sold!

IMG_4098.jpeg

IMG_4099.jpeg

I'm considering purchasing a tablet to place directly above the mounting board so I can have access to the Apex Fusion Webpage, but have also looked at making (or purchasing from Adaptive Reef) a toggle box that I could use for feeding, turning off certain things, etc. I'm leaning towards a tablet as it would be cheaper and more functional, but I do like the tactile aspect of a toggle box. Anyone have any experience with either and have opinions?

The only other thing that I have on the way is a custom screen by Top Lids. I knew that I would need a screen as I have had my fair share of jumpers since I began this hobby 8-9 years back, but wanted something that looked great and provided as many options and light penetration as possible. While I haven't received it yet, I can say that communication has been second to none! They sent me a mock up withing a few days of ordering it for approval and addressed all concerns and additions that I requested. I still have a few weeks, but I'm really looking forward for it to come in.
I’m having trouble getting my tank and sump level to even out. How high are you running each?
 

Tstanfill

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 29, 2015
Messages
51
Reaction score
4
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I went with the same pump as you. What speed are you running your pump. I can’t get the levels to stabilize.
 
OP
OP
booker1978

booker1978

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 10, 2014
Messages
80
Reaction score
40
Location
Prosper, TX
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
How is your 3g ATO reservoir holding up? Curious on how often you have to fill it.

I'm torn between this and the RS 200 G2. Prefer the cabinet and pumping of the AF 275. Not wild about the glossy finish, but I think most are like that.
I have to fill it up once a week. I typically have a 5 gallon jug at the ready filled with RODI water and dump it in. The Tunze ATO is powerful and I had to dial it all the way down or the inside of my sump compartment gets soaked with splashing rodi water. Works well, though.
 
OP
OP
booker1978

booker1978

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 10, 2014
Messages
80
Reaction score
40
Location
Prosper, TX
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I went with the same pump as you. What speed are you running your pump. I can’t get the levels to stabilize.
It’s taken me a bit to get it just right. It’s a fine balance between adjusting the drain valve and the pump return. My greatest success was to fix the pump power to get the flow that I wanted in the tank and then adjust the drain valve until it was relatively silent. Make sure to wait about 5 minutes every time you make an adjustment. Do small adjustments at a time and you’ll finally get there. Below is a screen shot of my pump speed that I have settled at.
4D5FD14F-5AF7-4973-A4F6-31F1CD98FD68.jpeg
 

Tstanfill

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 29, 2015
Messages
51
Reaction score
4
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It’s taken me a bit to get it just right. It’s a fine balance between adjusting the drain valve and the pump return. My greatest success was to fix the pump power to get the flow that I wanted in the tank and then adjust the drain valve until it was relatively silent. Make sure to wait about 5 minutes every time you make an adjustment. Do small adjustments at a time and you’ll finally get there. Below is a screen shot of my pump speed that I have settled at.
4D5FD14F-5AF7-4973-A4F6-31F1CD98FD68.jpeg
Is your drain valve almost closed? Mine doesn’t like much it seems
 

johnmac28

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 2, 2022
Messages
119
Reaction score
52
Location
odessa
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’m about to pull the trigger on same tank after a seven year break too! Are you still liking tank and hardware, especially the circulation pump?
Any advice\opinions appreciated
 

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: 78 38.2%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 69 33.8%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 26 12.7%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 29 14.2%
  • Other.

    Votes: 2 1.0%
Back
Top