AZMSGT build thread

AZMSGT

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Big day today, I started the process towards my dream reef tank.

A little background... Back in 1988 I started in the marine hobby while I lived in Tampa, Florida. I started with a 20g marine fish tank, that went to a 55g, then a 90g. All the time I had marine fish. I ran a "wetdry" system on the 90 and did ok. I had to fight with ICK or velvet did the copper treatments and solved it. Lost half my live stock though. At this point I was pretty much bumming and we had our first child in 1990. So much going on, I made the call that it was time to vacate the hobby for now.

Fast forward nearly 30 years.. (ALLOT has changed) Today I made the call to jump back in and with both feet.

Below is a list of what I have and use. I update this list regularly.
Red Sea 625 XXL tank
Items in the tank
Reef Octopus Elite 200sss Protein Skimmer
Ecotech Vectra M2 DC return Pump x2 (one feeds accessories)
Ecotech Radion XR30 G4 Pros X3 and RMS (Radion Mounting system) with RMS wire hanging kit
Ecotech Light diffuser X3
Ecotech MP40WQD Quietdrive Propeller Pumps X4
Ecotech Reeflink
Ecotech battery back ups x2
4’ extension cables for 2 MP40s
Aquatop 500W TI heater
120lbs Marco Reefsaver
GHL Profilux 4e Mega Set 6e
GHL powerbars x3
GHL propeller breeze 4 fan unit
GHL leak detector unit with 3 sensors
GHL flow sensors x2
GHL KH Director and doser
GHL maxi doser (for auto water changes)
APC battery backup for GHL computer
Brightwell Xport bio brick X2
Pentair 40W UV sterilizer
BRS carbon reactor
Cobalt MJ 1200 pump (feeding carbon reactor)
Clearwater CW200 Algae Scrubber W/ light shields
Clearview lids tank cover
Under Cabinet LED Lighting
Icecap Kalk Stirrer
DaStaCo A-1 Calcium Reactor

What I plan to buy for the tank
Ion Director from GHL (if it ever makes it to market)
And more....

Other Items Purchased
Mixing containers
44g Brute Rubbermaid can
32g Brute Rubbermaid can
BRS 5 Stg 100GPD RO/DI
BRS 2 canister DI
Marineland 1200 Power head/Pump (to move water around)
Tunze 6105 for mixing water

Auto water change and Auto top off system
50g Rotomold tank
65g Rotomold tank
Pan World 50PX-X 1110gph pump
Lots of Murlock and John Guest fittings
Lots of PVC

Quarantine/Hospital items
20G Quarantine tank with Fluval HOB and Mover M900 Powerhead
10G hospital tank (for use with copper treatments only)
Ehiem heater for hospital tank
Salifert 35 HOB for Hospital tank
IM 10G tank for Coral QT
Tunze NANO ATO
AI Prime light for Coral QT (also light mount)
Cobalt 150W Heater X2
Fluval Air pump and cheap throw away air stones.
55g tank to house fish during ICK breakout
Seachem 110 HOB filter
20g Long tank QTing wrasse
Using these as a experiment in Hybrid TTM
2X 10g tanks
2X Seachem Tidal 55 filters
2X Ehiem heaters

Testing
Refractometer
Salifert test kits: No2, NO3, NH3, Alk, Calcium, Mag, Copper and everything else they make
Hanna testers: salinity, Alk, calcium, copper, PO4

Medications (all are on hand just in case)
Dr Tims First Defense
BA Fish Recover M
PraziPro
Copper Power
Seachem Focus
Seachem Kanaplex
API General Cure
API Furan-2

Cyciling items
MicroBacter7
Dr Tims one and only
Dr Tims Ammonium Chloride Solution
BioSpira

Home modifications
RO/DI system
RO drinking water system
Kitchen faucet to match RO faucet (gotta keep the wife happy)
2 20 Amp Electrical circuits

Consumables
Salt mix, Oceanic, Red Sea salt, Tropic Marin/Pro-Reef
And other small stuff I'm just not going to list because it's just to tedious and I'm lazy

Livestock
Paracheilinus carpenteri - Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse, M
Gramma loreto - Royal Gramma Basslet
Amphiprion ocellaris - Ocellaris Clownfish x 2
Centropyge potteri - Potter's Angelfish, M
Siganus unimaculatus - One Spot Foxface
Zebrasoma xanthurum - Purple Tang, M
Ctenochaetus strigosus - Kole Yellow Eye Tang
Ctenochaetus tominiensis - Bristletooth Tomini Tang
Pseudanthias squamipinnis - Lyretail Anthias, F
Genicanthus semifasciatus - Swallowtail Angelfish, F
1 Cleaner shrimp
1 blood shrimp
1 peppermint shrimp
Snails, lots of snails...

Livestock casualties
1 Paracheilinus mccoskeri - McCosker's Flasher Wrasse, M (launch it's self out of the tank while I had the lid off. Flew 7 feet in the air and hit the tile)
1 Firefish, Purple (Died getting sucked into a cleaning hose)
1 Firefish, Red (died removing rock from DT to QT all fish due to ICK)
1 Chromis (powerhead victim)
1 Emerald crab (removed for eating zoas)
1 purple firefish (never survived QT)
2 red firefish (never survived qt)
1 Chromis (Uronema disease in QT)
Snails... (DOA.. powerhead... sucked up tank vac, and crawled out - baked)
Chromis viridis - Green Reef Chromis x 2 given away, living well in their new home.
 
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ReefAtlas

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Wish you the absolute best. I too have the Reefer 625XXL. I have had mine since they were released almost 2 years ago now if I remember correctly. It is a nice tank and I would not go with anything else for the place I have it. The 725 would not fit...
I use a pair of the maxspect 250s and if starting new would use the 350s since they are a little easier to maintain. Can't beat the flow from the gyres in my opinion.
I am using the profilux 4 and ghl 2.1 doser. Both for over a year and both are very capable and reliable. I like the ghl dosers.
I don't post much, but lurk on reef2reef and can tell you this place is invaluable for information.
 
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AZMSGT

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Talked to the local shipping company today. The tank gets delivered tomorrow. Also UPS will be delivering a bunch of goodies too. Christmas in June..
 

Phil D.

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Tell you what MSGT, I live in Gilbert and if you need help I would be more than glad to give it. I have a Red Sea E-260 and love it. Could have used some help with it, but roped my daughter's boyfriend in helping to put it on the stand. Was a pain to get it in the house using a dolly.
 
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AZMSGT

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I moved all the stand parts into the room that will have the tank in it. I will assemble it there. Once I get it into position I will call my LFS and they are going to come out and set the tank on the stand. (part of the deal I worked out with them) That is one heavy son of a gun though. I had to move the tank off the pallet to get at the top and long front sections to the stand. Moving it without breaking it. That's always the trick.
 

Epic Aquaculture

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I moved all the stand parts into the room that will have the tank in it. I will assemble it there. Once I get it into position I will call my LFS and they are going to come out and set the tank on the stand. (part of the deal I worked out with them) That is one heavy son of a gun though. I had to move the tank off the pallet to get at the top and long front sections to the stand. Moving it without breaking it. That's always the trick.
I actually moved my Reefer 750 XXL with 1 other person. We used the heavy duty suction cups, and if it was just a pound heavier there's no way I could have done it. I'm a small gut at 5'7" 150lbs but my buddy is a big guy. This was before I knew anyone around here. On the next tank I'll make sure to "invite" everyone to help, and of course reward them with pizza and beer... :)
 
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AZMSGT

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Building the 625 XXL cabinet.
Using your build guide these pictures should help folks as needed. The instructions are only slightly better than IKEA directions.

Insert dowel pins and screw in guide pins. Try to get the screw in pins straight. When you start screwing them into the plastic inserts they want to go in cocked.
#1
Starting with Panel B1 (back center panel)

 
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AZMSGT

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#2
Install Panels B2 and B3
I found that a #3 Phillips screw driver helped get those cam locks in the correct position. The tip is the correct fit.

Also I used a dead-blow hammer to persuade the panels to fit together. Better than beating them with your hand.

Cam lock starting position

Locked position

Step 2 done
 

Sisterlimonpot

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Wow! no kidding it's an Ikea build, just think if the red sea tanks are held together with dowels and cam locking screws, then most stands are over built!!

Not being familiar with Red Sea tanks, do they recommend checking the cam locks on a scheduled basis?
 
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AZMSGT

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#5
Install clamps, hinge mounts.

You have to remove the hinge mount per the instructions

You push on the spring loaded tab to release the mount. I later discovered that you can depress the part of the hinge that protrudes just aft of the screwdriver tip to release the hinge..

Use the V1 screws to mount the hinges. First loosely install the screws into all 4 holes. Tighten the counter sunk screws first. Then tighten the screws in the oblong holes.

Also install feet into the panel and cross member.
 

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: 76 37.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 69 34.3%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 12.4%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 29 14.4%
  • Other.

    Votes: 2 1.0%
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