Broadfield's Red Sea Reefer 450 Build - OCD Inspired... Going Back To a Reef

[Broadfield]

A couple more macros I took today:

IMG_4979 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_4976 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_4969 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_4970 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

 

[FrootStick]

Hey Broadfield.
Im curious, when you had your vortechs running through your apex. What was the programme you ran on them?

Also
How the hell do you get such great photos?

 

[Broadfield]

Hey Broadfield.
Im curious, when you had your vortechs running through your apex. What was the programme you ran on them?

Also
How the hell do you get such great photos?

I tried everything out at one point or another. However, I mostly ran Reef Crest or Pulsed mode.

 

[Danny1496]

Also, a quick morning teaser of the new fixture... more on that to come!

IMG_6216 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr[/QUOTE]


looks great .

 

[FrootStick]

I tried everything out at one point or another. However, I mostly ran Reef Crest or Pulsed mode.

thanks mate. Where abouts did you place the And how long did you pulse for?
Do you remember your schedule?

 

[Broadfield]

thanks mate. Where abouts did you place the And how long did you pulse for?
Do you remember your schedule?

Oh, well I never really had them on this tank... just for a week or two. I don't like the looks of them on the ends of the tank, so I actually ran them on the back wall, which didn't work very well... but I knew I would be getting the WAV, so I just let it go. If you are running Vortechs, you really have no option but to run them somewhere at the ends. I would say probably about 1/3 of the way down. It's really going to depend on your rock layout, coral placement, your return setup etc. The pulse duration is going to be different for all of the reasons I just stated plus the size of your tank.

 

[twilliard]

Nice setup and a perfect attention to detail!

 

[Bracka345]

I snagged an EcoTech Vectra M1 while I was at MACNA. Once I plumbed in the reactors off of a manifold, it was apparent that I needed a higher flow pump. This thing is impressive and really quiet. Even with it attached directly to the schedule 80, it's hard to tell that it's on.

IMG_4164 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_4166 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

Hello, I'm planning on doing a 150 gallon tank with 40 gallon sump and I want to use a vectra pump for my return and to also feed two reactors like what you are doing and also a chiller. Do you think the M1 is sufficient or should I go with the L1? Thanks!!!

 

[Broadfield]

Hello, I'm planning on doing a 150 gallon tank with 40 gallon sump and I want to use a vectra pump for my return and to also feed two reactors like what you are doing and also a chiller. Do you think the M1 is sufficient or should I go with the L1? Thanks!!!

You will want the L1 for sure.

 

[Bracka345]

You will want the L1 for sure.

Thanks!!!

 

[rbraunberger]

Hey Broadfield: Do you notice any increased vibration noise from having the Vectra hardline installed vs. flex tubing? I am planning out my plumbing, and was wondering about that. I have mine currently installed with flex tubing, but want the cleaner look of the hardline. I may just end up have just a couple inches of flex and hard plumb the rest.

 

[Pandy]

I have mine hard plumbed on my Reefer and I cannot hear it at all, it's such a quiet pump even without the flexi.

Hey Broadfield: Do you notice any increased vibration noise from having the Vectra hardline installed vs. flex tubing? I am planning out my plumbing, and was wondering about that. I have mine currently installed with flex tubing, but want the cleaner look of the hardline. I may just end up have just a couple inches of flex and hard plumb the rest.

 

[Broadfield]

Hey Broadfield: Do you notice any increased vibration noise from having the Vectra hardline installed vs. flex tubing? I am planning out my plumbing, and was wondering about that. I have mine currently installed with flex tubing, but want the cleaner look of the hardline. I may just end up have just a couple inches of flex and hard plumb the rest.

Yeah, mine is dead silent. I also made sure to have my pump really tight to the bottom of the sump. So it's a tight squeeze when I slide it into the true union.

 

[Jstn]

Like how you use Velcro straps to tie wires together, this has been a major problem with my wire mess. what length are those snd do you have a recommendation for a source?

 

[Broadfield]

Like how you use Velcro straps to tie wires together, this has been a major problem with my wire mess. what length are those snd do you have a recommendation for a source?

I simply bought mine from my local Menard's. Mine are probably 6" long. They can simply be cut down or wrap it around the cable bundle more than once to eat up the extra length. You can buy them from just about anywhere though. I know ULINE has a bunch.

 

[rbraunberger]

Hey where did you get the plastic guards for the holes you made in the stand for cords?

 

[Broadfield]

Hey where did you get the plastic guards for the holes you made in the stand for cords?

If you are talking about the ones I used for my control panels, those I actually stock for my job... high-end car audio installation. I have about 5-6 different sizes.

If you are referring to the larger one that's actually cut into the stand to get wires from sump side to the chiller side... it's a PVC bulkhead from BRS

 

[rbraunberger]

If you are talking about the ones I used for my control panels, those I actually stock for my job... high-end car audio installation. I have about 5-6 different sizes.

Can you order these online anyplace? I was looking at ones used in electrical work, but the thickness is too small for the stand

 

[Bracka345]

Even though I only had a 30 gallon previous to this setup, I still hated water changes... making RO/DI water, mixing salt in a 5-gallon container, hauling buckets of tank water, hefting 5-gallons of salt water over the edge of the tank etc. My RO/DI was set up under my kitchen sink, that was inconvenient... I'm sure I could think of a few other things to complain and whine about. So now with a larger tank, I took this opportunity to make all of this easier. I purchased two 65-gallon tanks from Farm & Fleet. I was lucky that my local store actually stocks them. The tanks themselves are not extremely expensive. But by the time you factor in freight charge, if you buy online, it gets out-of-hand quickly. I used 3/4" schedule 80 to plumb it all. A bunch of Viton sealed, true union ball valves later, I had an easy way to manage my RO, salt water and do water changes without any buckets or hoses.

IMG_4021 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_4019 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_4022 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

Where did you get all of your black pipe and fittings from?

 

[Broadfield]

Where did you get all of your black pipe and fittings from?

The majority of it I bought from my local Menard's. Things like the true union Viton seal ball valves and gate valves I bought from PVCfittingsonline.com