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

aaron23

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great setup loving it. you didn't have to cure the marco rocks? when I think of marco rocks I picture dry rock
 

Scruffeone

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Finished my media reactor setup. I decided to do a manifold inline with the return line. I did 3/4" hose(about 6" long to eliminate vibrations) out of the pump and then into 3/4" schedule 80. Up from there into the 3/4" manifold, which T's out to 1/2" gate valves and into the reactors. Works absolutely perfect. This is my first time doing anything with plumbing at all, so I was pretty happy with the results.

IMG_4098 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_4085 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_4078 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

A shot of my water change line. Simply priming this line, turning off the pump, open the valve in the image, open the drain valve in the basement... instant syphon to drain the entire main sump area. I love sitting in the chair in front of my tank and using Apex Fusion to turn on the basement pump to pump salt water back up to the sump. I really hated lugging buckets around with my old tank.

IMG_4108 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

I know it's been awhile since you posted this. I really like your plumbing job! I have two questions, 1. where did you buy the fantastic looking valves? and 2. is it difficult to change out your reactor media with it sitting over the sump like that?
 
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Broadfield

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great setup loving it. you didn't have to cure the marco rocks? when I think of marco rocks I picture dry rock

I basically used Dr. Tim's to seed the tank with an "instant" bacteria colony. It cycled in 4-5 days. I have used it several times with perfect success every time. I highly doubted it would work when I tried it the first time. But first time success has led me to use it every time.
 
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Broadfield

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I know it's been awhile since you posted this. I really like your plumbing job! I have two questions, 1. where did you buy the fantastic looking valves? and 2. is it difficult to change out your reactor media with it sitting over the sump like that?

The gate valves are from PVCfittingsonline.com

The media reactors are absolutely a breeze to change. They hover over the water about an 1" or so. And since they are just out in the open, it's cake.
 
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Broadfield

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Are you still liking the skimmer?

Yeah, that Nyos skimmer is nuts. Works absolutely amazing and is virtually dead silent. It's pulling a serious head of foam for a nice, dark skimmate with nice size chunks of gunk.
 

olaggie01

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Thanks. Glad to hear it about the Nyos. I've got one sitting in my closet waiting for my tank to be delivered.
 

nbagnardi

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i flippin love your setup! i have the same tank and I'm looking for ideas on making a board for my apex and stumbled across this. well done man! furthermore, i LOVE LOVE LOVE that you split the return like that. I'm going to go back through and see if you listed the sizing and stuff you used. thanks for this thread man, you nailed it!
 
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Broadfield

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Changed up my aquascape... again. The more I look at the simplistic rock work in other's reefs, the more I'm drawn into the minimalism look. I also needed to make more room on the sand bed for more LPS etc.

Equipment wise, I upgraded the Nyos 120 to a Nyos 160. I got too good of a deal to pass it up.

 

revhtree

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Great job!
 

Elder1945

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Great work... I am setting up a reefer 450 right now and I am taking pointers. Clean and great aquascape!
I was wondering what is the % you run the waves at? 10-15%?
 
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Broadfield

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Great work... I am setting up a reefer 450 right now and I am taking pointers. Clean and great aquascape!
I was wondering what is the % you run the waves at? 10-15%?

I am running them in Mavericks mode @20%. If I run Pulsed mode, I can get up closer to 40%.
 
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Broadfield

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wow that is a lot of flow... I run my main set at 60% only and the back set at 30%.. I might need to re think my flow..... :)

I recently upped Mavericks to 30%... sand seems to be holding in place, barely.
 
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Broadfield

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yea i am still working on mine... never ending setting and staring at my tank for 3 hrs lol..

I'm very interested in seeing how 4 of them pan out in a tank as long as yours.
 
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Broadfield

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Well, my Vectra M1 will not start back up after turning it off for a water change. The driver powers up and starts on the correct mode and speed. However, the actual pump is unresponsive. Luckily I still have my Sicce 5.0 that I never could sell... gotta love silver linings. Glued up a schedule 80 pipe to work with the Sicce and I'm back up and running.
 

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Well, my Vectra M1 will not start back up after turning it off for a water change. The driver powers up and starts on the correct mode and speed. However, the actual pump is unresponsive. Luckily I still have my Sicce 5.0 that I never could sell... gotta love silver linings. Glued up a schedule 80 pipe to work with the Sicce and I'm back up and running.
Odd. I haven't heard of much issues with the Vectras, though haven't looked much either.
Have you disassembled to see if the impeller is free spinning or maybe bearing is locked.

I'm getting ready to change my pump out, currently running the RedDragon3 50w, going to change out for a Red Dragon3 80w w/ 10v connection to apex.
I've recently added a UV to help combat my Red Slime issue, will need a little extra flow for that and the media reactors I'm wanting to add.
 
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Broadfield

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Odd. I haven't heard of much issues with the Vectras, though haven't looked much either.
Have you disassembled to see if the impeller is free spinning or maybe bearing is locked.

I'm getting ready to change my pump out, currently running the RedDragon3 50w, going to change out for a Red Dragon3 80w w/ 10v connection to apex.
I've recently added a UV to help combat my Red Slime issue, will need a little extra flow for that and the media reactors I'm wanting to add.

Yeah, I cleaned that thing spotless inside and out. It was actually acting up a tad before that. It would be tough to start back up. It would start to ramp up to full power and then shut off, then start up again... it would keep doing it over and over again. If I turned down the flow to about 85% or less it would start up and then keep running. We'll see what Ecotech says tomorrow!
 
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