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

[Broadfield]

I know you have probably answered this dozens of times but if you could answer it again. Over all the lights you have had, what has been the positives and negatives of each one? Right now I have the radion xr-15 but I want to explore different lights. Could you rate them on overall par, light control, looks, price, shadowing, and loudness or anything you find important to mention? Thanks

Give me a bit to make up a nice list and I'll post back.

Toby, I'm considering moving my Aurora to the new lagoon tank I just set up (I miss the look my 66g has) and thought about replacing it with the Spectra. I've been watching BRS's video on it and think the 24" will work perfect on the tank which is 32" wide. From what info I can find with the Spectra it's all on or all off...no dimming correct?

Yeah, that 24" will be just fine on that 32" tank. As for dimming, you are correct, it's just on or off.

 

[Jimbo662]

Thanks...now just have to wait for them to get them in stock!

 

[Marcsreef]

Hey Toby
How did you mount your transformers on the vertical wall and your modules to the white acrylic?
thanks

 

[Broadfield]

Hey Toby
How did you mount your transformers on the vertical wall and your modules to the white acrylic?
thanks

3M double sided foam tape.

 

[Michael Montgomery]

@Broadfield .... It's been a loong road... SO...

I know you started with a Red Sea, but I also know a LOT has changed over time. Do you have a complete list of all the equipment that is currently installed?

 

[revhtree]

I love @Broadfield photos of tanks.....

 

[kciNFL]

Hello @Broadfield any updated photos of the tank display?

 

[Broadfield]

@Broadfield .... It's been a loong road... SO...

I know you started with a Red Sea, but I also know a LOT has changed over time. Do you have a complete list of all the equipment that is currently installed?

Display Tank:

• Red Sea Reefer 450
• Elite Aquatics modified RS-33 sump
• Ecotech Vectra L1
• Neptune Classic Gold
• Neptune EB8
• Neptune PM2 Salinity module
• Neptune 1-Link Module
• Neptune WAV pump x 2
• Neptune DOS
• Neptune DDR
• Aquamaxx Bio Pellet reactor
• Aquamaxx Media reactor x 2
• Nyos Quantum 160
• Giesemann 48" Spectra running (2) 250w SE Giesemann 21k bulbs and (4) 54w Giesemann Actinic Blue T5s
• Puratek Auto Level Controller
• Finnex 300w titanium heater x 2

Basement:

• Norwesco 65 gallon vertical storage tank x 2
• Neptune EB4
• Neptune PM2 Salinity module w/temp probe for salt mix tank
• Finnex 300w titanium heater
• Neptune 1-Link module
• WAV pump for salt tank
• Sicce 3.0 for mixing and water changes
• Sicce 3.0 for auto top off
• BRS 5-Stage 150 gpd RO/DI

 

[JoeIII]

Follow-up question, considering you replaced much of what Red Sea provided, do you feel it was worth starting with the Reefer, or would you have a different product or a custom tank if you were to do it over?

 

[Broadfield]

Follow-up question, considering you replaced much of what Red Sea provided, do you feel it was worth starting with the Reefer, or would you have a different product or a custom tank if you were to do it over?

That's a really good question that I get asked once in awhile!

Let me start off by saying that I think the Red Sea Reefer series tanks are impossible to beat for the money/quality/looks etc. But I would probably go full custom next time for several reasons.

1. They do not make an 8+ foot tank and that's what I'm leaning towards for my next tank.
2. My current tank was my first setup with a sump, doing custom plumbing and so on... I had only owned a couple of AIO setups prior. I had never even glued a single piece of PVC in my life prior to this tank. So the Reefer series was very nice for me personally. It gave me the opportunity to get my feet wet with having a tank with an overflow and sump. It then gave me the option to "upgrade/change" things as time went on and I felt more comfortable with doing custom plumbing and the like. But now that I'm confident in my setup skills, I would just go straight to a custom tank, stand, sump, plumbing and so on.
3. I would like to have a steel stand that I can lay out and skin as I see fit.
4. I wouldn't be limited to any of the Red Sea overflow, overflow plumbing, return and bulkheads. Although I don't really have any complaints about the OEM setup... and it was fairly easy to adapt imperial plumbing to their metric setup. But if I'm going to do a full custom plumbing setup anyway, then I would just rather have ALL of it the way I want it.

I hope this helps answer your question. Please let me know if there's anything else you want me to touch on.

 

[Big G]

Current state of tank:
FTS by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

FTS + Stand by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_6030 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr



I am absolutely no stranger to posting build threads on a forum, just not of a reef tank... it's always been of vehicles. So this is my first!

I started with my first reef setup a couple years ago with an Innovative Marine 30 gallon Fusion. Great all-in-one tank, but I decided I wanted something bigger and with separate sump etc. When I saw that Red Sea was going to be releasing their new Reefer series, I started saving my money. I received it about 4 weeks ago and have already got most of it up and running... here's what I got going on so far.

**First off, I want to thank my wife! She agreed that it would be a good idea to convert our dining room into a reef viewing room.**

Ran home from work to meet the freight driver and we put it in the garage. I did a quick visual inspection before I went back to work.

IMG_3820 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_3819 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

After work I did a quick leak test and all was good. I then proceeded to assemble the stand.

IMG_3825 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

I have (3) Hydra 52's going over it, so I got the rails all mounted before I shoved the stand up against wall.

IMG_3826 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

Had my neighbor pop over and help me heft this thing onto the stand. I will say that 5/8" glass isn't light. I quickly started toying with scape ideas:

IMG_3899 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

This is one of my helpers:

IMG_3887 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

Here is what I came up with on the scape... got it all cemented together so nothing budges. Also filled the tank with salt water and sand. There's plenty of clearance all around the rock for flow, cleaning of the back glass and swimming lanes for larger fish.

IMG_3937 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

Our viewing chairs arrived to help finish off the room. We still need to get a different light fixture for the room, but that's the least of my concerns at the moment.

IMG_3978 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

Next up, basement plumbing for salt water mixing, water changing etc!

Amazing. Your stand looks like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. Way cool.

 

[mattstanks2016]

Ok, so I am in the middle of building the stand electronic addition, like what you have. What did you do to get the wood boards to fit together seamlessly? Like in this photo https://www.flickr.com/photos/132432358@N04/29974492554/
*Solved*

 

[Broadfield]

Ok, so I am in the middle of building the stand electronic addition, like what you have. What did you do to get the wood boards to fit together seamlessly? Like in this photo https://www.flickr.com/photos/132432358@N04/29974492554/
*Solved*

So you got it!?!

 

[Broadfield]

It has been a while since I have done much to the tank. I've just been trying to leave it alone and let it recover from the mini crash I had months back. I have added some new coral in the last few months to kind of replace what I lost. I will get some updated tank shots soon. In the meantime, I decided to work on another mod to the Reefer stand. I have not been running the doors for almost a year now. No complaints really, but I thought I would put good use to the doors and toss them back on. However, not before modifying them. First off, I'm swapping out the stock hinges for quick release ones... black ones if I can find them or I may paint them black if need be. That way I can pop all 3 doors off in a matter of 30 seconds. Lastly, I am modifying the doors themselves. I cut a large "viewing" window into each door. However, I will have a piece of dark tinted acrylic that will sit in the opening. That way when the stand illumination is off, you will not be able to really see into the stand... essentially be blacked out. Then when the illumination is on, you will be able to make out what's in there. Then if I really want to show it off, I can simply open the doors or remove them altogether. I will probably paint the doors a darker grey for a tad bit of contrast and to give it a different feel. Lastly, I will be adding an accent piece of black acrylic border around the opening on each window. Essentially like my illumination piece on my Apex panels, but obviously it will not illuminate. Here are some progress pics so far:

IMG_9168 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_9169 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_9170 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_9171 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_9172 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_9177 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_9176 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_9173 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

 

[Craig Skinner]

Love it!!

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

Good idea!

 

[Bluhawk]

Very nice work and outstanding set ups

 

[Clayton Jessup]

Very nice I look forward to seeing them done

 

[Krawl]

Toby, so I clicked here on the last page and scrolled up. First time to your thread and thought I could find a FTS. Well I seen the doors and new you had to be in the car audio industry! So for the past 2 days, I have been reading from post one. Great work my friend. I used to be in the industry for years doing high custom work and competing. Have been out foe a few years but still do some work from time to time. Might have to pm you some time. Heck we probly know some of the same people from the industry.

Anyway the tank is amazing. Never thought of using some of my install skills on the tank! I am still new to reefing though. Very much impressed and now following along!

 

[Broadfield]

Toby, so I clicked here on the last page and scrolled up. First time to your thread and thought I could find a FTS. Well I seen the doors and new you had to be in the car audio industry! So for the past 2 days, I have been reading from post one. Great work my friend. I used to be in the industry for years doing high custom work and competing. Have been out foe a few years but still do some work from time to time. Might have to pm you some time. Heck we probly know some of the same people from the industry.

Anyway the tank is amazing. Never thought of using some of my install skills on the tank! I am still new to reefing though. Very much impressed and now following along!

Well thanks man, it's nice to have you aboard! Yes, I have been installing professionally for 25 years now. So I'm an old school installer, that had to learn all of this fancy new template routing, edge lighting etc that all of the kids do these days lol. I have always been proficient in fiberglass and plastic work. Heck, I built my first set of fiberglass kick panels before the internet really existed... 1990. Been doing a ton of SQ builds lately though... should have about 4 vehicles at IASCA finals this year.