Bumblebee Reef - 75G/30G (36Lx20Wx24H)

[DxMarinefish]

Its a hang on refugium, so hanging on the side of chamber one, yellow pipe on right is inlet from a pump and black pipe elbowed off is outlet to return back into chamber one. It just seemed so perfect for that dead space

Looks good to me. I have one on my system, but as its acrylic so i just cemented it on.

 

[mylertitchell]

Have chosen to go for 5kg of marine bio gravel in 1kg mesh bags as first buy to go under frag rack, hopefully fits quite nicely will find out this month im sure!
Im hoping the smallest media may get the best results as that set up will create deoxygenated water between each piece of media inside the bag and boost the performance in those very slow flow zones and each one of the mesh bags will act like a huge piece of porous filter media with each piece of that is in itself a porous piece of filter media.
It will take long time to get to the stocking i want to get to but with his full nitrate cycle this 5kg shud do 333l - 500l which is basically my tank as 500l is total volume and 300ish prob were it gonna be in reality of actual water.

 

[mylertitchell]

Velcro Cable Management - in theme, not sure how much of it be seen (if any) but should help - cannot believe the amount of cables im gonna have. Theres like 16 cables coming out of canopy alone, think my socket count sitting 24!

 

[mylertitchell]

They finally arrived... Sump is getting wrapped back three sides in yellow. Was just messing with positions, think might go for big boy in sump and other two in canopy.
Large, Medium, Small

Medium, Small

Medium, Small

Large


Think when sump wrapped and cables managed this gonna really start coming together...

 

[mylertitchell]

Some movements made over lunch... Nothing out here is gonna be bumblebee standard. It is just gonna be DIY functional until up and running and then might update.
Nothing special apart from the safe place to move nano tank too now (a sin to place here i know) which is monumental to me and 5x5l containers had collected to be used for DIY dosing containers. That will prob be there positions with doser beside them. Most likely dosing 2x calcium (1 inc trace), 1 x mag, 1 x alk (inc trace) and 1 x ph (kalk).

 

[mylertitchell]

Next Purchases

1. 18w UV Steriliser - APS
2. 5kg Biomedia - ProFilter
3. Clarisea 3000 (plus sand,bacteria, salt etc. The get wet stuff) - Charterhouse
4. WIFI extension leads - Amazon
5. 5 Chanel Doser - trading with a buddy. Doser for one of my zetlights. Some frag swaps while were there I’m sure.

 

[mylertitchell]

Uv ordered. Will probably need to drill hole for tubing to run nice and tidy and out of way. Plan to put uv on a French cleat so secure and easily removed for cleaning and replacing. This and cut some holes in canopy for controllers is the last dirty work before new tank can come in.

 

[mylertitchell]

Biomedia ordered. 5kg on way. Should be plenty

 

[mylertitchell]

Well I did it and for those of you’s who have done this with larger tanks I commend you. Nano officially in garage. Some space cleared, not perfect, will need tidied up but for moving tank and having up and running I’m happy enough. Will sort it probably over the next while.

This is we’re the new tank will be going to. Previous tank was on nest tables, nest will move to other side of room when tank comes in.

 

[mylertitchell]

Another section cleared out in garage. This will be storage and mixing station

 

[DxMarinefish]

You have been busy. Looks like its all coming along nicely.

 

[mylertitchell]

So my plan in sept was this:

So I plumbed two 25l drums just like this and have manual valves currently that I will change out to solenoid valves to automate the process down the line.

RODI - I believe this should cover my weeks amount but I’ll let it drain to the last 20% or so and then let it fill back up, this is just for TDS creep. Plan to automate with sensor so rodi fills automatically at this point instead.

SALT - This will be very simple and cud probably stay manual. Allow to fill. Then add measured salt (most likely 1kg) and turn a 2000lph wavemaker on to mix. Turn valve off. AWC will take water out weekly. So this be empty on Monday night after wc. And I will turn valve on then. Then next day valve off and salt in and mix

AWC - fresh, waste and rodi are handled by simple pumps relays and sensors. So Monday I push button drains to level x (25lits) and then takes water from here. Go out to garage and turn valve on at some point to ensure have it ready for next week (cud automate this and prob will down line)
My wc will be something like 5-10% actual wc. But it will actually be a 100% effective water change over the year. So technically water in tank is changed annually. This wc purpose is solely for removing unknowns and replenishing minors (will be dosing trace). Nutrient export is handled via filter roller/skimmer/refugium/biomedia

SKIMATE - is running the skimmer cup straight to drain and pulling it every x, with the occasional rodi flush and toothbrush clean and having skimmer with sensor to stop overflowing. This is just an idea and will be left to down the line. I want to see what the manual work is like before looking into that.


More space than thought had so should hold some long term storage behind drums as well as keep the salt bucket in between

 

[mylertitchell]

Just got a lil cheeky time tonight.

 

[mylertitchell]

Canopy - Bumblebees glued, still to tidy light cables (cable management) and canopy is complete!

 

[mylertitchell]

Bio Gravel - 5kg, 1kg per bag added to under frag rack. Id expect this to be more than adequate for my tank.

 

[mylertitchell]

SENEYE REEF (with WIFI server)
Added Seneye REEF to weir. Seneye will be used for PAR readings to help with setting up lights, slides will be bought to use for cycling (ammonia) have redsea for nitrite/nitrate. Will also be able to benefit from the pH monitoring and see what the base pH is like in tank, before skimmer is turned on, and then refugium and then dosing (kalk). Should be able to minimise swing, hopefully tank is 8.2+ (current tank is 8.1-8.3). Longterm benefit to keeping seneye is this will be my display tank temperature meter (dd-temp controller in sump) and this will also notify my phone if out of water, its sitting at water level so this would mean pumps arent on.

 

[mylertitchell]

Just can’t believe this is my actual socket count

Will I be able to make this tidy and easily accessed.?
Plan on running 6 x 4 WiFi extension. 3 per side and either an iPad or Samsung active dedicated to the reef.

 

[mylertitchell]

Electrics Added to Mixing Station, cheap 2000lph wavemaker on WIFI plug.

 

[mylertitchell]

18w UV (UVC Bulb)
Drilled hole to better manage the secondary flow, going to build/stain/varnish a french cleat so UV is secure but easily removed for maintenance. The UV is Screwed on to clips, and i just know they'll end up rusty so think this the better option. One hicup is the steppers 1.5inch to 3/4 takes up serious room at either side and has made head clearance quite difficult, trying to source a straight reducer or elbow to gain few inches or find someone to 3D print.

I don't know how much, I believe of this and then ppl saying uvc/quartz etc is actually 2x 18w=36w, but with very few in UK giving out the actual radiation (apart from deltec) I was happy enough, plus i cannot get a bigger UV on my system without putting it outside the cabinet and in this build is a no. So a 16inch 18w was best I could do.

Plan on running it 1x turnover and when see a particular bacterial issue I can crank this right up. 3500lph pump, main is 4000 so shud be plenty of bacteria control.

 

[mylertitchell]

Canopy - COMPLETED IT MATE
Just had to sort the cables coming from the lights and velcro wrapping all cables coming out of canopy and sump. To minimise the rats nest I am trying to avoid. Video of Canopy