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

[mylertitchell]

Bumblebee Reef
75g display tank
30g sump/refugium
85g NET

Contents
1-5: The Build
6-8: Getting Wet
9: The Merger
10: Tang Gang
11-13: Year One Journey
14: Year Two Journey
15: Year Three Journey
(inc. total wipeout)
16++: Year Four Journey

Latest - Dec 23



TLDR​

• Minimal Aqua-forest scaping with sand
• Mixed Reef, branching SPS treetop, euphyllia treetop, gonipora treetop, torch dwarf treetop, with encrusting sps,lps,zoas on trees, sand bed gardens mainly brain corals, shroom, flower nems and a Clam.
  • Update SPS treetop, euphyllia treetop, nem treetop and dwarf duncan treetop
• Hybrid lighting (reefbreeder and 4xT5)
• Heavy side of stocking; variety of fish no multiples apart from breeding bangaiis and clowns
• ULM; ATO, AWC, Filter Roller, Auto feeder, auto dosing, Reactors
• UV (parasite control)
• Custom Stand
• Own consumer unit (heart and soul) Battery Backup wiring
• Quarantine system always running with black mollies.
  Dream is to sell and trade frags with fellow enthusiasts

How the story began...​

Currently running a 13gallon (14x14x16h) nano mixed reef tank with HOB and now starting the build process to upgrade to a 36x20x24h mixed reef display tank. Plan to move scape, corals and black ice clowns from nano to new tank and convert nano to a Quarantine System.
Tank will be in living room and will be attempting to run dosing lines, water lines, electric etc (AWC,ATO) from garage. Garage will hopefully have a 'Reef Station' which will consist of QT (always running with black mollys), cultures, battery backup, mixing station, dosing system and storage.
Main reason for all this moving to garage is, there is no space under this 3foot system for what I want to run. Hoping to run a filter roller, UV steriliser (1xturnover) as well as the basics (pumps, heater, wavemakers all on a battery backup), sump will be my frag tank.
Nano Tank will run in parallel until the new tank is ready for the corals and then become QT. Will most likely not personally QT the first fish in (as tank aint available) but they will be sourced best to my ability and nothing else will be added then until nano tank gets merged (minus cuc).
Thats my kind of POA and it all started off with a oh thats pretty, 2.5k receipt and 9 month later get the hell out of here purchase and I got it all for 400 (about the price of the lights), so im doing well as I planned to buy something similar all new, but always kept an eye just incase, here is my nano too as of last night...

 

[lapin]

Nice

Howdy and welcome

 

[Anirban]

Welcome to R2R.

Looking good.

 

[mylertitchell]

This tank came with rock, alot of dead corals, so thought Id prepare them for the build ahead of time, deplug, dirty wash, scrub, rinse, bleach soak, scrub, rinse, final soak, scrub and good blast before let dry and gas off. Was planning on buying caribsea life shapes, but I think I can do something I always wanted to do with these...

 

[puffer_reef]

Awesome looking tank!

 

[mylertitchell]

So my scape plan is an aquaforest, so i want my scape to bonsai trees, and have the tree tops as one branching sps, maybe one gonipora (every colour) and an euphyllia tree top, my nano scape will be center, floating rocks to add height and sand bed alot of brain type lps, with the tree rocks mainly covered in encrusting corals. Thats my basic vision, hope you see it like i do, my baby bonsai ...

 

[mylertitchell]

So gonna run a dual return, 4000 pump and 3500 pump (this will be dialed to around 1x timeover, i did buy a 1500 but running at max at that height it basically just made it if was a glass half full guy so ended up just buying this size as was only few pound more that 2500)
So this will give me redundancy as now have two pumps running, plan on left output going through a uv steriliser. Bought RFG and locline, some hosing (bumblebee theme will start to show), had to replace some of the plumbing that came with. Bit of mesh to protect any unwanted guests going into overflow. Tried the famous kid in tank pose, it didnt go like i thought.

 

[mylertitchell]

Thought a wee cheeky water test, just to wet the whistle and ensure all is well. To be sure to be sure...
Really like this tanks overflow, just filled everything to the brim and it just worked well in regards level changes in display and sump compared to other tanks, especially when was trying to see if cud make her overspill. Wavemakers came with tank just pair of jebao sow8, Was very satisfied tbh with what they generated, plan to upgrade down line and could easily see another minimal pair of wavemakers added to lower part of back wall to help keep everything in water column.

 

[mylertitchell]

Officially broke ground!
The underground project, I am attempting to run alot of stuff from garage to lack of space in this cabinet and the other benefits. So I am hoping to run this green pipe from under the tank all the way to the garage (10-15meters, total up and down max length of pipe).
So hopefully I can do this as I already have bought an ATO that can travel that distance. (ATO will then run from an unlimited RODI Container - failsafes all will be place to ensure no tds creep and rodi will only kick in in large volumes).
So will then be able to remove that piece of glass out of sump and make sump larger.
I have purchased/custom built with an online store a AWC, to do similar to what the ato does but both ways, larger pumps, pipes etc. Basically I will have 2 float valves in my sump, one at same level of ato and other at the water change level (remove maybe 4/5g a week) and I push the water change button and this turns on one pump to take to bottom level and then turns other on to fill back up. A nice maybe semi automatic approach that will require no bucket lifting and this can happen every monday while im doing the weekly maintenance.
This will also allow me to have large dosing containers in garage and dose from there.
I will be running electric cable through this too and have these on a small consumer unit, instead of running the 20+ plugs from a double socket, they can be handled correctly and this will also allow me to put heater, pump, wavemakers on to a battery backup down the line.
Contemplating maybe putting the skimmer on this and attempting some auto draining functionality on it. Not sure, but doable if required. I want my tank to be safe and smart, so if I can add features to make life easier and better for tank then I will.

 

[mylertitchell]

Time to build a stand...
The original stand was made with stock chipboard 15mm, I used cls16 treated timber (89x38) and 18mm plywood, a good few wood screws of various depths, pocket holes and a design that wasn't what id of done if didnt have choice, but only way to fit sump and have tank and stand 'flush'. The design underneath sump, is hopefully to handle alot of plugs and cables.

 

[mylertitchell]

Work In Progress - Dark Oak and black ironmongery is the design to match house, recessed handle on sump hatch, magnetic catch and some bolt locks just to add wee bit extra and should be enough for my children.

 

[mylertitchell]

WIP - A canopy was never my idea, but some how i got to here, think its better for the living room than the hanging kit, but will hide everything better, this will hold the semigrow it5080 and 4 t5 tubes, still to do handle, vents electric holes etc. Will most likely build a wee attachment for an autofeeder, maybe put a wee aquarium fan in here to help with circulation, will add wee touch of felt to ensure soft close...

 

[chrisgold]

So my scape plan is an aquaforest, so i want my scape to bonsai trees, and have the tree tops as one branching sps, maybe one gonipora (every colour) and an euphyllia tree top, my nano scape will be center, floating rocks to add height and sand bed alot of brain type lps, with the tree rocks mainly covered in encrusting corals. Thats my basic vision, hope you see it like i do, my baby bonsai ...

Class mate ive always wanted to glue rocks on the back of tank for some shelving

 

[mylertitchell]

The official backlog cleared, we are up to date, awaiting some items to arrive so can finish canopy and prepare for staining, and same for stand... Get a good few coats and then clear garage and prepare a 'reef station' so nano tank can move to here and get the underground project back on track.

 

[mylertitchell]

Class mate ive always wanted to glue rocks on the back of tank for some shelving

Yeah I have done these in my nano tank, drill and then epoxy in a spare wavemaker magnet into the rock then attach whereever.

 

[mylertitchell]

Motion sensor Cabinet Lighting

 

[mylertitchell]

Final Preparing Canopy, final holes, filled and sanded. Using the suspension bracket on light and 20mm hex screws to attach to canopy. Also will be adding 2 t5s at either side of led.
4 air vents on roof line up to fans on light. 2 air vents on back and 3 for cable management.
Will have an aquarium fan and auto feeder in canopy. 8 inch 45degrees either side will carry each one. Fan hopefully help create a draw to benefit pH and help if hot in there.
.

 

[ShepherdReefer]

Looking great, I like it. Following

 

[mylertitchell]

Kids in bed Great Night indeed, cabinet and canopy first coat complete. Still to add a bit more ironmongery (locks for doors and studs for canopy) and probably 2 more coats.

 

[mylertitchell]

Think this will be great addition, and also my 4xt5 bulb kit just arrived!!