CMO's SPS Dominant 165G Mixed Reef Build (Triton)

[CMO]

FTS as of Sept 2019

Fish (count 21):
Yellow Tang, Yellow Eyed Kole Tang, Black Axil Chromis, Wheeler Gobie, Royal Grama, Bicolor Anthias, 2 x Bartlet Anthias, 2 x Lyretail Anthias, Wantanabei Angel Female (transitioned from male originally), Tailspot Blenny, Mandarin Goby, Skeletor Morey Eel, Orchid Dottyback pair, Spotcinctus Clownfish Pair, Borbonias Anthias, Powder Brown / Goldrim Hybrid, Banggai Cardinalfish

Corals (unique type total count - 115):

• Acros (count - 42): BC Shag Priority, BC Miss Scarlett, BC Spainbow, BC Morning Star, BC Secale, BC Lemon Hammer, BC Snipers Blue yum yum, BC Reef ready Grape Juice, BC Poletti Yellow tip Austera, BC Pink Cigarette, BC Rainbow Brite, BC Ken Berry, BC Space Laser, BC PC Superman Table, BC Chemical Bomb, BC Bubblebath Unicorn, BC Sexy's Orange Passion, BC Dales Purple Unknown, BC ATL Shades of Fall, BC Ages old Blue Stag, BC Farmer Red Robin, BC Reef Raft Excaliber Milli, BC Pink Polyp Table, Vivid Sig Confetti, Vivid Sig Blueberry Blast, Vivid Jellybean, Vivid Green Slimer, UC PC Rainbow, UC Green Birdsnest, UC Valida, UC Fuzzy Peach Milli, UC Sunset Milli, CR Fox Flame, Green Table, Purple Tort, Green and Purple Austera, Garetts Acropolis Red Stag, BC Aquatic Man, Walt Disney, ASD Rainbow Milli, Pink Cadillac, JF Homewrecker
• Montipora (count - 7): BC Confused Rainbow Reversed Sunset, UC Red Cap, Leng Sy Cap, Idaho Grape Cap, CR Grafted Cap, Orange Setosa
• LPS (count - 23): ASD Marbled Wall Hammer, Space Invader Pectinia, Aussie Red / Teal Candy Cane, Kryptonite Candy Cane, Pale Green Candy Cane, UC Red Mint Blastos, UC Red Blastos, Merletti Blastos, JF Afterburner Micromussa, UC Fireworks Favia, Neon Green Gorniopora, ASD Rainbow Road Acan Lord, ASD Red/Teal Acan Lord, Ultra Orange Acan Lord, AAF Utra Pink Acan, ASD John Deer Leptastrea, ASD Pink Tip Elegance Coral, Aussie Duncans, Green / Purple Turbinaria Heronensis (Long Polyp), LA Lakers Scroll, ASD Black Hole Sun Acan, JF Jack-O-Lantern Lepto, POTO Scarlet's road acan
• Zoas (count - 26): Watermelons, Utter Chaos, Blue Eyed Blonds, Redio Active Dragon Eyes, Scrambled Eggs, Blue Hornets, Twizzlers, Candy Apple Reds, Fox Fairytales, Red Death, JF Crybabies, JF Mohican Suns, JF Insane Rainbow, Rastas, Miami Vice, Red Agave, Wobblegong, ASD Holy Mermaid Soul, ASD Space Odyssey, Hucklebees, Diablos, Gobblins on Fire, ASD Mandarin Orange, ASD Golden Eye, Rainbow Incinerators, Speckled Kraks
• Softies (count - 5): Neon Toadstool Leather, Aussie Green Crown Leather, CR Metallic Green Star Polyps, Blue/Green Sympodium, UC Koji Wada Pink Nethea
• Mushrooms (count - 9): WWC Diablo, WWC Intersteller, WWC Aquaman, WWC Ultra Green Yuma, Purple Yuma, Orange Yuma, Rainbow Yuma, Various Florida Ricordea, Red / Gold Eclectus Mushroom
• Other (count - 3): AAF Crocea Clam, UC Maxima Clam, Purple Feather Gorgonia (Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata)

New tank is about 3 weeks into cycle after months of planning, customizing, building, and draining bank account.... Going to be attempting full Triton method with the Pax Arid reactor.

Tank Start Date: January 2018
Tank: Mode / Cadlights Artisan II 165G - 71" x 24" x 22"
Sump: Mode PGX 2.0 sump (customized by myself with additional bulkheads) with advanced acrylics filter socks silencers added.
Lighting: Giesemann Aurora 60" LED / T5 hybrid (T5s: 1x Aquablue Coral, 1x Aquablue Azure, 1x Super Purple, 1x Super Actinic) + 60" Reef Bright XHO Actinic LED strip mounted to Aurora Replaced with ATI 8 bulb Wifi Power Module hybrid (T5: 4x ATI blue plus, 2x ATI Coral plus, 1x ATI Purple Plus, 1x ATI True Actinic)
Fuge Lighting: Kessil H380 Halo II LED
Algae Reactor: Pax Bellum Arid N24 (removed) Replaced with traditional refugium.
Pumps: Return - Varios S8, Arid Reactor - Varios S4 (removed), Chiller - Varios S2
Powerheads: 2x Vortec MP40 with battery backup and 2x Maxspec Gyre Xf230 Removed gyres on back wall to allow more room for coral growth. Not really needed.
Skimmer: Mode PGX 1800 removed. Replaced with Reef Octopus Elite 150 SSS and neck cleaner
ATO Reservoir: Advanced Acrylics 25 Gallon (10x24x24)
ATO: Tunze Osmolator
Heaters: 2x Finnex Titanium 300w with HC 810-M controllers
Carbon / GFO Reactor: BRS Deluxe Reactor
GFO Reactor: Ultra Reef UFF003 (removed - mixed with carbon now)
CO2 Scrubber: BRS Universal
UV: Aqua Ultraviolet 2x 25 watts for 50 watts total (Didn't have room for one long 50 watt unit so went with 2 25 watt units stacked and connected together)
Dosers: 3x Neptune Dos
Doser Reservoirs: Custom Advanced Acrylics
Rocks: Mix of Marco Rock, BRS Reef Saver and Reef Cleaners
Sand: Mix of Tropic Eden Reef Flakes and Miniflakes
Controller: Neptune Apex with Ipad Air Interface (Joy Factory Flush Wall Mount)
Controller Modules: 3x FMM, 1x WXM Vortech, 1x Avast Marine Breakout Box
Controller Sensors: 1x Return Flow Sensor, 1x Reactor Flow Sensor, 1x Chiller Flow Sensor, 1x Manifold Flow Sensor, 1x Skimmer Cup Float Sensor (mounted in Lid), 1x Sump Low Level Optical Sensor, 1x Sump High Level Optical Sensor, 4x leak detectors, 2x redundant switches (1 float, 1 optical) in overflow for emergency pump shutoff.
Electronics Cooling: Ac Infinity T7 for cabinet cooling + 4x Ac Infinity 80mm fans for electronics cooling under tank.
Chiller: Aqua Euro Apex 1/4 Chiller

Ipad with Apex Fusion App

SPS dominant mixed reef to come....

Eel tunnel built with 2" pvc under sand bed. Glued rock and reeflakes to pvc for natural look.

Back exit of eel tunnel

Caulked and Flexi-sealed bottom of sump area to contain spills.


Custom built water proof electronics area

Pax Bellum ARID algea reactor (attempting Triton with the reactor instead of normal refugium).

Custom made anti siphon device to prevent siphon with tall reservoir. Made of of 1/4" clear PVC. Cap is drilled to create an air gap)

Triton Dosing V1

Triton Dosing V2

Skimmer:

 

[Rob.D]

Wow, great looking system! Really like the aquascape!

 

[Wrasse-cal]

Looking good. I’ll be curious to compare notes on the ARID reactor once mine is up and running.

 

[Clayton Jessup]

This looks like a great system

 

[SuperHaze57]

New tank is about 3 weeks into cycle after months of planning, customizing, building, and draining bank account.... Getting back into the hobby with my first large tank after about a 10 year hiatus from nano reef tanks. Going to be attempting full Triton method with the Pax Arid reactor.

Tank: Mode / Cadlights Artisan II 165G
Sump: Mode PGX 2.0 sump (customized by myself with additional bulkheads) with advanced acrylics filter socks silencers added.
Light: Giesemann Aurora 60" LED / T5 hybrid (T5s: 1x Aquablue Coral, 1x Aquablue Azure, 1x Super Purple, 1x Super Actinic)
Algae Reactor: Pax Bellum Arid N24
Pumps: Return - Varios S8, Arid Reactor - Varios S2, Chiller - Varios S2
Powerheads: 2x Vortec MP40 with battery backup
Skimmer: Mode PGX 1800
ATO Reservoir: Advanced Acrylics 25 Gallon (10x24x24)
ATO: Tunze Osmolator
Heaters: 2x Finnex Titanium 300w with HC 810-M controllers
Carbon Reactor: BRS Deluxe Reactor
Dosers: 2x Neptune Dos
Doser Reservoirs: 2x Eshoppes 2.0
Rocks: Mix of Marco Rock, BRS Reef Saver and Reef Cleaners
Sand: Mix of Tropic Eden Reef Flakes and Miniflakes
Controller: Neptune Apex with Ipad Air Interface (Joy Factory Flush Wall Mount)
Controller Modules: 3x FMM, 2x Dos, 1x WXM Vortech, 1x Avast Marine Breakout Box
Controller Sensors: 1x Return Flow Sensor, 1x Reactor Flow Sensor, 1x Arid Algae Reactor Flow Sensor, 1x Open Manifold Flow Sensor, 1x Skimmer Cup High Level Optical Sensor (mounted in Lid), 1x Sump Low Level Optical Sensor, 1x Sump High Level Optical Sensor, 4x leak detectors, 2x redundant float switches in overflow for emergency pump shutoff.
Electronics Cooling: Ac Infinity T7 for cabinet cooling + 4x Ac Infinity 80mm fans for electronics cooling under tank.
Chiller: TBD


Ipad with Apex Fusion App

SPS dominant mixed reef to come....

Eel tunnel built with 2" pvc under sand bed. Glued rock and reeflakes to pvc for natural look.

Back exit of eel tunnel

Caulked and Flexi-sealed bottom of sump area to contain spills.


Custom built water proof electronics area

Pax Bellum ARID algea reactor (attempting Triton with the reactor instead of normal refugium).



Custom made anti siphon device to prevent siphon with tall reservoir. Made of of 1/4" clear PVC. Cap is drilled to create an air gap)

Triton Dosing

Aurora lighting power supplies and Vortech Battery Backup.


Chiller will be added here in a custom built cabinet

Awesome setup looking forward to more.

 

[TangingOut]

Nice looking setup. You're like the yin to my yang https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cadlights-165-sps-dominate-mixed-reef.322968/

I'm originally from Orange County too.

 

[Fumanchu]

All I can say is WOW.....
Everthin looks grea from top to bottom....
Very nice equipment.
And that scape oohhhhh my goodness..
Keep up the good work I will be watching

 

[CMO]

Nice looking setup. You're like the yin to my yang https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cadlights-165-sps-dominate-mixed-reef.322968/

I'm originally from Orange County too.

Seriously, great looking set up you have there too!

 

[CMO]

Nearly done cycling. Arid is running great - grew this in 1 weeks from 2 handfuls of Chaeto to start.



Custom made filter tray (by me) to reduce micro bubbles and capture loose Chaeto strands from getting to the pumps and DT. I'm running the coarse filter so things can still get through easily (pods, detritus etc.).



Final touches - a little wire cleanup

 

[CMO]

Update: Tank is doing great and just about done with the post cycle algae bloom.

What's working:

• Haven't done a water change in over a month and first ICP test confirms water is nearly perfect. Currently dosing 5 ml per day of Triton core 7 base elements (full Triton).
• All fish and corrals are happy and healthy with zero losses to date.

Changes / challenges:

• Unfortunately I'm still struggling to grow chaeto with the Arid reactor after my initial success during the cycle. I've had two subsequent rounds of chaeto completely die out turning to brown mush within a week. With my current batch I've started dosing phosphates and feeding much heavier which seems to have helped, but the chaeto is still far from healthy looking. My biggest frustration with the arid so far is the amount of detritus that builds up in the reactor in less than a week (truly an unbelievable amount). I'm having to drain the reactor weekly, rinse the chaeto and re-fill with fresh salt water (I was hoping to avoid regular salt mixing with my Triton setup). With all this removal and rinsing I'm also seeing very little pod activity in the chaeto which ins't helping the detritus situation. Given 3 rounds of cheato failing at this point in the reactor I'm inclined to try a traditional fuge to confirm whether the problem lies with my water or the reactor setup. I have a kessil grow light on the way and plan to re-route my dosing lines to dose into the algae fuge as Triton recommends with the core 7. I have about a 10 gallon fuge available in my sump so this will be a modestly undersized fuge compared to the 10%-20% Triton recommends.
• The original Varios s2 pump was insufficient to provide adequate flow through the arid reactor (I was only getting about 140 gph on max speed with the s2). I upgraded to a Varios S4 which now provides about 190 gph at max speed which is in line with manufacture recommendations. Running flow meters on all lines is one of the better things I did with this tank and has really been eye opening. I would have never guessed that an s2 rated at 790 gph would only put out 140 gph with my set up. Turns out the culprit is the 1/2" line which really reduces flow (the same pump on 3/4" line puts out about 375 gph).
• Added chiller which I wasn't sure i'd need since I run AC regularly in the house. I purchased it as a backup if the AC went out but to my surprise the tank has been pushing 80 even with the house at 72 degrees. Now I just need to build a surround so it's not such an eyesore.
• The back panel of my tank is bowing about 1/4" which makes me nervous in the long run (and some of the silicon on the rear euro brace is already showing signs of stress cracking). To provide additional strength I've ordered a custom steel frame from Crystal Dynamics (who have been wonderful and provided great communication throughout the process). Should have this installed within the next 2 weeks.

 

[CMO]

Arid has been removed and replaced with a traditional refugium with Kessil grow light. My fuge is about 6% of my display volume so undersized from Tritons 10% recommendation. I also re-routed the dosing lines to dose into the filter sock area (I'm not running socks) so the algae fuge in the 1st chamber has first exposure to dosed elements as recommended by Triton. For my setup I find a traditional fuge will be easier to manage than the Arid that was needing drained at least weekly to remove detritus.


A few weeks later... great results with the Kessil!

 

[Javamahn]

Arid has been removed and replaced with a traditional refugium with Kessil grow light. My fuge is about 6% of my display volume so undersized from Tritons 10% recommendation. I also re-routed the dosing lines to dose into the filter sock area (I'm not running socks) so the algae fuge in the 1st chamber has first exposure to dosed elements as recommended by Triton. For my setup I find a traditional fuge will be easier to manage than the Arid that was needing drained at least weekly to remove detritus.

Good luck. That's too bad on the PAX. Seems strange that it had such a buildup problem for such and expensive designed reactor.

 

[CMO]

Yeah

 

[CMO]

Custom steel top frame installed. I added this primarily to brace the rear glass panel which was bowing about 1/4" but it has also made the tank look quite a bit nicer since it covers the top part of the tank under the euro brace that accumulates condensation. Frame was custom made by crystal dynamics and I had it powder coated for easy maintenance. Also, since I've converted to a traditional refugium my chaeto is growing nicely again and very healthy looking. I haven't done any water changes since switching from the Arid so still not sure why I couldn't get it to grow with the reactor.

 

[CMO]

Tank is now stocked with a fair amount of coral and fish, all of which are doing great (including the SPS which I was worried about given the age of my tank at only 4 months).

 

[CMO]

Added Ultra Reef reactor over the weekend. Right now i'm mixing carbon and GFO in a single reactor but will separate them going forward with the Ultra reef used for GFO. This thing is really nice, highly recommended.

.

 

[Javamahn]

Can you tell me if there is a big change in PAR with and without the screen on top?

 

[CMO]

Can you tell me if there is a big change in PAR with and without the screen on top?

Good questions. The readings posted above are without the screen. I'll try and get some equivalent peak readings with the screen this weekend to compare.

 

[revhtree]

Wow very very nice system! ROTM in the making!

 

[Cment]

Great job with the aquascape! There's a wonderful balance of open area for fish to swim/hide and enough room for plenty of corals, love it!