Coralectic | A Reefer S-1000 System Build

[Coralectic]

Hey R2R,

I’m Mostafa, a Saudi reefer based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and this is my dream build journey!

It all started when we bought a penthouse in Riyadh, and I wanted to get something a "little" bigger than my Red Sea Reefer 425. What began as a simple upgrade quickly turned into a full-blown project. Walls were moved, full custom woodwork was added, and a dedicated fish room was built to support what became the most ambitious build I’ve ever taken on.

This thread will document the entire process behind Coralectic, my custom-built Red Sea Reefer S-1000 system.

I started the build in July 2024. I’m already about halfway through, and to keep things interesting, I’ll be posting updates every few days until we reach the current state of the build.

A Little About Me:
I’ve been in the reefing hobby since August 2021. I started with an AIO from Innovative Marine and later moved to a Red Sea Reefer 425. After that, I built a cube using a Reefer 200 to be an LPS/softies system.

I’m a gear junkie. I enjoy the equipment side of the hobby just as much as the livestock. I care about corals and fish equally, and I’ve always been drawn to mixed reef tanks with a balance of both color and movement.

Build Idea & Ambition:
The goal is to build a large, zero-compromise system that fits with the overall décor and doesn’t feel out of place. The tank is one of the first things you see when you enter the penthouse, so it had to look intentional and clean.

It’s also meant to be a foundation for whatever I decide to do in the future. Maybe a frag tank. Maybe culturing my own zooplankton and phytoplankton. I’m still figuring it out, but I didn’t want to be limited.

The tank needs to be accessible from all sides and supported by a dedicated fish room. The system is built for aesthetics, flexibility, and expansion.

Things will likely change mid-build. I tend to shift direction depending on how things are going.

Updates Shortcuts: (updated 25/08/2025)
Use the links below to navigate directly to each update:
Update#1: Laying the Groundwork
Update#2: Tank Arrival & Assembly
Update#3: My Friend Hated My Plan and Was Kinda Right
Update#4: A Deal I Couldn't Say No To
Update#5: Time to Rock It Out & Light It Up

 

[Coralectic]

Laying the Groundwork (UPDATE#1):
Before starting anything, I spent some time planning the layout. We decided to build a room on the roof terrace that would function as a laundry room, storage space, and fish room all in one.

I worked out a simple CAD design to see how everything would fit and work together. It helped me figure out the basic flow of the space and make sure the tank and fish room setup would be practical.

That layout fits into the area shown below. This is the layout of the top floor of our penthouse. We'll remove the walls marked in red, build the new room in yellow, and set up the tank in the blue section.

Enough of the planning. Time to start breaking things down, building the room, and getting the tank area ready.

I took some time to lay out water supply and wastewater lines to make the system easier to operate and maintain.

The room is ready, and the area where the tank will go is also prepped. Fast forward a few weeks of construction, interior finishing, and furnishing, and we officially moved into our new home in mid-November 2024. Of course, I brought my little cube with me. I had already sold the Reefer 425 by then.

A few days later, excitement got the best of me and I started executing the CAD design. I began with the table and tanks for the mixing station, along with the RO/DI filter setup.
(I’ll come to regret this later)

 

[Coralectic]

And of course, what’s a fish room without a utility sink?
(I’ll regret this later too. There is a pattern here)

I also bought 10 bags of my favorite sand and had them shipped in, since I couldn’t find it locally.

Lastly, I marked out the tank placement using masking tape to get a feel for how it would sit in the space.



// End of UPDATE#1

 

[Khalilkaram]

And of course, what’s a fish room without a utility sink?
(I’ll regret this later too. There is a pattern here)

I also bought 10 bags of my favorite sand and had them shipped in, since I couldn’t find it locally.

Lastly, I marked out the tank placement using masking tape to get a feel for how it would sit in the space.



// End of UPDATE#1

Brilliny good luck

 

[wesamazmy]

Nice start, waiting for more updates

 

[maroun.c]

Can tell this will be a great setup ;)
Welcome To Reef2Reef abd great you finally decided to have the build thread!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Well this is going to be an awesome build to follow! Welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[Coralectic]

Tank Arrival & Assembly (UPDATE#2):
I placed the order for my tank about 15 weeks before I actually got it. The Reefer S-1000 isn’t easy to come by. It turns out demand is high, and none of the shops in our region keep it in stock. There was a waiting list, and I just had to get in line.

Fast forward some time later, and the tank finally showed up. Long wait, but absolutely worth it. This thing is massive.

Carrying this thing up the stairs wasn’t an option, and it didn’t fit in any of the elevators. So the logical course of action was... a crane, of course

This was a very stressful moment for me. I was seriously worried it might drop or slam into something on the way up.

Nice and easy....

TOUCH DOWN!!!

I was just happy the tank was finally home and safe. I even woke up my daughter to see it, since she’s been part of this whole journey with me. She loves her Nemos and Dory, so this was a big moment for her too.

The very next morning, I woke up early and might have skipped work to start assembling my brand new toy.

My daughter’s cat Arlo was a big help too. Mostly by playing with the loose parts and empty bags.

And just like that, the cabinet was ready and placed in its designated, marked spot.

 

[Coralectic]

This thing is just... beautiful.

That same night, I really wanted to get the aquarium onto the cabinet. I didn’t have any suction cups, so I gathered seven people to help lift it into place. The tank is extremely heavy and awkward to move without proper gear. Looking back, it was an unnecessary risk.

An unlevel tank is just a disaster waiting to happen. I spent over an hour carefully adjusting every single leg until the whole thing was perfectly level. The floor wasn’t helping either. It had a few low spots that made the process even more frustrating.

I then moved on to the sump, plumbing, and cabinet doors.

And finally, it was time to do a leak test. This was important to get done before moving forward with anything else. The last thing I wanted was to find out the tank was leaking after finishing the woodwork and the rest of the project.

Everything was perfect, at least on the aquarium side. Now it was time to start finishing the setup design and getting the woodwork done.

// End of UPDATE#2

 

[Coralectic]

Brilliny good luck

Thank you Khalil.

Nice start, waiting for more updates

Thank you Wesam.

Can tell this will be a great setup ;)
Welcome To Reef2Reef abd great you finally decided to have the build thread!

Thank you Maroun. Hopefully I won't get lazy and keep updating the thread.

Well this is going to be an awesome build to follow! Welcome to Reef2Reef!

I hope so , thank you for the comment and welcomes.

 

[Khalilkaram]

This thing is just... beautiful.

View attachment 4204795 View attachment 4204796

That same night, I really wanted to get the aquarium onto the cabinet. I didn’t have any suction cups, so I gathered seven people to help lift it into place. The tank is extremely heavy and awkward to move without proper gear. Looking back, it was an unnecessary risk.

View attachment 4204797 View attachment 4204798 View attachment 4204799

An unlevel tank is just a disaster waiting to happen. I spent over an hour carefully adjusting every single leg until the whole thing was perfectly level. The floor wasn’t helping either. It had a few low spots that made the process even more frustrating.

View attachment 4204800

I then moved on to the sump, plumbing, and cabinet doors.

View attachment 4204801 View attachment 4204802 View attachment 4204804 View attachment 4204805

And finally, it was time to do a leak test. This was important to get done before moving forward with anything else. The last thing I wanted was to find out the tank was leaking after finishing the woodwork and the rest of the project.

View attachment 4204806 View attachment 4204807 View attachment 4204808 View attachment 4204809 View attachment 4204810 View attachment 4204811
View attachment 4204812

Everything was perfect, at least on the aquarium side. Now it was time to start finishing the setup design and getting the woodwork done.

// End of UPDATE#2

Can't wait to see the next update Mostafa looks amazing

 

[CBonito]

Bro, that's a lot of water!
Very cool. What are you thinking for lights?

 

[maroun.c]

Tank Arrival & Assembly (UPDATE#2):
I placed the order for my tank about 15 weeks before I actually got it. The Reefer S-1000 isn’t easy to come by. It turns out demand is high, and none of the shops in our region keep it in stock. There was a waiting list, and I just had to get in line.

Fast forward some time later, and the tank finally showed up. Long wait, but absolutely worth it. This thing is massive.

Carrying this thing up the stairs wasn’t an option, and it didn’t fit in any of the elevators. So the logical course of action was... a crane, of course

This was a very stressful moment for me. I was seriously worried it might drop or slam into something on the way up.

Nice and easy....

TOUCH DOWN!!!

I was just happy the tank was finally home and safe. I even woke up my daughter to see it, since she’s been part of this whole journey with me. She loves her Nemos and Dory, so this was a big moment for her too.

The very next morning, I woke up early and might have skipped work to start assembling my brand new toy.

My daughter’s cat Arlo was a big help too. Mostly by playing with the loose parts and empty bags.

And just like that, the cabinet was ready and placed in its designated, marked spot.

Always great to see a crane ina build thread :)

 

[CBonito]

Always great to see a crane ina build thread :)

I know! Right?

 

[Coralectic]

Bro, that's a lot of water!
Very cool. What are you thinking for lights?

Thank you for the comments.

That’s a good question. I’ve actually been going back and forth on it for quite some time, even back when this build was just an idea.

I’ve always been a Radion guy. All my previous builds ran Radions paired with AI Blades. That said, I’ve been pretty impressed lately with the Dalua Illumagic X4 and the Giesemann AURORA V12. I’ve also been debating whether to go with the A8PRO, the Radion knockoff made in China.

But as I mentioned in the first post, I’m already about halfway through this build. The lighting decision has been made (or rather made for me). SPOILER: it’s Radions again . There’s a small twist that explains why I went that route. Update #4 will cover that unexpected turn/good fortune.

Also, as you’ll see in the next update, there’s a challenge with the canopy that requires some workarounds and a bit of trial and error. Update #3 will introduce that issue in more detail.

Stay tuned, it gets interesting.

 

[Coralectic]

Can't wait to see the next update Mostafa looks amazing

Thank you Khalil

Always great to see a crane ina build thread :)

I like cranes
Fortunately the crane will show up again (and again and again...)

 

[parclife]

Amazing!!! Keep the updates coming please

 

[Coralectic]

Amazing!!! Keep the updates coming please

Thank you for the comment.

New update soon

 

[PPBlimpy]

Following along! Doing thing multiple times is part of the hobby. Can’t regret because your always lerning

 

[Coralectic]

Following along! Doing thing multiple times is part of the hobby. Can’t regret because your always lerning

Could not agree more!

Thanks for the comment.