Coralectic | A Reefer S-1000 System Build

[Coralectic]

My Friend Hated My Plan and Was Kinda Right (UPDATE#3):
A lot has happened since I got the tank. I spent almost three months planning and executing the next steps. It all started when a childhood friend of mine visited and asked about the big empty aquarium. I got super excited and started walking him through my plan, only for him to tear it apart.

He’s a very artistic person and thought it was a shame to completely block the tank with a full wood cabinet. After a couple of weeks of back and forth, with him wanting a clean open centerpiece and me wanting a functional enclosure, we finally came up with the redesign you’ll see below. It’s a new take on the tank’s wood cladding and overall décor.

The idea is to have the aquarium sink about 10 cm into a fake wall made of wood. This will give it depth and help hide the overflow box. The aquarium cabinet will also extend 10 cm out from each side to reduce the tank’s massive, boxy appearance. The canopy will then float fully above the aquarium. A small wall-like wood plank will link the canopy to the tank and cabinet, and by extension, to the wood wall itself.

This layout will let me walk behind the tank easily for maintenance and functionality, while also making the display look like a large, integrated décor piece.

A hidden door will be placed to the right of the aquarium, leading into the fish room, laundry, and storage area.

The canopy is the most complicated part of the design. Since it will float above the aquarium, it will sit slightly higher than I would like, which creates some challenges with PAR levels. The goal is to create a single blanket of light across the tank instead of individual light sources. We’re working on a large diffuser-style solution to close the open canopy gap and spread the light more evenly.

Now that the idea and design were ready, and I somehow managed to convince my trusty carpenter to take it on (for a lot more money than I’d like), I turned my attention to closing the gypsum ceiling gap and installing some lighting strips.

 

[Coralectic]

The carpenter decided to split the work into two stages. First, the cabinet and canopy. Then the walls and hidden door, so he could confirm the sizing based on reality rather than relying on paper measurements.

Three weeks passed after I confirmed the work order, and my cabinet enclosure and canopy finally arrived.

This was the first time I felt like things were finally coming together. I loved how the cabinet turned out. The wood, by the way, is the same type used throughout the rest of our home’s interior design. Seeing things go from ideas, to drawings, to reality felt surreal.

This is the canopy. You might be wondering why it’s sitting on the floor next to our dining table. That’s because we completely overlooked the fact that this massive 240 cm wide wood structure is very heavy and needs to be bolted to a gypsum ceiling. Now add to that the weight of the lighting apparatus that’s supposed to hang inside it. Yeah... that’s not going to happen.

So of course, we decided to half-destroy the ceiling and bolt a thick metal frame directly into the concrete. This created a massive mess in the process, and let’s just say my wife wasn’t exactly impressed. If you look closely at the pictures, you can still see some of the leftover debris from the wall we knocked down back in the first update.

I couldn’t move the aquarium a single centimeter because it was placed just right. It was perfectly centered in the space allocated for the project, and all the measurements had already been taken by the carpenter. Needless to say, having that much construction happening right next to the aquarium didn’t make me feel very comfortable.

Oh look, another thing we forgot to account for. The fire suppression system sprinkler. Of course, it wasn’t something I could just cut or remove. I had to call the company that installed it and have them depressurize the system. Explaining to the owners’ association why I wanted to do this was fun. It took us a solid week to get this thing relocated.

 

[Coralectic]

Now that the ceiling was clear, the metal frame was ready to go up.

This thing could hold an elephant.

Some ceiling patching work followed...

Painting...

And we finally started installing the canopy.

This looks nice. Incomplete, but nice.

By the way, ignore the scape. This was just a mid-journey experiment. The actual scape update is coming soon. This is not the final version.

Here, scape removed

 

[Coralectic]

The very next day, we moved our attention to the wood walls and the hidden door. That part actually went surprisingly smooth. I’ll leave you with the pictures

Drumroll... it’s ready!

I loved the final result. I got so caught up in planning and executing the build that I completely forgot I was actually building my dream aquarium. This was the moment it finally hit me again. I could feel that spark come back.

To test the diffuser idea, I used one of those fabric sheets photographers use for lighting. I installed it to block the light gap inside the canopy and see how it would perform. The final solution will be more permanent though.

The next day, the carpenter finished building the cabinet we added inside for electrical work, controllers, and whatever else I need to stash in there.

This is how the whole setup looks from the living room.
I LOVE IT!

And this is how the canopy looks when lit up. This is the full blanket-of-light idea in action.

I'm very very happy with the results.

// End of UPDATE#3

 

[PPBlimpy]

That look amazing. the oversize canopy and stand make the tank look so much smaller.

I had planned something like this with my previous tank, an 8ft 300G, built in cabinet system. wanted to go floor to ceiling. never happened. didn't make sense once tank was setup, was to big for the space but now my s1000 is in its place i may take some of your design into thought and rework my original ideas

I will enjoy following this build!! it is top notch!

 

[Khalilkaram]

The final look is amazing honestly week done

 

[anas_reef]

How beautiful it is to witness such creativity, precision, and attention to detail! My heartfelt congratulations to you, I’m confident this inspiring beginning is just the start of an exceptional journey. I’m truly excited and eager to follow every step of your progress. Wishing you all the success ahead, my friend.

 

[Coralectic]

That look amazing. the oversize canopy and stand make the tank look so much smaller.

I had planned something like this with my previous tank, an 8ft 300G, built in cabinet system. wanted to go floor to ceiling. never happened. didn't make sense once tank was setup, was to big for the space but now my s1000 is in its place i may take some of your design into thought and rework my original ideas

I will enjoy following this build!! it is top notch!

Thank you, PPBlimpy, for stopping by and for your kind words.

While I'm very happy with the results, the journey was definitely a major investment of both time and money. I think it's because this isn't my area of expertise, and I’ve been figuring things out as I go.

That said, this is one of those rare situations where the journey has been just as rewarding as the destination.
I highly encourage you to take on the same adventure. Happy to help with whatever I can.

The final look is amazing honestly week done

Thank you, Khalil. Supportive and encouraging as always, my friend.

How beautiful it is to witness such creativity, precision, and attention to detail! My heartfelt congratulations to you, I’m confident this inspiring beginning is just the start of an exceptional journey. I’m truly excited and eager to follow every step of your progress. Wishing you all the success ahead, my friend.

Anas, thank you for the kind words, buddy. Coming from someone as artistic and creative as you, this really means a lot.

 

[maroun.c]

Loving how neat it is!
The lighting looks amazing. Can't wait to see it full of fish and corals

 

[Coralectic]

Loving how neat it is!
The lighting looks amazing. Can't wait to see it full of fish and corals

Thank you, Maroun.
Appreciate your support.

 

[Billyreef-ita]

This is simply amazing! Following along…

 

[Coralectic]

This is simply amazing! Following along…

Thanks a lot Billy.

 

[Coralectic]

A Deal I Couldn't Say No To (UPDATE#4):
Well, here’s an unexpected happy twist. A friend of mine, who had been running an S-1000 for the past year and a half, decided to move to a new house and had to give up his tank. He gave me an amazing bargain, and I couldn’t say no to the deal. The package included the aquarium, a ton of equipment, and all the livestock. Naturally, I jumped on the opportunity. It was a huge money saver and a great chance to get my hands on some livestock.

Unfortunately, his system had every single type of pest you can think of. He had been really busy with work over the past few months, and things had gotten out of control. I couldn’t just take the livestock, dip it, and drop it into my new aquarium. Besides, my tank wasn’t even cycled yet.

So I decided to move the entire system as-is, aquarium and all. I’ll eventually find someone to give this tank a new home once I’m done with it.

This update is mainly about that move. I started by getting some things ready for the transfer and setting up a temporary holding space (using a tub and a pool) for the rocks and livestock until I could move the aquarium and clean it. I also decided to let go of the big tanks I had for the mixing station and the table. Like I mentioned before, I regretted getting them, they are too big.

I split the move over three days.

Day 1: Move non-life-critical equipment.
This included any gear that didn’t directly affect the livestock.

Day 2: Move the livestock and life-critical equipment.
I moved the rocks, fish, corals, and most of the water to help keep parameters stable. I also brought over the everything needed to keep things alive.

Day 3: Move the aquarium.
I got to play with cranes again. This time I needed both a small one and a big one to get the job done.

I placed the aquarium right behind my main aquarium, inside the fish room.

and since we made some mess, I thought I'd change the fish room door to allow more natural light in.

After a ton of cleanup, I started filling the tank with clean water and transferred about 50% of the old water in. After that, I moved the rocks back in.

This is the final result

 

[Coralectic]

So there I sat, looking at this amazing aquarium, and now I had two of them.

I thought of so many things I could do with it. One idea was to connect both tanks into a single S-2000 system. One would be a coral-dominant setup with a few fish, and the other would be a full FOWLR. That would give me the chance to push the bioload and finally keep some of the fish I’ve always wanted but couldn’t add to a reef.

I also considered placing the aquarium somewhere else in our home and maybe going freshwater. But then I remembered that divorce is expensive, and maybe one massive aquarium is enough for the missus.

In the end, I decided to give it to a friend who has helped me a lot during my reefing journey. He’s the right person to take this system and actually put it to good use.

In the meantime, I had to deal with the mess inside the tank. It was full of algae and pests. The photo above might make it look like a full reef, but it was mostly a bunch of split colonies and low-end corals. None of which I wanted anywhere near my main system.

So I brought out my old Innovative Marine tank and set it up as a frag tank. I started fragging the corals and moving them over, planning to clean up the main tank and then eventually move it to my friend’s place.

Yes, with cranes. Again. Muhaha.

 

[Coralectic]

Unfortunately, the first thing I noticed when I brought back my old (and actually first) aquarium was that it was scratched to hell. I couldn’t accept that, so I had a new one made.

A HOB filter with well-cycled bio-balls should keep this aquarium running safely.

I decided to try my luck with 3D printing some frag racks.

Turned out great :)

I finally had a reason to buy this beast. I’ve always wanted one.

I set up my makeshift fragging workshop and got to work fragging.

And here’s the final yield from my little fragging operation.

This was absolutely disgusting.

I then turned my attention to the cabinet. I hated the Innovative Marine stand, and it was pretty beaten up anyway. I’ve always wanted to try working with aluminum extrusion, so I went for it.

I designed a simple stand, ordered the parts, and put it together.

// End of UPDATE#4

 

[PPBlimpy]

DANG! very nice score!!
My wife thought I had it bad. Cranes for the first tank is one thing but she would have killed me hiring cranes for a second. lol

Maybe I should show her this thread. That there are others like me out there. Hard to pass up a good deal.

beautiful corals. any fish come with it? I see the blue hippo

 

[Coralectic]

DANG! very nice score!!
My wife thought I had it bad. Cranes for the first tank is one thing but she would have killed me hiring cranes for a second. lol

Maybe I should show her this thread. That there are others like me out there. Hard to pass up a good deal.

beautiful corals. any fish come with it? I see the blue hippo

Thank you for passing by PPBlimpy.
I've finished uploading the whole update. I think you missed the last part.

Cranes are fun

Yes a ton of fish actually. I'll post their photos later when they are moved to the main tank.

 

[PPBlimpy]

Thank you for passing by PPBlimpy.
I've finished uploading the whole update. I think you missed the last part.

Cranes are fun

Yes a ton of fish actually. I'll post their photos later when they are moved to the main tank.

yes it looks like i missed a lot!! beautiful!

 

[maroun.c]

That tank is a great score, the regular corals would make for good testers in ur tank when running. Agree with the choice to keep one tank for now at least this way it gets ur full attention , much better than caring for 2 tanks in startup mode !
Looking forward to more updates.

 

[dson78]

Great build, keep the updates coming.