Don’t follow me, you won’t make it!

[kkiel02]

Title is from my other hobby of rock crawling...

Well here I am. Sent out my dimensions to build the tank. I really wanted to run a bean animal overflow but the overflow would have been huge. Looks like I’ll be doing a Herbie or Durso since I’ll only have 4 holes(2 are 3/4” and 2 are 1”). More on that later in the plumbing section.

Tank will be rimless but I love wrasses so I’ll make my own netting.

Lighting- Display: 2x kessil 360x with a 24” aquatic life hybrid fixture(when the new model comes out)
Fuge: kessil h380

Flow: 2x mp40qd
2x varios returns(still ranting size) with rfg

Controller: Apex

Doser: Ghl 4 channel sa

Skimmer: RO regal 150

Heaters: 2x Eheim Jager 125w hooked up through apex for redundancy

Rock: Dry rock(been curing now for 2 weeks)

Sand: 60lbs Tropic Eden reef flakes

This will be my first small tank I’ve had since my first tank(65g) about 12-13 years ago. Not looking forward to the cramped sump but we will make do.

If you have any questions let me know. It’ll be 2-3 weeks before the tank and stand get here. Chaeto will start quarantine soon.

 

[ndrwater]

Sounds like a good start!! Keep the updates coming!!

 

[kkiel02]

Well here is an update. Went with 30x30x17 which comes out to a 70g. Should be here in ~2 weeks.
Here is an update-
Got my dedicated circuit ran and had them drop an outlet in a nearby closet for equipment.

My stand is being custom built by a fellow reefer, it’s will have two removable doors to access my sump. Here are some recent shots:

And my custom sump being made by Zen Reef. Here’s the rough blueprint since no one really makes a cube sump that I liked.

Anyways that’s where I sit now. My macro and rock is still going strong in my garage brute. Also picked up a 20g for quarantining corals. All my fish are coming from humblefish so they will be good to go. All corals will be in the 20g for 80 days prior to adding to the display.

 

[kkiel02]

Got the call today. Tank is shipping tomorrow. It’s a little earlier than expected but it’s all good. Stand and sump will still be two weeks out I think.

Here’s the big debate. I’ve been a loyal reef octopus supporter now for 13 years or so. My first one was just a tube and you inserted the neck down into it to get the skimmate to flow into the cup. They were very reliable and cheap. Now it seems they are still reliable but cheap is another story. I was looking at the regal or elite so I could use the varios pumps but do you think dc pumps are worth it? Id already be turning off the skimmer regardless using the apex feed mode once I get another apex. So I’d really just be using the variable speeds to tune it a little better. Also if I was to go the classic route they use pump I had never heard of before- aq-1800s. I know the bubble blasters and varios are solid pumps but I’ve yet to read anything about these. Should I look into another skimmer that uses a tried and true Sicce? Help me decide- elite, regal, classic or another brand....

 

[kkiel02]

Well tank will be here Wednesday. Ordered my plumbing from BRS yesterday night. Picked blue with schedule 80 fittings because my son absolutely loves blue. I used to work on commercial and residential irrigation systems so I’ve never used unions before but bit the bullet the time as it’s been 9 years so might be a little rusty. Haha.

 

[kkiel02]

Well got everything but my sump now. Stand came in today!
Here’s where it sits now.

 

[kkiel02]

Final build list is:
Skimmer: RO regal 150 space saver

Lighting: 2x kessil 360xand will add the new aquatic life hybrid fixture when it’s released.
Kessil h380 for the fuge

Flow: 2 Rossmont risers with rfg
2 mp40qd

Controller: Neptune apex el

Ato: Neptune atk

Heater: 2x 125w Eheim Jager

Also running the Neptune auto feeder with a feeder ring.

I think that’s it for now.

 

[kkiel02]

Going to be busy today!

Just waiting on the sump at this point.

 

[Sod Buster]

Nice haul on the goods. The Varios return pumps can be apex controlled with a 10v cable, but with a Herbie drain, it is a set and forget, so not really important for off and on. Very quiet pump though.

 

[kkiel02]

It’s been running good for quite awhile now. Still waiting on my quarantined fish. Which is taking a lot longer than expected but I’m trying to be patient. Here’s some of my corals I’ve picked up so far. Got another big order of zoas coming in at the beginning of October. For some reason it won’t let me transfer my current list of zoas from note on my iPhone to here or I’d put the whole list on here.

 

[kkiel02]

 

[Katrina71]

Great looking tank. Our new tank is shallow too. 15"

 

[W1ngz]

Clicked over here because I knew *exactly* what your title meant.
Between a jeep and a reef tank, it's a wonder I have anything left for food sometimes...

Love the setup. Similar to what I considered before settling on a 90 cube. Any shots of the custom sump? How'd it work out? Or are you still waiting for it to arrive?

 

[kkiel02]

Great looking tank. Our new tank is shallow too. 15"

I’m definitely a fan of shallow tanks now that’s for sure.

 

[kkiel02]

Oh no it’s been in awhile now. I forgot to add a picture of it.

 

[kkiel02]

Ato is the far left. Back left is the drain section which flows to the front(fuge) then goes back into the skimmer section which is the back right. After that it goes into the back middle section for the return. Zen Reef absolutely killed it on this sump. Very happy. All compartments have kids on them but as you can see in the pic I had them off at the time of the picture.

 

[bigdeeezyyyy]

Tanks looks great! Cant wait to see it with fish!

 

[Wiskey]

That is an amazing tank setup!!! That stand is a work of art! I'm curious about the final layout with lights and sump etc,.. do you mind posting photos of how it all came together?

Whiskey

P.S. I bought a Cherokee with a blown motor, built a motor, installed long arm suspension, welded sliders, raised the fenders, welded in frame stiffeners, installed lockers etc. Some of my best days were those two week wheeling runs in Moab, or the deserts of AZ with a great group of friends. Great times!

 

[kkiel02]

I went through my photo library and don’t have any FTS so when I get home I’ll take some.

Sounds like a nice Cherokee! I actually looked into getting one and putting frame stiffeners in and using my old 40s with some junkyard tons to use more as a buggy but went back into reefing. You definitely meet some good people out on the trails!

 

[kkiel02]