Fin's Reef Savvy 125

Fin

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Is there a support group for those people waiting on their Reef Savvy tanks? :) I am now at the end of month 8. I knew it was going to be at least 6 months when I ordered it, so I am still patiently waiting.

I was going to wait until I actually had the tank before starting this thread, but figured I wouldn't be the first one that got an "early" beginning to their build threads. I like to use my threads as tank diaries, so all of my posts about this tank will be here.

I currently have a 10 year old Oceanic 140 and will be downsizing a tad in size, but upgrading in quality . The tank will be just short of 125 gallons (124.68). The dimensions will be 48" x 24" x 25" (H) and will be ½" Starphire glass on three sides. Perimeter Euro-bracing. Black silicone.

The overflow will be the re-designed Ghost Overflow that Reef Savvy now uses on their tanks. I will be plumbing it with the Bean Animal style setup.

Lighting will be a 48" ATI Powermodule LED/T5 Hybrid with eight T5 bulbs and three 75 watt LEDs. This is on order and I hope to have it in a week or so.

Right now, I am planning on going with the following lamp combination:
4-Blue Plus
2-Purple Plus
2-Coral Plus

I am currently trying to figure out how I want to mount the light. I would prefer that the light sit on the tank with some sort of bracket. ATI is working on such a mount, but it is looking like it will be a while before that gets to market.


A picture of the ATI Hybrid fixture from the internet (I do have mine now, just too lazy to take pics) :)
ATIPowermodule05_zpsoaulfhd2.jpg


007-12_zps74pkp4ru.jpg


Stand - I am planning on using my existing stand, which was built by a local cabinet maker, who is also a reefer. The stand was stained originally, but has some damaged spots in the finish from salt water. I am considering sanding it down and painting it a satin black. Of course, if I can figure out how to salvage the existing finish, that would be preferable.

Pictures of the stand when it was new (in 2006). I will not be using the canopy, since I will be going with the ATI fixture. If it still looked this great I wouldn't be considering painting it. The wood is still in great condition, it is just the finish that is marred now in a few places, like the front molding and the tops of the doors. Also needs new hinges and door handles.

I love this stand, because it has no center brace and is very sturdy.
Stand01a.jpg


Stand03.jpg


Return Pump - will be the Eco-Tech Vectra M1 (2000 gph capability). I will also be using 2 3/4" Sea Swirls on the returns. I have the pump and Sea Swirls already.

Sump - I am undecided here. I built a 40B sump a couple of years ago and I may use it, build another one, or go with the Synergy Reef CL-44 sump in the Red Mercury color scheme.

If I use my existing sump, I would want to make some changes to it and it might be easier to just make it over from another 40B, or build it from scratch out of glass. I want a larger skimmer / reactor section and remove the frag section that I found I rarely used. This is the sump after I first built it. This is the configuration that I am using now.

photo_zps088f2ba8.jpg


I will be going back to using a calcium reactor and have a GEO reactor that I will be using the Aquarium Plant Carbon Doser electronic Co2 regulator.

Reactors - I plan to use the new Avast Marine Spyglass reactor for activated carbon and possibly GFO, since you are supposed to be able to run dual media in these reactors. I have the medium Spyglass. These have their own pump, so I am hoping to be able to plumb the sump without the use of a manifold. We will see. I will need more room in the sump though, these reactors are larger than I anticipated.

Algae Turf Scrubber - I am on the list for one of Floyd Turbo's new versions of his algae scrubber, the L2 - Revision 4. Those should be available soon.

Skimmer - I currently have a RLSS R8-i, which I am pretty happy with. If I do go with another skimmer, I think I would probably upgrade to the 10" RLSS DB10i. That would be later down the road though, as I think the skimmer I have, along with the scrubber, should be sufficient. I also use an Avast Marine skimmate collector.

photo2_zps4cb65908.jpg


Flow - I have one MP-40QD and one MP-40W (antique). I will likely add another QD to use the pair on opposite ends of the tank and may use the old one on the back wall. Along with the Sea Swirls (providing about 800gph each from the return pump), I should be able to have great water movement inside the tank. I also have two Eco-Tech back-up batteries to keep the MP-40s going in the event of a power outage. I would likely daisy chain the two batteries and run only one of the MP-40s off of those for extended run time.

Controller - I have a fairly new APEX controller, so I will be using that on the new tank.

ATO - I have a Tunze Osmolator new in the box.

Chiller - This is something that I already have from when I ran metal halides. It is a Delta Star Pro Series 1/4HP chiller. I will probably plumb it into the new system, but I doubt that it will be needed. It does get hot where I live and if the AC ever goes out while I am not home, the chiller would be a great backup to keep the tank cool.

Substrate - Tropic Eden Tonga Reeflakes - I have 120 pounds.

Rock - I have about 75 pounds of Pukani rock that has been cycling in a separate container since July.

Salt - I will be using HW Marinemix Reefer Specialty. I have 640 gallons worth of mix on hand, thanks to the recent sale at BRS.

RO/DI water - I have a SpectraPure 5 Stage Max Cap 75 gallon per day unit.

My intention is to have a mixed reef, but I do like SPS. Would like to have a few clams also. I only have about 8 fish in the 140, but plan to have a few more in the new tank.

So, that's about it. All I need now is the tank and I can get this thing up and running fairly quickly. I do want to wait until I get the tank here before I tear down my existing system, which I will need to do to refinish the stand. I am hoping that won't hold me back too long. I will have to arrange for temporary housing for my fish and a few corals that I plan to keep in the new system.

Hopefully I will have something new to post here soon. Thanks for reading!
 
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furam28

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look up member "jolt" from austin. i think he's been waiting on a reef savvy tank as well! haven't seen their tanks myself but i heard their work is topnotch, so your waiting will pay off. great equipments btw! totally jealous of that powermodule you got. i switched to ATI T5s recently and my corals love it. the LEDs on the powermodule will give you the best of both worlds.
 
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Fin

Fin

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look up member "jolt" from austin. i think he's been waiting on a reef savvy tank as well! haven't seen their tanks myself but i heard their work is topnotch, so your waiting will pay off. great equipments btw! totally jealous of that powermodule you got. i switched to ATI T5s recently and my corals love it. the LEDs on the powermodule will give you the best of both worlds.
Thanks. I have seen one of their tanks in person and they are truly works of art, down to the signature on the back. Have to love someone that is proud enough of their work to personally sign each creation.

The decision to go with the Powermodule was not made in haste. I looked at just about every conceivable option and I always came back to the ATI, which was my goal in the beginning. I have AI Hydra 52s on my current set-up with 4 T5 bulbs for supplemental lighting. But, on the new tank, I wanted to go with T5 as my primary light source, with LED supplementation. I am using a friend's tank for inspiration and he uses an 8 bulb T5 fixture (TEK Light) with 2 ReefBrite XHOs for supplements. His tank is amazing. That's the look I wanted, but with all the lights in one fixture. The only cons for me on that fixture is that it does not come in black and the fact that the power cord comes out the end and not the back. In the end, those things seemed trivial and the track record of performance and success with ATI, along with the T5 primary light source with LED supplementation (instead of the reverse, which is prevalent with most other fixtures that I looked at) lead me to selecting this light.

The one good thing about the long wait is that it allowed me to pay for the tank over time and gather equipment gradually, so as to not have a total hemorrhage of cash at the end, when the tank gets here. :)
 

Black Pearl

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Waiting on The Reef Savvy, Am there doing that, month 10, you are not alone, Rocks been cycling in Brutes since last spring
 

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I ordered mine June 15th 2015. I'm guessing you ordered yours in May 2015?

Based on everyone's experience that I know of the wait time is currently 10-11 months. So I am expecting late April 2016. And I would expect yours in March 2016.
 

furam28

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I ordered mine June 15th 2015. I'm guessing you ordered yours in May 2015?

Based on everyone's experience that I know of the wait time is currently 10-11 months. So I am expecting late April 2016. And I would expect yours in March 2016.
Have you decided what light you want to go with? I know you were also thinking about the ATI powermodule.
 

jolt

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Have you decided what light you want to go with? I know you were also thinking about the ATI powermodule.

I am also interested in the powermodule, and I have the same issues as Fin described above - I wish it were not white, I dislike the powercord coming out the side, and there is a lack of tank mounting option so far. It's a dilemma but the ATI is well proven hardware!
 

revhtree

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Gonna be a nice build!
 
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Waiting on The Reef Savvy, Am there doing that, month 10, you are not alone, Rocks been cycling in Brutes since last spring
I knew there had to be plenty of people out there like me - waiting. I don't mind so much, because it has given me time to plan and start collecting equipment and make preparations.

I ordered mine June 15th 2015. I'm guessing you ordered yours in May 2015? Based on everyone's experience that I know of the wait time is currently 10-11 months. So I am expecting late April 2016. And I would expect yours in March 2016.
Yes, I wrote the deposit check on May 27th, so they didn't receive it until the first week of June. That is when the clock starts ticking, since they don't do anything until they get the deposit. I was hoping to get it by March also. That's OK with me though. I knew it was going to take a while.

I am also interested in the powermodule, and I have the same issues as Fin described above - I wish it were not white, I dislike the powercord coming out the side, and there is a lack of tank mounting option so far. It's a dilemma but the ATI is well proven hardware!
That large power cord coming out the end is bad, but at least there aren't three or four cords coming out of it. One for each bank of T5s, one for the LEDs and one for the fans would be even worse. Would be cool if I had a peninsula tank. :)

Gonna be a nice build!
Thank you Rev. I hope so.

Very cool! This will be a fun one to watch!
Thank you for looking!
 
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Update - still in waiting mode. Will be 9 months that I ordered the tank on Monday. So, hopefully the end of the wait is at least on the horizon. To help pass the time, thought I would at least talk about it. :)

I have either ordered or received more equipment.

I do have the 8 bulb ATI Powermodule here. I guess I will go ahead and try to hang the fixture from my ceiling. It will not be fun though. I am sure ATI will finally come out with their tank mount right after I hang it. The bulb combination I chose to start with will be 4 ATI Blue+, 2 ATI Purple+, 1 Coral+ & 1 actinic.

I have ordered a Turbo Aquatics L2 Rev 4 Algae Scrubber in December. Bud emailed me this week. The units are finally in and he should be sending mine out next week.

I also found an Emperor Aquatics 40 watt 3" UV on sale today and ordered that. Going for maximum water clarity on this Starphire tank. If it helps alleviate disease and algae, then that would be just be a plus. Not my main goal with using the UV. I used one years ago (back in the 80s) on my 200 and just remember how clear it kept the water.

Stuff I still need to get - at least I am nearing the end on buying equipment - for now:

• 1 additional MP40 QD
• An additional EB-8 & back-up battery
• Apex leak detector module and sensors
• Back-up Eco-Tech M1 pump - I believe I will run them both and feed the two Sea-Swirls separately. I will put the pumps on separate breakers (of the 3 I will have available), so if one trips, the other will still provide circulation through the sump.
• New sump. Still leaning towards building my own from scratch. I really like the looks of the Synergy sumps - and would love to have one, but I would prefer to have the ability to custom design the sump to fit my system, rather than make my system fit the sump. Supposedly, Rick is not doing custom builds any longer, so I would rather not have a standard size/design sump. That is my feeling at the moment anyway. I am experienced in working with glass and have my own commercial glass drill, so it will be another fun project.
• Still have the plumbing order to make.

Also looking for a cabinet(s) to use for all of my electronics. Looking at these. I think I can make these work with a little modification. I have room behind my tank for a couple of these mounted on the wall. My tank sits at a diagonal in the corner, so I have a little "fish room" behind the tank. I just can't gain any more weight, so I can squeeze behind it. :) Not bad for $49 anyway. Dimensions:
Width: 15 "
Depth: 8 5/8 "
Height: 36 1/4 "
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90296827/



That's about it. Thanks for looking. Going back to twiddling my thumbs while waiting...
 
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Chriscrna

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I know your pain. Have you talked to Felix at all? Surely it's done or very near done.

Where are you getting your plumbing? I ordered all mine from BRS. All black (minus the schedule 80 fittings). Only took me 3 separate orders LOL. [emoji12]
 
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I know your pain. Have you talked to Felix at all? Surely it's done or very near done.

Where are you getting your plumbing? I ordered all mine from BRS. All black (minus the schedule 80 fittings). Only took me 3 separate orders LOL. [emoji12]
I will order everything that I can from BRS. I am also considering going with all black plumbing. That is what I did with the sump that is on my 140 now, but I painted white PVC, to include the valves (but not the unions) with Krylon Fusion. I am also considering blue pvc, or a mixture of color to be used for drain and return lines. I found furniture grade pvc that has fittings to match the colored pipe. I think the only difference is that the fittings are not pressure rated, so they are listed as "furniture grade." Not a great deal of pressure involved in our systems, so I would think that it would work. The furniture grade also is UV resistant, so that it can be used outside. So, just another option to consider.

No, I haven't spoken to Felix yet, but I have had a number of email exchanges with Katiria. Since I live with and artist, I know not to rush the creative process. :) So, I am just biding my time until it gets here.
 

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It's finally getting close for me. I'm on the table being built and curing. My stand, being built by Benner it is in the finishing stages, hopefully by the middle of next month all will be in my house my wait has been about 13-14 months. Feeling much better since I know it's just around the corner. Yes there is plenty of time for prep
 
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It's finally getting close for me. I'm on the table being built and curing. My stand, being built by Benner it is in the finishing stages, hopefully by the middle of next month all will be in my house my wait has been about 13-14 months. Feeling much better since I know it's just around the corner. Yes there is plenty of time for prep
Glad yours is getting close. That would be nice to at least know that something was happening on it. Does Felix call before he gets started to see if there will be any changes? Seems like I remember someone saying that in one of the other Reef Savvy threads. I am sure I will love it once it gets here, but I am not too sure I would have gone this route, had I known that the wait time may be twice as long, or longer.

Do you have a build thread started yet? I would like to keep track of your tank also.
 

Black Pearl

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Yes he does call and check with you before the final assembly. Haven't started a build thread yet, when I do it's gonna be a long one, cause I started getting prepared about a year ago thinking I would have the tank by August or September, so when he tells me it's shipped is when I'll start one. Makes it a little easier when you know it's not only you that have had to endure the WAIT. I'm sure just like others, when it's finally here we will be excited and forget all about the WAIT
 

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You are not alone Fin! My Reef Savvy 50g cube has been a year wait. Latest and greatest ghost overflow, phantom bottom, and low iron glass. Would have received it much sooner however I changed the build on it so that delayed it. I bought a Reefbrite Hybrid Halide with quad XHO led's and dimmable ballast to go over it. All of that and I already have it posted for sale because I'm having Felix build me a much bigger tank. They called this evening to let me know it was shipping out too, said it should be here by Friday. I'll be watching your thread!
 

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Tank one 24" x 24" cube took about 7 months, tank 2 , 8' x 30" x 36" h, and tank 3, 4' x 30" x 27" h ,I think cant remember would have to look at paper work. Ordered October 2014, shipping in two weeks! March 2016 Worth it! They are like a piece of art! I am very pickey with every detail, I can not find a flaw anywhere on this tank! I am thinking about ordering a forth tank 8' x 4' x 15"h frag tank next with a reef savvy sump to go with it. I am sure it will take over 1 year but I am ok with that.
image.jpeg
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

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