Heres how i spend all my free time - Reefer 425xl

andrew james

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Voodoojar's Reefer 425xl
Super excited and haven't slept at all last night.

I've been planning to upgrade my 50g tank with HOB skimmer and no sump for quiet some time. I wanted something bigger that would give me more option with a larger sump.

Yesterday morning I picked up my Red Sea Reefer 425xl from my LFS. It was so heave I barely got it home but after almost dropping the tank I got it in the house put it together and started filling it with water. I bought a 50ft piece of tubing to run straight from the RODI in kitchen. After about 10 hours I'm halfway full.

In the meantime I pulled the black plastic off the back and installed some frosted plastic with an RGB LED strip mounted on the back of the stand.

I decided to get the tank filled and cycling while I work on plumping.

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my build list includes,
  • Light- 6x39w Giesemann Martix 2 w/Dimmtec
  • Return Pump - Jebao DCT8000
  • Skimmer - SRO 2000int
  • Power Head - 2x Maxspect Gyre xf230
  • Reactor - BRS Carbon and GFO
  • Heater - 2x Fluval E 300-Watt
  • Plumbing - Some Clear PVC pipe
  • Control - Neptune Apex w/ Dos, PAR meter and return and powerhead control.
  • Backup - 2x IceCap Battery Backup
No Chiller yet, I will wait until next spring and see if it's needed.
 
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andrew james

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Today I got some time and did a bunch of stuff.

1. I wanted to make the cabinet a bit more interesting so I veneered the sides. I may continue and do the entire thing. Should I keep going?
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2. Added Substrate and live rock. I've been cycling the rock in a trashcan for the last month. I except to have a mini cycle and be ready to add a CUC in the next few days. Disregard all the crap in the tank, I'm using $6 powerheads just to keep some flow in the tank while I sort out equipment.
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3. Plumped sump and made and added a baffle for a refugium. I plan to put the skimmer up from and the refugium in the back.
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My Neptune Apex arrive today so going to get that set up next.
 
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andrew james

andrew james

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he CUC has been in here a week without a light. I finally got the light hung yesterday, Giesemann 6x39 Matrix Dimmtec and I moved over about 10% of my corals, the hardier ones, mostly my torch and a couple hammers and will see how they do for a week before moving everything else over.

Since I cycled the DT rock in a trash beforehand and filled the sump with rock from my other tank my parameters look good without having to wait.

This is early morning light with only the Actinic channel going. I'm running 2x Actinic 2x Blue Plus 1x Purple Plus and 1x Coral Plus.
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andrew james

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I've been super busy working on my tank. Yesterday I set up Auto Water Change and Auto Top Off. My RO/DI unit feeds into the 35G tank and has a floar cut off. Then I have an old skimmer pump in the storage tank that pushes water into the trash can where I mix my salt.

I have two DOS units one Does the AWC and sends waste water to a drain in the crawl space and the other does ATO and dose Ca and Red Reef Colors A-D all mixed up in one.

I'm super excited about this setup. It pretty much eliminated the thing I hate most about this hobby, doing water changes.

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The RO system in the back is drinking water.
 
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andrew james

andrew james

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Quote:
Originally Posted by JW76
This is awesome and amazing. You read my mind. Is there a way I could get more information from you on this. Exactly what is needed to accomplish this set-up? I was trying to figure out the best way to eliminate top-offs and water changes seemed like the rainbow unicorn to me. New to the hobby and already hate hauling the water, etc.
I have a basement space with a sump directly below the tank. Was looking for a total solution.
I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have. It's actually super easy and you can do it for around $200 assuming you already have a Neptune Apex and RO/Di system.

When I had this tank on order I had a heater malfunction in my old tank that killed all my fish except my Wrasses which buried themselves and stayed alive. I wanted to get super serious with this tank and not murder anymore fish, so I bought a Neptune Apex and jstarted programming it to do stuff. Besides like easy stuff like reading SG you can basically program it to do pretty much whatever you want.

Here is my homemade ATO tank I run from Neptune Apex.
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I have a little electric float switch I have hooked up to the Apex breakout box that keeps it from overflowing although this is just for backup if a line gets clogged or something because the system is set for the same amount in as goes out. The little fish tank inside the bigger one is where I put my kalk. and speaking of Kalk I have my Apex set so if PH climbs to 8.4 I shuts off my ATO and text me so I can check that Im not overdosing. I setup these types of warning on all my critical systems in an attempt to eliminate stupid accidents that kill tanks.

I also have 4 small jebao Powerheads that I got for $35 each in this tank hooked up to my Apex. I programmed them to do some cool 24hr wave cycles and making the water movement really random. and a bunch of other setting for feeding.

Anyway as you can see I really like my Apex.
 
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andrew james

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Here's my tank today. only a few of my LPS and two wrasse, Darwin glow and melenarus survived when my heater blew up in my old tank so I'm kind of starting over. Here is what it looks like after about 6 week
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Only had these for 6 weeks so while I'm not going to call it a success yet they are all co-existing without issue, so far.
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andrew james

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I've got 3 big projects I want to tackle in the next week or so.


First one is I picked up a geo618 on a trade. So I want to get that setup. I'm running an aquamaxx nano right now and dont think it's going to be able to handle the tank once I start to stock SPS.
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Second one is oranizing my electronics. I have a ton of apex modules and stuff I need to organize. Here is board one of two. The second board which I havent started will have my two DOS and a tablet to control the Apex.
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The third project which I do not have photos. I ordered two 36" Reefbrite XHO 50/50 light which I plan to mount inside my Giesemann Matrix. Also got the dimmer to add Apex control. Right now my 6x39w Giesemann Matrix hung 10" abovre the water is putting out 490 PAR at the waters surface. I was kind of disappointed with these numbers.

What sucks and this should be a warning to everyone is the dimmable Matrix is putting out 20% less par compared to the non dimming light. This is bad because first or all it's a gimmick and second of all it's like $300 more for the dimming light. I wish I could exchange it. I feel lied to. Anyway the Reefbrites should bring my PAR up to where I want it.

So planning on getting all these done this week and adding a some acro frags I have waiting till everything is super stable.
 
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andrew james

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Its always scary to tear apart an expensive piece of equipment add 2 reefbrite xho 50/50 to my giesemann matrix im going to ramp these up over the next 2 months but 10 inchs from thw water on the surface this setup is hitting 900 and change par right in the center iam aimfor 150 par on the sand bed in22"deep

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Dasidius

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Great looking tank! I have a 450. I attempted a custom plumbing job and it completely failed. My return pipe going up to the tank split in half. I'm looking for new ideas to hard plumb my reactors.
 
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andrew james

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Im about to start my third attempt at plumbing this tank. I recently built a tank for my wife's office building and learned some new ways of doing plumbing that I'd like to try on this tank.

I only use one media recator but I feel the need to plumb in two, I have no idea why.
 

Dasidius

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I want to plumb in two. I used broadfields idea but I also like where yours sit. It really puts them out of the way.
 

revhtree

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Looking great!
 
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andrew james

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I bee n trying to get more organized. I have this armoire by my tank and since I redid the under side of my tank Im moving all my dosing pumps into it. so far only got the my ATO and AWC set up working on setting up my bubble magnus and pac sun doser.
Im going to break the rules and try to totally automate the Aquaforest probiotic system.

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

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  • None.

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