IM Lagoon 25 EXT Build

DWill

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Picked up a practically new IM 25 Lagoon Ext and Fiji Cube 20 sump Sunday.
set It up on the garage to get all he plumbing in, clean it up and leak test it.
Ran over night Sunday night and got it all cleaned up today.

spent time today trying to find shelf rock locally here in San Diego today but had no luck. I’ll order some from BRS tomorrow along with a bag of special grade reef sand. it came with the stand it’s sitting on but I think I want to have a bigger custom stand made. I want a cabinet for a Apex and all the wiring etc on one side and storage for gear on the other. I’d also like my ATO reservoir inside the cabinet with the sump and have a little more room under the tank.

i have a Prime 16HD on my current IM 10 gallon that I planned to use on this tank, but I‘m considering getting a Radion for this tank. I dont know which one though so if of you have a suggestion on a Radion please pass it on.

A couple other things I could use suggestions on are a skimmer and a DC return pump. The tank came with a Jebao DCS 2000. The pump is pretty quiet but seems like I could use a little bigger return pump. I got a Reef Link and a MP 10 with the tank so I’ve considered a Eco Tech return pump. I just don’t know that I can justify the cost of those pumps.

Any suggestions for a skimmer and return pump are appreciated!

i e attached a couple pics of the new (to me) system set up for cleaning and leak text. More pics and updates coming as the build progresses.

8B44E2F3-C231-4AD7-B64F-A6E2C63E9CDF.jpeg
 
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DWill

DWill

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'm setting up a new IM 25 Lagoon with a Fiji Cube 20 sump. I need a skimmer. I'd like to have a DC skimmer.

I'm looking at this skimmer SN127 MONZTER MINI DC PROTEIN SKIMMER - https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/sn127-monzter-mini-protein-skimmer-skimz.html

It only has a few reviews and they are kinda mixed. Does anyone have any direct experience with this brand of skimmers or this model in particular? The one downside of the sump I have is there doesn't seem to be a way of trapping microbubbles from the skimmer. So I'm particularly interested in hearing experience with this brand as it related to microbubbles.
My total water volume should be around 30 - 35 gallons after I put sand and rock in the display and some bio-media in the sump. Will it be a good match for that water volume?
I'm not trying to go bankrupt getting this set up done, but I also want decent quality. If anyone has any suggestions on a different brand/model skimmer that would be a good match to my set up please let me know.
 
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DWill

DWill

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After many hours of looking at skimmers online, reading reviews and asking questions… looks like I’m going with a AquaMaxx FC-80 skimmer.
Found a reefer with cured shelf and pukani Rock here in San Diego as well.

Skimmer’s being ordered in a couple as well as a bag of Special Grade Reef sand. I ordered salt mix to cycle the 25 lagoon and some HW Matime,is for my 10 gallon and water changes in the 25 after it’s cycled. I wanted to just buy salt water here in SD to cycle with but no one is selling any right now… so I’ll have to make my own.

Talked to a friend today about building a stand for me. Hopefully he can start on it in the next few days. If not I’m in the process of refinishing the stand I have I’ll use the to start the cycle.

things are moving. If all goes well I’ll water in the 25 mid to late next week.
 

TheWB

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I wanted to just buy salt water here in SD to cycle with but no one is selling any right now… so I’ll have to make my own.
I’m not sure if this would be open right now but have you looked into getting your water here
I wish something like this was available where I live.
 
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DWill

DWill

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I’m not sure if this would be open right now but have you looked into getting your water here
I wish something like this was available where I live.

I know a lot of people use water from Scripps. I used it on a previous system before I took a break from reefing. For me there's just too much "stuff" in the water offshore in San Diego. I've done dive in Scripps canyon to well over 300 feet and there's "stuff" from shoreline runoff at those depths. I'm just not willing to take a chance.

I'm guessing by the time I'm ready to get water in the tank I'll be able to buy water from an LFS... hopefully AquaSD. If not I'll just make it. It's not that bad, it'll probably only be 30 - 40 gallons. I'm just being cheap and don't want to pay for the wastewater from my RODI... :)
 

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I know a lot of people use water from Scripps. I used it on a previous system before I took a break from reefing. For me there's just too much "stuff" in the water offshore in San Diego. I've done dive in Scripps canyon to well over 300 feet and there's "stuff" from shoreline runoff at those depths. I'm just not willing to take a chance.

I'm guessing by the time I'm ready to get water in the tank I'll be able to buy water from an LFS... hopefully AquaSD. If not I'll just make it. It's not that bad, it'll probably only be 30 - 40 gallons. I'm just being cheap and don't want to pay for the wastewater from my RODI... :)
I wonder what an icp test of that water would reveal? I’m sure someone has done it. I really like the idea of free filtered water from the ocean though.
 
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DWill

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Got some parts for the 25 Lagoon today.

I picked up shelf rock a few days ago. Sand will be here Wednesday. Waiting to hear from a friend about building a new stand. If he I can’t get to it and I don’t find somebody else I’ll use the stand I have and then move the tank during the cycle when I need to do a water change.

So the build is coming along. Still hope to have it wet this week.

Meanwhile a few pictures of today’s goodies.

DA96D504-3977-4952-A915-731E6665B105.jpeg ACB9766D-8FA0-4B5B-8F6F-DDEFB20C54A4.jpeg E737C17C-0625-460E-A055-27F9D0010BFB.jpeg 7C2AEDF4-4397-4622-862E-9F5EC8A87FC6.jpeg
 
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DWill

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Plan to start the scape in the next day or two. I'll put some pics up when I come up with something that looks okay.

I do have a question though if someone could help me out.
I'll have about 15-20 pounds of rock and 20 pounds of live sand in the tank. I'm thinking about adding some "bio-media" in the sump as well.

Can I just add some dry rock in the sump when I start the cycle or should I go with Brightwell or Marine Pure?
I'll likely have 8+ pounds of rock left over and obviously, if I can use some of that in the sump it would save a little money. Any reason I can't do that, is one better than the other?
 
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DWill

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Some progress on the build today. Thanks to a good friend giving up his entire Sunday to build the custom stand/cabinet for the 25 lagoon Ext.

It went from drawings to finished assembly today. I get it sanded primed and painted as soon as I can and then set the tank up and get they cycle started.

left cabinet will be home to the ATO reservoir and later a BRS reactor and CO2 scrubber. The center will house the Fiji Cube 20 sump with Aquamaxx FC-80 skimmer.
The right is a false wall where the all the controllers and the future Apex or GHL control will live. All the power cords and controller cables will be behind the false wall out of sight.
Now I just have to decide if I want to finish it in white or black on the outside. It will be while inside and really leaning toward whit outside as well.

549B0474-1C6D-468D-A220-DD9A3B19A9B9.jpeg 0E79B91B-14F5-4577-B37E-246DA2EF3B8D.jpeg 8CA0B86A-B342-45E8-8A28-E16F7D0F6298.jpeg F3668D0B-4027-4E44-8514-981E9EC93D62.jpeg A642340A-2681-4D0B-B27B-C820AFF13A70.jpeg F85C5812-78CF-40A6-9D94-02C94E3CB725.jpeg 99F5D0D8-90FD-4D23-B606-B3A94599CC4C.jpeg FE198D5E-A133-4A3B-9346-A18E0BED4EEF.jpeg
 
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DWill

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A little more progress on the build today.

3/4 of the stand, all the doors and the false walls (for controllers) primed with Kilz.
Tomorrow I’ll paint what was primed today and prime the sides, too and outside of the doors. They will primed and painted so that the finish is smooth. The top and the inside floor (where the sump and and ATO reservoir are) will be painted with simi-gloss appliance paint. The inside sump area will get a additional spray coat of simi-gloss urethane.

My plan is to have everything painted and let it dry through Sunday. Complete the a scape over the weekend and have water in the tank by Monday or Tuesday. If I can buy saltwater for the cycle I should ha e water in it Monday. If I make it, it’ll be Tuesday before its full.

830DFF30-4195-4980-A59A-0BFFE7042912.jpeg EFA008E6-4FFE-415B-8878-9BB7F6661C48.jpeg E6AF0D09-FDC6-4127-98F1-DFE5C08DC608.jpeg
 
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DWill

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Last coat of paint went on today. Now it sits for a couple of days then I’m going to caulk the joints in the sump compartment. When that cures I’ll set the tank up, get water in it and start the cycle.

Slowly getting there.

0091D2C5-7CA5-430F-BF20-CB60FE42BA81.jpeg
 

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Looks like you're taking your time and doing it right! You'll thank yourself later, for all the extra effort now!
 
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DWill

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The cabinet is completely painted. All the joints in the sump area are sealed. It’s all dry. Just need to move it in the house and adjust the doors a bit.
I managed to delete the photos but I’ll get some when it’s in the house and the doors are fine.

Tonight I started to work on the scape. I generally suck at scapes anyway, but this is worse because this is the first lagoon tank I’ve attempted to scape.

Here’s a few pics of what I’ve come up with. I’ll have a 1” sand bed underneath this.
Let me know what you think. Feel free to critique and offer up any help or suggestions. Nothing is glued so it’s all movable.

296BF34C-19FE-4AB0-A895-E979275F967D.jpeg E3FB1507-C1D9-4431-B3E7-67C38C8C3BF6.jpeg 715065A2-8D80-477A-9655-CDA0864B0C45.jpeg 81B5F30A-6A14-4CD9-981D-4AADFB07C136.jpeg C7315592-DF06-40CF-8FFF-05A498DC1FB1.jpeg
 
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DWill

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Well, a momentary setback. I plumbed the tank on a smaller stand that is 34” tall. Then I decided to build a larger stand so that I could get the ATO reservoir and all the electrical I’m their own cabinets.

While building the new cabinet I decided to change the height to 36”, forgetting I’d already done the plumbing.
The result… plumbing 2” to short.

Rather than redo all the plumbing I built a platform to set the sump on… problem solved… plumbing fits.

I painted the platform last night. Plan to get the install done today and start making water. Hope fully tomorrow or Wednesday it gets wet.

C5853299-A7E9-4430-9A41-EB3FBF29CF15.jpeg EB2AC3D8-5E0E-4C64-972E-FF52A2C3CC77.jpeg
 

TheWB

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Well, a momentary setback. I plumbed the tank on a smaller stand that is 34” tall. Then I decided to build a larger stand so that I could get the ATO reservoir and all the electrical I’m their own cabinets.

While building the new cabinet I decided to change the height to 36”, forgetting I’d already done the plumbing.
The result… plumbing 2” to short.

Rather than redo all the plumbing I built a platform to set the sump on… problem solved… plumbing fits.

I painted the platform last night. Plan to get the install done today and start making water. Hope fully tomorrow or Wednesday it gets wet.

C5853299-A7E9-4430-9A41-EB3FBF29CF15.jpeg EB2AC3D8-5E0E-4C64-972E-FF52A2C3CC77.jpeg
Nice ingenuity there.
 
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