Indy_Reefer's 65G Reef Rebuild

Indy_Reefer · Mar 27, 2021

I posted this over in the Meet & Greet Forum but I will keep it up to date here.

This tank has been running for about 1 month. It is a Marineland 65G corner drilled tank. It has a 15G sump with a Mag 7 return pump. The lights and powerheads are controlled by a Current Loop controller. The lights are being changed out this week. Two 660gph powerheads and one 1050gph powerhead create current within the tank. The sandbed is 60 pounds of Aragalife substrate and there is another 60 pounds of rock (15 pounds of live rock and 45 pounds of lace rock). I figure the tank has about two more weeks left in its cycle and then I should be good to start adding livestock. The stand and canopy are custom built by me. The rockwork still needs some help. I hope to have that done this weekend.

SPR1968 · Mar 28, 2021

Looks good so far, keep the pictures coming!

DWPhilli · Mar 28, 2021

Welcome from another Indy reefer.

Tank looks good so far.

Indy_Reefer · Mar 28, 2021

So, I had a productive weekend with the new reef. I pulled out some of my equipment from the previous build and got it installed today. As you can see in the center bottom of the cabinet pic, I built a small stand for my calcium dosing. I run Reef Fusion 2 part calcium through a pair of Aqua House dosing pumps. Auto top off is handled by a Hydor Smart Level controller. The ATO reservoir on the bottom right is a 5 gallon glass tank. One pump feeds the auto top off, the other pump keeps the water in the reservoir circulating. I dose pH through the ATO so I need the current to keep things mixed up.

Indy_Reefer · Mar 28, 2021

I also spent a fair amount of time with the rock work. It does not look fantastic, but I still have a couple of weeks to make adjustments. It does provide good hiding places for some of the future tank inhabitants. And it gives good zones, I think, for SPS higher up, and LPS in some of the lower areas. I will try to get a better pic once the dust settles down some from today. I also received the 1050gph circulation power head from Amazon and got it installed and added to the controller. I know I will have to rearrange the powerheads, but for now everything is in the tank and running.

The replacement light is due in on Wed and the Instant Ocean SeaClone 100 protein skimmer is due in on Thursday. I will get those pieces installed later this week and provide another update next weekend.

Indy_Reefer · Mar 28, 2021

DWPhilli said:
Welcome from another Indy reefer.

Tank looks good so far.

Always good to hear from another Indy reefer!!!

Indy_Reefer · Mar 29, 2021

DWPhilli said:
Welcome from another Indy reefer.

Tank looks good so far.

Thank you. Good to find another Indy Reefer.

Indy_Reefer · Apr 1, 2021

The new Current light came in yesterday. I got it installed with the new Loop controller last night. The new controller allows me to control the system with an app on my phone. What a difference the new lighting makes.

Indy_Reefer · Apr 1, 2021

I also made a change to the ATO. The pump that I use to move water to the sump pumps too high a volume and keeps setting off the overfill alarm. It is hard to see, but I plumbed the pump with pvc and a ball valve. I used the ball valve to significantly reduce the flow from the ATO and it now works like a dream. Next project will be to build a manifold and clean up the clutter.

Indy_Reefer · Apr 10, 2021

Well, it has been almost 2 weeks. Went to the LFS today to have the water tested and I am FINALLY almost at the end of the tanks initial cycle. Nitrate is still high, but nitrite is almost 0. I have taken the last couple of weeks to clean up inside the stand. I still need to clean up the calc/alk tubing from the dosing pumps to the sump. And I still have some electrical cable management to clean up.

The sump was cleaned up dramatically. It is hard to see, but the return pump is in the right chamber. The return pump is a Mag 9.5. I installed a ball valve in the back section behind the manifold. I use the ball valve to adjust circulation through the tank. The flow us just about right for now. The filtration system is almost silent.

The water flows up and to the front and then left. The first reactor is a Phosban 550 and is set up to run bio pellets. The second reactor is a Phosban 150 set up to run carbon, and the third reactor is a Phosban 150 that will be set up to run phosban once there is a bioload on the tank. I pulled the skimmer out of the center chamber of the sump and moved it outside the tank on the far left. The center chamber has been converted to a refugium. It is 12x12 and the water is about 12 inches deep with 10 lbs of live Carib-Sea aragonite sand. I may drop in another 10 lbs and I will add macro once the LFS has some in stock. The light is a simple 25W work light set up to run from 11pm to about 6am while the main display LEDs are off.