Damion123

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 17, 2019
Messages
383
Reaction score
307
Location
Miami, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Finally back.
Hello all. I have been out of the hobby since 2007. In these 13 years a lot has changed. Back then I had a 72 bowfront and I was rocking two 250 Metal Halides and fighting the heat associated with those lights all the time. I had a wet/dry filter and I didn't even have a skimmer. Fiji live rock was easier to get too. Refugiums were not that popular. Fast forward to 2020, and I look at some of the things I did back then and I wonder how things did go wrong. My rock scape was just a wall of rock, so I never cleaned behind my scape. I had my RO/DI plumbed into my sump for top off, with only a float valve preventing my apt from flooding. So here we go again

Tank: With the space I had, I went with the Innovative Marine INT 75. I really wanted the EXT, but that would push the tank out too far forward to be flush with my TV stand.
Sump: Trigger systems Platinum 34. I liked the idea of not having to change filter pads/socks like I did in the past.
Skimmer: Redsea RSK 300.
Lights: Two Kessil A360 X-Tuna blue. Really excited about the amount of heat the LEDs appear to put out compared to MH
Return Pump: Vectra M2
Powerheads: Two MP 40s
Rock: box of Stax and marco rock. Going with dry rock not only because fiji rock is so expensive, but also feel better about the idea of taking rock out of the ground in Florida, rather than the reef.

248DD9F1-CA04-4150-8503-C3C85D1B188F.jpeg DD39E034-F605-47BC-9B44-E889F69B7E1A.jpeg F40139DC-A642-44E6-AE87-73C1C885486F.jpeg FE0F2565-4F61-449D-9CEB-461BEB7185F8.jpeg 9D2ADFC7-39EC-450D-B054-7B0316433E76.jpeg C6156392-691E-46B7-A789-E32522E5D19E.jpeg 4CA1DDA0-2846-4782-9DE4-0BA51F4FD3E4.jpeg 233D3EFD-D44A-48BA-B1E5-B75A541063CC.jpeg
 

MissingYuengling

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 1, 2020
Messages
41
Reaction score
12
Location
Carthage
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am watching your thread closely. I am new to the hobby and considering getting this specific tank. I was also thinking about a custom aluminum stand since the sides don't open. However, I noticed that IM is releasing a new white APS stand in September that has side doors on both sides. Curious what your assessment was of the IM stand. Does it have some sort of leveling feet? Thanks for taking the time to post your build.
 
OP
OP
D

Damion123

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 17, 2019
Messages
383
Reaction score
307
Location
Miami, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am watching your thread closely. I am new to the hobby and considering getting this specific tank. I was also thinking about a custom aluminum stand since the sides don't open. However, I noticed that IM is releasing a new white APS stand in September that has side doors on both sides. Curious what your assessment was of the IM stand. Does it have some sort of leveling feet? Thanks for taking the time to post your build.

The side doors would have been nice. I just saw a video of a Cade stand that had side doors. And that made me think how much easier side access would make everything. The stand does not have any leveling feet. It has some foam pads in each corner. Honestly the stand takes a few tries to get right. I had to loosely assemble and then tighten on a level surface. A couple of guys at the LFS did warn me that the stand can be tricky to get everything squared. Honestly if you want easy I would go with a tank that has the plumbing and sump already. This was the first time doing plumbing. And there were a few times where I was thinking that if I bought a Redsea I would have been done setting up a lot faster.
 

iambes

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 1, 2020
Messages
237
Reaction score
459
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Looks great so far- I placed an order for this same tank and should be shipping in 3 weeks or so. Excited to see how your scape looks in the tank, trying to plan how much rock I will need :) . Amazing looking sump, did not think a 34 would fit as IM lists interior length of stand at 32.37".
 
OP
OP
D

Damion123

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 17, 2019
Messages
383
Reaction score
307
Location
Miami, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Looks great so far- I placed an order for this same tank and should be shipping in 3 weeks or so. Excited to see how your scape looks in the tank, trying to plan how much rock I will need :) . Amazing looking sump, did not think a 34 would fit as IM lists interior length of stand at 32.37".

The 34 sump only fits if you do some work arounds. The 32” fits if you measure the bottom of the stand. But if you build a shelf that sits on the ledge inside you can use a 34” sump. But you have to assemble the stand with the shelf inside. In the first photo you can see the sump and shelf inside the stand before putting the side on the stand. (That is a photo come a guy in my area who showed me how to do it. And the second photo you can see the shelf I made and you can make out the ledge I was talking about

31E7A983-A12B-40F2-87E0-A72260901511.jpeg image.jpg
 
OP
OP
D

Damion123

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 17, 2019
Messages
383
Reaction score
307
Location
Miami, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Looks great so far- I placed an order for this same tank and should be shipping in 3 weeks or so. Excited to see how your scape looks in the tank, trying to plan how much rock I will need :) . Amazing looking sump, did not think a 34 would fit as IM lists interior length of stand at 32.37".
FYI. I ordered 20lbs of Stax and 40 lbs of Carib sea base rock. The photos is what I have left over. Some I will put in the refugium

image.jpg image.jpg
 

iambes

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 1, 2020
Messages
237
Reaction score
459
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
FYI. I ordered 20lbs of Stax and 40 lbs of Carib sea base rock. The photos is what I have left over. Some I will put in the refugium

image.jpg image.jpg
Scape looks great in the tank! Really appreciate the pictures/info and explanation of how you were able to get the bigger sump in.
 
OP
OP
D

Damion123

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 17, 2019
Messages
383
Reaction score
307
Location
Miami, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Started the fish less cycle today.
Checked ammonia, nitrite, nitrate today, all were undetectable.
Added 15 ml of MicrōBacter QuikCycl. The ammonia came up to about 2 ppm
Added 125 ml of MicrōBacter Start XLM. Let’s see what happens
 
OP
OP
D

Damion123

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 17, 2019
Messages
383
Reaction score
307
Location
Miami, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Strongly considering this tank, looks like your off to a great start! Following along.
I really do like the tank. The over flow does take up more space than a traditional over flow, since it goes across the whole back of the tank. I just couldn’t do the EXT, with the place I wanted to put the tank.
 
OP
OP
D

Damion123

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 17, 2019
Messages
383
Reaction score
307
Location
Miami, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm thinking that when I am done with the cycle, I will do a big water change and basically drain the whole tank. Then I can move it forward 2 inches.
 

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

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 71 53.0%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 68 50.7%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 34 25.4%
  • None.

    Votes: 30 22.4%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 6.7%
Back
Top