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So it turns out one of the benefits of moving from a condo to an actual house is getting to upgrade tanks, too. This will be our first big tank and, in contrast to previous builds, we're planning on...well, planning this one out better, and trying to make it as clean and high-QOL as possible. We'll be assembling this over the next 6+ months; since we ordered the tank in late January 2023 and probably won't receive it until around May or June.
Current equipment list
Tank
Sump, filtration, and life support
Been paying close attention to this thread , as well as @bayarea_reef's phenomenal build thread that's given us a lot of ideas to work with.
Innovative Marine's received my order, and now I play the waiting - and planning - game.
Some updates/tidbits from other places I've posted this journal:
Refugium versus scrubbers?
I've waffled back and forth about whether I wanted to do a refugium in the center chamber of the RFS50 sump, or if I wanted to plumb in an algae scrubber to free up the center chamber for a miniature frag tank. For posterity's sake, I started a discussion in another thread: Algae scrubbers vs refugium: DIY, pros/cons? After the discussion, I'm set on the refugium option due to a combination of cost (ready-made scrubbers are expensive) and ease (I don't really want to DIY this, and refugiums require a bit less hands-on maintenance than scrubbers).
Making water changes simple
(This picture was taken immediately after we moved in, so I apologize for the mess.)
The wall the tank will rest against shares a wall with a bathroom (yellow circle is where a sink is on the other side of the wall), so I'm getting some help from a plumber buddy of mine to run a drain line from the tank into the existing plumbing there so that I can easily drain water from the tank for water changes.
Additionally, I'd like to pour some concrete just outside that window (red circle) for a platform, then put a small shed up. There's a nearby (~20 feet) spigot that I can run water from, so I'll just try to get an oversized booster pump, mix saltwater in the shed, and then run a hose through that window to the tank so WCs will (hopefully!) be super easy. And minimize the number of holes we have to put in the new place.
Modifying the sump
Two minor points of frustration with the RFS50 sump so far, though. The first is that it was very clearly not designed with roller mats in mind, but I made my peace with that before buying it. The second is that, unlike some other sumps, it does not have a ready-made bulkhead for a second pump in the return chamber, which means I either need to run it with the cover off, put the plumbing linking them underwater, or drill a second hole.
I'd prefer to run it with the cover on to minimize noise and evaporation, and I don't think it's a good idea to run the plumbing underwater, so that means I'll need to drill. Best place I've found is here (circled in red, next to the existing return line + emergency drain), so...anyone have any tips on drilling relatively thin acrylic?
Current equipment list
Tank
Sump, filtration, and life support
- Sump: Innovative Marine RFS 50 Sump
- Mechanical filtration: 3x Reef Diapers (since I'm bad about washing socks)
- Skimmer: Maxspect Jump SK800
- UV Sterilizer: Pentair 48w UV sterilizer
- Return pump: Neptune COR-20 (x2 ; one for return, one for manifold, plumbed to be redundant)
- Heaters: BRS 300W titanium heater element (x2; temp controlled by Apex. Using two smaller heaters to provide redundancy if one goes out.)
- GFO and carbon reactors: Aquamaxx fluidized reactors (x2)
- Calcium reactor: Aquamaxx cTech T-3 with additional chamber, Kamoer FX-STP peristaltic pump, and dual-stage regulator
- Powerheads: Ecotech MP-40s (x4)
- Neptune Apex 2016
- Neptune Trident
- Tunze Osmolator 3155 ATO
- Display lighting: G6 Radion XR30s (x4)
- Refugium lighting: Kessil H380 refugium light (x1)
- Desjardini tang
- Powder blue tang
- White tail kole tang
- Foxface lo
- Copper banded butterflyfish
- Firefish
- Midas blenny
- Royal gramma
- Lyretail anthias (x3)
- Mandarin pair
- Watchman goby/shrimp pair
- Melanurus wrasse
- Lawnmower blenny
Been paying close attention to this thread , as well as @bayarea_reef's phenomenal build thread that's given us a lot of ideas to work with.
Innovative Marine's received my order, and now I play the waiting - and planning - game.
Some updates/tidbits from other places I've posted this journal:
Refugium versus scrubbers?
I've waffled back and forth about whether I wanted to do a refugium in the center chamber of the RFS50 sump, or if I wanted to plumb in an algae scrubber to free up the center chamber for a miniature frag tank. For posterity's sake, I started a discussion in another thread: Algae scrubbers vs refugium: DIY, pros/cons? After the discussion, I'm set on the refugium option due to a combination of cost (ready-made scrubbers are expensive) and ease (I don't really want to DIY this, and refugiums require a bit less hands-on maintenance than scrubbers).
Making water changes simple
(This picture was taken immediately after we moved in, so I apologize for the mess.)
The wall the tank will rest against shares a wall with a bathroom (yellow circle is where a sink is on the other side of the wall), so I'm getting some help from a plumber buddy of mine to run a drain line from the tank into the existing plumbing there so that I can easily drain water from the tank for water changes.
Additionally, I'd like to pour some concrete just outside that window (red circle) for a platform, then put a small shed up. There's a nearby (~20 feet) spigot that I can run water from, so I'll just try to get an oversized booster pump, mix saltwater in the shed, and then run a hose through that window to the tank so WCs will (hopefully!) be super easy. And minimize the number of holes we have to put in the new place.
Modifying the sump
Two minor points of frustration with the RFS50 sump so far, though. The first is that it was very clearly not designed with roller mats in mind, but I made my peace with that before buying it. The second is that, unlike some other sumps, it does not have a ready-made bulkhead for a second pump in the return chamber, which means I either need to run it with the cover off, put the plumbing linking them underwater, or drill a second hole.
I'd prefer to run it with the cover on to minimize noise and evaporation, and I don't think it's a good idea to run the plumbing underwater, so that means I'll need to drill. Best place I've found is here (circled in red, next to the existing return line + emergency drain), so...anyone have any tips on drilling relatively thin acrylic?
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