Italian UNS R150 Build thread (lake Como)

[Seregus]

Greeting everyone,


So after 5 years away from hobby and a few moves between the countries I decided to come back and pulled trigger on UNS R150, because I liked how everything is made, in particularly:
- 45 degree edges
- overflow intake not only from surface, but from the bottom as well
- good measured plumbing with true gate valve
- dedicated dry technical department
- rimless tank, for the look and ease of maintenance

Currently tank is sitting in it's room waiting for some wall and ceiling works to be finished, because it's all stone and I need a little more straight lines surface and also mounting surface. Also waiting for some equipment to show up.

This time I decided to go a little different route and trust GHL to be not only the brain (monitoring and controlling everything) of the system with Profilux 4, but also the heart with Versia Flow 7 pump selected as main return pump. For the lights it will be also GHL Mitras Lightbar 3 (3x Coral Pop and 2x Deep Ocean 140 model) - those will cover the whole tank almost. Some of the equipment is not ordered or will not be used at start, but I want to plumb and connect everything to avoid rushing later as well as taking mediocre decisions on connecting items. To save reading time switching to a list.

So full equipment list:

• Return pump: "GHL Versio Flow 7" (and a cold spare in a box)
• Lights: "GHL Mitras LightBar 3" of 140 model: 3x Coral Pop and 2x Deep Ocean with custom DIY mounting bracket, which can be rised all the way to the ceiling
• Stream pumps: "Ecotech Vortech MP40" x2 with 3d printed flow deflectors to reduce impact on sand (might add more later)
• Mechanical filtration: "Reef Factory Smart Roller M"
• Heating: "Schego Titanium heater x2" with extra "Aqua Medic T Controller Twin 2.0 Pro" (Profilux controller will also control heaters)
• Skimmer: "Royal Exclusive BubbleKing SuperMarine 100" or "Mini 200" with "automatic neck cleaner", "automatic waste collector" and "Aqua Forest CO2 Scrubber"
• Reactors: will run on a separate pump 2x "Royal Exclusive media reactor 100mm" outside the sump
• UV: "Vecton Titan 850 Aquarium UV Steriliser" on a separate pump
• Refugium: Built in refugium sump chamber with potential add-on of "Tunze 3182 Macro Algae Reactor" running outside sump on a separate pump
• Algae Turf Scrubber: not decided, probably Santa Monica or AI Blade
• Rock: "Black Pearl Marine" dry rock aquascape and 16 blocks of "Polyplab Genesis Rock" in a sump
• Sand: "CaribSea Special grade live sand"
• Controller: "Profilux 4" with "ALDIN extension card" to have some physical buttons: feeding, panic mode and etc with 3x "GHL Powerbars" to control power sockets
• Dosing: "GHL Doser 3" x2 for dosing elements with GHL Dosing containers and magnetic stirrers
• AWC and TOPUP: "GHL Doser Maxi" x2 with "GHL optical level sensor" x3
• Feeders: "GHL Automatic feeder" x2 and later on a4F frozen feeder
• Ozone: "Sander Ozonizer Certizon" with "Aqua Medic Ozone booster" running through skimmer and 3D printed Carbon cover for skimmer lid
• Fans: will be at least 2x "GHL fans" installed inside cabinet and 1x for water surface
• Lid: "TopLids Premium lid" for UNS R150

Cleanup crew

• Tectus snails
• Nassarius snails
• Hermit crabs
• Fireshrimp
• Nerita snails

Fishes

• Very first batch once cycled:

1. Snowflake picasso clownfish (pair)
2. Yellow watchman or Yasha goby with pistol shrimp
3. Purple firefish

• Second batch:

1. Royal gramma
2. Filefish (aiptasia eating)
3. Fairtail wrasse or flasher wrasse pair
4. Blonde naso
5. Foxface
6. Yellow or Purple tang
7. Angelfish or Copperband

• Also later stages:

1. Mandarin fish, potentially pair after a year+
2. Flame hawkfish
3. Longnose hawkfish
4. Flame angelfish
5. Sixline wrasse as a very last one

Corals
Will be selecting based on availability, but it will be a mix of Zoas, SPS, LPS and everything I will like and have room and conditions to keep.


Testing

• "Hanna Marine Master" with my custom 3D printed stand (I do not like Hanna liquids not standing upright, had them leaked in the past)
• "Reefmaster PIPER" for automatic testing

Photos in this post will show:

• Custom bracket for GHL Lightbar 3 x5
• Lights temporary mounted (need to shorten length of the cables)
• Aquarium waiting to be pushed into it's final position
• Boiler room aka fish room with RO/DI, Quarantine tank, Water mixing/storage and temporary storage of all equipment
• Saltwater mixing station plus RO/DI water tank
• RO/DI unit with 4 probes for TDS and need to mount second DI resin container after current one, this way once I see final TDS is rised I'm still delivering 0 TDS because of the second resin after the meter.
• Second storage of RO/DI and some equipment waiting to be installed
• More equipment waiting to be installed
• Hanna Marine Master test kit with 3D printed stand (yet to be published)
• Quarantine tank

Will try to keep progress and updates in this thread.

Tomorrow is a big day as we are moving tank into final position and I plan to clean it and make a leak test fill with RO/DI.

Fingers crossed!

 

[MikeyZo]

Looks good so far, looking forward to seeing it as it gets farther along!

 

[Seregus]

Aquarium is in final position!!! Lights mounting cables will be replaced with a much better solution (I’ll make my own loops to exact length needed).

Just waiting for parts to arrive.

Next step is levelling and leak test.

 

[MikeyZo]

That’s an amazingly incredible room, is it part of your basement? Do they have basements in Italy?

 

[Seregus]

I would not call it basement… because house is on a hill so aquarium is against back wall of the house, which is against the slope, so room have a small window to the outside and a normal door with stairs going up and more down (house is on a hill)… but in general Italians love basements and houses are mostly concrete (modern), stone (old houses 1 meter width walls) and bricks (all generation old and new) mostly.

 

[MikeyZo]

Can you get a wide shot of the room with the tank? I’d love to see the room as a whole. That stone is amazing.

My family and I are working on getting our dual citizenship in Italy. Then I would love to get a house there.

 

[UNS_Brandon]

nice batcave

 

[UNS_Parker]

Looks good!

 

[Seregus]

Little update: system was fully filled with RO/DI water just for leak testing and overall testing … all is fine, but…

Always but…

I’m switching to GHL Versia 9 instead of 7, because runing 7 at 80% is like almost the flow I like, but I would rather run 9 at 60% and have this extra… pump ordered, hope arrives soon.

Not really happy with surface skimming so far… thinking out loud… if I make emergency pipe to take water - its loud!!! So I would rather have some water going over overflow teeth making perfect surface skimmer, but so far with 7 its almost no flow, all is taken care by bottom overflow intakes… i hope 9 will sort this with ease …

 

[Seregus]

Lights mounted, just need some cable management now.

 

[Seregus]

Ordered some extension cables to finish up Profilux Powerbars connection, waiting for some additional power sockets to be installed (probably Saturday) and an extension cables for Mitras Lightbars…

Some work still going on… two of 4 dosers are in position, just waiting for dosing containers to position two Maxi dosers … level sensors are in position, feeders done, Vortech all connected… next is to plumb reactors and UV…

Some photos of the progress..

 

[MikeyZo]

You have a very well thought out build going on

 

[Seregus]

Thank you. Decided to spent lots of time and not to rush put livestock in before all is perfect (or close to perfection as much as possible).

Additional power sockets installed… now the worst part: cable management.

I hope to finish today or tomorrow, so would be possible to actually start saltwater next week.

 

[Mikelob]

Really looking forward to seeing how you sort the sump area out. I am still waiting for my R150 to arrive but like you, I have loads of extras I would like to add on….

 

[Seregus]

All left is for electrics (backup battery for vortech, profilux controller) and dosing, including dosing containers. All back wall (actual wall) is for GHL powerbars, more power bricks and cable channel. UV you already saw, the small area between sump and electrics is for reactors, which will be externally mounted (not sure if I will ever use them)… now the only question I have no answer yet is how to place Algae Scrubber if I ever want one and/or Algae reactor… but some options are on a table… also skimate collector from Royal Exclusive with dry sensor to auto shut off skimmer if overflows… will manage cables and plumb first reactor will publish more photos

 

[MikeyZo]

Can’t wait to see how this continues

 

[Seregus]

So not much progress except cable management, heaters installed and roller mat with terrible adapter is placed (will definitely spent some time on a better adapter once the rest of system setup is done.

Also rock work has been completed by Rob from Black Pearl Marine (have not seen it in person, only photos so far). But its in UK so will take a couple of weeks to get it here.

Ah also sump light has been added so its easier, much much easier to work plus funny display bottom dimmed lighting… had to remember the fact I can do soldering and to my surprise it was as easy as I remembered it.

Next is to finish all the remaining cables and pipes and start cycle.

In parallel plumb two reactors, uv and probe holder with a separate pump.

Also I can see Royal Exclusive are going to release their new bubble trap for all their skimmers, this means I’m on a market for their skimmer…. Probably MBK 200 to save sump space.

 

[Seregus]

Still waiting for the entrance door to be installed… currently the ‘cave’ is exposed to outside temperatures and dust and everything… I hope by end of the month…

In a mean time I continued my mods to accommodate everything I want to have on this tank and make it fully automated.

Top lid arrived! Amazing quality … took some time to get it in.

So I almost plumber two external reactors, UV and a probe holder… well work in progress as some bits are missing so I need to wait them to be delivered.

Anyway, work in progress … had to change a little sump intakes, also moved ATO and added 4 more dosing lines.

Hope to finish plumbing and cable mess next week.

 

[MikeyZo]

Which brand top is that? Top Lids?

 

[Seregus]

Which brand top is that? Top Lids?

Yes it is. https://toplids.com/