Leprechaun Reefer's Red Sea 525xl Build Thread

LeprechaunReefer · May 12, 2020

Greetings -

After a couple years with a 10 gallon Nuvo and approximately a year with a 25 gallon lagoon I decided to work my way into bigger and better things in the reefing world. Mostly driven by my desire to house larger fish (tangs and wrasses) and MORE CORAL

, I decided to turn my 25 gallon into a frag tank and begin my build of a Red Sea 525Xl. These tanks are wonderful!

Equipment List:
Tank: Red Sea 525XL
Lights: Ecotech Gen4 XR15W Pros (x3) on RMS Light Track w. Diffusers
Pump: Jebao MDC 8000 w. WiFi
Controller: GHL Profilux 4e with GHL Auto Top off Kit (Float and Optical Sensor)
Heaters: 300 Watt BRS Titanium Heaters (x2) with BRS Controller
Plumbing: Converted Standard Red Sea Plumbing to 1 inch Schedule 80 custom with Spears Gate Valve on Return
Skimmer: Red Sea RSK 600 or Reef Octopus Classic 202-S - Have not yet decided or purchased
Lid: Clearview Lids Classic
Dry Rock: 80lbs Aquamaxx Marco rock
Sand: 120 lbs CaribSea Special Grade
Wavemakers: MP40 (x2)

Fish List ( Nothing has been purchased yet, except the clowns are already in some tanks i've got running already):
1. Premium Black Snowflake & Frostbite Clown Pair - in tank
2. Lawnmower Blenny - in tank
3. Chalk Bass - in tank
4. Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse - on hold at LFS
5. Ruby Head Fairy Wrasse/Orange Back Fairy Wrasse
6. Exquisite Fairy Wrasse
7. Yellow Tang
8. Yellow Eye Kole Tang
9. Purple Tang or Foxface Rabbitfish
10. Mandarin Dragonet

IM 25 Gallon Lagoon Frag Tank:

Side Table/ATO Compartment/GHL Powerbar compartment:

Mastiffsrule · May 17, 2020

Evening

Great looking build. Frag tank looks nice as well. I like the side table. Equipment list is well designed

My thought is 2 mandarin may be pushing it in that size, food wise. I would wait a few months to allow the pod population to grow and introduce the first and see how it does. Unless you are culturing pods or other access to foods to be introduced manually

Cant wait to see more pics.

LeprechaunReefer · May 18, 2020

Mastiffsrule said:
Evening

Great looking build. Frag tank looks nice as well. I like the side table. Equipment list is well designed

My thought is 2 mandarin may be pushing it in that size, food wise. I would wait a few months to allow the pod population to grow and introduce the first and see how it does. Unless you are culturing pods or other access to foods to be introduced manually

Cant wait to see more pics.

Thanks for the compliments and input. My livestock list is ever-evolving (and also updated in my first post), but starting to become more concrete after a little more thought over the past week or so. Latest looks like this, assuming i'll be able to get them anytime soon:

1. Premium Black Snowflake & Frostbite Clown Pair - in tank
2. Lawnmower Blenny - in tank
3. Chalk Bass - in tank
4. Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse - on hold at LFS
5. Ruby Head Fairy Wrasse/Orange Back Fairy Wrasse
6. Exquisite Fairy Wrasse
7. Yellow Tang
8. Yellow Eye Kole Tang
9. Purple Tang or Foxface Rabbitfish
10. Mandarin Dragonet

There might be one more wrasse in there before it's all said and done....

All of my current fish haven't been quarantined because I only have the two pairs of clowns in separate tanks and the tailspot was added to the 25. I've not seen any signs of parasites or infection in the time i've owned them, but i won't risk it moving them into a larger community. I'll also go fallow for 76 days in the frag tank in the process.

Began setting up my Proflix 4e this weekend, which doesn't lend itself much to pictures as it currently looks like a nest of wires more than anything, but once I get it a little more organized i'll put some picture updates on here.

butchhe · May 18, 2020

I like the side table / hiding compartment. If you don't mind me asking, where did you find it at?

LeprechaunReefer · May 18, 2020

butchhe said:
I like the side table / hiding compartment. If you don't mind me asking, where did you find it at?

Thank you! I built it with materials purchased from the furniture materials aisle at Home Depot and a Kreg tool!

butchhe · May 18, 2020

You do good work. That sliding top is pretty slick. Do you have it on kitchen drawer rollers or is it just laying on top?

TriggerFinger · May 18, 2020

The tank looks great! Is there a tiny brute can in your side table?

LeprechaunReefer · May 18, 2020

butchhe said:
You do good work. That sliding top is pretty slick. Do you have it on kitchen drawer rollers or is it just laying on top?

It just rests on top. There is no lip to the tops on the back side, so it's just wood sliding on wood.

LeprechaunReefer · May 18, 2020

TriggerFinger said:
The tank looks great! Is there a tiny brute can in your side table?

Correct. a 10 gallon for an ATO reservoir! Thanks!

LeprechaunReefer · May 19, 2020

So one of the first things i noticed about the 525 is that i didn't much care for the single return nozzle. By no means a deal breaker, but as soon as I realized Red Sea had come out with a "Y Splitter," I pulled out my credit card and ordered one. Came today and replaced it at lunch. Flow is pointed almost directly to the front corners of the tank right out of the return now. I just realized how much i like the simple improvements

. Part R42176 for those interested, too.

LeprechaunReefer · May 29, 2020

Today’s UPS delivery was better than most! These really make my MP10 on my 25 Gallon look like child’s play.

LeprechaunReefer · Jun 3, 2020

RSK-600 skimmer: commence break in!

LeprechaunReefer · Jun 23, 2020

Just thought i'd post a picture of my Observation Tank. If it needs to become a QT it is ready for that as well:

Details:
20 Gallon Long
Penguin Bio Wheel 100 HOB Filter
Hydor Koralia Nano Powerhead (240 gph model)
Eheim Jaeger 50W
Seachem Matrix (seeded from display)

LeprechaunReefer · Jun 23, 2020

4 Fish in the 525XL so far. Now to settle on names....

LeprechaunReefer · Jul 15, 2020

Water Change Cabinet completed except for stain and poly on the top. Unfortunately my reefs are in our finished garage, while my RODI unit is under a different roof in our main house's laundry room (sink prevents overflows and provides a good drainage option for wastewater). So it looks like i'll always be lugging 5 gallon jugs out into the garage. However - Once I get the water to the garage, I've got a 20 gallon brute for mixing as well as a sicce pump to move the water directly into my 525 for easy water changes! I've plugged my pump into a DJ-type power switch so I can easily turn the pump on and off. Cabinet functions the same as my ATO side table and I built it pretty much the same way - to be almost "built in" in appearance.

LeprechaunReefer · Aug 4, 2020

Got my @ArtFully Acrylic lid in the mail a few days back. Got it installed, but decided to hang my lights from the ceiling. Converting the cutouts that were previously for the light mounts into feed doors, which i'm super pumped about. Should only be another week or so until my feed door covers arrive. Really love my lid and also like the lights hanging MUCH better! Clearview has been great to work with and i'm super happy with the quality of product as well as customer service!