Mattgsa 315 gallon build

[shakemandril]

Almost ready to start running some wire. I'm hoping to have some run by the end of the weekend.

But I was able to finish the front of the tank today. It's not as perfect as I would like, but considering this was my first woodworking project, I'm fairly happy with it.

Woodwork looks great! Love the grain pattern. I hope to have a large built in someday.

 

[mattgsa]

Alright, quick update on the control side of things — finally feel like I’m getting somewhere after a lot of trial and error. I ended up grabbing two of the 16x12x8” VEVOR enclosures from Home Depot (they were on sale), and honestly, I’m really happy with how much space I have to work with now. I was originally trying to cram everything into one box, but splitting it into two lets me separate the 120V stuff from the 24V control wiring — which was the plan from the start anyway.

Inside the main panel:
• CLICK PLC + expansion module
• Rhino 24V power supply
• Din rail-mounted terminal blocks
• Relay module for switching the higher voltage gear
• Used ferrules and a crimp kit for cleaner terminations
• DIN rail ducting for organizing wiring (finally got that mounted)

I also ran all the 120V on 12-gauge wire — didn’t want to deal with any sketchy undersized wiring down the line. Only the signal/control wires going to the PLC are 16 AWG. I’ve got everything color-coded too: black for 120V, blue for 24V, green for ground. Makes tracing stuff easier, especially when I come back to this in 6 months and forget what I did.

Still need to go back and add a few ferrules I missed, but overall it’s shaping up. Also added a dedicated junction box for the AC relay so it’s not inside the main brain box — keeping that separation clean.

Photos below show the current state of things. Still plenty to do, but at least the major components are mounted and powered now. The PLC firmware update went smooth too (after a brief panic).

 

[That Crusso Kid]

Alright, quick update on the control side of things — finally feel like I’m getting somewhere after a lot of trial and error. I ended up grabbing two of the 16x12x8” VEVOR enclosures from Home Depot (they were on sale), and honestly, I’m really happy with how much space I have to work with now. I was originally trying to cram everything into one box, but splitting it into two lets me separate the 120V stuff from the 24V control wiring — which was the plan from the start anyway.

Inside the main panel:
• CLICK PLC + expansion module
• Rhino 24V power supply
• Din rail-mounted terminal blocks
• Relay module for switching the higher voltage gear
• Used ferrules and a crimp kit for cleaner terminations
• DIN rail ducting for organizing wiring (finally got that mounted)

I also ran all the 120V on 12-gauge wire — didn’t want to deal with any sketchy undersized wiring down the line. Only the signal/control wires going to the PLC are 16 AWG. I’ve got everything color-coded too: black for 120V, blue for 24V, green for ground. Makes tracing stuff easier, especially when I come back to this in 6 months and forget what I did.

Still need to go back and add a few ferrules I missed, but overall it’s shaping up. Also added a dedicated junction box for the AC relay so it’s not inside the main brain box — keeping that separation clean.

Photos below show the current state of things. Still plenty to do, but at least the major components are mounted and powered now. The PLC firmware update went smooth too (after a brief panic).

I keep looking and looking and looking but am not seeing any photos. Such a disappointment as most that know me also know I and practically illiterate and like photos!

 

[mattgsa]

I keep looking and looking and looking but am not seeing any photos. Such a disappointment as most that know me also know I and practically illiterate and like photos!

As you requested, I still have a lot of wiring to do in the box, and I need to mount another box above the sump for the 120V relays. Additionally, I need to address wire management, which I have never been particularly skilled at.

 

[85173]

As you requested, I still have a lot of wiring to do in the box, and I need to mount another box above the sump for the 120V relays. Additionally, I need to address wire management, which I have never been particularly skilled at.

Nice work! Sounds like an article in the making!

 

[mattgsa]

As you requested, I still have a lot of wiring to do in the box, and I need to mount another box above the sump for the 120V relays. Additionally, I need to address wire management, which I have never been particularly skilled at.

Nice work! Sounds like an article in the making!

I don’t know if I qualify to writing the article. Considering this is my first time doing it, I’m sure I’m messing out more than I’m getting right.

 

[That Crusso Kid]

I don’t know if I qualify to writing the article. Considering this is my first time doing it, I’m sure I’m messing out more than I’m getting right.

Sure it will!

 

[85173]

I don’t know if I qualify to writing the article. Considering this is my first time doing it, I’m sure I’m messing out more than I’m getting right.

Telling us what didn't work and why is important knowledge to prevent others repeating the same mistakes. It is probably as important as knowing what does work.

 

[mattgsa]

I’ve been dosing Phosphate-E for a little over two weeks now. While levels have dropped, they’ve stalled out at 1.59 ppm, which is still way too high. Since there are no corals in the tank yet and life’s been chaotic, I let it ride longer than I probably should have.

Initially, I was dosing into the fleece roller intake, but I’m starting to think the lanthanum didn’t have enough time to mix properly before hitting the filter media. It likely passed through without fully binding the phosphate or forming floc in time to be removed.

I’ve moved the dosing line to the overflow now. It should get better turbulence and dwell time before hitting the socks, so I’m hoping that helps improve export. 

I’ll report back once I see how it trends.

 

[mattgsa]

Okay, so far, so good. Yesterday, it was (Po4) 1.59 ppm, and today it's 1.56 ppm. Considering I made the change yesterday afternoon, I think the theory is sound. I also cleaned out the skimmer yesterday, which had not been done in a while, longer than I care to admit.

 

[mattgsa]

Sorry, I lost my filter. You can see the rim on one end and not the other. I put foam under the mat to protect the tank from the homemade stand, and one side sank in more than the other, which is annoying. I need to find a way to compensate for this when it comes to the hood, as it's driving me crazy.

 

[85173]

Sorry, I lost my filter. You can see the rim on one end and not the other. I put foam under the mat to protect the tank from the homemade stand, and one side sank in more than the other, which is annoying. I need to find a way to compensate for this when it comes to the hood, as it's driving me crazy.

Give it a bit more time before acting on this and see how the foam compresses with more time. It may self correct for you with patience.

 

[mattgsa]

Give it a bit more time before acting on this and see how the foam compresses with more time. It may self correct for you with patience.

Yeah, it's been like that for a couple of years now. I don't think it's going to move anymore, and I don't have the desire to drain the tank and try to fix it. Not to mention, I would have to pay a team to come down and lift it.

I received the C2-NRED module today. It's a game-changer when used with the Click Plus PLC. Manufactured by AutomationDirect, it seamlessly integrates Node-RED support into the PLC system. If you’re familiar with Node-RED, you know it’s a powerful, browser-based logic builder that enables you to create custom dashboards, automations, alerts, and more. Essentially, it’s like giving your reef controller a smart brain that operates independently of cloud services or vendor subscriptions.

The NRED doesn’t control anything on its own. It works alongside the Click Plus PLC and lets you interact with it over the network. You can use it to build custom dashboards that show tank data, control relays, monitor float switches, and even send alerts if something goes wrong. It also supports MQTT, Modbus TCP, REST API, and other protocols, so if you’re into integrating smart gear or logging to other systems, it can handle all of that.

It runs off 24VDC like the rest of the Click system, and it uses a microSD card to store flows and keep everything persistent after a power cycle. Without the SD card, it’ll lose your dashboard and logic on reboot.

It’s not plug and play like an Apex, but that’s the beauty of it. It’s incredibly flexible, offering you complete control without any cloud tie-in or locked-down firmware. I’m using it as the interface for my tank controller setup and it’s been a game-changer. If you’re into DIY automation and want a serious upgrade in control and visibility, it’s definitely worth checking out.

 

[mattgsa]

Its still growing, I'm going on my second trash container. I didn't realize how much of this I had collected.

 

[85173]

Yeah, it's been like that for a couple of years now. I don't think it's going to move anymore, and I don't have the desire to drain the tank and try to fix it. Not to mention, I would have to pay a team to come down and lift it.

Yes, if it's been that long it's unlikely to change at all.

 

[85173]

I received the C2-NRED module today. It's a game-changer when used with the Click Plus PLC. Manufactured by AutomationDirect, it seamlessly integrates Node-RED support into the PLC system. If you’re familiar with Node-RED, you know it’s a powerful, browser-based logic builder that enables you to create custom dashboards, automations, alerts, and more. Essentially, it’s like giving your reef controller a smart brain that operates independently of cloud services or vendor subscriptions.

The NRED doesn’t control anything on its own. It works alongside the Click Plus PLC and lets you interact with it over the network. You can use it to build custom dashboards that show tank data, control relays, monitor float switches, and even send alerts if something goes wrong. It also supports MQTT, Modbus TCP, REST API, and other protocols, so if you’re into integrating smart gear or logging to other systems, it can handle all of that.

It runs off 24VDC like the rest of the Click system, and it uses a microSD card to store flows and keep everything persistent after a power cycle. Without the SD card, it’ll lose your dashboard and logic on reboot.

It’s not plug and play like an Apex, but that’s the beauty of it. It’s incredibly flexible, offering you complete control without any cloud tie-in or locked-down firmware. I’m using it as the interface for my tank controller setup and it’s been a game-changer. If you’re into DIY automation and want a serious upgrade in control and visibility, it’s definitely worth checking out.

I love the idea of all this but understand none of it, as it is outside of my field.

 

[That Crusso Kid]

Yeah, it's been like that for a couple of years now. I don't think it's going to move anymore, and I don't have the desire to drain the tank and try to fix it. Not to mention, I would have to pay a team to come down and lift it.

I received the C2-NRED module today. It's a game-changer when used with the Click Plus PLC. Manufactured by AutomationDirect, it seamlessly integrates Node-RED support into the PLC system. If you’re familiar with Node-RED, you know it’s a powerful, browser-based logic builder that enables you to create custom dashboards, automations, alerts, and more. Essentially, it’s like giving your reef controller a smart brain that operates independently of cloud services or vendor subscriptions.

The NRED doesn’t control anything on its own. It works alongside the Click Plus PLC and lets you interact with it over the network. You can use it to build custom dashboards that show tank data, control relays, monitor float switches, and even send alerts if something goes wrong. It also supports MQTT, Modbus TCP, REST API, and other protocols, so if you’re into integrating smart gear or logging to other systems, it can handle all of that.

It runs off 24VDC like the rest of the Click system, and it uses a microSD card to store flows and keep everything persistent after a power cycle. Without the SD card, it’ll lose your dashboard and logic on reboot.

It’s not plug and play like an Apex, but that’s the beauty of it. It’s incredibly flexible, offering you complete control without any cloud tie-in or locked-down firmware. I’m using it as the interface for my tank controller setup and it’s been a game-changer. If you’re into DIY automation and want a serious upgrade in control and visibility, it’s definitely worth checking out.

I am with @GBRsouth in so far as I do not understand much about PLC designs and programming. I do love it and maybe, at some point, will try diving into it. Then again, I said the same thing about 3D printing back in 2018. I have yet to buy a 3D printer.

All that said, I do hope you keep posting about this, @mattgsa. Maybe I'll learn enough from you (and rip your modeling off) to use on my system.

 

[mattgsa]

Well, it’s all wired up and running! I only managed to break a couple of ferrules during the process, not exactly a highlight, but all part of the learning curve. Everything powers on and works as expected.
Yes, I definitely need to run more power outlets, but it’ll do for now. And for any seasoned PLC pros out there, I know it may still look like amateur hour — but honestly, this is the cleanest wiring job I’ve ever done, and I’m pretty proud of that.

And the cherry on top, it still connects to my computer

 

[That Crusso Kid]

Well, it’s all wired up and running! I only managed to break a couple of ferrules during the process, not exactly a highlight, but all part of the learning curve. Everything powers on and works as expected.
Yes, I definitely need to run more power outlets, but it’ll do for now. And for any seasoned PLC pros out there, I know it may still look like amateur hour — but honestly, this is the cleanest wiring job I’ve ever done, and I’m pretty proud of that.

And the cherry on top, it still connects to my computer

This, I think, is very cool!

I know nothing about any of this and am guessing you have had some previous experience with them. I based this on your comment about it being the "the cleanest wiring job I've ever done."

I did find the video below and it is quite informative for a guy who knows nothing. I seldom have much free time but am going to try to dive a bit deeper into these things.

I appreciate you sharing!

 

[That Crusso Kid]

Double post.

(If you enjoy frustration, make sure you get on R2R between 2:55 and 3:05AM any night. It must be the time they run maintenance, or something, because it is basically inoperable.)