New Reefer and my Red Sea 450 Build

[Diablo2112]

Hello! Been lurking here for a bit, and thought I'd introduce myself. Have done FW for a very long time, finally decided to try out a Reef Tank. Moved into a new home a few months ago, and had a nice spot for a Reef Tank.

Being nearly completely new to this, figured I'd read as much as I could find. The forums here have been invaluable, along with the BRS videos. Was about to order a new Red Sea Reefer series when a Reefer 450 showed up for sale locally in Albuquerque. Picked this up, and spent a small fortune on the rest of the gear.

Anyway, the tank is still cycling (3 weeks now), and coming along nicely. I built a SW mixing station in my utility room, and plumbed a 70' pex line from it to my tank through the walls of my house; my wife nearly had a heart attack when I told her what I wanted to do. Also ran a 4-conductor cable at the same time, should I want to connect switched or aquabus at some later time. The tank location backs up against our guest bathroom. I get both a water supply and drain right behind the wall, which made automation of RODI and AWC that much easier. I did the plumbing for the sump myself, and I want to REALLY thank whoever recommended that you put union joints everywhere whenever you're doing hard-line plumbing. Just one of many things I picked up on the forums here that helped me immensely.

Using this line, I setup an AWC system, and it's been working great (I change 1 liter/day at present, more to debug the system as the tank is still cycling). I'll eventually change 5-6 liters/day to accomplish a 30% monthly change. Also automated my RODI system, via the Tunze controller. Love the Neptune Apex, a really well-implemented system all around. Hooked up the flow controllers, and have lots of data and sensors to play with. I have a second DOS system, and will use that for 2-part once things get running.

Have setup my QT tank this weekend, will start my first livestock there for the remaining 4-6 weeks of cycling the DT. And, I intend to keep reading and learning; thanks to everyone that's contributed here, it's been invaluable for us newbies.

Let me know if you see anything I've done wrong or could improve upon in the photos below, I really am rather new at this...

 

[Crabs McJones]

Looks amazing! Be sure to create a build thread for us to follow along
And Welcome to R2R!!

 

[kschweer]

Looking good!! Welcome to R2R!!

 

[KJ]

Looking nice Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Impressive setup! Welcome to R2R!

 

[dbl]

Very nice...it's looking great. Welcome to R2R.

 

[GWHouston]

Welcome to R2R...looks as if you got a head start on us newbies.

 

[Pelagic One]

Huge welcome to R2R, DI! You can almost just reference this intro thread on your build thread, given the awesome detail you’ve already shared. I lurked on a few forums for a few years, formulated all the really cool gear I wanted, then read up on everyone’s opinions to determine what I’d really go out and buy. So I really like your setup, with an already beautiful aquascape, and will look forward to watching your livestock selection as the time comes.

Once you’ve seen every BRS video a few times, check out other reefers’ and industry leaders’ YouTube videos, who either confirm what you’ve learned from the BRS crew, or come up with varying and sometimes dissenting opinions. That’s the fun part of my away-from-the-tank time: watching human nature at its finest, debating sometimes polarizing views like “QT or not,” and “deep sandbed or not” and the occasional tang pictured in a nano-looking tank. Reefers going at it is like dropping two semi-aggressive, like colored conspecifics into a small tank...oh the debate we’ll have!

So again, welcome to R2R. Have a long and worthwhile visit, when you can peel your eyes away from your Apex Fusion screen!

 

[Diablo2112]

Thanks everyone, very much! I really appreciate the encouragement and advice. So far, so good! Really enjoying the reading and learning, and of course getting all the gear installed and up and running. I'll startup a build thread in a bit, once things move along a bit more.

 

[D_dot]

Looks like you did a lot of reading haha....looks awesome

 

[Broadfield]

Looking really good... welcome to the Reefer crew!

 

[Butitor]

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[jsker]

Welcome to R2R, I am very envious of your tank

 

[Diablo2112]

Thank you all again. I'll start a build thread very shortly. In the meantime, a few more pics. Thought I could do a more elegant job on the lights, and did a bit of kit-bashing for the following. Lights are Maxspect Ethereal. Wanted to hang these, but felt 4 wires off each light was a bit much. Picked up a 60" HMS Light Bar and Hanging kit from the LFS.

This bar wasn't designed for the Ethereal lights, but I found a simple way to mount them using a few spare spacers (from flat screen TV mount kits), and drilling 2 holes at the edge of each light. Works great! Hung the lights with the HMS kit, and ran power cables through the wall. I have a pet peeve with exposed wires, and this was about the best solution (better than running to the ceiling, IMHO).

One tiny detail: I've used tie wraps to secure the cabling on the bar. Don't like this. I've ordered a few post-mount ties to secure this on the back edge, but hey, I'm picky about wiring like I said. Anyway, here's a few pics which better show all this.

Off to make a build thread in a day or two. One other small thing: I moved the probes to the main tank. I was having micro-bubble problems, especially with the salinity probe, and the new location has been rock-solid. Besides, the engineer in me feels better with the probes on the main tank, just because. Finally, the cleanup crew (12 Trochus and 3 Sand-sifting Conches) has done a marvelous job. They're hired!

 

[MaddyP]

 

[Fudsey]

Welcome to R2R and the salty side ! ! !

Check out these for wire management

 

[Quinn]

Any updates? Just picked a Red Sea 450 full setup to part out and sell but the tank is starting to grow on me sitting in the garage.

 

[Diablo2112]

Thanks for asking, very much. Things having been going great. I've been taking pictures for an extended build thread, and I will have that up sometime in the next month or two. Lots of progress on the tank, all quite positive. Began stocking fish about 5 weeks ago, and adding as they come out of quarantine. Corals as well. Got a cheato reactor up and running, and installed a big honking UV sterilizer. Water parameters have been stable and good.

Only real issue was my pH was dropping below 7.8 at night occasionally. Installed the cheato reactor on a reverse light cycle, and plumbing the skimmer air inlet to outside air, that raised things about 0.15 points, keeping it above 7.9 at night now. We're at high altitude here in Albuquerque, the lower oxygen partial pressure lowers our pH a bit. FYI, here's a quick rundown:

Temp: 78 +/- 0.2
ph: 7.9 to 8.1 (after cheato and outside air to skimmer mod)
ammonia/nitrite/nitrate all 0 via API test
kH: 8.5. Just starting tiny dosing of alk/Ca (2ml/day) to maintain this
Ca: 430
phosphates: 0.1 ppm (Hanna ultra-low test)
ORP: 380-410
Salt: 33 ppt

Coral frags have noticeable growth after 4 weeks. Everybody's eating really well; feeding time is truly a frenzy. Mixing frozen foods (LRS Nano-frenzy and brine cubes) with flake/pellets. Tangs won't eat nori off the clip yet, still trying to train them. Began light dose of Reef Roids twice/week for the corals.

As I said, very happy with the progress so far. Had extensive discussions with my LFS regarding stocking fish; the clown tang may get a bit large for this display in a few years, but I have a plan for that. Here's a few very quick pics; I'll have much more on my upcoming build thread.

 

[dbl]

That looks terrific!!

 

[Gene Ashton]

You my friend are crazy. A tank in a pool room??