Peninsula 6026 build thread

SuncrestReef

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Lots of action today! First I did a test run of the RO/DI unit in its new home, got a little wet but all is good now, just have to get that source water piece and clean up the tubing. Also will be picking up a booster pump and auto flush kit thanks to a local who posted one up on here!

The big news of course is my BRS shipment arrived! I’m sure my UPS guy really loved me today. So of course I opened everything up like a kid at Christmas...because that’s exactly what I am lol. Got the BRS 1200W heaters and controller in the sump and then spent the next several hours getting the return pump in, fixing leaks, tuning the overflow, and then of course playing with the Apex hahaha. Best part is the DOS I picked up for cheap off FB actually works fine with the 1Link cable so that’s a relief. Tomorrow I shall suffer through work and then come home and start adding the Tropic Marin classic salt, get the MP40 running to help mix the salt, and probably play with the Apex some more. I also need to start designing the controller board . Anyway...to leave you with a laugh for the evening, when I plugged in my reef octopus varios return pump I neglected to make sure my return nozzles were pointed down enough....so that wall across the room is now clean...lucky my soon to be wife left on her bachelorette cruise tonight sooo honey if you read this I love you bunches!

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I'm hoping it's not too late to recommend a change on your mixing station, but I'd highly recommend you add spigot valves to allow an easy way to dispense RO/DI or saltwater from each storage tank. I can't count how many times I do this, whether dispensing water to dip corals, rinse equipment, or to do a quick topoff of saltwater when I empty my skimmate locker. Here's a photo of how I set up my mixing station. Notice the valves and 3-way Y fittings at the bottom:

IMG_6350.jpg
 
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I'm hoping it's not too late to recommend a change on your mixing station, but I'd highly recommend you add spigot valves to allow an easy way to dispense RO/DI or saltwater from each storage tank. I can't count how many times I do this, whether dispensing water to dip corals, rinse equipment, or to do a quick topoff of saltwater when I empty my skimmate locker. Here's a photo of how I set up my mixing station. Notice the valves and 3-way Y fittings at the bottom:

IMG_6350.jpg
Sorry I should have mentioned I planned on adding another valve to do just that. I was waiting on some parts that came in my BRS order but of course the new toys stole my attention before the mixing station.
 
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I'm hoping it's not too late to recommend a change on your mixing station, but I'd highly recommend you add spigot valves to allow an easy way to dispense RO/DI or saltwater from each storage tank. I can't count how many times I do this, whether dispensing water to dip corals, rinse equipment, or to do a quick topoff of saltwater when I empty my skimmate locker. Here's a photo of how I set up my mixing station. Notice the valves and 3-way Y fittings at the bottom:

IMG_6350.jpg
I knew your username looked familiar....I’ve been reading all your Apex setup posts for the past few days! Thank you for putting that all together I’m sure it’s going to really help me when I start setting mine up!
 

SuncrestReef

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I knew your username looked familiar....I’ve been reading all your Apex setup posts for the past few days! Thank you for putting that all together I’m sure it’s going to really help me when I start setting mine up!

Glad to help! Let me know if you have any specific questions when you get to your Apex setup.
 
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Picked up the booster pump and auto flush today, can’t use the auto flush yet since it’s for 100 gpd and I have a 75 membrane in for now. Got the booster pump hooked up and it increased my pressure from 40 to 80! Pretty awesome and much faster water production which is very nice. I then got got MP-40 put on the tank and added salt, I purchased the 200 gallon bucket of tropic marin, directions say 1/2 cup per gallon. So after counting my scoops to about 80 I am about out of salt so I add the rest (target was 93 cups base on the above). Tested my salinity a little while later and I’m a little high at 40-41 ppt so when I add my rock Monday I’ll be siphoning some out for later use and then add fresh RO/DI to achieve 35ppt. I also got the Skimz monster sm202 put together, initially didn’t fit in my skimmer chamber so I had to take out my refugium divider, sit the skimmer in and then the refugium divider can almost go all the way back in. Don’t have the right size tubing for the feed line thorough so that will have to wait, not like I need to run it yet anyway. So after playing with that stuff for a bit I check on the mixing station and notice a couple very small drip leaks from the bulkhead area...so out comes the silicone...and Teflon tape....and finally in a desperate attempt to cease the drips...pvc adhesive. Long story short there the mixing station is fully assembled and without drips now. Still have to get the waste water line run, the auto water change lines run, and a power supply into the room. I had intended to do a mock up for a controller board tonight but since I have to be up early for work I figured it was best to call it a night and hopefully that can be my project for tomorrow. As long as we don’t have anymore dang drips.....

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The goal today was to do a rough mock up of a controller board to use until I can decide on what material I want to make the final one out of. It ended up being a very rough mock up and I abandoned it before mounting anything, oh well. So instead of finishing that I sat the lid from the shipping crate in front of the tank and got to work on the aquascape mock up. Pics below are what I came up with and really liked how it looked. I attempted to use the BRS extra thick glue I had, turns out you need ALOT to hold these rocks together...go figure right? So piece by piece I place the rock into the tank and tried to recreate my masterpiece from the floor. It didn’t come out exactly the same, I blame the base rock that I already had in the tank, oh well live and learn. I have all the rock in there now, I think it looks good and accomplished what I was going for. The fiancé will have final say when she gets back Monday of course lol. Something that’s been bothering me is the skimmer....I went with the Skimz SM202...it was an external, great price on Black Friday, and the BRS rating for it was for 190 gallons with high bio-load, my total system is 186 gallons so I think that’s not too over sized? I plan on keeping a large number of fish along with feeding plenty and sticking to the World Wide Corals motto I picked up from the BRS videos, heavy in/heavy out. So I’m worried about the skimmer being oversized but also the base is less than an inch too large for my compartment, I had to take out my refugium divider, place the skimmer and then put the divider back, meaning the divider is about an inch off the bottom and water now flows under instead of over the top of the divider. I’m thinking if I want to run the fuge I’ll put something down there to either block the water, attempt the move the holders for the divider, or just not run the fuge. Anyway, hopefully some of you can give me your thoughts on this.

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A very very rough mock up for a temporary controller board until I can get a better one made, it’ll work for now while we get ready to start the cycle.

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Haven’t updated in a few days, honestly I’m not sure how many people are even reading this but I enjoy sharing here in the hopes that maybe someone else will enjoy my journey. Anyway, added the MicroBacterStartXLM and a very large shrimp, which after I told him what I was using it for was given to me free from the guy at the seafood counter, thanks Publix! So now it’s a game of patience, I would like to follow a note from the BRS/WWC hybrid method and let the tank cycle for a solid two months now before I add any fish. I think this will give me a very good foundation. I’ll probably test ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate once a week to start just to have an idea of what is going on. After the two months I’ll probably start with the classic two clowns and then add my more peaceful fish before adding my few tangs I want. No corals until after the honeymoon in April, also conveniently we get back the week before ReefAPolooza Orlando, so that works out perfectly.

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Dr. Suess210

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Found your thread. I was looking to see what kind of skimmer others used in their tanks. I’m planning to heavily stock it so I got the regal 200-s. It’s slightly bigger than I had hoped, so I’m in the same boat as you. It sticks because I really want to run a fuge.

nice thread though man!

image.jpg
 
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Found your thread. I was looking to see what kind of skimmer others used in their tanks. I’m planning to heavily stock it so I got the regal 200-s. It’s slightly bigger than I had hoped, so I’m in the same boat as you. It sticks because I really want to run a fuge.

nice thread though man!

image.jpg
I was in the same boat, I wanted to make sure I had a large enough skimmer for a heavily stocked tank. I got the Skimz 203 and it is pretty big, actually about 1/2" too wide for my skimmer compartment so I think I will initially just run the skimmer and not do a refugium and see how it works. My thought process is that the skimmer is pretty large so I don't think I will need another export system running at least not right away. I will however add one later for the other benefits, such as having a healthy pod population. Best of luck on the tank!
 

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Its safe to say that that's my ideal tank set up and even placed in a similar location as I would want my peninsula. Even more strange is i live just north of orlando... What the... Get out of my head!!!
Your set up looks amazing and i cant wait to see what you do with it. Once you get up and running id love to trade some frags! Keep updating!
 
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Its safe to say that that's my ideal tank set up and even placed in a similar location as I would want my peninsula. Even more strange is i live just north of orlando... What the... Get out of my head!!!
Your set up looks amazing and i cant wait to see what you do with it. Once you get up and running id love to trade some frags! Keep updating!
That’s crazy, yeah man once she’s up and running we will have to swap some frags!
 

Dr. Suess210

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I was in the same boat, I wanted to make sure I had a large enough skimmer for a heavily stocked tank. I got the Skimz 203 and it is pretty big, actually about 1/2" too wide for my skimmer compartment so I think I will initially just run the skimmer and not do a refugium and see how it works. My thought process is that the skimmer is pretty large so I don't think I will need another export system running at least not right away. I will however add one later for the other benefits, such as having a healthy pod population. Best of luck on the tank!
That was my exact thought process. Large skimmer for a smaller/heavier stocked tank.
I wanted to do a fuge in the bigger portion of the sump because I was going to put a pair of clowns down there to try and breed them. So now the fuge will have to be in the smaller portion of the sump.
I also only want a fuge for my copepods
 
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Not much to report as of late. The ammonia levels are up around 0.8 as of my first test yesterday, nitrite was 0, nitrate was around 0-2. I added another round of Microbacter Start and remembered to take the socks out this time. Going to let it cycle for a full two months and then add the two clown fish.
 

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Looks great, I’ll be following along as well, I’m just about to order the 6026 and the LFS said $250 to set up stand and set tank. I’ll be doing that for sure lol!
 

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Found your thread. I was looking to see what kind of skimmer others used in their tanks. I’m planning to heavily stock it so I got the regal 200-s. It’s slightly bigger than I had hoped, so I’m in the same boat as you. It sticks because I really want to run a fuge.

nice thread though man!

image.jpg
Hey Dr. Suess210 do you have the waterbox 6062 peninsula? Because I got the same skimmer and I have the 6062 but I haven't started the build but I got that skimmer because the dimension supposedly fit my sump, but your saying that it doesn't? That it gets stuck? Thanks.
 

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Not much to report as of late. The ammonia levels are up around 0.8 as of my first test yesterday, nitrite was 0, nitrate was around 0-2. I added another round of Microbacter Start and remembered to take the socks out this time. Going to let it cycle for a full two months and then add the two clown fish.

You have the patience of a saint. But really, why are you cycling so long? Just waiting on quarantine?

Otherwise, what is the benefit of the extra month? (Clearly, I did not watch the BRS video :) )
 

Zombiebrains

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Hey guys don't mean to hijack the thread just a real quick question, I have this exact same waterbox peninsula 6026, but I couldn't get it in white they were out so I got the black cabinets, I really had my heart set on the white ones but since I couldn't get them should I paint mines black or is that silly? Lol thanks.
 
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