Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[Damien Buckley]

Welcome to Randy's Tank and Learn Thread!

First, why that particular title?

I started my last reef tank in August of 1995, and ultimately took it down in March of 2016, after more than 20 years of enjoyment. I’ve learned a lot since then, but not nearly enough. The title reflects the idea that this tank thread will be different than most, and will be focused around learning, both for readers and for me. As I proceed to set up and maintain a new reef tank, I will encounter all sorts of challenges that I will address extensively in this thread. Some recent days the list of challenges seemed endless. Some I’ve already encountered and gotten great help for, and will recount these in this thread. Future challenges will include things I’ve done before, and some I have not. For many of these topics, I will request input from readers on how to best do certain things, and what are the pros and cons of the various paths forward. Some will obviously be chemical challenges (e.g., what to dose and how and why, DIY materials of various sorts, etc.), but others will not be (e.g., what corals look best in white light). My intent overall is to first tell folks what I'm thinking of doing, gathering suggestions of how others think I might go about it, then doing it, tracking if it seemed to work, etc. My hope is that a wide range of folks will follow this thread, both to learn things they do not know, and to help with things they do. In many cases, each post I make will have a heading that summarizes it in a “topic of the day” type of discussion.

I won’t belabor the reasons for taking down my previous tank, but electricity cost was a big factor. Fast forward to today, and there have been huge changes in the reefing world, not least of which is more electrically efficient equipment. Rev (revhtree, owner of Reef2Reef) asked me a couple of times if I had an interest in restarting a tank, and I decided last fall that the time was right to start again. In discussions with Rev, he suggested that perhaps some Reef2Reef sponsors might be willing to help out, and that has turned out to be true. I want to express a very big thank you to three companies:

TBS (Tampa Bay Saltwater), providing their “package” of rock, sand, and some clean up crew

Tunze, providing powerheads (Stream 6105 eco), a skimmer (9410), an Osmolator 3, and an RO controller (8555)

BRS (Bulk Reef Supply), providing discounts on a wide range of items (still being set up)

As my tank story unfolds, there will be more about why I chose these specific items, how I’m using them, etc. An important thing to note is that these are the specific items I felt would best serve this tank. Folks may have noticed a bunch of threads I started recently asking for folks experiences with various things (e.g., lights, bulkheads, etc.). This tank is why. I made a wish list of items I wanted and Rev worked to find a way to help make it happen. Thanks, Rev! It was not the other way around, of a company trying to convince me to try something. I picked these things so it’s on me to have chosen correctly.

So let’s roll on, have fun, and learn together!

This is great to see and I’ll be following with interest. I’m pleased to hear it’s not just me that prefers the warm sunlight look so I’m keen to watch how you achieve this. In previous tanks years ago, metal halide would provide this look beautifully. In my current tank I have augmented an Orphek Atlantik with a few of their ‘Reef Day’ light bars.

 

[Eddielg]

Great timing! Setting up my own 2'x2'x4' 120 gallon tank. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

Return Pump

I’m planning to get a Sicce SDC 7 or 9 to pump water from the basement fish room up about 10 vertical feet and through several fittings and turns to get to the display.

I do not intend it to provide much flow via the return, so the turnover can be reasonably low. The 7 may be plenty. Thoughts on that choice are welcome. The fact that it can communicate over the internet is a plus. Can it tell me anything except temperature?

Before I get one of these, I’m likely to get a Jebao from Amazon to use right away, and then it can become an emergency backup. I was thinking of the DCP-6500. Thoughts on that choice?

Thanks in advance!

I am running a Sicce sdc 6 as return on 90 gallon display and sump is under the stand. It is running at 80%. Personally I would say go with the sdc 9 you can always turn it down. I have had mine running over 4 years, I pulled it twice to clean it but was not really needed. It will send over under temp messages along with recommended maintenance messages. Love Sicce's warranty. My emergency backup use to be a mag drive as I had 3 jebao dcp fail. I don't currently have a backup pump.

 

[cantchooseaname]

Looking forward to following this thread!

 

[TeraHz]

The one to follow! Super excited to see what you do with it!. Also, kudos for being brave enough to share it - you know we'll all be following it very closely :P

On redundancy: the main thing I'd leave here is to test it all. Chaos Monkey style: randomly unplug stuff, clog stuff, get sensors stuck, take the temp probe out of the tank, trip the circuit breaker, leave the RO container empty, shut off the wifi... and imagine you are 2hr away but there is an accident on the highway and you're stuck for longer. That sort of testing.

 

[fandaga]

Awesome, looking forward to seeing how it evolves!

By the way, I love the stand. And the previous tank pics are stunning.

 

[pmanz]

Following!

 

[royaleFork]

What challenge are you most looking forward to solving?

 

[jsker]

Randy, great to see you back in the game.

 

[Dietmar]

following. Lots of good info for when I build my 120

 

[bosi1965]

Return Pump

I’m planning to get a Sicce SDC 7 or 9 to pump water from the basement fish room up about 10 vertical feet and through several fittings and turns to get to the display.

I do not intend it to provide much flow via the return, so the turnover can be reasonably low. The 7 may be plenty. Thoughts on that choice are welcome. The fact that it can communicate over the internet is a plus. Can it tell me anything except temperature?

Before I get one of these, I’m likely to get a Jebao from Amazon to use right away, and then it can become an emergency backup. I was thinking of the DCP-6500. Thoughts on that choice?

Thanks in advance!

Not sure how much u save buying a jebao from amazon.
In the uk its generally cheap to get them bia aliexpress

 

[atoll]

Good luck with the new tank. 6 pages in no time already.
Good luck with the Magnifica nem. I know many people have had problems keeping them but I never have.
My current Magnifica split about 6 months ago with both parent and baby doing well. I say baby but it's almost the size of the parent nem.
IMO HQI lighting is the best but my current tank is lit with Orphek LEDs.

 

[Johnd651]

@Randy Holmes-Farley i have only read to page 2 and need to read more, but an working on a similar tank build. 54x22x26 with sicce 7.0, I am only going up from the stand so not as much had pressure.

I will be following along since we may be asking the same questions. I have just finished getting the stand inside painted and sump in. Tank cleaning is next. Acrylic tank.

Build Thread - Possibly... the World's Slowest Tank Build

HelloReef 15 Nano Build 5/2/24 - I have added the link above that goes to the second build for the HelloReef15 build. Original Post: (Table of Contents at end of 1st post) So, back in 2012 I had multiple reef tanks, and coral tanks, and all sorts of FW tanks. Being in grad school, and moving...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Dburr1014]

Return Pump

I’m planning to get a Sicce SDC 7 or 9 to pump water from the basement fish room up about 10 vertical feet and through several fittings and turns to get to the display.

I do not intend it to provide much flow via the return, so the turnover can be reasonably low. The 7 may be plenty. Thoughts on that choice are welcome. The fact that it can communicate over the internet is a plus. Can it tell me anything except temperature?

I own a sicce SDC 9.0.
I also have a basement sump.
My sump was directly under the display at one point with 14' vertical head. I was running at 66% and getting 350ish gph. I did have a couple elbows at the end of the run to go over the back of the display.

What's nice is the controllability. You may find the 7 to be under-powered. It's better to know you can turn it up than to want more and not have it.

I think the SDC 9 will suit your need better.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Today's Tank Work Agenda

The two slip to hose barb connectors came yesterday so I will glue them to the bottom side of 2 of the bulkheads in the tank overflows, and that "should" complete work plumbing the tank in place. Just have to suck out the tap water I was using in the overflows for testing, finalize the height of the overflow drain tubes, clean the inside of the tank, and its ready for water!

Just in time, the the RO Buddie is producing nicely, with 2 Brute cans nearly filled in 24 h, so I've begun making salt water in them.

The jebao DEP 8500 arrives today. Probably be too late to install it today, but water should flow up to the tank tomorrow, which may find new leaks on plumbing that hasn't been tested yet. Especially complicated is the path from under the tank to the basement sump. That is complicated because when I cut the holes through the floor 20 years ago, they ended up still being over the foundation stone. Thus, there's a tricky path out from that location and its a hokey mix of 2" PVC going down through the hole, then after a 90 degree bend, transitions to 3" corrugated flexible irrigation pipe from Home Depot to get to the first can of the sump. Fingers crossed no leaks.

Two of the bulkheads on the brute cans started to leak when filling with water yesterday, so I tightened them all up with a large plumbers pipe wrench. Hope no more show up as the other cans fill.

I ordered a jebao DCP2500 to move water between the various storage Brute cans. Will get it tomorrow from Amazon. I'd never need such flow in ordinary operation, with slow AWC and ATO pumps being all that's needed to go from RO/DI and new salt water to the tank, but right now I need maybe 300 gallons added into the tank system, and so needed a faster pump to do that. The DCP2500 was only $42, including shipping, and can move water all around my fish room fast. Max head 8 ft and 660 gph. Might also use it for mixing new salt water faster than a simple powerhead.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I think the SDC 9 will suit your need better.

Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I will be following along since we may be asking the same questions. I have just finished getting the stand inside painted and sump in. Tank cleaning is next. Acrylic tank.

You are obviously a neater worker than I am. Nothing looks that neat in my system after it's been out of the box for more than 5 minutes. lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Good luck with the new tank. 6 pages in no time already.
Good luck with the Magnifica nem. I know many people have had problems keeping them but I never have.
My current Magnifica split about 6 months ago with both parent and baby doing well. I say baby but it's almost the size of the parent nem.
IMO HQI lighting is the best but my current tank is lit with Orphek LEDs.

Thanks.

I'm planning to aquascape with the future magnifica in mind. The right side will be a more typical rock pile/wall, but the left side will be a rock island in the middle to discourage it from wandering.

Flow and light intensity should be fully adjustable up to about anything it wants, but I really hope it can become a centerpiece. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Not sure how much u save buying a jebao from amazon.
In the uk its generally cheap to get them bia aliexpress

Yes, might be here too, but amazon is next day delivery, and time is of the essence. :)

 

[twentyleagues]

Today's Tank Work Agenda

The two slip to hose barb connectors came yesterday so I will glue them to the bottom side of 2 of the bulkheads in the tank overflows, and that "should" complete work plumbing the tank in place. Just have to suck out the tap water I was using in the overflows for testing, finalize the height of the overflow drain tubes, clean the inside of the tank, and its ready for water!

Just in time, the the RO Buddie is producing nicely, with 2 Brute cans nearly filled in 24 h, so I've begun making salt water in them.

The jebao DEP 8500 arrives today. Probably be too late to install it today, but water should flow up to the tank tomorrow, which may find new leaks on plumbing that hasn't been tested yet. Especially complicated is the path from under the tank to the basement sump. That is complicated because when I cut the holes through the floor 20 years ago, they ended up still being over the foundation stone. Thus, there's a tricky path out from that location and its a hokey mix of 2" PVC going down through the hole, then after a 90 degree bend, transitions to 3" corrugated flexible irrigation pipe from Home Depot to get to the first can of the sump. Fingers crossed no leaks.

Two of the bulkheads on the brute cans started to leak when filling with water yesterday, so I tightened them all up with a large plumbers pipe wrench. Hope no more show up as the other cans fill.

I ordered a jebao DCP2500 to move water between the various storage Brute cans. Will get it tomorrow from Amazon. I'd never need such flow in ordinary operation, with slow AWC and ATO pumps being all that's needed to go from RO/DI and new salt water to the tank, but right now I need maybe 300 gallons added into the tank system, and so needed a faster pump to do that. The DCP2500 was only $42, including shipping, and can move water all around my fish room fast. Max head 8 ft and 660 gph. Might also use it for mixing new salt water faster than a simple powerhead.

I use a dcp3500 for the same purposes and to pump fresh saltwater to my tank from the basement for wc. Works great.