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Message: <blockquote data-quote="arking_mark" data-source="post: 7972990" data-attributes="member: 65637">Hello fellow reefers. While I've been reefing for almost 30 years, this will be my 1st build thread as I build out my dream tank.The goals for this tank are as follows:1. Mixed reef2. Ultra low maintenance (ULM)Constraints:A. Tank will be in a small 6x6 office nookB. Closest and only accessible water will be the master bathroom***Running decisions/build list***1. Red Sea 525xl - best tank for space2. Trigger Platinum 34 sump - built in roller mat for no sock maintenance3. 3" sand bed of Caribsea Pink Fiji sand due to great grain size mix4. Mostly NSA reefscape with some saved choice pieces from old tanks and accumulated Marco rock5. Vortech L1 for 10x turnover - DC motor with easy wifi control and lower power consumption; easy Vortech battery backup (Turns out 525xl stock plumbing only handles about 4x turn over; my hard plumbing of return with elbows and 3/4" tubing reduced that to about 2.8x)6. 2x ReefWave 45 Gyre wave makers - fewest pumps that can be hidden high up on back wall. Fewer pumps equals least maintenance7. 3x Kessil a360x with arms, wifi dongle, klink connectors, and narrow reflectors  - dead simple control, hidden wires, with enough par/pur for a mixed reef8. AquaticLife Twist in compact RO/DI - easily fits under sink and easy twist replace filters.I'll start with tank selection and why I chose the Red Sea 525XL.Lets start with space. Wall to wall there is 82" with a maximum depth of 29.5". However, depth is the greater contraint because it would only leave about 57" for desk and chair space. To keep things comfortable with enough clearance, my maximum depth is more like 24". Given this space, a custom tank wasn't needed as Red Sea, Waterbox, and Planet Aquarium all had sizes that could fit. I initially settled on Planet Aquarium due to their cabinet quality and ability to substitute a Trigger Platinum Sump that uses a roller filter and no socks (ULM).The day I was ready to purchase, I had to finalize tank size. I was initially going to go with 4' tank and leave myself with plenty of room on either side of the tank. As I really wanted to have tangs, I knew I had to go larger. So I then thought, why not use all the space and go 6'. Then I remembered the bigger the tank, the more work and expense it is. So I decided to split the difference and go 5'.But in the end, the Planet Aquarium tanks would take up slightly more space than 24" of depth I wanted to give, while the 525xl with the Trigger Platinum would cost about the same and only take up 22", and so a last minute switch was done.</blockquote>

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