Red Sea Reefer XL 425 - The Upgrade

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Leiph86

Leiph86

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Weekend update - cycling has started on the tank with a fishless cycle. Ammonia was up but is now lowering, Nitrites are up, and Nitrates are starting to rise. Hopefully this will be done in a week or so! I used Instant Ocean Biospira which I have used in the past with success as well as a couple pieces of real reef live rock I picked up over the weekend.

Also, due to a shipping delay I'm still waiting for the replacement O-rings on the main return. The slow drip coming from that is minimal and is dropping directly into the sump. Once the new part comes in I will swap it out and hopefully should be all good!
 

Rudzbrewski

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@Johnsoto25 Yeah - so that's the key - equipment that isn't accessible isn't serviceable in my opinion. I built my plumbing with ways to remove equipment to ensure I can clean and remove/replace components as needed. The main drain has two unions (one before the gate valve and one after to replace the gate valve or maintain the roller mat if needed).

The UV is completely able to be separated as well and I recently tested that with the leak post above.

The main return and the manifold that goes to the media reactors are one piece but is all able to be removed.

The Media Reactors can be separated from the manifold for refilling/maintenance.

Overall every piece of equipment under 'the hood' is able to be removed and maintained. I even tested this during my dry fit will all my sump equipment hooked up to ensure I have ample space to maneuver things out as needed. The one aspect from a maintenance that might be a tad difficult is replacing the fleece roller. Right now it appears I'll need to remove the entire roller mat assembly, but I've seen some YouTube videos of folks stapling the new roll to the old one and it seems to just pick it right up...we'll see if that works in the real world.
Stapling worked for me like a charm and was super quick and easy.
 
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Great news is the cycle is done, 20% water change last night. However, I needed to order a couple extra parts for the Red Sea DIY Aquarium Cover (I needed 2 zig zag kits for my lights) and will have to wait until those come in to move my current livestock over from the previous tank.

I also picked up some PVC boards from Home Depot to start work on my custom controller board since the options sold by the .com's won't work on the right side of my cabinet due to the UV sterilizer's location in that section. Hopefully this week I'll be able to pick up the Ikea cabinets I've been waiting for to flank the tank and will begin that work soon as well.

Also with the aquarium cover just around the corner, I'm struggling with what type of tang to start with in my tank. I've always wanted one and there are so many options, but I also don't want to drop over 200 bucks on a single fish. A few varieties I've been eyeballing:

  1. Purple Tang - probably my favorite, but also see this guy running between 150 - 200 bucks
  2. Powder Brown Tang - I prefer this variety over the powder blue variant. Also much more affordable between 60-100 bucks
  3. Flame Fin Tang - Also seems like a good choice and I like the coloring on this one, also runs between 60 - 100 bucks

The question I have, is as long as the body shapes/species are different, can I mix tangs? I've heard, for example, it can be difficult to mix a purple with a yellow tang for example (or a powder brown and powder blue). Anyone have experience with this?
 

Rudzbrewski

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Great news is the cycle is done, 20% water change last night. However, I needed to order a couple extra parts for the Red Sea DIY Aquarium Cover (I needed 2 zig zag kits for my lights) and will have to wait until those come in to move my current livestock over from the previous tank.

I also picked up some PVC boards from Home Depot to start work on my custom controller board since the options sold by the .com's won't work on the right side of my cabinet due to the UV sterilizer's location in that section. Hopefully this week I'll be able to pick up the Ikea cabinets I've been waiting for to flank the tank and will begin that work soon as well.

Also with the aquarium cover just around the corner, I'm struggling with what type of tang to start with in my tank. I've always wanted one and there are so many options, but I also don't want to drop over 200 bucks on a single fish. A few varieties I've been eyeballing:

  1. Purple Tang - probably my favorite, but also see this guy running between 150 - 200 bucks
  2. Powder Brown Tang - I prefer this variety over the powder blue variant. Also much more affordable between 60-100 bucks
  3. Flame Fin Tang - Also seems like a good choice and I like the coloring on this one, also runs between 60 - 100 bucks

The question I have, is as long as the body shapes/species are different, can I mix tangs? I've heard, for example, it can be difficult to mix a purple with a yellow tang for example (or a powder brown and powder blue). Anyone have experience with this?
The Tomini tang (flame fin) are definitely cool looking and affordable. I went with a standard Kole tang and my LFS had a really nice colored/patterned one. Another more pricey option I really liked at the shop was the white tail tang. I like the idea of a bristletooth tang to help with some algae eating as well as they visually were appealing to me.
 
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Leiph86

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Parts finally came for the aquarium topper and I started assembly on that. I plan to do two panels split in the middle so I don't have to take 4 foot of screen off at one time when performing maintenance. I also will be installing "Neat" feeding portals on each side. Also, with my original tank still battling dinos it was time to throw in the towel and get the livestock moved over - so now all my fish plus one new blue hippo tang have been added to the tank and are doing fine.

Still waiting for my flanking cabinets for the controler, ATO resivor, and general storage...however, you might notice I bit the bullet on a Hydros Control 4 after much research and mixed experience with my ApexEL on my original tank. I also have a slick addon box that I got that I will share more details on soon once it's hooked up. Still battling the cord octopus as well...

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captain_jimmy

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Parts finally came for the aquarium topper and I started assembly on that. I plan to do two panels split in the middle so I don't have to take 4 foot of screen off at one time when performing maintenance. I also will be installing "Neat" feeding portals on each side.
Hi there.
Been following your thread, really informative thank you.

Did you order the red sea self assembly screen kit for the 425 XL? if so how do you plan to assemble it into two separate sections?
 
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Leiph86

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@captain_jimmy - Thanks for reaching out! I've been extremely with work so haven't had the spare time to post alot. I ordered the XL 425 assembly screen kit and then ordered individual extra parts to do the two halves. I tend to order more than I need so I don't have to wait for one part to come in (worst thing ever).

I'm actually going to assemble it this upcoming weekend and will get some photos and the parts listing if all goes according to plan. Otherwise, fish and a few corals are in the new tank and doing fine, I'll try and get some update photos for the tank too!
 

ClutchCityReefer

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Looks like a great build, thanks @Leiph86. I just ordered a 425 myself and am looking forward to the install after I rip out my carpet and sand/stain the concrete in the soon-to-be fishroom. I will definitely be following this thread!

I saw there were a few questions/discussions about the various screen options for the 425 so I figured I'd see if you or anyone else has had any experience with ClearView lids (https://www.clearviewlids.com/pages/clearview-lids-picture-gallery). They are a bit pricier than the Red Sea kits, but given the price of the system it's menial. I like the look/simplicity of these lids but would the more informed opinions, the better. Any thoughts?

Thanks!
 
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RyanHoan

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The Build - Plumbing Parts List:

My plumbing used the following parts - the only thing I was short on was about 6 inches of 1" red pipe - I used some standard schedule 40 white pipe on some joints that were not or only slightly visible to compensate for this.

Also a really important thing I learned that not a lot of people talk about - dry fit plumbing does not push in all the way to your fittings - when you use primer and cement your pipes go further into fittings. Either compensate with a little bit extra piping on your dry fit or mark your pipe with a tick mark on where it was with your dry fit. Also, glue one part at a time in sections so you can recut/adjust as necessary.

PartQty TotalComments
Red Sea Part #422213Used to connect to adapters for 1" piping
3/4" Thread to 1" Slip Adapter3Used for Bulkhead connections with plumbing tape to convert to 1" piping
1" Red Pipe (46" Length)3
1" 90* Elbow11
1" 45* Elbow6
1" T-Fitting3
1" Gate Valve, Slip x Slip1Used for main drain (connected to Aquamaxx Fleece Roller Mat)
1" Union, Slip x Slip4Used throughout for sections that may need to be removed for easier maintenance
1" Ball Valve, Slip x Slip2Used for Return Pump and UV Sterilizer
1" F Slip to 1.25" M Slip Reducer1Used to connect 1" Pipe to Aquamaxx Fleece Roller Mat
1/2" Red Pipe (46" Length)1Used for Aquamaxx Media Reactors
1/2" 90* Elbow6Used for Aquamaxx Media Reactors
1/2" F Slip to 1/2" M Thread Adapter4Used for Aquamaxx Media Reactors
1/2" Ball Valve, Slip x Slip2Used for Aquamaxx Media Reactors
1" F Slip to 1/2" F Thread Reducer2Used for Aquamaxx Media Reactors
1" F Slip to 2" M Slip Reducer2Used for Aqua Illumination UV Sterilizer (25w)
1" Pipe Clamps4Used for support at various extended sections
2" J Hooks (Lowes Hardware)2Used to mount UV Sterilizer (Lowes specifically as Home Depot's J-Hooks do not work)
1" Pipe Adapter Spigot x Barb1Used to connect silicone tubing from return pump to return line
1" White Soft Silicone Tubing12 foot section purchased to connect return pump to return line (to allow for errors)

Finally, some updated photos of the final plumbing:
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BEHOLD! THE RAT KING'S NEST OF CABLES!...aquascaping gluing and cable management are next...with hopefully a leak test in the coming days! I see the light at the end of the tunnel...to another light...it never really ends...:oops:


Hello! Where did you get all of your adapter pieces? For example, your 3/4" to 1" adapters? Thank you!
 
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Lareng

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First I want to thank you for a very informative and well documented build, looks awesome.

I'm planning to buy the Red Sea 425 XL v3, but I have a question related to the sump and refugium.
I plan to have copepods in the refugium and thought that this had to be in the compartment after the skimmer (to prevent pods ending up in the skimmer). The sump design from Red Sea have placed the refugium before the skimmer.

Would it be easy to swap the skimmer and refugium placement?
is there a "best practice" to have the refugium before the skimmer?
 
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DanATL

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Good morning all - I've made some progress on the plumbing, and have landed on a second iteration really trying to maximize the space, include shutoff valves for maintenance, find a way to plumb a UV that's too large to fit in the sump area with my other equipment...etc. A more detailed post will come once the final design is landed on but I'm looking for some input and discussion here for some struggles I'm having detailed below:

Iteration 1 -
  • Return pump was fully attached to hard plumbing
  • Manifold was short and would have reactors on the left side of the sump
  • No Unions on most piping
  • No ball valve for main return
  • No check valve for main return
  • UV ball valve located above the return pump
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Here is what I realized as putting more of the build together based upon my bullets above:
  • Return pump was fully attached to hard plumbing - This would be extremely difficult for maintenance of the pump
  • Manifold was short and would have reactors on the left side of the sump - Removing skimmer cup would likely be difficult due to media reactor location and vice versa
  • No Unions on most piping - Would not allow key items to be maintained if plumbing is glued (eg. Roller mat)
  • No ball valve for main return - Backup redundancy to prevent reverse syphoning into the sump if pump is being cleaned
  • No check valve for main return - Still trying to figure how to incorporate this if possible...
  • UV ball valve located above the return pump - Piping was slightly contacting side wall of sump chamber which was not allowing the return pipe to connect flush with the bulkhead

Iteration 2 - With the issues/realizations described above I reworked a lot of the plumbing with the following modifications below:
  • Added ball valve at start of return line and immediately above the return pump - will add barbed connection to use soft tubing to connect return pump to return line which should allow for easier maintenance
  • Manifold has been extended to allow for media reactors to be centered on sump just to the right of the protein skimmer and right of the return chamber which allows for removal of both skimmer cup and media reactors
  • I plan to add an additional union on the manifold line once I confirm final position (section of pipe directly off of "T" connection)
  • Added union to main drain below gate valve (again to stop water coming in for maintenance)
  • UV ball valve moved to dry side of cabinet above the UV to ensure proper pipe length in the sump area
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Remaining issues to solve and would love some thoughts or inputs from all of you:
  • Installation of check valve on main return - In order to accomplish this it appears I'll need to remove the two "T" branches (one for UV and one for manifold) and instead install a 4 way split which should allow for move space in the main return to install this unit. I'm going to pick up a cheap one from Home Depot/Lowes before buying a fancy red one. Is this even worth installing though?

  • Return Pump Capacity - with the UV, manifold, and return line, I'm not sure if my pump is going to underperform for the main display. Currently I have the Maxspect Jump DC 8K Controllable Return Pump (2113 GPH). Not sure if it is worth returning and upgrading to the 10k (2642 GPH) or 12k (3170 GPH) models. Suggestions on this since I won't have room for something like the Neptune FMK? I wanting to try this pump specifically due to provide review/details to the community since it's newer and the price is very attractive.

  • General impression on plumbing so far - issues that may be noticed with my dry fit or suggestions for improvement based upon your experience.

More work to be done this weekend with the cold weather so hopefully I can take some of your thoughts and input into consideration during that time!
Very nice solution. I'm literally sitting on the floor surrounded by plumbing parts trying to make my 425 v3 plumbing work the way I want. I'm fitting a 2 valve manifold to the left like you so your build helped with that. I have a short run of 1" silicone tube out of the pump but I'm trying to fit my return ball valve above the manifold T if possible. I'm going to replace the RS main drain with a gate valve as well. I'm trying to leave the emergency overflow stock but I may have to replace that too. I'm not using an UV. I'm trying to figure out how to fit the RS ATO tank in with my revised plumbing. Are you using that?
 
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Leiph86

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Very nice solution. I'm literally sitting on the floor surrounded by plumbing parts trying to make my 425 v3 plumbing work the way I want. I'm fitting a 2 valve manifold to the left like you so your build helped with that. I have a short run of 1" silicone tube out of the pump but I'm trying to fit my return ball valve above the manifold T if possible. I'm going to replace the RS main drain with a gate valve as well. I'm trying to leave the emergency overflow stock but I may have to replace that too. I'm not using an UV. I'm trying to figure out how to fit the RS ATO tank in with my revised plumbing. Are you using that?
Hi @DanATL - Glad you saw my post, work is letting up and I can finally help folks again and start posting hopefully. With what I was trying to accomplish I felt the return ball valve should be at the lowest point to prevent too much backflow into the sump from the two manifolds. If you're not running the UV then you can put it higher up I would say.

I am not using the Red Sea ATO container since I wanted a larger volume to equate to less and easier refills. I am using a 15 gallon ATO reservoir and the Tunze Osmilator to run my ATO and it's been great. As a note, the reservoir is not located in the tank cabinet. I have it in an adjacent cabinet with my power strips, controllers etc. I believe the Red Sea reservoir is designed to sit on top of one of the Chambers which makes refilling/removing near impossible with the build I did. Note that you can probably put it on the dry side of the cabinet...good luck!
 

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@Leiph86 Looking forward to seeing an update. Your thread was super helpful in setting up my RSR350. I ran into an issue plumbing the UV like you did as the opening between left and right cabinet must be smaller than on the RSR425. Made it work with 3/4" pvc. Anyway thank you for sharing your build.
 

DanATL

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Hi @DanATL - Glad you saw my post, work is letting up and I can finally help folks again and start posting hopefully. With what I was trying to accomplish I felt the return ball valve should be at the lowest point to prevent too much backflow into the sump from the two manifolds. If you're not running the UV then you can put it higher up I would say.

I am not using the Red Sea ATO container since I wanted a larger volume to equate to less and easier refills. I am using a 15 gallon ATO reservoir and the Tunze Osmilator to run my ATO and it's been great. As a note, the reservoir is not located in the tank cabinet. I have it in an adjacent cabinet with my power strips, controllers etc. I believe the Red Sea reservoir is designed to sit on top of one of the Chambers which makes refilling/removing near impossible with the build I did. Note that you can probably put it on the dry side of the cabinet...good luck!
Thx for the reply. I have it all plumbed in but not had a chance for a leak test yet. I do have the return ball valve at the highest point. I figure I'd rather stop the DT from siphoning down rather than the manifold volume. I initially decided to move the RS ATO to the right side of the cabinet, built a stand for gravity feed and then tossed it when I realized how much space it would take up! I'll go with an ATO reservoir out side the stand. Not sure if I'll go Tunze Oscillator or the Neptune ATK.
 

Bent17

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Wow what an amazing build! Getting the 425 and it's definitely something I want to do on mine! Is there a possibility of moving the UV to the left as I would like to put in the chiller on the right.. do you have any updated photos of your build?

Once again kudos!
 

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I know pretty old post, but just curious how tall is that sump ?
i’m doing my own, the sump will be 25” x 19” and creating a ATO on one side 6” x 17” which I will have a float to continue filling as water is used si regardless of size it will alway have RO/DI water. Just want to make sure sump is big enough… I
currently have similar on my 150 …

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Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

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  • Gate valves.

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  • Check valves.

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  • None.

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