REEFER 500 - STICKS & STICKS

[Saltees]

Update on my return pipe modification. Barbed end to receive water from UV sterilizer. Inline probe holder for either ORP or Salinity.

 

[Saltees]

Barely made it by hen’s teeth!

 

[Saltees]

Test fitting my DIY ATS...

Removed the stock top up reservoir to prepare for drilling of the drain and overflow.

 

[Beckio]

Looking good! Wish i had hard plumbed when I first got my 350 lol

 

[Saltees]

Looking good! Wish i had hard plumbed when I first got my 350 lol

Thanks! Given the space constraints, gotta intermix with hoses for sure. I’m running 1” hose from the return pump to UV en route to Display. 3/4” hose from sump to chiller and back to sump.

 

[Saltees]

Very daunting task of putting holes in the stock reservoir to convert it to ATS. But all is swell! 4 drains into the stock filter cups in the sump and 1 overflow for redundancy!

 

[Saltees]

Came out just as envisioned!

 

[Trevor Yayoshi]

I'm so excited to see this ATS, I've always thought of building one myself too! I love what I would consider great over-engineering and tinkering. Any plans on ATS lighting yet? Heat or water-resistant concerns? I wonder if those Tunze LED lights put out enough power. They are submersible and come in a refugium/algae spectrum.

 

[Saltees]

I'm so excited to see this ATS, I've always thought of building one myself too! I love what I would consider great over-engineering and tinkering. Any plans on ATS lighting yet? Heat or water-resistant concerns? I wonder if those Tunze LED lights put out enough power. They are submersible and come in a refugium/algae spectrum.

You’re so right! I’ll be placing the TUNZE ECO CHIC REFUGIUM LED on both sides of the spreader bar. I will also be wrapping the reservoir with reflective or white film to maximize light exposure within the ATS and to prevent any spread of light into the sump. Top of the ATS will be left open for ventilation.

 

[Trevor Yayoshi]

Oh awesome, I'm glad I'll get to see these lights in action!

 

[Saltees]

Oh awesome, I'm glad I'll get to see these lights in action!

You should try building one too. I initially wanted the Santa Monica Rain 4 ATS, but given that I will still need to modify the drain pipe, I might as well go the DIY route. Plus I really can‘t find any use for the grossly undersized stock ATO. With the DIY ATS, I might even throw a couple of snails in there to keep the hair algae in check, bet you can’t do that with off the shelf ATS!

 

[Saltees]

Applied reflective window film on my ATS to maximize the light (retaining 95% of UV) within, yet allowed visibility from outside. Hopefully this 15% visible light transmission onto the sump area is insufficient for algae growth in my skimmer.

 

[Saltees]

My apex board made from IKEA EKET cabinet, gonna paint it next, to match and to cover up some gaps and cracks. If I could do it again , I wouldn’t use IKEA EKET, it’s not even MDF it’s hollow core, you get cracks even from fitting grommets.

 

[Saltees]

WAV is humongous! Next to the 3/4” RFG for comparison. Hope the inhabitants will not overwhelmed by the flow!

 

[Saltees]

Finally managed to cut a slit and inserted the mesh...

 

[Saltees]

Another milestone. Finally mustered time to plumb my RO water storage (210L) and Saltwater mixing station (210L) from my used 30L containers.

 

[Saltees]

Couple of bulkheads cracked due to deflection of 30L containers under load. Gotta order more from BRS. More delays.

If not, it’s as planned, the top 7 RO/DI containers (210L) for ATO and the lower Saltwater containers for AWC.

 

[Saltees]

Water tightness testing of my ATO/AWC with my water from flushing my RO prior connecting to the DI.

The following is the original RSR500 Ball Float Valve repurposed for my RO/DI top up and it worked well!

 

[Saltees]

Got the XR15 G5 up with the AFS hanging on the edge.

 

[Saltees]

My overwhelming insump bio medias...

(1) 3kg “MAXSPECT like” bio balls in emergency drain chamber.
(2) 4kg SEACHEM Matrix (pending purchase) in 4 Filter Cups.
(3) 2L SIPORAX after filter cups.

(4) 60 pieces of NANO BIO BACTERIA ROD sitting under the NYOS 160 Skimmer.

(5) 2xBRIGHTWELL XPORT BRICK in the frag area.