RL-30 Triton Reef Build

[OceanMinded]

The plan is to run mostly everything oversized on the RL30 in order to upgrade to a larger tank in the future without having to upgrade the majority of the equipment and filtration.

The goal is a high flow Triton system focusing on SPS and higher-end Zoanthids and Palythoa. More importantly though, a smooth running, streamlined system.

Comments, suggestions, input, is all welcomed.

 

[OceanMinded]

Brought it home and emptied out all the old salt, dust, and sand that had been sitting for at least 5+ years.

The rear chambers were made of thick 6mm glass and the baffles were siliconed in there good. It took me hours to carefully get the glass out without injuring myself or ruining the tank. The only way to remove it was to carefully break it in pieces with a small hammer. The result was worth the risk.

 

[OceanMinded]

Baffles are out. All that glass must have been at least 25lbs. Surprisingly there aren’t any chips or scratches that I can see on any of the panels. Just a few on the bottom glass. No big deal though

Here it is sitting after all the glue/silicone was removed. I used bleach and Goo Gone to remove any dirt and silicone. After that toxic combination I sprayed it down and filled it up a few inches with warm water and dish soap. After that I rinsed it with vinegar and It really cleaned up nicely. I’m extremely satisfied with how it turned out.

 

[OceanMinded]

Here is a size comparison of an Eclipse-S I was going to use on a different tank, next to the 16” Shadow overflow. The Shadow is going to be a surface skimming beast on a tank this size

 

[OceanMinded]

I’ll be building a new stand that can fit a much larger sump/fuge and still give me plenty of room for reactors or other equipment I may want in the future, and overall space for the plumbing itself. This was originally a nightstand/drawer that I cleaned up. Built the door for it and gave it some fresh paint all around. I actually like it. But it’s too short and there isn’t enough space inside. The new stand will be about 6” taller and probably 3’x2.5’. Oversized for the 30g but it’s intentional.

Painted the back of the tank black and I cut out the exact dimensions of the Synergy Shadow and mocked it up on the rear glass to get an idea of what sort of space I’ll have. I’m cutting it very close with 3/4” returns. I could easily just do one 3/4” return and not have to drill twice or I could make it easy for myself and go with 1/2” returns. But I like the idea of 3/4” flow considering I can always tune it down with the return pump.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Looks like a great start! I had that tank (unused, came damaged) and I can say I cannot imagine the nightmare of removing the back compartments. The way the outer overflow baffles connect to the side of the tank, it is a huge job. Congratulations on your success with that.

 

[Kyle Rinker]

Nice job @OceanMinded. I can't image how long that took to remove the baffles and back compartments. It turned out great! Concerning the lighting, I think I would stay away from the AI Prime if you for sure plan to keep some SPS in there. The Prime is an awesome light, but I'm not sure it could handle SPS in that width/depth of a tank. I think the Hydra26 would be a better option for sure--although AI is not my brand of choice ;)

 

[Retro Reefer]

Wow what a transformation.. Nice job!

 

[OceanMinded]

Looks like a great start! I had that tank (unused, came damaged) and I can say I cannot imagine the nightmare of removing the back compartments. The way the outer overflow baffles connect to the side of the tank, it is a huge job. Congratulations on your success with that.

Thank you! Halfway through I thought that maybe it was a bad idea. I literally had to get an old towel and a small hammer and just start chipping away to get access to the horizontal baffles. Here’s to hoping I don’t mess up drilling the overflow. That would be such a bummer!

Nice job @OceanMinded. I can't image how long that took to remove the baffles and back compartments. It turned out great! Concerning the lighting, I think I would stay away from the AI Prime if you for sure plan to keep some SPS in there. The Prime is an awesome light, but I'm not sure it could handle SPS in that width/depth of a tank. I think the Hydra26 would be a better option for sure--although AI is not my brand of choice ;)

Thank you! Yeah it was nerve racking and a pain to get all those baffles out. Even the false wall was glass which tells me this is an older model. I’m pretty sure I was told this was one of the prototypes and I think the RL45s have a plastic wall. Could be wrong though. As far as lighting, I think I’m going to go with a Radion x15 or the Hydra26. Why is AI not your brand of choice?

Wow what a transformation.. Nice job!

Thank you very much! I’m excited to see how it comes out!

 

[Kyle Rinker]

Thank you! Yeah it was nerve racking and a pain to get all those baffles out. Even the false wall was glass which tells me this is an older model. I’m pretty sure I was told this was one of the prototypes and I think the RL45s have a plastic wall. Could be wrong though. As far as lighting, I think I’m going to go with a Radion x15 or the Hydra26. Why is AI not your brand of choice?

@OceanMinded I do think AI makes some amazing lights. There are several people in my local reef club who use them very successfully. However, (I'm going to get hate mail over this!), there are too many bells and whistles for me. It surprises me to say that because I am a bit of a gear head, but having access to so much control can be a bad thing. I have used Kessil lights with a lot of success, I believe mainly because it's difficult to mess it up. The spectrum that is proven to grow corals will always be present in the Kessil spectrum, no matter how blue or white you want the light to appear. With most other brands (AI included), you can certainly move away from spectrums that are most beneficial to your corals. Many people will say that Kessil lights are too underpowered, but then again they didn't use the number of fixtures Kessil recommends. To me, AI lights give you more power (PAR) for your money, but many people have them turned down to 60% because it is too much. So to me, if I'm not going to use all that power, I would rather put the proper number of Kessil fixtures and tune the color to what I like because I know the spectrum will be correct ;) .

But like I said, I do think AI makes fantastic lights. It's just not my light of choice because of what I said above.

 

[OceanMinded]

Gotchya. That makes sense. I was originally going to use the Prime on my 24g just because it’s small and clean and seems to pack a punch for nano tanks. But now that the tank has changed and it’s 24x20x16 I’m contemplating the Hydra26 because of the dual pucks and the coverage or the Radion x15 g4pro because I’ve been hearing the coverage on those can’t be beat. I’m also going to be using Ecotech return and powerhead so I figure all three connected might be a plus

 

[OceanMinded]

My build thread has slowed down faster than I thought. More updates on the way

 

[OceanMinded]

Time to drill and start thinking SUMPS

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

Woah. Impressive undertaking! I'm excited to see where this goes.

 

[OceanMinded]

Work has picked up big time and I’m working anywhere between 12-16 hour days so I haven’t been able to give much love to the build. I tried building a stand this weekend but half the cuts were wrong so I need to get that handled as well as getting 90 degree corner braces so I can drill the stand correctly. I purchased 15lbs of Reel Reef Rock at Vivid Aquariums. Thankfully they are local to me!

I played around a little with the pieces that I bought. I like what I came up with but I’m willing to bet the aquascape will change before water hits the tank. (Update: 3 months later and it has changed multiple times.)

I’m contemplating going with a bare bottom but I already have 2 new bags of Fiji Pink totaling 40lbs

Sorry for the lighting, I only have one floor lamp in my room and I also don’t know how to take a decent picture.

 

[OceanMinded]

So I’m about 80% done with the stand. First time building one. I followed The King of DIY’s guild from his 400g stand build video. I used 2x3 stud and honestly don’t like the quality of it but I know it will work just fine. I made it big enough to support a Synergy Reef TS34 with room for equipment. Since taking this picture, I have added all the legs and supports but had to call it quits because my drill battery died.

Also played around with the aquascape again. I think I like this much better than the last

 

[NY_Caveman]

Really liking that aqrascape!

 

[OceanMinded]

Really liking that aqrascape!

Thanks! It’s really difficult to take pictures without any water or light. The back reflects everything so it’s hard to tell the depth and size of the rock. I’ve changed it already, but I’m still liking the large and small island thing. Once I get some lighting the pictures should be better.

I got a little farther with the stand today. I attached the top part of the frame and still have a few supports left to drill on. I plan on skinning the whole thing with a really nice pine or birch. The frame and inside walls will be black and I’m hoping to stain the outside a nice light grey. Currently trying to figure out a door/opening. I want to do something different and custom.

Here is an updated picture of the stand. This build thread is slow and boring but I promise it will pick up soon!

40x24x35

 

[OceanMinded]

Will have a big update at the end of the week. I have been slacking on this and I’m hoping to be able to get some better pictures with better lighting going. Here’s where I’m at right now. Gotta speed things up!

 

[NY_Caveman]

Gotta speed things up!

Nah, slow and steady rules in reefing!