SuncrestReef's Red Sea Reefer XL 425 build

[SuncrestReef]

Terence from Neptune Systems will be interviewing me tomorrow afternoon at 3:30pm PDT in the next installment of Neptune’s #ControlFreakWednesday live stream videos, available on Facebook and YouTube. I’ll be going over my system and describing the various Apex modules and automation I have set up, and my Apex programming tutorial article series. Check it out and submit questions live if you can, or you can watch the recording later.

https://www.youtube.com/user/NeptuneSystemsVideo/videos

This should be fun!

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Terence from Neptune Systems will be interviewing me tomorrow afternoon at 3:30pm PDT in the next installment of Neptune’s #ControlFreakWednesday live stream videos, available on Facebook and YouTube. I’ll be going over my system and describing the various Apex modules and automation I have set up, and my Apex programming tutorial article series. Check it out and submit questions live if you can, or you can watch the recording later.

https://www.youtube.com/user/NeptuneSystemsVideo/videos

This should be fun!

I missed it... got a link for the replay?

 

[SuncrestReef]

I missed it... got a link for the replay?

 

[Crabby48]

Great video and well deserved. I love the detail you put in your build

 

[Stichaeidae]

Great build thread, fellow Oregonian. I am going to adapt your initial post guide to help make my thread make sense. Best!

 

[SuncrestReef]

Great build thread, fellow Oregonian. I am going to adapt your initial post guide to help make my thread make sense. Best!

Thanks, and welcome aboard! Are you a member of our local club, PNWMAS? If not, you should join. We have a great local reefer community.

 

[b4tn]

@SuncrestReef Watching your video I noticed your Gyre configuration. Flow is always a struggle for me and I have a similar sized tank with two gyre's but one on each end alternating hourly. Can you share how you have your Gyres set? Intensity, flow mode, ect?

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Thanks for the link. I'll settle down later and check it out. Rainy day today and no work, so the tank is getting some TLC. Catch ya later.

 

[DS204]

Great tour of your tank, Thank-you for sharing the video. Watched all 57 mins of it!

Question re: the heating element. I'm using a titanium heater bar in outlet 4 of the 2016 Apex. The heating element doesn't have a controller, so I am relying on the temperature probe to switch the outlet on/off. Is the risk in this configuration that if the outlet becomes stuck on/off, then I risk boiling the tank or allowing it to cool down too much?

Are there any other risks or concerns with this configuration? Hope you don't mind the question, cheers.

 

[SuncrestReef]

Great tour of your tank, Thank-you for sharing the video. Watched all 57 mins of it!

Question re: the heating element. I'm using a titanium heater bar in outlet 4 of the 2016 Apex. The heating element doesn't have a controller, so I am relying on the temperature probe to switch the outlet on/off. Is the risk in this configuration that if the outlet becomes stuck on/off, then I risk boiling the tank or allowing it to cool down too much?

Are there any other risks or concerns with this configuration? Hope you don't mind the question, cheers.

Thanks for watching! Yes, if your heater doesn't have its own thermostat, then the Apex is solely responsible for controlling the temperature. If the Apex malfunctions, or the EnergyBar malfunctions, or the temperature probe malfunctions, then it could kill your tank. As Terence pointed out the way I have mine set up is not a good idea, so I'm planning to either replace my heaters or add a separate thermostat device to them.

 

[DS204]

As Terence pointed out the way I have mine set up is not a good idea, so I'm planning to either replace my heaters or add a separate thermostat device to them.

What's interesting to me about this scenario is that the Apex setup tutorial walks you through plugging a heater into an outlet and configuring it to come on at the range specified by the user. Seems contradictory to me so that's why I asked.

Is Neptune suggesting that you use a heater with it's own controller, and have that control the tank. But, still plug that heater into the Apex and only use the Apex to switch the outlet OFF in case of emergency? Or, am I missing the point entirely here? LOL

 

[SuncrestReef]

I surprised my wife with an upgrade for her 5 gallon freshwater tank at her office. I just picked up this JBJ 10 gallon rimless peninsula all-in-one tank.



Not much of a “build” since it only took 3 minutes to assemble everything! Nice quality though.

 

[SuncrestReef]

The power to my house is out, but my generator kicked on and automatically switched over! This is the first actual power failure I've had since buying the generator last year. I've conducted periodic tests, but it's just such a great feeling to experience it for real!

Now I'm waiting to see how long before the power comes back on. The generator is fueled by natural gas, so I don't need to worry about refilling anything.

 

[Jason boles]

I’m so excited for your power outage!!!

bahahaha

 

[SuncrestReef]

These are not the best photos I've ever taken, but after reviewing all of my shots, this definitely shows the most dramatic growth of any coral in my tank. This stag has just gone wild, growing from about 1" to over 9" in one year.

 

[SuncrestReef]

My wife went shopping at some little boutique store in NW Portland and came home with this nice hand towel embroidered with an acropora colony. That was very nice of her.

 

[Crabby48]

Wow that stag’s growth is amazing in one year. Beautiful piece for sure

 

[SuncrestReef]

Good thing I have an anemone guard on my powerhead...it decided to move:

 

[Mountain Reefer]

I get a lot of questions about my mixing station, so I'll provide some detail here and a parts list:

A. (qty 2) Norwesco 75 gallon storage tanks with 1.25" threaded bulkheads
B. (qty 1) Mixing pump with 1" male threaded input and output
C. (qty 2) 1.25" threaded male to 1" slip adapters
D. (qty 2) 1" threaded female to 1" slip adapters
E. (qty 5) 1" slip unions
F. (qty 3) 3-way Y fittings
G. (qty 3) 1" T fittings
H. (qty 7) 1" ball valves
I. (qty 4) 1" 90 degree elbow fittings
J. (qty 3) 1" slip bulkheads
K. (qty 2) 1" male slip to 3/4" female threaded adapter
L. (qty 1) 3/4" male threaded to 3/4" camlock female coupler
M. (qty 1) 3/4" camlock male to 3/4" barbed hose adapter
N. (qty 1) 3/4" braided hose
O. (qty 2) Hose clamps
P. (qty 1) 3/4” male threaded to 3/4” barbed hose adapter

Optional parts for Apex automation:
Q. (qty 3) Neptune optical water sensors
R. (qty 2) Magnet mount for optical sensors
S. (qty 1) FMM
T. (qty 1) PM2
U. (qty 1) EB4
V. (qty 1) Heater
W. (qty 1) Temperature probe
X. (qty 1) Salinity probe
Y. (qty 1) DOS
Z. (qty 1) Long AquaBus cable to Apex (if in a different room)

Here are the parts annotated in photos:

Currently building a mixing station and your details are very helpful. Thanks!
I see you will be doing AWC, but how will you remove waste water from DT for large water change ? ( I see how you will bring large amount fresh salt water to DT, buty not how you will remove)

 

[SuncrestReef]

Currently building a mixing station and your details are very helpful. Thanks!
I see you will be doing AWC, but how will you remove waste water from DT for large water change ? ( I see how you will bring large amount fresh salt water to DT, buty not how you will remove)

I very rarely do large water changes. But if I do, I just use the long hose shown in my mixing station photos to siphon water out into the utility sink drain.