Susan's RS Reefer 3xl 900 Fantasy-Dream Build

[Jonathan Adams]

Following! Just caught up on everything and finding this thread inspiring for my future build!

 

[Susan Edwards]

Following! Just caught up on everything and finding this thread inspiring for my future build!

thanks. What kind of build are you planning?

 

[Jonathan Adams]

So my idea is to go for a mixed reef super slowly. I’m new to saltwater though I’ve been lurking here for a long time lol. I’d like a 180 gal dual corner overflows tank. Softies at 1st since I’m new. Definitely want a sand bed for sand dwellers. I plan on doing the electrical and stand myself since I’m handy as well as the plumbing. The plan is to visit my lfs right outside of Philly and purchase the tank since they’re worried they won’t have any for a while after their st shipment. Sorry for the long post!

 

[Susan Edwards]

@Jonathan Adams No apology needed!! Conversations are always good and welcome. Sounds like a great plan. Slow is good! And research! I'm astounded by how much research I'm still doing to set up a bigger tank. Needs a whole new level of gear! Let me know when you get your build thread going. No need for the tank as this is a record of your journey! Mine is all about "Before Tank" lol's

 

[Susan Edwards]

Will have more on my water/mixing station. Hubby decided to design and build the safety devices.. I was going to figure out how to use the apex but he is doing it all independently. Too much saltwater? Boom. Switched off. Too much water? same. Water on the ground? Boom! Off! Wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't eventually design/build an ardurino set up lol's.

I still want to use apex for the 10 gal top off and saltwater containers to flag when they are low. Right now, I plan to use 2 10 gal brutes on wheels. I'm too chicken to have my awc and ato coming from the 2 65 gal containers. Lot of water if ANYTHING goes wrong. Means I'll be filling the 10g containers often but to me that is safer!!

Ordered his devices, the RODI water tubing for the ato and awc (blue and red) and a drinking water safe house and a couple short 3' pcs.

I will say, this has cost a lot more than I had envisioned!

 

[Susan Edwards]

Today's water station additions! When this is all done, I should put it all together in a post in the forum! Hubby added bracing, afraid if I tripped over the hose (not an unfounded worry lol's) it would break something, like the joint at the pump. So he machined brackets, and even did cutouts for the pipes to fit! Enjoy the pics!

Check out the custom notching!

Bracing. Not even a california earthquake is going to tear this set up apart! More custom holes and notches

Side view

top down view

full front view

 

[Susan Edwards]

Time is counting down: Tank should be at LFS in 4 weeks. Delivered to me Oct 6th

not much new going on. Design Engineer hubby is working on water mixing station still. He's going to hook the RO unit up to make water automatically and have features to shut off everything if there is any problem. My budget for this is now more than twice what I planned lol's.

I now need to get going on learning the apex, and setting up the fusion app and play with things . Also need to start figuring out what I need or what for a control panel and where it will go. Also, paint a board to block off the wet side. It can be cut to fit and raw cuts painted after cut.

So far, the new corals in the old tank are doing good except the lobo. Lost that one. Still working on placement for the torch. Moved it up higher. The alveopora is doing great, the 2 pavonas, also the duncan and galaxea and blastos. Fingers crossed they make it to the new tank.

 

[blaxsun]

Use the time to start reading up on Apex Fusion. It’s not a steep learning curve, but there are a few aspects that aren’t exactly straightforward and it does have a few “quirks”. I’m trying to remember the name of the equipment cabinet I went with, but it’s very slick and will fit nicely in the right side of your stand.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Use the time to start reading up on Apex Fusion. It’s not a steep learning curve, but there are a few aspects that aren’t exactly straightforward and it does have a few “quirks”. I’m trying to remember the name of the equipment cabinet I went with, but it’s very slick and will fit nicely in the right side of your stand.

if you remember, let me know. I did order the RS control board but there isn't room for wires behind. I'm going to add a "wall" on the wet side, so could mount the board I ordered on either side.

 

[Jonathan Adams]

Great stuff! Question as I’m planning my water station now. Are you planning your system to handle the drain water? I mean are you pumping water to a drain or will you manually carry it away? Also I saw they you on on using a smaller ato container instead of filling directly from your larger stations. Will the water be pumped from the larger stations to the smaller container or will you use a mechanical float, or both? Again thank you for sharing!

 

[Susan Edwards]

Great stuff! Question as I’m planning my water station now. Are you planning your system to handle the drain water? I mean are you pumping water to a drain or will you manually carry it away? Also I saw they you on on using a smaller ato container instead of filling directly from your larger stations. Will the water be pumped from the larger stations to the smaller container or will you use a mechanical float, or both? Again thank you for sharing!

First, we are draining the waste water down the vent plumbing for the heating system and water heater. So it goes out thru the garage wall to a pipe my husband added. It was dumping the venting water to the plants alongside the garage. Now we'll add a hose fixture there and I can water the lawn or other plants by moving the hose every few hours. Figure I won't waste the water in Calif!

I'm too chicken to hook up the ato to a 65 gal container! If anything fails, that would be a disaster! So the 10 gal (and maybe later a 20 gal) will have to be fed manually-in other words I have to add the water for the ATO and the Saltwater for the automatic water change. The old saltwater from the tank will go down the waste water from the washing machine.

Station is in garage. New tank in my office about 30-45 feet with curves. Going from garage into laundry room from a box the electrician put in (will have fire retardant stuffed inside after the tubes are put in. From laundry room, about 3' to the shared wall of L room and my office. So hubby going to drill hole, use pvc pipe for the tube to put tubing through. And then all 3 lines (2 for awc and 1 for ato) to and from tank. Hope that makes sense!

Do you have your tank yet? Or a build thread?

 

[blaxsun]

if you remember, let me know. I did order the RS control board but there isn't room for wires behind. I'm going to add a "wall" on the wet side, so could mount the board I ordered on either side.

Adaptive Reef. Very lightweight with a ton of organization options. They make both a cabinet and a shelf. They have faceplates for both the DOS and Trident.

Btw, Red sea sells an ATO tank and float (same as on my 750XXL) that I believe will also fit across the front/back edges of your sump. It’s roughly 7 gallons and we get 3-4 days of RO top-up before it needs to be filled again. We manually fill ours for the same reason, but this would at least give you the option to be away for a few days.

 

[Jonathan Adams]

First, we are draining the waste water down the vent plumbing for the heating system and water heater. So it goes out thru the garage wall to a pipe my husband added. It was dumping the venting water to the plants alongside the garage. Now we'll add a hose fixture there and I can water the lawn or other plants by moving the hose every few hours. Figure I won't waste the water in Calif!

I'm too chicken to hook up the ato to a 65 gal container! If anything fails, that would be a disaster! So the 10 gal (and maybe later a 20 gal) will have to be fed manually-in other words I have to add the water for the ATO and the Saltwater for the automatic water change. The old saltwater from the tank will go down the waste water from the washing machine.

Station is in garage. New tank in my office about 30-45 feet with curves. Going from garage into laundry room from a box the electrician put in (will have fire retardant stuffed inside after the tubes are put in. From laundry room, about 3' to the shared wall of L room and my office. So hubby going to drill hole, use pvc pipe for the tube to put tubing through. And then all 3 lines (2 for awc and 1 for ato) to and from tank. Hope that makes sense!

Do you have your tank yet? Or a build thread?

I’m chicken I’m buying stuff but haven’t started a thread. I should be purchasing my tank next week then I’ll start one up!

 

[Susan Edwards]

Update on corals in 125g. Eager to see them in their new home. Hoping I can keep that tank limping along. Took skimmer out and cleaned. Pump working so did not take that out. NOt doing bubbles. cleaned and put back in. Hoping it start skimming. pump is pushing water. Might have to take out again tomorrow.

orange pavona Maldivensis--Looking good. Fleshy and waving polyps. Possible some new growth

Green Pavona. possible new growth.

Frog spawn. Finally seems happier. Now for it to grow!

Alveopora Looking really good. Some smaller heads under peeking out

Blastos not so good maybe. Feeding tentacles do come out at night. Thinking it may need to go up higher

Duncan looking splendid!

Galaxea seems okay.

GSP is nice and thick on its own rock. Paly's have exploded, and rhodactis rock doing nice. Forest fire now 3, and I think the blue rimmed also split.

forest fire (orange) and blue rimmed and green rhodactis

Hard to see the zoas. On their new rock formation for the zoa garden. Eagle eye, pink wink, daisy smurfette, purple people eater, lunar zoa. 1 set of zoas under the purple people eater (looks hot orange)--at least I think that is what the orange one is lol's. 1 set under isn't doing so well. Think it is too shaded.

Cinnamon Giant Paly on a new rock for the new tank

Green hairy mushrooms on their new rock

 

[Susan Edwards]

Today's project, aside from coral pics is getting equipment control panel planned. Cardboard for all 3 sides. Right side will be slide out control panel from Red Sea. Left side will added to cabinet to block wet and dry sides. Back will be a separate piece--maybe-- spaced out from back for cords. Not sure if will make or buy. Space is not very wide, esp. with other 2 boards. A bit worried about the mp40s as they might not have long enough cords. I'm labeling and color coding all cords. My gyres have 3 cords, they get 3 oranges! If there are 2 of them, they will be 45-1 and 45-2! Lesson learned from current tank!

Note my nice blue living room from the 125g lol's. I'll be a while playing with this and wrapping cords

This side I'm thinking for the RS doser, and 2 RS 45 gyres and 1 mp40. I'd like them both here but not of the reach from other side of tank to here. Be easier to adjust if I can just pull out board. UV's go back to fish store for installation end of Sept

Middle for the power bricks and apex controller and maybe the leak detection module

Left side for the battery backups and mp40. Maybe

 

[Susan Edwards]

Time for updates. The endless water station still in the making. Hubby designed a pc board and is waiting on parts!

And holy-what-a-mess! Working on control panel layout and labeling every cord and numbering pumps etc. Right now it look super scary! I'm thinking of putting power bricks behind controllers. Hubby will most likely redo the way that pleases his engineer mind lol's. I wanted to put the controllers on the slide in and out panel but that means leaving cords lose to go in and out. Also the mp40 cords are not very long. If I put them along back wall, there might be more play

I got all the apex bits hooked together. Have 2 bus ports left. Might need another something as I have 3 optical sensors and nowhere to plug them. I think I need another water leak module? But not sure!

Still have to deal with some electrical in my office--switching out plugs etc.

Almost time to take the table holding my rock scape down to get the room ready. Not sure where I'll put them lol's.

Next step is to start hooking up the apex stuff. The DOS for ato/water change, assign the E-8 plugs, figure out settings for all equipment, and start getting hubby on my lights. A lot to do and time is going fast now.

I'll try to add pics tomorrow. Computer not playing nice with my phone...

 

[blaxsun]

Yes, the wiring will always pose a challenge as every manufacturer includes ridiculous lengths of cables for everything. It would be so much handier if they had breakaway connections like the ReefWaves for maintenance and provided an assortment of connection cable lengths instead.

I ran everything off a pair of EB32’s, and have zero free ports. Depending on what you all want to control with the Apex, you might need one more EB32. I probably don’t need to run everything off the EB32’s, but I like the ability to turn everything on or off with the swipe of a finger - even if some of the ports mainly stay on or off most of the tume.

It makes it pretty easy for having various devices simultaneously switch off for feeding schedules, ie: having the pump throttle down, gyres switch off and skimmer switch off due to the water level in the sump rising (to prevent it from overflowing).

As with the gyres, if you’d like my complete Apex setup send me a PM and I’ll forward you my configuration and all the programming.

 

[Susan Edwards]

As with the gyres, if you’d like my complete Apex setup send me a PM and I’ll forward you my configuration and all the programming.

I'm trying to plug any thing I want to turn off into one eb32, and stuff that stays on all the time into the other. I'll have a few outlets left empty so far. Maybe. Still have 2 uv and a skimmer to add and a reactor and heaters. I got a couple switches that you can also turn off and it would shut down the eb32 but have to check the amp of the eb32 to be sure it isn't too much. Realize also I need to check the daisy chained bus cables to be sure they are powered by the correct power source. I'm assuming if power is off, the bus connections are also off. This is for an emergency shut down. I know there is programing for feed or cleaning modes.

I'm so totally new to apex my head is spinning lol's, so ues, I'll be sending you a pm.

What type of heater do I need? I want one with a controller to see the actual temp. Does apex control heaters with controllers? Like an inkbird?

Now I have to go count empty plugs... Lights will take 4 of the plugs I don't think apex can control stuff plugged into a regular power strip...

My slide out panel (red sea). I think I will have the shelf also. So doser so far. Wanted my controllers here. Won't make for a neat cabinet if I do.

Back of cabinet. Power bricks against back of cabinet (mounted onto a separate board a nd attached) and then a front board with 3 or 4 inch sides to stand free for easy access to the power supplies. Might need a fan to keep good air circulation to keep things cool. Still more to add!!

left side. A board added to separate the wet and dry sides.

This tank is quite the jouney so far lol's. 9 pages and not tank yet

 

[Susan Edwards]

Jumped in to learning apex. Managed to rename my plugs lols'. Just taking it 1 baby step at a time haha. Of course, kids
nowadays could probably figure this out faster...

 

[Jonathan Adams]

Jumped in to learning apex. Managed to rename my plugs lols'. Just taking it 1 baby step at a time haha. Of course, kids
nowadays could probably figure this out faster...

Wow that looks intimidating im looking at the hydros sustem but im closely following you because im curious as to the learning curve on your setup. YOU GOT THIS!!!