The Frankenstein Project

HayabusaReef

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So this build started about 6 months ago (06.09.21) as a budget reef project and grew into a custom reef system. I started with a 40 breeder, I resealed and drilled it with Eclipse M overflow box. Underneath I was lucky enough to get a good deal on an IceCap 30 reef sump, I drilled the top reservoir to create a large dedicated refugium chamber. The system was poorly plumbed on lowes metal shelf with my 20 gallon originally plumbed in to cycle the system.
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After two months on the prebuilt stand with the 20 connected an I built a proper stand for the 40 and sump. I installed a Kessil H80 Flora on the side of the stand a few inches off the side of the refugium chamber, using a large foam wall against the back wall of the chamber I have lit to no light leaking through to my return pump chamber. About this time I added a order from Algaebarn into my system, I had already dosed ~10k tigger-pods before this point, the order contain 20k mixed pods and red ogo to fill my refugium. The system also got temporary fish and lighting in the form of 3 Kessil H80 Tuna Blue's and 2 Spotcinctus Clownfish, an engineer goby, and a Falco Hawkfish (in the sump). About this time I moved some corals in.
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A month or so setup like that (end of October) and I thought I had an amazing idea for light mounting for my soon upgrade to a trio of AI Prime lights. Turns out what I would come to build into the back of the system wouldn't work long term but was going to be the frame work for a more permit mounting option. My light fixture was now dual AI Prime HDs on the outside and a single AI Prime SOL centered over a 40 gallon display. This is also the time I finally expanded the system. Over the first 5 months I was working to acquire the right tanks to expand the system without overloading a single system. I ended up with a 60 frag tank and a 30 lagoon. I built two simple wood light fixture each holding two Kessil H80 Tuna Blue's for a total of 4 connected to a Spectral controller. I have a AI Prime Freshwater set on only blues on the 30 lagoon until I increase stocking to need more lighting. The Falco and his rock are the only stock currently in the 30. So I am running 95% hard plumbing for the system, main and emergency overflow on each system ball valves on every main drain and return line, and a dedicated line to the refugium chamber of the sump.


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A few mushroom and euphyllia make up the coral stocking of the 40 display and for fish I have a pair of Spotcinctus, Two Spot Bristletooth Tang (Ctenochaetus binotatus), 2 female Blue Star Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon bipartitus). The Engineer Goby ended up in a friends tank to pair with one in his tank after mine decided to move a few of my mushrooms. The 60 gallon is currently empty as I am working on the scape for it, since it is attached to my system already once I have the scape planed I will cycle 10-15 pounds at a time in the system with the rest in a small vat as to not disturb tank chemistry too much. The plan over all is for the 60 to be a mushroom/mangrove lagoon, the 40 will be a leopard haram tank with heavy gorgonians and euphyllia, the 30 lagoon will have the Flaco and Spotcinctus pair and will be a bare bottom RFA and carpet anemone tank.



I think that about sums up where the monster is at. Love to have some thoughts on what I have built so far and any advice is constructive.


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Thanks for your time!
 
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