The Ultimate Cube 280g
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cbort
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Another update! Finally got my RO today. Its a Coralife Pure-Flo 2. 50gpd system. Also i picked up a matching coralife Pure-Flo 2 Float and automatic shut off valve kit. Here are the pics after getting home tonight From picking them up! Enjoy!
More pics to come of the install!
More pics to come of the install!
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cbort
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First off, i chose this RO system because it was a local guy to me and i could easily pick it up. Second was it was a great price and brand new. Lastly it came with a top off.
Next, you will have to have a little patients. Sorry taking a long time to get this build completed. I am building my system in a specific order. First the frag tank and sump plumbed together. Next will be my water storage/RO system/water mixing station. Then finally my display and misc. items.
My water storage/ RO system/ water mixing station will consist of a 55g drum barrel and 2 custom acrylic 40g tanks. The 55g drum will be used for fresh RO water storage. It will be plumbed to 2 40g salt mixing tanks. Directly after a water change, i can fill my 40g tanks back up from my 55g drum. Essentially i will have 135 gallons of fresh water ready to use at all times. I can shut off all water going to the display tank and can isolate just my 57g frag tank at anytime incase of an emergency. I will have 80g of Ready to use salt water to make a large water change to my frag tank if needed once all corals are pulled from the display tank and placed into the frag tank.
My system is going to be just over 400 gallons. 135 gallons of storage water will be more than plenty for my piece of mind.
Top off i am rough estimating 3-4 gallons at the most of evaporation. I will be running a chiller and T5's my temp will never be more than 79 degrees and the tank is located in a basement. Before the upgrade i was actually using the 57g frag tank as my display tank and had a chiller and T5's on it and never toped off more than half a gallon a day.
Also my system will have 2 auto top offs. One inside the 55g drum barrel to stop making RO water when full and the second one will be in my sump coming from the 55g drum with a small powerhead. The 55g drum barrels will have a ball valve that drains into the 2 40g acrylic salt mixing tanks.
How large of tank do you have and how much top off do you have to do?
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cbort
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Ok...Got the new RO system hooked up. Had to discard the first 10 gallons per the manual. Thus far i have made about 50 gallons. Here are some shots of where I have it sitting at the moment.
The wall directly behind the RO system is my basement bathroom/laundry room. That worked out well for my discard hose. I simply drilled a hole through the wall and inserted the discard hose into where my washing machine discards its waste water. The wall you are currently seeing will eventually be my frag station. I am planning on building a small work bench that i can do my fragging on. It will have a shop light above it and my quarantine tank will be on the wall to the right.
The wall directly behind the RO system is my basement bathroom/laundry room. That worked out well for my discard hose. I simply drilled a hole through the wall and inserted the discard hose into where my washing machine discards its waste water. The wall you are currently seeing will eventually be my frag station. I am planning on building a small work bench that i can do my fragging on. It will have a shop light above it and my quarantine tank will be on the wall to the right.
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cbort
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Next....I am in the process of drilling more holes into the bottom of my display tank for my CL. The tank originally had the return from the sump coming up through the bottom, and i do not feel comfortable with this, so i will have my returns from my CL come through the bottom instead.
Rear shot of the tank...
I also had to take all of my rockwork out of the display tank to get the new holes drilled. It was a bit tricky but i think i managed to keep my aquascape the way it was...
Rear shot of the tank...
I also had to take all of my rockwork out of the display tank to get the new holes drilled. It was a bit tricky but i think i managed to keep my aquascape the way it was...
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cbort
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Finally...Still debating whether or not i want to track down and second OM 4-way and add another CL coming out from the top. The tank is already drilled for a CL to come from the top of the tank so i guess if there is not enough flow, i can always add it later. Here are some shots with the OM revolutions installed. There is another that goes into the rear but i did not put it on. I am just not sure if i want to have anything coming from the top. For the most part all of my plumbing will be hidden with the rockwork which i like. I guess we will just see how much flow i get from just the 1 CL first and then i can add another later.
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cbort
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Ok...Tank is drilled for the CL in the bottom of the tank. Tried to drill the holes where the rockwork would cover up my returns. I really want to keep this display as clean as possible.
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cbort
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Now the real fun begins! Plumbing the display tank! :) I do not wish this task upon anyone! Plumbing a tank of this size is a real pain in the butt!
Here is my mess...I've got all my pieces to the puzzle and still trying to figure out where to start!
Going to plumb the returns coming off of the OM first...
My dart 3600gph CL pump that will be used in the bottom CL
And some shots of the Dart and the OM 4-Way
Here is my mess...I've got all my pieces to the puzzle and still trying to figure out where to start!
Going to plumb the returns coming off of the OM first...
My dart 3600gph CL pump that will be used in the bottom CL
And some shots of the Dart and the OM 4-Way
Oiseau Reefer
Well-Known Member
Use causation with the canisters on that RO unit I've had 3 replace by warrantee becAuse they crack and start dripping slash leaking a lot of water IME but I'm loving your set up a 280 cube is one of my dream tanks
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cbort
Well-Known Member
This may or may not look like much progress for a 3 hour nights worth of work but i was about to throw it all away and buy a couple vortechs instead! Next time i am using the flexible PVC hose instead! Anyways...The return side of the CL is done! Just need to run the drain the the Dart and run the return pipe from the dart to the OM, then i will leak test it. Then after that i will quickly plumb the drain for the tank and plumb it's return. Then fill the tank full for a final leak test and she should be ready to add fresh saltwater! Enjoy!
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cbort
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Well since the tank had to be drilled for a few more holes, i had to pull rockwork out. I thought i could keep it pretty much the same, but once i put the rock back into the tank, the plumbing needed to be hidden so the aquascape has changed a bit. Here is how the rock fell into place....
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cbort
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A few more shots before i head to bed for the night....
I did get the holes drilled in the wall for my plumbing. I still cannot believe my wife allowed me to do this :)
This is where my CL pumps will sit. Out of the way, but still in an easy access spot for me to get a hold of.
Here are some quick shots of close ups of my hidden locline closed loop plumbing.
Here is the start of my floor in my stand
A couple more of the new aquascape.
And finally some wide shots of the “Man Cave” to give ya an idea of the room that the tank is in.
I did get the holes drilled in the wall for my plumbing. I still cannot believe my wife allowed me to do this :)
This is where my CL pumps will sit. Out of the way, but still in an easy access spot for me to get a hold of.
Here are some quick shots of close ups of my hidden locline closed loop plumbing.
Here is the start of my floor in my stand
A couple more of the new aquascape.
And finally some wide shots of the “Man Cave” to give ya an idea of the room that the tank is in.
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