Tom's 90G Build

[tdunmore2]

Happy New year all!
I've been wanting to post to this forum for a while now about the new build I'm working on and finally sliced out some time. For some background, I've had multiple SW and FW tanks in the past, and due to a leak in a FW tank, I took the opportunity to convert the space into a SW tank.
***I am in NO way an expert, so any tips, tricks, or simple adds now that could make my life easier now would be welcomed!***
Let’s get into it.
I started design in early 2016. I am taking my time with it (if that wasn't apparent almost 2 years later...). When starting this build, the things I started with were:

· Size and shape with the space limitations
· Philosophy on maintenance
· Electrical needs
· Structural support needs
· Support systems and necessary space for them

Space and look limitations - Simply I get about 53” by 53” box. No ceiling hung items, and no visible equipment with the doors close.
That lead me to a rectangular tank, 4ft long. The issue I ran in to was that every off the shelf tank as 24” deep and only 18” tall. I wanted the tall size, but also wanted the depth to be less to allow for more negative space in front of the tank to better match the décor of the space. That lead me to a custom tank. I also knew I wanted to be able to have a tank larger than 75 gallons to work with.

Philosophy on maintenance - I struggled with this one for a long time. I knew I wanted to be able to reach in the tank which meant no higher than 24” else I’d need a platform to work in it. I also knew I wanted to have it be as little maintenance as possible, which meant water changes needed to be made very easy or eliminated.

After much deliberation, I ended up ordering a custom stand and tank from Felix over at ReefSavvy. It was a 6 month lead time, which wasn’t surprising. I’ve seen his work and have continually heard nothing but great things. After some back and forth I got the tank and stand on order. The stand came in in Late April 2017, but the tank was delayed (more on this later). This was actually a good thing for me, as it gave me plenty of time to stare at, measure, plot, draw up, and measure again the empty stand. It also forced me to better evaluate my power needs and continue to work on my maintenance philosophy.

Electrical Needs - The last tank I had was on an outlet in the living room which was shared with the entire room. This meant the TV, lamps, ect. I wanted to add a second, dedicated circuit to the area for redundancy, and also for piece of mind that the TV shorting wouldn’t take down my tank. I added a double gang outlet fed from a new 20Amp GFCI breaker. The beige wall is the existing outlet, the blue wall is the new outlet.

I ended up changing my mind on this strategy, and I’m going to double my protection. Right now, if any item plugged in to either outlet shorts, the entire circuit will trip, killing power to everything. I will be changing out the GFCI breaker for a standard 20Amp breaker, and changing the outlets to parallel GFCI outlets. This way, if a piece of equipment plugged in to one of the outlets trips, the other outlet will still be fully functional.
Stay tuned for more progress!

 

[glb]

Sounds like you’ve given a ton of thought to what you want. That will save you tons of headaches later. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[tdunmore2]

The Filtration Update.
The stand has been coming along, albeit slowly, over the last few months. It was delivered in late April 2017.

To keep with the low maintenance goals, I wanted to have as much water volume as possible to allow for stability to work in my favor. I ended up going with a Trigger systems sump Sapphire34. One issue I ran in to was that the hinges of the stand doors created space limitations because they stuck into the stand to allow for the hidden design. This is the only thing I don’t like about the stand, and would have liked to have known that before it was delivered. That being said, it has allowed me to get creative with the ATO reservoir and electronics.

Once the sump came in, I picked up some shower pan liner and adhesive and cut and glued the liner to allow for the sump to fit snug inside. I wanted to know if the sump started leaking quickly (using some leak detection sensor), and also wanted a small amount of padding under the sump, this achieved both.

Once the liner was cut, I realized that the left and right sides would bow out. I picked up a couple of right angle braces and made little loops for them to slide in to, 2 on each side, for support. I also silicone the front and back of the liner assembly to the stand so I didn’t trap water where I couldn’t dry. Once it cured, I leak tested (found a pinhole and had to patch) and dried it out.

I mentioned the hinges being an issue for space. I ended up reaching out to Marc over at Melev’s Reef for a custom ATO container 3" x 12" x 24". Its slim but can still hold 3.75 gallons of RODI. His work is excellent quality. It leak tested without any issue. I have a plan to keep this full, more on that later. I am in the middle of printing and attaching a hinge for the lid. He warned me, and I’ve had a few close encounters dropping the lid in the reservoir. Oops.

Looking for some input on return pumps. I’ve been planning on using the COR series. Any other thoughts? Also, one or two returns? The recent series from BRS has me on this redundancy kick, as I do travel several times a year.

Moving on to the Electronics next! Sneak peek...

 

[tsav87]

Nice looking build so far! what are you plans for lighting? Canopy?

 

[tdunmore2]

Nice looking build so far! what are you plans for lighting? Canopy?

I'm planning on the RMS mounts for the radions.

 

[tdunmore2]

Update!
I decided once again to go with the Apex system for a controller. This meant I needed a way to properly mount and protect the modules. I picked up the 2016 model, and started sketching out some layouts. I ended up using Rubbermaid shelf planks as the support structure since they are properly colored, coated and beefy. I laid out the Apex modules and left room for expansion, and also the skimmer and return pump controllers and heater. I opted to try the WAVs on this tank, which is a major change for me since I’m used to and love the vortechs. I also will be dropping in optical sensors into the sump for water changes and general notification, as well as the ATO reservoir. One major decision that has really opened up my space and lessened the mess was moving the DOS out of the stand. I took @Broadfield approach and decided to come up with a different placement for this.

Once I got the mounting board drilled and everything mounted, I placed the board into the stand. The cords tuck behind the mounting board, and the whole assembly is velcro’d (25lb stuff) on the side. It will slide out if I need it too, but that shouldn’t be necessary. It also hides the ratsnest of wires behind the planks.

For the stand lighting I used Oznium LEDs. 1 Ultrathin strip over the electronics and 2 floods over the sump. These are 12V LEDs. I struggled to figure out how I wanted to handle powering these. I ended up installing a marine grade fuse block and a power supply. I then ran a cable from the fuse block to the switch. I choose to go with a motion sensor to control the lights. I have seen so many of the door sensors rust out, and am not sure if I am using a breakout box just yet. I also didn’t want to eat up an outlet on the Apex for lights. The other issue would have been that everything that is running off of the auxiliary bus (the fuse panel) would be controlled by that door sensor. So far this motion sensor is phenomenal. Wet hands, no issue, if you walk away, it goes off, when you walk up to it it turns back on. Perfect! I am not sure what else I may run off of the 12V system, but its there if I want to use it. I’ve been toying with the idea of laying LED strips in the sump for effect, but it seems like its just one more thing to maintain and I wouldn’t ever see them. What is everyone using for their cabinet lighting?

The largest challenge I had was what to do with the myriad of power bricks, both from location to heat dissipation. I will be running 2 Gen4 Radion XR30s, a skimmer, one or two return pumps, the aux supplies for the Apex units, etc. I ended up mounting DIN rail upside down and using 25lB rated Velcro on the outter side. For the Radion bricks, I ended up adding a second strip since those things are beasts. The bricks are secure. So secure that I had an issue getting them off when I was trying to adjust the order. This also allows me to quickly remove things if needed.

The cord management on the mounting board was intrinsically taken care of. I used Panduit and coated it in black vinyl for protection and a sleeker look. Its in an L shape to allow for cords to enter and exit the stand orderly, and that power highway will be closed up once all the equipment is in and tested.

This is where I'm at for now. Still more cord management to do, and I will be installing a splash guard over the electronics.

 

[tdunmore2]

So the DT is on hold as my schedule is a bit to hectic to get any real work going on it. In the meantime, I’ve gotten started on setting up the ancillary systems. I Haven’t had any outbreaks of disease and have been fortunate enough not to have lost any livestock from pests, but I have had things like byropsis, bubble algea and vermatids to combat. More naissance than teardown material. That being said, I don’t want to keep taking risks I don’t need to. I have always dipped coral with Coral Rx (and may be trying my hand with Bayer soon), but never QT’ed anything. I think its time to change that, and that’s driving me to the following system setups:

· Invert/Coral QT
· Fish Only QT
· Dosing Station
· FSW mixing Station
· RODI holding tank

I figured I’d use the Invert QT as a frag tank when all was said and done. I picked up a 12 gallon Bookshelf tank from BRS on sale and drilled it out for an eshoppes overflow in a beananimal configuration.

I used an old 10 gallon tank I had sitting around as the sump, added some baffles, marinepure spheres, chemipure, a heater and a return pump, and I was up and going. I cycled it and started adding some frags. I bought my first batch from UniqueCorals. Very great people over there, and would highly recommend them. Their customer service is fantastic and responsive. I keep the receipts for the coral so I know when the 76 days are up. I also set up an automatic water change system using 2 BRS topoff pumps on a timer. I also grabbed two AI hydra primes and mounts from some great people on R2R used!

For the FO QT, I picked up a IM nuvo10 AIO on sale at the LFS, and a really cheap led light. Added a heater, chemipure, marinepure spheres and started the cycle. I threw a couple of PVC pipes in there for hiding places. Once cycled, I grabbed a clown on sale at my LFS and added it to the QT. I write the date I add fish on the side of the tank with a wet erase marker so I know when my 76 days are hit. Both of these tanks are over 15ft away from each other, and completely separate water systems (and equipment).

One issue I am running in to is the size of my QT tank for fish. With only a 10gallon tank, I cant add multiple fish or larger fish. If I set up a larger tank, then I have higher water volume and more space to add multiple fish, but it also takes up more space and don’t want that sace getting eaten up when I’m not using the tank. Right now, with a 10 gallon, I don’t mind keeping the tank running without fish between purchases, as its not very costly at all. Would love to hear what everyone does regarding this. Maybe having multiple tanks for QT isn’t a bad thing?

 

[Reefpuck]

So how's this build coming along? Think you're overdue for an update.

 

[tdunmore2]

ReefPuck, thanks for reaching out. Good news, the tank is up and has water in it!

I ended up moving the TV to give the tank its own focus. Got the sump setup, but I still have some wiring and tidying up to do. Its cycling now and should see its first set of friends next week!
Heres how it stands:
I decided on reefrock 2.0 for the aquascape and Tropic Eden Reefflakes Aragonite Sand. I'm going to give the Neptune WAVs a shot as well.

I stuck with the G4PRO's from Radion for lighting.

I'm controlling them through the APEX also with the WXM module.
I ran 1" drain lines back to the sump, with a flow sensor on the emergency drain. I ran 1.25" return lines to two outlets. The return lines reduce to 1" flow sensors on the outlet with ball valves on each run. In the return line path are 2 manifold connections. I decided on using a reducer with a union and plug setup to reduce the clutter when I'm not running a canister on the manifold, but to allow me to put it on at any point with minimal downtime. I'm also paranoid about the valve leaking when not in use. The ball valves on the return path allow me to create back pressure if needed on the manifold connections, and also allow me to isolate each leg of the return path for maintenance. Further, it also allows me to even out the flow differences through each leg due to the piping runs if desired. I ran vslot rail to secure the pipe to the rear of the tank.

I will post another update in the next week or so, as a lot of changes have been made within the sump. , but I need to get those pictures uploaded.

 

[tdunmore2]

For the Dosing Station and FSW mixing Station, I ran tubing through the floor to keep the dosing pumps out of the sump and reduce noise. This also means I can keep larger quantities of dosing fluids, as they are not limited by the size of the stand.

I currently have 3 DOS’s with only 2 scheduled for use. I plan to run the triton system, and will need 4 runs for the core elements. As for the 3rd dose, I MAY use it for AWC. Or keep it has a hot spare. I haven’t decided on that yet.

For the mixing, I have a Rubbermaid trashcan set up with a temp probe and wav, as well as a solenoid controlled RODI line with a float stop.

I’ve also equipped the mixing can with optical sensors to feedback to the solenoid and keep the WAV from running dry.

I’m using a PMUP in this container to pump the fresh saltwater up to the sump through a ½” RODI tube that hits a ¼” flow sensor and tubing through the floor. It is restrictive, but I do get over 10gph through that pump run because of the ½” tubing before it. Ive taking all of the sensors and programmed the FSW mix to begin on the push of Feed mode C. it will fill, heat, if needed, circulate, and then send me an text that its ready to be used. There is a 3/8 rodi drain line running from the sump to the basement drain. This is controlled only by a valve and stays primed all the time, so I don’t need a pump to initiate the water change. I’m still on edge about this change system, though. If that valve fails, the tank can drain in about 6 hours. I’m running 2 DDR’s as well, but am not sure if those will be used in this dosing scheme yet or not. I may bulkhead the core elements. Depends on how Triton settles on their chemical condition (dry or wet).