Show Off and Discuss Your Red Sea Reefer Series

[pelphrey]

I wanted to try out the Gyre for awhile, so I picked up the 230. I actually thought about the WAV pumps, there are a couple reasons I didn't go this route. First reason is that my tank is 3' and the WAV pumps are just to much. Second reason.... I do really like the Apex but I don't like relying on it 100%, if my Apex brain went out the WAV pumps would stop working as well.

I am currently running a MP40wQD on the tank and love this pump, if my rock work was different I probably would have ran another Vortech pump placing them both on the back wall. With my rock work being so tall I didn't think this was my best solution.

The downside to the Gyre 230 is the noise, I did open a ticket with CoralVue and they said the pump needed to break in and bacteria needed to grow on it. I have the Gyre set to random pluse from 10-40%, after running the pump for a little over a week now the noise has reduced some but it is still the loudest piece of equipment on the tank.

The controller for the Gyre is pretty simple to use once you know what it does. I am running the Gyre and Mp40 on the tank still, the pumps are on opposite walls. Soon the Mp40 will be pulled and sold, I'll pick up another 230 pump to put in place of the MP40. The fact that the Gyre controller can run two pumps is an awesome feature!

 

[Reefer525XL]

Very early stages but here is my Reefer 525xl


Reefer 525XL -2-19-2017-2 by Reefer525XL, on Flickr


Reefer 525XL -2-20-2017 by Reefer525XL, on Flickr

 

[jazzmik]

Very nice @Reefer525XL !!


Off topic... I need to pick up a couple of those Nest's. I have two units so not really wanting to drop 500.00 on them.

 

[jazzmik]

I wanted to try out the Gyre for awhile, so I picked up the 230. I actually thought about the WAV pumps, there are a couple reasons I didn't go this route. First reason is that my tank is 3' and the WAV pumps are just to much. Second reason.... I do really like the Apex but I don't like relying on it 100%, if my Apex brain went out the WAV pumps would stop working as well.

I am currently running a MP40wQD on the tank and love this pump, if my rock work was different I probably would have ran another Vortech pump placing them both on the back wall. With my rock work being so tall I didn't think this was my best solution.

The downside to the Gyre 230 is the noise, I did open a ticket with CoralVue and they said the pump needed to break in and bacteria needed to grow on it. I have the Gyre set to random pluse from 10-40%, after running the pump for a little over a week now the noise has reduced some but it is still the loudest piece of equipment on the tank.

The controller for the Gyre is pretty simple to use once you know what it does. I am running the Gyre and Mp40 on the tank still, the pumps are on opposite walls. Soon the Mp40 will be pulled and sold, I'll pick up another 230 pump to put in place of the MP40. The fact that the Gyre controller can run two pumps is an awesome feature!

@pelphrey my 230 did quite down. Don't really notice it, but I'm running that Lunar preset and I don't think it goes to high % wise.

 

[pelphrey]

Very early stages but here is my Reefer 525xl

Great setup! Did you use the 3/4 connector to hard plumb this into your system? Are you using the unions on the reactor output to swap out and flush the canisters?

What pump are you using?

Lots of questions! haha It looks awesome!

 

[pelphrey]

@jazzmik I'll have to test out that mode on the pump. Glad to hear that yours did "break in". I already registered the unit to my name so there is no going back now! haha I do really like the pump. Did you change out the paddles on it?

 

[Reefer525XL]

Very nice @Reefer525XL !!


Off topic... I need to pick up a couple of those Nest's. I have two units so not really wanting to drop 500.00 on them.

Thank you and the Nest is awesome! I wish their camera was able to handle the lighting of our tanks a little bit better.

 

[jazzmik]

@jazzmik I'll have to test out that mode on the pump. Glad to hear that yours did "break in". I already registered the unit to my name so there is no going back now! haha I do really like the pump. Did you change out the paddles on it?

No I kept the same paddles on it. The 130 is still quieter though.

 

[Jackooze]

Upgrading our Nano to a 250, here's a pic of some sump mods I'm doing because we are sick and tired of cleaning filter socks

How does the plumbing work with it. The water overflows into the filter socks but now you removed them how does the roller collect ?

 

[Reefer525XL]

Great setup! Did you use the 3/4 connector to hard plumb this into your system? Are you using the bulkheads on the reactor output to swap out and flush the canisters?

What pump are you using?

Lots of questions! haha It looks awesome!

Don't mind the questions at all!

Yes I used a 3/4" to 1" male adapter to connect the manifold to the tank. Will be replacing the Emergency drain and Main drain when the fitting is back in stock. Red Sea is out for a few more weeks. Mainly just so that it matches the rest of the plumbing.

The unions on the reactor output serve two purposes. One is to allow me to remove the sump without having to take out the manifold. As you can see the union removes the majority of the output pipe clearing the top of the sump. The reactors would also need to be removed but the manifold will remain in place. Don't think I will be taking the sump out anytime soon but if I ever need to take it out it can be done with minimal disassembly. Secondly, I plan on just rinsing the media in my utility sink but if this proves to not be as effective I will use the unions to attach an elbow with a hose barb so that I can flush the media and not get the dirty water into the tank.

The return pump is a Red Dragon 3 Speedy 80w

 

[pelphrey]

Don't mind the questions at all!

Yes I used a 3/4" to 1" male adapter to connect the manifold to the tank. Will be replacing the Emergency drain and Main drain when the fitting is back in stock. Red Sea is out for a few more weeks. Mainly just so that it matches the rest of the plumbing.

The unions on the reactor output serve two purposes. One is to allow me to remove the sump without having to take out the manifold. As you can see the union removes the majority of the output pipe clearing the top of the sump. The reactors would also need to be removed but the manifold will remain in place. Don't think I will be taking the sump out anytime soon but if I ever need to take it out it can be done with minimal disassembly. Secondly, I plan on just rinsing the media in my utility sink but if this proves to not be as effective I will use the unions to attach an elbow with a hose barb so that I can flush the media and not get the dirty water into the tank.

The return pump is a Red Dragon 3 Speedy 80w

@MarineDepot has a replacement lid for those reactors, I think I saw a post where people bought the replacement lid to use when adding and flushing new media.

I am jumping on the wagon, I have two of the AquaMaxx XS reactors coming, they will be here Thursday I believe. I've been beating myself up on how I will flush new media, the replacement lid won't work on the XS reactors. I'll either have to flush the media in a bag in the sink, or in the reactor and let the water overflow the reactor. Otherwise I just may grab your idea and add unions and pick up an extra union to add a barb to. If I alternate replacing media I should have enough water in the sump to flush one of the reactors.

You got a beast of a pump! Never heard or seen one in person, seems like a lot of people like them!!!

 

[jazzmik]

@MarineDepot has a replacement lid for those reactors, I think I saw a post where people bought the replacement lid to use when adding and flushing new media.

I am jumping on the wagon, I have two of the AquaMaxx XS reactors coming, they will be here Thursday I believe. I've been beating myself up on how I will flush new media, the replacement lid won't work on the XS reactors. I'll either have to flush the media in a bag in the sink, or in the reactor and let the water overflow the reactor. Otherwise I just may grab your idea and add unions and pick up an extra union to add a barb to. If I alternate replacing media I should have enough water in the sump to flush one of the reactors.

I ended up putting GFO into a media bag and rinsing in utility sink then added to the reactor.

I'm not sure I'm getting the reactor with the GFO at the right flow though.

 

[Reefer525XL]

@MarineDepot has a replacement lid for those reactors, I think I saw a post where people bought the replacement lid to use when adding and flushing new media.

I am jumping on the wagon, I have two of the AquaMaxx XS reactors coming, they will be here Thursday I believe. I've been beating myself up on how I will flush new media, the replacement lid won't work on the XS reactors. I'll either have to flush the media in a bag in the sink, or in the reactor and let the water overflow the reactor. Otherwise I just may grab your idea and add unions and pick up an extra union to add a barb to. If I alternate replacing media I should have enough water in the sump to flush one of the reactors.

You got a beast of a pump! Never heard or seen one in person, seems like a lot of people like them!!!

Hmm I was not aware of the replacement lid, that might be an easier alternative to rinsing the media. Thanks for pointing that out.

Are you planning on hard plumbing your reactors? These little reactors are nice and will take up less room than the BRS reactor I saw you were using in one of your YouTube videos.

As for the pump I haven't turned it on since the tank is still dry but from what I gather researching it they are very good pumps.

 

[Jackooze]

@MarineDepot has a replacement lid for those reactors, I think I saw a post where people bought the replacement lid to use when adding and flushing new media.

I am jumping on the wagon, I have two of the AquaMaxx XS reactors coming, they will be here Thursday I believe. I've been beating myself up on how I will flush new media, the replacement lid won't work on the XS reactors. I'll either have to flush the media in a bag in the sink, or in the reactor and let the water overflow the reactor. Otherwise I just may grab your idea and add unions and pick up an extra union to add a barb to. If I alternate replacing media I should have enough water in the sump to flush one of the reactors.

You got a beast of a pump! Never heard or seen one in person, seems like a lot of people like them!!!

I am confused how you guys will use a barb to flush out the reactors. Are you just going to attach hose and rinse media inside the reactor ? where will the flushed water go?

 

[Reefer525XL]

I am confused how you guys will use a barb to flush out the reactors. Are you just going to attach hose and rinse media inside the reactor ? where will the flushed water go?

The barb will have a piece of tubing attach to it which can go into a 1 gallons jug to drain the water. Flushing the media in a sink might be much easier though.

 

[pelphrey]

Hmm I was not aware of the replacement lid, that might be an easier alternative to rinsing the media. Thanks for pointing that out.

Are you planning on hard plumbing your reactors? These little reactors are nice and will take up less room than the BRS reactor I saw you were using in one of your YouTube videos.

As for the pump I haven't turned it on since the tank is still dry but from what I gather researching it they are very good pumps.

Here is the lid - http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaMaxx...ate_Reactors-AquaMaxx-UJ5331-FIFRISPR-vi.html

$30 is a decent chunk of change for a lid, but not when you have multiple reactors to flush.

Correct, I will be hard plumbing the XS reactors like you all with the monster tanks! haha Once the reactors are on the tank I'll try to find a replacement lid for flushing media. The BRS reactor will be ripped out as soon as I get the manifold built, need to get the reactors in first to figure out placement and what other PVC parts I need.

 

[spiraling]

Where did everyone put the apex probes? I have mine in the center sump downstream of the ato input (in the far right where water enters), and I can see a drop in temp when the ato is on. I also have it downstream of the dosing input, but I haven't started dosing yet to notice.

 

[pelphrey]

@spiraling My probes are in the first section of the sump, where the water drains from the tank into the sump. Heaters are in the baffle before the return pump. Heaters are dictated by the temp of the water coming from my display into my sump.

 

[revhtree]

Very early stages but here is my Reefer 525xl


Reefer 525XL -2-19-2017-2 by Reefer525XL, on Flickr


Reefer 525XL -2-20-2017 by Reefer525XL, on Flickr

Very nice!

 

[jazzmik]

Any ideas for the magnet door openers? I need a couple and looking if there's alternative to the stock RS ones.