Building From Scratch

[ShakeyGizzard]

The DIY stand pipe does great. Handles large amounts of flow with no problem. Will still need to drill two 1/4 inch holes in over flow lid. Air line keeps lid from closing, will pass it out and back in with the two holes.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

oops, wrong thread

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Final build list:

TANK:
- Aqueon 40 gallon breeder drilled 3/4" return and 1" drain
-Eshopps Eclipse small over flow
-custom DIY acrylic screen tops
- NooPsyche K7 PRO III lights (x2)
- Jebao SOW-4 powerheads (x2)
-Marco rock aquascape
-CaribeSea Special grade arag-alive substrate (40 lbs.)
-line-loc return with flare nozzles (3/4)

STAND:
- Custom DIY stand (36" high)
- painted inside and out
- Built to have removeable sump
- custom DIY controller board attached to stand
- 2 HD commercial power strips on back of stand

SUMP:
-Aqueon 20 gallon long tank
- custom DIY baffles (black acrylic around fuge)
- Bubble Magus filter roller small
-Bubble Magus Extreme Curve 3 skimmer (DIY air flow control)
- InkBird ITC-306A temp controller
-BRS 100w Titanium heater (x2)
-Finnex refugium light (from my fresh water plant tank)
- timer for fuge light
-Sicce 3.0 return pump
- schedule 40 PVC for plumbing
- PVC gate valve for drain line (Spears)
-IceCap magnetic probe holder
- Float valve controlled gravity top off (5 gal reservoir)



Misc.:

-37 gallon brute for mixing station
-Sicce Multi 800 pump for mixing and transfer
- BRS 4 stage RO/DI

To be added:

-BRS carbon reactor (5 inch)
-Jebao 4 head dosing pump
-All For Reef

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Forgot to add that the stand pipe did great for cutting out the majority of the drain noise. The issue I had was turbulence in my fleece roller, so I installed a gate valve to stop the air from coming down my return.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Been an awesome month here, the number generator must like me now ...lol. My tank update includes the Pod and Phyto buffet from Reef By Steele. The 40b is still with lights off, 4 more weeks and I should be good, dosed the pods and phyto to the 40 b so hopefully they took hold and have plenty of fish waste and food scraps to keep them going until lights on. I did dose about a shot glass of Pods full into my 10 gal. seed tank with some calico crabs in it. Also dosed the phyto to 10g . The pods have exploded in population in there. I had some film algae on the glass and marco rock. Not now, the glass is clean and the rock only has a few spots here and there left. The pods are easily seen on the rock, awesome.
I will have to say that winning the Orphek Natura iCon was astounding, This is a game changer for me and will be rethinking my coral purchases from here on out. Already have All for Reef ready to dose, this light is a game changer for me.

Big, Big thank you to
@Reef2Reef
@Reef By Steele
@Orphek




Video below is my attempt to show the pods.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Adding a delay timer to my skimmer. Tired of over flowing skimmers after maintenance and feeding. Save a lot of money this way. $25.99 , Amazon, its DIM rail mount, but easy, only have to cut your skimmer wire. limitless adjustment. Link here : Delay on timer

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Ordered the chato today for the fuge and selcon for DIY fish food making. Parameters are ok and stable with bye weekly 10 gallon water changes. With more live stock and corals coming, time to fire up the fuge.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Added the chato to the fuge, it finally came in today, it looked healthy.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Added a Galaxia frag a few days ago. looks happy. Going to be island mounted, Final position will be in this area, so the water movement will help keep the sweepers away from others. Sorry for the heavy blue, phone cant handle it.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Up graded my float valve on my gravity ATO today, removed the cheap float valve and replaced with an Eshopps. My old one has worked flawlessy for the last 3 months. But noticed it dripping last week and decided to can it. I also decided to get away from the 5 gal. bucket I have been using (gravity) . The bucket is hidden and over 3 feet above the sump. I have a couple of the 5 gal. H2O jugs I use for odd and end maint. on the tanks. Decided to get a new one for the ATO ($13) Lines will be hidden and you have to walk over and look for the ATO sump. Finishing it up tonight after dinner. The pic of the float is not the installed position.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Still fighting the uglies, but they seem to be loosing the battle at the moment. My parameters are getting more stable even if some or not quite right.

Phosphate- .20
nitrate-5.0
dKH- 8.0
PH- 8.15
Calcium- 380
magnesium - 1440

Almost have my gravity ATO hooked up, just need a fitting for the reservoir

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Gravity ATO is hooked up and good to go. The new 5 gallon reservoir fits nicely on the recessed shelving close to the tank. Water line is hid quite well.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Its going on 3 months and my filter roller is due for another roll. Looks like I will remove it from the sump, clean it, and replace the roll. I used the soft silicone tubing from BRS to connect the drain to the roller so its an easy removal.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

The uglies continue, tide seems to have turned with CUC getting fat. I added a dose of pods from Reef By Steele yesterday and also dosing Phyto from them as well. Working on a light shade for my fuge light to cut back on light spill in the sump. Parameters are good, but algae can influence them. Spot feeding and careful fish feeding to reduce uneaten food in the tank.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Will be building up a dosing station here before long. Plan on using a Jebao 4 head pump, with Voss 800 ml. water bottles as the containers. The bottles make nice smaller containers for dosing.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Still working on the Voss water bottle dosing station , the holidays are here so not much time for that. I have been battling what appears to be Dinos, they appear on the sand during the day. The sand will be clear in the morning but the "dinos" appear after the lights have been on. Cleaned the sand and did a water change. Parameters' are :

Phos- .07
nitrate- 5.0
alk- 9.5

will see what happens with bringing the nutrients up a tad

 

[mch1984]

Tank looks great, very clean build. After seeing your lid I want to try one. I did the BRS diy and it’s just kind of meh. I don’t have access to a CNC but with some patience and planning I could do it on the router. Question is; how did you attach the screen to the acrylic? I didn’t see the rubber spline like the DIY kits.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Tank looks great, very clean build. After seeing your lid I want to try one. I did the BRS diy and it’s just kind of meh. I don’t have access to a CNC but with some patience and planning I could do it on the router. Question is; how did you attach the screen to the acrylic? I didn’t see the rubber spline like the DIY kits.

Its in there, check it here Post #41

 

[mch1984]

Its in there, check it here Post #41

Ahhhh I see it now. Thanks.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Parameters are coming up, vacuuming the sand, reduced light output by 10%, turned off my skimmer. lowred the sensor in my filter roller. Looking better after a week, will test parameters tomorrow night if I can. but time will tell if its dinos