Reefer 170 build

SaphosBro

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I know I am still very early in the process but after bing out of the hobby for a few years I have decided to get back in to the hobby and start a new tank build. I had hoped to start cycling this weekend but my apex is stuck with UPS until Monday so hopefully i can get the rest done or close to done this weekend. I am setting up a Red Sea Reefer 170 wit the following components… Tank  Refer 170 Lighting Al Hydra 26 HD (I already regret ordering this and will most likely replace it after the cycle with a Radion xr30wpro - if for no other reason that it will link up with my apex) Controller-New Version Neptune Apex w/ wifi-Neptune auto fish feeder-WXM Module In the tank:-MP10 power head-Fuji Pink Live sand-70lbs Marco Rocks Dry Rock In the Sump-Nyos Quantum 120 skimmer-Vectra M1 return pump-150w Hydor heater-4x4x4 block of Marine Pure-2 - 2 part BRS dosing pumps-I have yet to order but will add a carbon and GFO reactor once the tank cycles and if i can fit it in the sump or behind the tank in the corner i will add some sort of UV.-I hope to setup a hard plumed manifold and run the reactors, uv and return on the vector but it may not be pretty in such a small cabinet, we will see. Testing GearMilwaukee digital refractometerHanna alk / phosphate testersTons of red sea test kits - supplements - about half of which RedSea sent me after 3 broken shipments on the tank Water -Melev’s Reef 150GPD RODI system (I changed the membrane to a 90GPD 99% rejection spectrapure due to my very high TDS to get my TDS into the single digits after the RO).-35 gallon trash cans w/ power heads, heater, and submersible pump-Coral Pro Salt There are tons of other little odds and ends I am sure I have forgotten about already.. As far as cycling the tank I am also still debating if I will use the Red See reef mature kit they sent me or a large deli shrimp to cycle the tank. I will decide by next week but at the moment I am leaning towards the deli shrimp due to using 100% dry rock.  Once I cycle the tank I will order the coralline algae booster from IPSF to seed/start the coralline growth. I know most people use a small piece of live rock but I am very adverse to any/all pest and basically trust no tank but my own to be healthy(bad experiences in the past) so I will do my best to keep pest at bay as long as possible by using dry rock, seeding coralline, quarantining all new fish and by removing all coral from rock/frag plugs and dipping them in both revive coral dip and then a bayer insecticide dip. I will add some of the "good" hitchhikers over time like pods, serpent stars etc.  I have yet to figure out how I want to aqua scape the tank. Hopefully I will get that done this weekend since i can’t start the fill / cycle with out my controller. Also not sure how everything will fit in the sump and still look nice but thats another goal for this weekend. I am open to comments or suggestions if i have forgotten anything major or made any glaring mistakes.View attachment 1017
 
I am making slower progress than I hopped, trying to do everything correctly the first time and not rush the build...Today I was able to mock up a manifold that will fit in the top of the reefer stand and will give me th ability to run up to 4 devices off the gate valves plus the tank return off the ball valve.I will finish glueing the manifold later tonight now that its mocked up. The manifold will be fed with a silicone hose from the vector m1 to lower any vibration and while I am not sure its required I also put in a wye check valve under the input to the Herbie overflow return.I am optimistic that I will get to fill and start cycling the tank, this week. After plumbing all that is left is aquascaping, so far I have not been happy with anything I have built.View attachment 1207
 
Hey you got a plan together, that is half the challenge most of the time. Looking good so far! Your patience will pay off. Keep up the good work and let us know how it goes.
 
Great build planning.  Love the manifold!  Look forward to watching this one come together.
 
This build is progressing a lot slower than id like but I am almost ready to fill the tank... I am ready but i glued the union on the top of the m1 with pvc glue and not ABS and the PVC glue was to thick and i did not seat the pipe deep enough. Regardless i ordered a new union and the second it arrives I'm ready to go (if i glue it correctly this time.)The plumbing manifold is installed and ready to connect to the pump and the aquascape is done. I don't 100% know if i love the aquascape but for now I am going to live with it. I use all marco rock and lots of flat shelf rock. May of the pieces are epoxied to 1/2" acrylic rod and then i cut some live rock on the wet saw and hollowed out the back as deep as the rod to cover it.View attachment 1278I have mounted the apex to a board that will actually sit in the corner behind the tank... I will admit this is an eyesore but it cannot be seen so its more functional than pretty. I did make the board long enough so that i can pull it up and make changes or work on the apex if needed. View attachment 1280The skimmer and all the apex probes have been running in a bucket of salt water for a little over a week and all reading as close to my test kit as I can realistically get. I will move this all in to the sump right before i fill the tank.View attachment 1282Hopefully when i post my next update we will be cycling the tank.
 
Finally running water through the tank! I still have a little wire management to do both in the stand and around the tank but ill get that all cleaned up and post pics of the final look once the water clears up, but here are a few for now.I have read this a few times but the I will second what many have said around here the valve redsea puts on the herbie overflow is a PITA to get adjusted correctly - I am still getting it dialed in, hopefully I am getting close. View attachment 1317View attachment 1318View attachment 1319
 
My cycle is underway... I decided to try the redsea reef mature kit v/ a shrimp since I already had the kit...After the first few days the ammonia spike was way to low so I had to dose extra of the bacto-start, from the kit, yesterday to get the ammonia up to where i think it should be (over 1ppm). I did a test this morning before I left the house and i was at 1.2-1.5ppm so we will see how it goes over the next few weeks to a month.
 
Its been months since I posted anything and I thought i would post a quick update... This tank has been running for several months with nothing in it other than CUC. I have been traveling for work a lot and had not had time to figure out what I wanted to put in this tank... A few weeks back i finally added some fish (tailspot blenny, watchman goby and a pistol shrimp) and tonight i spotted the watchman goby and the pistol shrimp and they had seeming paired up and were living in a crevice in the sand the shrimp had dug out.I see the blenny constantly but its been 4 or 5 days since I saw the shrimp or goby so I was not sure they survived shipping. When i first spotted the duo tonight the goby had taken 3 or 4 small pieces of food in to the crevice for the shrimp but the shrimp was trying to get a large piece of food further away than the goby was interested in them traveling. The shrimp gave up and ended up working on digging out there home a little.Attached is a short video that youtube really encoded poor and the blue lights didn't help but none the less i thought it was pretty cool to see the two had paired up - I really enjoy coral/fish/shrimp with symbiotic relationships. The shrimp is about .5" and the goby might be .75 or 1"https://youtu.be/596L8yeKLEE 
 
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