Broadfield's Red Sea Reefer 450 Build - OCD Inspired... Going Back To a Reef

[Broadfield]

For those going to MACNA 2017... I would love to meet all of my fellow Reefer owners!!!! Please click below and post.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/red-sea-reefer-owner-meet-up-macna-2017.321395/

 

[pelphrey]

I've not used any personally.. There are black lift off hinges on 8020.net under shop/panels and door components/hinges, sort by black!

 

[Novastar808]

Nice sapphire Epiq Snap-On tool box!

 

[Craig Skinner]

Hi Toby! Have read this whole thread of yours, just fantastic work!!

I saw that you have a awesome router template set you use and I was wondering the brand and where I could purchase it?

Sorry saw it in your thread days ago but didn't write it down.

Craig...

 

[Broadfield]

Nice sapphire Epiq Snap-On tool box!

Thanks!... I love it.

Hi Toby! Have read this whole thread of yours, just fantastic work!!

I saw that you have a awesome router template set you use and I was wondering the brand and where I could purchase it?

Sorry saw it in your thread days ago but didn't write it down.

Craig...

They are manufactured by Mobile Solutions.

My main set is this:

https://www.mobilesolutions-usa.com/product-page/sfs-axis-shape-creator-professional-package

Then I also have multiple pre-determined shapes i.e. circles etc.

https://www.mobilesolutions-usa.com/product-page/sfs-circle-template-kit

https://www.mobilesolutions-usa.com/product-page/smart-circle-system-template-set

https://www.mobilesolutions-usa.com/product-page/amp-template-set

 

[Craig Skinner]

Thank you Toby!

I'll check them out for sure!

Craig...

 

[Craig Skinner]

How about your Led's and where you get them and how you power them?

Craig...

 

[Craig Skinner]

WOW! Toby, Mobile Solutions has some fantastic routing products!

Going to purchase the Jessem or Woodpecker routing table and lift system with the Porta Cable 3 1/4 hp. Router.

I think the products would work well together.

Thanks again!

Craig...

 

[Craig Skinner]

Okay Toby another question, do you use the Mobile Solutions router bits also?

 

[Broadfield]

How about your Led's and where you get them and how you power them?

Craig...

https://www.oznium.com/

Okay Toby another question, do you use the Mobile Solutions router bits also?

Router bits are a racket... at least when you get into the crazier ones. And Mobile Solutions has their prices jacked up. So I try to purchase them elsewhere. 12 volt tools also specializes in this sort of thing and sometimes has better pricing on bits. I also get them off Amazon etc.

https://12vtools.com/

 

[Craig Skinner]

Thanks Toby!! I'll check things out.

Craig...

 

[Broadfield]

As I discussed several months back, I lost a lot of coral due to what I think was a very low nutrient content in my tank. I lost all of my chalices, lobos, several heads off of various euphyllias, acans, SPS were hurting and turning pale etc. The tank has been recovering since I took my bio pellets off line months back. So I haven't really wanted to take any tank pics. I decided last night that I should get an updated FTS of my tank. After comparing it to old images, I just now realized how much that darn orange monti has grown. I really need to frag a bunch off and tidy it up. I also moved some coral around to get them in more ideal locations based on flow and lighting. Changed up my rock work on the left to get a little more height for SPS and moved my Euphyllia to the back, middle of the tank to get them in a little lower flow.

IMG_0898 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

 

[mrtian97]

still looks nice, I have the same orange monti and I basically just snapping them off , either selling it to local reefer for $5 a piece or toss it in my quarantine tank. they are fast grower.

 

[Craig Skinner]

Looks real nice Toby!

 

[Reefcowboy]

I'm curious to hear about the lights. How do you like the spectra? Still enjoying them? Coral change from the old fixture?

 

[Broadfield]

I'm curious to hear about the lights. How do you like the spectra? Still enjoying them? Coral change from the old fixture?

I love the Spectra... it would be difficult for me to change to anything else. However, I may retrofit some Reefbrite XHOs in place of the T5 sections. I definitely don't want to add the Reefbrites to the outside of the fixture. I'm running actinic T5s, but they just don't give the corals that pop like the Reefbrites would.

 

[Reefcowboy]

I love the Spectra... it would be difficult for me to change to anything else. However, I may retrofit some Reefbrite XHOs in place of the T5 sections. I definitely don't want to add the Reefbrites to the outside of the fixture. I'm running actinic T5s, but they just don't give the corals that pop like the Reefbrites would.

Nice to hear that. Yes, changing the appeal and sexyness of the spectra by adding reefbrites on the sides is a big thumbs down.
Would be cool to see how the retrofit would work replacing the T5's. Have you seen the kessils retrofitted inside the mesh middle sections? That looks cool too. You can also get the new led retrofitted T5 bulbs by EuroAquatics. X5's I believe.

 

[Broadfield]

I posted this in the Reefer thread earlier, but I came across some older photos and thought I would post them in chronological order to show progression of my Reefer 450. The last picture being the one I just took last night. I was pretty bummed about all of the coral losses I had, but the tank is coming back and hopefully I can replace some of those soon. I look forward to what the tank might look like in a year.

Broadfield Reefer 450 Jan 2016 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

Broadfield Reefer 450 Feb 2016 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

Broadfield Reefer 450 Sep 2016 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

Broadfield Reefer 450 Feb 2017 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

Broadfield Reefer 450 Sep 2017 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

 

[Reefcowboy]

The sps colony to the right of the red monti cap has definitely colored up from the halides switch. It looked bluish/ green and now looks red?

 

[Broadfield]

Nice to hear that. Yes, changing the appeal and sexyness of the spectra by adding reefbrites is a big thumbs down.
Would be cool to see how the retrofit would work. You can also get the new led retrofitted T5 bulbs by EuroAquatics.

I forgot to add that I have a lot better growth with the MH/T5 combo over the previous LED/T5 combo. I thought about the E5 bulbs, but since they are diffused, they still look pretty much like a T5. I actually had the BioTek retrofit LED T5 bulbs in there for a little while. They are a drop in like the E5s, but are not diffused. So visually they are like a Reefbrite, just NOT NEAR as bright. Unfortunately there's something with them that they are not 100% compatible with the Giesemann T5 ballasts and they burn out after a couple of months. Reefbrites are definitely going to be the way to go. They will even do custom lengths for no extra charge. So I can do a 45", which is what will fit perfectly in the Spectra.

The sps colony to the right of the red monti cap has definitely colored up from the halides switch. It looked bluish/ green and now looks red?

Yes, that is a red planet. It has also grown a ton just since February of this year.