Flippers reef 125 gallon

[Flippers4pups]

The story of Flippers reef started long ago..........

In a time before a thing called "The Internet"existed. Land locked Missouri, mid western U.S.A. back in 1993. I had just got out of the army in 1992 and got busy starting a family.

See, I had fresh water tanks off and on since I was very young and one summer night back in 93, while out to dinner with my wife and daughter, we had to wait for a table at a restaurant. We decided to take a walk down the strip mall near by to burn some time and unknown to me, there before me was a "saltwater fish store"! Looking in windows with eyes wide and mouth open, like a kid on Christmas Day! I had to go in! The rest is history and a "True Aquatic Addiction" permanently took hold.

Since then, a couple houses and numerous saltwater tanks later, our journey brings us to March 2015.......

This is Flippers current build thread.....

Tank: Marineland standard 6', 125 gallon RR

Stand: DIY

Canopy: DIY, 2, 120mm computer case fans

Sump tank: 6', 125 gallon, basement. DIY sump stand

Water changing station: 2, 33 gallon grey Brute trash cans connected via recirculation manifold. Danner mag 5

Skimmer: Reef Octopus classic nwb150

Heaters: 3, 150w, controlled by Inkbird Itc 308.

Return pump: Panworld 150ps

DT Wave pumps: 2, Jebao RW 15's on JB wave controller

ATO: autotopoff.com redundant float switch controlled, 16 gallon Ace rotomold conical tank. Jebao pump, internal

DT lights: 3, modified 165w Mars Aqua units. LED layout mod to SB reef lights diode layout

RO/DI: BRS 6 stage





New house = New tank! Planing stage was at least a 6' tank, but not too big due to funds. A new 6' 125 at $350 was to good to pass up. Knowing I was going to to do a basement sump on this one, I found a used 6' 125 that's was scratched up for $100.

Stand build was based on "Rocket engineers" design. 2x4's and 2x6's design. Wood screws and wood glue. 1/4" plywood skinned. No top. Doors hand built.

Interior and exterior painted semi gloss:

 

[Dsnakes]

That stand and canopy are amazing!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Canopy was next. 1"X1" strips using wood screws and wood glue.

Skinned with 1/4" plywood.

Trimmed

Doors

Paint

And finished

Vents on top

And computer fans inside

 

[Flippers4pups]

Next the basement!

This is a unfinished basement in this house and that meant I had unlimited possibilities!

First off there was no access to electricity and no easy access to water!

I had to do both!

Let's cut the main water line!

Electric

Need a sink, plumbing and water changing station

 

[Flippers4pups]

On to building a sump stand

At first I used a 20 gallon trash can for the ATO and needed a stand for it

This is the ATO now:

Add RO/DI and sump on the stand

 

[Flippers4pups]

Now my living room area where the DT was to go has a large span and I didn't want the the floor to bounce with the weight of the tank. So I sistered the floor joists under the tank, placed a 4x4 under the length of the tank and added floor jacks for support

With the DT stand and tank set upstairs, it was time for the drains. I choose to do an emergency drain as well

I wanted not to pack buckets, so a drain from the sump to the house was needed

 

[Flippers4pups]

I went with marco rock using fiberglass rods and quikrete hydraulic cement to glue the rock work together. I change some this later do to height.

 

[Flippers4pups]

That stand and canopy are amazing!

Thank you!

 

[tacosricos]

Wow, that's quite a setup!

 

[jrwoltman]

I am "flipping" over this build!!!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Went salty and after the cycle in went some easy corals

I started out with T5's over this tank. Aquticlife 8 bulb fixture

But got tired of changing bulbs (ATI) and the cost involved, so in October of 2016 I switched over to the Mars Aqua units. Corals responded very well with the LED's.

And as of this month I modded them by replacing some of the diodes to mimic the SB reeflights layout

So that's about it. I've been slowly adding more and more SPS frags. Some acropora, some montipora caps and digitatas.

Fish as of right now:

Tomini tang
Paired ocellaris clownfish
mandarin dragonet goby
yellow coris wrasse
Vermiculite leopard wrasse

I love this hobby! Fins up and happy reefing!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Wow, that's quite a setup!

Thank you

 

[Flippers4pups]

I am "flipping" over this build!!!

Thank you!

 

[Reefer Obsessed]

I dream of a set up like this!

 

[Jose102173]

will be starting my 180 upgrade soon

 

[Flippers4pups]

Some things I didn't show in the build......

I hate suction cups! Fixed that problem!

Simple manifold:

 

[Flippers4pups]

Was running filter socks for the longest time and up and decided not to run them anymore.

Problem ....... salt spray from the drains.

Solution ........ temporary "bubble box". Going to build one out of acrylic soon. Cut out at the bottom allows water out, but keeps bubbles in. Built one out of acrylic years ago for a smaller system and it worked very well. Looks ghetto, but hey, works.

 

[needbiggertanks]

My type of fix!

 

[Fishnerd7]

Newbie here..incredible build!!!!! This is the second time in only a few weeks I've heard of no filter socks? How do you clean out all the junk? Where does it collect? Love the canopy as well. Is it heavy? I'd like to build something that beefy but worry about the weight on my frame.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Thank you!

Detritus settles in the first chamber of the sump, the skimmer section. Once a month I just vacuum it out.

The construction of the canopy was designed to minimize weight buy using the 1" frame and 1/4 plywood skin. Many other canopy builders use 1/2" solid wood in their construction, which adds significantly to the weight.

The canopy weights around 50lbs. Not much weight at all.