HighEndOfTheLow's Red Sea Reefer 750 XXL

[highendofthelow]

that's it for tonight, for levelling and tank tomorrow

 

[highendofthelow]

So with a little help from our friend's the tank is now in situ....

 

[Brew12]

So with a little help from our friend's the tank is now in situ....

And you even have your first fish in it!

 

[highendofthelow]

Almost forgot the toys

2 x XF250 Gyres (need to order the magnet upgrade for the thick glass)

1 x Maspect turbine duo 9k
(Not pictured is the IV6 controller and the maspect gyre duo controllers

4 x AI Hydra 26HD's

1 x Skimz SM163 protein skimmer

 

[highendofthelow]

So close yet so far.

Just struggling to get this door to line up properly! The other two have hung great , the far left is being a PITA.

I can't get the sump in until it's hung as you can't easily tweak it after.

Also made one of these things...

 

[highendofthelow]

Right sump in; plumbing done (other then a length of tube connecting the maxspect duo to the return.

Ordered the magnet upgrades for the gyres and a Tunze Care Magnet Strong (we have the mini and the long already)

Things left to do

Connect up the Return pump
Mount gyres
Mount AI Hydra 26HD's
Make the covernet
Find some suitable heaters; I've got a few I'm in two minds to buy new or dig out what I have.
Figure out what refugrum light I want to use. I do have a spare radion XR15 gen 3 that's tempting.

Fill it.

 

[highendofthelow]

Urgh progress feels like its been slow

but there has been some!

25mm tubing is at the post office awaiting collection
Tunze Care Magnet Strong has arrived today (love the design of these things)
2 x Gyre Magnets...(the wrong ones!)
Bag of Salt at the LFS waiting for me to fill it

So annoyingly I appear to have been sent what look like 2 x External Gyre 150 magnets and not 2 x Magnet reinforcement kits so I'm currently just starting the process of getting the correct sent out to me and returning the incorrect.

"installed" a Gen 3 XR 15 on an arm for the sump, It looks pretty sweet so it will probably stay.

 

[highendofthelow]

So after discussing with the supplier who assures me (read the scepticism in my voice) that apparently I have been sent the right magnets (even though they look like and are labelled Gyre -150) they apparently only sent me 1 kit and not 2 kits,

Someone else I know also contacted the UK distributor for clarification on set up and he was advised 1 magnet should go on the wetside and one on the dryside, This made the magnet grip worse and the gyre actually started sliding down the glass,

I have managed to stack them in such a way that there has been a marginal gain however to say I'm disappointed in the product is an understatement and for the cost I'm contemplating exercise my right to a refund and take the hit on the postage.

I noticed that the gap between the Gyre XF250 magnet when placed on top of a Gyre 150 magnet (reinforcement kit) left sufficient space to run the power cable through and grip it sufficiently that it prevented the Gyre from pivoting if say a heavy snail was on it, whilst at the same time not damage the cable.

I'll probably try and drop maxspect an email and see what they can say.

One disgruntled reefer.

 

[Raptor72]

Thats a nice skimmer. I’m contemplating between the Skimz SM207 and the NYOS Quantum 160. What sold you on that model?

 

[highendofthelow]

Thats a nice skimmer. I’m contemplating between the Skimz SM207 and the NYOS Quantum 160. What sold you on that model?

Hi Raptor;

Honestly I've heard enough and seen enough replaced NYOS skimmers that I simply wouldn't buy one,

The Skimz skimmer was actually a small gamble, in the UK they don't have a particularly large fan base but seem far more popular Europe and USA side.

It's price was also good in that if I really don't get on with it and decide to sell it on I wouldn't lose a serious amount of money on it etc

It also offered feature of interest , quiet low wattage pump, that's variable should I need it .

Cheers
Luke

 

[highendofthelow]

So I started filling the tank today, I have the sump more or less done but have a long way to go!

Brought a 30 kg sack of salt (TMC Pro)
Picked up my tubing and connected the Return pump to the return pipe
Tested bulk head seals..discovered leak on return pipe, fixed leak (O ring wasn't sitting correctly).
Found 3 x 150-200 watt heaters, binned 2 of them as they weren't safe! (d'oh!)
Brought a new 150 watt heater (only one i could get with an hour trading time left today) giving me a total of 300 watts currently heating the sump, I can probably pull another 150-200 watt heater out of one of my tanks short term.
Brought 2 x 250 Schego titanium heaters for a permanent solution, I may need a 3rd but figured i can always add one at a later date, (I have an STC 1000 controller already wired up) which i'm hoping will get delivered soon.

I also fired up the skimmer (only in R.O) but it seemed pretty quiet considering which I'm happy about.

Luke

 

[Brew12]

So I started filling the tank today, I have the sump more or less done but have a long way to go!

Brought a 30 kg sack of salt (TMC Pro)
Picked up my tubing and connected the Return pump to the return pipe
Tested bulk head seals..discovered leak on return pipe, fixed leak (O ring wasn't sitting correctly).
Found 3 x 150-200 watt heaters, binned 2 of them as they weren't safe! (d'oh!)
Brought a new 150 watt heater (only one i could get with an hour trading time left today) giving me a total of 300 watts currently heating the sump, I can probably pull another 150-200 watt heater out of one of my tanks short term.
Brought 2 x 250 Schego titanium heaters for a permanent solution, I may need a 3rd but figured i can always add one at a later date, (I have an STC 1000 controller already wired up) which i'm hoping will get delivered soon.

I also fired up the skimmer (only in R.O) but it seemed pretty quiet considering which I'm happy about.

Luke

No vinegar in with the skimmer? I found that a cup or two in the bucket helps remove the oil residue from manufacture and gets it dialed in faster.

 

[highendofthelow]

No vinegar in with the skimmer? I found that a cup or two in the bucket helps remove the oil residue from manufacture and gets it dialed in faster.

In honesty I didn't think of it at the time!

I gave it a bit of a rub down before I put it In, but I may try and pick some up and run it anyway

 

[Brew12]

In honesty I didn't think of it at the time!

I gave it a bit of a rub down before I put it In, but I may try and pick some up and run it anyway

Ah, didn't realize it was in the sump!

I wouldn't bother unless you plan on rapidly stocking your tank. I find it more important to do it prior to putting a new skimmer in an existing system.

 

[highendofthelow]

Ah, didn't realize it was in the sump!

I wouldn't bother unless you plan on rapidly stocking your tank. I find it more important to do it prior to putting a new skimmer in an existing system.

Yea; I'm in no real hurry, I need to get it up to temperature and salted by the 8th as I've managed to get the day off to go live rock picking; but other then that it can sit and do it's thing

At best I may kick start the algae bed and get some pods going to give the tank a head start but I don't really anticipate to put any stock in for atleast a month and even if I were it would just be my current stock that a in the 200ltr tank

I'm more then happy to let this take it's time atleast intially, iron out all the kinks, spend the money on kit etc etc.

 

[Brew12]

Yea; I'm in no real hurry, I need to get it up to temperature and salted by the 8th as I've managed to get the day off to go live rock picking; but other then that it can sit and do it's thing

At best I may kick start the algae bed and get some pods going to give the tank a head start but I don't really anticipate to put any stock in for atleast a month and even if I were it would just be my current stock that a in the 200ltr tank It

I'm more then happy to let this take it's time atleast intially, iron out all the kinks, spend the money on kit etc etc.

It's almost like you've done this before!

 

[highendofthelow]

It's almost like you've done this before!

Been around the block once or twice ;-)

~ 12 and 7 years respectively and we still haven't learnt haha.

First time with what I would call a really big tank however I'm sure there's still plenty to learn.

Think I've already said it before this tank I want to try and keep easy maintenance where I can, good equipment, good methodology etc etc.

 

[highendofthelow]

I think I'm at the proverbial watching paint dry stage.


Waiting for R.O to produce and get upto temperature.

Question time: miracle mud sump? Yay or nay?

The SPS purest in me sees it as just a ticking time bomb of excess nutrients and fertilizer.

However I have admittedly seen plenty of people use it successfully. I'm also wanting to really push / promote a good algae bed for nutrient export and pod/microfauna.

Thoughts? The red sea reefer deluxe /XXL sumps do lend itself well to algae refugrum

 

[Brew12]

I think I'm at the proverbial watching paint dry stage.


Waiting for R.O to produce and get upto temperature.

Question time: miracle mud sump? Yay or nay?

The SPS purest in me sees it as just a ticking time bomb of excess nutrients and fertilizer.

However I have admittedly seen plenty of people use it successfully. I'm also wanting to really push / promote a good algae bed for nutrient export and pod/microfauna.

Thoughts? The red sea reefer deluxe /XXL sumps do lend itself well to algae refugrum

I have Walt Smith's Fiji mud in my sump and I feel it helps.

 

[jsker]

Great build, following along