Kool Reef DIY 687 picture heavy

joekool · Mar 17, 2019

Built a basket for my sea lettuce to grow. It likes to float around like a sheet of seaweed.
I already had the light holder and top made when I built the sump.

joekool · Mar 17, 2019

New skimmer installed. Still working out a few things.

joekool · Mar 19, 2019

Tanks a little naked today hehe I tool off some of the drapes so to say. Just scrubbed all the glass and bottom bunch of stuff floating and new skimmer is sucking it up.

joekool · Mar 19, 2019

Oh yeah I added in a shelf rock. Also picking up some caribsea life rock shapes and a 24xl arch. Got to get the display all rocked up. Need many places for fish and corals to go.

McPuff · Mar 20, 2019

Wow, that sump is amazing! I have been considering building a new sump out of plywood to better use the space I have, and maximize volume. I may have missed it so I apologize, but how many coats of epoxy did you use in the sump? It was pond liner, right? Really like it!

joekool · Mar 20, 2019

McPuff said:
Wow, that sump is amazing! I have been considering building a new sump out of plywood to better use the space I have, and maximize volume. I may have missed it so I apologize, but how many coats of epoxy did you use in the sump? It was pond liner, right? Really like it!

Its 2 or three coats. Black is the thickest they sell and sure you could do it in two coats. If I had to do it again I would glue all the edges of the wood and or fiberglass resin so that it is stronger. I would use standard plywood instead if sandyply. The fancy ply wood is softer and screws were not as strong grabbing as I would have liked. All in all my sump turned out great but I definitely learned some things along the way.

joekool · Aug 31, 2019

Bought a super nice skimmer/ foam fractionator yesterday at MACNA19 check it out. https://www.rk2.com/protein-fractionators-saltwater-AC.php

najer · Sep 1, 2019

Beast!

joekool · Sep 1, 2019

MACNA19
An assortment of items brought back from the conference. 4' and 3' tongs to keep hands out of tank well mostly my whole arm lol. Also got a Kent sea squirt so i can dose or feed without getting in the water. Got these 3 things from Dirks for $190 cash got a little deal but I needed them so I'm happy
Got a couple jars of benapets reef food about six months worth that I wont be dosing like Duane in three weeks but by the label lol yes @TJ'sReef I finally got some.

Next I got ICP tests 2 for $20
Towels, glue, Neptune cod, glass cleaner sponge, pens, and paint glass is all swag got at the Neptune meetup. Thank you to Neptune and premium aquatics for hosting the meetup and breakfast.

Special shot out to Tim at RK2 for all the information and help with purchasing the RK5AC fractionator this thing is awesome. For more info on the unit check out the web page. They also have some amazing XFLO units for smaller systems that can't be beat.

RK2 Systems - Protein Fractionators: Saltwater AC

Professional Grade Aquatic Life Support filtration for freshwater or seawater shellfish and finfish aquaculture systems, public aquarium and zoological facilities and the hobbyist fish/reef aquarium markets worldwide.

www.rk2.com

This RK5AC is rated for up to 2000 gallons so I'll be good lol...
It features a vectraL2 pump with the quite driver that runs the venturi.

joekool · Sep 4, 2019

Just waiting on my FMM water sensors and 2 inch flow meter to get here and I’m hooking up this RK5AC.
Needed the flow meter for monitoring the flow into the skimmer.
Also bought a 1/4 inch flow meter at MACNA but they didn’t have any fmm or 2 inch meters.

joekool · Jan 22, 2020

Sorry everyone been busy but want to get back on here and give an update.
of course the RK5AC is up and running for a few months now.

Yesterday I installed a second return pump that I’m running in parallel to the original one. Before I was only running at 3037 gallons per hour and now I am running 6074 gallons per hour which would be close to 10 times turnover rate. I wanted to see how to take would run with close to five times the turnover rate and the simple fact is it’s just not enough water movement to get everything out of the display and some algae was growing.

Now that I have 2 DCP 20,000’s I have seen a good rise in PH and also it seems like more stuff is moving around in the tank which is good. Time will tell but I probably should’ve done this from the beginning.

here are some pictures because you know we all like to look at pictures of reef stuff.