Newbie Nuvo INT 75 Mixed Reef Build

[PiggyPuffin]

I should of started this thread a couple of months ago as I'm sure the community would of caught some minor (but annoying) mistakes I've made along the way. I've been busy relocating from San Francisco to Chicago while getting our 75 gallon up and running. It has been a fun and interesting journey so far, and hopefully that will continue. I've had small freshwater tanks in my teens/college, and my first foray into saltwater was a 10 gallon AIO this past '18 summer (it is humming along nicely). My partner and I have decided to jump up to something bigger, hence this 75INT Innovative Marine build thread.

Below is my list of components that have so far gone into our build. I'll try and keep this as extensive as possible so fellow refers can have a shopping list resource and not forget some of the important but minor items (like I have).

As of 1/7/2019 the tank has been running for 2 weeks.

=========================================
Components:

Aquarium:

• Innovative Marine IM INT 75

Stand:

• Innovative Marine IM SR-60
• NB: Provided cut out instructions for top board were incorrect, make it 1" deeper and 1" wider. Top horizontal support beam was mis-located. No instructions provided. Shift it a few inches off center to the left (in between 1st and 2nd bulkheads)
• Shims for leveling
• Tape (to cover those annoying little screws on the top board that prevent the tank from sliding on/off easily)
  
• Mods:
  1. Wood strips to support the bottom internal board. It flexes easily
  2. 1/2" plywood cut to size of internal left and right faces
     • Paint and stain
     • Secure with L brackets and #6 1/2" screws into groves of aluminum frame
     • Attach securely any device or shelf you want

Sump:

• DIY - Aqueon 20G tall
  • 3D model available, PM me
• Chemistry Probes: (Profilux 4 based)
  • pH
  • Temperature
  • Salinity
  • ORP
• Profilux Probe holder (terrible design, I don't have confidence it will stay in position. I need to replace it)
• Silicone: GE Silicone 1 Window and Door
• Laser cut 3/8" black acrylic

Plumbing:

• 1" PVC Sch 40 pipe from Home Depot
• BRS 1" black vinyl tuning
• BRS 3/4" black vinyl tubing
• 1" unions, Sch 40, PVC, slip slip
• 3/4" unions, Sch 40, PVC, slip slip
• 3/4" Spears True union swing check valve, slip slip
  
• Various elbows and 90s as needed, slip-slip
• 1” Cepex ball valve, slip slip
  
• 3/4" Pipe Adapter spigot x barb x2
• Wye fitting, Spears 475 Series PVC Pipe Fitting, Sch. 40, 3/4", slip slip
  
• Primer and cement
• Foad pad, Aquaneat Reticulated Open Cell Foam Sponge Filter Media (coarse)

ATO:

• Reservoir (still deciding what my best option is)
• Profilux 4 based
  • GHL Float sensor
  • GHL Optical Sensor
  • Sensor holders (terrible products. Look elsewhere! I'm replacing them):
    • GHL Level Sensor Fastener Angled
      
    • GHL Level Sensor Fastener
    • GHL Level Sensor Holder Base Unit
• ATO pump:
  • Pump Sicce Micra (under powered, 2ft head height is very low)
  • Replaced with BRS 50mL/min doser
• Pump tubing:
  • Deep Jungle Black Flexible Airline Tubing

Aquascape:

• Sand: Caribsea Aragonite Special Grade, 1 x 40 lbs, 1-2 mm grain size
  • ~1 inch depth
• Rock: MarcoRocks Reef Saver, dry "live", 80 lbs (only ended up using 2/3 of it in the display)
• Glue: BRS Extra Thick Super Glue, 2 x 20G
• Acrylic tubes: 4 x ¼” dia., 16", clear
• Drill bit: Irwin Tools 1813898 Masonry Drill Bit 1/4" Multi Material Xl 16"

Chemware:

• Salt: Instant Ocean Reef Crystals
• BRS Pharma Kalkwasser Bulk Package:
  • BRS Kalkwasser
  • BRS Magnesium
  • BRS Sodium Chloride
  • BRS Sodium Bicarbonate
• Purigen, 100 mLs
• Carbon: Using up some old unknown media
• GFO: BRS bulk granular ferric oxide
• Fluval Biomax Filter Media, 500g
  
• MarinePure 8"x8"x4" block (I wouldn't buy this again, expensive, fragile, sheds)
• Filter media bags:
  • DEPEPE fine mesh drawstring bags
  • DEPEPE Aquarium Filter Bags

Testware:

• API Master Test Kit
  • pH
  • Ammonia
  • Nitrite
  • Nitrate
• API Phosphate (very difficult to read, will replace)
• Red Sea Reef Foundation Pro Test Kit
  • Calcium
  • Alkalinity
  • Magnesium
• Lamotte total and free chlorine
• BRS refractometer (use the calibration fluid fortnightly!)

Bioware:

• 1st addition:
  • Dry rock matured in basement for 3 months in saltwater
  • Cycled with Fritz TurboStart
    
  • Red banded cleaner shrimp (Stinky)
  • Red legged hermit crab
  • Blue legged hermit crab

• 2nd addition (2nd month):
  • Yellow watchman goby (Gilbert)
  • Randall's pistol shrimp (Dozer)
  • Coralline algae, ARC pink and purple bottles

• 3rd addition (3rd month):

• Da'Vinci clown (Lucy)

• 4th addition (3rd month):

• Da'Vinci clown (Desi 2.0, the only thing not QT'd)

• 5th addition (5th month):

• Bengai Cardinal, mated pair (Morticia and Gomez)
• Firefish x 3
• Royal gramma
• Panamic barnacle blenny x 7 (The Muppets)
• Coralline algae, ARC pink and purple bottles

• 6th addition (6 month):

• Blue mandarin, female, Biota captive bred (only eats live food)

• Future fish I want to add:

• Purple tang

Electronic Equipment:

• Controller:
  • GHL ProfiLux 4
• Return Pumps
  • 2 x Jebao DCP-4000
  • Running dual pumps in parallel for redundancy
• Heater:
  • 2 x 200 W, Jager TruTemp
  • Primary heater is controlled by Profilux temperature probe at 25C, but internal heater thermostat is set to 26C.
  • Secondary heater is set to 24C and on permanent power.
  • Primary concern is that heater fails on - thermostat within the heater acts as backup (26C). 2nd concern is that heater fails off - 2nd, independent, always on, heater would turn on (24C).
• Wave Maker (display):
  • Tunze Nanostream 6055
  • Controlled by Profilux with cable
• Refugium lighting:
  • 45W grow light
  • The best option I could find for my long and narrow refugium chamber.
• Skimmer:
  • CoralBox D300+
• Wave maker to mix salt:
  • Jebao RW-4

Display lighting:

• Kessil A360X x 2
• Kessil A Series Mounting Arm x 2
• Kessil Spectral Controller X

RODI System:

• BRS 6 stage
• Water reservoir
  • 32 gallon Brute
• Float valve:
  • Kerick Valve M252 PVC Mini Float Valve, Tank Mount, Fixed Arm, 1.5 gpm at 60 psi, 1/4" Tube
• Plumbing:
  • Lifegard Aquatics 1/2-Inch Bulkhead Fitting Kit
  • 1/2" Ball valve, slip slip

Food and Nutrition:

• Copepods, AlgaGenPods Apocylops
• Hikari Seaweed Extreme small pellet
• Piscine Energetics Mysis shrimp blister pack
• Piscine Energetic Saltwater Pellets
• NB: I bought the smallest packs possible, it's food after all, and will deteriorate at the rate I use it up.

Miscellaneous:

• Misc. towels
• Misc. fish nets
• Large tub for rinsing sand
• Small tub and clamp for acclimating bioware in display
• Plastic Pasteur pipettes for feeding
• Misc. zip ties
• Adhesive zip tie mounts, iExcell 100Pcs Black 20mm x 20mm x 4mm
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Extension cord, Stellar Labs 28-11311 2 outlet
• Velcro, Strenco 2" Adhesive Black Hook and Loop Tape, Heavy Duty, 15 Feet (not sure I would buy this again)
  
• Saw
• Channellock wrench

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

Wow, sounds awesome! Pics or it didn't happen!! Lots of great equipment on there.

 

[Reefer5640]

Nice setup! I noticed you have kalkwasser and two part. Which method are you going to start out with? Or are you planning on adding both? I’ve seen some people do this and heavily stocked tanks...

 

[PiggyPuffin]

Wow, sounds awesome! Pics or it didn't happen!! Lots of great equipment on there.

I have plenty of pictures. Will get them up soon.

 

[PiggyPuffin]

Nice setup! I noticed you have kalkwasser and two part. Which method are you going to start out with? Or are you planning on adding both? I’ve seen some people do this and heavily stocked tanks...

BRS recommends using the 2 part to get your system in line before starting KW. I'm keeping this all as simple as possible, so KW once I get coral in there. You may have also noticed that I'm not using media reactors...just mesh bags. Simpler. Less to fail. Fewer outlets needed! LOL

 

[Reefer5640]

Right on! Well best of luck. Look forward to a build thread.

 

[PiggyPuffin]

 

[PiggyPuffin]

I added in our clownfish a few days ago (unfortunately we lost her partner due to a successful suicide attempt while we were on vacation), a couple of bottles of ARC coralline, a bottle of apo. pods and a bottle of phyto (unsure what species). Also started getting the Alk/Ca/Mg parameters where we want them. To get the coralline to grow I have turned on the lights @ 50% for 2 hrs per day. I'm still working in the cabinet to get it all tidied up so I won't post pictures of that till I get it all sorted out. My main stumbling block is how to mount all of the electronics given that the stand is made of aluminum and thin sheets of plastic. Right now I'm using a sheet of egg crate (that's leaning on the left hand side of the inside of the stand) and zip ties but it needs better support...which I think I've figured out.

 

[Reefer5640]

Looks awesome!

 

[harthag12]

Any update on your equipment mounting for the electronics? I'm setting up a 100 EXT & forsee the same problem, I'll likely mount in a cabinet next to it.

 

[steelwrap]

How You liking that coralbox skimmer? Quiet?

 

[miahpage]

Any updates?

 

[PiggyPuffin]

Any update on your equipment mounting for the electronics? I'm setting up a 100 EXT & forsee the same problem, I'll likely mount in a cabinet next to it.

Yes! Egg crate sucks! Don't bother with it.

I cut two pieces of 1/2" thick plywood to the size of the interior left and right faces. These will fit in nicely if you cut them ~1/8th" short on each side. I painted them with some left over stain and wood sealant that I had in my basement, but I'm sure you could find something much more appropriate to protect them from moisture. Once loosely in place, use 2 x 1/2" screws to attach some L shaped brackets on the sides. You only need one per side. Protrude the brackets over the edge and slot them into the groove in the aluminum bars. This is pretty easy to do if you don't have your sump in place (I did). From there the boards are very secure and you can screw to the board anything you wish. Just make sure you use the appropriate length screws. I used screws and velcro to attach all my electronics. I also screwed zip tie holders to keep cables in place. Along the aluminum bars I used sticky backed zipties for cable management. Worked out great!

You can even add on shelves if you need them.

I highly recommend doing this even if you plan on adding a cabinet for electronics. It is just so much easier to put in place before you have your sump up and running. And it's all pretty cheap...not sure how much everything was, but <$100.

L brackets: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-1-2-in-Zinc-Plated-Flat-Corner-Brace-4-Pack-15292/202033975
#6 1/2" screws: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B075DHD8JV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Zipties: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B075Y9J42T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[PiggyPuffin]

How You liking that coralbox skimmer? Quiet?

As it is my first skimmer, I can't compare it to anything. But it skims quietly and works well. Easy enough to remove the cup for emptying (I don't use the included drain yet).

 

[fishface NJ]

Updates???? Love to see the sump and tank!

 

[ckjhill]

Any update on your equipment mounting for the electronics? I'm setting up a 100 EXT & forsee the same problem, I'll likely mount in a cabinet next to it.

I'm setting up a 100 INT same problem...

 

[fishface NJ]

@ckjhill How do you like the tank and stand so far? I think I may get a 100 EXT. You should consider becoming a member on NJRC and also starting a build thread. We have members all over the state. A few too in Hudson county.

 

[ckjhill]

It's a great setup. The stand went together in 20 mins..the only issue would be the bottom of the stand. I wish they would have put something rigid on the floor instead of the black mat. This is my first big saltwater tank..I upgraded from a AIO 16 gallon Biocube that I had for 5 years running. So this was my first shot at plumbing a tank..went smooth...not one leak in the pipes..now I wish I went with a bigger tank but living in an Apartment complex has its limits...

 

[fishface NJ]

@ckjhill which sump model is that? It fits nicely. I thought there was a solid bottom inside the cabinet.

 

[ckjhill]

It's a trigger emerald 39...not a solid bottom..I could have put down some plywood but I didnt..I also didn't like the fact that there was no rear wall either...so I did a half wall in the back...