OP
OP
Here’s a quick video from tonight:
Last edited:
Red Sea REEFER XXL 750 Build Thread with Shadowbox
- Build Thread
- Thread starter ThriftyOregon
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2018
- Messages
- 311
- Reaction score
- 465
- Review score
- +0 /0 /-0
- Location
- North Aurora Illinois
Well done!
Looks really cool! Question: How do you intend to keep the back glass clean so the shadowbox remains visible? Is there enough gap to reach behind with a magnet cleaner, or will you need to clean it from above?
OP
OP
Yeah that was/is my concern too. There’s a small gap maybe 2 inches behind the glass before the acrylic starts. I couldn’t put the acrylic flush to the back of the tank bc of the brackets for the lights. I’ll use a magnet cleaner for as much as I can reach and for the rest I’ll have to use a ladder and one of those manual scrapers with a long arm I think.
OP
OP
Update: so I’ve been having a lot of trouble with various things over the past few weeks. The apex unit didn’t work so I had to have a new one sent out. Also one of my AI Hydra lights isn’t connecting correctly to the other 3 so that needs to be returned as well
In the meantime, tank has been cycling with 4 bottles of Dr Tim’s One & Only and ghost feeding. I got my tubing for the autowater changes run through the attic and into the garage and that’s finally working. Also got the Tunze Osmolator ATO set up.
Now I threw in a few chromis and crabs bc the ugly stage is starting with dino outbreak. Getting there...
In the meantime, tank has been cycling with 4 bottles of Dr Tim’s One & Only and ghost feeding. I got my tubing for the autowater changes run through the attic and into the garage and that’s finally working. Also got the Tunze Osmolator ATO set up.
Now I threw in a few chromis and crabs bc the ugly stage is starting with dino outbreak. Getting there...
OP
OP
The Vertex Omega 200i skimmer is driving me crazy. I’ve had it running now for about 5 days and it’s just dumping white foam and I can’t even put on the cup bc it overflows in seconds. I’m told this is a break in period but it just doesn’t seem right. No adjustments I make seem to do anything so I’m just letting it roll for now and hope that it’ll eventually break in.
The Vertex Omega 200i skimmer is driving me crazy. I’ve had it running now for about 5 days and it’s just dumping white foam and I can’t even put on the cup bc it overflows in seconds. I’m told this is a break in period but it just doesn’t seem right. No adjustments I make seem to do anything so I’m just letting it roll for now and hope that it’ll eventually break in.
Hmmm. I am not the most experienced with saltwater at all. However, I had the opposite issue during which my skimmer did not bubble at over for a few weeks--first issue was that they sent me the wrong voltage of a skimmer. However the second skimmer did take a few weeks before bubbling at all despite any sort of adjustment that was a phase. Have you contacted technical support or the distributor for any help or suggestions?
OP
OP
I let it run like that and raised it up a bit and now it’s working well. Think it just needed to break in
OP
OP
Tank finished cycling, added a yellow tang, blue eyed Kole tang and two clowns (I think are Picasso’s). My LFS sold me the clowns for $20 for the pair! [emoji7]
OP
OP
On 5/8, disaster struck. I built a small stand to get the protein skimmer out of the water a bit. Apparently overnight (these things always happen overnight) the stand broke and the skimmer fell forward toward the front of the sump and the skimmer overflowed all night long on to the hardwood floors. Stupid me, I had my phone on silent and never got the apex alarm when the pH, salinity and temp probes were out of the water bc the water level in the sump had gone way down. All told, about 25 gallons of water dumped on the floor, soaked through the walls and cost about $7500 in damages (according to the insurance company).
While this was all happening, my wife went into labor and had our first child, a healthy baby boy! Luckily my inlaws were in town for the birth so they were able to help us with the cleanup and all.
While this was all happening, my wife went into labor and had our first child, a healthy baby boy! Luckily my inlaws were in town for the birth so they were able to help us with the cleanup and all.
OP
OP
During my paternity leave I had some time to work on the tank a bit. I first purchased a REAL stand for the protein skimmer (figures I tried to save a few bucks by making my own and cost $7500 in water damages instead). I then returned one of the Hydra 26HD lights that never synced up with the rest. Then I installed a carbon reactor in my sump. I also added Kalkwasser to my ATO and continued doing daily automatic water changes of 3 gallons with my neptune DOS from the saltwater mixing station in the garage.
I had been trying to order some fish from my LFS however they told me with the restrictions from Hawaii, they wouldn't be able to get my yellow tangs for cheaper than $100 a piece and purple tangs were completely unavailable. So instead, I placed an order from LiveAquaria's Divers Den for a large Powder Blue tang, 2 juvenile Yellow tangs and 1 Purple tang. I did a temperature acclimation for a bit then a drip acclimation over 2 hours then put them in the display tank.
Immediately, the Kole tang starting beating up on all of them, especially the Powder Blue and the purple tang. Luckily, I had a little egg crate left over and quickly threw in a divider and kept the lights off for a few hours
After a few hours I took the divider out and everyone seemed to be getting along well. Every now and then the Purple tang and the original larger Yellow Tang will go at it for a bit but I think they'll be ok. Everyone started eating right away except the Powder Blue seemed a bit timid
I had been trying to order some fish from my LFS however they told me with the restrictions from Hawaii, they wouldn't be able to get my yellow tangs for cheaper than $100 a piece and purple tangs were completely unavailable. So instead, I placed an order from LiveAquaria's Divers Den for a large Powder Blue tang, 2 juvenile Yellow tangs and 1 Purple tang. I did a temperature acclimation for a bit then a drip acclimation over 2 hours then put them in the display tank.
Immediately, the Kole tang starting beating up on all of them, especially the Powder Blue and the purple tang. Luckily, I had a little egg crate left over and quickly threw in a divider and kept the lights off for a few hours
After a few hours I took the divider out and everyone seemed to be getting along well. Every now and then the Purple tang and the original larger Yellow Tang will go at it for a bit but I think they'll be ok. Everyone started eating right away except the Powder Blue seemed a bit timid
OP
OP
Today, the new fish have been in for about 48hrs and the powder blue started loosening up and finally started eating. They all seem to be getting along perfectly. The tank is starting to finally look alive and I'm so excited about it! Just placed an order for a Neptune Autofeeder as well.
Next step is to drill the original ATO reservoir that came with the reefer XXL and turn it into a refugium with chaeto and pods.
Next step is to drill the original ATO reservoir that came with the reefer XXL and turn it into a refugium with chaeto and pods.
Thank you for the updates, and congratulations on the addition to your family. I'm so sorry to hear that all of the skimmer-related damage happened around the time your wife went into labor, but at least the family sounds supportive of the reef hobby and helped with the awfully timed mess!
I hope you don't mind me asking some questions here...looking to diy a similar look sorta. Do you have picks of anything white behind your frosted portion?
Similar threads
California Aquariums Skimmers Filters
Red Sea Reefer 750xxl fully equipped with skimmer, lights, live rock, and mixing station
- Price: $4500
- Shipping NOT Available
