Show Off and Discuss Your Red Sea Reefer Series

[Corgigirl]

Some great tanks here....my max E 260 is a up and running almost a week now . Basic out of the box build right now, just added an ato. An apex is next on my purchase list once things are up and running. Hope my tank turns out as nice as some of yours.

 

[revhtree]

We need to see more of these and updates!

 

[Rudzbrewski]

Was able to finish up some plumbing work on an xl425 with V3 sump.

 

[melanotaenia]

14 month mark; tank continues to do well.

 

[rpetorella]

Can anyone direct me to some good Reefer 525 xl builds? I’ve found a few going through the thread but I’ve only made it through 100 pages.

picked up this beauty

Very happy with my new 525....look forward to seeing yours.

 

[Tastee]

Can anyone direct me to some good Reefer 525 xl builds? I’ve found a few going through the thread but I’ve only made it through 100 pages.

Here is mine. Pretty basic but may give you some ideas.

Build Thread - Down under Reefer 525 build

Hi all, I’m setting up a new Red Sea Reefer XL 525 so here is the build thread. I have an existing Reefer 250 that has been running since Sep 17 and as well as the new tank this build involves upgrading my RODI station to auto-fill and also to setup AWC for both tanks. Early days yet, but wanted...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[rpetorella]

My RSR 525

 

[Shanel]

This is my Reefer XXL 625. Still cycling the tank before adding anything. Ran across this thread looking to see if I could find anyone who made a siphon break in the return line to the display tank. Anybody know the best way to accomplish this?

 

[Tastee]

This is my Reefer XXL 625. Still cycling the tank before adding anything. Ran across this thread looking to see if I could find anyone who made a siphon break in the return line to the display tank. Anybody know the best way to accomplish this?

Nice tank, very well setup!

You may find that 1.5 litre dosing container is a little small. I have a RSR 525XL and have 3 of the 5 litre versions of your container instead - currently dosing 66 ml of Aquaforest 3 part/day so that gives me about 10 weeks. I expect that to grow to double or more as I add corals and they grow.

Why do you want a siphon break in your return line?
This is only needed if the top of the sump water level is higher than the DT bottom. In your case gravity will prevent a siphon.

 

[Shanel]

Nice tank, very well setup!

You may find that 1.5 litre dosing container is a little small. I have a RSR 525XL and have 3 of the 5 litre versions of your container instead - currently dosing 66 ml of Aquaforest 3 part/day so that gives me about 10 weeks. I expect that to grow to double or more as I add corals and they grow.

Why do you want a siphon break in your return line?
This is only needed if the top of the sump water level is higher than the DT bottom. In your case gravity will prevent a siphon.

Thanks for the info. The reason I want a siphon break is cause I installed a drop down fitting on the return outlet in the DT. That puts the return outlet lower in the water. It prevents the surface water from splashing. I have the return pump setup to pulse at certain times of the day to stir up the DT water. I have a check valve installed in the return line but eventually it will fail and when it does I want to be certain my sump doesn't overflow.

Build Thread - My First Red Sea Reefer Build XXL 625

I'm super excited about this build. The Red Sea Reefer XXL 625. Tried to track all the progress as best as I could. Day 1: Modifying the filter It's an AquaMaxx AF-1 Automatic Filter Roller. First thing is the 4 rods that hold it together are extremely brittle. There are some thicker rods they...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Rudzbrewski]

Water is in. Once we reach temp the cycle can begin!

 

[Hasted]

Wanting to order a RFG for my XL300. Anyone know if this is the correct one / what I need to buy?

 

[DS204]

Wanting to order a RFG for my XL300. Anyone know if this is the correct one / what I need to buy?

Yes this looks like the right one! Using the same kit for my RSR 525xl and it fits well. My understanding is that if you go with the 3/4 kit you need a pretty high powered pump.

There is a lot of fans of the random flow generators but I wound up taking mine out and just using the y-splitter with the locline in the end.

 

[Broadfield]

Well, I turned my 450 back to a reef... I couldn't take it any longer lol. If any of you ever hear me mumble that I am going to shut my reef down and turn it into a freshwater planted setup.... SLAP me! Not that I didn't enjoy the planted setup and what I created, but it's no reef... not by a long shot.

I am going a different route this time, because why not. In an effort to maximize flow through the Red Sea return stand pipe, I ditched the bottleneck elbow at the top of it and came up with a 100% legit modification. I will also be doing a straight shot from the return pump... just a high quality Georg Fischer check valve and a Neptune 1" flow sensor. No manifolds/reactors or any of that jazz attached to the return pump. A custom Bashsea sump with a 6-24 twisted skimmer in the sump. I moved all of my Apex gear to the basement below the tank. So that frees up the entire right side of the cabinet for externally plumbed Bashsea reactors etc. I am using a COR-20 for the return and a COR-15 for the skimmer. I had them, so I might as well use them. Then I'll run a Sicce pump for each reactor and so on.

Here is what I did for the return pipe. If this mod has been done already, I apologize. I have not kept track of this thread for the last year or so. I skimmed over the last year real quick and I didn't see anything like what I have done. If anyone wants to attempt this, I have all of the measurements for the length of the two new PVC sections; one to connect the elbow to the union and one to connect the elbow to the bulkhead. Also how much to cut off one side of the elbow and the backside of the bulkhead. Lastly, the part #'s for the bulkhead, elbow, union and Loc-Line adapter.... as those need to be exact parts in order to work with my measurements etc. Most importantly, always remember to seat your PVC all of the way into the socket when gluing and hold it there, with a lot of pressure for, for a good 20 seconds or so... longer when gluing to the ABS bulkhead.

DISCLAIMER: I do not know which tanks this will be an exact fit for. I have a 450... so I assume also the 425, 525, 350 and maybe the 250. Don't quote me on any of this though. Maybe more, maybe less!?!

Part #s

• 3/4" PVC Elbow: LASCO 806-007
• 25mm x 3/4" Union: LASCO 8697-025
• 3/4" Bulkhead - THREAD X SLIP: Bulk Reef Supply 202947
• NPT Connector for 3/4” Modular Hose - Loc-Line: Bulk Reef Supply 202807 You can then attach whatever Y fitting, segments, nozzles etc. I am currently using a 3/4" to 1/2" Y... as that's what I had on hand. But I will be switching it out for a 3/4 Y and 3/4" segments/nozzles for unrestricted flow. My flow sensor will tell me if it makes any difference.

As seen in this first image, there's a huge bottleneck on the Red Sea elbow compared to a 3/4" PVC elbow.

IMG_1421 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

I went with a 3/4" bulkhead that is THREAD x SLIP. That way you can thread in a 3/4" Loc-Line adapter:

IMG_1413 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

The first thing is to hog out the Red Sea saddle that locks into the top of the weir. There is a lip around the front edge that needs to be removed. I used a 1" sanding drum attached to a die grinder. Just keep sanding a way until the bulkhead slips through the front.

Unmodified saddle:

IMG_1411 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

Modified saddle:

IMG_1412 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

You will also want to grind down the backside to remove the threads... this is so the bulkhead retaining nut threads on far enough to clear for the 3/4" PVC elbow.

IMG_1415 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

Next up is cutting a 1/2" off of the back of the bulkhead and a 1/2" off one end of the PVC elbow. Then simply gluing a small section of 3/4" PVC to the bulkhead to attach the elbow. You want the elbow and bulkhead to touch when glued. This should be a 7/8" long piece of 3/4" PVC... but you can double check the depth of the bulkhead and elbow, then add them together. But it should be really close to that or everything isn't going to line up in the overflow. NOTE: remember to thread the bulkhead nut on before you glue the elbow on:

IMG_1416 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_1417 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_1420 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

I sourced a true union that is 3/4" x 25mm. Glue the union to the elbow assembly with a 2.5" length of 3/4" PVC pipe.

IMG_1424 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

You will cut the Red Sea return stand pipe down to 15-7/8", measuring from the base of the pipe:

IMG_1418 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_1419 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

Finally, glue the 25mm side of the union to the fresh cut standpipe. NOTE: Don't forget to slide the union nut onto the standpipe first!

Then behold your new, high-flow return pipe!

IMG_1425 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_1427 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_1428 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_1431 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

Lastly, I used that same 1" drum sander to make room for the larger elbow that now sits under the overflow cover:

IMG_1434 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_1433 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

 

[xclintonx]

This is my 300XL. I sit pretty close to the tank so I built this hanging canopy out of leftover cedar to help with light bleed. I have two cedar “beams” across my ceiling and the cedar feature wall, so I felt the cedar worked with the room.

 

[Reefer_NYC]

Feel like my tank is missing something or needs a rescape, what do you suggest!

 

[Zoajohn]

Considering two options for lighting my reefer 350. I have an Aquaticlife t5 hybrid above it now and contemplating using two hydra 26's i have on another setup with the T5's, or selling them and going with 3 Radion XR15's. What would you all suggest?

 

[Alenya]

RSR250, 3 months old today

 

[Zoajohn]

RSR250, 3 months old today

Great looking scape! Has the puffer been reef safe for you?

 

[Alenya]

Great looking scape! Has the puffer been reef safe for you?

Eeeeh... acceptably reef safe. Skippy does try to murder inverts and occasionally picks at a LPS but it’s not too bad. The inverts do their thing mostly once he’s gone to bed.