SuncrestReef's Red Sea Reefer XL 425 build

[SuncrestReef]

My frag rack is full. Sometimes I’m really bad at deciding where I want to place new frags, so they just accumulate here on this small corner rack. This should finally force me to get out the glue and place them.

 

[ibondy]

Great looking frags!

 

[SuncrestReef]

I've been on a shopping spree lately. Today I picked up a cool chalice and a trachyphyllia:

 

[mta_morrow]

Beautiful pieces!

And great pics too!

Love your tank, stocking, and how well you document.

 

[SuncrestReef]

The new trachy is pretty hungry on the first night in my tank. Time for some ReefRoids.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Nice! I picked a very similar Chalice this past weekend. Kind of a purple/teal with green/yellow eyes (more yellow than my images captured). Curious if yours came with some trendy name?

My nub

 

[SuncrestReef]

Nice! I picked a very similar Chalice this past weekend. Kind of a purple/teal with green/yellow eyes (more yellow than my images captured). Curious if yours came with some trendy name?

My nub

Mine is a mystery chalice...I'm doing some research to try to figure out exactly what it is.

Yours looks like a blue watermelon chalice. See if this is a match: https://www.tidalgardens.com/stock-blue-watermelon-chalice.html

 

[NY_Caveman]

Mine is a mystery chalice...I'm doing some research to try to figure out exactly what it is.

Yours looks like a blue watermelon chalice. See if this is a match: https://www.tidalgardens.com/stock-blue-watermelon-chalice.html

Thanks!

 

[SuncrestReef]

I'll be on vacation in late September, and to make things easier for my tank sitter, I decided to install a switch box that controls some of the more common maintenance tasks. Rather than needing to log into Apex Fusion, a simple press of a button can be used to turn off all the pumps in an emergency, or trigger simple feed modes.

I got this unit from Harry Singer (see https://www.instagram.com/harrysaquatics/) and it just connects to any Apex I/O port. Since I already have a breakout box using the I/O port on my Apex, I connected this new switchbox to the I/O port on my ASM module. There are a total of 6 switches:

S1_Smp - Turns off all pumps in the sump for maintenance. This includes dosing pumps, ATO, and AWC.
S2_FdF - Feed Fish, shuts off circulation for 5 minutes
S3_Blu - Blue Lights, turns on blue lighting for 5 minutes
S4_FdC - Feed Corals, shuts off circulation for10 minutes
S5_Wht - White Lights, turns on white lighting for 5 minutes
S6_WAV - Turns off powerheads for maintenance.
(Apex switch names are limited to 6 characters)

The two larger toggle switches at the left and right have protective covers so it's not easy to accidentally move the toggle switch, and these toggles remain in position until manually move them. The other four small buttons are simple doorbell-style push buttons, so they only register "Closed" briefly when pressed. For these four buttons I created virtual outputs with Defer timers, so when the button is pressed it activates the virtual output for a set period of time, then then virtual output turns back Off:

BlueLights
Set OFF
If S3_Blu CLOSED Then ON
Defer 005:00 Then OFF

 

[RichtheReefer21]

@NY_Caveman
;Troll

 

[Prinz55]

WOOOZER. ILL BE following along I’m gonna use ur build. As a map to were I wanna be. You spent a lot of time planning looks like.

 

[Janci]

I'll be on vacation in late September, and to make things easier for my tank sitter, I decided to install a switch box that controls some of the more common maintenance tasks. Rather than needing to log into Apex Fusion, a simple press of a button can be used to turn off all the pumps in an emergency, or trigger simple feed modes.

I got this unit from Harry Singer (see https://www.instagram.com/harrysaquatics/) and it just connects to any Apex I/O port. Since I already have a breakout box using the I/O port on my Apex, I connected this new switchbox to the I/O port on my ASM module. There are a total of 6 switches:

S1_Smp - Turns off all pumps in the sump for maintenance. This includes dosing pumps, ATO, and AWC.
S2_FdF - Feed Fish, shuts off circulation for 5 minutes
S3_Blu - Blue Lights, turns on blue lighting for 5 minutes
S4_FdC - Feed Corals, shuts off circulation for10 minutes
S5_Wht - White Lights, turns on white lighting for 5 minutes
S6_WAV - Turns off powerheads for maintenance.
(Apex switch names are limited to 6 characters)

The two larger toggle switches at the left and right have protective covers so it's not easy to accidentally move the toggle switch, and these toggles remain in position until manually move them. The other four small buttons are simple doorbell-style push buttons, so they only register "Closed" briefly when pressed. For these four buttons I created virtual outputs with Defer timers, so when the button is pressed it activates the virtual output for a set period of time, then then virtual output turns back Off:

BlueLights
Set OFF
If S3_Blu CLOSED Then ON
Defer 005:00 Then OFF

@WallyB

 

[WallyB]

@WallyB

Thanks @Janci for the Vacation Dashboard idea. Nice and simple.

Here is my 2 Tank Vacation Switch Box to simply things for my Tank Sitter.

 

[WallyB]

My frag rack is full. Sometimes I’m really bad at deciding where I want to place new frags, so they just accumulate here on this small corner rack. This should finally force me to get out the glue and place them.

That Turbinaria you have is my most Favourite Coral in my Tank.
One of the few Corals that you can get Yellow Colors from without perfection.
Great Glow on the PE under Blue lights.
It's hardy, grows not too slow (so you have to wait forever), but not too fast (so it gets out of control).
Once it anchors down on, you will not able to remove it.
Place it medium/high, but plan some space below for it to grow and cast a shadow.

 

[SuncrestReef]

That Turbinaria you have is my most Favourite Coral in my Tank.
One of the few Corals that you can get Yellow Colors from without perfection.
Great Glow on the PE under Blue lights.
It's hardy, grows not too slow (so you have to wait forever), but not too fast (so it gets out of control).
Once it anchors down on, you will not able to remove it.
Place it medium/high, but plan some space below for it to grow and cast a shadow.

Thanks for the tips! I’ve been trying to decide where to place it, so this really helps.

Great photo!

 

[WallyB]

Thanks for the tips! I’ve been trying to decide where to place it, so this really helps.

Great photo!

No problem. Look forward to seeing where you place the Turbinaria and see it prosper.

One other tip since I've seen the long term pain.

Select and place wisely any Encrusting Frags. I see a couple on your frag rack.
They start small and look great for rock coverage coloration.

However over time they will continue to encrust (Some Really fast!!), and will take over a whole rock and spread to other rocks if there is contact. If they are stronger than other SPS on same rock they will suffocate, grow over and even kill them.

A fellow reefer had an encrusting sps. Looked great for over a year as it spread and provide great color.
Then he had to battle it by trying to cut away the invasion around other SPS.... and it got to the point where he had to remove the whole Large rock (1/4 of tank) to prevent further invasion/damage.

Think long term for Encrusters. Maybe if you want them, ensure the rock you place them on, is contained (no contact once it spreads to edges of rock).

I actually killed and removed all of mine (where I could) after seeing my friends situation.

 

[SuncrestReef]

My dual return nozzles have been in use non-stop for over 16 months without any cleaning. Today I decided it was time:

After a few hours soaking in vinegar and going over it with a toothbrush, it looks as good as new:

 

[Paul R Barnhart]

Suncrest, I literally binged this entire thread today! One of the best builds I have seen in all my research. I cannot believe this was your first tank!! Congrats and thanks for all this work and insight. Truly inspiring is all I can say. I will be copying a lot of what you have done here. Keep it up! Cant wait to see the peninsula one day.

 

[SuncrestReef]

Suncrest, I literally binged this entire thread today! One of the best builds I have seen in all my research. I cannot believe this was your first tank!! Congrats and thanks for all this work and insight. Truly inspiring is all I can say. I will be copying a lot of what you have done here. Keep it up! Cant wait to see the peninsula one day.

Wow, all in one day? You should get some sort of award! Sometimes I need to go back to look something up I wrote long ago in this thread and I get frustrated with how many posts I need to look through...

Seriously though, I'm really glad to hear when people find this documentation useful and inspiring. Feel free to steal any of my ideas, and be sure to share a link if you have a build thread. And if you use an Apex, be sure to read my 8-part Apex tutorial series!

 

[Paul R Barnhart]

Wow, all in one day? You should get some sort of award! Sometimes I need to go back to look something up I wrote long ago in this thread and I get frustrated with how many posts I need to look through...

Seriously though, I'm really glad to hear when people find this documentation useful and inspiring. Feel free to steal any of my ideas, and be sure to share a link if you have a build thread. And if you use an Apex, be sure to read my 8-part Apex tutorial series!

Yeah the kids and wife are away so I got to do my favorite thing today, watch my reef and read about what I am hoping is my future tank (425xl). I am old school and am still rocking a reefkeeper but I have an Apex on it's way as we speak, so I will definitely be reading your series ASAP! The programming scares me a little but I am sure, if it is at all as detailed as this build thread, I will be an expert after reading. Thanks again!