gahumphrey's Innovative Marine SR-80 Shallow Reef

[gahumphrey]

Okay, starting up a thread on a new Innovative Marine SR-80 80G Shallow Reef.

 

List of equipment (already on hand)

 

Innovative Marine SR-80 AIO Shallow Reef tank

100 LBs dry rock

80 LBs sugar fine white crystal sand

Neptune Systems Apex

Cadlights new pipeless 100PLS protein skimmer

CadLights PLS50 Nano Skimmer

AquaC Remora Pro-S Skimmer with Danner Supreme 5 Pump

IM Ghost Full Size skimmer

IM MiniMax full size media reactor - Biopellets

IM MiniMax Desktop reactor with Rox carbon

IM MiniMax Desktop reactor with X-Port PO4

Apex Controller

Ecotech Vortech MP 40w

Ecotech Vortech MP 10w

2 150 Watt Cobalt heater

2 Ecotech Radion XR15W Pro

Ecotech Reeflink

2 AI Vega's

AI Director

AutoAqua ATO

Tunze 3155 ATO system

Green Killing Machine 24W UV Sterilizer (Only used for 24 hrs to clear up bacteria bloom)

 

Livestock:

 

Coral

 

Green Frogspawn

Joker Frogspawn (neon green and purple heads on deep purple tentacles)

Toxic Green Hammer

Alien Eye Chalice

White carpet anemone

Lobophyllia

Symphylia

Hulk Acans

Blue/Orange Acans

Green/Red Acans

Red Mushrooms

Eagle Eye Zoas

Sunny D's Fully recovered!!

Pink Palys

ORA Bird of Paradise

ORA Orange Montipora Setosa

Blue Zoas

Greenbay Packer Zoas

Green Button Polyps

Bright green Seriatopora (Birdsnest)

Red Montipora Digitata

Dark Red Montipora Capricornis

ORA Red Montipora Capricornis (Plating) - Turned Brown from Radions

Green with purple polyp Stylophora

Pink/Purple Stylo

Neon Green Star Polyps

Yellow Porites

Red Acro

misc Zoas

 

Inverts

sand sifting star

tons of hermits (blue leg, red leg)

Black Brittle Starfish - multiplied into countless babies

tons of snails

 

Fish

2 Ocellaris Clowns

1 Six Line Wrasse

 

1 Blue Velvet Damsel This guy lives in isolation now. After a year of losing all different kinds of coral I found out it was this guy eating EVERYTHING. Only at night... He ate Acans, Birdsnest, Zoanthis, Acropora, Palys, fish, shrimp, hermits, etc. You name it - he ate it.

 

 

 

First impressions:

 

This thing is big - and HEAVY. the SR-80 with the stand is 425lbs. The delivery is curb side. If you're lucky you can get them to put it in your garage. First I tried to contact the shipping company and see if they would do a white glove, inside delivery. Paying a few bucks more would be worth it. Let's just say the shipping company didn't really have their act together. They were supposed to deliver it Monday. They couldn't get a local shipping company to get it to my house. On Monday they said it was going to take another two to three days to find someone to get it to my house. Well the next morning they showed up with no warning at 8am and never got back to me about inside delivery. They only sent one guy with it so that was out of the question. I slipped the guy some cash to at least get it in the front door. It was too heavy for just the two of us to get the whole thing in one shot in the front door so I got him to carry the tank in with me. After that he said no way to bringing the stand in the house.

 

Wednesday I decided to bring the stand in. No one around to help so I decided to give it a go myself. That would have made a good spectator sport.

 

Base rock came yesterday so I washed it all off and assembled it to an acceptable state last night. That took three hours.

 

I was immediately impressed with how much room there really is in the back of this tank. It gave me all kinds of ideas like doing a custom acrylic refugium to go between the two pumps, maybe a second bio rector, one for bio-pellets of some sort and one for GFO. Not sure yet...

________________________________________________

 

Current FTS as of Nov 2014

 

November 2015

[claval01]

FOLLOWING !!! BEAUTIFUL !!!

[nismo_sky32]

Very nice! Following

[TeamIM24]

Looking forward to seeing how all this turns out.

[defender.TX]

Following! I'm excited for you, the tank looks beautiful.

[jdokos]

Thinking about one of these. Exactly how wide is the back chamber?

[Polyp Addict]

Looks great! Im interested in getting one as well

[defender.TX]

It looks like the two return pumps are the same that they use in the Nuvo 24. I'm curious if the width of the sump could support larger return pumps that usually can't be used in all in ones like the new DC pumps?

[PRJ]

Lookin' good, GA!!

 

Glad you got it inside without any cracks! (Have you done a leak test yet? Hope I didn't jinx it! )

[gahumphrey]

Thinking about one of these. Exactly how wide is the back chamber?

Hi jdokos,

 

Here's the manual with the exact dimensions. The main middle chamber that houses the two pumps is 23.28" long and 4.57" deep. there are a total of 5 chambers in the back.

 

http://www.innovative-marine.com/nuvo-sr-aquarium/manuals/SR-manual.pdf

 

Page 13 has the details on the SR-80 dimensions but the SR-60 and SR-120 are also in the manual.

 

Lookin' good, GA!!

 

Glad you got it inside without any cracks! (Have you done a leak test yet? Hope I didn't jinx it! )

Thanks PRJ!

 

Doh - no - haven't done a leak test yet. That'll be a good weekend project. Should have done that before I put the rock in but I got all excited.

 

Craftsmanship on the tank is really good. The glass alignment is perfect. The sealing looks really good too. stay tuned!

 

Thanks everyone for all the kind words and encouragement! Hope the build out doesn't disappoint!!

 

It looks like the two return pumps are the same that they use in the Nuvo 24. I'm curious if the width of the sump could support larger return pumps that usually can't be used in all in ones like the new DC pumps?

yeah, that's the first thing I thought when I looked at the pumps and how much space is back there. I'll definitely be looking into bigger pumps. I was disappointed to see they didn't include four spin stream nozzles. Will probably add those too. I have the rotating hydor nozzle in my BC29 and I love it.

[llama roadkill]

Following! I'm really looking forward to seeing this wet and full of life!

[Jabba954]

NICE! I got mine wednesday - luckily the shipping company (Dependable) was decent, and the guy offered to help move the stand and tank inside. They are HEAVY! He even helped me lift the tank onto the stand - and he balked at me giving him a tip! Unfortunately, after he left, I realized I didn't like where it was, but was able to muscle it through creative use of physics.

 

Added sand and about an inch of water to the tank - filling the rest of the way tomorrow, and adding some rock (more rock en route from Amazon - Prime FTW!) Planning the same skimmer, but unsure how easy it will be to adjust...

[defender.TX]

yeah, that's the first thing I thought when I looked at the pumps and how much space is back there. I'll definitely be looking into bigger pumps. I was disappointed to see they didn't include four spin stream nozzles. Will probably add those too. I have the rotating hydor nozzle in my BC29 and I love it.

 

I just put two SpinStreams on my Nuvo 24 and I really like them so far, although they seem to have decreased the velocity of flow in the display. What I mean is that the standard LocLine output nozzles that come with it narrow to a tip, so the water velocity coming out is very fast even if the total GPH is the same. The SpinStreams have a lot wider opening so the flow is more relaxed. I actually feel like with the SpinStreams that I need to upgrade my powerhead to create a higher velocity flow in the display. We'll see how the corals like the new flow pattern.

[gahumphrey]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="defender.TX" data-cid="4573363" data-time="1387044906"><p>

<br />

I just put two SpinStreams on my Nuvo 24 and I really like them so far, although they seem to have decreased the velocity of flow in the display. What I mean is that the standard LocLine output nozzles that come with it narrow to a tip, so the water velocity coming out is very fast even if the total GPH is the same. The SpinStreams have a lot wider opening so the flow is more relaxed. I actually feel like with the SpinStreams that I need to upgrade my powerhead to create a higher velocity flow in the display. We'll see how the corals like the new flow pattern.</p></blockquote>

 

Great feedback. That's kind of what I suspected. If i do add spin streams then I'll probably upgrade the pumps. Thanks!

[Cameron6796]

Wow can't wait to watch this

[Illuiix]

Tank looks pretty good actually.

[gahumphrey]

Have the tank about half full. Just realized that 90lbs of sugar fine sand is more than I realized. I stopped adding sand after about 80lbs. That gives me about a 2 1/2" bed. That's quite a bit given the height of the tank is only 16".

 

I also just ordered one of those new Autoaqua ATO systems. Will let y'all know how that works out.

[keithfullermusic]

Have the tank about half full. Just realized that 90lbs of sugar fine sand is more than I realized. I stopped adding sand after about 80lbs. That gives me about a 2 1/2" bed. That's quite a bit given the height of the tank is only 16". I also just ordered one of those new Autoaqua ATO systems. Will let y'all know how that works out.

 

all we want are pictures!!!

[gahumphrey]

Okay, here's today's shot. Probably won't be too much exciting until I get the lights up. The Mrs is making me wait to set up the lights, the skimmer and the media reactor until Christmas day. Some nonsense about the kids thinking Santa forgot me if I don't have any presents to open next week. I'll keep everyone updated on how the chemistry goes. I used 60G of Red Sea Coral Pro salt and 5G of water from a water change on my Biocube two weeks ago. Also added a piece of live rock that's been stewing in water change water for 6 weeks. May take a piece out of my biocube tomorrow and throw it in there for good measure.

These pumps are pretty kickin'. they move a lot of water.

[Cameron6796]

Love the scape

[gahumphrey]

Love the scape

Thanks! Can't wait to get some coals going in here. The water is crystal clear already. Will snap a new pic in the AM.

[gahumphrey]

Here's the latest pic. Less than 24 hours of adding the water the water looks crystal clear. Also got a picture of a 4" bristleworm climing on the LR in my Biocube. Nasty looking thing. His head glows red.

 

 

[Cameron6796]

Wow so you have the pumps on and everything? Can the water level be raised

[Kauai]

my LFS just got this exact tank in... the AIO kind of threw me off, but definitely interested in seeing yours progress!

[gahumphrey]

Wow so you have the pumps on and everything? Can the water level be raised

Yep, pumps are working away. You really can't adjust the water level. The chambers are different heights and double walled so the water flows into the first two outer chambers on either side through the socks, then out of the bottom of those chambers into the next set of chambers and then over that chamber into the main central chamber where the pumps are. I'm already starting to think through how I may want to mod this a bit. One thing is clear - this sucker evaporates water incredibly quickly. Lost 1 gallon in less than 48 hours. Good thing that ATO should be getting here this week!!

 

my LFS just got this exact tank in... the AIO kind of threw me off, but definitely interested in seeing yours progress!

Yeah, so far i'm really digging the AOI aspect of it. I really fell in love with the AIO from my biocube. So easy to keep modding things (not that you can't with a sump and all...) What I don't like about the BioCube is how restrictive the space is. That's not as much of an issue with this tank. There is just tons of space in the back. I added another 10 lbs of rock to the back central chamber.