pelphrey Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Might as well track my progress and mistakes on my first reef build. Been in freshwater for over a year, I am over all happy with the setup of my 75 gallon Mbuna tank but I am done experimenting with freshwater. I am actually looking to replace this tank with a 6 foot tank to better fill the space it is in, and also prepare for this to be converted to salt water!Onto my first reef build - Marineland 27 Gallon Cube and stand 5.5 gallon tank for my sump Eshopps PSK-75 Skimmer Glass Holes 300 GPH Overflow Jebao RW4 50 lbs of Marco Rock and 40 lbs of Marco Sand (Ordered more for the options) Kessil A160we w/ spectral controller IO Reef Crystals salt Dr Tims Ammonia (Used this to cycle my freshwater tank) I've read mixed reviews on using the API freshwater master test kit to test saltwater. I have the saltwater charts so I'll use it to cycle the tank. Refractometer w/ calibration fluid Hm Digital pH meter Sicce 1.5 Return Pump Equipment needed - RO/DI (Spectrapure CSPDI-90) ATO (Tunze 3152) DJ Power Strip Probably go the Bayer route and CoralRX for dips I have a 10 gallon and some equipment laying around for QT Not sure what other test kits I may need at the moment My wife and I are expecting our first child at the end of August so the tank has been pieced together slowly, I've purchased nearly all pieces of equipment off various forums. Just have to be patient and shop around.Trying to shop smart when it comes to a 6 foot tank to replace my 75 gallon freshwater tank... I understand how this hobby goes and am trying to prepare for freshwater to be gone and saltwater to consume all my money. Since we aren't close to the ocean and love it so much why not build a small foot print of it in our home. The 27 gallon is actually going in our bonus room, so it isn't a high traffic area. My hope is that I do this right and my wife says "We need one of these downstairs".. I can hope!All in all I am more so looking forward to the challenge as I have the freshwater Cichlid tank down pretty well.Used the DIY Stand template (Rocket Design here on ReefCentral) to build the stand for my 75 gallon -27 Gallon - Kessil A160Ignore the mess as this has become a short term storage facility! I got the tank drilled over the weekend as well as sprayed the back and bottom with Plasti Dip. I will have a sand bed, but I wanted to go ahead and spray the bottom of the tank in case I ever decide to take the sand out and run bare bottom. I didn't have the wooden template for the overflow and this is my first time drilling a tank. My concern is that I may have drilled the hole just a hair lower than I wanted to. I wanted my water line above the top plastic trim. I'll know for sure if this is a concern once I have the system plumbed and tested. I have a few solutions. First is to pick up another powerhead if the RW4 doesn't create enough wave movement. Second is to ditch this overflow box and get another box. Third is to mod my stand to hold a 10 gallon sump instead of the 5.5 gallon sump. I want to ensure I have enough free space to fill the sump and not overflow it if the power goes out. Luckily in the 3 years I've lived in this area our power has gone out 3 times with the longest being 10 minutes. So I'll probably put a battery backup on my return pump. Drilling the tank was super easy and it turned out well. Hopefully get some more done this weekend. Since I drilled the hole to low for the GH overflow I had to go a different route.Here is the GH overflow, I want the water level a little higher -Ordered a bigger overflow which now will allow me to run a herbie overflow with emergency drain -And possibly the best purchase yet... My RODI unit! Went with the Spectrapure 90 gpd unit. It is overkill for my 27 gallon cube and 5 gallon sump. But I have plans to go bigger one day and wanted to be ready! Started to dry fit the 1'' plumbing tonight. Need to install the gate valve on the drain and glue all fittings in place. Moving along... Slowly! Just a little more progress -Got all of the fittings glued. I did add unions between the 45's so I can easily remove the sump if needed. I need to work on building my sump and installing my overflow box and this part will be complete.I cut some cardboard and sprayed the back of the tank where the overflow box will be installed.This week I'll be ordering 50' of mur-lok tubing and getting my RODI unit mounted. The RODI will be installed in my laundry room and I'll be running the line out into the garage to make water.The only concern I have at this point is that my 5.5 gallon sump will handle any back flow from the tank. I'll be testing this thoroughly and if I see a concern I'll be adding a APC battery backup to the system. Is is rare that we have power failure, but they can and will happen at some point. Got all of the plumbing glued and finished up along with the overflow box in. Today I started the freshwater test. Pump has been running for about 6 hours and no leaks. Emergency drain is working as it should. Need to get glass to build my sump and I'll be ready to make some RODI!Super glue and black ASI silicone -Water line is just above the black trim on the tank just like I want! Link to comment
pelphrey Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 After water testing the 5.5 gallon tank it will suffice for my sump. It will house my skimmer, return pump and heater perfectly and more importantly handle the backflow from the display. Going this route over buying a sump saved my over $100. 5.5 gallon tank - $20, Glass - $9, ASI Silicone $9. Also going this route will allow me to keep half of the interior of the cabinet free for other items that will need to be housed later.Ignore the awful silicone job! It is difficult to work inside of such a small tank, not to mention my glass cutting skills need work. The big chamber will hold my skimmer and most likely some type of floss. I built a small chamber for my return pump. My drain will run into the skimmer section and my emergency drain will run into my return section.I can't take full credit on this build as I've followed multiple builds. There is a guy on Youtube ( Cj's Aquariums ) who once had a cube, so I am basically following his build. With this being my first build I wanted to ensure I did this all correctly to ensure success and allow me to build a bigger tank one day. Also with such a small foot print there has been and will continue to be times I doubt myself.It's worth noting that in a previous post I mentioned I will be running the Kessil A160 and controller. I also picked up a A150 that I'll either use to supplement this tank or possibly for a nano tank in my office at work.It doesn't have to be pretty to function! RODI mounted and making water! It's almost go time! I still need to make about 10 more gallons of water and get my salt mixed. Also still need to rinse my rock off and get it in the tank. After that I'll be ready to add ammonia and get this party started!Evil Marco sand! I washed this stuff for easily an hour or more and thought I got it pretty clean.Heater is temporary until I get a heater to put in my small sump-My battery backup. Need to still work on wire management and label everything!Bought some rubber matting from home depot and cut it to fit. All 4 corners have a lip that will hold a few inches of water, just in case!Skimmer will go in once I start and complete the cycle -Kessil controller and MP10 controller mounted to the inside of the door for easy access- Update time! The tank is up and running. Starting adding Ammonia on Sunday October 25th!Everyone loves videos & pictures - The cube has been setup for a few weeks now and running perfectly! The cycle is moving forward and my nitrites are starting to build! Before the progress went any further I wanted to replace my sump. I liked the 5.5 gallon sump as it left half of the cabinet free, but I knew I wanted more security. My skimmer requires 8'' of water so with the 5.5 gallon sump I was on a very fine line and knew I wouldn't be able to forget topping the tank off. For now I'll be topping it off manually, but soon that will change!I searched the web and found a pretty good deal on the eshopps nano cube refugium so I picked it up! I really like this sump so far and it fits in my stand perfectly through the front door. As of right now the fug won't be used for anything except my heater.Lucky me I used unions because my plumbing has to be changed for the new sump!The sump comes with a bulk head installed, I took the bulk head out and have a few options. In order for my drain to work as I want/need it to I'll either need to use two 90 degree elbows or I can cut the platform that held the bulk head on. If I cut it I can run two 45's instead of the 90's. Let me know if you have any opinions or suggestions!The black line is the main (siphon) drain, the red is my emergency drain. The emergency drain is routed into the return chamber to ensure the pump doesn't run dry. Although with the new sump and the higher water level this shouldn't be an issue. You can also see in the picture my main drain is in the hole I want/need to modify. As it is right now I am unable to remove this drain without titling the sump forward.Initially I've used my API freshwater test kit to keep track of my cycle. Last week I picked up the RedSea test kit for comparison and to verify that my test have been accurate. All along both tests have been consistent and read the same results. Link to comment
PieMan2k Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Very impressive write up! Your tank is off to a fantastic start. Sadly I can't help you out with plumbing because that's the one thing I hate about this hobby. Link to comment
pelphrey Posted November 17, 2015 Author Share Posted November 17, 2015 Very impressive wrote up! Your tank is off to a fantastic start. Sadly I can't help you out with plumbing because that's the one thing I hate about this hobby. Looks good! Thank you! I think I have the plumbing figured out, just some trial and error and test fitting before gluing! Youtube video I shot of the sump- Eshopps Nano Refugium & Red Sea Test Kit https://youtu.be/4oO7oX80LA0 Link to comment
pelphrey Posted December 1, 2015 Author Share Posted December 1, 2015 Got the sump setup over the weekend! Hope my never ending cycle ends soon, its been a little over a month now. Link to comment
pelphrey Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 There is where I stand with my cycle. Should I continue to add ammonia to the tank or will that prolong the cycling process? I started the cycle on October 25th. Any input is appreciated! This is my first experience cycling a reef and using this test kit. Overall I am very satisfied with the results and how easy the Red Sea test kits are to use. I highly recommend! Link to comment
xenia30 Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Adding the sump most likely will prolong the cycle even longer. Your build looks awesome. I have the same tank with a 14 gallon fuge. I built the fuge to fit in the stand because I wanted more volume. My fuge ended up being approx 16 gallons. Link to comment
pelphrey Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 Adding the sump most likely will prolong the cycle even longer. Your build looks awesome. I have the same tank with a 14 gallon fuge. I built the fuge to fit in the stand because I wanted more volume. My fuge ended up being approx 16 gallons. Thanks for the input! I'll keep testing! Link to comment
pelphrey Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 I do have a rather big complaint about the eshopps cube sump. It is a complaint I've seen a handful of times.... The white acrylic is a nice look, but not being able to see my return section is rather annoying. In order for me to view this chamber I have to get on the ground and use a flash light. This is the only chamber that really fluctuates as far as water level. I'll have to get a mirror and put it in my stand to monitor my water level. Which leads me to the next topic. When I finally pull the trigger on a ATO I'll have to somehow get the sensor in the return chamber which will also be painful. I did remove all of the mechanical filtration from the sump. I was 50/50 on the filter sock to begin with, so I decided to pull it for now. Link to comment
pelphrey Posted December 9, 2015 Author Share Posted December 9, 2015 Haven't added any ammonia to the tank and my nitrites are still sky high! Would anyone recommend doing a water change, if so what percentage? Link to comment
pelphrey Posted December 28, 2015 Author Share Posted December 28, 2015 Two months in and the cycle is slowly moving forward. My Nitrites are still sky high, I did a large water change yesterday and moved the rock work around. When I started the cycle I put all of my rock in the tank just to get it in and start the cycle. I was able to move a large rock into my sump. I also go over the Red Sea test kit, which I am a fan of! And I briefly go over the Milwaukee MA887 refractometer, this is an awesome piece of equipment! Link to comment
pelphrey Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 In the fight to reduce my nitrites I did 1 large water change followed by a smaller water change 2 days later. I started this cycle at the end of October, so it has been a very long cycle. My nirtites were off the charts for probably a month, not sure if that stalled the cycle or not. After the large water change my nitrites are now showing up on my Red Sea test kit chart and I have a slight hint of nitrates. I am now dosing ammonia every few days, just a small amount to "feed" the tank. It has been a long process and I am getting more and more excited about it finishing and adding some life to the tank! Link to comment
PieMan2k Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Hardest part is waiting on that cycle to finish. Link to comment
chrisfronczek Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 How do you like the sump? I have a 25 gallon build and was thinking about going the Eshopps route? Also, how's the Sicce working for you? I went with the Tunze silence and it just hasn't quieted down like I hoped. Link to comment
JavaJacketOC Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Don't do any water changes. You want the Nitrites to all convert to Nitrate...unfortunately Nitrites usually take the longest . If you're ok with it and have access to relatively clean water you could transfer out a few gallons of your tank water with water from an established tank, it might help build the bacteria needed to breakdown the Nitrites. I may have missed it but you can also bump your heater up to 82 to help get the bacteria to reproduce faster. Link to comment
pelphrey Posted January 25, 2016 Author Share Posted January 25, 2016 The cycle is finally neat its completion. I got tired of topping the tank off in the morning and evening so I got the JBJ ATO. I really wanted the Smart Micro ATO but it used magnets for the sensor. With my return chamber being in the back, not visible I went with the JBJ. Going this route will easily allow me to move the sensors if I need to. I also picked up a lid for a 5 gallon bucket. This has proven to be a life saver in terms of storing my salt. Buying salt by the box is much cheaper than the bucket, and I already have a ton of buckets around anyway! Link to comment
pelphrey Posted January 26, 2016 Author Share Posted January 26, 2016 How do you like the sump? I have a 25 gallon build and was thinking about going the Eshopps route? Also, how's the Sicce working for you? I went with the Tunze silence and it just hasn't quieted down like I hoped. The sump is working out for me. If I had more space I would go a different route. The biggest complaint I have is the white acrylic dividers, which seems to be the universal complaint from anyone running this sump. I was using a 5.5 gallon tank as a sump, so in that aspect the eshopps is much better and holds double the water. I don't have to worry as much about the sump not being able to hold all of the water capacity if the power goes out, although I am running every major component of my system on a rather large battery backup. I really like the sicce 1.5, it is quiet which is the most important aspect of any moving equipment for me! Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 I am glad to hear that the sump, pump and now new ATO are working well for you. Most of us don't have a system that we are happy with in every single aspect so you are in good company. Link to comment
pelphrey Posted February 1, 2016 Author Share Posted February 1, 2016 The tank is coming along nicely... Finally! The cycle has completed and I've added my first inhabitants. I got my JBJ ATO setup and after multiple configurations I have it set the way it works for me and my setup. I picked up some hardware to make my own fuge light (Got the idea from the Melvsreef website). I should have this light setup this week or weekend. Hopefully be adding corals soon! It has been a very long process. I started buying all of the hardware a year ago. Patience has been key! Link to comment
pelphrey Posted February 8, 2016 Author Share Posted February 8, 2016 The progress has been slow, as everyone always states. Nothing good happens fast! This has given me a chance to add the few last pieces to this puzzle. One being a refugium light. I ran across a few threads on what lighting to use and then I found this website http://melevsreef.com/node/1742 thanks Melev!!! I picked up the Cree bulb and clamp on light. I didn't use the clamp to mount the light, I made a bracket for it. It is amazing when you have a small cabinet and you can still shove MORE "stuff" inside of it. I have another Bulk Reef Supply order coming in this week so stay tuned for next weeks update! Link to comment
pelphrey Posted February 10, 2016 Author Share Posted February 10, 2016 Sneak peak for what is to come with the cube! I wanted to get the carbon out of the mesh bag, so I got the mini @Bulk Reef Supply reactor. The cabinet still has a little room left! It is amazing how much stuff you can cram into such a small space. Kessil controller next to the MP10 driver Going to pick up some gel filters soon Link to comment
pelphrey Posted February 11, 2016 Author Share Posted February 11, 2016 Was looking through craigslist and found a listing that had a number of frags, we negotiated a price and I picked them up. The Kessil is set to ramp up to about 40%-50% over the course of the day before it ramps back down. All coral seem to like the conditions so far! This is quoted from the listing - I am tearing my nano tank down. I have zoas/palys, Ric's, scoli, Tyree green toadstool, chalice frag. Zoas/palys Sunny D mini colony Oxides mini colony Toucans mini colony Eagle eyes mini colony Radioactive dragon eyes mini colony 3 polyps of fruit loops Mini colony of something I forgot name pretty though Bulk Reef Supply Mini Reactor doing work! Wondering if I should put the reactor output in the return chamber? These power strips are well worth the $20! The Alternative Reef Nano Frag Rack - Need help IDing this please- Link to comment
sprite Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 1st pic- Tyree green toadstool 2nd- scoli 3rd- left side is radioactive dragon eyes Right side is eagle eyes Link to comment
pelphrey Posted February 12, 2016 Author Share Posted February 12, 2016 1st pic- Tyree green toadstool 2nd- scoli 3rd- left side is radioactive dragon eyes Right side is eagle eyes Thank you for the identification! I really appreciate it! Shoutout to 915MANG for the Cheato and the gel filter. I've met many amazing people because of this hobby! Link to comment
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