Marinekeeper's 28g JBJ LED PRO w/ New Equipment :)

[marinekeeper]

WHO?
MARINEKEEPER

WHAT?

Tank:
JBJ 28 gallon LED PRO

Returns:
Upgraded from stock Accella's 266 gph to the Cobalt MJ900 230 gph w/ dual loc-line outlets. I chose the MJ900's because of the lower wattage used to operate (8.5w). Lower wattage = less heat and I will be running both returns simultaneously vs the on/off wavemaker option. There will be no chiller and keeping this puppy cool and consistent is a priority.

Heater:
Jager 100w

Power Head(s):
EcoTech Vortech MP10WQD

Skimmer:
JBJ Protein Skimmer Kit for JBJ 28g tanks w/ upgraded dual outlet air pump using BRS in-line air purifier to scrub CO2.

Media Basket:
In-Tank (Floss/Chaeto/Boyd Nano Blue)

 

Refugium Light:

JBJ Nano Glo

External Cooling Fans:
ISTA Dual Array

Controller:
Digital Aquatics - Reef Keeper Lite Plus

Dosing:
ESV B-Ionic 2 Part dosed by Bubble Magus' new T11

 

ATO:

JBJ ATO

Test Kits:
For Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Calcium,Phosphate and KH I use the cheap API kits. The only kit I spend money on is the magnesium and that is Salifert.

Livestock:
2 Black False Perculas
1 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
1 Fromia Star
many mixed snails and crabs
many corals with a nice mix of SPS, LPS and zoas


WHEN?
May 2015 - Present


WHERE?
My basement in the YO


WHY?
Cause it is a bad ass hobby


HOW?
Slow and Low


This is my tank just after it cycled and had a diatom bloom. At this point, you are looking at a cleanup crew and a few basic corals.
This would have been May 2015

[marinekeeper]

It is tight quarters under the JBJ 28 stand, but I managed to squeeze the Digital Aquatics Lite Plus controller under there. I am running 2 PCBS and they look like this:

 

PCB 1

 

Ch1: Heater - Set 78.5 w/ a hysteresis of .5

CH2: Actinics - On at 10:30 and off at 21:30

CH3: Whites - On at 12:30 and off at 19:30. If temp hits > 81, then lights shut off

Ch4: Moon Light - On at 21:30 and of at 02:30

 

PCB 2

 

CH1: FAN - Set at 79 w/ a hysteresis of .5

CH2: Return Pump - Shuts off in standby

CH3: Return Pump - Shuts off in standby

CH4: Refugium Light - On at 02:30 and off at 08:30

 

 

This system does a fine job with everything including keeping my temps stable and reporting the PH. Well worth the money for the automation and fail safes.

 

 

Here is the bottom half of the cabinet. Top houses the controller and the bottom houses the ATO unit, lighting ballast and the in-line CO2 scrubber which helps keep PH stable.

 

I use this baby for consistent salinity readings between water changes. Best money I ever spent in this hobby.

 

For the JBJ ATO, I have that plumbed behind the wall of my main display. It is in a room we refer to as "The Work Area". It's a 5 gal bucket with a mj1200 pumping water to the tank. The flow is restricted by a 2 little fishies ball valve. Seems to work well.

 

I also secured a fan to the wall for cooling the tank if the temp hits a certain thresh hold. This is controlled via the Digital Aquatics Reef Keeper Lite Plus System. Its the solution for no chiller.

 

 

 

The fan swivels for tank maintenance

 

Here is the JBJ Skimmer which works exceptionally well. Do not let anyone tell you any different. $40 well spent!

 

[marinekeeper]

Lets get on to some images of the tank itself and it's contents.

 

Where it lives!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOME FTS!

 

 

 

 

 

[reefernanoman]

It is tight quarters under the JBJ 28 stand, but I managed to squeeze the Digital Aquatics Lite Plus controller under there. I am running 2 PCBS and they look like this:

 

PCB 1

 

Ch1: Heater - Set 78.5 w/ a hysteresis of .5

CH2: Actinics - On at 10:30 and off at 21:30

CH3: Whites - On at 12:30 and off at 19:30. If temp hits > 81, then lights shut off

Ch4: Moon Light - On at 21:30 and of at 02:30

 

PCB 2

 

CH1: FAN - Set at 79 w/ a hysteresis of .5

CH2: Return Pump - Shuts off in standby

CH3: Return Pump - Shuts off in standby

CH4: Refugium Light - On at 02:30 and off at 08:30

 

 

This system does a fine job with everything including keeping my temps stable and reporting the PH. Well worth the money for the automation and fail safes.

 

 

Here is the bottom half of the cabinet. Top houses the controller and the bottom houses the ATO unit, lighting ballast and the in-line CO2 scrubber which helps keep PH stable.

 

I use this baby for consistent salinity readings between water changes. Best money I ever spent in this hobby.

 

For the JBJ ATO, I have that plumbed behind the wall of my main display. It is in a room we refer to as "The Work Area". It's a 5 gal bucket with a mj1200 pumping water to the tank. The flow is restricted by a 2 little fishies ball valve. Seems to work well.

 

I also secured a fan to the wall for cooling the tank if the temp hits a certain thresh hold. This is controlled via the Digital Aquatics Reef Keeper Lite Plus System. Its the solution for no chiller.

 

 

 

The fan swivels for tank maintenance

 

Here is the JBJ Skimmer which works exceptionally well. Do not let anyone tell you any different. $40 well spent!

 

Nice tank and equipment. You sure were able to get lots of stuff inside that stand(I have the same stand and tank). Much better job in the cord management than what I got!

Lets get on to some images of the tank itself and it's contents.

 

Where it lives!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOME FTS!

 

 

 

 

 

I also like your rockwork! Following.

[marinekeeper]

Thanks Bud, it's a bit confusing under there.

[HarryPotter]

Nice controller setup! What is that air pump doing there? For the JBJ Skimmer?

 

BTW I had the same tank... someone told me that I could razor the coralline off the back and it was really easy to make like new! If you like the coralline on the back keep it- im OCD though and had to keep it solid black

[marinekeeper]

Nice controller setup! What is that air pump doing there? For the JBJ Skimmer?

 

BTW I had the same tank... someone told me that I could razor the coralline off the back and it was really easy to make like new! If you like the coralline on the back keep it- im OCD though and had to keep it solid black

Thanks, you are correct, the air pump runs to the co2 scrubber and then out to the skimmer. Venturi style.

Since the tank is in the basement and not much air circulation going on here, the co2 can get high quick. The co2 absorbent media helps me keep a stable ph.

[vlangel]

I love your rock scape! Wow, that a pretty high tech set up you got there. Nice!

[marinekeeper]

Thank you, the big pillar on the left is drilled and zip tied. As far as high tech, I need the parameters tostay as consistent as possible and place less reliability on humans when I am out of town. I feel better

that way.

[vlangel]

Yes, that makes sense. It's good if you can automate everything. I wished I could but with seahorses there is no getting around the feeding issue.

[marinekeeper]

Yes, that makes sense. It's good if you can automate everything. I wished I could but with seahorses there is no getting around the feeding issue.

Im not familiar, what is the feeding issue?

[vlangel]

Im not familiar, what is the feeding issue?

Seahorses are rather high maintenance and they need to be fed frozen mysis twice a day minimum. Then if they don't eat it all it must be removed to keep from breeding dangerous bacteria in their tank. About the most automation I could come up with is have my sister feed them once a day their frozen and when they are done eating then net 10 or so live shrimp for them to hunt for their 2nd meal.

[marinekeeper]

Finally got my Bubble Magus setup. I went with the new BM-T11. Seems to be working pretty good and setup was fairly simple. The only problem I have is air bubbles in the line. I purged about 1 liter of fluid and they keep coming. Checked all connections and even switched tubing. IDK WTF. Going to keep an eye on it and see what happens over time. Ran this through the wall as space is well used in stand. Dosing B-Ionic 2 part alk and calc for now.

 

 

Also, got my self a new AquaMaxx HOB-1 skimmer. That will be setup shortly as the jbj skimmer for the cube works great if you keep replacing the air stones. I am good on that.

[marinekeeper]

Built a new raised floor for so all the items including my ATO reservoir (HD bucket) will fit cleanly.

 

 

 

AquaMaxx HOB-1 installed and running. I cut the intake tube an inch and lid opens 3/4 of the way. So far happy happy!

 

[marinekeeper]

Aquamaxx hob 1 is highly effective

[uwphoto]

Aquamaxx hob 1 is highly effective

From your picture it looks like the water intake is in the middle pump chamber and the outflow is "upstream" from this. Doesn't that mean you're skimming already skimmed water?

Wouldn't it make more sense to have it on the other side of the tank?

Any problems with microbubbles with the AquaMaxx?

[marinekeeper]

From your picture it looks like the water intake is in the middle pump chamber and the outflow is "upstream" from this. Doesn't that mean you're skimming already skimmed water?

Wouldn't it make more sense to have it on the other side of the tank?

Any problems with microbubbles with the AquaMaxx?

the intake is in the second chamber from the left and return is flowing to left most chamber. All kinds of microbubbles but a few sponges under the return slows them tremendously. I havent messed with it much since i am more worried about my cyano issue. Found i need to replace filters in rodi unit as it was dropping po4 in water.

the intake is in the second chamber from the left and return is flowing to left most chamber. All kinds of microbubbles but a few sponges under the return slows them tremendously. I havent messed with it much since i am more worried about my cyano issue. Found i need to replace filters in rodi unit as it was dropping po4 in water.

The return is angled, you just cant see that in the pic

[uwphoto]

It may not be an issue, but if water flow in the JBJ is (on the left) from left to right, then it seems that the skimmer is set up so that water comes from the tank, mixes with the skimmer outflow and then goes into the skimmer.

Placed on the right side of the "sump" the water would go from the tank to the skimmer inflow and the output would be downstream near the middle pump chamber.

Perhaps more efficient that way. Just a thought as I have been thinking about getting the same skimmer for a JBJ 45.

[marinekeeper]

not sure what you mean here bud. The water flows into the center of the back and then the water is returned from both the left and the right side. Each far most chamber has a return pump. You may be thinking of the setup the old jbj 12's had, but this tank returns water from each side. The middle chamber where water flows into to be returned to the tank houses a media basket containing (from top down) filter floss, chaeto, chemi pure elite. The left most chamber has a return line, the next is the skimmer w. temp probe, the next is center and houses media basket, then comes the heater and then finally the last chamber has my float for the ato, my doser lines, my ph meter and the other return . Does that help you?

[marinekeeper]

It may not be an issue, but if water flow in the JBJ is (on the left) from left to right, then it seems that the skimmer is set up so that water comes from the tank, mixes with the skimmer outflow and then goes into the skimmer.

Placed on the right side of the "sump" the water would go from the tank to the skimmer inflow and the output would be downstream near the middle pump chamber.

Perhaps more efficient that way. Just a thought as I have been thinking about getting the same skimmer for a JBJ 45.

Just looked at the jbj 45, you can put yours on the left or rightI with the same outcome from either side. If I had mine in the right it would be sucking from the return and emptying into the heater column which would work also but fits and works perfect on the left.

[uwphoto]

I guess the 28 is different. Don't want to beat this to death! But it looked to me that the inflow to the AM was on the right and the outflow more to the center/left. It would seem to make sense to put it on the right side of the JBJ 45 so the skimmer was taking in water just out of the tank and discharging the "skimmed" water closer to the return pumps. That would be the reverse on the left.

 

Anyway I hope you're happy with the skimmer and that it is reasonably quiet as it is my next purchase. I have not been all that happy with the SK-45. HOB seems to be the better alternative as the sump itself doesn't fit a lot of options. Would be glad to hear your follow up.

[marinekeeper]

I guess the 28 is different. Don't want to beat this to death! But it looked to me that the inflow to the AM was on the right and the outflow more to the center/left. It would seem to make sense to put it on the right side of the JBJ 45 so the skimmer was taking in water just out of the tank and discharging the "skimmed" water closer to the return pumps. That would be the reverse on the left.

 

Anyway I hope you're happy with the skimmer and that it is reasonably quiet as it is my next purchase. I have not been all that happy with the SK-45. HOB seems to be the better alternative as the sump itself doesn't fit a lot of options. Would be glad to hear your follow up.

it was ranked very high for skimmers in regards to quietness, quality and performance. Pull the trigger and buy it. It is all good.

[marinekeeper]

Just ordered the BRS mini reactor to run gfo and carbon. I plan on chopping the in-tank media basket off at the end of chamber two. This will still provide a nice rack for mechanical filtration as well as my chaeto. Chopping the third chamber off will allow room for the reactors pump. I will need to devise some stop braces for the sliding front piece since the bottom stop will be gone. Anybody have any other suggestions for this?

[marinekeeper]

Added A BRS Mini Reactor and I am running 1 part GFO mixed with 2 part Carbon. Total media is 3/4 cup

 

 

 

Top Down shot of an overly crowded AIO sump

 

 

Sand Sifting Goby

 

 

Rock Anenome

 

 

Full tank shot with some dirty ass glass. Just turned lights on to take pic