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Teenyreef's IM40 Not-So-Teeny Tank - August FTS


teenyreef

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OP: With the latest firmware from Neptune, the Jr can have 7 modules plus display and base. Check the Neptune forum if you want.

Wow, that's awesome news! I could really benefit from the expansion, thanks for letting me know :)
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The DC tunze 6040 has all the controllability you need IMO. Had it running four months now and havent cleaned it once. Hasnt slowed down a bit. I love that the flow deflector allows you to hide it behind rockwork and allow you to push flow up and around the rocks. If you turn it sideways it will push flow around rocks. I can't even see mine when standing in front of the tank. Wave mode is great and virtually silent.

 

I have nothing bad to say about jebao other than ive heard horror stories of people trying to use the warranty. Up here in Canada you're basically told to screw off due to border issues (So ive been told)

 

Tunze ftw

 

I have the Jebao myself, and I figured I wouldn't be able to rely on manufacturer warranty at all if it breaks down. It's so cheap, though, that even if you buy four or five replacement units you're still even with one Vortech pump. :lol:

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Sharbuckle

 

I have the Jebao myself, and I figured I wouldn't be able to rely on manufacturer warranty at all if it breaks down. It's so cheap, though, that even if you buy four or five replacement units you're still even with one Vortech pump. :lol:

The thought of putting something cheap in my aquarium scares me. If a powerhead fails and electrocuted my tank, or just stopped working, I would like the manufacturing company to take responsibility. Ive put too much time, love, care, and money into it to place any sort of faith in knock off products.

 

Don't think you can put a price on peace of mind.

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The thought of putting something cheap in my aquarium scares me. If a powerhead fails and electrocuted my tank, or just stopped working, I would like the manufacturing company to take responsibility. Ive put too much time, love, care, and money into it to place any sort of faith in knock off products.

 

Don't think you can put a price on peace of mind.

 

I agree 100% we spend so much on livestock and then grow it out.....

 

Plus with the Vortech no juice is inside the tank.......and best of all no chords coming out of the tank :)

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Hmmmm....

#waiting

Just got an email from UPS saying they've change the estimate arrival date. :wacko:

 

 

 

 

To Tuesday! omgomgomg

Guess I better get the IM10 moved by Monday night!

 

WOAH!!! That's awesome!

 

I agree 100% we spend so much on livestock and then grow it out.....

 

Plus with the Vortech no juice is inside the tank.......and best of all no chords coming out of the tank :)

 

yeah you do have a point. But I feel like the RW4s let me adjust the flow and have much more variable patterns than the vortechs do. but two MP10s is where I'm heading. The MP40 was just way too strong for the width and depth of my tank.

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WOAH!!! That's awesome!

 

 

yeah you do have a point. But I feel like the RW4s let me adjust the flow and have much more variable patterns than the vortechs do. but two MP10s is where I'm heading. The MP40 was just way too strong for the width and depth of my tank.

I'm leaning more and more towards just figuring out a way to wedge an MP10 into the back somehow if I need more flow.

 

I ordered a reef link unit so I can use the phone app to control the MP40, and it would be nice to control all the pumps from one place instead of turning one off from the app and turning another off from a control panel or another app.

 

I also thought about getting the MP controller option for the Apex but I really like the MP controller with all the different modes for random flow.

The thought of putting something cheap in my aquarium scares me. If a powerhead fails and electrocuted my tank, or just stopped working, I would like the manufacturing company to take responsibility. Ive put too much time, love, care, and money into it to place any sort of faith in knock off products.

 

Don't think you can put a price on peace of mind.

I agree in principle, but there isn't a manufacturer in the world that's going to take responsibility if their products electrocuted my tank. I'm sure they'd replace the product if it was under warranty but their liability stops there. That's why reputation and experiences from other reefers is so important. Jebao has a good reputation among reefers and I've never seen complaints about build quality or reliability. It's more a matter of what features you get for the money, in my opinion.

 

I agree 100% we spend so much on livestock and then grow it out.....

 

Plus with the Vortech no juice is inside the tank.......and best of all no chords coming out of the tank :)

I agree, that's my favorite thing about the MP series pump, MOAR ROOM FOR CORALZ!

 

:)

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I got a reeflink with my radion, its great when it works. But some weeks its a total pain in the ass! In saying that, a reboot normally fixes most problems. Just remember not to loose the USB cable that comes with it like someone else i know :blush:

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The thought of putting something cheap in my aquarium scares me. If a powerhead fails and electrocuted my tank, or just stopped working, I would like the manufacturing company to take responsibility. Ive put too much time, love, care, and money into it to place any sort of faith in knock off products.

 

Don't think you can put a price on peace of mind.

 

Peace of mind comes from smart planning. That's not as expensive as you may be led to believe.

 

No matter what, technology will fail and at the worst possible time. No high-end brand name will save you. At best they afford you lower chances of failure, but that probability is still not zero. The key is not to spend huge amounts of money to prevent failure, but to allow for it and to plan for it. I have a secondary means of water circulation, a GFCI outlet and a ground probe inside the tank. All these are still essential even with a Vortech pump.

 

But this isn't to say the Vortech pumps aren't worth it. They certainly are. Just don't go thinking they can't possibly fail because they cost you $300+.

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It was long night, but I got the IM10 moved to it's new home on the desk in the study. The IM40 should arrive Tuesday evening, so I wanted to get everything ready to put it in place and start figuring out how/if everything is going to fit.

 

Here's the IM10 in its new home:

 

26760928603_5faedc2f70_b.jpg20160531-untitled-005-Edit.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

All that's left is a dirty, empty corner. Time to fill it up! :happydance:

 

27297646301_e0b81dbc9b_b.jpg20160531_022649.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr


 

 

PS: I need to send a shout out to StevieT at InTank. I place my order with InTank the same night I ordered the tank and other items from BRS. In fact, I placed the InTank order AFTER the BRS order.

 

BRS is arriving Tuesday, which is nice - three business days after the order, just as promised, since UPS seems to consider Monday a business day.

 

InTank's order showed up on Saturday. Time for some tasty Swedish fish :D

 

27297941941_5c2654dd8c_b.jpg20160531_025025.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

  • Like 11
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I'll throw some of my equipment thoughts at ya.

 

I don't like my Tunze pump. It's more controllable than the Jaebo but also loses power and after spending the money on it I'm not all warm and fuzzy that I have a Tunze. For what that is worth. :) I also don't like the fact that there is no quick disconnect so I can take the pump to the laundry tub for cleaning. With the Tunze I have the controller is permanently attached.

 

I've become a huge Vortech fanboy even though I've spent money in replacement parts a little too often. I did have the MP40 in my 40 gallon for a while before the 150 was setup ... just a bit too big. :) At the same time I think two MP10's would not be enough for SPS but I could be wrong. I have the battery pack for the Vortechs which powers one of my pumps during a power failure.

 

As far as failures and automation, you know how I feel about using feed modes for maintenance so our old brains don't forget. Feed B is my primary feed mode, sump off for 20 minutes, skimmer off for 40 minutes. Feed C is my topoff change mode, topoff disabled for 60 minutes (enough time for Kalk to settle and water to clear up). Feed D is skimmer cleaning mode, skimmer off for 20 minutes.

 

And Feed A? Turns on my sump lights for 30 minutes. :D

 

I control both the 150 and 40 with the Apex, with feed modes working for both tanks. I have 3 power bars, two of the 8 plug units and one 4 plug unit.

 

My topoff is timed based on both tanks using the OSC statement, not float based. This removes the risk of a float getting stuck and in my experience evaporation changes are not enough to worry about over a week. Floats fail too often for my taste and though my system is not foolproof I do think it's safer. Note that I can still turn this on and forget but eventually the PH rise will turn the topoff off. I make sure to put topoff in the same chamber with the PH probe so any overdosing should have an immediate effect. Maybe. :)

Fallback OFF 
Set OFF 
OSC 000:00/000:55/014:05 Then ON 
If Outlet SUMP = OFF Then OFF 
If Power EB4_4 Off 000 Then OFF 
If pHc > 8.50 Then OFF 
If FeedC 016 Then OFF 
If FeedD 016 Then OFF 

I use the BRS peristaltic pumps for topoff, one for each tank. I bought replacement hoses as well but so far haven't needed to replace the originals.

 

Once upon a time I had my entire tank hooked up to GFI outlets, then i realized my corals health was more important than my life. :) Half the tank is off GFI, the other half, including the controller, is still on a GFI outlet. This is why I check SUMP power to detect a real power failure instead of a GFI trip (My ATI fixture would trip the GFI on a regular basis). If the sump is without power then odds are the house has no power. The controller is hooked up to a UPS that may last 60 minutes. I need to get a UPS on my house router but right now if the power fails internet is dead. My tank is hardwired to the house ethernet,

 

Not sure any of that helps but maybe there's an idea in there somewhere you can use. :D

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Sharbuckle

 

It was long night, but I got the IM10 moved to it's new home on the desk in the study. The IM40 should arrive Tuesday evening, so I wanted to get everything ready to put it in place and start figuring out how/if everything is going to fit.

 

Here's the IM10 in its new home:

 

26760928603_5faedc2f70_b.jpg20160531-untitled-005-Edit.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

All that's left is a dirty, empty corner. Time to fill it up! :happydance:

 

27297646301_e0b81dbc9b_b.jpg20160531_022649.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

 

 

Woo. Im pretty excited for you! Im a bit jealous also :)

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It was long night, but I got the IM10 moved to it's new home on the desk in the study. The IM40 should arrive Tuesday evening, so I wanted to get everything ready to put it in place and start figuring out how/if everything is going to fit.

 

Here's the IM10 in its new home:

 

26760928603_5faedc2f70_b.jpg20160531-untitled-005-Edit.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

All that's left is a dirty, empty corner. Time to fill it up! :happydance:

 

27297646301_e0b81dbc9b_b.jpg20160531_022649.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

 

PS: I need to send a shout out to StevieT at InTank. I place my order with InTank the same night I ordered the tank and other items from BRS. In fact, I placed the InTank order AFTER the BRS order.

 

BRS is arriving Tuesday, which is nice - three business days after the order, just as promised, since UPS seems to consider Monday a business day.

 

InTank's order showed up on Saturday. Time for some tasty Swedish fish :D

 

27297941941_5c2654dd8c_b.jpg20160531_025025.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

The drawings in the back... love them!

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It's here! :haha:

 

27313995721_259e0584a5_b.jpg20160531_192448.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

27314006741_fd5e48c55d_b.jpg20160531_192757.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

The outer box was huge, and pretty beat up. All the packing material did its job and protected the inner box. My family were all a little freaked out by the size of the box. The tank is going to fit in a two foot wide space, and the shipping box was 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 feet :lol:

 

More pictures later. I plan to get the tank set up in place for the leak test, and get all the new equipment wired up tonight.

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WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Its a great day, Im done with math and anatomy and teeny got his tank :D Great.Freakin.Day

Nice job!

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Sorry I haven't had time to respond to your posts - I've been busy!

 

Before I could do anything with the new tank, I had to get a couple tubs of saltwater running in the garage, for the live rock that's coming tomorrow.

 

This is my water container, a standard Brute trash can. It has a float valve so it won't overflow when I forget to turn off the RODI. I've got a cheap pump hooked up to a piece of garden hose so I can run water to the 90g FW tank in the house.

 

27356212916_c020dc1eaf_b.jpg20160531_225441.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

Two tubs, one for the live rock, and one for the dry rock. It stays warm in the garage this time of year, so there's no need for a heater.

 

26782926413_f4cef94b98_b.jpg20160531_225826.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

The water pump in action. I have a remote control AC switch so I can turn the pump on and off from the business end of the hose. That's the little yellow box on the floor.

 

27114081040_fc93ba6254_b.jpg20160531_225841.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

I pumped about 10 gallons into each tub and started the power heads.

 

27389786575_a4cf074a43_b.jpg20160531_230546.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

Now I just have to add salt and everything should be ready for live rock, arriving at about 11:00 AM Wednesday! :)

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Next up: unboxing the tank.

 

I dragged the box into the family room and opened it up. No signs of any damage. Whew!

 

27389754435_b76083d5bf_b.jpg20160601_011826.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

I did notice that the pump, nicely padded with lots of bubble wrap, was sitting loose in the display chamber. I'm pretty sure it got loosed as the tank got turned upside down and sideways during the process of getting things unboxed. I didn't hear it moving around when I was unpacking, and there was no sign of damage.

 

27291662642_99d8e5a038_b.jpg20160601_012029.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

Out of the box at last!

 

27356207546_47867a0fa8_b.jpg20160601_012210.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

And, finally, out of the plastic wrap.

 

27291663942_7642677cbf_b.jpg20160601_012422.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

It's not pushed back all the way, but it fits! omgomgomg

I was relieved :rolleyes:

 

27318683761_fdcc7a6501_b.jpg20160601_012559.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

Right now, I've got it turned sideways so I can get everything installed and hooked up in the back chambers.

 

27318684811_fd0390c5f0_b.jpg20160601_012713.jpg by TeenyReef, on Flickr

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Finally, pictures! Yay! :D

 

Is there enough room back there for all the power cables? Or are you gonna route them elsewhere?

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I've found my first big problem. When I checked the dimensions of the Tunze 9004 skimmer against the size of the back chambers, I used the size of the return chambers, not the skimmer chambers. It fits like a glove in the return chamber, but I doubt that's going to work, as there's no way it would get enough water with the restricted space, and going against the flow. And of course it doesn't fit in the skimmer chamber, it's about half an inch too big. Duh! :rant:

 

So, I'll probably have to return the 9004 and look at other skimmer options. I know the Cadlights PLS-50 will fit, and I know Kimber is running the Eshopps Nano skimmer. And of course, IM's Desktop skimmer will fit, but I'd like to try something different since I've used it in the 10g tank, and was challenged in getting it working right. So I'm back in skimmer research mode...

 

In better news, the MP-40 will fit just fine between the tank and the wall on the left of the tank, in front of the bookshelf. So it will be out of sight from the main viewing angle, but I'll still be able to access it easily to pull out the wet side for cleaning.


Finally, pictures! Yay! :D

 

Is there enough room back there for all the power cables? Or are you gonna route them elsewhere?

Yep! There's only one power cable. It's a right-angle plug that sits flush to the wall, and runs through a hole in the back corner to the power strip and the Apex in the cabinet underneath. I'll post some pictures after I get everything wired up and put away again.

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