IM 25 Lagoon SPS build

[_badger]

Starting a build thread for an IM 25 lagoon to document the process and hopefully get some feedback and insight from a bunch of people smarter than me!

I've lurked around here for a long time, but haven't been active, so if I post something wrong just call me out for it.

 

Equipment list:
Tank - Innovative Marine 25 Lagoon
Return Pump - 2x Eheim600s
Stand - DIY

 

Rock - BRS Reef Saver
Sand - Tropic Eden Meso-flakes

 

Heater - Cobalt Neotherm 100w
Skimmer - Tunze 9001
Fuge Light - JBJ Nano-Glo
ATO - TBD (leaning towards Hydor Smart ATO Micro)
Dosing - BRS 2-part w/BRS dosers

Light - TBD (leaning towards AI Hydra 26HD)

 

Pictures to follow!

[_badger]

Stand build...
My wife wanted something rustic-ish looking so we landed on the pallet wood look.

I worked it out so everything fit on 1 4x8 sheet of 1/2" plywood. It's braced with cheap 1x4, screwed and glued to the plywood frame, and carrying the weight down to the floor. I know 2x4 framing is the go-to solution here, but this is a pretty light build because it's for a nano. Even with water, equipment, sand, and rock I doubt it hits 400lbs.

I still haven't decided how to lay out shelving/storage for cabinet, but I'm thinking I'll cross that bridge once all the equipment comes in and I'm cycled.

[_badger]

[TheKleinReef]

I love that stand! 

[_badger]

Thanks! I'll be dumping more pictures in tonight. I got most of the equipment in this week so it's really starting to come together.

[_badger]

Everything is up and running. Planning to officially start cycling this weekend!

 

Here's the intended aquascape...didn't quite turn out this way

 

[_badger]

Tank, with the eheim600s hooked up and the y-joint loclines. I'm not sure about keeping these, we'll see how the flow is once everything settles in.

[_badger]

I'm still leaning towards the AI Hydra 26, but I went with the Kessil A series mount since it can be mounted to the stand and doesn't take up space on the overflow rim. This will also give me a little extra room to raise the light up and hopefully get more even spread?

 

[_badger]

Water and sand in.

 

I went with Tropic Eden sand so I could run some decent flow without kicking things up. Unfortunately, after reading a bunch of reviews about how clean it was and how there is so need to rinse it...I added it without the rinse.

 

Now I think I'm going to have to do a big water change to get it clear...its been cloudy-ish for 2 days.

[Type-H20]

6 hours ago, TheKleinReef said:

I love that stand! 

+1

Nice work

[mystersyster]

SICK!

[_badger]

On 7/29/2017 at 0:38 AM, Type-H20 said:

+1

Nice work

 

On 7/29/2017 at 2:04 AM, mystersyster said:

SICK!

Thanks!

I'm not sure if it's all in my mind, but I think the skimmer pulled out the cloudiness over the weekend. It's still breaking in and skimming really wet so when I dumped the cup after running for a couple days the skimmate was super super cloudy and the tank was clear. 

 

In other news, I have nitrates!!! I'm using the Red Sea Reef Foundations kit to get the cycle going and so far it's working flawlessly.

[_badger]

I decided on the Hydra 26. I'm hoping the 2 pucks will help spread the light a little more evenly.

 

The cycle is moving along, nitrates were 60ppm yesterday, but ammonia and nitrites were still pretty high as well. I'm hoping things will even out over the week.

 

I have decided to go the algae reactor route on an offset light cycle to try and keep things as steady as possible at night, add a little extra volume, and hopefully export some nutrients. Once things settle in I'll post on the effectiveness of the reactor.

[billdeluz]

Looking good

[_badger]

20 minutes ago, billdeluz said:

Looking good

Thanks!

[heifinator]

Had great luck with my algae reactor, remember to get the biggest one you can stand to have. Not only are they easier to clean but more is better in fuge / algae reactor land!

Good luck with the tank!

[coreyisag]

 was think about an algae reactor myself....can you post some pictures of how you plumbed it to the tank, my tank sits on a stand kinda like this and i can place the reactor below it..thanks!

[schgr.cube]

Just commented on your WAMAS thread, but I'm more active on here. Looking good so far!!

[heifinator]

10 hours ago, coreyisag said:

 was think about an algae reactor myself....can you post some pictures of how you plumbed it to the tank, my tank sits on a stand kinda like this and i can place the reactor below it..thanks!

 

I can take some pictures of mine this evening for you as well if he can't. I love mine.

 

One thing to remember is they can and will get covered in hard build up eventually and need a good scrubbing. For this reason I always make sure to use a 5" reactor so that it is reasonably easy to clean it.

 

Really the only tip I have, otherwise its plumbed like any reactor, pump hooked up to input on the reactor and then output into the sump or back chamber. I run mine at ~200gph with lights on at night.

[_badger]

2 hours ago, heifinator said:

 

I can take some pictures of mine this evening for you as well if he can't. I love mine.

 

One thing to remember is they can and will get covered in hard build up eventually and need a good scrubbing. For this reason I always make sure to use a 5" reactor so that it is reasonably easy to clean it.

 

Really the only tip I have, otherwise its plumbed like any reactor, pump hooked up to input on the reactor and then output into the sump or back chamber. I run mine at ~200gph with lights on at night.

Thanks heifinator! Mine hasn't come in yet, should be here thursday or friday so if you have pictures it would be really helpful.

 

What are your thoughts on plumbing the return from the reactor directly into the display? Would it generate bubbles?

[heifinator]

 

2 hours ago, _badger said:

Thanks heifinator! Mine hasn't come in yet, should be here thursday or friday so if you have pictures it would be really helpful.

 

What are your thoughts on plumbing the return from the reactor directly into the display? Would it generate bubbles?

 

I'll get you some pictures. Mine doesn't bubble at all so that shouldn't be an issue.

[coreyisag]

3 hours ago, heifinator said:

 

 

I'll get you some pictures. Mine doesn't bubble at all so that shouldn't be an issue.

thank you so much! im going to have to make some room in the back compartments to plumb mine or else i might have to have it return to the display as well.

[Thrassian Atoll]

Following.  I have the same tank and only set mine up a couple weeks before you and want an sps dominant tank as well.  Interested to see how you do the algae scrubber.  I hoping the Tunze 9001 and the chemipure blue does well enough for now. 

[_badger]

1 hour ago, TILTON said:

Following.  I have the same tank and only set mine up a couple weeks before you and want an sps dominant tank as well.  Interested to see how you do the algae scrubber.  I hoping the Tunze 9001 and the chemipure blue does well enough for now. 

I'm really happy with the Tunze 9001 so far. I know I'm still cycling, but I have no microbubbles and it seems to actually be skimming. I think it'll be a little workhorse! 

 

Do you have a build thread?

[Thrassian Atoll]

4 hours ago, _badger said:

I'm really happy with the Tunze 9001 so far. I know I'm still cycling, but I have no microbubbles and it seems to actually be skimming. I think it'll be a little workhorse! 

 

Do you have a build thread?

 

I do!  I am still dialing in my Tunze.  With no bioload it's kind of all over the place still haha. I am actually seeing a little bit of micro bubbles but not sure where it's coming from.  Maybe you can help me out.  We pretty much have the same setup.