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GraniteReefer 250 build


MainelyReefer

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MainelyReefer

  To celebrate 3 years of success with my male mandarin dragonet, my wife has given me the green light to upgrade from my IM40 to a Red Sea Reefer 250!

  The plan is to transfer livestock and live rock from the existing tank to the new one in one fell swoop.  Also merging it with some KP Aquatics rocks I have been cooking for a year in the Mantis tank.  Separating the Mantis from the rocks might be a challenge, and he may end up being a sump monster.  

  This plan is in the very early stages but the biggest hurdle has been passed(spousal acceptance). The tank is ordered, and I’m doing dishes for a year.  Most of the equipment will be transferred as well but some things are AIO specific like my ghost skimmer so I will be selling those and buying new stuff! 

  This being my first sumped system, it really opens up a ton of options for equipment customization.  For the most part this will be a low end basic tank, utilitarian and not color matched like a tennis player.  Better more detailed update to come but I just wanted to get the thread started or else I never would! Merry Christmas Reefers!

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MainelyReefer

I had forgotten how much fun it is to plan/design a new system.  Currently hunting down a Kessil a360we as it should be less than 300$ new.  I know that the 360x is here, but since I already own one 360we and the controller it makes sense to save $ and go with the still awesome old model.  

  I already researched and chose my skimmer.  I ended up buying the bubble magus curve 5 as it is cheap and has decent reviews.  I even got a free lens kit for taking reef pictures to sweeten the deal.  Now I’m just waiting for the tanks shipment confirmation.

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MainelyReefer

 Some equipment got delivered to my house and I got a call from my wife, she asks “what did you order fishtank related? Because there is some ridiculously large box here.”  She knows me so well and secretly loves the hobby.  It was the skimmer which is way bigger than I thought.  Here it is midgeting my reefbowl.3AC76493-2861-45DB-AB13-65733F7E9F33.thumb.jpeg.8cb56da5ce36f46f74ded516ace0e7e3.jpeg

upgrading from the midsize ghost series skimmer from innovative marine is a big step, having only 25 gallons more water in the Red Sea system but this much more skimmer should mean I’m increasing my filtration capacity which has been underrated in my current tank for the heavy feeding I do to keep the mandarins happy.       

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MainelyReefer

 Went and bought some baking soda to neutralize the muriatic acid bath I am giving my dry pukani rocks today.  They were previously bleached then dehydrated for a few days and have been in the turned off dehydrator for over a year.

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 Plan is to transfer all livestock and rock from my 40, 10g, and 4g pico.  The latter two will have healthy populations of pods as the tanks are kept fish free, thus should help transition the mandarins easier.  I still anticipate needing more liverock so I’m cleaning this stuff up.

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Always add acid to water9138B966-D4C1-428B-BC31-4060BEE5EB3F.thumb.jpeg.2d0593bd3b07aec978504379dd31062b.jpeg

and have baking soda on hand, and gloves on your hands and goggles too.  And the inevitable overflow.

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Nice clean rock picture to come!

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On 12/26/2018 at 3:29 PM, GraniteReefer said:

I had forgotten how much fun it is to plan/design a new system.  Currently hunting down a Kessil a360we as it should be less than 300$ new.  I know that the 360x is here, but since I already own one 360we and the controller it makes sense to save $ and go with the still awesome old model.  

  I already researched and chose my skimmer.  I ended up buying the bubble magus curve 5 as it is cheap and has decent reviews.  I even got a free lens kit for taking reef pictures to sweeten the deal.  Now I’m just waiting for the tanks shipment confirmation.

Awesome!! I started a 250 a few months ago love the tank. I bought the same skimmer for 100 bucks from dr fosters and smith when they were having this big sale a few months back. Works great!! I switched from a nano box to kessil 360s I really like the simplicity of them too. I bought mine used though i got 2 a360s , 2 goosnecks, and a controller for 500 shipped not too shabby😊

 

Following along looking forward to seeing this tank fill up!

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MainelyReefer
On 12/31/2018 at 12:53 PM, Weikel said:

Awesome!! I started a 250 a few months ago love the tank

I’ve read your whole thread and reference the pictures often to plan out equipment etc. Our equipment lists are almost the same!

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4 minutes ago, GraniteReefer said:

I’ve read your whole thread and reference the pictures often to plan out equipment etc. Our equipment lists are almost the same!

Ha right on. Good to know someone checks out the thread . Feels like I am talking to myself sometimes 🤪..

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I bought that same skimmer used with my tank. I've had it for about a month and I love it. 65 gallon Softy and LPS reef, lightly stocked.  

+1 for it being fun to plan a new system. 
 

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MainelyReefer

Tank made it to its destination facility, I’ve been tracking it every few hours like a kid waiting for Christmas.  Planned delivery is Tuesday, I don’t know how I will handle it being in a warehouse 15 mins away all weekend!  The anticipation is killing me.  In the meantime plenty of preparations are needed, like me painting the living room before the tank is in place.  Scoly wants a Red Sea reefer and that piece of mysis floating right above him.

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MainelyReefer

Hoping to get it wet this weekend!  I built the stand today.  It took about 2 hours to complete and it leaves a lot to be desired.  It’s an ikea stand for $1469.00 essentially. Doesn’t seem like it’s built to last as long as the tank, even my wife laughed at it saying she expected better from the highly coveted Red Sea as I have been hyping them for 3 years.  They are so cheap they don’t even give you a single spare screw.

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 The tank and sump look awesome though.  I need to slightly level the stand as my floor isn’t perfect, wood on top of concrete slab(Dumb).  Since the reefer 250 just comes with 15 dinky tack feet I’m left to MacGyver this thing level.  I have multiple plans I’ll update when I choose which ones not the worst.  Some jabroni in a forklift also hit the stand portion of the shipment882B3058-162B-48CB-80FA-70C76E145AFA.thumb.jpeg.d49347865e13b841ffd9023f185b1b0b.jpegdamage was minimal and it ended up being on the interior concealed by the sump.  So I am just going to silicone it to ensure it isn’t compromised and leave it.

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5 minutes ago, GraniteReefer said:

Hoping to get it wet this weekend!  I built the stand today.  It took about 2 hours to complete and it leaves a lot to be desired.  It’s an ikea stand for $1469.00 essentially. Doesn’t seem like it’s built to last as long as the tank, even my wife laughed at it saying she expected better from the highly coveted Red Sea as I have been hyping them for 3 years.  They are so cheap they don’t even give you a single spare screw.

7269E23E-5256-4076-824C-7C4A0FE642A8.thumb.jpeg.c81be54ba0bb6f8425553c93514949aa.jpeg

 The tank and sump look awesome though.  I need to slightly level the stand as my floor isn’t perfect, wood on top of concrete slab(Dumb).  Since the reefer 250 just comes with 15 dinky tack feet I’m left to MacGyver this thing level.  I have multiple plans I’ll update when I choose which ones not the worst.  Some jabroni in a forklift also hit the stand portion of the shipment882B3058-162B-48CB-80FA-70C76E145AFA.thumb.jpeg.d49347865e13b841ffd9023f185b1b0b.jpegdamage was minimal and it ended up being on the interior concealed by the sump.  So I am just going to silicone it to ensure it isn’t compromised and leave it.

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Haha thought the same thing when I was building mine. Had it for about 5 months now and seems to be holding well.. I think it is better quality than ya think.. and there is tons of people who have had them with zero issues for years.. 

 

Fyi the little clicker things for the doors screw in and out for adjustment and the hinges have screws under the little covers that let's you adjust the doors to get the gap between the doors even...

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MainelyReefer

I know some people will use a razor blade to remove the siliconed in float valve if they plan on running a different ATO.  

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I am using the smart ATO micro but not sure if I am going to use that to top up the stock ATO so I have 7 gallons total ATO volume or ditch the gravity feed altogether and rely solely on my IM 5g hydrofill reservoir.  Since other people are removing the float valve it got me to thinking maybe I could do the same to the sliders that hold in the refugium wall and move them back about an inch and resilicone them in as I have a lot of extra wiggle room in the skimmer chamber and I want to maximize refugium space.  The only scary part is the bottom of one sits on an outside seam and is part of the silicone.  Can it be safely removed. Opinions?  My local reefer buddy is already poo pooing the idea.

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The bottom of this one seems risky

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MainelyReefer

Tank is on the stand and leveled! Inspection Crew putting on the finishing touches.3B2EB5AE-72F0-470E-A7D1-7D884BADF5E6.thumb.jpeg.092d11303b269acb4974db669cf3be22.jpeg

That cabinet furniture to the right is also new and is going to house the electronics and controllers.  Plan is to keep the tank 2.5” off the wall so I can keep the mp10’s on the back wall(only own one currently). The Kessil brackets will be practically in the water so I am considering my options for hanging them.

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5 minutes ago, GraniteReefer said:

Tank is on the stand and leveled! Inspection Crew putting on the finishing touches.3B2EB5AE-72F0-470E-A7D1-7D884BADF5E6.thumb.jpeg.092d11303b269acb4974db669cf3be22.jpeg

That cabinet furniture to the right is also new and is going to house the electronics and controllers.  Plan is to keep the tank 2.5” off the wall so I can keep the mp10’s on the back wall(only own one currently). The Kessil brackets will be practically in the water so I am considering my options for hanging them.

Wow awesome!! And cuteness level has been established. 

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MainelyReefer
2 minutes ago, Weikel said:

Oh and they are close. Have had mine up for 4 months and haven't cleaned it once..

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Have you considered removing the cut out from the overflow lid? Seems like two Kessil brackets would fit comfortably in there just not sure if the water level there will be any shallower as I haven’t run it with water

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1 minute ago, GraniteReefer said:

Have you considered removing the cut out from the overflow lid? Seems like two Kessil brackets would fit comfortably in there just not sure if the water level there will be any shallower as I haven’t run it with water

Yea it runs a little lower , but honestly for me to get it significantly lower its difficult.. anyway I did consider it but I like the look with the light mounts spread out. If I get enough coral that needs more spread I might at a 3rd kessil in the over flow 

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