160 Gallon Built for Streaming

[SDJustin]

Avast Marine Works K1 Kalk Stirrer

Purchase month, service time:

• Purchased in January 2019
• Started Service in January 2019 so in constant use for about 10 months now.

Why I chose it:

• Running both a kalkwasser stirrer (Nilsen reactor) was recommended by the Reef Aquarium, Vol 3: Science, Art, & Technology by Julian Sprung & J. Charles Dalbeek.
• I wanted to go with a calcium reactor instead of dosing 2 part. Calcium reactors can lower pH. kalkwasser raises pH.
• When I purchased this, I think this was the only available kalkwasser stirrer on either bulkreefsupply.com & marinedepot.com. My LFS didn’t carry any kalkwasser.

Aspects I like:

• It’s worked flawlessly for almost 11 months now. When my apex outlet is on, it stirs. When it’s off, it doesn't.
• I can’t hear it at all. Although my aquarium isn’t very quiet.

Aspects I don’t like:

• The barbed outlet does clog up. A kalkwasser disc forms and it blocks the barb fitting. This means it fills up the tube and leaks out the sides from the top. No big deal if it’s in the sump, but not ideal. Someone online replaced the threaded barb with a regular ½” MPT to a slip/socket which solved the issue. As a fix I put a weekly ‘clean kalkwasser output’ task on my Neptune Apex and all is well. It takes 10 seconds a week. No big deal.

Product enhancement recommendations:

• If the motor assembly on the top screwed off somehow, it’d be nice to be able to check/clean the motor electrics every so often.\
  • I have some condensation in the motor assembly I can see through the semi transparent housing and I’d like to pop that housing open and clean/dry everything out. It sounds like it’s assembled with temporary glue, but I couldn’t pop it open with hand strength and didn’t want to use tools to shatter the housing. And all that said, it’s still working reliably after almost a year.

Second Choice:

• Reef Octopus Kalk Reactor

 

[SDJustin]

Crystal Reef Aquatics Stealth SRS60 Reef Sump

Purchase month, service time:

• Purchased mid January 2018, put into service mid February.
• Live for about 9 months now.

Why I chose it:

• I had first purchased an ICECAP 36XL. After spending lots of effort plumbing everything in, when I finally filled it with water and kicked on the return pump, the IceCap sump was leaking at a corner joint! I tried to repair it by emptying the sump, drying everything out, and using acrylic glue to address the bad acrylic welds. No dice. I tried three times and still a very slow leak. So… I searched on the reef2reef forums for higher end sump manufacturers and found the Stealth series from Crystal Reef Aquatics
• I wanted a refugium
• I wanted as much sump space as possible so I could keep as much of the equipment within the sump to avoid complex plumbing and issues with leaks, etc.
• I wanted as ‘big’ as possible to add water volume and thus add stability to my water params.
• I wanted three return holes to handle the ‘bean animal’ 3x overflow returns.

Aspects I like:

• Build quality. It is well built. No leaks of course. Sturdy construction. Thoughtful features (like the cord routing cutouts, the multiple dosing inputs with built in push to fit connections).
• Customized: They were willing to ‘flip’ the design left to right and adjust the width slightly, so it’s a perfect fit for my stand! The customization was reasonable considering the amount of re-work, and everything turned out perfectly. I had them lower the filter sock plate to accomodate a Klir-7 fleece roller, but in retrospect it probably didn’t need to be lowered. Or at least not lowered as much. It still works great though!

Aspects I don’t like:

• N/A - I love this sump

Product enhancement recommendations:

• The push to fit dosing fittings with the short lengths of acrylic tube are nice. I need two of them that ‘pull out’ water instead of ‘push in.’ I wish they offered additional fittings with longer tubes to deal with this.

Second Choice:

• N/A. I feel like this sump is ‘the best.’ Crystal Reef Aquatics is changing business names so I’m not sure you can still buy these, but I’d try and contact the folks who helped with this build and get their help with a sump if/when I ever need another one if their still making ‘em.
• I might see if I could customize it to fit one of the higher end fleece rollers and not the Klir-7… but the Klir-7 is workable so all is well.

 

[Mical]

Ecotech Marine 2x MP40wQD Vortech

Purchase month, service time:

• Purchased in December 2018
• Started Service in January 2019 so in constant use for about 10 months now.
• Replaced 1 wetside in June so it lasted ~ 6 months
• Replaced 1 wetside in August so it lasted ~ 8 months

Why I chose it:

• Ecotech is a premium brand… known for quality.
• The VorTechs can be controlled by the Apex
• There are no cords in the tank, and the in take wetside is compact
• DC->DC battery backup available from the vendor

Aspects I like:

• Very controllable/programmable
• Oozes quality. The magnetic driver units have a nice finish, seem well made.
• The small in water footprint has been a huge differentiator

Aspects I don’t like:

• They can easily get bumped off or (very rarely) fall off themselves w/o (human) intervention. Both the wet sides and the dry sides. Every few months I’ll accidentally bump the dry side off the tank which means the wetside lands in sand. I have to go to my apex to turn everything off before placing everything back together. I’ve been running a Neptune WAV for about 6 months and it hasn’t been bumped/moved/fallen once. When the wetside falls to my sand bed it’s instant maintenance time as a few grains of sand do get into the spinning magnet chamber and would wreak havoc unless cleaned out.
• The foam filters are unusable. They instantly (within a day) get full of gunk, and I don’t want to have to put my hands in the tank and clean foam filters every 24 hours, especially when I have a decent chance of knocking the wetside off the dryside causing a whole shutdown/clean/restart procedure.
• Cord length. Your controller units have to be pretty close to the tank to have these on both ends of any larger aquarium. I only run mine on one side because of this. I would pay $$$ for an extension cord with the waterproof style connectors to extend the length between the controller and the dryside driver units. I read online about sending the unit in and the distributor adding in a longer cord. That sounds… complicated.

Product enhancement recommendations:

• Cord extension accessory, or a version of the product with a longer cord
• Stronger magnetic force between wetside/dryside
• Some kind of part that replaces the zip tie anchor/tape to keep the dry side from falling to the floor. Maybe a cable routing plastic piece that tapes to the top AND side edge of the aquarium and routes the cable at a clean angle?

Second Choice:

• Neptune WAV. It’s more integrated with the Apex and I can run it w/ 1 link which means no controller unit and it doesn’t even eat up an EB832 outlet! Although it takes up a lot more space in the aquarium.

Trade-offs:

• Ultimately, it’s a choice between aesthetics (a HUGE deal in a reef tank) and cost/reliability. I’m TORN. I love the aesthetics of the Vortechs because they don’t take up much space in the water. They generally work great. However, my Neptune WAV has been a lot less fussy, and because I don’t need a separate controller unit it actually takes up less equipment space overall.

This member https://www.reef2reef.com/members/sntmods.97276/ makes extension cables for your Ecotech(s)

 

[SDJustin]

This member https://www.reef2reef.com/members/sntmods.97276/ makes extension cables for your Ecotech(s)

Interesting. In my head I was going to splice in a longer section of cable with a circular waterproof inline 5 position connector. That would be safer, but splicing in the middle means two connectors instead of 1. That looks like a standard molex connector... maybe I'll go that route. Thanks for the pointer!

 

[Joe's Coral Reef]

Setup looks great. Could you explain how you use the camera and how it works to live stream?

 

[SDJustin]

Setup looks great. Could you explain how you use the camera and how it works to live stream?

Sure thing. I'll do a more detailed post over the next week or so, but the summary is I have several cameras (Panasonic GH5S) outputting HDMI to a video capture card (Black Magic Designs DeckLink Quad HDMI) in my PC. I then use software called 'OBS' (Open Broadcaster Studio - https://obsproject.com/) that streams the video to twitch live. The basic setup is easy... getting good/interesting video is more challenging.

 

[SDJustin]

Plumbing: Schedule 80 PVC Fittings & Blue PVC Plumbing

Purchase month, service time:

• Purchased December through June depending on part
• In service for between 5-11 months.

Components:

• Spears Schedule 80 PVC Fittings
• Spears 1” Gate Valve
• Blue ‘furniture grade’ PVC Pipe
• CEPEX Ball Valves.
• 1 short length of 1” flexible black PVC from the emergency overflow bulkhead to the sump.
• 1” Spears True Union Check Valve
• Aquarium overflow and returns are all 1” fittings & pipe. Sump to chiller/algae reactor are ¾” fittings and pipe. Saltwater mixing station is ¾” pipe.

Why I chose it:

• I chose schedule 80 and blue for vanity reasons only. I have an ‘open’ custom metal stand, so all the plumbing is visible. I really like the more subdued look of the grey schedule 80 fittings and the clean blue pipe without stamped text like standard white schedule 40 PVC pipe
• I chose rigid PVC as I wanted the plumbing to be ‘solid’ … to connect securely and precisely. It’s a lot more work then flexible PVC and/or vinyl tubing, but results in a cleaner build if done carefully.

Aspects I like:

• Looks great. My cabinet is open, and the blue/grey ends up being lower contrast / less obtrusive than the while PVC.
• Sturdy. Schedule 80 has a ‘over engineered’ build quality feel. Something I appreciate but isn’t really required.
• No leaks (I use rectorseal T PLus 2 on threaded connections, NOT teflon tape.
• Mostly welded seams. My very first build I used lots of threaded fittings and teflon tape. I had leaks everywhere. Since that first build I use solvent welds and unions wherever possible. This approach makes it so much easier to get a 100% leak free setup, and the unions allow for maintenance/cleaning or even extending plumbing w/o redoing everything.

Aspects I don’t like:

• The first rule of plumbing is that you’ll always need one more fitting than you have. With normal white schedule 40 PVC fittings this isn’t a huge problem as you can find most of the parts locally, buy extras, and return the unused fittings. However, there are no ‘retail’ schedule 80 fittings available in my local hardware stores. I have to either order online or go to a local ‘pro’ plumbing supplier which have limited business hours and aren’t really setup for ‘browsing.’ This online/pro-only back and forth added around 3 weeks to my build before I got everything dialed in where I wanted it. This is a really exciting part of a tank build, right before the water goes in and it gets ‘real’ … and delays because of a missing union, elbow, whatever at this stage are a major bummer.
• “Next time” I’ll go all 1” and not mix 1” and ¾” fittings. It would mean a few extra reducers/adapters but it’d be nice to keep everything the same size… mostly for part ordering & extras inventory simplicity.
• The schedule 80 / Blue PVC route was spendy. When building my original budget I didn't allocate much for plumbing costs and this approached added more than $100 to my build cost vs schedule 40 / standard white PVC.

Product enhancement recommendations:

• N/A

Second Choice:

• Schedule 40 ‘retail’ PVC. If I had an enclosed cabinet I’d be VERY tempted to go schedule 40 to avoid delays during the build.
• Flexible PVC. Fewer fittings, less friction overall. In certain setups, black flexible PVC can greatly simplify plumbing setups. However, it doesn’t have a tight bend radius (which means a fitting) and can put lateral pressure on bulkheads. I also had to plumb in a UV sterilizer, gate valves, unions, etc… with a lot of fittings on flexible PVC things don't line up as nicely and it starts to look less tidy.
• Flexible Vinyl. For permanent fittings I’m not a fan. Because they are clear they can be prone to algae growth. Tight radius can cause kinking. I generally don’t like dealing with barb fittings (versus unions). Unattached vinyl hoses can be bumped / pushed out of position with bad/wet results.
• Silicon. I use short lengths of silicon tubing between my return pumps in my sump and the hard PVC fittings. This isolates vibration and allows the return pumps to sit ‘square’ without getting the PVC lengths/angles exactly perfect.

 

[SDJustin]

AquaLogic Delta Star 1/3hp air cooled titanium chiller

Purchase month, service time:

• Purchased April 2019
• In service ~ 8 months

Why I chose it:

• AquaLogic is a local (to me) San Diego Company
• Built in the USA
• AquaLogic’s main customers are public aquariums. They know what they’re doing.
• Simple + Overbuilt. Quality frame, beefy condenser, compressor, titanium heat exchanger in a super tough and insulated PVC
• Separate industrial grade controller (Ranco). This makes the chiller itself simple on/off, so no electronics to go wrong on the expensive chiller. I had a chiller years ago with a built in controller and the controller went bad, even though the main chiller parts were all functioning. This design (no build in controller) also make control with an Apex possible although I’d recommend an Energy Bar 4 or 8, not the EB832. This chiller can draw around 8 amps, so I power it on the 12A outlet on an EB4 that is controlled with a mechanical relay.

Aspects I like:

• Effective. ~200 Gallons down from 79.3° to 77.9° (1.4°F) in about 50 minutes. This is putting around 400gph through the chiller on a separate loop from the chiller (not on a return or an overflow)
• Build quality. It's built like a tank. The ABS cover is... just an ABS cover, but once the cover comes off everything is super high quality.

Aspects I don’t like:

• Loud: This this is industrial grade. To be fair I have yet to see, anywhere, a ‘quiet’ aquarium chiller. Using an iPhone app decibel meter (not that accurate) I read 80 dB with the mic right up to the input side of the case and 60dB ~1 foot away. 60db is ‘normal conversation, background music.’

Product enhancement recommendations:

• I think that the PVC chamber with the coils may be able to be disassembled for cleaning? I’m not sure if the endcaps are threaded or glued. In any case, I’d love to be able to open up the heat exchanger tube and give the heat exchangers a good wipe down. In my experience, anything in contact with reef aquarium salt water needs to be cleaned at least once a month.

Second Choice:

• JBJ Arctica Chiller 1⁄3 HP
• They’ve been in business for a long time with relatively happy customers. I don’t love the hose barb inputs or the built in controller, but otherwise these look solid.

My install. I need to clean up the wires I know.

 

[SDJustin]

A quick update. I switched from a 48" ATI PowerModule (hybrid T5 + LED) to 2x ATI Straton fixtures. They are pure LED and so far so good! Here's a 2.5 minute video showing the aquarium and the lights.

 

[carlosec83]

A quick update. I switched from a 48" ATI PowerModule (hybrid T5 + LED) to 2x ATI Straton fixtures. They are pure LED and so far so good! Here's a 2.5 minute video showing the aquarium and the lights.

That is very nice. I am currently cycling my dry rock waiting for my CDA aquarium, and one piece of equipment I havent bought was Lighting. Was going to go the ATI HYBRID route or the STRATON, but couldn't find anywhere they sold yet or any news of it here in the states. Are they out already? Awesome tank BTW and great record keeping, loved your detailed reviews on products purchased.

 

[SDJustin]

That is very nice. I am currently cycling my dry rock waiting for my CDA aquarium, and one piece of equipment I havent bought was Lighting. Was going to go the ATI HYBRID route or the STRATON, but couldn't find anywhere they sold yet or any news of it here in the states. Are they out already? Awesome tank BTW and great record keeping, loved your detailed reviews on products purchased.

Hey...sorry didn't notice this until just now. The ATI straton's are JUST coming out (as of September 2020). I contacted ATI North America directly and was able to purchase two Stratons early on as long as I gave product feedback (which I did).

I'm still super happy with the lighting. The only problem I have now is that I have my 48" ATI powermodule which is still a REALLY nice unit and i'm not using it.

-Justin

 

[carlosec83]

That is fabulous. Thanks for reply. I will contact my LFS and see if they can order for me. The light looks super sweet. Maybe you can do a product review like your others.

 

[Biff0rz]

Hey...sorry didn't notice this until just now. The ATI straton's are JUST coming out (as of September 2020). I contacted ATI North America directly and was able to purchase two Stratons early on as long as I gave product feedback (which I did).

I'm still super happy with the lighting. The only problem I have now is that I have my 48" ATI powermodule which is still a REALLY nice unit and i'm not using it.

-Justin

Any PAR information on the light? Ie will it work for sps deep tanks with blues?

 

[SDJustin]

Below are PAR measurements taken with 2x Stratons on a 5 foot tank, about 12" inches above the top of a 24" deep tank. The highest par is 1/3 and 2/3rds left to right as that's the 'center' of each Straton. Max at the top of the rock structure (about 8" deep) is 330.

Below are the PAR measurements taken with an ATI Powermodule Hybrid (48" 3x75W LED & 4x54W T5 LED-Powermodule). The tank was brand new at that point.

PAR measurements on both stages of the tank (and the two different light fixtures) was taken with an "Apogee SQ-520 Full Spectrum Smart Quantum LED PAR Sensor"

I'll let you draw your own conclusions from the data. I could lower the Straton's to 8-10" off the water surface to get more PAR.

Subjectively/Qualitatively I'd say:

• My Acropora up around the 300 PAR range seem to get burned / struggle more then the corals in the mid 200 range. This is anecdotal / sloppy science as they are all different species.
• The T5/LED fixture still has slightly better light spread (less contrast & deep shadow) than the Straton.
• The all LED Straton has fewer PAR 'hot spots' than the PowerModule Hybrid, and reaches another 8-10 inches deeper while maintaining the 200 PAR range more evenly which is what I'm shooting for.
• I "like" the ability to 100% control the spectrum with the Stratons (where as with the T5s you buy the bulbs and that is your spectrum...you can't 'program' T5 spectrum)
• I still see slightly more vibrant colors in my coral from a Kessil A360X Tuna blue I have running over some frags of my display tank coral in my sump (same water system), but the Kessil is very directional and I get a bunch of 'no color' tissue on the underside of the coral branches / areas of the coral in the 'shadow' of the Kessil. This might be remedied somewhat by running multiple Kessils, but I still really like the spread of the T5/LED hybrid and the larger Straton LED array overall. The ultimate light (and probably expensive and hot) would be a bunch of mini clusters of the Kessil 'dense matrix array.' Say instead of 40-50 LEDs as a single dense matrix, 12 clusters of 4 or 10 clusters of 5 or some such. This would punch deeper into tanks with full spectrum point sources, but spread them out more for less shadow. I'm not sure if Kessil or Dicon or ??? has the patent for 'dense matrix' LEDs but I'd love to see someone build a wider array of smaller clusters of 'dense matrix' LEDs.

Overall, I'm very happy with the Straton fixtures so far. I haven't tried Ecotech G5s, the Orhpeks, nor the AI fixtures so can't provide direct data / qualitative comparisons with those fixtures.

 

[ReefLaw]

What settings and percentage are you running on the stratons?

 

[SDJustin]

What settings and percentage are you running on the stratons?

I do a 90 minute ramp up and ramp down, from 0 to 100%, with an overall 12 hour light cycle.
The ramps are using the 'fluorescent' color and the other 9 hours are LPS/SPS.

I haven't thought about this in a long time, and I think I'm sending too much PAR in the top third of my tank, and will bring my max down to 90%.