Creeks Red Sea 525xl

Tyreef2016 · Jul 4, 2017

Hey Reefers!

Excited to announce I've decided to make the jump to a bigger tank!

I was previously running 2 90 gallon tanks which became a hassle. I decided it was time to jump on a Red Sea tank, I decided on the 525xl in white.

I've already started stocking up on the parts ill be using!

Parts List:

Lighting - 3 Radion xr30w (2 gen 3 + 1 gen 4 for the middle)
Powerheads - 2 Mp40wqd
Battery Backup: Ecotech Battery backup
return pump - Vectra L1
Skimmer: Nyos 160
Controller: Apex orange label + Neptune probe holder
Rocks: 80 lbs of Real Life Rock (20 lbs base, 20 lbs shelf and 40 lbs of the shapes)
Sand: 2 bags of mini flakes and 1 bag of mesoflakes. total of 90 lbs
Reactors: 3 aquamaxx reactors to be plumbed into the return. (Broadfields wonderful idea)
Sump: Custom Sump (black/clear/neon green)
Heaters: Still Undecided if anyone has recommendations!
Plumbing: still deciding on the color scheme. My sump is a neon green so I was leaning towards green or yellow pipe.

The tank should be arriving sometime this week. I'm just waiting to schedule a drop off appointment.

Hope to bring this thread to life with pictures soon!

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to follow me on my journey!

jsker · Jul 4, 2017

Congratulation on the upgrade. The 525xl is a sweet tank. Looking forward to the build

Tyreef2016 · Jul 4, 2017

Thanks! Can't wait to get to work!

boozeman27 · Jul 4, 2017

Nice! I too am awaiting delivery next week of my 525XL. Cant wait to get started!

Tyreef2016 · Jul 4, 2017

boozeman27 said:
Nice! I too am awaiting delivery next week of my 525XL. Cant wait to get started!

Very nice! did you decide on heaters?

boozeman27 · Jul 4, 2017

Yes. I went with 2 finnex 500 watt heaters. Will be controlled by apex. I already have 2 clowns in qt too.

Tyreef2016 · Jul 4, 2017

boozeman27 said:
Yes. I went with 2 finnex 500 watt heaters. Will be controlled by apex. I already have 2 clowns in qt too.

Very nice! beautiful pair you picked up. I have a pair myself.

I have most of my existing stock in my last 90. planning to transfer my Gems when the time is right. My main fish will be my Black tang. then would like to accent him with some bright fish.

any personal input on green vs yellow plumbing? was thinking something bright and liked the idea of yellow possibly.

boozeman27 · Jul 4, 2017

Your choice on color, but I like green better than yellow. You only know what's best for your color scheme. I went with blue and grey sch 80. And thanks for the compliments on the clowns. Looking forward to seeing your black tang.

ksfulk · Jul 4, 2017

Tyreef2016 said:
Hey Reefers!

Excited to announce I've decided to make the jump to a bigger tank!

I was previously running 2 90 gallon tanks which became a hassle. I decided it was time to jump on a Red Sea tank, I decided on the 525xl in white.

I've already started stocking up on the parts ill be using!

Parts List:

Lighting - 3 Radion xr30w (2 gen 3 + 1 gen 4 for the middle)
Powerheads - 2 Mp40wqd
Battery Backup: Ecotech Battery backup
return pump - Vectra L1
Skimmer: Nyos 160
Controller: Apex orange label + Neptune probe holder
Rocks: 80 lbs of Real Life Rock (20 lbs base, 20 lbs shelf and 40 lbs of the shapes)
Sand: 2 bags of mini flakes and 1 bag of mesoflakes. total of 90 lbs
Reactors: 3 aquamaxx reactors to be plumbed into the return. (Broadfields wonderful idea)
Sump: Custom Sump (black/clear/neon green)
Heaters: Still Undecided if anyone has recommendations!
Plumbing: still deciding on the color scheme. My sump is a neon green so I was leaning towards green or yellow pipe.

The tank should be arriving sometime this week. I'm just waiting to schedule a drop off appointment.

Hope to bring this thread to life with pictures soon!

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to follow me on my journey!

Congrats on an awesome tank! (I might be bias, as I have the same one!)

Equipment list looks good - how big of a sump area do you have for heaters? I'm a big fan of the Eheim Jager series of heaters. I have a 300w Jager in my tank right now, and it works like a champ - no issues, easy to calibrate, nice and reliable. That said, they are LONG... much more than other similarly sized heaters. So, if space is at a premium, then you might want to look elsewhere. I like the Finnex titanium heaters as well (I have a 500w in my reefer as a backup to the Jager). They are much smaller and I've used several of their heaters without issue as well. Either would be a good choice. A lot of people have been using the Cobalt 300w heaters as well.

Tyreef2016 · Jul 4, 2017

My color scheme is kinda funky. doesn't really have 1 color to run with. I took a risk and went with the yellow. hoping it won't look cheap when it all comes together. ill see what I think when it arrives before I start.

ksfulk said:
Congrats on an awesome tank! (I might be bias, as I have the same one!)

Equipment list looks good - how big of a sump area do you have for heaters? I'm a big fan of the Eheim Jager series of heaters. I have a 300w Jager in my tank right now, and it works like a champ - no issues, easy to calibrate, nice and reliable. That said, they are LONG... much more than other similarly sized heaters. So, if space is at a premium, then you might want to look elsewhere. I like the Finnex titanium heaters as well (I have a 500w in my reefer as a backup to the Jager). They are much smaller and I've used several of their heaters without issue as well. Either would be a good choice. A lot of people have been using the Cobalt 300w heaters as well.

Thank You! Can't wait to get started already! I have to drop by your thread!

I do have a jager in my 90 and the one issue I had was the length. only place it fit was the overflow. where are you keeping yours?
The sump should have ample room for a heater. I was running a jbj tru temp but wasn't completely satisfied with it after it started acting up. I do like the cobalts although pricey. I will look into the finnex or cobalt I assume.

I appreciate the feedback!

ksfulk · Jul 4, 2017

Mine are in the center section of my custom sump, stacked one above the other. I have a "busy" central sump section, so real estate is at a premium there. Still, the jager is ~20" long, and I think my chamber is ~ 22.5", so it fits, but just.

Tyreef2016 · Jul 6, 2017

Started my Aquascaping last night. I started with a base I was happy with. then the fun began, A few tweaks here and there and I was satisfied. Overall I'm pretty pleased with the outcome I put together. Hope you guys do as well.