Deep Blue 57 Edge ATI Acro Garden

Still cycling... though I haven’t even done any tests yet. I’m not really worried about it either as I’m taking my time and letting nature take its course.

A quick note about my skimmer. I’m running a prior generation SCA 1351 in this tank. I had to downsize from my beloved Lifereef due to space constraints of the Trigger 26 sump. I must say... this skimmer is a breeze to adjust and literally broke in in less than an hour. With no livestock yet, just some cured Pukani and the occasional ghost feeding, I’m getting a nice dry foam head and it’s already pulling out skimmate! While I do miss my old Lifereef, I do love the fact that this SCA 1351 is only pulling a paltry 9 watts! Quite impressed with my Deltec thus far. Not bad for a used $100 purchase! :D

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Very nice pickup at that price!!! BTW when you are ready I will have a few nice sticks for your garden!
 
The result is a perfectly flush screen top.

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I've been looking to adjust my net tops, which currently sit on top of my rimless tanks instead of within the rim... Do those tabs work facing both directions? My screen tops currently face twine side down and I wasnt sure if the went both ways ;)
 
I've been looking to adjust my net tops, which currently sit on top of my rimless tanks instead of within the rim... Do those tabs work facing both directions? My screen tops currently face twine side down and I wasnt sure if the went both ways ;)

Unfortunately no. The flared corner tabs only with with the screen spline facing up.
 
Unfortunately though, one of my MP40QD wetsides had a hairline crack in the plastic and a swelled magnet.

There is not a pump on the market I have less trust in. I've had a 100% crack rate on every EcoCrap pump I've ever had, including the replacement wet sides.. They are either designed to fail on purpose, or are just the most poorly designed product ever made in reefing.
 
There is not a pump on the market I have less trust in. I've had a 100% crack rate on every EcoCrap pump I've ever had, including the replacement wet sides.. They are either designed to fail on purpose, or are just the most poorly designed product ever made in reefing.

No doubt, the durability and longevity of the Vortech wetsides leave much to be desired. I did read something recently that vinegar isn’t the best choice for cleaning magnets encapsulated in plastic, so I’m gonna use citric acid to clean these. But then again, I never had any issues cleaning my old reliable Tunzes with vinegar, so we’ll see. At least I didn’t pay full retail for my Vortechs. I scored them both for $350, so replacing parts is part of the deal when buying used.
 
Hopefully you have better luck than I did, but that's also why I use and recommend Tunze -- They just work, and keep on working. I've seen them warranty 10 year old pumps in the forums too. Nothing beats tunze in my experience!

And yes, something about vinegar destroys ecotech pumps. I don't think they explained why, but even EcoTech has agreed this is the case.
 
No doubt, the durability and longevity of the Vortech wetsides leave much to be desired. I did read something recently that vinegar isn’t the best choice for cleaning magnets encapsulated in plastic, so I’m gonna use citric acid to clean these. But then again, I never had any issues cleaning my old reliable Tunzes with vinegar, so we’ll see. At least I didn’t pay full retail for my Vortechs. I scored them both for $350, so replacing parts is part of the deal when buying used.

My manuals are far gone but is not their suggested maintenance to use vinegar on the wet-side?
 
My manuals are far gone but is not their suggested maintenance to use vinegar on the wet-side?

I dunno, but I’ve read on this forum that vinegar is not good for cleaning Vortech wetsides. Apparently, citric acid or diluted muriatic acis is the better option as it won’t damage the plastic and risk exposing the magnet.
 
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So a few things...

I hate painting. It’s one of the reasons why it took me so long to finish building my cabinet. Hence the long delay in getting this build up and running. Well I finally got around to painting the door for my stand. Just waiting for the stainless steel bar pull to arrive to aid in removing the door off of the French cleats for ease maintenance access. It took quite some time, but I’m definitely pleased with how the tank stand turned out.

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I also got my @Floyd R Turbo L2 Rev 4 installed. I gotta say, this thing is a fantastic piece of gear, well thought out and designed. Kudos to Bud! :) My original plan of running it with a Skimz Quiet Pro 2.0 DC pump didn’t work out as the flow was too strong, even at the lowest setting. It’s now running with the recommenced Taam Rio 1100. Been running for the last couple of days with the intensity potentiometer at the 6 o’clock position which is at 25% intensity for 16 hours a day. My hope is to minimize the effects of the new tank ugly stages by getting the ATS going, then dialing it in as the tank matures.

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It was a bit warm and humid today. Temperature of the tank shot up to 82 degrees. Hooked up the chiller after work and temps are settling down nicely! :) Definitely happy I bit the bullet and got a chiller for this tank.

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How noisy is the chiller as it is in the same room?

It’s slightly louder than my ATI Sunpower fans (which are set at 7 volts) while running). It ran for about 20-30 minutes to get the temperature from 82.6 degrees to 78.5 and is currently off right now. So for the short time it was on, it wasn’t that loud at all.
 
First two inhabitants are in the tank. After several weeks of observational QT, I have added a Midas Blenny and Royal Gramma to the tank. They are swimming around and feeding with no issues. The Royal Gramma seems to have staked out and laid claim to one of the many rock crevices in the tank. I’d like to get this tank fully stocked with fish and stable before adding my first coral, so I’ve got plenty of time to go nice and slow.

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Really like the build. The rimless tank, white cabinets, CAx reactor, CO2 tank, make it look so modern and clean. Very nice !
 
WOW.. looks great so far...
 

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
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