HighChief's 225 In wall basement build

[HighChiefKC]

Do you have humidity issues or is the exhaust fan working

I don’t have any issues yet, not running the tank yet. Still trying to remedy a leaky bulkhead. I don’t imagine I’ll have any problems?

 

[HighChiefKC]

Do I need to have a heater in my saltwater mix station tank? I have it run randomly on a timer to
Keep it mixed. Seems like the salt
Isn’t dissolving too well

 

[OceanDiver]

Do I need to have a heater in my saltwater mix station tank? I have it run randomly on a timer to
Keep it mixed. Seems like the salt
Isn’t dissolving too well

I have one in my vat and it’s set for 71. I also have a power head in there that is one a timer And comes on once an hour for 10min

 

[HighChiefKC]

I have one in my vat and it’s set for 71. I also have a power head in there that is one a timer And comes on once an hour for 10min

Thanks!
I’ll add that to my shopping cart. Think I’m gonna pull the trigger on a Reefbot

 

[HighChiefKC]

What a tedious task this is!

 

[Dbichler]

On my 210 I do 35 gallon waterchanges no heater drops temp 1.5 degrees depends on room temp and size of wc I guess. My tank is set at 78 and room temp steady at 68 for reference

 

[DaddyFish]

Do I need to have a heater in my saltwater mix station tank? I have it run randomly on a timer to
Keep it mixed. Seems like the salt
Isn’t dissolving too well

I have a 300w heater and a (relatively) cheap in-tank UV sterilizer in my mixing tank. I run both all the time as soon as the RO/DI refills the tank. Makes mixing salt much easier and keeps sw in ready-to-go state. The aeration option of the UV unit is also a great way to rapidly obtain gas balance before using the water.

 

[HighChiefKC]

I ended up buying a 300 w this week. I messed up and ordered what I thought was a controller AND heater. Opened the box and it was just a controller lol. So I just ordered the heater today.

got all the sand rinsed. I spent around 3 hours or more rinsing 7 bags. I could have spent 3 more and I still don’t think it would have been perfectly clean. I’m pretty sure I seen a flattened dehydrated frog come out of one bag.

 

[HighChiefKC]

It’s been a long time coming, but I finally have sand and rock in the tank! Filling with premixed water now! Lot of good rinsing the sand done, I expect it to be cloudy rest of night.

 

[HighChiefKC]

Water is in, system is running with just heaters in sump going and one return pump and one mp40. I added a bottle of Fritzs turbo start and a bottle of nitrocycle. I have a bio block in fuge that I soaked in microbactor 7.

 

[sp1187]

Water is in, system is running with just heaters in sump going and one return pump and one mp40. I added a bottle of Fritzs turbo start and a bottle of nitrocycle. I have a bio block in fuge that I soaked in microbactor 7.

if it's a MarinePure Bio Block, you may want to rethink that.
I have those in my system, and I'm reading reviews now that they leach aluminum.

 

[HighChiefKC]

if it's a MarinePure Bio Block, you may want to rethink that.
I have those in my system, and I'm reading reviews now that they leach aluminum.

no it’s a brightwell

 

[HighChiefKC]

Update:
Tank is cycled, transferred over a clown pair, royal gramma and a didn’t know still alive Pistol Shrimp. ATO using the Avast Marine pressure tube and the Spectrapure pump is working excellent. I have the Versa hooked up but have yet to program it. Soon as I created an account with Mobius, it downloaded new updates for my 2 mp40s and L2 return pump. That was exciting! Just installed the skimmer tonight and neighbor came over to put the trim around the tank. The piano hinge front door didn’t work exactly as planned, so we’re going to fine tune that down the road, but for now it functions.
Started mounting some controllers, but need to find a way to mount all the power bricks. Man what a pain those are.
Added a ball of chaeto, some pods, and a ball of Pom Pom to feed future tangs. Installed Kessil fuge light tonight as well.
Still need to add lights. Went to the local Ace and bought the material to make my own DIY screen covers for the euro brace. Also need to get the UV hooked up.
Here are some updates pics. Organization isn’t my thing, waiting to have everything installed before getting crazy about organizing wires so don’t mind the wires all about! Oh and I received a CUC from @reefcleaners and was very impressed! Got my chaeto from there too
Also the owner of VCA who makes the Random Flow Generators has been a huge help and their customer service is top notch!

 

[TK_KW]

Nice Nice. She's coming along. ITS ALIVE....

 

[HighChiefKC]

Trim finished, made end up modifying it a bit, because it doesn’t closed flush. Got one V4 hung, need to find a hanging kit for the other. So far, not very happy with the v4 and the insane disco ball effect. I’ve always had MH. Got the second return pump running that’s feed a manifold and UV, started running UV last night. Skimmer is running, need to fine tune it. I either get nothing, or it overflows with it after in collection cup.

 

[HighChiefKC]

Getting some fish stocked. I transferred over 2 clowns, a royal gramma, and a pistol shrimp. Since then I’ve added a diamond goby to pair with Pistol. Took them a few days but they are BFFs now! Added a Foxface rabbit and a Melanarus Wrasse. Yesterday added 4 blue green chromis and 3 Bimaculatus Anthias, along with a big beautiful plate coral and gonipora

 

[HighChiefKC]

Build coming along, putting finishing touches on it. Mounted 2 Vortech battery backups, one for an MP40, the other for L2 return. Didn’t really like how they fit plugging into the driver. So not sure if they even work. Thought maybe I needed to give battery a day to charge. Will test them out tonight. Plugging into driver didn’t go in all the way and seems too easy to pull out
Need to get BRS dual reactor mounted. Just ordered a check valve for extra safety on the UV and manifold return. Running an M2 and L2 at the same time requires a lot of water in the sump to the point it would overflow if power went out.
Extra EB832 coming today also, so I can hook up lights and MP40s to Apex

Still need to get Reefbot running, that’s probably last on my list.

 

[HighChiefKC]

Got check valve installed and tested, battery backups are working, nice little 5 hour power outage Saturday night! EB832 installed and running. DIY screen kit installed!
Having a lot of trouble with micro bubbles in main display. The more power I give to the L2 and M2, the more bubbles I get. I still haven’t figured it out. There are a lot of micro bubbles leaking out of the Skimmer, but I still have bubbles when I shut it off for hours.
last night I removed the Random Flow Generator nozzles on the returns in the tank, that didn’t help. No micro bubbles in tank when I put in feed mode, so I think it has something to do with force of returns. I’ve read if there is a small air leak in plumbing it will cause this. But if air is leaking, wouldn’t water be leaking too?
Fish don’t mind them, but it’s ugly to me and driving me crazy

 

[HighChiefKC]

 

[HighChiefKC]

Got the new ReefBot running. First cycle of tests all came back 0, so I knew something was wrong. I didn’t put a magnet in the rinse and test containers. Reran them and got results. Running tests for Amonia, nitrate/nitrite and phosphorus, or maybe it’s phosphate. I don’t remember, chemistry has never been my thing lol. I was going to swap some of these tests out to measure alk calcium and mag, but I’m now leaning toward keeping current set in at all times and buying a Trident if I can find one and come up with the cash. I’m Ready To start dosing!
Excuse my ghetto makeshift stand for reefbot. Going to have neighbor build a stand to hold it and possible trident