Rookie Reefer XL 425

nervousmonkey · Apr 16, 2017

kswan said:
I purchased the return pump and a pump for my mixing station from the LFS. I went with a Varios 6 for the return and Aqua Mag 1200 for the mixing station. The Aqua Mag was relatively cheap, has enough head pressure and can be a backup for my return if necessary.

Awesome choice on the Varios for return. IMO best return you could have gotten, minus the stupidly expensive ones.

nervousmonkey · Apr 16, 2017

And adding that for your first tank, you've obviously done your research. Well done!!! You are off to an awesome start! What light fixture are you going to get? If you haven't already purchased, take a look at the ATI fixtures, maybe add two ReefBrite XHO's to the setup.

kswan · Apr 16, 2017

Vincent100 said:
Looking really good
Iv a red sea 350 so just a baby compared to yours but they are great tanks so you made the right choice

Can't wait to see you fill it ...Are you going reef ?
Mines a year old this month and Iv just got to the point of be able to stop worrying about things and being able to sit back and enjoy it

You'll have alot of ups and downs but stick at it and you'll have a beautiful tank
And never hold back on asking questions no matter if you think you sound silly, loads and loads of helpful people on this site

Good luck with it all and enjoy
Here's a pic of mine a year in ;Greedy lol

Your tank looks amazing! I hope that someday I can produce results like that. The plan is for a mixed reef. As a newbie I'll be starting with cheaper/easier livestock and corals.

kswan · Apr 16, 2017

I have done a ton of research. The Varios seemed like a good choice for the cost and performance. Lights have been a challenge. Originally I was planning on 2 Kessel 360s but my LFS has recommended Radion XR30s. I'm still not sure which way to go.

Leyth · Apr 16, 2017

Hey, nice setup and good luck with the build. I was wondering if you had any concerns about your floor holding this large of a tank since it appears there is a basement below the tank.

kswan · Apr 16, 2017

Yes, I am concerned about the floor. Although I'm against the foundation, it is still a lot of weight. Before adding water I'm going to add a 4x4 with a couple posts for piece of mind. I'm fairly certain that it would be fine without but cost will be minimal to reinforce.

kswan · Apr 18, 2017

Lights lights lights... I would like to make a decision here but I'm really struggling. There are a lot of opinions and options. It may not be the ideal choice but I would really like to go with LEDs. As of now my plan is to have this be a mixed tank starting with easy to care for/cheap corals. I'm mostly trying to avoid buying something and then wanting to upgrade in a year. Did I mention that lights are expensive!

kswan · Apr 20, 2017

I made a decision on lights and purchased 2 AI Hydra 26s. I'll pick them up today from BRS and take a few photos. Reasoning behind the decision came down to price, expand ability (easy to add an additional 26 or even T5s in the future) and the fact that they stand alone. I'll be running an apex, but many of the other lighting options require additional modules to control (Radions).

The Reefer can be purchased as a "Deluxe" model which includes 2 of these lights and custom Red Sea mounting arms. I would have purchased this originally however I was struggling to make a decision on lighting. Plus I figured it would be an easy upgrade. Not so! The folks at Red Sea (Houston) told me that this is impossible. They cannot sell just the lights and mounting arms due to supply agreements with AI. All I really needed is the mounting arms because then look nicer (in my opinion) than the AI mounts. The Hydras are evidently modified at AI for use with the Red Sea mounts making buying just the arms less than desirable. To be honest, I wasn't overly impressed with their customer service. To me it seemed that it would be too much of an inconvenience vs not being possible. Either way that is just speculation and based more on the tone of a phone call and email. It was mostly just interesting that I was ready to give them money and they didn't want to take it...

On a more positive note, I also ordered most of the plumbing i'll need for the manifold and water changes. That should give me a good project for the weekend.

revhtree · Apr 20, 2017

Must be nice to live so close to BRS!

kswan · Apr 20, 2017

It's about 10 miles from my house. They have been very helpful and friendly. First time I stopped in they gave me a full tour of the 160!

kswan · Apr 22, 2017

The light are installed and connected to wifi. Overall it was very easy. So far I'm impressed. Good job AI!

kswan · Apr 23, 2017

I picked up this light from my local big box store. It works great to light up the sump area. If necessary I can link a second light but I think this will be adequate. Cost was about $55. There are cheaper options but I liked the size and switch location.

kswan · Apr 24, 2017

Made good progress on the return plumbing/manifold today. My goal was to keep the sides and back of the cabinet open. As a rookie, this offered the most flexibility for additional equipment since I'm not sure what I'll end up with. I went with threaded valves so I don't have to scrap the most expensive parts in case things need to be changed. The last section will include a ball valve and the connection to the Reefer plumbing. As of now I'm planning to use a silicone tube to adapt the metric Reefer to 1" PVC. I know some adapters are available but most of the installations I've read about make a statement something like "make sure to use lots of teflon tape" which to me is concerning that it isn't a good fit. Please let me know if I'm wrong. I wouldn't mind finishing it out with PVC.

Mr.Rocc · Apr 24, 2017

Dream build right here!!!! If only i was in a more permanent space I would be joining you with my build !! Well i'm going to vicariously live through you here and follow along!!

kswan · Apr 24, 2017

Tail2112 said:
Dream build right here!!!! If only i was in a more permanent space I would be joining you with my build !! Well i'm going to vicariously live through you here and follow along!!

Thanks! I'll try to do it right.

kswan · Apr 28, 2017

I added a couple of bulkheads today. These are for the fill and drain lines that run to the basement. I used a dremel to open up the bulkheads so a half inch line can pass through. The only purpose is to give the holes a finished look and prevent any moisture from damaging the exposed wood. Should be able to wrap up the plumbing this weekend.