ShakerBreakers 300xl Build

[ShakerBreaker]

Well, after a 5-year hiatus from reefing, my new 300 xl is supposed to arrive today. Luckily, when I shut down my last tank I took the time to store the equipment properly and even the old live rock was in pretty good shape. I decided to follow some advice I heard from Ryan at BRsTV on one of their "this week in reefing" chats and I pretty much set my tank up in a trash can in the garage to begin the cycle process while I waited for my red sea tank. It's been up and going for about a month now. When my 300xl did arrive about 2 weeks ago the tank itself was shattered .. if you get one, make sure you take the box with the sump out of it before the carrier leaves and inspect all the glass, BRS and red sea were great, but it would have been a lot easier not having to store broken glass at my front door until the rma process was complete a week later.

I've been in this hobby in one way or another for the last 30 years now, its crazy how much has changed and even in the last 5 years. I never thought I'd be reef scaping with cement.

Anyway, if all goes well, then today the tank will arrive and I'll spend the week plumbing and organizing cables maybe fill it up by the weekend.

Equipment List (Updated 12/12/21)

Tank: Red Sea Reefel 300xl
Lighting: 2 Maxspect Ethereal lights
Skimmer: Bubble Magnus Curve 5
Power Heads: Neptune WAV x2
Return Pump: Reef Octopus Varios 4
Controller: Neptune Apex
Dosing: Apex Dos 10ml RO water

 

[Osimno]

Sounds like it'll be great fun. following

 

[ShakerBreaker]

The tank is here, in place, and level! Its always hard for me to take my time at this point. I can hardly stand not just adding water and getting going.

 

[ShakerBreaker]

Fresh and salt water stations ready to go, just need to order one more float valve

 

[Osimno]

That's a bit fancy, wish my set up was like that haha

 

[ShakerBreaker]

That's a bit fancy, wish my set up was like that haha

If there is one thing I've learned in the 30 years I've been keeping saltwater tanks, it's that easy water changes are better than any expensive piece of equipment you could buy.

 

[Osimno]

If there is one thing I've learned in the 30 years I've been keeping saltwater tanks, it's that easy water changes are better than any expensive piece of equipment you could buy.

Makes sense. Will have to keep that in mind for when I upgrade in the future

 

[ShakerBreaker]

Rock and sand are in! I used the bags to try to cut down on dust like eat sleep reef did, but it didn't work out for me. I guess the bowl is critical. Now time to start organizing cables.

 

[ShakerBreaker]

The first babies have arrived and they went into the quarantine tank while the main tank finished any cycling it needs to do after the rock was moved from the trash can to the tank. Just to be sure it cycles completely before the fish finish their quarantine I have started the Brightwell microbacter dry rock starter kit. This should be overkill after doing the algae barn cycle while I had the rock curing in a trash can, but I just want to be sure.

 

[ShakerBreaker]

Well, I put some time into cable management yesterday. By the time I mean about 4 hours. what a difference it made! I splurged on the adaptive reef mounting board instead of building my own, which certainly saved a lot of time. The mounting board worked great with just a few issues, the biggest one being that the screws it came with are too long and would punch the back of the stand, luckily I measured and used my own. Also, you have to pass the plugs through for the top part of the energy bar before you install the mounting plate. They need to add a cutout on the top like what they have on the bottom.

But you can't argue with the results. Here is the before and after.

 

[dlaird76]

Could you go into more detail regards your water change set up. Looks like a good start with a lot of thought went into it.

 

[mylertitchell]

Nice cable management! Have similar WC setup as your self just on smaller scale, actually added a third bin for kalkwasser and was lucky enough (well was hard work) to be able to hook the bins up to the sump with float valves so just a button push to do water changes. Look forward to seeing the journey!

 

[ShakerBreaker]

Could you go into more detail regards your water change set up. Looks like a good start with a lot of thought went into it.

I’d love to!

Right side tank is ro di water, a float valve is set in the lid and I pretty much keep it full at all times giving me 50 gallons of water ready to go.

The left side tank I also fill with rodi water, the float valve hasn’t arrived for that one. Once it is full I add salt, a heater, and 2 power heads. This gives me about 50 gallons of salt water ready to go. Total tank volume is about 80 gallons, so if I needed to do an emergency complete water change it’s doable.

Ive been in situations with previous tanks where I could not respond to a problem simply because I had to wait for water to be processed .. I’m not doing that again.

Anyway, both tanks sit on blocks just high enough that a bucket fits under the ball valve to fill. I added an extra bulkhead to each tank in case I want to add a pump loop later, but for now, this is working great.

If you have any questions about it, let me know, I’d love to answer them.

 

[ShakerBreaker]

Nice cable management! Have similar WC setup as your self just on smaller scale, actually added a third bin for kalkwasser and was lucky enough (well was hard work) to be able to hook the bins up to the sump with float valves so just a button push to do water changes. Look forward to seeing the journey!

Wow, automated water changes would be awesome. I am thinking about doing something like that, the problem I am having is the limited space.

Something I might have to look into more later once the tank has matured a bit.

 

[mylertitchell]

Wow, automated water changes would be awesome. I am thinking about doing something like that, the problem I am having is the limited space.

Something I might have to look into more later once the tank has matured a bit.

Yeah its awesome! Check out my build thread, you may see something that tickles you. The AWC i have is caravan pumps and a float switch (one high one low), one pumps sump water into washing machine drain, other pumps clean water into tank. Have them on wifi plugs, could easily schedule them and do more or less water or more or less often but i do weekly and like control of button clicks as this when i empty skimmer and general weekly maintenance

 

[dlaird76]

I’d love to!

Right side tank is ro di water, a float valve is set in the lid and I pretty much keep it full at all times giving me 50 gallons of water ready to go.

The left side tank I also fill with rodi water, the float valve hasn’t arrived for that one. Once it is full I add salt, a heater, and 2 power heads. This gives me about 50 gallons of salt water ready to go. Total tank volume is about 80 gallons, so if I needed to do an emergency complete water change it’s doable.

Ive been in situations with previous tanks where I could not respond to a problem simply because I had to wait for water to be processed .. I’m not doing that again.

Anyway, both tanks sit on blocks just high enough that a bucket fits under the ball valve to fill. I added an extra bulkhead to each tank in case I want to add a pump loop later, but for now, this is working great.

If you have any questions about it, let me know, I’d love to answer them.

Thanks for the reply. Much appreciated

 

[ShakerBreaker]

The tank has completed the microbacter program and should be cycled now. Time for the fun stuff

 

[ShakerBreaker]

Finally let the first clownfish out of quarantine jail.

 

[ShakerBreaker]

Tests today
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 10
Calcium 365
Alkalinity 8.3
PH 8.0

PH, Calcium, and alkalinity have all been tracking on the low side. I might start adding a small amount of 2 part or the tropic marin all for reef

 

[ShakerBreaker]

The aquarium has been stable.

readings more or less the same as last week.

Did a 10 gallon water change