GreenJeans

Great point about the sand.  Which sand would you recommend as appropriate for sand-sifting creatures (gobys etc), while allowing me to maximize my flow?

I went ahead and ordered a second DoS pump and the Triton 4-part additives, looking forward to trying out the Triton method.

I already have the Kessil H80 grow light for the fuge - I'll probably supplement it with much cheaper amazon grow lights if I need more than the H80 will put out.

Thanks for the thoughts!

The tank should be delivered next week, looking forward to planning out and installing the plumbing.

lol, that software is $500...there's gotta be something free that does a passable job...

Wow! I'm sure your guests will be blown away!

What'd you use to generate the floor plan and renders?

I picked up a candycane pistol shrimp from Woody's Seahorse on Saturday, I bet they have more

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I was originally going to use 1 DoS pump to use BRS 2-part for alk/calc/mag, but....

I have the sump for it, why not go Triton method right out of the gate?

I'd need to add a second DoS pump, and then plan to use the Triton 4-part...I think that's it. Maybe a bigger return pump? My fuge section is already 18gal.

I like the idea of no filter socks and very minimal water changes, based on thorough testing.

The method has been around for a few years now, and it seems like the 4-part is easy to source these days? I know that was a problem before...

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Thanks! Yes, the sump will be remote. You can see it in the closet in the pictures there, it'll be plumbed through that wall to the living room.

The overflow will be from CustomAquariums, their 1200gph H2Overflow, set up in a bean animal config.

The return will be two varios-2 pumps > silicone tubing > Y check valves > Tee > Bulkhead with 3 ports > single CustomAquariums SiphonStopper...maybe split into two returns in the tank.

I placed an order for a 4x4x2 CustomAquariums display tank, likely to be delivered around the end of January. I'm using the time until then to cycle rocks in a Brute can, construct my fish room, plan out plumbing and electricals, and create a stocking plan. I thought it'd be a good idea to start a tank thread to get any early feedback for parts of my plans that I might want to change!

Once it's all set up:

Tank
- 4' x 2' x 2' CustomAquariums tank with stand, 5/8" ultra clear glass.  Drilled for one return and one overflow. With stand.

- Trigger Systems Triton 44 sump, ~40gal

- ReefOctopus Regal 200Int 8" P.skimmer

- 2x ReefOctopus Varios-2 pumps for the return (on separate circuits for redundancy)

- 2x 300w Jaeger heaters

- 2x VorTech MP40 w/ battery backup

- 3x Kessil A360x lights

- Kessil A80 light on the fuge

- ~120lbs BRS reefsaver rock

- light sand bed, Aragonite Fiji Pink dry sand

Control

- Apex

- Extra energy bar for the secondary circuit

- Triton

- DoS pump

- Tunze Osmolator for ATO

- Apex leak detectors all over the place

- Apex wifi module to connect to MP40s (and maybe the kessil lights' wifi dongle?)

Mixing Station

- Mop sink with cold water

- 5 stage RoDi

- 75g tank for salt mix, with varios-2 mixing pump

- 25g tank for fresh water

Quarantine

- 20gal long with a divider, for 2 10gal tanks

- sponge filters

- small heaters

- ammoalert badges

- PVC pieces

You can see a square hole cut above the sump, which passes into a closet next to the display tank.  This is where I will feed a hose for draining the display tank to the wash sink with one of those syphon hookups, and filling by connecting to the salt mix plumbing.

I had an electrician add two new circuits to my breaker bo

I'm waiting on the display tank to arrive before finalizing the sump plumbing and cutting holes in the wall to pass pvc through.

The 44gal Brute can is cycling the rock, with a 10gal aquarium growing chaeto as a makeshift sump.  This is helping control my nitrate levels quite well, and I think I'll be able to use my cycling water in my display tank. I'm keeping the fuge on a reverse photo period from the get go, 14hrs on.

My biggest question right now is stocking...how do I choose and how do I plan the order?  I expect I'll need to pick up a small clean up crew early on, some snails, hermit crabs, shrimps and the like. It sounds like most people pick up a pair of clowns first, so I'll probably go this route.

Some stocking goals:

- lots of inverts.  Urchins, stars, shrimps, snails, crabs...

- lots of pairs/symbiosis...shrimp and goby, cleaner shrimps and all the fish...

- Harmony - I don't want to have to evict anyone or lose expensive fish or corals

- Color/motion - Visually interesting

- Functional additions - most introductions into the tank should have an active role in the ecosystem. Algae control, parasite control, etc etc.

Watching BRS, these come up a lot for young reefs:

Clownfish pair
Yellow tang
bristletooth tang
lawnmower blenny
six line wrasse
goby
fox face

How would you stock a ~160g system?

Use a tray with a leak detector in it. Any saltwater on the wood even for a short time is bad news. You can still use stands inside the tray if you want.
A fan to keep moisture down will be helpful to the entire closet.

3 hours ago, Oasisreefling said:

I'd recommend retaining airflow and enough space to get your hand under a stand to wipe it up. Any attempt to seal it will trap moisture and cause cupping or mildew. I see it all the time on hardwood that has vinyl over it in areas where a dishwasher or toilet has leaked and it doesn't take a lot of moisture.

Personally I'd put a small fan down to help any excess moisture wick out.

This is exactly what I plan to do.  Keep things on stands, leave just enough room to get a towel under there if I have to, and keep good air flow.

Following...I'll be setting up a pair of heaters for my new tank at the end of January.  @SuncrestReef - in the control freak interview, the dude gave you a hard time about how your heaters are set up, but I didn't follow.  Can you clarify the "ideal" setup he was describing?

I like the idea of using the apex as the primary temp control, due to the much lower hysteresis

I had a great experience with cottonwood flooring.

I also have hardwood stains that they couldn't sand out, I went with a slightly darker stain to conceal them. Give them a call, they'll help you out

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Here's the tanks they've got, with prices -

Seconded for NorWesco in Gresham. I picked up a 75gal like those pictured, and a 25gal, and they've got a few different options available. I think the 75g tanks were ~$120 each?

Another option, I could use a smaller (shorter) rodi tank...how small of a tank would be reasonable? Seems like I could get away with something much smaller...

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I figured I'd be adding the bulkheads myself, and expect to be able to find a way to fit one to the top of the salt tank despite the curve.

Great point about adding salt...I feel like I can make these tanks work with some clever plumbing (fingers crossed), I guess I'll have to experiment with how high I can place the rodi tank and still get it out for cleaning every now and again.

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That Norwesco place in Gresham has a few tanks that I think would work great - https://www.ntotank.com/50gallon-norwesco-white-pco-tank-x5664147

Here's a sketch of the space they'd take...a little tight, but do you think this would work?

The tanks are 50gal.  Each blue line scales to 4", and I'd use 2x4's to build the shelf for them. This means I'd have 12-16" clearance above my sump (4-6" clearance above the top of my skimmer), and 2-6" clearance between the tanks.  I could maybe raise them up a little higher, but they're already tucked under the overhang in the closet, and I will need to be able to remove them occasionally...

Those look perfect, and should fit nicely.  A difficult cleaning job once every 6 months sounds totally fine. I'll check with Green Concepts first, but might end up ordering a pair of those.

Good tip about the unions. How did you run your plumbing?

Great advice, I'll definitely give them a call.

I can't find any square ones on their site at least - do you know the dimensions of those pictured? Those look hard to clean, is that an issue?

These could potentially work (albeit very tall), but also look nearly impossible to clean... https://www.ntotank.com/50gallon-norwesco-white-vertical-storage-tank-x4297366

I'm starting to plan out what my mixing station will look like, and I could use help finding the appropriate barrels.

Ideally, I'd like to keep everything in a 26" x 46" bedroom closet.  The sump will be placed on the floor, and I'd like to build a stand to hold the rodi and salt barrels above it.

The reef system will be around 140gallons, and I'd like to keep as much salt water around as possible to minimize my mixing chores (and pave the way for eventual auto water changes).

The common Brute cans or 55gallon drums are too wide to fit inside the closet.

These pet food containers only hold 20gal https://www.amazon.com/Vittles-Vault-Outback-Airtight-Container/dp/B0002DJOP2/ref=pd_sim_199_2/139-7097042-8854934?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0002DJOP2&pd_rd_r=b057629d-77ac-4302-8d73-d13612c8add2&pd_rd_w=VtQsD&pd_rd_wg=kzfAl&pf_rd_p=5abf8658-0b5f-405c-b880-a6d1b558d4ea&pf_rd_r=WP87BSC5QMZH5VNT01JC&psc=1&refRID=WP87BSC5QMZH5VNT01JC

These 55gal containers would just BARELY fit, plumbing would be a nightmare - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0785BHYFG?pf_rd_p=183f5289-9dc0-416f-942e-e8f213ef368b&pf_rd_r=Z8H67VTBY4081NEFMPZS

Is this a bad idea, should I just set up two standard 55gal containers next to the closet and commit to turning the guest room into a fish room?  I want to set this up to be a scalable system, able to support auto water changes down the road.

Good to know...I guess I'll cross that bridge if I end up unsatisfied with the Synergy overflow, glad to hear the mm can be customized to fit.

If I can't get the CRA sump, thoughts on the trigger systems Sapphire CR44? About the same dimensions, and looks nice. Built-in refugium too... The rest of the sump would get lit with the fuge, but maybe that's okay.

Or the trigger Triton44 v2... Better fuge with a light blocker? Does it make sense to use a "Triton method" sump if I'm not doing the Triton test kits and stuff? This just means it has a large fuge space?

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I like that idea, but I think I prefer the (assumed) benefits of the vortech - all the motors and cables will be outside the tank, with less controllers to deal with (cable management, mounting space, etc), and easier integration with the apex.  If I end up wanting more/different flow down the road, I'm sure I'll be looking at the gyre first.

I have two Maxspect Gyre XF-230's controlled by my Apex using the IceCap Gyre module.  You can purchase the Gyre pumps without the standard controller, then add the IceCap so the Apex controls it.  The advantage is I can integrate the Gyre's into my Feed Mode programming, and my in-cabinet control box to turn off everything with a single button.  Let me know if you want more detail.  All of this was covered a couple weeks ago when I was interviewed by Terence for Neptune's #ControlFreakWednesday video.

Oh don't worry, I don't completely trust you 😛

That's actually one of the most exciting parts of this new hobby for me, learning for myself what works for me.

If I was to go with SBReefLights, a single sBox Extreme 32" Wifi would be enough for my 48" tank? The lights they recommend for various tank sizes in their FAQ don't exist or are out of production.

I owe you a beer!

Images attached for easier review.

You'd go with sbreeflights to save the $$?  Their website is janky, doesn't inspire confidence in the product...

I looked at the Maxpect Gyre, but they're not apparently controllable with the apex (without an additional controller purchase)? I'd like to design my system to be as integrated into the apex as possible.