75 gallon reef build

[Masoniac]

I was going to do this build back in the fall of last year, it was going to be a upgrade build from a 20 Long but the tank had crashed due to my stupidity of doing a water change and accidentally pouring a whole 5 gallon bucket of straight ro/di water into the tank. So now I am back to the beginning.

I already have a couple of things for the tank from recent tanks, I have one 120W dimmable led, roughly 40lbs of dry rock (needs some cleaning), 200W aqueon heater rated for 75G, Koralia 550 (flow behind the rocks), and a lifereef slimline overflow. I went ahead and purchased a Jebao WP-25 and I have got to say I put it in the 20 long and my god is this thing powerful, water was flying out of the tank. I'm going to go with 60lbs of sand and purchase 50lbs of live rock.

I'm going with a diy sump/refugium made out of the 20 gallon, I'm going to have 3 chambers the inlet where my protein skimmer will be, refugium, then return. I'm going to make the inlet as small as I can so I can still fit the protein skimmer in, then the refugium will be majority of the tank, and about a 8 inch return section.

I'm going to get another 120W dimmable led, and also get a Bubble Magus Curve 5, a Mag 9.5 for the return, a dual media reactor for gfo and carbon, JBJ ato, and a couple misc. items.

If I may be missing something let me know.

,Thanks

 

[JMorris271]

Be sure to see if the skimmers footprint is compadible with the sump you want.
also make sure the the baffle will not be so high the water in the sump can,t clear it to the return pump chamber.There needs to be plenty of water in the pump chamber to keep it from running too low and burning your pump up. This chamber is the first one to run lowest.

 

[Masoniac]

Thanks for the advice, I plan to get the skimmer first and then build the sump so I know it will fit. For the baffles I'm not sure if I want to go with three baffles going from the refugium to the return or just two, I'm only using two for the inlet going to the refugium.

 

[JMorris271]

The absolutely only things those baffles do is keep the air bubbles out of your tank. Everything else is design.
Are you using acrylic or glass for your sump?

 

[Masoniac]

Glass, I think two from the inlet to refugium is good and two going from refugium to return.
Does anyone have experience with One Spot FoxFace in a reef tank? I heard they tend to tear up zoas.

 

[Masoniac]

So I got the sand and what I had for dry rock in the tank. Filled the tank and still waiting on my dry rock from saltwater fish.com. I screwed up and didn't think about how I was going to get the sump/refugium inside the stand. I haven't tried it yet but I don't think it's going to go in. I'm think I'm going to have to drain the tank pull it forward and have someone put it down through the top of the stand.

 

[JMorris271]

I had to take extreme measures. I didnt want to cut a door in the side. I made a cut across the center of the cabinet to allow me to work in there any time i want to without having to remove the tank off of the stand..I have installed 2 metal straps across the back of the front to give me better stability than I had in the first place. The cut not conspicuous at all.
Here's a shot of what I did not do. This is the way to stand was when I purchased it. I cut the front center out.

 

[Masoniac]

http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/zDq1XocSBh4/hqdefault.jpg
My stand is like that minus the canopy. I do have a center brace in the back and middle I have fish in quarantine at the moment in the 20 long so it will be about a month before I build my sump and try to get it in through the doors.

 

[Masoniac]

I may have changed my mind on my skimmer I'm not sure yet. I was going to purchase a bubble magus curve 5 but I may end up buying a reef octopus NWB150 6" rated up to 150 gallons. Anyone have any recommendations that'd be appreciated.

 

[Macscale]

IMO Reef octopus is better then bubble magus

 

[Masoniac]

I decided to go with a Seaside Aquatics CS2 Protein Skimmer rated for 250 gallons I got it used at a great deal.

 

[Sniperhank]

I may have changed my mind on my skimmer I'm not sure yet. I was going to purchase a bubble magus curve 5 but I may end up buying a reef octopus NWB150 6" rated up to 150 gallons. Anyone have any recommendations that'd be appreciated.

Skip the NWB150. I had one on my 55 overstocked and was NEVER able to get it to skim. Company blamed it on tank size, but the overstocking should have created enough for it to skim effectively. Doing some research into these guys, the pump on them is supposed to be junk and the issues with it aren't addressed until another size up for the NWB series of skimmers.

 

[Masoniac]

I got my skimmer in today. Got it hooked up and skimming. I have it cranked open all the way right now gonna do that for about three days then set it where I want.

 

[Closetcanibal]

I did a DIY sump as well.
Mine is a 30 gal breeder and man was that a b*+%h to find.


Fish are people too!!!

 

[Masoniac]

Theres a couple of pictures of the tank and the sump. I bought the skimmer and it was giant so I had to go with no refugium. I have just a spare return pump in there at the moment that im going to use on my frag tank. Im waiting on a quiet flow 4000 which is rated for 991gph.

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[Closetcanibal]

Looks good. I'm putting away pocket change for a beast return pump. Mine right now is rated for 1800+ but I'm looking at 10'+ lift. So it is only pushing 200+ at that height



Fish are people too!!!

 

[Masoniac]

10' are you going from a badement?

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[Closetcanibal]

Yeah. I heard bigger tubing can help. I'm at 1"OD 3/4" ID clear tubing.


Fish are people too!!!

 

[Masoniac]

Yea when I get my new pump im going to put a 3/4 to 1" on mine

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[Masoniac]

My cycle is about finished my trates are at .40 and my ammonia is 0 going to do a water change tomorrow then retest.

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