homer1475's 80 gallon build

[homer1475]

Ahh yes I see what you mean now. It is all colored up nicely though, so must be old wounds.

[homer1475]

Got a few things in today. Locline products, Jebao to apex box, Spectrapure dual reactor, and a float valve for my ATO tank.

FWIW, Locline products do not match up to what comes with the SCA tanks. Its similar to locline, but they do not match up. so I have to order more locline in to replace the Chinese knockoff that comes with the tank.



The spectrapure reactor is HUGE!!! No really its very tall, so I had to modify it a bit to fit in my stand.


And the completed project.


OOH and the valves that come with the reactor, are garbage, Completely shut off and water still runs out(You were right Soulpatch). Carbon reactor I wasn't worried about the flow, since it's plumbed in reverse for down flow I just leave it wide open. The GFO side I wanted better control, SO I just installed the ball valve that came with the BRS mini. It works like a champ now.

[homer1475]

Jebao PH's should be here tomorrow, and the return pump on monday. Now I just need to pony up another 100$ for the VDM box so I can control it.

[homer1475]

PH's came in yesterday, was all pretty damn simple to hookup, and the using the apex instead of Jebao's controller makes things much more flexible.



Thought I had snapped a couple pics while I had them in the tank, but alas I didn't. I didn't get them till late in the day, and I totally wanted to watch the Islanders game last night, so I was in a bit of a hurry.

I will say, with the profile setup you have to do for the Jebao's, I like how I can specify the on and off times as well as the intensity. Unlike the Vortechs that are basically 4 preset modes and your speed, are what your stuck with using.

Now longivity might be an issue compared to the Vortechs, but everything I've been reading basically says to run them in vinegar once a month and they should last a long time. Also had someone point me to a thread where there is a simple mod to the impeller shaft(something about removing a ceramic bushing/bearing, and replacing it with some airline tubing?) that makes them last even longer. For the price of them, if they crap out in a year I'll feel as though I got my moneys worth.

When he lights come on I'll snap a pic of them in the tank. They are quite a bit bigger then had thought they were, but not unsightly in the tank. With them being on the back wall I barely notice them.

I will say though they definitely throw some water around. With them in a synchronous wave mode, I can actually push a wave right over the rim of the tank! I'm thinking the pp4's would have been plenty, seeing as right now my max setting is only 40%.

Well as I was typing this out, the lights started to come on, so I snapped a pic of them in the tank.


Sorry for the crappy photo, but we all know how well cell phone pics are with high blues.

[homer1475]

The waveline DC return pump should be here Monday, then I'm waiting on more loc-line from marine depot, and equipment wise I should be all set for a while. Now I just need to let the tank settle in and start filling it up with more fish and corals.

Not 100% sure on what I want for more fish, but I know I will only do 2 or 3 more with one most certainly being a mandy.

My wife saw a cherub angel and coral beauty while we were in PA, and of course she wanted both. The nice lady that was helping me and myself did explain to her that angels are a crap shoot with corals, and having 2 dwarf angels in an 80 probably isn't a good idea. I was thinking a helfrichi firefish, but I think my tank has way to much movement for such a docile fish.

So I'm open to ideas for a couple more fish.....

[homer1475]

Got my new waveline pump in today!! Man this thing is tiny!


Compared to the original pump that came with the tank.


I don't have it hooked up to my apex yet, I still need to by a VDM box. So I just have it running off its own controller. Even on its lowest setting I had to open up my full siphon. On full blast, it blows water out the return nozzles like a fire hydrant.

Great little pump so far, and its super quiet. One of the few purchases I've made on the suggestion from someone else that I'm actually happy with. Longevity is another issue, but we'll see how that one goes with time.

[Devaji108]

Nice man!
I got one PP8 on my 90 blowing across the tank it's doing the job for now but will ad the RW4 most soon.

Damn that wave line is tinny and /or the Rt pump that came with the tank is a big bugger.

[homer1475]

No it really is that small. its just a wee bit smaller then a regular soda can. Only thing I don't like about it, there is no cover for the input side of the pump. Its just a wide open hole! I'm surprised as I would think sucking anything hard in would damage the impeller. Think I might DIY something. I have a bunch of sponges from the BRS mini reactor I'm not using anymore, cut thinner around the edges and held on by a rubber band might work?

Did a big WC today only so I could siphon out the hair algae I was scrubbing off the rocks. Tank looks much better and some of my zoas and acans that were getting strangled out by the algae look much better.

I've never started with dry rock so this is my first time having to battle hair algae. While its not terrible and certainly easy enough to clean off, it is quite unsightly.

Tank is still going along nicely and everything is holding steady. Alk 7.5, CA 460, MAG 1350, Nitrates 8, and PO4 is .08(due to a problem with the spectrapure reactor I bought not being able to tumble the GFO properly. Working on this with spectrapure CS). This was just before I did a WC, so I'm going to let it run for a couple hours and check it again before I dose ALK. I would prefer it to be more closer to 9.

On a positive note, the one carpet anemone I got has doubled in size in the couple months I've had him. Started out the around 3 to 4 inches, is easily 6 inches now. He catches NLS pellets whenever I feed the tank which I think has helped immensely.

[soulpatch]

I have really got to do a water change on my tank. With the kitchen reno it has been a solid 2 weeks since last done and I am starting to get some algae and cyano starting. All signs my tank needs a change and that my carbon and gfo are depleted.

Gonna have to buy my DOS, pump, and some plumbing to get everything in order for my AWC setup.

[ReefWreak]

Yes... I too have been doing.... things.... that have kept me from doing a water change in... a month or so... I know I need to do it too.

I'm surprised about the GHA on dry rock, but ya never know what the dry rock was last up to (one of the gambles of starting with dry rock. With LR, if it's covered in algae, you know that's what you'll get. With dry rock, you don't know if you'll have no problem,or if you'll be inheriting someone else's discarded phosphate filled rock).

If phosphate becomes a big problem, you can always grab a superfine filter sock and some lanthanum chloride (watered down) and reduce it that way. It'll dry that GHA right out for pennies on the dollar compared to GFO.

Cool about the carpet. I love carpet anems, once I have a separate refugium tank off of my main build.

I'd love to do AWC over a week or two, my tank really needs the slow and careful TLC that I'm definitely not giving it... Just hammering it with vodka every other day, amino acids and the zeo nano kit every night or two, feeding the fishes, and cleaning out the skimmer. Low maintenance mode. Starting to have issues, which I'm sure would resolve if I slowed down and did some more WCs, but who has time for that!?

[roosterchef]

Just sat down with 3 cups of coffee and read the whole thread. Love it. Also wish more people would do longer term video threads on YouTube like "Nerdist Aquarist" and some others, really interesting to see actual video as they relate their changes and results over time.

Had a 90L one point it time, quit after a crash that was caused by neglect I'm pretty sure. Want to get back in but location constraints in the current house. Was thinking of doing a redneck/rubbermaid setup in the garage with some ip cams to display the tank in the house (yes, tech nerd here), but then started thinking small, discovered SCA tanks, then found this thread so this has been REALLY helpful with all the very specific info.

My question to you homer is if you like the 24" depth? I want the 80, wife thinks we should go smaller, and so I'm considering the 50 or 66, both of which are 20" depth. My old 90 was 24" of course so the 20" seems shallow by the time you add sand.

TIA

[homer1475]

I do like the depth actually. Only thing I wish I had done was go bigger! 80G display with 30G sump you would think would be around 80 to 90G TWV after displacement, not even close! I figure I have around 60G TWV. I totally emptied the tank for my first WC after the cycle completed, and made up 80G of water. I had 20G leftover.

Just keep in mind displacement and that rimless tanks sit around 2 inches from the actual rim when deciding on tank size.

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[Rakie]

I got in a PP-4 Homer, and I can run it at 100% without much issue (except the front corner of my tank being sand-less in a 3x3 area. It's blowing against a Tunze 6015, doesn't seem like overkill at all in my 29g ~

Great looking tank, loving the 80g

[Devaji108]

wow that is a small RT pump!! yeah I would DIY something easy to clan and replace to cover the intake hole.

[homer1475]

yes it most definitely is tiny. I tried putting one of the BRS mini reactor sponges over the intake. It limits the intake so much that no matter what I put on the end of the intake seriously impedes the pump. So I decided to go with nothing on it. Even filter floss was a serious impediment.


Got my lock-line in and split both sides of the returns. I had to actually open up my drain to compensate for the pump pushing way more water now.


I did solve my issue of the drain line draining down to much, and that was all I wanted to end up doing in the first place.


As a side note, by having to open up the drain, I have more flow through my sump and the chaeto actually tumbles now, what little bit of it that's left. I started out with a softball size wad of chaeto, its now about the size of a golf ball and I have a million pieces of it floating around in my tank. Only good thing is, whats floating is dead and clear.

Well the spectrapure reactor I bought is not working properly and I have a real bad hair algae and cyano outbreak going on (it's either part of the uglies, or the fact I have no GFO stripping out the phosphates). It looks real bad as I have algae with bubbles in it. The funny part, when it first started getting bubbles in it, the wife thought it was eggs from my clownfish. lol Spectrapure is supposed to be making it right by sending me a sample of their GFO(they seem to think the BRS GFO is too fine and plugging up the reactor cartridges), and 2 new cartridge inserts. So we will see, but if thats not the problem, I'll chalk it up to lesson learned and will purchase the BRS reactor. I'll still run 2 reactors, but I already have the mini and will just run carbon in that, and the new bigger reactor I'll put GFO in so it can properly tumble.

[soulpatch]

I still run the one reactor with the mixed GFO/carbon. I will literally fill one reactor every 2 weeks or so and turn it on while I turn off the other one and pull the insert for cleaning. I dont mind burning through carbon at a slightly higher rate at this point plus I have no choice as smart me decided to mix all of my carbon and GFO when I had the nano. So until I buy more it is my only option. HA HA

[homer1475]

I had been running just the mini with mixed carbon/GFO and it was working great. But I figured bigger tank needs bigger reactors. I'm seriously considering just putting the mini back on and mixing the carbon/GFO for now.

I'm starting to think I might have some bryopsis starting, but need to do some more reading on it to make sure that's what it is and not just hair algae with bubbles trapped in it.

[homer1475]

Well what do you guys think. Bryopsis?

[soulpatch]

hard to tell it is is fern like in the pic. If it is while you are standing there then likely is...

regardless some peroxide paste and gfo should help you out no matter what it is.

[homer1475]

Yeah I think it is, I'm a little Leary of using peroxide as I kinda like my inverts. I think I'll order some tech M and see how that works first. if that doesn't work, then I'll look into the peroxide method.

[dt204]

Following along homer. Our tanks are close to the same stage! It's a bit like having kids the same age as your buddy right? Watch em grow up together? Lol

I just purchased the spectra pure dual as well. Haven't received it yet, hope I don't run into the same issues you have had. Keep me posted on how you make out with it. I've just got some chemipure blue in the sump for now. Seems to be keeping on top of things.

I also haven't done chaeto before. Good to hear your experience with it as well. I believe once I get some more bioload and see any nutrient issues, I'll be trying my hand at it as well.

For that tiny RP, how big is the opening? Can you find any strainers that would usually go into bulkheads that would fit?

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[homer1475]

Thanks for the follow! Do you have a build thread somewhere?m Maybe I'm already following it and I don't realize it? Sorry, no kids for me so I really don't know what thats like, but I get your analogy.

Anywho, Spectrapure sent me a new cartridge and supposedly some GFO, they packaged the wrong stuff and sent me GAC. I don't have enough GFO right now to fill it up and test it. But I'll definitely keep you posted. Honestly, for the same price, get the BRS dual. I think in the end I'm just going to buy the BRS one. I have the same GFO running in my mini right now with 0 issues of it not tumbling. IMO the spectrapure dual is just repurposed units from their RO/DI systems and not very well made for media reactors.

As for the return, never thought of a bulkhead strainer.... hmmm.. I'll have to see if they have 3/4" FPT that will screw into the opening. Great idea BTW, never thought of a bulkhead strainer. Even if they don't make a FPT strainer, I think I could get a slip strainer to work.

[soulpatch]

I would read on here as it sounds like Kent chanced the formula. A lot of people suddenly saying it doesn't work anymore.

Peroxide won't affect the inverts you have unless you over dose. And even then you would have to seriously overdose.

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[dt204]

Ya, I've got a build thread on here. Not sure how to link to it. It's called "60g rimless cube build". I thought you may have commented on it, but can't remember either 😁.

I'm in Canada, so BRS stuff isn't as easy to come by. They might ship here, but with the dollar shitty right now and duties at the border, makes it tough. We do have a couple good online stores that carry a lot of the same at least.

What is this "mini" reactor you are talking about?

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[homer1475]

Wow just realized I haven't updated this thread in a while. I've been super busy at work seeing as we are going into summer and the busy season(gotta love living in a tourist town)is just starting to kick off.

Anywho, the mini I speak of is the BRS mini reactor. It's a little to small for actually tumbling GFO, but I'm using it for now.

Spectrapure did make it right with me by sending a new cartridge for their reactor, but sent me carbon instead of GFO(I'm now being told they sell "phosphate removal media" not GFO), so they shipped me out some of their GFO. Waiting on that to arrive before I try this reactor again. I still find it kind of odd that normal bulk BRS GFO would clog the reactor, and that I would need to buy their "phosphate removal media" to work properly in their reactor. If thats the case, I will be buying another reactor, and chucking this thing. Again buy quality from the beginning and you won't waste money.

It looks like I'm beginning to win the hair algae battle since I threw the mini on with just GFO. What I thought might have been bryopsis, looks to be dying(guess it was just normal algae?). It still puzzles me why I couldn't keep a wad of chaeto alive since I obviously have high phosphates(.02 according to my test kits, but we all know that isn't right since the algae is sucking up most of it) and decent nitrates(5-10 PPM, the colors are somewhere in between those 2) I'll try a chunk of it again maybe later down the road.

I do have quite a bit of detritus and cyano in my sump so I went to HD last night and bought a buckethead wet/dry vac to suck out the sump. Hopefully that will help some. I'm begging to think I may need to vacuum the sandbed. I've never done this in any tank I've owned fresh or salt. My thinking is(specially in salt) I'll be sucking up all the microfauna that lives in there, and probably from my old days of keeping tanks that we never vacuumed the sandbed in fears of stirring up sh*t that is better left untouched. But then of course back then we kept a very deep sandbed and we all know what happens when you disturb a deep well established sandbed.

One thing that has me a bit worried, even after dumping in 2 bags of tisbe pods and a bag of tiger pods, I see no pods anywhere in the DT, or in the sump. Even at night when they are usually all over the glass, I have nothing.

I will end on this note......

Seeing as this is my first all dead start(dry rock, dry sand etc), I'm missing all the microfauna that comes with live rock. The tank just seems so bare with no creepy crawlies to search for. I did dump a couple cups of my old sand in, but I still see no microfauna other then a few peanut/spaghetti worms every once in a while.