Broadfield's Red Sea Reefer 450 Build
- Thread starter Broadfield
- Start date
Bent
I got nothin'
Where do you live? That subdivision looks very familiar, plus I've seen a white vette roll up in it that looks exactly like that.
Snailpowered
New member
I think we like things that other appreciate but would never own. Im currently in a car funk at the moment, as Im going back to school, again, but I love my reefs and cars.
If there was a Members Rides forum I would be all over that!
We like p!ssing money away multiple ways.
Bent
I got nothin'
OP - a few questions since I'm going to need a similar setup for a water change system.
1. What is the diameter of the grey/black pipes that run from the containers up to the sump?
2. Approximately how far does the water have to travel to the sump, and is it a straight line?
3. If you don't mind me asking, how much were those mixing containers?
The tank that I am planning is going to be on the same level but in a different room with a closet in between. So the pipe will have to run up 8 ft, across 15 ft, down 5 ft and across 3 ft to the tank. There will also be a few 90 degree elbows as I manoever around the ceiling beam and through the closet. I wonder what type of a pump I will need and also if the siphon system running out the sump like you have going will work for me given the angles in the pipe that I will have.
I appreciate your thoughts/input. Cheers!
1. What is the diameter of the grey/black pipes that run from the containers up to the sump?
2. Approximately how far does the water have to travel to the sump, and is it a straight line?
3. If you don't mind me asking, how much were those mixing containers?
The tank that I am planning is going to be on the same level but in a different room with a closet in between. So the pipe will have to run up 8 ft, across 15 ft, down 5 ft and across 3 ft to the tank. There will also be a few 90 degree elbows as I manoever around the ceiling beam and through the closet. I wonder what type of a pump I will need and also if the siphon system running out the sump like you have going will work for me given the angles in the pipe that I will have.
I appreciate your thoughts/input. Cheers!
Broadfield
New member
Broadfield
New member
Onto the Apex system and wiring. For this tank I wanted to get ultra organized. The Reefer 450 has a very large area on the right side of the stand for a chiller. I don't really have a need for a chiller where I live. Once it hits at least 80 degrees in the spring here, it's humid as can be... so the air is on. So this gave me a great place to mount/display all of my Apex gear, Vortech controllers etc. I decided I would do a false panel that held the modules/controllers and then have all of the power bricks and EnergyBars behind it.
I blocked off 2/3 of the opening for a "power panel". You can also see the 3/4" schedule 80 that comes from the basement for water changes etc.
I then secured a panel up high for part of the gear and hinged a second panel below it for all of the Apex modules and controller. This can be hinged up 90 degrees to gain access to all of the cabling. Then lastly a 3rd panel to block off the bottom. My next task is to organize all of the cables behind there.
I blocked off 2/3 of the opening for a "power panel". You can also see the 3/4" schedule 80 that comes from the basement for water changes etc.
I then secured a panel up high for part of the gear and hinged a second panel below it for all of the Apex modules and controller. This can be hinged up 90 degrees to gain access to all of the cabling. Then lastly a 3rd panel to block off the bottom. My next task is to organize all of the cables behind there.
Wow! That is one sweet setup! Thoroughly impressed.
Just a small note on the chiller comment you made. I know this is an extremely rare occurrence, though I just wanted to share my personal experience. Earlier this summer, our AC unit went out and had to be replaced entirely. It took 3-4 days before the new unit was delivered and installed. As luck would have it, that happened to be the hottest week of the summer. No matter how many bags of ice I floated in my sump, my temp just would not come down below 95. As a result, I lost all my corals and all but 2 of my fish! In hindsight now, I wish I had a chiller on hand, even if I might not use it everyday. So just a fair warning ... especially when you have a ton of money into the tank, you may want to at least have a chiller on hand for emergencies. I wouldn't want anyone to have to go through what I just did.
I'll post a picture of the room this evening to show you how my pipes will need to be routed and drained. Maybe that will allow me to pick your brain a little since the concept that you have is almost identical to what I am trying to achieve.
Cheers!
Just a small note on the chiller comment you made. I know this is an extremely rare occurrence, though I just wanted to share my personal experience. Earlier this summer, our AC unit went out and had to be replaced entirely. It took 3-4 days before the new unit was delivered and installed. As luck would have it, that happened to be the hottest week of the summer. No matter how many bags of ice I floated in my sump, my temp just would not come down below 95. As a result, I lost all my corals and all but 2 of my fish! In hindsight now, I wish I had a chiller on hand, even if I might not use it everyday. So just a fair warning ... especially when you have a ton of money into the tank, you may want to at least have a chiller on hand for emergencies. I wouldn't want anyone to have to go through what I just did.
I'll post a picture of the room this evening to show you how my pipes will need to be routed and drained. Maybe that will allow me to pick your brain a little since the concept that you have is almost identical to what I am trying to achieve.
Cheers!
Broadfield
New member
Cool, just PM the pictures so this thread doesn't get too dirtied up with images that are not of my build
Cool, just PM the pictures so this thread doesn't get too dirtied up with images that are not of my build
Certainly! Wouldn't to hijack such an amazing build thread with my junk
Broadfield
New member
Yeah, it's just running the Apex app. I never use the iPad mini for anything, so I figured I might as well give it a cool home.
Broadfield
New member
Finished my media reactor setup. I decided to do a manifold inline with the return line. I did 3/4" schedule 80 out of an EcoTech Vectra M1 DC pump. Up from there into the 3/4" manifold, which T's out to 1/2" gate valves and into the reactors. Works absolutely perfect. This is my first time doing anything with plumbing at all, so I was pretty happy with the results.
A shot of my water change line. Simply priming this line, turning off the pump, open the valve in the image, open the drain valve in the basement... instant syphon to drain the entire main sump area. I love sitting in the chair in front of my tank and using Apex Fusion to turn on the basement pump to pump salt water back up to the sump. I really hated lugging buckets around with my old tank.
A shot of my water change line. Simply priming this line, turning off the pump, open the valve in the image, open the drain valve in the basement... instant syphon to drain the entire main sump area. I love sitting in the chair in front of my tank and using Apex Fusion to turn on the basement pump to pump salt water back up to the sump. I really hated lugging buckets around with my old tank.
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