Gixxer Family Reef-180 Upgrade

[Mrs. Gixxerman]

could you provide the specs and more info on the steps to making your sump? I have a 55 gal that I am looking to build into something similar to yours.

Ok...sorry this is so slow getting back to you.



Layout in the picture is from right to left. Overflow to sump on right side, and then the return on the left.

• First comparment for the sock holder is 7" wide
• Second compartment for the skimmer is 9.5" wide (you can adjust this to how large of a compartment you need for the skimmer)
• Third compartment for the refugium is 23.5" wide
• Last compartment for the return is 7" wide

The first baffle has a gap at the bottom of 1.5". Tim used a baffle that went all the way to the underside of the tank brace.

The second baffle is 15 1/4 inches high into the refugium.

The third 'short' baffle is 5" and has a gap of 1.5" between it and the fourth baffle for the return. The short baffle is also 1.5" taller then the fourth baffle.

The fourth baffle is 13" tall.

Water flow is under, over, under, over, return pump.


Hope this helps!

 

[dave.m]

Just a suggestion: the top of the baffle that retains the socks is all the way near the top of the sump. If your socks should ever clog up and this section starts to overflow you have almost no room for this to spill over the top of the first baffle into the skimmer section. If you lost power and the socks clogged up you have a potential for a real mess. It would be better to cut a gap in the middle of the first baffle at the top to relieve any overflow from the socks.

These things always happen when you're away so it's best to plan for the worst.

Dave.M

 

[Mrs. Gixxerman]

Ok...small update. We brought the 80 lbs of dry rock home and set up my empty 40 gal. breeder to start seeding it. We currently have RO water being made to mix up some salt water, and should get rock wet later today. I'll use about 20 lbs of rock in the display to help get the 80 lbs started. We'll use a heater, some small powerheads and just let it go.

Interestingly enough my husband loved how the rock sculptures I made looked in the 40 gal. LOL Sorry honey...I made them specifically for the 180.

Nothing new with the stand and the canopy. We need to polyurethane the canopy and paint the inside. But it's been nasty wet here, so it will have to wait till next week.

We did go ahead and check the 35 gal holding tank we have for the RO water and it will NOT fit in the stand for an ATO container. I knew it, but it was worth a shot. Oh well.

On an unrelated build note...my maroon's have started laying eggs like clockwork again. We're going to have to plan the move around their extra curricular activities. LOL

 

[Mrs. Gixxerman]

Just a suggestion: the top of the baffle that retains the socks is all the way near the top of the sump. If your socks should ever clog up and this section starts to overflow you have almost no room for this to spill over the top of the first baffle into the skimmer section. If you lost power and the socks clogged up you have a potential for a real mess. It would be better to cut a gap in the middle of the first baffle at the top to relieve any overflow from the socks.

These things always happen when you're away so it's best to plan for the worst.

Dave.M

It's funny you mention that! LOL I mentioned the EXACT same thing to him. The sock holder is cutom made, (he is so proud of it) and it doesn't take up the entire section. There is room to the side and in front of the acrylic holder so in the event both socks clog, it will overflow into the section without running over the baffle. The sock holder actually sits further down inside the section (a couple of inches down)...so it if does clog, there's plenty of room for the water to escape without backing up the first compartment.

We'll test it first with the socks in (once the weather clears) just to make sure it doesn't back up. Maybe put some plastic in the socks to simulate a clogged sock to be sure. You're right though...it ALWAYS happens when you're away. And if it DOESN'T work...now is the time to discover it before we have a 180+ gallons running, right?

 

[jrod738776]

Are the baffles glass? How thick? Also where did you get them from/cut at? Thanks!

 

[Mrs. Gixxerman]

Are the baffles glass? How thick? Also where did you get them from/cut at? Thanks!

You know it occured to me, as far as documenting the build is concerned...I seem to be pretty lousy on actual specs for people to follow. My apologies, as I could probably explain these better for you.

Tim used a sheet of plexiglass that he picked up from Lowes. He measured the peices and marked them for the fit in the sump then took a boxcutter scoring a line it in along the marks and then using a sharp edge (he used some 2x4's) to snap where he scored the plexiglass. Any stationary sharp edge large enough to hold the sheet should do to break along the cut. You can also use a saw to cut them he said or get Lowes to cut them for you if you know the exact size you want. He said they weren't thick...maybe a quarter inch?

Dave brought up a good point on the filter sock section though. In our case we handmade our filter sock holder which is silconed further down inside the section. If you buy the filter sock holder premade, like here

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=23710

it should mount on the rim of the sump. If you go that route...you should do as Dave suggested and make sure that the first baffle doesn't go all the way to the top of the tank under the rim, allowing for room to overflow in the event that the filter sock does clog.

Hopefully as soon as the weather clears here, we can take a shot of where he attached the filter sock holder he made, and give you a better idea of how it would work. He made the filter sock holder out of the same plexiglass (left over) and then using the same silicone for the baffles, he attached the filter sock holder to the side of the sump.

 

[rpjaws74]

nice build!!

 

[Mrs. Gixxerman]

nice build!!

Thank you!! In comparison to some of the other awesome builds here on the large reef tank section, we are relatively small potatos. It will be cool in a year or so to look back and say...OMG what were we THINKING???

LOL

But we are having fun with it (and only some minor squabbling as only a husband and wife can do) plus the whole family is involved. It's fun seeing my son get so interested in the tank and getting excited about the upgrade. He's been begging us to take a picture of him in the tank. He's seen a couple of the build threads on the forum with kids in the tanks. That's all he's been talking about for weeks now. That should be soon I think.

 

[Mrs. Gixxerman]

Small update...

Finishing up with the canopy and stand. Doing little things and getting it ready for a test run. Not QUITE finished...but very very close. We want to run the setup for a couple of days with just regular water to check for leaks and make sure the tank is going to hold. This will also give us an opportunity to make sure the plumbing will work BEFORE we flood the den with 180+ gallons of water. So first thing was to get the tank back on the stand and start working on the plumbing. Of course I nagged for him to put the canopy on so we could see what it was going to look like. SO...here's a sneak peek...

:bounce3:



The middle two doors of the canopy are being polyurethaned so they were off the canopy for the moment. Also there will be trim around the bottom of the tank/top of the stand but we have to wait till the tank and the stand are in it's final location. The trim will cover the bottom tank edge but we have to have the tank in place before attaching it. Just easier to get the tank in place without it attached.



More sump shots. The filter socks were smaller then I thought...may have to change those out. LOL





In the meantime...the 80 lbs of dry rock is currently sitting in the basement of the old house being seeded with about 20 lbs of live rock.

We DID have a moment of panic today though. LOL Tim texted me a picture of him standing in front of the stand, tank and canopy to give me an idea of how tall everything was going to be. Remember...stand is 3' tall, tank is 2' tall and canopy is 16" tall. Tim is 6' so it gave me a visual of how massive this thing is going to be. I looked at the picture and ooh'd and ahh'd for a moment, until an awful thought occured to me. How tall is everything going to be with the lid of the canopy open??? The canopy lid would add another 16" to the top of canopy with it open. What about the ceiling height? Would the lid even open or would it hit the ceiling if we tried? I texted Tim back and told him to measure it! We have (I'm not exagerating) 1" to spare with the lid up before it would hit the ceiling. Talk about the potential for an epic fail. ROFL...man we cut that too close.

Everything seems on track though. I'm getting super excited now that I've seen all the components starting to come together. We're almost there!!

 

[worm5406]

1" WOW...

Now that was close. But hey... practice makes perfect.. hahahahaha (that was a joke)

Very nice layout. I see you modified the filter sock area.

When are you moving it in again?

 

[Mrs. Gixxerman]

1" WOW...

Now that was close. But hey... practice makes perfect.. hahahahaha (that was a joke)

Very nice layout. I see you modified the filter sock area.

When are you moving it in again?

Can you imagine? We'd have to prop the lid open just to work under the hood. We were very lucky with that. LOL

Modified the sock area? From the earlier comments on setup? Not sure what you mean. He siliconed a custom sock holder, but hasn't modified it since. Unless you meant he DIY'd it.

No set date for the move. Not sure when exactly. As long as we have the tank up before July 1st...we'll be in good shape. The move will be spaced out, I think, over a couple of weeks. No rush to get in. We still have some work to do to the new house before we move. And new furniture...and a thousand other things. The list never gets any shorter. *sigh*

Tim finished up with the plumbing today and got the tank filled about 3/4's of the way full. For kicks and giggles he throw some water behind the overflow cover, and discovered a leak in the cover where he siliconed them back into the tank. Small and in the lower corner...but still. In addition the bulkheads on the overflow pipe for the same side has a small leak. Tim thinks it's one of the gaskets, but still. Small setback. Glad we're checking this now! Got a three day weekend so hopefull we can get some stuff done.

 

[worm5406]

Yeah I had to re-seat the gasket twice.

It looked like you had re-designed the filter sock area to allow for overflow.

Prop it up. Yeah... Mr Saltwatertank just posted a video last night and it shows his new tank setup. Propping up is not bad, why spend $200 on henges that hold it open to only be used everynow and then. Easier to make it so it can be propped open.

Go take a look at his new video.

 

[Mrs. Gixxerman]

Yeah I had to re-seat the gasket twice.

It looked like you had re-designed the filter sock area to allow for overflow.

Prop it up. Yeah... Mr Saltwatertank just posted a video last night and it shows his new tank setup. Propping up is not bad, why spend $200 on henges that hold it open to only be used everynow and then. Easier to make it so it can be propped open.

Go take a look at his new video.

Well...fortunately we have a few spares laying around, so we'll be able to replace the gasket and try again. The leak in the cover is a simple fix. So it could be much worse.

The sock holder is still in it's original spot. Since we haven't run a full water test yet, we haven't been able to tell if the original sock holder setup is going to work. Now we may have to modify it later, but it should be easy to do.

Thanks for the head's up on the video. I'll go take a look. I read on someone else's thread (can't remember where) where the piano hinges used on the tank lid failed. Either corrision or they broke or something to that affect. Makes me a little nervous now. I forgot to ask Tim about that last night. I'll check on it today.

Good news though...we got the beginnings of a cycle on the dry rock we're seeding! So we're moving right along.
:bounce1:

 

[worm5406]

That is a good thing.

 

[worm5406]

OK it has been long enough...

Updates??

 

[Tim gixxerman]

Well we got every thing in to the house, now we are on hold till we wrap up a few more things around the house.

 

[worm5406]

OK... thought maybe you fell in or something.

 

[Mrs. Gixxerman]

LOL no...we are all dry and well.

While I don't have any picture updates, I do have some interesting things that have occurred.

About a week or so ago, we did a full test run on the tank and sump to see how the plumbing was going to hold and to check the gaskets Tim swapped out. We discovered a few interesting "hmmm" moments.

1) The amount of water being cycled through the tank and sump is massive. I didn't realize exactly how much water flow this thing was going to generate. The problem occurred on the last section of the sump where the return pump was. There was no 'gentle flow' over that last baffle. What we wound up with was a miniature Niagara Falls. All that was missing was a Ken doll in a barrel to go over it to make it more realistic. In order to cut down on the noise, we're going to have to keep that last section fairly full.

2) If you are facing the tank, the right hand overflow section drains at a much faster rate then the left overflow. This is actually our first drilled tank so we're getting there is a bit of a learning curve here. We may have to modify the hose on that first overflow to slow it down to match the one that works beautifully. If not, then we are going to have that very annoying 'slurping' noise on the drain pipes on that one overflow.

All in all it went really well. We cut power to the pumps to check to see how much the sump fills and we're in good shape. So +1 for the test run.

Next, we got everything in the house...got the tank and stand level...and THEN came the canopy. *sigh* We should have figured that everything was going too smoothly. For some reason, the canopy twisted when we put it on the tank in the house. Not sure what happened, or even how we can fix it, but the lid won't sit perfectly center on the canopy...so the right front corner is way off. We were able to rig it a bit to get it to sit center, but it's not right...and we aren't sure how to fix it without tearing it all apart. AND...remember what I said about measuring with the 1" clearance with the lid up on the canopy? Well...um...it won't clear the ceiling. LOL...oops!

So now...it's hurry up and wait. We have to get the carpet laid in the downstairs where the tank and stand are. We've shifted gears on starting to pack and box things up at our current house.

OH...we DID get the Apex in. We're missing a few needed modules...but overall I'm liking what I see. I will say that whoever added the blurb in the instructions stating that it should take roughly 15 minutes to get a basic setup running on it GROSSLY over exaggerated the ease in which to get it set up. LOL It should come with a warning "prerequisite...a minor in Computer programming needed for setup". Two hours later I had half the modules up and running and the email notifications working. It was 11 at night, and I was exhaused. I had to put it down.

We also purchased 2 large buckets of Aquavitro Salinity salt to start the water making process, and grabbed a few bags of sand. We also purchased a cleanup crew for the seeded live rock as we've got a serious case of hair algae blooming.

Moving right along...slowly but surely. Will take some pictures later in the week of the tank and stand in. Getting closer...:bounce3:

 

[worm5406]

Good!!

Glad to hear the progress!

Can't wait for the pictures.

 

[Mrs. Gixxerman]

Small update...and a little teaser on how the new tank setup is going. Overall we have been crazy busy trying to get the house prepped for the move. We have hit problem after problem on the new house. MOST of which required construction work. Now that all of it is taken care of...back to our addiction!

After quite a few days of making salt water for the new tank, we finally got the tank full...live rock moved over, and the beginnings of the rock scape done. Poor Tim. I tend to be unbelievably anal about how the rock scape will look, and his first attempt at the rock formation I very quickly tore apart. I had previously made two rock sculptures with the dry rock we purchased, knowing that once they went in the new build, I was going to have to figure out a way to incorporate our current live rock in the 75 gal into the new 180. We spent probably a good 3 hours arranging and rearranging the rock to get it to what we wanted. I'm thrilled with how it turned out. Once the rock went in and the scape was done, we added the sand to the display, the crushed coral and mud to the sump, and turned it all on. It looked like someone poured 180 gallons of milk in our tank.

After about three days everything settled and you could actually start making out rock work in the tank. During this time, we discovered a number of leaks at the bulkhead and return on the right side of the tank. That took several days to work through but ultimately it turned out fine. And THEN came the Apex...

LOL...I can easily say that the hardest part of this tank build was trying to configure that damn Apex to our system. My gawd. Of course, now, it's easier to configure since I have some reasonable idea of what I'm doing. I'm still having problems with the coding for the skimmer and the return and currently have it set to ON manually. Everything else is on auto and works like a dream. Got the ATO set up with a 22 gallon tall glass aquarium that fits in the space in the stand next to the sump just fine. So ATO problem solved. Whew.

The time spent seeding the dry rock with the live rock we had in the 40 gallon breeder before setting up the 180 worked well. We saw a very small ammonia spike in the 180 but I'm sure if was die off from the transfer. All params look good now, so we'll wait to make sure nothing weird happens between now and the weekend, and we'll move the livestock over from the 75 to their new home! So enough about the petty stuff...on to pictures. Just a few mind you. I need to take some better shots of the tank, but these will do for now.

Full tank shot


Left side cave ( the side that gave us the most problems)


Center (my bonsai sculpture)


Right side. Most of this side is a rock cave I built with other rock resting around and in front of it.


So far everything is falling into place. I'm thrilled to have it up and running! FINALLY!