Kasey's 60g

[kaserpick]

After having played around with SPS in a 15g cube for over a year, I think it's time for an upgrade:

60g (48" x 24" x 12"t by Deep Blue):

Equipment (Black = Already Have, Red = Need to Buy):

Lighting: Lumen Max Elite, IceCap 250w e-ballast, 250w Radium 20k
Skimmer: Bubble Magus NAC 5.5
Return Pump: Mag 9.5
Heater: Jager 250w (in sump), Jager 100w (in NSW reservoir)
Flow: 2 x Tunze 6055 (in tank), Tunze 6045 (in sump), Tunze 6025 (in NSW reservoir)
ATO: Float switch w/ aqualifter by AutoTopOff
Controller: Neptune Apex Jr. + PM1 and VDM modules (used to control heater, 6055's, and dosing pumps)
Dosing: 2-part via BRS Dosing Pumps

Stand:

Will be a DIY stand, incorporating lights, magnetic doors (3 sides), built in GFCI outlets and switches, as well as raceways and wireloom to keep things tidy.

Inside the stand will be gizmos & gadgets, 20g high sump, 20g high ATO reservoir, 20g high NSW reservoir, and RO/DI system. I'm hoping it will stream line the water change and maintenance processes, as well as look professional.

 

[kaserpick]

The idea of this tank is 'keeping things simple'.

Maintenance will include:

Weekly 15g water changes. I'm hoping to have this automated after the first month by adding an Old Saltwater reservoir and many float switches. That's where I'll be having some fun with the Apex Jr.

Daily additions of Calcium and Alkalinity via dosing pumps.

No daily carbon dosing, bio-pellets, or similar techniques. I just want regular water changes with rock steady parameters. Automatic WC's will have to be in Beta mode for a long time before I let it loose.

The Look will be simple. There will be 3 small islands, in the center of the tank, surrounded by white sand. I want plenty of room for growth and swimming.

That's it!

 

[AdamDeMamp]

That's a good looking tank you got there. Was there a top trim piece that you removed to make it "rimless"?

 

[kaserpick]

Thanks! No, it was made rimless.

 

[leicalux]

nice dimension, when will it be up?

 

[kaserpick]

I'm hoping to have it by the end of the month.

 

[Felix1021]

nice... following...all your builds are simple and clean. can't wait to see this one fully built
f.

 

[arc eye]

nice... following...all your builds are simple and clean. can't wait to see this one fully built
f.

Couldn't agree more! Kasey's builds are just the way I like them!

 

[kaserpick]

nice... following...all your builds are simple and clean. can't wait to see this one fully built
f.

Couldn't agree more! Kasey's builds are just the way I like them!

Thanks for the encouragement, guys! It means a lot. :thumbsup:

I like it simple.

 

[dvanacker]

looks good so far. One thing though...how is one MH bulb gonna cover the 4ft length.?

 

[kaserpick]

It's not.

It'll be centered with the three small islands directly below it. I want the middle to really stand out.

I forgot to mention, it'll also be a peninsula. That has nothing to do with lighting; I just like peninsulas.

 

[kaserpick]

By the way, congrats on TOTM, Darryl! Your setup is incredible!

 

[Mangodude]

Looks like it'll be a grea setup. Following along..

 

[sahin]

Hey Kasey. Good to see you are still around. Looks like a very promising setup. :thumbsup:

 

[nikesb]

Following

 

[trueblackpercula]

Looks great, are you going to keep the tank on that table? The reason is because the weight of the water alone is around 480 pounds not counting sand, rocks, corals when they grow ETC. also I am a big fan of metal halide bulbs and for your tank because of the length i would have to tell you either go with 2 bulbs or either a T5 ho setup to cover the size.

 

[kaserpick]

Looks like it'll be a grea setup. Following along..

Hey Kasey. Good to see you are still around. Looks like a very promising setup. :thumbsup:

Following

Thanks everyone! Hopefully, I'll be able to work on the stand soon. Then I'll have more to share.

Looks great, are you going to keep the tank on that table? The reason is because the weight of the water alone is around 480 pounds not counting sand, rocks, corals when they grow ETC. also I am a big fan of metal halide bulbs and for your tank because of the length i would have to tell you either go with 2 bulbs or either a T5 ho setup to cover the size.

Thanks for the concerns. No, the tank will not stay on the table; it's just resting, empty, until I build a stand for it. I just wanted to take a picture to show the dimensions. 12" tall tanks are my favorite.

You are absolutely right; 1 bulb will not cover the whole tank. I'll only be growing corals in the center of the tank. I want the rest to be shaded a bit to really contrast with the center. I wanted to large tank for openness and swimming room for the fish. The reef will be an 'oasis' in a sea of sand. Thanks again for the concerns. :thumbsup:

 

[kaserpick]

And so it begins!

And so it begins!

I've been busy during my evenings. The stand has been built, finally; I don't have a power saw, so all the cuts were by hand. It took some time. I still need to add a floor on the bottom, skin it with removable sides, and set up the raceways, wiring, and plumbing. I'll be doing that tonight, as well as Sunday and Monday night. For now, I've been running the RO/DI to fill the DT. It's taking some time, given my unit is only 75 gpd. While I'm finishing the bottom, I'll be mixing the salt and hanging the pendant.

I bought a refractometer (was using TM floating hydrometer) and the VDM.

Here's some pics. You can see I rearranged the room for the tank. A build's not complete until you have to rearrange to make room for it, right?

My wife's on the love seat probably thinking, "What have I gotten myself into?!" She's pretty excited about it.

This morning:

 

[REEF SMAC]

My wife's on the love seat probably thinking, "What have I gotten myself into?!" She's pretty excited about it.

Lol... My wife constantly thinks this all the time.

Looks good. I'm looking forward to seeing this one. I've been a follower of many of your posts here for a long time. I'm sure with your amount of reefing knowledge this is gonna be an great build to watch.

Reef on!

 

[kaserpick]

Lol... My wife constantly thinks this all the time.

Looks good. I'm looking forward to seeing this one. I've been a follower of many of your posts here for a long time. I'm sure with your amount of reefing knowledge this is gonna be an great build to watch.

Reef on!

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm really hoping this build pulls through!

I'll try to keep things moving along.