Punchy's Technologie Deutsche Meerwasser Tank

Punchanello

Member
Introduction:

Hallo Reefers,

This is my first reef tank. I've been lurking on RC for years now and more recently asking annoying questions I'm sure experienced reefers have heard hundreds of times. For many years I have dreamed of being able to keep fish and coral and it's only now that I have the financial capacity to do so. I also have a more personal objective in mind. My 5 year old daughter has a rare genetic condition called Trisomy 8 and was born completely deaf. Although she has had cochlear implants and is bright, she has trouble communicating among other things. She loves fish and the ocean. My main goal with the tank is to have something we can use as a cue to help develop her language skills and more importantly, something that we can share.

picture.php


I also have a few guiding principles, the most important one being to keep the wife happy. That means making sure it is a good looking, neat, enclosed and quiet set-up. The second one is that I don't anticipate upgrading in the near future. The time is now. So I want the equipment to be solid and as far as is possible, high quality and fairly future proof. It helps that I love gadgets, tech and quality design.

So the German thing started out as a bit of a joke but seems to have snowballed as I have progressed in my planning. It started with deciding on powerheads. While the Vortech options are popular and no doubt very good products I was attracted to the Tunze Turbelles because of their durability and years of trusted use by so many reefers. I also like the ability to adjust the direction. This also lead to looking at the Tunze 9430 skimmer and it's ease of use. Once I had decided on them and started looking at a controller the GHL Profilux 4 made sense because it is pretty much plug and play with the Tunze products. So German tech and engineering it is.

It won't so much be a build as an assembly although I will customize some elements.

System Objectives: A beautiful mixed reef I can share with my daughter. Minimal aquascape. I'd like to keep some of the smaller tangs.

System Type: Mixed Reef

Display System: Cade Pro Reef 1500 - Arrived 2 months ago!

picture.php


Strike up Date: TBC

Display Tank: 500 lt 5x2x2

Display Lighting: Likely 3 x GHL Mitras LX7

Stand: Cade Pro Reef

Hood: n/a

Sump: 4 section 200 lt

picture.php


picture.php


Refugium: Will be located in section 3 of the sump. Likely chaeto with a grow-light.

Refugium Lighting: Undecided - at this stage a Chinese made grow light pendant.

Support systems: I will be using marine pure blocks and macro algae for nutrient control/export.

2x 300w Eheim Jaeger heaters

I'll be building a return manifold for reactors and water changes.

I'm still hesitating a bit but I think I will get the GHL Profilux 4 as a controller. This won't be purchased until well after the tank is wet and cycled.

System Water: artificial salt water

Display Water circulation: 2 x Tunze Turbelle Stream 6105 (just arrived yesterday! purchased as new)

Return Pump: undecided

Skimmer: Tunze 9430

Evaporation Top Up: ATO built in to back wall of the Cade. The Cade comes with a gravity fed ATO with a float switch but I think I will upgrade this to a Tunze Osmolator for safety and control purposes. It technically can't dump more water than will fit in the sump but it would give me peace of mind.

Chemical Support: N/A (I think) Probably a reactor with carbon at some point.

Calcium Addition: Dosing via GHL 2.0 Slave

Alkilinity Addition: Dosing via GHL 2.0 Slave

Other Chemical Maintenance: Magnesium but undecided on further dosing or supplements until I have corals and fish.
 
Last edited:
Following. Love the German tech theme and congrats - I wish I'd done the same. I got sucked into the Ecotech hype and it's been interesting to say the least.

I have a Tunze Stream 3 waiting to unbox! Hoping to get to it an do a review this weekend.

If you're sticking German, you could go Tunze Silence for your return. Have you looked at the Tunze controller? - seeing as the rest of your gear is Tunze.

Your images aren't working btw.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Following. Love the German tech theme and congrats - I wish I'd done the same. I got sucked into the Ecotech hype and it's been interesting to say the least.

I have a Tunze Stream 3 waiting to unbox! Hoping to get to it an do a review this weekend.

If you're sticking German, you could go Tunze Silence for your return. Have you looked at the Tunze controller? - seeing as the rest of your gear is Tunze.

Your images aren't working btw.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, I plan to give the Tunze controller a look.

The Tunze silence was the return I was looking at but I've found it difficult to get reliable feedback on return pumps generally. I'd like to have slow circulation through the sump. There's plenty of movement in the DT. I been recommended the eheim 3500 lt hr universal model but I'm not sure if it is noisy or not. The Tunze (3500 lt hr) is obviously very quiet but I haven't been able to gauge it from a reliability/capacity to pump water through the return and manifold perspective. It's one of the two but I'm happy to get recommendations.

I thought about the Ecotech M1 also but again, mixed feedback and it's a little bit more fiddly in regards to using a controller other than the Apex.
 
Yes, I plan to give the Tunze controller a look.



The Tunze silence was the return I was looking at but I've found it difficult to get reliable feedback on return pumps generally. I'd like to have slow circulation through the sump. There's plenty of movement in the DT. I been recommended the eheim 3500 lt hr universal model but I'm not sure if it is noisy or not. The Tunze (3500 lt hr) is obviously very quiet but I haven't been able to gauge it from a reliability/capacity to pump water through the return and manifold perspective. It's one of the two but I'm happy to get recommendations.



I thought about the Ecotech M1 also but again, mixed feedback and it's a little bit more fiddly in regards to using a controller other than the Apex.



I have the Vectra M1 and have had it replaced once as it is not remotely quiet once it meets even a little back pressure. My understanding is that it depends heavily on your plumbing as some are complaining that it whines, others claim it is silent. This is mine at 50% power"¦.

https://youtu.be/FVd7--NnyA4

I'm not over the moon about it tbh. Silent should mean 'silent' IMO - not, 'well, it's silent til you hook it up to your plumbing'"¦
I'm going to try adapting my plumbing and see if I can improve it. But, for you, if you're not going ReefLink etc I honestly see no reason to get a Vectra - there are similarly specified pumps out there for less money with distributors who offer better support.

I was looking at the Tunze Silence electronic version, mainly because Ive found the Tunze distributor in Australia (Aqua Depot) to be first-class with service, unlike Ecotech who are just plain difficult IMO. I follow someone with a Reefer 170 and she is super-happy with the Tunze Silence.

I have the Eheim 1262 and that pushes water no problem but is a big AC pump so has the usual hum from vibration. That said, it's not much different to the Vectra. I don't know what the Eheim Compacts are like.

I've heard good things about the Reef Octopus pumps too.

Beyond that, I've also considered a Red Dragon Speedy but this is the Rolls Royce and carries a similar price tag.

It's a tricky one but I'd be inclined to try or at least research the Tunze further - advantage as I se it - solid name, reliable, your other gear is Tunze, Tunze battery backup option is more flexible IMO - and if you're considering the Tunze controller it's a no brainer - just make sure you get the DC (electronic) one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Yeah, I'm definitely leaning in the Tunze silence direction. Thanks for the good intel.



No Problem. I'm keen to see what you end up with. In decades of keeping fish I've never had any real trouble with German equipment. The current crop of ETM stuff I bought for this tank however"¦

Check out my tank thread for details -

Damien's Reefer 250

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...eads/Damien's-Reefer-250.798696/&share_type=t


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Finally got the ATI LED Powermodule from Germany. It's the wifi model so you just need to connect to it and there's a browser based control interface. Very easy and looks amazing.

9866e133192881d080b1c412daf77b47.jpg


I decided to not to go with the GHL Profilux controller. instead I ordered the Tunze Smartcontroller 7000 which should arrive any minute now. It doesn't have anywhere near the number of features the Profilux has but it monitors the two things I care about most: temp to run my heaters on a switchable socket and alk because I will be using Triton Elements which bases the dosing levels on alkalinity. Also, it's smaller and fits in the side compartments of the Cade and I'm running Tunze powerheads, return pump and refugium light which are all compatible.

It's been a slow build but starting to get really excited.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Starting to get my gear sorted. The small side compartments are perfect for mounting gear.
394828139bc4573571a633877d5c7509.jpg


Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
 
Looking good so far. the wiring caddy looks real nice. I see that you have your chair ready for when you will be in trouble with the misses. Now thats planning.
 
Back
Top